When Jesus died at about three o’clock, several unusual events occurred.

Matthew 27:45-56

45 At noon it became dark over the whole land. It stayed dark until three o’clock in the afternoon. 46 At about three o’clock Jesus shouted loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” That means, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ 47 When some of the people standing there heard the word ‘Eli’, misunderstanding it, they said, “He is calling for the prophet Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with sour wine. Then he put the sponge on the tip of a reed and held it up in order that Jesus could suck out the wine that was in it. 49 But the other people there said, “Wait! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him!” 50 Then after Jesus shouted out loudly again, he died, giving his spirit over to God. 51 At that moment the heavy thick curtain that closed off the most holy place in the Temple split into two pieces from top to bottom. That signified that ordinary people could now go into the presence of God. The earth shook, and some large rocks split open. 52 Some tombs opened up, and the bodies of many godly people who had died became alive again. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus became alive again, they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people there.

54 The officer who supervised the soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross was standing nearby. His soldiers who had been on guard so that no one would rescue Jesus were also there. When they felt the earthquake and saw all the other things that happened, they were terrified. They exclaimed, “Truly he was both man and God! (OR, a Son of God).”

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They were women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee district in order to provide the things he needed. 56 Among these women were Mary from Magdala town, another Mary who was the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John.