Darkness and Lightning at Calvary as the Crowd Falls ProstrateBible World
15:37Mark 15:37
And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Jesus willingly yielded His life with a loud, strong, anguished cry declaring His work complete. He died suddenly and unusually soon after hours of agony on the cross outside Jerusalem, at the moment the darkness over the earth lifted. He died not merely from bodily suffering but under the crushing weight and penalty of the sins of the world laid upon Him. As humanity's substitute He bore the curse of transgression to pay the penalty of sin and satisfy the just claims of God's law. By that sacrifice He finished the work He came to do and accomplished the plan of salvation, putting away the sins of every believing soul and opening the way for repentant believers to receive eternal life.
Manner and Moment of Death
He voluntarily yielded His own life rather than having it taken from Him, crying out with a loud, strong and anguished voice in which He declared His work finished. That final loud cry marked the very moment of His dying.
He died outside Jerusalem at the place where felons and murderers were executed, after hours of agony on the cross enduring mockery, the crown of thorns and crucifixion. While He suffered the sun hid its light and angels veiled their faces. He breathed His last at the moment when the mysterious darkness that had covered the earth passed away.
His death came suddenly and unusually soon, for men under crucifixion often lingered for days. It was public, witnessed by those present at the cross, and its reality was confirmed by the centurion who commanded the soldiers there. The report that He was already dead surprised Pilate.
His dying was accompanied by darkness over the earth. An earthquake shook the earth, split rocks and alarmed the people, and graves were opened. At the same time the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom.
Meaning of His Death
He died under the crushing weight of the sins of the world laid upon Him and under the Father's displeasure, bearing the penalty and weight of humanity's sins. His death was not brought about merely by bodily suffering. As humanity's substitute He suffered the curse brought by transgression in order to redeem people from the curse of the law, paying the penalty for sin and satisfying the just claims of God's law.
In dying He completed the work He came to do, fulfilling the everlasting covenant between the Father and the Son to give fallen humanity another chance. His loud final testimony showed that by His death He had saved a perishing world. Through this sacrifice He puts away the sins of every believing soul and accomplished the plan of salvation. He thereby opened the way for repentant believers to receive eternal life and made salvation available to all who accept it, and His death means Satan's kingdom will ultimately be taken away.
Even when He could not see beyond the tomb or feel assurance of acceptance, He yielded His life relying by faith on His Father's character, justice, mercy, and love. After He cried aloud and died, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom, signifying that God had left the earthly temple.
Responses to His Death
His final cry helped convince those standing by of who He was and of His righteousness, at the end of His life on the cross following the cry heard in the darkness, in a death that was sudden and publicly witnessed. He died at the moment the mysterious darkness over the earth passed away, sooner than expected since crucified men often lingered for days. The report of His death, confirmed by the centurion who commanded the soldiers at the cross, convinced Pilate that He was no ordinary man. When Pilate learned He was truly dead he was surprised, became more firmly convinced He was no ordinary man, and deeply regretted his part in condemning Him.
His loud, anguished death-cry shook the earth, while rocks split, graves opened, an earthquake alarmed the people, and darkness hid His face. The accompanying earthquake, torn rocks, and darkness troubled His enemies. Those who killed Him trembled, His murderers trembled at these signs.
His followers saw Him die and their hope seemed lost. His disciples, who had expected Him to reign as a temporal prince, thought their hopes had died with Him and were left grieving and uncertain. Lifted up on the cross and dying as a malefactor, His death was the taking away of the Bridegroom from the disciples, the time when they had cause to mourn and fast. Then their faith was tried and their hope and courage failed, because the One in whom their hopes of eternal life were centered was dying in the hands of wicked men.
He died after hours of agony on the cross, enduring mockery, the crown of thorns, and crucifixion, while the sun hid its light and angels veiled their faces. What He suffered and gave up in this way shows that any self-denial required of His followers is small beside His sacrifice for them.
Jesus willingly yielded His life with a loud, strong, anguished cry declaring His work complete. He died suddenly and unusually soon after hours of agony on the cross outside Jerusalem, at the moment the darkness over the earth lifted. He died not merely from bodily suffering but under the crushing weight and penalty of the sins of the world laid upon Him. As humanity's substitute He bore the curse of transgression to pay the penalty of sin and satisfy the just claims of God's law. By that sacrifice He finished the work He came to do and accomplished the plan of salvation, putting away the sins of every believing soul and opening the way for repentant believers to receive eternal life.
Manner and Moment of Death
He voluntarily yielded His own life rather than having it taken from Him, crying out with a loud, strong and anguished voice in which He declared His work finished. That final loud cry marked the very moment of His dying.
He died outside Jerusalem at the place where felons and murderers were executed, after hours of agony on the cross enduring mockery, the crown of thorns and crucifixion. While He suffered the sun hid its light and angels veiled their faces. He breathed His last at the moment when the mysterious darkness that had covered the earth passed away.
His death came suddenly and unusually soon, for men under crucifixion often lingered for days. It was public, witnessed by those present at the cross, and its reality was confirmed by the centurion who commanded the soldiers there. The report that He was already dead surprised Pilate.
His dying was accompanied by darkness over the earth. An earthquake shook the earth, split rocks and alarmed the people, and graves were opened. At the same time the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom.
Meaning of His Death
He died under the crushing weight of the sins of the world laid upon Him and under the Father's displeasure, bearing the penalty and weight of humanity's sins. His death was not brought about merely by bodily suffering. As humanity's substitute He suffered the curse brought by transgression in order to redeem people from the curse of the law, paying the penalty for sin and satisfying the just claims of God's law.
In dying He completed the work He came to do, fulfilling the everlasting covenant between the Father and the Son to give fallen humanity another chance. His loud final testimony showed that by His death He had saved a perishing world. Through this sacrifice He puts away the sins of every believing soul and accomplished the plan of salvation. He thereby opened the way for repentant believers to receive eternal life and made salvation available to all who accept it, and His death means Satan's kingdom will ultimately be taken away.
Even when He could not see beyond the tomb or feel assurance of acceptance, He yielded His life relying by faith on His Father's character, justice, mercy, and love. After He cried aloud and died, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom, signifying that God had left the earthly temple.
Responses to His Death
His final cry helped convince those standing by of who He was and of His righteousness, at the end of His life on the cross following the cry heard in the darkness, in a death that was sudden and publicly witnessed. He died at the moment the mysterious darkness over the earth passed away, sooner than expected since crucified men often lingered for days. The report of His death, confirmed by the centurion who commanded the soldiers at the cross, convinced Pilate that He was no ordinary man. When Pilate learned He was truly dead he was surprised, became more firmly convinced He was no ordinary man, and deeply regretted his part in condemning Him.
His loud, anguished death-cry shook the earth, while rocks split, graves opened, an earthquake alarmed the people, and darkness hid His face. The accompanying earthquake, torn rocks, and darkness troubled His enemies. Those who killed Him trembled, His murderers trembled at these signs.
His followers saw Him die and their hope seemed lost. His disciples, who had expected Him to reign as a temporal prince, thought their hopes had died with Him and were left grieving and uncertain. Lifted up on the cross and dying as a malefactor, His death was the taking away of the Bridegroom from the disciples, the time when they had cause to mourn and fast. Then their faith was tried and their hope and courage failed, because the One in whom their hopes of eternal life were centered was dying in the hands of wicked men.
He died after hours of agony on the cross, enduring mockery, the crown of thorns, and crucifixion, while the sun hid its light and angels veiled their faces. What He suffered and gave up in this way shows that any self-denial required of His followers is small beside His sacrifice for them.