Creation’s Reaction

While the earth revolves around the sun, the moon revolves around the earth. As it does, periodically, the moon comes in between the sun and earth, giving us spectacular solar eclipses. Ancient cultures associated folklore and myths with these eclipses. The Norse believed that gods put an evil enchanter, Loki, in chains, and he took revenge by creating a giant wolf-like creature that swallowed the sun. When the gods freed him, the wolf spat out the sun. The native Columbians promised gods to work harder, and they released the sun. The Chippewa tribe shot flaming arrows into the sky to relight the sun. Some south Asians believe that the god Rahu swallowed the sun; when it burned his tongue, he spat it.

The soldiers hanged Jesus on the cross around 9 am. Soon after that, a solar eclipse began that lasted three hours (Mark 15:33). Although a total eclipse lasts under ten minutes, the process of the moon crossing between the sun and earth can last for hours. Around noon, Jesus shouted (boao)* in a loud voice, saying,

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.” (Mark 15:34)

These were the first lines of David’s cry, meaning, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Ps 22:1). Just as David felt God had abandoned him in his most needy time, Jesus felt God had abandoned him. Perhaps Jesus thought God would answer his prayer the night before and deliver him from his death. But now, he was confident; he had to die; God wasn’t coming to his aid. As he shouted, the people mocked him, misthinking that he was calling for Elijah to come and deliver him, even preventing someone from offering him ozos, a vinegar mix to calm his pain (Mark 15:35–36).

Now, Jesus shouted a second time. With that, he faced his end. The Gospel writers knew various words for someone dying.** But they all chose to portray Jesus’s death uniquely.

Matthew – He gave up the spirit (27:50)

Mark – He exhaled (15:37)

Luke – He cried: Into your hands, I give my spirit, and he exhaled (Luke 23:46)

John – Tipping his head, he gave up the spirit (John 19:30)

Jesus gave up the spirit; exhaled it. This action and statement paralleled something significant: God breathed into the nostrils of Adam, and he became a living soul (Gen 2:7). His disobedience that brought death into the world climaxed in the second Adam who gave up that spirit/breath; only for another spirit/breath to restart life again.

Although Jesus wondered why God wasn’t helping him, God did help him. Historians tell us that some on the cross died after five or six days of agonizing pain. But Jesus died within three hours, surprising Pilate and the centurion near him. At this time, the centurion heard that the curtain in the temple – 5 to 6 inches wide – was torn from top to bottom.

The eclipse, the quick death of Jesus, and the tearing of the curtain in the temple convinced a non-superstitious Roman centurion that Jesus was the king – the son of God – as he claimed. Who else would die so quickly and the creation react so vehemently?

Jesus’s death and resurrection bring us resurrection, new life, and abundant life. Christian faith is about living a life the second Adam, Jesus, brought.

* Jesus’s shout (boao) forms a bookend in the Gospel as it began with another shout (boao) earlier, Mark 1:3.

** Common words for dying are: thneisko, apothneisko, kteino, apoketeino, teleutao, and koimao.