Why was there darkness over the whole land while Jesus was on the cross?

The darkness began at the sixth hour, around noon, and lasted until the ninth hour, about three in the afternoon. This was not a normal weather event. It was a sign from God. The darkness pointed to God’s anger against sin, which was being laid on his Son as a substitute. It also pictured people’s spiritual blindness as they rejected Jesus, the true light. At a time when the sun should have been bright, especially around the Passover full moon, that region was covered in deep gloom, showing how serious this moment was.

What does Jesus’ cry My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me mean?

When Jesus cried, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” he was speaking from deep anguish. He was taking on the sins of the world and feeling the weight of separation that sin brings. He was not doubting God, but pouring out real suffering to the Father he trusted. He used the words of an old psalm to show that he was entering the full pain and curse that sin deserves, so that those who trust him would not be finally forsaken by God.

Why did some bystanders think Jesus was calling for Elias?

When Jesus cried “Eloi,” some standing near the cross said, “Behold, he calleth Elias.” They either misunderstood the word or chose to twist it. Instead of hearing his prayer to God, they turned it into a joke, as if he were calling the prophet Elijah to rescue him. One person ran to give him vinegar on a reed, while others said things like, “Let alone, let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.” Their words show mockery and hard hearts, even while Jesus suffered for sinners.

What is the meaning of the vinegar on a sponge offered to Jesus?

As Jesus hung on the cross, one person ran, filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. Elsewhere we are told Jesus had said, “I thirst.” The sour wine was the cheap drink of soldiers. Even this act, which might look like help, was wrapped in scorn, as the crowd turned it into a chance to mock and see if Elijah would come. It also matched earlier words in Scripture about someone being given vinegar to drink in their suffering, showing that even this detail fit into God’s plan.

What is the significance of the veil of the temple being torn in two?

Right after Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up his spirit, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This veil separated the most holy place from the rest of the temple, picturing the barrier between a holy God and sinful people. It tearing from top to bottom shows that God himself removed it. This sign means the old sacrificial system had reached its goal, and a new and living way to God was opened through Jesus’ death. Access to God now comes through Christ, not through that curtain.

Why did the centurion say, Truly this man was the Son of God?

The centurion was the Roman officer in charge of the soldiers guarding the crucifixion. He stood facing Jesus and saw how he cried out with a loud voice and then died. It struck him that this was no ordinary death. The way Jesus suffered, prayed, and then willingly gave up his life, together with the signs around him, led the centurion to say, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” His words show that even a Gentile soldier, watching the cross, came to see Jesus’ true identity when many others rejected him.

Who were the women watching from afar and why are they mentioned?

Several women were looking on from a distance while Jesus was on the cross. The passage names Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome, along with many other women. These women had followed Jesus when he was in Galilee and had helped provide for him and his followers. They are mentioned to show their steady loyalty when many of the men had scattered. Their quiet faithfulness made them eyewitnesses of his death and later of his resurrection, showing that God values their service and witness.

What does this passage teach about how Jesus faced death?

This passage shows that Jesus did not die helplessly. He cried out with a loud voice, showing strength, and then “gave up the ghost,” giving up his spirit on purpose. The darkness, his loud cries, and the tearing of the temple veil all point to his death as a planned act, not an accident. He was bearing the judgment due to sin and at the same time opening the way to God. Even the centurion could see that his death was unique, and his words point us to trust Jesus as God’s Son.

How can this scene at the cross speak into my own suffering and faith?

This passage shows that Jesus entered the deepest kind of suffering, both in body and in soul. He knew what it felt like to be in darkness and to feel forsaken, yet he still addressed God as “My God.” When you feel abandoned or weighed down by your own sin, you can remember that Jesus has already carried that load. His death tore the veil, so you can come to God freely in prayer. The women who stayed near, even from a distance, remind us to stay near to Jesus by faith, even when we do not understand everything that is happening.

Why does Jesus’ cry of forsakenness seem difficult to understand?

Jesus’ words, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” can be hard to grasp because he is God’s beloved Son. Faithful readers have seen this more than one way, but all agree he is not losing faith or breaking with the Father. He is speaking from real anguish as he bears sin’s curse in our place. He fully feels what it is for sin to separate from God, yet he still calls him “My God.” The wording is weighty because it shows both the depth of his suffering and the depth of his trust at the same time.

Mark.15.33

Mark 15:33

KJV

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

The Death of Jesus

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.