Mark 15:33 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Mark 15:33

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The crucifixion began at 9 in the morning. At 12 noon there came the three hours of darkness that extended to 3 o'clock. A deep, deep darkness, came like an eclipse, but much darker. What turmoil that would have created. It was across the land throughout that region, that particular land. Three hours of intense darkness. All the shouting would have been brought to a halt. Such total darkness, the Jews had been taught by their prophets, signified judgment. Could they run? Could they go home to make sure all was well? How would they see? They haven't come out with torches and lights at noon. They didn't know where they were. Your eyes normally soon grow accustomed to darkness and you can see just a little from the ambient and remaining lights, but not this total darkness. You couldn't see anything; you couldn't move. The three hours of profound, intense, unfathomable darkness and silence. ‘Are we under judgment? Is some terrible thing about to happen?’ The yelling and the scorning fell silent and they were afraid. They stood silent and cowered for three hours. That is astonishing. The sun paused in tribute and gave no light, and awe prevailed. Nature bowed its head, as it were, and all the scorn was no more for three hours.Why was there this silence? Because it was enough. The divine dignity of Jesus Christ was now to be protected. He had hung in full sight of all for three hours. That was enough to show that he really suffered in the body when he made an atonement for human sin. But now a veil is drawn across the entire scene. Defiled eyes will not be allowed to see any more. The work of salvation will now be concealed from scorn. But there were other purposes for these three hours of darkness. The most extreme part of the suffering of Christ would not be open to human view. That face that was marred more than any man. The weight of human sin and punishment upon him could not be viewed. It was too terrible a sight. His features were so tortured. The incomprehensible weight, the crushing, killing curse of human sin fell upon him. It was a token of judgment. Judgment had fallen upon Christ instead of us. God in heaven endured for three hours the scorns and the shouts directed at his beloved Son dying on Calvary. It signified that something was happening beyond human language or understanding – the intensity of the suffering of Christ. The experience of separation from the Father. Terrible, terrible things took place as though hell had come to him for us, and then he yielded up his life. Now was the wrath of God in judgment fully poured out on him instead of on us. The darkness signified the desolation he felt as he must be cut off from the Father. He must suffer exactly what we deserved to suffer, being cut off from his heavenly Father.

Application

But there is signified also the spiritual darkness which we all have, which must be ended by Christ. Of course, the three hours of darkness teaches many lessons to us. Films may be made about the passion of Christ and his atoning death, but they miss the mark because they focus on the physical. As you read Mark’s Gospel and Matthew’s Gospel there is not a nail in sight. There is very little physical description, there is very little reference to the physical pain on the cross. Why? Because the physical suffering was just the smallest part of it. It was the receiving of the invisible punishment due to us, the eternal punishment concentrated in hours that he had to bear, the torture in his soul, in his mind.

Questions

How could Jesus Christ be separated and cut off from the Father? He was God. God is One – three Persons in the Trinity. There can be nothing to divide them. One divine, sublime essence. Well, the explanation is this. Christ suffered desolation and separation from God in his human nature primarily, and he suffered as if he were in hell but his divine nature, which could not in fact know separation, felt and suffered equally what he suffered in his human nature. He is divine; he is human and yet he is one. The divine and the human nature are mysteriously bound together. In his human nature he can be separated from God but both in his human and his divine nature he suffers the same pain and that is the best explanation we can give to something so mysterious and so profound.

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Mark 15:33 Commentary and Bible Study