Sermon Tone Analysis

Matthew 27:45-56

Introduction

*1 Corinthians 15:3-5* For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

Three core doctrines of the Christian faith:

Ø      Christ’s death

Ø      Christ’s burial

Ø      Christ’s resurrection

Today we will look at the death of Christ.

From 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon

Ø      The soldiers gamble for His clothes.

(Matthew 27:35-36; Mark 15:24)

Ø      Jesus' First statement:  "Father forgive them…"  (Luke 23:34)

Ø      The sign above His head.

(Matthew 27:37-38; Mark 15:25-27; Luke 23:38; John 19:19-22)

Ø      The scoffing of the crowd.

(Matthew 27:39-44; Mark 15:28-32; Luke 23:35-37)

Ø      The salvation of the thief.

(Luke 23:39-42)

Ø      Jesus' Second statement:  "Today you will be with me…"  (Luke 23:43)

Ø      Jesus' Third statement:  "Dear woman here is your son."  (John 19:25-27)

\\ From 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m.

Ø      Three hours of darkness  (Matthew 27:45-50; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:44-46)

Ø      Jesus' Fourth statement: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"

(Matthew 27:46-47; Mark 15:34-35)

Ø      Jesus' Fifth statement: "I am thirsty."

(John 19:28-30)

Ø      Jesus' Sixth statement: "It is finished."

(John 19:30b)

Ø      Jesus' Seventh statement: "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit."

(Luke 23:46)

Ø      When Jesus died, the curtain of the Temple was torn in half, symbolizing the opening of the way to God (Matthew 27:51-56; Mark 15:38-41; Luke 23:45, 47-49).

We will view our Lord’s death from the perspective of the events that surrounded and confirmed the supernatural nature of His death.

There are five miracles that I have noted in today’s message

\\ 1A.

The Supernatural Darkness (27:45)

1B.

The life of our Lord is associated with light!

*Luke 2:9* And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

*John 1:4* In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

*John 1:9* That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

*John 8:12* Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

2B.

The death of our Lord is shrouded by darkness

The scope of the darkness

Ø      The Greek /ge/ (*land*) can also be translated /earth/, indicating the entire world.

Ø      It is not possible from the text to determine how widespread the darkness was.

Ø      God was equally able, of course, to make the darkness local or universal.

The significance of the darkness

Ø      The cross was a place of immense divine judgment, where the sins of the world were poured out vicariously on the sinless, perfect Son.

Ø      It was therefore appropriate that great supernatural darkness express God’s reaction to sin in that act of judgment.

\\ 2A.

The Divine Separation (27:46-49)

1B.

The magnitude of the separation

Jesus experienced separation from His heavenly Father for the first and only time in all of eternity.

It is the only time of which we have record that Jesus did not address God as Father.

2B.

The mystery of the separation

In some way and by some means, in the secrets of divine sovereignty and omnipotence, the God-Man was separated from God for a brief time at Calvary, as the furious wrath of the Father was poured out on the sinless Son, who in matchless grace became sin for those who believe in Him.

3B.

The meaning of the separation

*Habakkuk 1:13* /You are /of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness…

Jesus bore the sins of His people.

*1 Peter 2:24* (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 4:10)

Jesus became sin for us

*2 Corinthians 5:21*

*Matthew 20:28*

“When Christ was forsaken by the Father, their separation was not one of nature, essence, or substance.

Christ did not in any sense or degree cease to exist as God or as a member of the Trinity.

He did not cease to be the Son, any more than a child who sins severely against his human father ceases to be his child.

But Jesus did for a while cease to know the intimacy of fellowship with His heavenly Father, just as a disobedient child ceases for a while to have intimate, normal, loving fellowship with his human father.”

(McArthur)

3A.

The Symbolic Devastation (27:51)

1B.

The tearing of the veil

/Naos / (*temple*) does not refer to the Temple as a whole but to the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt in His symbolic presence.

A huge woven* veil* separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple.

It was 3:00 p.m. the time for the evening sacrifice, the Temple was filled with worshippers and priests.

2B.

The teaching of the action

The old system of offering sacrifices was abolished.

*Ephesians 2:14-16*

Jesus sacrifice was the perfect and final sacrifice.

(solus Christus)

*Hebrews 9:25-28*

*1 Timothy 2:5-6* For /there is /one God and one Mediator between God and men, /the /Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time

Because of Christ’s work it is now possible for believers to approach God directly.

*Hebrews 10:19-24*

4A.

The Supernatural Earthquake (27:51)

1B.

The timing of the earthquake was miraculous.

It was a prelude to the resurrection of the saints.

2B.

The teaching of the earthquake is important.

The earthquake at Calvary parallels the earthquake at Sinai (Exodus 19:18) and reminds us that although “the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

(John 1:17)

\\ 5A.