EXPLORE THE TEXT
We can be confident in knowing that Jesus’s death was part of God’s redemptive plan.
45 From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land.
46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
“Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?”
that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 When some of those standing there heard this,
they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge,
filled it with sour wine,
put it on a stick, and offered him a drink.
49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
Note that being hung with criminals (Isa. 53:12)
and having soldiers gamble for His clothes (Ps. 22:18)
fulfilled messianic prophecy.
Discuss the source of the darkness.
Summarize the following information from page 126 of the PSG to provide additional insights:
“Around noon the sky became unnaturally dark.
This was the first of four supernatural events surrounding Jesus’s death.
The other three are the temple curtain being torn, the earthquake, and the dead raised (vv. 51-52).
Matthew’s inference is that the darkness was a sign of God’s displeasure.
It was reminiscent of the darkness in Egypt during the first deliverance of God’s people (Ex. 10:22-23). .God is holy and cannot look on sin.
He turned away from Jesus bearing the sin of all the world and of all time on the cross. Patient This is a deep look at the extreme seriousness of sin and its ultimate results.”
Briefly discuss the crowd’s response and why they would have mentioned Elijah.
Through the entire experience, Jesus remained in complete control
of His life and, ultimately, His death.
Make your room as dark as possible. Share a time when you were in the dark and longing for some light. Allow a few volunteers to share their experiences. Ask: How does darkness add intensity to a situation? What do you think the people in Jerusalem imagined was causing the darkness? What does this darkness reveal about how God views sin and death?
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