A Message for New Believers from Matthew 27:45-46
Matthew 27:45–46 says:
“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”
For someone new to the Christian faith, these words can feel confusing or even troubling. Jesus, the Son of God, hangs on the cross and cries out as though He has been abandoned. Yet this moment is one of the most important and meaningful events in the entire story of salvation. It reveals both the seriousness of sin and the depth of God’s love.
Matthew tells us that from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness covered the land. This was roughly from noon until three in the afternoon. In the middle of the day, when the sun should have been brightest, the land was suddenly covered in darkness. This was not just a strange natural event. Throughout the Bible, darkness often symbolizes judgment, sorrow, and the weight of sin. The darkness that fell during Jesus’ crucifixion reflected the gravity of what was happening at that moment.
On the cross, Jesus was not merely suffering physical pain. He was carrying something far greater. He was bearing the sin of the world. Scripture teaches that all people have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Sin separates humanity from God because God is holy and perfectly righteous. Humanity, on its own, cannot bridge that separation.
Jesus came to do what humanity could not do. He lived a perfect and sinless life. Then He willingly took upon Himself the penalty that sin deserves. The cross was the place where justice and mercy met. God’s justice required that sin be judged. God’s mercy provided a Savior who would take that judgment in the place of sinners.
When Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He was quoting the opening words of Psalm 22. This psalm was written centuries before the crucifixion, yet it describes suffering that closely resembles what Jesus experienced on the cross. By quoting these words, Jesus was pointing to the fulfillment of Scripture. What was happening was not random or accidental. It was part of God’s plan for redemption.
The cry of Jesus also reveals the weight of what He was carrying. At that moment, Jesus experienced the full burden of sin placed upon Him. The fellowship He had always known with the Father was overshadowed by the judgment that sin brings. The One who had never sinned was treated as though He were guilty so that sinners could be forgiven.
For new believers, it is important to understand that Jesus endured this suffering willingly. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus said that no one would take His life from Him; He laid it down of His own accord. The cross was not a defeat but a deliberate act of love. Jesus chose to go to the cross in order to rescue those who were lost.
The cry from the cross also reminds believers that Jesus truly understands human suffering. He did not remain distant from the brokenness of the world. He entered into it fully. He experienced pain, rejection, and deep anguish. Because of this, believers can know that their Savior understands their struggles and sorrows.
The darkness eventually passed, and the story did not end with the cry of abandonment. After Jesus died, He was buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead. The resurrection proved that sin and death had been defeated. The sacrifice on the cross had accomplished its purpose.
For those who are new to the faith, the cross stands at the center of the Christian message. It shows that sin is serious, but it also shows that God’s love is greater than sin. Jesus endured the darkness so that those who trust in Him would never be separated from God again.
Because Jesus took the punishment for sin, forgiveness is now offered freely to all who believe in Him. Salvation is not earned through good deeds or personal effort. It is a gift of grace received by faith. When someone trusts in Christ, their sins are forgiven and they are brought into a restored relationship with God.
The cry of Jesus on the cross is therefore not the end of hope. It is the moment when hope was secured. The darkness that covered the land symbolized the weight of sin being judged. But through that judgment came the promise of redemption.
New believers can look at the cross and see the heart of the gospel. The Son of God loved humanity enough to suffer in their place. The One who cried out in anguish did so in order to open the way for reconciliation with God. Because of Jesus, those who believe are no longer separated from God but welcomed into His family.
Matthew’s brief description of those three dark hours reminds readers that the cross was a moment of cosmic significance. Heaven and earth witnessed the sacrifice that would change the destiny of countless lives. What appeared to be defeat was actually the greatest victory ever accomplished.
When reading this passage, believers are invited to remember the cost of their salvation and the depth of Christ’s love. The cry from the cross echoes through history as a reminder that Jesus bore the weight of sin so that those who trust in Him might walk in the light of God’s grace.
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