Christian Family Services Ministry

4-20-2022 – A Word to the Wise – Because of the season I wish to share two events rarely ever considered taking place April 3, 33 A. D. There are several other events but for brevity’s sake I will limit this to just two.

Jesus, beaten and bleeding hangs on the cross. He has been there 3 hours. It is noon. There are many disagreements about what takes place at this moment in time, but I believe the scripture is very clear. The Lord God Almighty turns out the lights. The sun is turned off, the moon ceases to shine, and the Lord turns off the stars. There is no eclipse. For the next three hours darkness descends on the land. This by the way is according to the prophet Joel some eight hundred years before. (Joel 3:15; “The sun and the moon are darkened, the stars withdrew their light). This according to the prophet occurs on the day of the Lord.

Consider what this means. In a normal full eclipse lasting about half hour the temperature drops about 10 to 12 degrees. The average temperature of Jerusalem on the first of April is 67 degrees. Three hours of darkness means a temperature drop of at least 20 to 30 degrees or more. Jesus on the cross bleeding now begins to experience hypothermia. Death usually occurs within three hours. Look that up please.

The next events take place after the death of Jesus. This again, is my opinion based on a couple of scriptures.

1 Peter 3: 18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, 19 in whom he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, It is my belief that the first thing Jesus did was to preach to the dead after dying. That is what Peter says took place. Must have been a pretty busy day and some sermon.

But that is just the first sermon Jesus preached to the dead. I think there is a second sermon. Matthew 27: 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

The text says they came out after the resurrection. But prior to that Jesus must have talked to them just like he did to the two on the walk to Emmaus opening to these few dead who were to rise from the dead who had previously walked among their friends. Jesus taught them the meaning of the scriptures of old so they could testify to the living the meaning of the Messiah passages of old.

Consider please these interpretations of the passages. These interpretations are mine alone there are no other references where they are mentioned that I know of. So, feel free to question or disagree.