Just to remind people that we do have a sheet, a little worksheet.
There may be some on the table. You're very welcome to go and get one of the tables as you came in.
And a Bible which is on the stand as well so you can follow along.
And there's pens there as well.
And the title of the talk, as you see on the screen, is Jesus Dies.
It's just a bit confusing. For some reason, I seem to mess it up every week in one way or another.
So, well, what the best thing to do is, is just start with Jesus Dies and just follow the titles on the screen.
And that will tell you which page you should be on next.
Yeah. I'm not even going to try and tell you how to do it. I'm confused myself.
But there we are.
So, let's turn in our Bibles to Matthew chapter 27.
And we're going to read from verse 45 down to verse 54.
Matthew 27, verse 45 to 54.
Let's hear God's Word.
When some of those standing there heard this, they said,
He's calling Elijah.
Immediately, one of them ran and got a sponge.
He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff and offered it to Jesus to drink.
The rest said,
Now leave him alone.
Let's see if Elijah comes to save him.
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice,
he gave up his spirit.
At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open.
The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection
and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those who were with him were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake
and all that had happened,
they were terrified and exclaimed,
Surely he was the Son of God.
Well, let's pray.
Our Father God, we thank you for Matthew's account of the life of Christ,
his death, his resurrection.
And we thank you, Father, that we can read these words today,
knowing that they are your words, your voice to us.
And we pray that what we hear and what perhaps may be familiar to us
would have power
and would change us
and would cause each one of us
to worship you
and to love you
with all our heart,
our soul,
our minds.
That we would do this for your glory,
for our good
and for the blessing
of all those around us.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, over the month of April,
we're looking at the Easter account,
the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Last week, we looked at the trial and the execution,
and today we're specifically going to focus on his death.
So keep an eye on the text,
Matthew 27, 45 to 54.
And there's three extraordinary things that happen.
Darkness falls,
a curtain tears,
and tombs open.
Now what connects these three events
is the death of Jesus.
They all happen
as Jesus dies.
So what do they all mean?
Well, let's look at one each in turn.
First,
darkness falls
on the land.
Jesus has been crucified
early in the morning.
And from what we can see
or what appears to everybody else,
there doesn't seem to be anything different
about the crucifixion of Jesus
to anybody else who's been crucified.
But then,
at twelve midday,
something very strange happens.
Look at verse 45.
From noon
until three in the afternoon,
darkness came over
all the land.
When the sun is at its highest
and brightest,
everything
goes dark.
Literally,
it's saying
it became dark
with darkness.
So it's not an eclipse.
We might say
it went pitch
black.
In the middle of the day,
darkness
descends.
You know what it was like yesterday,
what a beautiful
sunny day it was.
Well, you think
at twelve o'clock
midday yesterday
for your town,
for Carragalline,
to just go
pitch black.
what
is going on
with the darkness.
Well, have a look back
at Matthew chapter 24.
Just go back
a couple of chapters.
Chapter 24,
verse 29.
Jesus has been
speaking about
future events
and he's talking about
what's going to happen
at the
very end of time.
So Matthew 24
and verse 29.
Immediately
after the distress
of those days,
so the days
leading up
to the end
of the time,
he says,
the sun will be
darkened
and the moon
will not give
its light.
The stars
will fall
from the sky,
the heavenly bodies
will be shaken.
Then will appear
the sign
of the Son of Man
in heaven
and then all
the peoples
of the earth
or the peoples
of the land
will mourn
when they see
the Son of Man
coming on the clouds
of heaven
with power
and great glory.
at the very
end of the age,
Jesus says,
at the end
of time
when the Son
of Man
comes,
he's going
to come
and wrap
everything up
in the whole
history of the world.
He's going to come
and bring his judgment
and the sign
of his coming
is going
to be
darkness.
Verse 29,
the sun
will be
darkened
and the moon
will not
give its
light.
Back to
Matthew 27.
In other words,
when darkness
descends,
it's a sign
that God
is bringing
his
judgment.
So what does
the darkness
teach us?
Well,
three things.
First,
it's God's
judgment
on sin.
again,
look at
verse 45.
It tells us
that darkness
came over
the whole
land.
God is
displaying
his
displeasure
at the
injustice
of all
that's
taking
place.
God is
rightfully
angry
at the
false
charges
and lies,
the
disciples'
betrayal
and denial,
the mocking
and abuse
that's
taken place.
And God's
judgment
falls on
the people
because they
have all
rejected
God's
king.
You see,
God takes
sin
personally
because it
is personal
to God.
He can't
ignore the
things that
have happened.
He can't
pretend that
it doesn't
matter and
brush it
under the
carpet.
It does
matter.
God is
grieved with
the injustice,
the lies,
the mocking
and the
rejection.
And God
is grieved
with all
the terror
and the
wars that
we see
happening.
It must
be judged.
But not
only that,
judgment
falls on
Jesus.
Look at
verse 46.
About three
in the
afternoon,
Jesus
cried out
in a
loud voice,
Eli,
Lamech
Sabachthani,
which means
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
Now,
this should
surprise us
because,
remember,
judgment has
fallen on
the land
because of
the people's
sin.
So,
we would
expect the
people to
be mourning
and crying
out,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
us?
But they
don't,
do they?
Out of
the darkness,
it's
Jesus
who cries
out.
Of all
the people
who are
there,
there is
only one
who experiences
the weight
of judgment.
You see,
Jesus'
cry is
much more
than just
physical
pain.
It's one
of spiritual
agony.
Jesus,
who is
one with
the Father,
who enjoys
the Father's
delight and
pleasure for
all eternity,
is forsaken
as he dies.
He's cut
off.
Jesus isn't
crying out
here to
his Father,
what are
you doing
to me?
Or why
is this
happening to
me?
Jesus knows
exactly why
he's come.
Look at
verse 47.
When some
of those
standing there
heard this,
he said,
he's calling
Elijah.
Verse 49,
now leave
him alone,
let's see if
Elijah comes
to save
him.
It's not
Jesus who
needs saving.
God is
saving us
through his
Son.
His cry
is one
of absorbing
the judgment
that humanity
deserves.
As Jesus
bears the
weight of
sin,
he is
forsaken,
abandoned,
separated from
the Father.
He takes
the darkness
of hell
for you
and for
me,
because that's
what hell
is.
It's
separation
from God,
being cut
off from
all God's
goodness
and glory.
No
forgiveness,
no peace,
no mercy,
no joy,
no happiness,
cut off
from all
that is
beautiful
and good.
So as the
darkness
falls,
only one
voice is
heard,
because Jesus
is taking
the judgment
on our
behalf.
There's one
other thing
to learn
from the
darkness.
As the
darkness
falls,
it reminds
us that
there is a
greater and
a more final
judgment to
come.
In one
sense,
as Jesus
dies on
the cross,
the judgment
of the
future has
been brought
forward.
God in
his love
and his
kindness
is giving
the world
people
opportunity
to find
salvation
in Jesus
and so we
can turn
to him
today and
we can
trust him
today and
say,
Jesus,
you take
the judgment
for me.
but in
another sense,
all that
is happening
at Jesus
on the
cross is
pointing to
an ultimate
judgment,
a future
judgment to
come when
all wrongs
of this
world will
be corrected,
that every
injustice we
hear about
and see
will be dealt
with.
There will
be no
hiding place.
Everyone
will come
before God
and will have
to face
him.
But the
point of
all that
Matthew is
teaching us
is this,
either Jesus
takes the
darkness for
you or
you will
take the
darkness.
Either Jesus
takes it
or you
take it.
So first,
darkness
falls on
the land.
The second
big thing
that we see
happening
is that
the curtain
tears
in the
temple.
Look at
verse 51.
At that
moment,
at what
moment?
Well,
go back
to verse
50.
When Jesus
had cried
out again
in a loud
voice,
he gave
up his
spirit.
As Jesus
died,
at that
moment,
the curtain
of the
temple was
torn in
two from
top to
bottom.
Matthew
wants us
to see
that there
is a
direct
connection
between
the
instance
Jesus
dies
and the
curtain
in the
temple
tearing.
They
happen
simultaneously.
Why?
What does
it all
mean?
Well,
first we
got to
understand
that access
to God
is denied.
The temple
was hugely
significant.
It represented
God's presence
amongst the
people.
And when you
entered into
the temple,
there was a
series of
rooms you
would go
through,
and as you
went through
these rooms,
it brought
you closer
to God.
So to
try and
imagine and
understand what
it was like,
think of this
hall here as
inside the
temple.
Outside the
car park was
the courtyard
where people
could come.
And then once
you entered,
suppose you
came in through
those tubble
doors there,
you would come
into the first
room which was
called the
holy place.
And at the
end of the
holy place where
that blue screen
is,
behind that
was a room
called the
holy of
holies.
And it was
inside this
room that
God's presence
was represented.
The only
problem was
there was
this huge
curtain,
60 feet
high,
I don't know
what, maybe
half the
height of
this ceiling
again,
and about
30 feet
wide, so
the width
of this
hall.
And this
curtain was
just one
piece of
material, not
like our
curtains where
they kind of
divide in
two, but
one ginormous
curtain, about
as thick as
a hand.
It acted as
a barrier, a
wall.
Stop, no
entry.
God was
separate from
the people,
the holy from
the unholy, the
pure from the
impure.
People were
literally, by
this curtain,
shut out from
God's presence.
It was a
physical reminder
of a
spiritual
reality,
that my
sin,
our failure,
means access
to God is
denied.
You can't
get close
to God.
So how do
we get
through this
barrier?
How do we
get through so
that we can
enjoy God
without fear?
Well, the
barrier is
broken, isn't
it?
As Jesus
dies,
verse 51,
at that very
moment, the
curtain in the
temple was
torn in two,
the barrier is
ripped apart.
Imagine a
curtain this
size and it
being torn
apart.
But how
does Jesus'
death achieve
it?
Jesus died,
what, maybe
a kilometre
away from
where the
temple was?
How did
Jesus'
death achieve
it?
Well, remember
what keeps us
out of God's
presence is
is our sin.
Sin and
God don't
mix together.
But remember
the darkness
has already
fallen on
Jesus, so
at that very
moment as
Jesus dies,
he's taking
the sin upon
himself for
all who will
trust in him.
He becomes
unholy so
that we might
be made
holy.
He becomes
impure so
that we are
made pure.
as Jesus
dies, the
barrier is
broken.
You see, this
is something
that God
does for us.
Did you
notice how
the curtain
was torn?
Verse 51,
from top
to bottom.
Sixty feet
high, the
curtain
begins to
rip.
I mean, if it
was man
doing it, if
you try to
rip something,
you go from
bottom to
top and
you pull
and it
rips apart.
Well, this
is torn
from top
to bottom.
This wasn't
an act of
man.
This was a
direct
intervention
by God
himself.
God is
saying, I
am going
to do
for you
what you
will never
be able to
do for
yourself.
I am
going to
open up
the way
for you
to come
to me.
And as
God looks
at his
son dying
on the
cross,
he is
pleased with
all that
his son has
achieved.
And so
he rips
open the
curtain,
almost a
ripping of
celebration.
He breaks
the barrier
down so
that we
can be
welcomed
in.
Access
is given,
no longer
shut out in
fear,
instead
welcomed
and
embraced
by the
Father.
The author
of Hebrews
helps us
to understand
this.
You can
keep your
finger in
Matthew 27
and jump
forward to
Hebrews
chapter 10.
Hebrews
chapter 10.
Hebrews
chapter 10.
Hebrews
chapter 10.
Hebrews
chapter 10.
Hebrews
chapter 10.
Hebrews 10
verse 19.
So we're
thinking about
the curtain
being torn
as Jesus
dies.
And because
of that we
have access
to God.
And this is
what the
author picks
up on.
Therefore,
because of
Jesus'
death,
brothers and
sisters,
since we
have
confidence,
underline that,
confidence,
to enter the
most holy
place,
by the
blood of
Jesus,
by his
death,
by a
new and
living way,
open for
us,
through the
curtain,
that is
his body.
The picture
is vivid,
isn't it?
as Jesus
himself is torn
at the cross,
as his body
has been
ripped apart
by the crucifixion,
so the curtain
is torn in two.
Welcome.
Don't fear.
Come in.
And look at the
warm invitation,
verse 22.
let us draw
near to God
with a sincere
heart and
with full
assurance
that faith
brings,
having our
hearts sprinkled
to cleanse us
from a guilty
conscience and
having our bodies
washed with
pure water.
sin.
The only thing
that stops us
enjoying the
delight and
pleasure of the
Father is
sin.
That's the only
thing.
And the only
one who can
deal with it
is Jesus,
and he has
dealt with it.
So the
invitation is,
come,
let us draw
near to God.
What are you
waiting for?
What better
offer is
there?
Come in.
Access is
opened.
The way is
there for you
to come and
enjoy the
Father.
We no longer
have to hide
in shame
or cower
in our
guilt.
He washes
you.
He cleanses
you internally
and eternally
forever and
forever so
that we can
enjoy the
Father.
By the
death of
Jesus,
we,
you and
I,
are made
holy.
so that
we can
enter into
his presence
every day.
We don't
enter his
presence as
we come
into this
building.
We are
with him
wherever we
go and
he is
with us.
So darkness
falls on
the land
and the
curtain
tears
in the
temple.
people.
The third
big event
is that
tombs
open
by the
earthquake.
As Jesus
dies,
something else
takes place.
Let's go
back to
Matthew
chapter 27.
As Jesus
dies,
pick it up
at the end
of verse
51.
As Jesus
cries out
in a loud
voice,
we are
told that
the earth
shook,
the rocks
split,
and the
tombs
broke
open.
Well,
you say
there is
nothing surprising
there.
Earthquakes
are common
enough in
some parts
of the world
and they
were very
common
there.
And
tombs
being above
ground
and cut
into the
rock,
well,
very often
they were
split open
and,
well,
that was
just
normal.
But what
is surprising
is what
comes out
of the
tombs.
That's
what should
shock us.
Look at
verse 52.
The tombs
broke open.
The bodies
of many
holy people
who had
died
were raised
to life.
amazing!
When have
you ever
seen that?
Bodies
walking
out of
a tomb.
Now,
the problem
is,
we can
get sidetracked
by all
of this.
Let's
read verse
52 again.
The tombs
broke open.
The bodies
of many
holy people
had died
and were
raised to
life.
They came
out of the
tombs
after
Jesus'
resurrection
and went
into the
holy city,
that's
Jerusalem,
and appeared
to many
people.
Question
time.
When were
the bodies
raised to
life?
When the
tombs broke
open?
Or after
Jesus was
raised to
life?
Or,
did the
tombs break
open as
Jesus died,
and then
they all
stayed inside
the tomb,
kind of
peering out,
you know,
when,
when can
we go?
Waiting for
Jesus to
rise,
and there,
Jesus
rise,
they go
into the
city.
What's
going on?
Strange,
isn't it?
well,
I don't
think we
should get
bogged down
with the
order of
things.
You can
read all
the
commentaries
at home,
and you'll
find that
people take
different slants
and different
views on
the order
of things.
The point
is that
we don't
get sidetracked
from the
main point,
because what
we learn
from this
is just
incredible.
Two things.
first,
death
defeats
death.
Matthew's
account is
clear.
As Jesus
died,
at that
very moment,
an earthquake
took place,
tombs were
opened,
the rocks
split open,
and bodies
that had been
wrapped up in
their cloth
and put in
the tomb
were raised
to life.
We don't
even know
who they
were,
we don't
know how
long they
had been
dead.
The fact
is,
they were
dead,
and now
they're
alive.
That's
the point.
Jesus'
death
defeats
death.
His death
is a
death in
place of
my death
and your
death.
Again,
the author
of Hebrews
helps us.
I have it
on the screen
for you.
that by
his death,
by the
death of
Jesus,
he might
break the
power of
him who
holds the
power of
death,
that is the
devil,
and free
those who
all their
lives were
held in
slavery by
their fear
of death.
death.
The world
lives in
fear of
dying,
and Jesus
has freed
us from
that fear.
You see,
the devil's
only power
over you
and I
is to
stand before
the Father
and accuse
us like a
prosecution in
a court.
He brings
all the
evidence before
him.
Look at
their sin.
Look at
Johnny
Grant's
sin.
Look at
the mess
and the
failure of
his life.
And he
brings before
the Father,
here's the
charge,
here's the
punishment,
Johnny
Grant must
die.
Death is
what he
deserves.
Jesus
steps forward.
Death has
been dealt
with.
Johnny
Grant's
sin has
been paid.
Therefore,
his death
has been
dealt with
once and
for all.
Yes,
we will
die,
but death
is not
the end.
for those
who hope
in Jesus.
His
death
defeats
my death.
But not
only are
these bodies
raised,
look where
the people
went,
verse 53.
They came
out of the
tombs after
Jesus'
resurrection
and went
into the
holy city
and appeared
to many
people.
The holy
city was
of course
Jerusalem.
But it's
also a
reference,
and I
think he
uses this
phrase
particularly
and
specifically
holy city
because the
holy city
was a
reference to
the eternal
city.
The new
Jerusalem to
come at
the end
of time
where God
would be
with his
people and
dwell with
us forever.
You see,
Jesus'
death
reveals to
us what
we can
expect.
The events
that happened
here in
Matthew point
forward to
something
wonderful.
These
raised bodies
to life
who walk
out of
their tombs
and these
living people
who find
their way
into the
city of
Jerusalem
is a
foretaste
of what
awaits
for all
God's
people.
This is
what the
death of
Jesus has
achieved.
Death is
defeated
and there
is a
future
hope.
One day
the risen
Lord Jesus
is going
to return
and our
graves,
if we're
buried,
are going
to be
burst
open and
we will
walk out
of our
graves
and we
will walk
into the
eternal
city of
God.
Does that
amaze you?
it amazes
me and
I can't
wait.
Don't
get
sidetracked
by the
order of
events.
Did they
come out
of the
tomb on
Friday?
Did they
come out
of the
tomb on
Saturday?
Were they
hiding in
there before?
Be
amazed.
Be
amazed at
what God
has done.
You see
all of
this.
should
lead us
to
humble
worship.
Look at
the response
of the
soldiers,
verse 54.
When the
centurion,
he's the
leader,
the head
of a
hundred
soldiers,
a hundred
soldiers
who are
guarding
Jesus.
When the
centurion
and those
were with
him who
were guarding
Jesus saw
the earthquake
and all
that had
happened,
they were
terrified and
exclaimed,
surely he
was the
son of
God.
These
soldiers were
the first
witnesses to
what?
What does it
say?
To all
that had
happened.
The darkness
falling,
the curtain
tearing,
the tombs
opening.
They were
present,
they heard,
they saw
all that had
happened.
and as
they reflected
on all
that had
happened,
they were
terrified.
Better
translated as
some of your
versions might
have it,
they were
filled with
awe.
Filled
with awe
and amazement.
It means
to hold in
admiration
and deep
respect and
to worship.
you see
these
hardened
soldiers
who spent
their entire
working life
torturing
people and
executing
people on
crosses and
killing
people,
reflected and
took to
heart all
these events
and all
that had
happened and
as they
reflected,
they saw
behind these
events,
before them
was the
son of
God.
God,
this
bloody
and dead
man on
a cross
was the
God,
man,
Jesus
Christ.
And it
all began
to make
sense.
The darkness
that fell,
they deserved
it, but it
fell on this
man before
us.
The curtain
opening in
the temple
so that
these
hardened
soldiers
could be
forgiven.
and welcomed
into the
presence of
God.
The tomb's
opening,
pointing forward
to these
soldiers'
future hope
that they
could have
a future
with God.
Is it
possible?
Absolutely.
Awestruck.
They
humbly
worship
Jesus
Christ.
We look
back to
these events.
The darkness
falls,
the curtain
tears
open,
the tombs
burst
open.
Let us
worship
the man
who is
God.
Worship
him,
love
him,
serve
him.
That's
what we're
going to
do right
now.
We're
going to
respond in
song and
we're going
to worship.
We have
two songs.
One is
reflective,
meditative,
as we
worship
the man
who is
God.
I invite
you to
stand as
we sing
together.
give
us
together.
Yes,