“The Death of the Divine”
(Matthew 27:45-61)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
December 6, 2020
The Passage
Matthew 27:45-61
45 From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him were there, watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
57 When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that it be released. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.
Introductory Comments:
We learned last week about the humiliation, crucifixion, and insults that Jesus suffered as He willingly endured awful suffering so that we might experience awesome salvation.
Today, we’ll learn about the final moments of Jesus’ life and His burial.
Before we get into our passage, let’s pray together and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
Today, we’re going to see some contrasts in the final moments of Jesus’ life and in His burial. For instance, the Jewish leaders sought to exercise control over Jesus by having Him put to death; yet, Jesus would decide when His final breath would be breathed. The Jewish leaders would not acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God; yet, a pagan soldier would confess that Jesus truly was the Son of God. The twelve disciples all abandoned Jesus at His arrest and death; yet, some lesser-known disciples of Jesus would be faithful to Him until the end.
That’s what awaits us in today’s passage. Let’s dive into these realities.
First, . . .
I. The moment of the death of Jesus (vv. 45-50) [on screen]
Of course, last week we read about the crucifixion of Jesus, but we didn’t officially reach the moment of His death. In verses 45-50, Matthew gives a few details about the death of Jesus.
Look at the passage with me:
45 From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
This is the death of the divine. Jesus Christ gives up His spirit as He passes from life to death.
The Christian Standard Bible does the time conversion for us and tells us that between noon and 3:00 PM darkness came over the land. In case you didn’t catch these puzzling details, this is the middle of the day, yet darkness fills the sky.
After this darkness had been present for quite some time, Jesus cries out to God the Father. He cries out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
This cry from Jesus is nearly an exact quotation from Psalm 22:1, again pointing to Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament texts. Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning?” [on screen]
Now, we might wonder why Jesus feels abandoned or forsaken by God the Father. Well, remember that Jesus is drinking the cup of the wrath of God poured out on sin. This is the cup of wrath that Jesus prayed about in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is absorbing the punishment of sin. As He is doing so, God the Father temporarily turns away from the horrific sin that Jesus is enduring and taking on.
This moment is somewhat of a mystery to us, but it is clearly evident that the Father cannot tolerate the sin that the Son has taken on Himself.
The NIV Life Application Study Bible points out, “The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God.”
So, Jesus suffers even further by sacrificing His intimacy with the Father, albeit temporarily.
This cry from Jesus, out to God the Father, seemed to confuse some of those who were present. They thought perhaps Jesus was calling out to one of the Jewish heroes, Elijah.
This could have been due to the fact that Jesus may not have been precisely pronouncing every word due to His physical state. Perhaps they heard one thing, while Jesus was actually saying something different. Or, perhaps it was just plain old confusion and misunderstanding.
In the midst of Jesus crying out, someone evidently tried to help Him by offering Him something to drink. The best they come up with is sour wine, which probably wasn’t very desirable to Jesus.
The others said that they wanted to wait and see if Elijah actually showed up. Apparently, they realized that something significant was happening, perhaps due to the prolonged and unusual darkness. So, they waited to see how it played out.
It’s interesting that the people are curious about the prospect of Elijah showing up when in reality the Son of God is right in their midst. Their vision is so clouded by their preferences, their prejudices, and their preconceived notions that they can’t see the power of God right in front of them. Boy, that’s a lesson for us, is it not?
Elijah didn’t show up and Jesus didn’t live much longer, He had reached the end of this particular mission on the earth. Verse 50 says, “But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.”
Even in His death, Jesus was in control. He decided it was time to breathe His last breath, and so He did.
This is the moment of the death of Jesus.
Next, . . .
II. The magnification of the deity of Jesus (vv. 51-54) [on screen]
It is clear by the events that accompany the death of Jesus that He was no ordinary man. The events that happen at Jesus’ death magnify the deity of Jesus.
We’ve already heard of the darkness that accompanied Jesus’ death. Let’s read what else happens. Follow along with me in verses 51-54:
51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Well, these are no ordinary events, are they? We see both natural occurrences, such as darkness and earthquakes; as well as supernatural occurrences, such as the tearing of the curtain in the sanctuary and the resurrection of the dead.
Make no mistake, the timing of the natural occurrences and the supernatural occurrences that coincide with the death of Jesus clearly point to the reality of the sovereign hand of God at work. God is bringing all of this together to magnify the fact that Jesus was no ordinary man. As the centurion and those with him said in verse 54, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Some of the details of these events are both mysterious and mystifying.
Take, for instance, the tearing of the curtain in the temple. This was no ordinary curtain. It was a very large curtain, measuring 60 feet high and thirty feet wide. It was as thick as a man’s palm and when wet required three hundred men to lift it.
Also, the curtain was torn from top to bottom, sixty feet up in the air, indicating that God was the one responsible for the tearing.
Then, we have this description of the tombs of the dead opening up and their resurrected bodies walking into the city.
Now, at first, we may be tempted to think that this is too fantastical to be true. However, remember this is God who is working!
The way some translations read, it appears that the resurrected bodies may be walking around before Jesus rises from the dead. However, the original Greek language of this verse allows that these resurrected people could have come to life and walked into the city after Jesus was resurrected. This makes more sense. So, more than likely, the tombs were opened during the earthquake, and the dead came out of the tombs after the resurrection.
Well, what’s going on here? It appears that God is giving us a little taste of His miraculous resurrection power, which will not only be experienced by Jesus, but by all who follow Him. Further, God is pointing to the fact that His Son is special and as His death brings special supernatural occurrences, so also does His resurrection. We are seeing the magnification of the deity of Jesus!
Well, we can imagine that these natural and supernatural occurrences would have quite an effect on those who were present at Jesus’ death. Indeed, they did.
The Roman centurion (which is a leader of a military unit) and those who were with him at the death of Jesus were all moved by what they witnessed. They knew that Jesus was special and they magnified the deity of Jesus! They said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Although Jesus would feel abandoned and forsaken by the Father, that didn’t last long. The Father wanted all those present to know that Jesus truly was His Son, He truly was the Messiah, and He truly was divine.
This is the magnification of the deity of Jesus.
Finally, we see . . .
III. The ministry of the disciples of Jesus (vv. 55-61) [on screen]
Now, before you get too confused, we’re not talking about the twelve apostles here. Jesus had other disciples; He had other followers. The twelve apostles had already abandoned Jesus, but there were others who remained faithful.
Let’s read about these other disciples and their ministry to Jesus. Look with me at verses 55-61.
55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him were there, watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
57 When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that it be released. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.
We see two different mentions of disciples of Jesus in these verses: certain women and a man named Joseph.
Among the followers of Jesus during His ministry were many women.
Women were not as valued as men in Ancient Near Eastern society, and many leaders probably wouldn’t care to have them as followers. Yet, Jesus cared for all, Jesus taught all, Jesus was Messiah to all, and Jesus was Lord of all.
These women had followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem and now they are following Him to His death. Among these many women were three mentioned by name: Mary Magdalene; Mary the mother of James and Joseph; and the mother of James and John, the wife of Zebedee.
More than likely, the Roman authorities weren’t concerned about the women, so they probably didn’t face a threat of harm or arrest. Nevertheless, their bravery and devotion to Jesus are noteworthy and commendable.
These women who had ministered to Jesus followed Him to His death and were even seated outside of His tomb after His burial.
Church, may we be devoted to Jesus like these women were devoted to Jesus!
We also learn of this other disciple of Jesus: Joseph who was from Arimathea.
We know a few things about Joseph. First of all, Matthew tells us that Joseph was a rich man. Jesus said that it was difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, but, remember, He also said that with God all things are possible. Apparently, God had gotten ahold of Joseph and turned his heart towards Jesus.
Also, we know from the other Gospels that Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the ruling Jewish council. In fact, Joseph had even opposed the arrest of Jesus.
By some manner, Joseph had an audience with Pilate, the governor. Whether it was by his wealth or position of power, Joseph was able to ask Pilate for Jesus’ body and Pilate granted that Joseph may take possession of Jesus’ body. Normally, the body of a crucified criminal would just be tossed aside. However, Joseph wanted better for Jesus.
Joseph then laid the body of His Lord into his own tomb that was cut into the side of a rocky hill. Joseph was willing to sacrifice greatly on behalf of Jesus. The tomb may have looked something like this. [show picture on screen]
We know from the other Gospel accounts that Joseph had the help of Nicodemus in preparing Jesus’ body for burial. After His body was prepared for burial, they rolled a huge rock over the face of the tomb. A tomb of this size and stature (as it was for Joseph, a rich man) would have a large rock that was very difficult to move.
We see in the burial of Jesus that Joseph is devoted to Jesus and he risks resources and reputation to minister to Jesus at His death.
These disciples are ministering for the glory of Jesus even at His death. It’s worth pointing out that from the moment Jesus died, He suffered no more humiliation, no more insults, no more pain. Rather, He was blessed and honored by some of His followers. Of course, we know that soon enough He would be glorified at the reality of His resurrection.
Concluding Thoughts:
Jesus would suffer a tragic death, but at the moment of His death, we would see the magnification of His deity and the ministry of His disciples.
From that point on, people all over the world would believe that Jesus was more than a man; He is the Son of God. This belief in Jesus as the Son of God all started with one of the criminals crucified with Him, a few Roman soldiers, and a few faithful disciples.
This tragic moment would point us to a tremendous reality. That takes us to our bottom line:
Bottom Line: The death of Jesus shined light on the deity of Jesus. [on screen]
(repeat)
Jesus was not just a great teacher. He was not just a leader of a small group of Jewish men. He was not merely a revolutionary. He certainly wasn’t a guilty criminal. He was not only the Messiah. Truly this man was and is the Son of God.
Take that reality and challenge yourself to live differently this week in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
1. Let the deity of Jesus move you to magnify Him. [on screen]
Jesus is not just our moral example. He’s not like the teacher who walks into the room and wags his finger with disappointment when we are acting up. He’s not just someone who made our salvation possible.
Jesus is the divine Son of God! He is worthy of all of our devotion! He is worthy of all of our praise! He is worthy of all our sacrifice! He is worthy of all of our generosity! He is worthy of all of our selflessness! He is worthy of all of our suffering! He is worthy of all of our service! He is worthy of all of our praise! He is worthy of all of our faithfulness! He is worthy of all of our sanctification! He is worthy to be magnified and glorified!
Let the deity of Jesus move you to magnify Him in all that you do.
2. Let your devotion to Jesus move you to ministry for Him. [on screen]
If you are devoted to Jesus, and I hope you are, let that devotion move you to ministry for Him.
Those women that were present at the death of Jesus were faithful to the end. They even hung around Jesus’ tomb because of their devotion to Him.
Joseph of Arimathea spent tremendous time, resources, and energy to minister to and honor Jesus after His death.
The devotion that these disciples had to Jesus drove them to minister for Jesus.
For thousands of years after this, disciples of Jesus would be moved by their love for and devotion to Jesus. They would minister all over the world with great sacrifice, great effort, and great commitment.
Let us do so as well. Let us minister for Jesus and in the name of Jesus because of our devotion to Jesus. Challenge yourself to do so this week and beyond.
Closing:
Commentators tell us that after the curtain in the temple tore at the death of Jesus, one of the significances of that moment was that there was a vivid demonstration that access to God is now wide open because of the work of Jesus. Mankind does not need to go through a priest any longer. Jesus, the Great High Priest, opened wide the door to God.
So, do you know God? Have you come to God by the work of Jesus? Have you taken part in this wonderful reality accomplished by the death of Jesus?
If you don’t know God, you can do so because of Jesus. If you do know God, live like it by the work of Jesus!
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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