The Death of Death - Matthew 27:45-56

Good morning beloved, welcome. We're in the book of Matthew again. I said last week that the text before us is the very focal point of the gospel. This week we can be even more specific. The text that we have before us that we'll be looking at this morning presents to us what I would consider without qualification or equivocation the most significant moment in all of history.

The Cross as the Center of Redemption

This is the crux of reality itself. This is the point on which all of redemption hinges. This morning we are looking at the death of our Lord. These three hours described by Matthew are the darkest point in all of history.

The saddest moment that could ever be conceived and yet here we see in the great irony that God has written that the only source of joy in this world is because of this moment. For here the God-man, the second person of the blessed trinity, the Lord Jesus, fulfills the laws demands.

He completes his humiliation and he finishes the work of atonement. He drinks the cup of the father's wrath draining it dry. This morning we will be talking about the atonement and its significance. Last week we focused on the barbaric cruelty of those that that reviled and despised our Lord as he suffered the mockings and the beatings and the violence.

First we saw the evil that the sinful rebellious heart of man is capable of, the evil that resides in all of us. Second we saw that he bore, through this reviling, he bore our shame that we deserve for our own sins.

And then third we we were reminded that he did this willingly. He did this in submission to the will of the father who sent him. It was fulfilled just as had been promised in the scriptures as he himself had told his disciples he would.

None of this was a surprise. Well this week and following Matthew's description of the event our attention will move from being primarily on the the violence that he suffered at the hands of men to the wrath of the father that was poured out on him in death.

There's a pretty clear transition that we see here in verse 45 of Matthew chapter 27 as Matthew enters into the three final hours of the crucifixion. As we noted last week there are a lot of details here in this chapter that Matthew records for us and it's it's recounted by Matthew without a lot of explanation or exposition.

He doesn't really give a lot of additional commentary here on what he describes but yet we know that scripture interprets scripture for us and by comparing scripture with scripture and seeing what what God's word has on the whole to tell us of these events we can rightly interpret them and glean from them the truth that is laid out for us.

The scripture lays truth bare that we with the help of God's Holy Spirit might have eyes to see the glory of Christ and hear behold the gospel the gospel that saves sinners. So let's read our text this morning.

I'm going to start in Matthew chapter 27 verse 45 and this week my intention is for us to get down to verse 56 leaving the remainder of the chapter for next week. So Matthew 27 verse 45. Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani that is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Some of those who stood there when they heard that said this man is calling for Elijah. Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and offered it to him to drink.

The rest said let him alone let us see if Elijah will come to save him and Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Then behold the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the earth quaked and the rocks were split and the graves were open and many of the bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the graves after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

So when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened they feared greatly saying truly this was the son of God and many women who followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him were there looking on from afar among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Let us pray. Our father in heaven we tremble before the weight of these truths. Would you help us to rightly see the glory of Christ in his suffering and in his death. We are sinners that need redemption.

Our sin condemns us and here we see in the death of your son the means of our forgiveness. Help us father help us to rightly glory in this cross that Christ might be honored and that we your people might be made holy in Christ's name we pray amen.

Signs of Judgment in the Darkness

So there's a lot here in this text. There is no way we could hope to exhaust this this morning in one week but the central focus here must be on the atonement on the satisfaction of the wrath of the father against sin and as we consider this we will see here that to rightly appreciate what Christ has done and to see the wrath of God satisfied for his people there also must be a display of his wrath poured out on those who do not believe because God is just and God is holy and all sin will be punished and so what we see here is Christ as the instrument of redemption for those who are his for those who are his sheep and we see that the darkness cast over the unbelieving heart that is prepared for destruction.

We're going to see this through a variety of statements and and signs and wonders that are performed here and described for us in this text. I've outlined six primary ones that we need to touch on this morning.

We're not going to spend equal time on all of them and there is more in this section that we could talk about but six primary signs that we need to consider here. First is the darkness, the darkness that fell over the land.

Second, the cry of abandonment of the sun. Third, the death of the sun and then following his death we have three more signs here. The veil torn, the graves opened and the centurion's confession. So that's what we intend to cover this morning Lord willing.

First we see here the text tells us that from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. This means from high noon, midday, the sixth hour until the ninth hour that will be 3 p .m.

There were three hours in the height of the day where God gave darkness instead. This sign serves to emphasize the cosmic significance of what is happening here. Cosmic signs of darkness consistently in scripture are associated with the impending judgment of God, the coming of the day of the Lord.

The clearest parallel that we have is Exodus chapter 10 with the plague of darkness that fell upon the nation of Egypt for their refusal to submit to the Lord's word and let his people go. Exodus 10 says this, then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hands toward heaven that there may be a darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.

So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another nor did anyone arise from his place for three days but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

This plague that God sent upon Egypt further hardened Pharaoh's heart in his rebellion and it progressed the narrative forward to the night of Passover when the firstborn son of all of Egypt would be taken.

Matthew here recounts this darkness that went over all the land here as a sign of judgment. Older commentators aren't as clear or in agreement on this point but I found a pretty good consensus among newer commentators specifically this word darkness over the land.

Most modern commentators agree that this was a localized darkness that likely fell upon Israel or maybe even just Judea, not a global darkness. The text likely would have used a different word there if it was darkness over all the earth.

This suggests that this darkness was a sign here of the judgment that is coming upon Israel. We see here displayed in the darkness that he plunged this land into a picture of the blindness and darkness of unbelief that the Jews are displaying.

Indeed a spiritual blindness that God himself has cast over them. If you recall back in Matthew chapter 8 after a Roman centurion, a gentile man came to Jesus for healing for his servant. Jesus remarked at the great faith demonstrated by this Roman man and he declared that his servant would be healed and then he made this statement in Matthew chapter 8 verse 11.

Assuredly I say to you I have not found such great faith not even in Israel and I say to you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness.

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It seems to me that the best way to interpret this sign is to see that it is a sign of the cosmic immensity of God's judgment. The wrath of God is being poured out on the sun as we will further consider but at the same time we see that this sign is a revelation of the judgment upon unbelieving Israel for their rejection of the Christ.

They like Egypt will be struck by the wrath of God. We've seen Jesus warn them of the impending judgment that will fall on this generation that lives in his day. They here in putting to death the Lord of glory have have filled out the measure of their iniquity in preparation for what Jesus has foretold that their death their house will be left desolate within a generation.

This will come up again later in our text this morning but before we move on to the second sign I want to appeal briefly to the prophecy of the prophet Amos again regarding darkness as a sign of judgment specifically on the house of Israel.

First in Amos 5 speaking of God's judgment specifically on Israel it says woe to you who desire the day of the Lord for what good is the day of the Lord to you it will be darkness and not light and then later in he's expanding on this.

Mind you the crucifixion took place during the feast of Passover. This was meant to be a time of celebrating when Israel would remember how God had delivered them from Egypt and had brought them out as they feasted and rejoiced and celebrated.

Amos 8 says this the end has come upon my people Israel. I will not pass by them anymore and the songs of the temple shall be wailing in that day says the Lord God many dead bodies everywhere they shall be thrown out in silence and it shall come to pass in that day says the Lord God that I will make the sun go down at noon and I will darken the earth in broad daylight.

I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head. I will make it like mourning for an only son and its end will be like a bitter day beloved.

The day of the Lord is the day of his wrath. It is the day of redemption for those who hope in Christ but for those who are outside of Christ it is the day of judgment. And this leads us to our second sign.

The Cry of Abandonment on the Cross

Matthew gives us the cry of abandonment from the from our Lord upon the cross. My God my God why have you forsaken me. These words ought to send a chill down our spine. Jesus of course here is quoting Psalm 22 David's words that we read last week.

David in expressing his analysis of his situation in this emotional petition he feels abandoned by God in his suffering. We know of course that David being loved by God was never truly or ultimately forsaken but as the Psalms often do they give expression to the the experience that we have in emotional language often but what David has only tasted and felt our Lord fulfilled here on the cross to its fullest extent.

Now we must tread carefully here for the triune God is not to be divided. He exists eternally in three distinct persons. Here we see the son the second person of the blessed trinity who is simultaneously fully God and fully man two distinct natures in one person forever.

And he takes upon himself the curse of sin that separates man from the face of God. He became a curse for us to understand rightly what it means to to have and to experience and to be held within the blessing of God.

The words of the high priestly blessing from the book of numbers are helpful. These describe the blessedness of being in right fellowship with God where the high priest would say the Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Here Jesus in bearing the wrath of God receives not the blessing that he rightly deserves but the curse that we rightly deserve.

R .C. Sproul demonstrates for us the the reversal of this blessing. With these words rather than a blessing the Lord curse you and abandon you. The Lord keep you in darkness and give you only judgment without grace.

The Lord turn his back upon you and remove his peace from you forever. This is what our Lord suffered in this darkness on the cross as he cries out why have you forsaken me. We cannot fully understand the depth of this truth.

But the son who had perfect fellowship with the father took upon himself the curse of sin and separation from the father. He endured on the cross the full fury of hell for all who would believe. Jesus told us of this multiple times in his ministry.

I want to point just briefly to John chapter 10 where our Lord says. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. A little later he says I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep and am known by my own as the father knows me even so I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and other sheep I have which are not of this fold.

This is speaking of Gentiles you and I them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and will be one flock and one shepherd. And then later when the Jews question him if you are the Christ tell us plainly Jesus answered them I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name.

They bear witness of me. But you do not believe because you are not of my sheep. As I said to you my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me beloved Christ's death on the cross. The wrath he bore was for his sheep his own those from among the nations those believing Jews but those who were called by his name and them only.

That is the atonement that is the extent of the atonement sufficient for all but applied to his own Galatians 3. Galatians 3 tells us Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.

This is the meaning behind Christ's taking on the wrath of God the father in some sense withdrawing and turning away his countenance from the son. Then we see in verses 47 to 49 this response from the onlookers again.

The intention here like I said last week is debated by commentators. It appears that they're misunderstanding Jesus's words as he cries out on the cross and you think he's calling for Elijah to come and save him.

One of them gives him sour wine from a sponge and the rest say to leave him alone to see if Elijah will come and save him again. This is a fulfillment of Psalm 69 that we talked about last week. They've already offered him gall and here again they offer him vinegar or sour wine like I said last week.

I tend to agree with D .A. Carson that the intention of the onlookers here was was probably not kindness or mercy but further ridicule and derision. Perhaps by by giving him sour wine. They're they're hoping to endure to to prolong his suffering to to allow him to continue to live to see what happens.

Almost certainly these words these this wait and see comment about Elijah was meant sarcastically or mocking. But regardless this brings us to verse 50. Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

Beloved. When the work of atonement was done our lord gave up his life. He gave up his spirit. He yielded it willingly for us. John tells us what this last word was. He cried out as we've already sung and prayed.

He cried out to telestai. It is finished. It is finished. This is in the perfect tense communicating that the action is complete but its effects are ongoing. It was not. It was finished but it is finished.

Our lord did not merely open a possibility for forgiveness. He secured it because it is finished. This is our redemption accomplished. He by his death made full atonement. Full atonement for all who would be called by the father and given to him.

There is nothing more that is needed. There is nothing more that can be done. There is nothing that can be done to reverse it for it is finished. This beloved is why we teach so confidently that salvation is a work of god from start to finish.

Because jesus at the moment of his death declared that it is finished. He did it all. This is why we teach so confidently that nothing can be done to snatch the child out of his hand. You cannot lose your salvation if you are in christ beloved because he completed it on the cross and said it is finished.

This is why we teach so confidently that our lord suffered to achieve a definite atonement for his people. Because he cried on the cross it is finished. This final cry from the cross is our surety before the throne of grace.

God said that it is finished. And there is no other word that is needed. There is no other word that can be spoken. This is our standing before christ because he has declared that it is finished. We the bride are his possession.

He died to make us a spotless bride. And that we are because it is finished. And then he yielded up his spirit. Make no mistake the lord of glory truly died. And this is something we'll press further into next week as we conclude the chapter.

But he is truly dead. His heart stopped beating blood stopped flowing through his veins. His lungs stopped filling with air. His blood is poured out on the ground at the foot of the cross and his spirit departs from his body.

He is really and truly dead. This was for the work of atonement. This was the work of atonement. Matthew then records three signs that accompany our lord's death. First the veil is torn. This veil was the veil that was hung in the temple.

It was not just a mere curtain. This was thick and wide. It was woven of thick cords. I read i read one place. The weight of it was so immense it took 300 men to hoist it up. And this thick heavy huge huge veil separated the holy place in the temple where the priest would go regularly daily to to do his priestly duties from the holy of holies the that most holy place where he entered.

But once a year on the day of atonement to offer sacrifice for the sins of the nation this holy of holies this place where the the high priest only the high priest could enter. And he would enter. He would he would wear bells in case he was struck dead by god.

For for entering in an improper manner they they tied a cord to his ankle to drag him out if he died while in there because no one could enter. No one could enter in an unworthy manner only the high priest and only on the day and only in the prescribed manner.

But never again never again never again. Would that be needed. Because god himself tore the veil of separation from top to bottom. It's as if the the presence of god dwelling there in the holy of holies where he dwelt above the ark of the covenant between the cherubim in the mercy seat.

He has fled that space in victory and split the veil that cloistered it off that in christ all could come to the throne of grace without another sacrifice. Because the sacrifice has been made this veil represented.

No this veil was the barrier that separated the very dwelling place of the name of god from the people and the levitical system made provision for them under the right conditions to just lift the corner and enter in once a year.

But this would never again be needed because the lamb of god has just breathed his last he gave his life as a one perfect sacrifice for all the sins of his children all that they have ever committed or all that they would ever commit.

This is why paul was so angry and upset at the judaizers as if they were trying to stitch back the veil and and add restrictions and barriers to to communion with god. This is what the the papists do by saying you must attend the mass and partake of the blessed host and drink of the cup in order that your sins be remediated.

This is what the legalist does by believing in his heart that his good deeds earn his favor before god. God miraculously and dramatically and mightily says no to all of it. The veil has been torn right down the middle from top to bottom.

Now we know less than 40 years later the whole structure of the temple would be destroyed because god says it is over. The substance has come. These shadows are no longer needed because christ has come and christ has died.

The true lamb the heavenly temple is now prepared and ready for his people. The great the great high priest the eternal high priest has offered the last sacrifice the ceremonial law abolished and the way to god's presence opened by faith in jesus christ.

I want to read from hebrews chapter 10 starting in verse 19 it says. Then brethren having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of jesus by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh and having a high priest over the house of god.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful full atonement has been made.

Don't you dare try to add to it for christ is enough. These last two signs will be much more brief. First the earth quakes and the rocks are split and the graves are opened. So often in scripture theophany is represented by the earth trembling before the coming of god's presence.

In this case he is coming to rend the veil and he comes as he comes. The earth literally trembles before him and the rocks are split open now. This is something we we might talk more about next week. But the details here about the dead being raised it note it.

It says that they were raised at his resurrection. So matthew is kind of giving us these events here this particular event out of sequence. The graves are opened at christ's death. And then the dead come out of their graves and enter into that holy city jerusalem at his resurrection.

These are old covenant saints who were saved by faith in what the coming messiah would do. And they they come from their graves to bear witness to the truth to the very people that condemned jesus to die.

Now again i think we'll have more to say on this in the coming weeks both of the believing saints who died before christ's death as well as the hope of the power of resurrection at the last day that this points us forward to.

So i'll leave that that resurrection thought there for today. But lastly i want to consider this roman centurion and his confession and those who were with him. This man this roman man a pagan you have to remember these these romans were thoroughly pagan.

They worshiped caesar as a god and they worshiped this pantheon of gods. The new testament makes reference to us. For um for they worship mercury. They worship the goddess diana and countless others. And jupiter or zeus reigned above this pantheon in their in their religion as the high god over all.

And this man this roman centurion this mighty and respected commander in caesar's army he after being present and watching this reviling and this mocking he may have been there in the praetorium and been one of the ones spitting on the lord jesus in mocking and hatred.

After witnessing all of this and hearing the the mocking accusations and seeing the sign above his head that he is the king of the jews and seeing these mighty wonders performed where the earth shook and the sun failed.

He fears greatly says he feared greatly. And he says surely this is the son of god. Jc ryle connects this to jesus's prayer on the cross where jesus prayed father forgive them. For they know not what they do.

The father is already answering jesus's prayer. This man this man as lost as could be sees the glory of the slain son of god and he fears. He worships. Dear one. Where are you in this scene this morning.

Are you by your sinful lifestyle and disregard for the person and work of christ living a life that makes a mockery of him. Are you like those who treat christ's sacrifice as if it is not enough like you must add to it or earn his favor or make atonement for your own sin.

Are you like those in the city of jerusalem just going about their life giving little thought to the spiritual matters around them that would confront you. Are you blind to what christ's death really and truly means.

Are you there with the women looking on and grieving presumably despairing feeling like all hope is lost feeling the weight of defeat of the death of the one whom you loved and hoped in or in hearing of the death of the son of god willingly his drinking the cup of wrath to the last drop taking upon himself the full weight of hell to redeem a people for himself by the only means possible the death of the son of god.

Does this cause you to fear and to tremble in awe and worship and to confess that surely this was the son of god beloved. This is the only right response. It doesn't matter your background it doesn't matter what sins you've committed.

There is a savior and there is only one savior. He was lifted up from the earth. He hung on a tree suspended between heaven and earth just as the bronze serpent was lifted up by moses on a pole. And all who looked to that serpent were healed beloved.

He was raised up on this cross and gave up his life for our redemption that we might be saved. I'll end with the words of paul paul in second corinthians chapter five speaking as a vessel of the gospel.

One who proclaims the message of christ he says this. Now then we are ambassadors for christ as though god were pleading through us. We implore you on christ's behalf be reconciled to god. For he made him who no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of god in him beloved.

This is the gospel. I plead with you be reconciled to god. There is nothing that you can do to make yourself clean. There's nothing that you can do to save yourself on the day of the lord but to be found in christ.

He made full atonement to make us the righteousness of god in him. Let us pray our great god and father. We praise you that you are holy and righteous and faithful from first to last. We marvel at this this great act of suffering and humiliation where our lord descended to the very depths of human experience suffering under the wrath that you poured out on him crushing him for our sakes.

Father i thank you that you have chosen to glorify yourself in this way that you have this morning. And through the words of scripture revealed this truth to us that we might behold the son of god the lamb slain for the redemption of ruined sinners.

We plead for mercy by the blood of christ in his name. Amen.