"Certainly This Was God's Son"

JESUS has not been on the stake long when, at midday, a mysterious, three-hour darkness occurs. A solar eclipse is not responsible, since these only take place at the time of the new moon and the moon is full at Passover time. Moreover, solar eclipses last only a few minutes. So the darkness is of divine origin! It probably gives pause to those mocking Jesus, even causing their taunts to cease. If the eerie phenomenon occurs before the one evildoer chastises his companion and asks Jesus to remember him, it may be a factor in his repentance. Perhaps it is during the darkness that four women, namely Jesus' mother and her sister Salome, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of the apostle James the Less, make their way close to the torture stake. John, Jesus' beloved apostle, is with them there.

How the heart of Jesus' mother is 'pierced through' as she watches the son she nursed and nurtured hanging there in agony! Yet, Jesus thinks, not of his own pain, but of her welfare. With great effort, he nods toward John and says to his mother: "Woman, see! Your son!" Then, nodding toward Mary, he says to John: "See! Your mother!" Jesus thereby entrusts the care of his mother, who is evidently now a widow, to his specially loved apostle. He does this because Mary's other sons have not as yet manifested faith in him. Thus he sets a fine example in making provision not only for his mother's physical needs, but also for her spiritually ones.

At about three in the afternoon, Jesus says: "I am thirsty." Jesus senses that his Father has, as it were, withdrawn protection from him in order that his integrity might be tested to the limit. So he calls out with a loud voice: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" At hearing this, some who are standing nearby exclaim: "See! He is calling Elijah." Immediately one of them runs and, placing a sponge soaked with sour wine on the end of a hyssop stalk, gives him a drink. But others say: "Let him be! Let us see whether Elijah come to take him down."

When Jesus receives the sour wine, he cries out: "It has been accomplished!" Yes, he finished everything that his Father sent him to earth to do. Finally, he says: "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit." Jesus thereby commits to God his life-force in confidence that God will restore it to him again. Then he bows his head and dies. The moment Jesus breathes his last, a violent earthquake occurs, splitting open the rock-masses. The quake is so powerful that the memorial tombs outside Jerusalem are broken open and corpses are thrown out of them. Passersby who see the dead bodies that have been exposed enter the city and report it.

Next time: Conclusion of "Certainly This Was God's Son

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991