There are many things that really do frighten people, and darkness is one of those things. Have you ever been in a darkness that is so thick you can feel it? Darkness that consumes? Darkness that envelopes? Inky darkness that is paralyzing and leaves you feeling like you can’t move? Some people’s lives are like that - enveloped with a darkness and gloom.

We see in our Scripture passage today that there was an inky darkness that covered the land during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In Roman time, they would reckon the sunrise as the beginning of the day, or the first hour. The third hour would be three hours after sunrise, six hours would be around noon, and the ninth hour would be in the afternoon. Scripture tells us that from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

Up until noon Jesus had hung in the light. As you know, mid-day is the time in which we have the most light; the sun is directly overhead. It really bathes the whole planet in light, and it is a wonderful thing, if it is not too hot and not too cold. But then we come to the sixth hour around noon, and the Scripture tells us that darkness fell over all the land.

Now have you ever had a storm approaching in the middle of the day and suddenly you look outside, and it is just dark? It just throws you a little bit because it is not supposed to be like that. Anytime something is out of the ordinary, especially when there is doom and gloom and darkness coming, it just kind of does something to your mind, doesn’t it?

This was a darkness covering the entire land. I do not believe this was a sandstorm. I do not believe this was an eclipse. I believe this was a supernatural Heaven-sent darkness, and it lasted three hours. I believe this was happening because of the creation sympathizing with the Creator.