17. THE AND THE END Mark 15:33-41 (Matthew 27:45-56; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-30) 33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.--The sixth Roman hour, the hour of noon. Luke says, "About the sixth hour." Three o'clock in the afternoon. From one prayer hour to the other, not to be specified to the minute; about three hours. The darkness was certainly over all the land of Judea. All the attempts made to explain and identify this darkness with some event in secular history are so much wasted time. [At 12 o'clock, at its meridian splendor, the sun was darkened. This was doubtless an expression of horror on the part of God at the enormity of the crime that was committed in crucifying Jesus. He, too, was the light of the world, the Son of righteousness, to give light to the world. This was a significant declaration that the light of the world was put out in the death of Jesus. It began at twelve and continued until the ninth hour, or three o'clock. "Over the whole land" refers to the land of Judea, as such an expression is never applied to the whole world. The light went out in his death to appear in greater splendor and glory by his resurrection.] Out of Golgotha's darkness came the world's light. 34 And at the ninth hour--Matthew says: "Until the ninth hour." Only Matthew and Mark relate the following incident. Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?--Pronounced by some a mere exclamation of agony; a human sense of abandonment to death. [As the darkness is about to pass away, Jesus utters a loud cry, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This is Hebrew, and means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" As the weakness of death comes on he feels God has forsaken him, and in distress he makes the cry. It seems to indicate a feeling of this kind. He was forsaken and betrayed by man. This he could bear, as man is weak, frail, and blind. But now he feels the support of God is withdrawn, and he asks, Why, what have I done that thou hast forsaken me? He could bear the treason, the denial, the forsaking of his chosen apostles--they were ignorant, weak, frail--but 0, my God, what have I done that thou hast forsaken me?] 35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elijah.--[Some, not understanding the Hebrew, now greatly fallen into disuse, misled by the similarity of sounds, said, "He calleth Elijah." They imagined he was seeking help from Elijah. It would have been an indication of divine favor if God had sent some one from the spiritland to aid him, they thought.] 36 And one ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take him down.--[John (John 19:28) says: Jesus "saith, I thirst." This was done in kindness to quench a thirst that rages under such suffering. He had refused the vinegar and myrrh in the beginning. He now receives this. Others said, "Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take him down." The miraculous powers that Jesus had shown through life, the wonders of nature that now transpired, seem to have brought them to half expect and apprehend some supernatural display to deliver Jesus and bring ruin to them. Yet it did not lead them to believe in him.] 37 And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. --[Jesus commended the keeping of his spirit to God, then yielded it up to him. Jesus was dead. He died to save men. The next verse says the veil of the temple, that separated the outer court from the holy of holies, was rent asunder--torn from the top to bottom. Matthew (Matthew 27:51-53) adds: "The earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many." John (John 19:26-27) relates one occurrence while he was on the cross that has been passed over: "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold, thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold, thy mother! And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home." This shows the deep and strong love he bore to his mother that could make him forget the sufferings of the cross to provide a home of love and comfort for her in her declining years. Let it be remembered that all these sufferings and indignities were borne by Jesus with the knowledge that he could speak the word and twelve legions of angels would come to his deliverance. He failed to seek the deliverance because his deliverance from death would leave man a helpless and lost sinner without a way of escape from ruin. He bore it all out of love to man. His love for man was so deep and strong that he found more joy in the crown of thorns and the cross with the way open for man's redemption than he found on the throne of God with the way for man's redemption closed.] 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom.--This veil between the holy and most holy places was torn, and exposed to view the most holy place. This was done by supernatural agency. 39 And when the centurion, who stood by over against him, saw that he so gave up the ghost,--Captain of a hundred, commanding the quaternions of soldiers who had crucified Jesus and the robbers. Matthew makes this clearer and includes the other soldiers: "When they saw the earthquake and the things that were done, feared exceedingly." When they saw that he died so speedily, and amid such surroundings of sublimity. he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.--The centurion beholding the wonderful occurrences, the sudden darkness and light, the earthquakes, the rending of the rocks and tombs was impressed with the truth of Jesus' claims to be the Son of God. 40 And there were also women beholding from afar;--Matthew says: "Many women were there beholding from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him." (Matthew 27:55.) They witnessed the scene from some place as near as they could approach. In their devotion these women watched him to the last, and two of them (verse 47) continued after he died and saw where they buried him. among whom were both Mary Magdalene,--Mary of Magdala. She had a real cause, peculiar to that of others, of attachment to Jesus, having been relieved by him of a most dreadful calamity, and restored to her right mind, after being possessed by seven devils. (Mark 16:9.) and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses,--Probably the wife of Cleopas, or Alpheus. (John 19:25.) She witnessed with Mary Magdalene, the burial of Jesus. (Verse 47.) "James the less," literally, the little, but used in a comparative sense, meaning the younger, to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee. and Salome;--"The mother of the sons of Zebedee," mentioned by Matthew 27:56. She is also regarded by some as "his mother's sister" of John 19:25. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is not mentioned, as she had probably gone away with John, overwhelmed with sorrow (Luke 2:35), soon after she was committed to his care. (John 19:25-27.) 41 who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;--To his wants from their own substance. (Luke 8:3.) While multitudes of men joined in the cry, Crucify him, and forsook him in his trying moments, it does not appear that any of his female followers were thus unfaithful. In the midst of all his trials, and all the contempt poured upon him, they adhered to the Savior. and many other women that came up with him unto Jerusalem.--Their names are not given. They also witnessed the scene.