“And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” (Luke 23:44- 46 KJV).
Reflecting on these verses through the lens of grace gives us several prophetic revelations for our spiritual comfort. This highlights specific timings for our clear awareness of our Lord's victorious sacrifice. Jewish time, the sixth hour is 12:00 PM (noon) and the ninth hour is 3:00 PM. This point to the Old Testament law in Exodus 29:38–39. God commanded Israel to offer two lamb sacrifices daily: the morning sacrifice and the evening sacrifice. Our Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross at the third hour (9:00 AM) and breathed His last at the ninth hour (3:00 PM). He perfectly fulfilled both the morning and evening sacrifices as the ultimate Lamb of God. This draws into focus that in the Old Testament, an unclean person remained unclean until evening—meaning they were cleansed the moment the evening sacrifice was made. Because our Lord died at the exact hour of the evening sacrifice, it marks the exact moment that humanity was permanently cleansed by His finished work.
The passages reveal that from noon until 3:00 PM, a supernatural darkness covered the land. This puts us in the know that in these hours our Lord became the focal point of all divine judgment. He absorbed the total liability of human sin, sickness, depression, and the curse of the broken law. When He cried: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34), He was momentarily separated from the Father so that you and I would never have to be separated from God. He took our condemnation so that we could receive His righteousness.
Having cried loud to give up His Spirit, death did not take our Lord Jesus Christ. He gave up His life. He held on to His life-force until every prophecy was fulfilled and every sin was paid for, and only then did He willingly dismiss His spirit. As He declared: "Father, into Your hands...", He showed that the moment of judgment, where He called out to 'My God', was over, and the warm, intimate relationship of Father and Son was perfectly restored for Him—and for us. It is written: “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3:26 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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