OH THE LOVE OF THE FATHER! - IN THE DARKNESS OF CALVARY, GOD THE FATHER WAS WITH HIS BELOVED SON

The more I contemplate the truth regarding God the Father and His beloved Son Jesus, the more beautiful the scriptures become and the more love I see from God. There are many who know about the darkness that covered the land when Jesus was on the cross, but not all know of the reason for that darkness. So let us take a look at the scene:

Matthew 27:45-46 ...'Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'

God the Father uses darkness to veil His glory, look:

Exodus 20:21 ...'And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.'

Deuteronomy 4:11-12 ...'And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.'

Deuteronomy 5:22 ...'These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.'

1 Kings 8:11-12 ...'So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.'

Do you see? God veils His glory in clouds and darkness and for good reason. The Bible says that God is a 'consuming fire' (Hebrews 12:29). Therefore, if God reveals Himself to man in all His glory, then we would be instantly consumed by that glory. Even the Seraphim cover their faces above the throne of God according to Isaiah 6:2. So did the Father come down at Calvary to be with His Son? Take a look at the following Psalm and inspired quote speaking of Calvary:

Psalm 18:6-11 ...'In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.'

"There was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. There was no eclipse or other natural cause for this darkness, which was as deep as midnight without moon or stars. It was a miraculous testimony given by God that the faith of after generations might be confirmed. In that thick darkness God's presence was hidden. He makes darkness His pavilion, and conceals His glory from human eyes. God and His holy angels were beside the cross. The Father was with His Son." (Desire of Ages, p.754)

Oh the love of the Father! Oh the love of Christ! God the Father comes down with His angels to be at the side of His beloved suffering Son on the cross - suffering and dying for us!

So what was the reason for the darkness between the sixth and ninth hours? It was to conceal the presence of God the Father, who came down from heaven to be with His dearly beloved Son on the cross. But did you notice that the darkness was only from the sixth hour to the ninth hour? And what did Christ do about the ninth hour?

Matthew 27:46 ...'And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'

Did Jesus know what the darkness meant? Yes, Jesus knew that the darkness was a veil to conceal the presence of His Father. After all, Jesus was with the Father on mount Sinai, concealed in the dark clouds, and Jesus Himself was concealed by the cloud during the day, leading the Israelites in the wilderness, because Jesus had that glory Himself with the Father before He came to earth as a man, which is why Jesus asked in John 17:5 for the Father to glorify Him with the glory Jesus had with the Father before the world was. So if Jesus knew this and the darkness at Calvary only lasted until the ninth hour, then what must have happened about the ninth hour? God the Father must have left, which is why the darkness lifted at that time and which is why Christ cried out at that time ... "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus knew the Father had left!

Oh can you imagine the suffering of Christ! Can you imagine the suffering of the Father, leaving His beloved Son to die on that cross, while wicked men scorn His Son! Oh what love, what suffering, for you and I. Human words cannot explain fully the sacrifice made and the love shown. It is known only to God the Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ.

"Can anyone consider the condescension of God in preparing the gospel feast, and its great cost, and treat the invitation slightingly? No man, nor even the highest angel, can estimate the great cost; it is known only to the Father and the Son." (The Bible Echo, Oct.28, 1895)

This love should break our hearts and cause us to proclaim "Father, I am yours and all I have is yours, what would you have me do?"

If you would like to find out more about the Father and His Son, please see our page IS JESUS THE LITERAL SON OF GOD?