The Story of Elijah: The Ascension
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1 & 2 Kings 2 Kings 2:1–25
Israel camps at Gilgal when it first enters the land, and there the Israelite men are circumcised and Israel celebrates the first Passover in the land (5:1–12). Bethel is associated with the city of Ai and was destroyed along with Ai during the conquest (8:9, 12, 17), and Jericho, of course, is the site of the great battle where the walls tumble down. Each of these cities, in short, is associated with Joshua’s conquest. Under the idolatrous Omride dynasty, Israel moves, as it were, backward in time, as the Omride kings promote the worship of Canaanite gods, particularly Baal. With his departing itinerary Elijah demonstrates this reversal, preenacting the exile of Israel and Judah on the far side of the Jordan. Like the exile later in Israel’s history, however, this reversal of the conquest sets the stage for a new conquest.
1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.
8 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
2k 21-8
1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.
8 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
Lets pray…
1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
2 k
This verse introduces a tension that carries us through the rest of the chapter.
Elijah has been a powerful instrument in the hand of God.
With Elijah’s departure an era is passing
To have Elijah, the remnant people of God had a defense system against those who would try and destroy them
Having Elijah was like having an army of God
He was the one who stood up against Ahab and Jezebel
He was the one who went to war with the 450 prophets of Baal
He was the one who could bring people back to life
And he was the one who could call fire down from heaven
In the midsts of a Baal-kissing regime and a prophet-killing oppression Elijah stood in the gap
If Elijah is leaving, the faithful people of God (The sons of the prophets) are loosing their leader, their commander, the one who taught them, and discipled them, the one who showed them the power of God, and called them to covenant faithfulness and holy living.
They no doubt felt the same fear and anxiety that Israel felt when Moses was about to die.
Or how the disciples felt when Jesus was about to ascend into heaven.
This feeling of insecurity and fear, of anxiety and concern is thick throughout this passage.
If Elijah leaves, who will be the next Joshua to take his place?
If Elijah leaves, who will continue God’s mission on earth, like Jesus’ disciples?
As they traveled to Bethel, then to Jericho, the sons of the prophets likewise felt the tension and wanted to know what was going to happen… Look at vv. 3 and 5
3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
and verse 5
5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
Two different times on this journey we see the sons of the prophets feeling this weight and tension and asking Elisha about it…
To which, Elisha says, “Yes, I know; be quiet”
Don’t talk about it
This is hard enough
If you upset Elijah he might bring fire down on you.
This is a heavy text. This is an emotional text.
This text has the same sort of feeling as Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
And the emotional weight of the passage is only outdone by the symbolic weight of the passage.
To understand the symbolic weight of the passage we need to look closely at the geographical movements that take place.
God sends Elijah upon a very specific and strange path to the Jordan.
Gilgal was just east
Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal when God told him to go to Bethel
Elijah asks Elisha to stay put as he goes to Bethel, but Elisha refuses
When Elijah arrived in Bethel, God told him to go to Jericho
Elijah asks Elisha to stay put in Bethel as he goes to Jericho, but Elisha refuses - He will be faithful to his master no matter what
When Elijah arrived in Jericho, God tell him to go to the Jordan
Elijah asks Elisha to stay in Jericho, but again, Elisha refuses - He is determined to stay with his master as long as possible.
unlike the disciples who could not even stay awake when Jesus asks them to keep watch and pray. Elisha refuses to leave his masters side.
So the strange path God took the prophets on was from
Gilgal - >Bethel ->Jericho -> Jordan - Conquest in reverse
Gilgal - >Bethel ->Jericho -> Jordan - Conquest in reverse
This trip is very important and full of meaning because this is the Joshua’s conquest in reverse
We have already seen how Elijah is a Moses type figure
This is clearly seen in our passage this morning when he parts the waters and walks through on dry ground.
But we have also seen him as the leader God uses to stand against a pharoah type figure in Ahab
We have seen him bring plagues upon a nation that would not listen to the prophet
We have seen him go to war against the false prophets as Moses did the Egyptian magicians
We have seen Elijah speak to God on behalf of the people of Israel
Like Moses, Elijah went to Mount Sinai to talk with God, and like with Moses, the glory cloud of God descended upon the mountian
Like Moses, Elijah had to hide his face from seeing the glory of God
When Elijah was at Sinai, God said he is starting over with the 7000 faithful followers of God. Those who have not worshiped Baal.
It is a new day for Israel, as a nation their end is near.
Out of the dead bones of Israel God creates a remnant church from the 7000
In the same way God chose Israel out of Egypt to be his son, so now God has chosen these 7000 to be his own possession out of the new Egypt that is the northern kingdom, Israel.
In the same way we see the covenant instituted with Israel on Sinai
Showing us again that Elijah is a new Moses figure in the history of redemption.
So If Elijah is a new Moses figure, we see Elisha as a new Joshua figure
After Mount Sinai Moses continues to lead the people of Israel in the wilderness toward the promise land,
and we see Joshua coming onto the scene as Moses’ successor.
Moses bring the people up to the Jordan but it would be Joshua who God raises up to bring the people into the promise land.
This is called the conquest, where Joshua leads Israel into the promise land.
The book of Joshua records for us this conquest where the people of God are claiming land that was promised to them.
The book of Joshua begins with Joshua bringing the people through the Jordan river
They then go an conquer Jericho
After that its the war at Ai, which is Bethel in Elijah’s day
And then Joshua camped in Gilgal when they fought against Gibion, when the sun stood still.
God raised up Joshua as a sword to conquer the evil nations
in the same way God raised up Elisha as a sword who would conquer evil Israel.
So Elijah and Elisha travel the road of Joshua’s conquest (500 years earlier) in reverse order going back to the Jordan to show that Elisha is about to begin a new conquest against Israel.
As they complete their travel the arrive at the Jordan river… Look with me at v. 8
8 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
In this amazing scene which echos back to Moses bringing the Israelites through the red sea, or Joshua bringing Israel through the Jordan, now Elijah, and Elisha, the new moses and Joshua walk across the Jordan together.
Now they have reached the other side of the Jordan, this is their last stop.
Elisha knows the end is near.
his teacher, his master, his spiritual father, is about to be taken away.
As we continue, i want to draw your attention to four elements of the story.
The Spirit of Power
The Cry to the Father
The Tearing in Two
The Confession of the Observers
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”
10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”
11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
He has seen God do some incredible things.
He had experienced the glory of God descending upon the mountain.
He had heard God speak to Him many times.
So now they are on the other side of the Jordan, the place where God is about to take Elijah up in the whirlwind (storm) Elijah allow Elisha to ask for a very hard thing… look at v. 9
Elijah was an old prophet ready to go home, but there was still some mystery as to what it would be like for God to come and take him.
So as He stands there on the other side of the Jordan, having just experienced what Moses and Joshua experienced by parting water and walking through on dry land.
So here they are, on the other side of the Jordan and Elijah turns to his disciple, and begins their last conversation… Look with me at verse 9
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”
Now, this sounds like a bold, maybe even a rude request. Elisha wants this Spirit of Power
Here is the last time your going to see Elijah and you ask him for double portion of your spirit
That sounds like a father turning the family business over to his son, and on his deathbed he asks his son “what else can I do for you?”
and the son responds, “I want to make double what you made in the family business”
You would think Elisha would say something like,
“You have already done enough, you have taught me, you have discipled me, you have shown me the power of God… I only hope I can be faithful and fearless like you”
Or when Elijah says, “What shall I do for you”
Elisha might respond, “I should be asking you, what can i do for you before you are taken?”
want some cakes like you had with the widow?
I know, i can see if I can get some Ravens to come feed you.
But for Elisha to respond by asking for a double portions seems kind of selfish and rude.
It reminds me of the disciples request of Jesus when they were on their way to Jerusalem where Jesus was to die.
36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
mark 10
The disciples were more focused on themselves then they were Jesus.
Jesus was about to be taken from them, and they could only think about their own self interests.
EXAMPLE
my grandfathers house - all the cool stuff
I remember as an 10 year, around the time my grandfather died, of hearing about the concept of people creating a will before they die.
That way when people pass away there are clear instructions on what to do with their possessions
Anyways, I was riding in the car with my grandmother who was in her late 60’s and I asked her if she had a will
She said she did...
I paused, then asked if I was in it
She said I was
I then asked what i was getting.
She said, “oh hunny, you’ll find out when i’m dead”
And this is the same sort of Answer Elijah gave Elisha
10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”
Basically, Elijah said, “you’ll find out what you get when i’m gone.”
But why does Elijah says, “you have asked a hard thing”?
Though the disciples question of Jesus was indeed self seeking, and my question to my grandmother was rude and self-seeking,
Elisha’s request for the double portion was actually not rude or self-seeking at all.
He was asking for a responsibility that was really a burden, a difficult task, a hard thing.
Let me explain
The Sons of the Prophets
The Sons of the Prophets
We have been introduced to the sons of the prophets in this story.
This title is given to those among the faithful 7000 that did not worship Baal, who were being trained to be prophets, or pastors.
remember Jezebel had killed all the prophets so it was only Elijah left, so the sons of the prophets are the next generation of pastors who would lead people toward YHWH.
The sons of the prophets are like seminary students and Elijah was their spiritual father and their teacher
Elisha actually calls Elijah father in verse 12 - but we’ll come to that
Elisha was at the top of the class (The TA), he was the one that Elijah had been training to take his place.
So when Elisha asks for a double portion of the Spirit he is not asking for...
So when Elisha asks for a double portion of the Spirit he is not asking for...
So when Elisha asks for a double portion of the Spirit he is not asking for...
twice as much power
to be twice as godly
to be twice as full of the spirit as Elijah
What he is asking for is to be recognized as the firstborn son of Elijah, or the firstborn among the sons of the prophets
according to the law in Deut 21 the firstborn receives a double portion of the inheritance.
This also places the firstborn in the seat of the father as leader of the family when he dies.
So when Elisha asks for a double portion of the Spirit, what he is asking for is to take the place of Elijah when he is taken away.
To become the new father to the sons of the prophets
So look with me again at vv. 9-10
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”
So when Elijah says this is a hard thing, he knows that the life of God’s prophet is not easy, it is a huge responsibility. -
this is the same sort of responsibility Paul gives to elders in the church - it is no easy task.
you are on the front lines of battle
you speak
To be an elder is a hard thing, to be one who is on the front line of battle, leading the church, being accountable to God, is no easy task.
For men who have expressed interest in being an elder, the response is, “you have asked for a hard thing”
Elijah knows that he does not have the authority to grant this request from Elisha. Elisha cannot hand over the mantle to Elisha, that is God’s job.
in the same way if someone wants to be an elder in the church, it takes much prayer and wisdom to determine if God is calling that man to this heavy and difficult task.
So Elijah tells him, “if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”
If God allows you to see what is about to happen, than know that God is giving you the mantle of prophet.
So what happens?
11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
As they were walking and talking the same chariots of fire and horses that Elijah experienced on Sinai come rushing between them.
And a great wind, or storm, or whirlwind picked up Elijah and took him into heaven.
And Elisha saw it! God granted him his request
When he saw it, he cried out to Elijah, “my father, my father!
WHen he saw it, he cried out “my father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
Elijah was everything to Elisha,
Elijah was everything to Elisha,
His teacher, his protector, he was the one who showed him how to be bold.
He showed him how to stand against evil
The chariots of Israel and its horsemen is an honorary title given to Elijah
He taught him the words of God
He was his defender, which we see in the phrase, The chariots of Israel and its horsemen
As we have seen, Elijah has fought on behalf of Israel, he was the chariot of Israel who went to war against the enemies of God.
As we have seen, Elijah has fought on behalf of Israel, he was the chariot of Israel who went to war against the enemies of God.
When he was taken away, Elisha would have felt alone.
You tend to have a lot of Confidence when someone like Elijah has taken you under his wing.
So he cries out my father, my father, perhaps to say Not YET! come back!
Elisha then tore his clothes in two pieces symbolizing the Elijah’s departure, and the end of an era.
The man that spoke with God, the man who taught Elisha about God, the man who was in very real the the presence of God among the sons of the prophets was gone.
However, Elijah is not left without access to God,
look at v. 13-14
13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
Elijah picks up the cloak of Elijah, this is the prophetic mantle, like Moses staff.
2 k 2
He goes back to the Jordan river that he and Elijah had crossed together just a short time ago.
He then takes the cloak in his hand and struck the water, like Elijah had done, and said
Where is the LORD, The God of Elijah?
As if to say, God have you forsaken me? Have you left me? You took Elijah, are you still with me?
And when he struck the water, the water parted and walked through.
This baptism is God’s promise to Elisha that he is with him.
Elisha will go on to do the same works as Elijah, in fact, he does even greater works than Elijah had done. Because Elijah went to be with the Father.
We then see the sons of the prophets observing Elijah as he comes back and they confess that Elisha is the Son of Elijah, the firstborn of the sons of the prophets.
look at v.15
15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
In Jesus shows two disciples how the law and the prophets all point to him. And If I could go back in time to overhear that conversation, I would bet that Jesus opened up the scriptures to and showed them how the story of Elijah points to himself.
Do you remember the four elements I mentioned earlier? These four elements help us see how this story foretells the the gospel message.
The Spirit of Power
The Cry to the Father
The Tearing in Two
The Confession of the Observers
Lets rewind the story and play it again to see how it prepares us for Christ
The Spirit of Power
The Spirit of Power
Elisha asks for a double portion of the Spirit which means he wants to carry on the work that Elijah has done
And what we see happening is Elisha goes on to do all that Elijah did and even more!
Likewise Jesus tells his disciples in
Likewise Jesus tells his disciples in
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
As Elisha will go on to do all that Elijah did, he also goes on to do even greater works than Elijah, because Elijah was went up to be with the Father.
You see, Jesus is the greater Elijah, and the followers of Jesus, his disciples, like Elisha will go on to do even greater works because he has given us his Spirit.
Right after this passage in Jesus goes on to say that he must leave in order for the Spirit to come upon the disciples. Like Elijah had to leave in order for his spirit to come upon Elisha
The Cry to the Father
The Cry to the Father
When Elijah is taken he cries out My father, my father.
Elisha cries out again when he is about to cross the Jordan when he says, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? - Where is he, has he forsaken me because he took Elijah away?
This whole scene is retold in Gospel of Mark
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
mark 15.
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”
Why did the bystanders think he was calling Elijah? Because on the cross Jesus echoes the cries of Elisha
Elisha says, my father, my father,
Jesus says, my god, my god
When Elisha comes to the jordan he says, where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?
Upon the cross Jesus says, Why have you forsaken me!
Jesus cries out the cries of Elijah in part to symbolize something far greater is coming!
The Tearing in Two
The Tearing in Two
When Elijah breathed his last breath on earth, Elisha tore his clothes in two pieces
Representing the end of an era, and death.
37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
mark 15 37-38
The Confession of the Onlookers
As Elisha tore his garment in two so God tore the temple curtain in two.
The old is gone, and the new has come
Elisha represented a new day for Israel, leading this young church, these sons of the prophets in the truth of God’s word.
And these sons of prophets went out planting churches in bethel, and Jericho and throughout the whole region.
As the Apostles did in the book of acts, they brought the gospel to Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth
Mark 15
In the same way, we are sons of the great prophet, Jesus Christ, and we go now with his spirit advancing the gospel throughout the wichita, and Andover and to the ends of the earth.
And isn’t it beautiful how when Jesus gave up his spirit on the cross, the curtain was torn in two pieces which represents the death of the Old Covenant.
The Confession of the Onlookers
The Confession of the Onlookers
When Elisha crossed back over the Jordan the sons of the prophets see him and confess that Spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha
Truly, this is the son of Elijah
39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
This onlooker when he saw Jesus give up his Spirit confessed that truly this man was the Son of God!
My friends, we have been given the Spirit of Christ.
The Request
Elisha asks for a double portion of the Spirit which means he wants to carry on the work that Elijah has done
Likewise Jesus tells his disciples in
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Elisha saw Elijah taken away and takes up his cloak, which is the prophetic mantle
As Elisha will go on to do all that Elijah did, he also goes on to do even greater works than Elijah
You see, Jesus is the greater Elijah, and the followers of Jesus, his disciples, like Elisha will go on to do even greater works because he has given us his Spirit.
Right after this passage in Jesus goes on to say that he must leave in order for the Spirit to come upon the disciples. Like Elijah had to leave in order for his spirit to come upon Elisha
And when the
The Cry
When Elijah is taken he cries out My father, my father.
Elisha cries out again when he is about to cross the Jordan when he says, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? - Where is he, has he forsaken me because he took Elijah away?
The Tearing in Two
Jesus said that his people will go on to do even greater things than he had done in his life.
When Elijah breathed his last breath on earth, Elisha tore his clothes in two pieces
This is the end of an era -
Elijah is gone, yet his spirit continues with his disciple, Elisha
The Confession of the Onlookers
Now, we are called to stand boldly in the Spirit of Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus and his apostles to continue the mission of advancing the Good News that Jesus is king, calling all men everywhere to repent.
When Elisha crossed back over the Jordan (death and rebirth) the sons of the prophets see him and confess that Spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha
Truly, this is the son of Elijah
Let us not be cowards like so many who claim Christ, but let us live boldly as Elijah did, proclaiming the words of God to a lost and dying world!
34
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”
36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”
37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.
38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”