What did Jesus suffer during the three-hour period of darkness?
During the three-hour period of darkness, Jesus suffered all the hell and all the judgment that every human being deserved. He bore the sin penalty, taking our sins as far as east is from west and burying them in the deepest sea. After stepping out of eternity back into time, He could say, "It's finished."
Les explains that in that three-hour period—not merely in time but perhaps in the eternal state—Christ took our sins as far as east is from west and buried them in the deepest sea. He literally suffered all the hell and all the judgment every human deserved, enduring the sin penalty. After stepping out of eternity back into time on the cross, He could declare, "It's finished." Les notes a young student observed it wasn't fully finished until the resurrection, but Jesus meant the business of obliterating our sin and suffering the sin penalty was finished. Salvation could never be complete until He rose, and Paul's gospel is Christ crucified and risen from the dead.