DARKNESS
There was a darkness that covered the whole land when Christ was crucified (Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). This event has been controversial ever since, for daytime darkness is unusual. Was this a literal event or merely figurative? If it did happen, was it caused by a solar eclipse, as some suggest? Today, let’s discuss the moment the world went dark.
The Gospels found in our Bible are considered ancient records of what happened. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all agree in recording that darkness occurred on the day Christ died and even gave the specific time it began. So there is no doubt that this truly happened. Matthew was a witness of the darkness, Mark was close to Peter and other witnesses of the event, and Luke is considered a careful historian. In addition to the Gospel writers, there were also ancient historians who recorded the same phenomenon. Around 50 AD, the Greek historian Thallus made reference to this darkness and claimed it was a solar eclipse. Another Greek historian named Phlegon also recorded a similar event in the 2nd century AD. Scholars traced the year he mentioned—it was 33 AD, the same year Christ died. It appears that the events these two historians recorded refer to the same darkness described in the Gospels. In short, we have more than enough reason to believe that this really happened.
Jesus was crucified during Passover, which is celebrated during the full moon in spring. A solar eclipse, which is the moon blocking the sun, can only happen during a new moon. Because of this, many reject the idea that a solar eclipse caused the darkness. Also, the darkness caused by a solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes. The darkness recorded in the Gospels lasted for three hours. What about a lunar eclipse? The problem with that suggestion is that lunar eclipses affect the tides, but there is no evidence that they cause daytime darkness. Also, even if a lunar eclipse occurred on that day, it would not have been visible during the time Christ was on the cross. For the modern mind, the darkness described remains a mystery because there is no valid natural explanation for it. Since experts can't identify a natural cause, they suggest that maybe the darkness wasn't that dark after all. Maybe it was just cloudy, and the accounts became exaggerated to reflect the emotional weight of the moment.
As believers who accept miracles, we have no problem with the fact that there is no known natural explanation. Whether or not a supernatural solar eclipse happened is not the main concern. What matters more is why God caused the darkness. Some suggest that because Jesus bore the sins of the world, He also bore God’s wrath. The darkness was a visible sign of God pouring out His wrath and turning His face away from His Son because of the sin He carried.
That explanation is valid, but there’s another view that seems even more reasonable. In the Old Testament, darkness is often associated with God’s judgment (Ex. 10:21–23; Amos 8:9; etc.). Since the crucifixion darkness was highly unusual, it was easy for people at that time to interpret it as a sign of divine judgment. More specifically, this judgment was directed at sin and evil spiritual forces, not at the beloved Son (Matt. 3:17). At the cross, Christ was dealing with our sins (Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18; etc.). The darkness appears to be the Father’s way of revealing His righteous anger toward the sins His Son was carrying. The darkness in Egypt was also part of God’s judgment against its false gods (Ex. 12:12; Num. 33:4). Paul had a similar idea when he wrote, "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Col. 2:15). We should also remember that Christ, when He foretold His crucifixion, said: “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.” (Jn 12:31) Through Christ’s death, God judged (and shamed) the evil forces—Satan, powers, and authorities—and the darkness served as visible proof of His righteous anger directed at them.
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Whether or not an eclipse occurred, we are sure that there was darkness at that time. What appeared to be the darkest hour was actually a victorious moment—for it was the moment the Light of the world overcame the forces of darkness to invite us into His marvelous light. “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (Jn 12:46). 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴.
Sources and Studies:
Strobel, L. (1998). The Day the Earth Went Dark. In The Case for Christ. Zondervan.
Craig, W. L. (2010). Thallus on the Darkness at Noon. Reasonable Faith. Retrieved from: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/.../thallus-on-the...
Anderson, D. (2007). Darkness at the Crucifixion: Metaphor or Real History? Creation Ministries International. Retrieved from: https://creation.com/darkness-at-the-crucifixion-metaphor
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