The Power of The Cross

So our text this morning is in Matthew 27, verse 45 through 62.

Matthew 27:45–62

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Great.

Well, guys, as I said, I feel utterly inadequate,

and we need God's help this morning.

We need God's help.

We need Him to open the eyes of our minds and our hearts to His Word.

So would you join with me in prayer as we approach God's Word together?

Father, You are glorious.

Father, Your plan of salvation from before the beginning of time,

Father, is made known to us.

It's been made known to us throughout the Gospel of Matthew, but clearly here.

So, God, we ask that You would open the eyes of our heart

for each one of us personally and as an entire church to just glean,

glean at the foot of the cross,

to see the glorious cross and the glorious death of Christ

in light of our lives,

to see Your love poured out here on the cross of Christ for our sake.

Lord, please, grow us deeper in understanding this now, we pray.

Amen.

Now, would you stand with me for the reading of God's Word?

Again, we are in Matthew chapter 27, verses 45 to 62.

Matthew 27:45–62

Now, from the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying,

Eli, Eli, lama sabakrani?

This is my God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

And some of the bystanders hearing it said,

this man is calling Elijah.

And one of them at once ran to took a sponge,

filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed,

and gave it to him to drink.

But the other said, wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom,

and the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

The tombs were also opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection,

they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

When the centurion and those who were with him,

keeping watch over Jesus,

saw the earthquake and what took place,

they were filled with awe and said,

truly, this was the Son of God.

There were also many women there,

looking on from a distance,

who had followed Jesus from Galilee,

ministering to him,

among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary,

the mother of James and Joseph,

and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening,

there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph,

who also was a disciple of Jesus.

He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

And Joseph took the body

and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud

and laid it in his own new tomb,

which he had cut in the rock.

And he rolled a great stone

to the entrance of the tomb and went away.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there,

sitting opposite of the tomb.

May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of his word.

A news outlet of a small town

once reported two brothers

who decide to play on mounded sandbanks

formed by the dredging that keeps a river channel clear,

dredging that pumps the sand

from the bottom of the river out

into big mounds along a river bank.

When the young boys were late for dinner

and darkness filled the sky,

a search began.

One of the boys had stepped on a crust of sand

hiding a large void

formed by the dredging of the wet sand

from the river bottom.

When the crust gave way,

the boy fell,

plunged into the deep, dark void

with its sand walls collapsing in on him.

Everything went dark.

Later, searchers found the young brother,

unconscious,

buried up to his shoulders in sand.

And when he aroused through consciousness,

rescuers frantically asked,

where is your brother?

The child replied,

I'm standing upon his shoulders.

The older brother gave up his life

so that the younger brother might live.

We're all moved by stories like this,

aren't we?

Hollywood wants to capture these stories

and feed them to us.

And we're captivated by stories like this.

That greater love has no one than this.

That someone laid down his life for his friends.

We all long for such love.

And those who are followers of Jesus

have all received such love.

Each one of you who have confessed Christ

have received his love.

Jesus died so that we might live.

He was forsaken so that we might be forgiven

and accepted.

He bore the wrath of God

so that we might receive the mercy of God.

So this passage before us is astounding.

And just as last week,

we saw the beginning of Christ's execution

beginning through the perspective

of those actively involved.

A battalion of Roman soldiers

gathering to flog him,

mock him, spit on him,

and nailing him to the cross.

Jewish leaders demanding for his death.

Gathering to watch his execution

and their approval,

reviling him and mocking him.

Abandoned by his friends.

Abandoned by the ones that followed him.

His disciples.

Abandoned and rejected by all of humanity.

So just when you thought,

just when it might have not,

couldn't get any darker than that.

We arrive here in verse 45.

Matthew highlights a sudden change of scenery

and zooms in,

zooms in the lens on Jesus

and Jesus' interaction on the cross.

Which brings us to our first point this morning.

Christ was forsaken.

In verses 45 through 50,

we see Christ was forsaken.

Matthew tells us that the sixth hour,

as Jesus hangs on the cross,

darkness fills the sky

and covers the land.

And this is no ordinary darkness.

This darkness that descends

comes in the middle of the day.

The sixth hour, which is 12 noon,

and lasts for three hours.

When the sun is at its very peak,

darkness descends and covers the land.

You can't explain this away simply

as some naturally occurring event.

You might ask,

well, what about solar eclipses?

Well, the Passover actually takes place

on the very day of a full moon.

And as we know,

a solar eclipse can't happen on a full moon.

While everyone is expecting light,

there is darkness.

Darkness covering the land.

And all of creation's light is being put out.

Darkness is descending.

It's like creation is put into reverse.

It's being undone.

It actually takes us back

to the beginning of time

in Genesis chapter one,

verses one through three.

In the beginning,

God created the heavens and the earth.

And the earth was without form and void.

And darkness was over the face of the deep.

Creation begins with darkness,

and it gives way to light.

And God said,

let there be light.

And there was light.

But here,

there's darkness.

At the beginning of Matthew's gospel,

Matthew kicks off Jesus' ministry

with the reminder

of God's promise to his people

by quoting Isaiah 9,

chapter 9, verse 2.

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light.

And those who have dwelt

in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shown.

Jesus enters into time,

born as a baby.

His life is marked as one with great light.

The bright star that would lead the wise men

from far from the east.

As they exceedingly rejoiced

at its great appearing,

knowing it would lead them to the king.

The shepherds

tending to their flock

in the thick of darkness of the night.

Suddenly,

having a great light

bursting forth around them,

and as a choir of angels

comes to announce

the coming of the king.

Giving praise for his coming.

The scriptures clearly point

to Jesus' coming

as the light of the world.

Clearly,

as the radiance of God's glory.

Now,

at the sixth to ninth hour,

when light,

when light should be shining

at its brightest,

darkness,

darkness,

has covered the land.

And this darkness

envelops over Christ.

It envelops him

as he bears the cross,

as he is

hanging there

on the cross,

which points to

a greater spirituality.

Spiritual reality

that is happening,

signifying that something

in the created order

is terribly wrong.

creation

is becoming undone.

There is a separation,

a separation

of how things

were made to be.

They are not

as they are made

to be right now.

Men

and women

were made

to be

in right relationship

with God.

Be union

with God

in perfect harmony.

Christ,

though,

here,

the light

of the world

is being snuffed out

as darkness

descends

and God's judgment

comes down.

But you ask,

how can this be?

How can the

promised Messiah,

the Christ,

the King of the cosmos,

publicly die like this?

that the Son

of God

would be hanging

on a tree?

This,

my friends,

was the plan

of the Trinity,

the Trinitarian plan

from the beginning

that Jesus Christ,

the God-man,

would become sin

on our behalf.

He himself,

the innocent one,

would bear

the full weight

of God's

just wrath,

the penalty

of rebellious sinners,

you and me.

But this is no

mere physical

penalty

that he is taking,

but it is a

deeply spiritual

penalty

he is bearing.

As he bears

the weight

of the sin

of the whole world,

here we see

he is also

forsaken.

forsaken,

not just

by anyone,

not just

by humans,

not just

by his friends

around him,

but he is

forsaken

by the Father,

his heavenly

Father.

And he now

knows

the complete

separation.

He knows

the separation

of God

the Father.

Out of this

darkness,

he lifts

his voice.

is not

a voice

of creating,

but is a

cry

of lament,

a cry

of being

undone.

My God,

my God,

why have

you forsaken

me?

To understand

forsakenness,

Michael Lawrence

gives us this

short little

pithy statement

that's very

helpful.

To be forsaken

by God

is to know

the judicial

stroke of

eternal justice.

To be forsaken

by God

is to know

the judicial

stroke of

eternal justice.

Deep in this

darkness,

in the final

three hours

of his life

on the cross,

Christ

experienced

this judicial

stroke of

eternal justice

on our behalf.

He bore it all.

Christ

experienced

hell

here on

the cross.

The infinite

wrath

of the

omnipotent

God

to the

very last

drop

of that

wrath.

As 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:21

chapter 5

verse 21

helps us

understand,

for our

sake,

for our

sake,

he made

him to

be sin

who knew

no sin

so that

in him

we might

become

the

righteousness

of God.

When I

was 12,

my brother

15,

my sister

16,

my dad

took us

12 hours

away from

home to

visit my

uncle.

I was a little

confused.

I didn't know

why we were

going so far

away from

home,

just us,

just the

four of

us.

But as I

was sitting

alone in

the backyard

of my

uncle's

house,

it dawned

on me.

I realized

what was

happening.

My parents

were getting

a divorce

and all

of a sudden

it's like

darkness

fell.

All of a

sudden I

felt all

alone.

more

alone

than I

had

ever

felt

before.

But the

reality was

I wasn't

utterly

alone.

I still

have my

family

inside.

I still

have my

family.

But have

you ever

experienced

a time

in your

life

when you

felt

utterly

alone?

a taste

maybe

of what

it feels

like to

be

forsaken.

Oh,

friends,

what it

must have

been like

for the

Son of

God who

has only

known God's

favor for

eternity,

from

eternity's

past.

Christ,

this is

my beloved

Son,

in whom

is my

delight,

the words

of the

Father

speaking over

his Son.

But yet

now to

be left

to die

on the

cross

alone

by his

Father.

As Isaiah

Isaiah 53:10

chapter 53

verse 10

says,

it was

the will

of the

Lord to

crush

him.

He has

put him

to grief.

Oh,

what it

is to

be put

to grief

by his

own

loving

Father.

But yet

this is

what we

deserved.

This is

what each

and every

one of

you

deserved.

You and

I,

we deserve

to be

utterly

forsaken

by God.

Oh,

what a

mystery.

What a

mystery that

it is that

is going

on here

on the

cross

on our

behalf.

Where the

Son of

God,

fully God,

fully man,

was forsaken

by God

the Father

on our

behalf.

But make

no mistake

here.

Make no

mistake.

There is no

rupture here

happening

between the

triune

God.

The

Trinity

is still

one

here,

working

together

in

unison

to

secure

our

salvation.

Oh,

what a

glorious

truth.

That the

fullness of

God would

be on

display

to secure

a great

salvation

for each

and every

one of

us.

Yet we

will never

fully

comprehend

this love

of God

that is

being poured

out here

on our

behalf.

Friends,

I want to

encourage you.

It's easy

here in the

moment,

it's easy

to minimize

to minimize

the anger

of God,

to do away

with the

wrath of

God,

to explain it

away.

When someone

asks you

about the

gospel,

to just

focus solely

on the

love of

God,

because we

don't fully

understand this

mystery of

what is

going on

here.

Sometimes it

feels scary

to us when

we think

about this,

we think

about the

wrath of

God.

But I

encourage you

as you

dwell on

this moment,

as you

dwell on

this scene,

as you

read the

scriptures and

you see them

all pointing

to this

very moment,

you will

see that it

is God's

perfect love

being poured

out,

God's

perfect justice

being poured

out.

In his

wrath against

sin,

against sinners

and their

rebellion,

we cannot,

we cannot

have the

love of God

without the

justice of

God.

God in

his perfect

justice

must repay

sinners for

their rebellion.

God would

not be

loving.

if he

did not

pour out

his wrath

on the

rebellious

sinners of

this world

against

sin.

The

bystanders

here,

as we

see as

we go

into the

next scene

here,

and as

Jesus is

crying out

in his

forsakenness,

they hear

him.

The

bystanders

in the

darkness

of the

cross,

they hear

his cry

and they

actually

think that

this man

is calling

for the

prophet

Elijah.

In

verse 47,

this man

is calling

for Elijah.

Let us

see if

he'll come

down and

save him.

But as

we recall

earlier in

Matthew,

Elijah has

already

came.

He came

as John

the Baptist

to prepare

the way

for Jesus.

So as

they're

waiting to

see if

Elijah

comes,

what happens

next is

not what

they're

expecting.

In

verse 50,

we see

that Jesus

cries again.

He cried

out in a

loud voice

and he

yields up

his spirit.

He has

been

physically

slaughtered

up to this

point with

blood flowing

freely from

his body

now.

He has

endured

the full

divine

judgment

for sin.

And here

we are

reminded that

God is

in full

control

every step

of the way

even in

Christ's

death.

From the

moment of

his going

to the

crucifixion,

we see

that Jesus

lays down

his life

that he

may take

it up

again.

No one

takes it

from him,

he says,

but he

lays it

down on

his own

accord.

And he

has the

authority

to pick

it up

again.

This

charge he

has received

from the

Father.

Christ

willingly

went to

the cross

with this

purpose

to lay

down his

life and

love for

us and

love for

the Father.

He went

to the

cross to

enter into

darkness,

to enter

into our

darkness that

we deserved.

The darkness

of death.

But yet,

he did this

that we

might live.

My friends,

there is

nothing outside

of the

control of

God.

When it

may seem

that in

times that

evil is

reigning in

our day,

that death

is consuming.

Yet,

when we look

at this

moment,

we can

trust in

the sovereign

plans and

power of

God to

accomplish

his purposes.

That Christ

goes before

us and he

overcomes the

darkness of

death by

entering into

that very

darkness

himself.

He does

this to

secure our

forgiveness.

That leads

us to our

second point.

Christ secured

our forgiveness.

So as these

bystanders witness

this dramatic

moment of

Christ giving

up his life

on the

cross,

the unexpected

happens.

At the

same time,

same moment

of his

death,

they witness

a divine

cataclysmic

event.

A

cataclysmic

event not

of physical

standards but

in the

created cosmos,

in the heavens

and the earth,

out of the

darkness of

the cross of

Christ,

burst forth

divine power.

The veil

being torn

into the

earth shaking,

rocks being

split, the

dead being

raised to

life.

In

Gentiles,

confession are

all divine

shockways bursting

forth from the

epicenter of the

cross of

Christ.

All of

these, all of

these are signs

or evidence

pointing to

Christ, pointing

to something

being undone in

the wake of

his death.

Something new

being ushered

in.

The first

sign that

Matthew draws

to our

attention in

verse 51,

and behold,

the curtain

of the temple

was torn

in two from

top to

bottom.

Christ said

he would do

this.

Christ said

he would

destroy the

temple and

he would

rebuild it in

three days.

In Matthew

24, as we

saw, his

death here

was the

beginning of

the temple's

destruction,

causing the

curtain of the

temple to be

torn to from

top to

bottom,

something only

of divine

power could

do.

Inside the

temple, the

design included

multiple

curtains,

like layers

to get to

into the

place where

God's presence

was to dwell.

and that

last curtain,

which I

believe here

that Matthew

has in mind,

that is also

a symbolic

reason that

he has this

in mind,

that last

curtain was

a massive,

thick curtain,

like a

partition,

and behind

it is where

the very

place God

dwelt.

His very

presence

dwelt there.

This was the

holy of

holies,

a place

only the

high priest

could enter

into only

once a year.

After making

blood sacrifice

for his own

sins, he

would enter

in to make

blood sacrifice

for the sins

of the people

of Israel.

But now,

that thick

physical wall

separating God

and man

was completely

undone,

ripped from

top to

bottom,

torn in

two.

The temple

is now

empty

and rendered

obsolete,

a sign

not only

of God

opening up

the heavens

to his

people,

but it is

yet a sign

of judgment

on the people

of Israel

and this

temple,

destroying

the temple

through

his death.

God is

creating

and establishing

a new

covenant here

between God

and man

where no

broken temple

system is

needed,

run by

sinful men.

No more

traveling to

the temple

to put forward

our feeble

sacrifices.

no more

restricted

access

to seek

reconciliation

with God

because

maybe you're

a Gentile,

you're poor,

you're not

able to

travel to

the temple,

you're physically

not able

to go.

No.

God

here

rips

the curtain

in two,

opening

the heavens,

making

salvation

available

to all

peoples,

to the

ends

of the

earth.

This

is the

first fruits,

the first

fruits of

the gospel

being open,

the gospel

going forth

to all

nations.

And here

Matthew

helps us

see that

in each

one of

these signs

here

after the

curtains

torn.

But most

clearly

and explicitly

we see it

here in

the first

fruits

of a

Gentile

Roman's

confession.

A Roman

centurion.

He just

saw what

took place.

It says

in verse

54,

as he

was keeping

watch over

Jesus,

he saw

the earthquake

and what

took place

and they

were filled

with awe

and said,

truly,

this was

the Son

of Man,

the Son

of God.

The author

of Hebrews

here helps

us grasp

the significance

of the

rendering

of the

veil even

clearer

here.

In Hebrews

Hebrews 9:11–15

chapter 9

verses 11

through 15

it says,

but when

Christ

appeared

as a

high priest

of the

good things

that have

come,

then through

the greater

and more

perfect

tent,

not made

with hands,

that is,

not of

this

creation,

Christ

entered

once for

all into

the holy

places,

not by

the means

of blood

and goats

and calves,

but by

the means

of his

own

blood,

thus

securing

an eternal

redemption.

For at the

blood of goats

and bulls

and the

sprinkling

of defiled

persons

with the

ashes

of a

heifer

sanctify

for the

purification

of the

flesh,

oh,

how much

more

will the

blood of

Christ,

who through

the eternal

spirit

offered himself

without blemish

to God,

purifying our

conscience

from dead

works to

serve the

living God.

Oh,

friends,

the old

system could

only cleanse

our bodies.

It was only

sufficient enough

to cleanse

us outwardly

of our

sin,

but this

new covenant

of Christ

ushering

in Christ's

sacrifice

on the

cross

cleanses

us

entirely

from our

sin,

spiritual

and physical,

bringing us

into the

presence of

God.

Salvation

here,

my friends,

now flows

freely

and abundantly

through

Christ.

It is by

him pouring

out his

blood and

laying down

his life

on the

cross that

he has

now secured

the forgiveness

of all of

our sins.

And all of

these signs

here that we

say, we

see are

evidences,

are clear

evidences of

that reality,

of that truth,

of what is

going on in

the cosmic

realm.

This, my

friends, is

the power

of the

cross of

Christ.

Friends,

are you

wracked

with guilt

over your

own sin?

Are you

burdened?

Are you

hiding sin

in darkness?

God,

bring those

sins into

the light.

Bring those

sins into

the light of

confession and

take heart.

Take heart

that your

sins, all

of them, are

paid for on

the cross of

Christ.

Bring your

sins into

the light and

know the

forgiveness of

Christ.

Matthew,

though, doesn't

stop there.

We see the

power of the

cross sweeping

through the

lives of

some unlikely

people here.

Some unlikely

people who

come to

gather around

Christ.

Which brings

us to our

third and

final point.

Christ

gathered the

unlikely.

Psalm 22,

which Jesus

quotes on the

cross when he

says,

my God,

my God,

why have you

forsaken me?

In fulfillment

of that,

Psalm 22

mirrors the

crucifixion.

As Christ is

in anguish,

David also in

Psalm 22 is

in anguish and

suffering as he

cries out,

my God, my

God, why have

you forsaken

me?

Enemies

surrounding him.

Yet, it does

not end there.

It does not end

in despair.

It does not

end in

forsakenness.

If you read

Psalm 22,

you'll trace

it mirrors this

crucifixion scene

quite well.

Pastor theologian

Peter Leihart

helpfully points

out,

Psalm 22

provides background

for the

crucifixion in

other ways as

well.

The Psalm

is not only

about David's

deliverance from

suffering,

it also has a

corporate dimension

to it as well.

David begins

alone,

attacked by

enemies,

but ends

with brothers

and friends

gathered around

him.

Christ was

utterly alone

in his

crucifixion,

forsaken by

all on the

cross,

forsaken

by his

father,

attacked

and devoured

by priestly

bulls

and Gentile

dogs.

Yet,

in the

wake of

Christ's

death on

the cross,

we see

God

surround

Christ's

body with

brothers,

with those

who fear

God.

But he

doesn't

surround him

with the

ones you

might expect.

The twelve

disciples

closest to

Jesus

have been

absent

throughout

the entire

scene of

Christ's

crucifixion.

But here,

Matthew

draws our

attention

to another

different

crew of

individuals

that surround

Jesus.

us.

We see

in verses

55 through

61,

we see

a Roman

centurion,

we see

the women

who have

followed Jesus

from Galilee,

and we

see

Joseph

of

Arimathea.

Yes,

these characters,

if we walk

through it,

these characters

are also

recorded

to be

recorded as

eyewitnesses

bearing testimony

that they

observed all

that just

occurred.

They observed

Christ's death

and the

burial of

his body.

They were

first-hand

eyewitnesses.

However,

I don't believe

that Matthew

just leaves

us there.

I think

Matthew wants

us to see

more here.

He wants

to connect

more.

He also

wants to

see that

Jesus'

death

gathers

those who

have been

far off

and he

now brings

them near.

The Roman

centurion

and his

cohort of

soldiers,

Gentiles,

who were

once Gentile

dogs far

off from

the presence

of the

Almighty

God,

have been

brought

near.

Women who

have followed

Jesus throughout

his ministry,

even sometimes

on the fringes

throughout Matthew's

gospel,

and yet in

this time and

culture,

they were not

regarded highly.

They are here

made a central

part of his

very story

as they care

and watch

over Jesus

in his

death.

Joseph of

Arimathea,

the gospel

writers,

John and

Luke and

their gospel

accounts,

give us

further insights

into who

Joseph of

Arimathea

is.

He is a

secret disciple

who has

followed Jesus

from a

distance for

fear of the

Jews.

Why?

For he was a

part of the

Sanhedrin,

the Jewish

council of

leaders,

and he was

a rich man

as well.

Matthew,

in a small

way here,

is reminding

us that

God's

redemptive

plan through

the cross

of Christ

has the

power to

transform

the lives

of the

unlikely,

to include

the lives

of the

unlikely into

his redemptive

plan.

Those who

are in

the background

now are

made central

figures here

in his

redemptive

plan.

Oh,

how encouraging

is that?

Those that

have been in

the background

are now

central figures

in his

redemptive

plan.

Recall with

me in

Matthew

Matthew 8:5–13

chapter 8

verses 5

through 13,

the centurion

who came

to Jesus

to hear

his paralyzed

servant,

in which

Jesus

responds,

no one

in Israel

have I

found such

faith.

Or the

woman who

pours expensive

ointment on

Christ,

upon his

head he

douses her

in a

full

flask

of ointment.

man.

And Jesus

says,

wherever this

gospel is

proclaimed in

the whole

world,

what she

has done

will also

be told

in memory

of her.

But now

here is

a Jewish

leader of

the High

Sanhedrin

Council being

transformed

by what

just transpired.

God.

He has

given boldness

and courage

to step

out from

hiding in

the shadows

now and

into the

light.

As Matthew

puts it in

verse 57

through 58,

when it was

evening,

there came

a rich man

from Arimathea

named Joseph

who also

was a

disciple of

Jesus.

He went

to Pilate

and asked

for the

body of

Jesus.

Then

Pilate

ordered it

to be

given to

him.

The first

time we

see

someone

publicly

identifying

himself

with

Jesus,

Joseph

of

Arimathea

first time

publicly

identifying

himself,

stepping

out from

the

shadows,

going

to

Pilate

in

boldness.

To do

what?

To ask

for the

body of

Christ

so that

he can

give

Christ

a

proper

burial

and put

his

body

in

his

own

newly

carved

tomb.

Now

this

would

have

been

a

little

unusual,

a

rather

unusual

request

for

Pilate

to

receive

as

typically

those

who

hung

on

the

cross

were

left,

who

were

left

there

after

their

death

to

hang

in

shame,

left

there

to

rot.

But

here

we

see

a

glimpse

of

God's

loving

kindness

for

his

son,

that

he

calls

this

unlikely

Jewish