And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up his spirit.
Read Chapter 15
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Matthew has not related, that the man who brought the sponge filled with vinegar, but that the others spoke about Elias; from whence we gather that both said it.
He departed by his [own] power; for he had not come by necessity. And so some marveled more at his power of dying than at his power of performing miracles.
Those robbers crucified next to him, did they breathe their last when they wanted to? They were held fast by the chains of the flesh because they were not the creators of the flesh. Fastened by nails, they were tormented for a long time because they were not masters of their infirmity. But the Lord took on flesh in the virgin’s womb when he wished it. He came forth to humanity when he wished it. He lived in history as long as he wished it. He departed from the flesh when he wished it. This is a sign of power, not of necessity.
This most glorious light took awayits rays from the world, lest it should see the Lord hanging, and lest the blasphemers should have the benefit of its light. Wherefore it goes on: “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”.
For when Adam sinned, it is also written that he heard the voice of the Lord, walking in paradise, in the cool after mid-day ; and in that hour when the first Adam by sinning brought death into the world, in that same hour the second Adam by dying destroyed death. And we must observe, that our Lord was crucified, when the sun was going away from the center of the world; but at sunrise He celebrated the Mysteries of His Resurrection; because He died for our sins, but rose again for our justification. Nor need you wonder at the lowliness of His words, at the complaints as of one forsaken, when you look on the offense of the cross, knowing the form of a servant. For as hunger, and thirst, and fatigue were not thing...
At the ninth hour, the tenth piece of money which had been lost is found, by the overturning of the house.
Here he points out asimilitude for the Jews; a sponge on a reed, weak, dry, fit for burning; they fill it with vinegar, that is, with wickedness and guile.
Though the flesh was weak, yet the heavenly voice, which said, “Open me the gates of righteouness,” waxed strong. Wherefore there follows: “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. "We who are of the the earth die with a very low voice, or with no voice at all; but He who descended from heaven breathed His last with a loud voice.
If this had been the time foran eclipse, some one might have said that this which happened was natural, butit was the fourteenth moon, when no eclipse can take place. There follows: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.”.
Or, He speaks this as man crucified by God for me, for we men have been forsaken by the Father, but Henever has. For hear what He says; “I am not along, because the Father is with me.” that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. They however applied asponge full of vinegar to His mouth.
He who both rules over death and commands it dies with power, as its Lord. But what this voice was is declared by Luke: “Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit.” For Christ would have us understand by this, that from that time the souls of the saints go up into the hands of God. For at first the souls of all were held in hell, till He came, who preached the opening of the prison to the captives.
