Death And Burial Of Jesus

Reading: Luke chapter 23 verse 44-56.

Ill:

• A minister, a priest and a rabbi die in a car wash.

• They go to heaven for orientation.

• They are all asked 'When you are in your casket, and friends, family,

• And congregants are mourning over you, what would you like to hear them say?'

• The minister says, 'I would like to hear them say that I was a wonderful husband,

• A fine spiritual leader, and a great family man’.

• The priest says, 'I would like to hear that I was a wonderful teacher

• And a servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives.'

• The rabbi replies,

• 'I would like to hear them say, 'Look, he's moving!'

Ill:

On the day that Karl Marx died, March 14, 1883:

• His housekeeper came to him and said,

• "Tell me your last words, and I'll write them down."

• Marx replied, "Go on, get out!

• Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!"

Ill:

Last words can be very revealing.

• Showman P. T. Barnum said, as he was dying, "What were today's receipts?"

• Elizabeth 1st; "All my possessions for a moment of time!"

• The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said as his last words, "Jesus died for me."

• And John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said, "The best of all is, God is with us."

Jesus made seven statements as he hung on the cross:

• “Father forgive them”

• “With me in paradise”

• “Behold your son…behold your mother”

• “Why have you forsaken me”.

• “I thirst”.

• “It is finished”

• And the saying that is in our passage this morning:

• "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit"

Quote:

“These seven last words from the cross are windows that enable us to look into eternity

and see the heart of God.”

• They make a fascinating study;

• I recommend Warren W. Wiersbe book: ‘Jesus seven last words’.

Now this morning I want to look at our passage under three sections:

(A). The man on the cross (verses 44-46).

“It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,

45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When he had said this, he breathed his last.”

(1). Supernatural darkness (verse 44).

These three hours of darkness was a miracle.

• At noon when Jesus was put on the cross the sun should be brightest;

• But on this occasion it was darkness.

Ill:

The darkness was very significant & symbolic.

• In the Old Testament when Israel was in Egypt,

• Three days of darkness preceded the first Passover (Exodus chapter 10 verse 21).

• Now as Jesus (God's Passover Lamb) hung on the cross,

• Three hours of darkness also preceded his sacrifice.

It was a God-sent darkness that shrouded the cross that day:

• A very unique, one off act took place during these three hours of darkness;

• When as the Son of God he was made sin for us.

• A transaction took place between a holy God and a perfect sinless sacrifice;

• And it was nothing for sinful men to pry into – So the cross was shrouded in darkness.

(2). Supernatural confirmation (verse 45).

“And the curtain of the temple was torn in two”

The temple was divided up into various areas:

• (1st). There was the court of Gentiles.

• Anyone could enter that part of the temple.

• (2nd). Then there was the court of women;

• That was as far as women could go into the temple.

• (3rd). Then there was the court of Israel;

• Where men were allowed to enter.

• (4th). Beyond that was the court of the priests;

• (5th). Beyond that was the sanctuary.

• Where only the high priest and only once a year was allowed to enter there.

• The sanctuary was separated by a linen curtain.

• According to the Jewish Talmud:

• The curtain was 60 feet long and 20 feet wide,

• It was the thickness of the palm of a mans hand.

• This curtain was so heavy it needed 300 priests to manipulate it.

Notice:

• Verse 44b:

• “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two”

• Matthew chapter 27 verse 51 adds:

• “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to the bottom”

• “Top to the bottom”

• What happened at this moment in time was all of God’s doing, not mans!

• The old way has now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ;