The Judgment of Darkness

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. —Matthew 27:45 ESV

On the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, from noon to three in the afternoon, “the sun’s light failed” (Luke 23:45). There was darkness over the earth. At Jesus’ birth, a host of angels turned the midnight sky into day. Now at His death, the noonday sky was turned to night.

Throughout Scripture, the darkening of the sun is often a symbol of judgment. The ninth plague on Egypt was darkness over the land for three days (Ex. 10:21–23). In Amos, God said He would “make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight” (8:9 esv). And in Revelation, we see how the final wrath and judgment of God is unleashed on those who refused to believe the gospel and repent (16:10).

When Christ died, the sun was darkened because the cross was a place of judgment. It was appropriate that at that moment when God’s wrath was poured out on His Son for our sins that the sun should fail to shine.