The Crucifixion Explained: Jesus’ Third Saying and the Darkness at Noon.

We are meditating daily on the scene of Christ's crucifixion, especially on the seven last sayings of Jesus while He hung on the cross. The third thing Christ said was to His mother and John, the apostle.

"He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!'" (John 19:26-27).

His mother, Mary, was heartbroken as she looked up at Jesus. John, the apostle, was also nearby. We don't hear of Joseph, Mary's husband, being present during Jesus' ministry, so we can assume he had died by then. By the time of Christ's crucifixion, she was probably in her late 40s or early 50s and, as far as we know, had no visible means of support. The Scriptures emphasize honoring one's parents (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16), so Jesus, the family's firstborn, did not pass responsibility to His half-brothers. Instead, He asked John, the disciple He loved, to care for Mary. Even in His pain, Christ was still caring for those around Him. What an example He sets for us! He does not call her "mother" but "woman," to prevent people from attributing divinity to her, as some do. Mary was a sinful person in need of a Savior, just like any of us. She had already recognized her need for a Savior for her sins (Luke 1:47).

At midday, the sixth hour according to Jewish reckoning, darkness covered the entire land. The laughter, comedy, and scorn from the religious elite had ceased by this point, for God Himself appeared. Yes, the Lord, who "dwells in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:16), also visits in thick darkness. “He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky” (Psalm 18:11). In another place, Scripture describes God as saying, “Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 97:2). When God appeared at Mount Sinai, Moses wrote of Him, “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the very heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick gloom" (Deuteronomy 4:11). The air was thick with the presence of the Holy One, who drew near bringing judgment for sin on His Son instead of us. During that time of darkness, this writer believes, every sin and act of rebellion on earth—past, present, and future—was laid on Christ.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).

During the darkness after midday, Jesus spoke again: "'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' - which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). This statement is so crucial that, to keep these reflections brief, we must wait until tomorrow to discuss it. Let me leave you with a question: In that day's terrible darkness, why would Christ feel forsaken by God? Keith Thomas

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The written notes are at the following link: The Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross