July 20 2025

Sunday July 20

Three Hours of Darkness

Luke 23:44-46

44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.

Welcome to Pastor's Chat. Today we're continuing to look at Luke 23:44-46. These three verses have so much packed into them. It would take all of eternity to study and feel and know and understand and never really be able to comprehend all that took place in these three verses. Luke tells us in verse 44, “Now, it was about the sixth hour. There was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour”. From Mark 15:25, we know Jesus was crucified at the third hour (nine o'clock in the morning).

For the first three hours, Jesus hung on the cross, the people mocked Him, they made fun of Him, they laughed at Him, they yelled at Him saying, "Come down from the cross. If You're the Son of God, You saved others. Save Yourself. You can prove that You are the Son of God, if You come down from the cross." Of course, He didn't.

Then at the sixth hour, which would have been noon, verse 44 says there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. The three hours of darkness was a miracle. It was not an eclipse because that would have been impossible during Passover because it was the season of a full moon. It was a God-sent darkness, recognizing and also amplifying the fact that the whole world was in darkness, in sin and shame, and men were loving that darkness. Even when Jesus began His ministry, Matthew 4:16 tells us: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”.

And now when this darkness takes place, remember it is the time of the feast of the Passover. This reminds us of Exodus 10:21-22 which tells us of the last plague which was a darkness that was sent over all the land of Egypt for three days. This was just before the Passover lamb was slain and the blood was applied to the doorpost in Exodus 12. When Jesus was on the cross, three hours of darkness preceded the death of God's Passover Lamb for the sins of the world (John 1:29).

Now for three hours, the earth is shrouded in darkness as God made His Son to become sin for us who knew no sin, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21. It was as though all nature was sympathizing with the Creator as He suffered and died.  And so we see that Jesus was on the cross, dying on the cross as the Lamb of God in these three hours of darkness. Now also we believe that on the cross, Jesus, at this time, somewhere during these three hours of darkness, according to Matthew 27:45-46 and Mark 15:33-34, cried out, quoting from Psalm 22:1, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Tomorrow, I’m going to take more time to talk about how many times Jesus called His Father. In fact, this last three hours on the cross ended when Jesus' last prayer on the cross was, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." But during these three hours of darkness, I can't explain it totally. I can never understand it completely, but as far as I'm concerned, as I've looked at and studied it over the years, it was during these the three hours of darkness that Jesus suffered an eternity of outer darkness, an eternity of hell.

The Bible says that hell is a place of outer darkness. Jesus went into outer darkness. There in these three hours, the wrath of God was poured out on Him. He was bruised by God (Isaiah 53), as we talked about yesterday, for our sins. He suffered. He was separated from His Father. His favorite reference, the most used word in the Gospel of John, is the word Father. Jesus loved His Father. His Father loved Him. But now His Father turned His back on His Son and poured out His wrath upon Him to be crucified, to die, to shed His blood for my sins and your sins.

My friend, what great love that God had. And that's why Jesus cried out, "My God, My God," somehow God turned His back on His Son. Again, I don't understand it, but He did according to the Scripture. And then it says in verse 45 that “the veil of the temple was torn in two”. The Gospel accounts of Mark and Matthew add, “from top to bottom”. My friend, this is because God from heaven miraculously tore that veil that separated “The Most Holy Place” from everyone except the High Priest once a year.

This miracle announced to the priests and people that the way into God's presence was open for all who would come to Him by faith through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:1-10:25). No more do sinners need earthly temples, altars, sacrifices, or priests, for all had now been fulfilled in the finished work of the Son of God.

Are you experiencing and enjoying this open access to our Father in heaven today?

God bless!