Well it may still be
winter up North, but Spring has more than arrived in the Southeastern United
States. Temperatures in Florida are in the upper 80's, 70's-80's in GA and the
Carolinas, and 70's in MI and AK. What is even better for meteorologists is the
beginning of the convective storm season! Convective thunderstorms have begun
forming along frontal boundaries in the past week, and we have even experienced
a tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.
This post, however, is
more for the meteorological and geological events surrounding the Crucifixion
of Jesus on this day, some 2,000 years ago outside of Jerusalem on the Hill of
Golgotha. The Gospels of Mark and Matthew report a few events which I will now briefly discuss:
1. Darkness: Jesus was
crucified between the hours of noon and 3:00 in the afternoon. As He was dying
on the cross to take on and forgive the sins of the world, a darkness fell over
the Earth. Many Greek Scholars believe this to have been a complete solar
eclipse, though some believe it to be miraculous. The Crucifixion took place
during the time of Passover, which in the Jewish Calendar always fell on or
near a full moon. The miraculous nature of this event resulted in the fact that
a complete solar eclipse can only occur during a new moon.
2. Earthquakes: "50 And
Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then,
behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the
earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were
opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and
coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city
and appeared to many.
54 So when the centurion and those with him, who
were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they
feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'" (Matthew
27:50-54, NKJV)
3. Rising of the Dead:
Jesus, under His own power as God, rose from the dead and conquered the grave
on the third day (Easter Sunday). However, many others were raised from the
dead during the time of his Death just a few days earlier. As is written in the
passage quoted above, graves were opened and the bodies (of those who followed
Christ while He was on the earth who had died) came out of the grave and
witnessed to those in the city.
These three signs, two of which are natural, one of which is supernatural, all occurred on the same day at roughly the same time. It is a miraculous combination of events which have only been experienced during the death of Christ on the cross. Whether you believe in God or not, this is amazing.
