The Victory of the Messiah
Text: Matt. 27:45-61
Introduction
1. Illustration: John Stott is his book The Cross of Christ, wrote, "It is impossible to read the New Testament with being impressed by the atmosphere of joyful confidence which pervades it, and which stands out in relief against the rather jejune (superficial) religion that often passes for Christianity today. There was no defeatism about the early Christians; they spoke rather of victory...For if they spoke of victory, they knew they owed it to the victorious Jesus...It is he who 'overcame,' 'has triumphed,' and moreover did it 'by the cross'" (223).
2. My friends, it is high time we stop living in defeat! It is time to live in victory!
3. The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of victory in human history. We can see this based on the fact that...
a. The crucifixion affected nature
b. The crucifixion affected the witnesses
c. The crucifixion affected courage
4. Let's all stand as we read Matt. 27:45-61.
Proposition: Jesus has won us the victory, and we need to start living in that victory.
Transition: First thing we notice is...
I. The Crucifixion Affected Nature (45-49).
A. Darkness Fell Across the Whole Land
1. We can truly say that when Jesus died on the cross all hell broke lose.
a. It broke lose of all the chains that had held us in bondage.
b. It broke lose of the curse of death that had besieged all human beings since the Garden of Eden.
c. By his death on the cross Jesus obliterated the power of hell!
2. Matthew tells us that as Jesus was dying on the cross, "At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock."
a. Matthew tells us that darkness fell over the entire land of Israel. Luke makes it more clear, saying that the sun disappeared for three hours.
b. Luke 23:45 (NLT)
The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.
c. This was an extraordinary divine intervention because it could not have been a natural eclipse of the sun as the Jewish Passover was celebrated during a full moon (Horton, 633).
d. What is so amazing about this phenomenon was that it appeared at the time of day when the sun is the brightest.
e. This darkness is appropriate considering the horrible suffering and divine abandonment experienced by Jesus (Turner, 363).
f. Darkness symbolizes the judgment of God or, more specifically, the arrival of the day of the Lord.
g. We do not know how this darkness occurred, but it is clear that God caused it.
h. Nature testified to the gravity of Jesus' death, while Jesus' friends and enemies alike fell silent in the encircling gloom.
i. The darkness on that Friday afternoon was both physical and spiritual.
3. Then Matthew tells us, "At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
a. There is a link between what happened in verse 45 and verse 46. The first was an outward sign of the second. Jesus spoke in a loud voice at the same time that the darkness was passing away (Horton, 633).
b. Jesus had not spoken since his short response to Pilate. He now breaks his silence not to respond to his mockers but to cry out to the Father.
c. Jesus was not questioning God; he was quoting the first line of Psalm 22—a deep expression of the anguish he felt when he took on the sins of the world, which caused him to be separated from his Father.
d. This was what Jesus dreaded as he prayed to God in the garden to take the cup from him.
e. The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God.
f. Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God.
4. However, "Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah."
a. The bystanders misinterpreted Jesus' words and thought he was calling for Elijah.
b. In Hebrew "my God" sounds like the first two sylables of the name Elijah, and so some bystanders misunderstood Jesus comments as an attempt to call for Elijah (Turner, 364).
c. Because Elijah ascended into heaven without dying, they thought he would return again to rescue them from great trouble (Malachi 4:5).
d. Malachi 4:5 (NLT)
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives.
e. At their annual Passover meal, each family set an extra place for Elijah in expectation of his return.
5. Then Matthew says, "One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
a. Some think that this was an act of kindness, but the context indicates that it is another attempt to mock Jesus.
b. It was a well known means of torture by the Romans and was employed in various ways.
c. It was often mixed with salt or gall. It may have even been an attempt to prolong Jesus life with this strong stimulant (Horton, 635).
d. These people were probably the ones that had been mocking him.
e. They didn't really expect Elijah to come because they considered Jesus a criminal and a prophet would not come to the rescue of a sinner.
f. It is hard to believe such callousness in the presence of such suffereing (Horton, 635).
g. Moreover, it is unfathomable that after the natural phenomenon that had taken place that these bystanders still didn't get. Nature sure did!
h. Nature understood that Jesus was accepting our judgment upon himself.
B. Jesus Took Our Judgment
1. Illustration: Oswald Chambers wrote, "We trample the blood of the Son of God if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only explanation for the forgiveness of God, and for the unfathomable depth of His forgetting (of our sins), is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the outcome of our personal realization of the atonement which He has worked out for us. It does not matter who or what we are; there is absolute reinstatement into God by the death of Jesus Christ and by no other way, not because Jesus Christ pleads, but because He died. It is not earned, but accepted. All the pleading which deliberately refuses to recognize the Cross is of no avail; it is battering at a door other than the one that Jesus has opened. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement is a propitiation whereby God, through the death of Jesus, makes an unholy man holy. The greatest note of triumph ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ— "It is finished!" ( John 19:30 ). That is the final word in the redemption of humankind."
2. The only way for Jesus to redeem us was to shed his blood on the cross.
a. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT)
In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
b. He had to shed his blood because we robbed God of what was due him, our obedience.
c. We gave up God's best for fleeting things, and for that we were separated from a holy God.
d. It took someone without sin to stand in our place, a role that only Jesus could fill.
e. He paid a debt he did not owe because we owed a debt we couldn't pay.
3. Jesus accepted our judgment upon himself.
a. Galatians 3:13 (NLT)
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
b. He took our curse upon himself.
c. He took our punishment.
d. He took our judgment.
e. The crown of thorns should have been ours
f. The beating that he took should have been ours.
g. The abuse he took should have been ours.
h. In its place he gave us the one thing we didn't deserve; his love and grace.
Transition: The crucifixion affected nature, and...
II. The Crucifixion Affected the Witnesses (50-56).
A. This Truly Was the Son of God
1. The death of Jesus changed two important things; the past and the future.
2. Matthew shows us how Jesus' death changed the future by saying, "Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom."
a. This is the actual point of Jesus' death, and the fact that he yielded his spirit indicates that he died willingly.
b. Expelling his last breath is coupled with a loud cry. This is the second and last time that Matthew mentions Jesus' words on the cross (Horton, 635).
c. The Temple had three main parts: the courts, the Holy Place (where only the priests could enter), and the Most Holy Place (where only the high priest could enter, and only once a year, to atone for the sins of the nation).
d. The curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two at Christ's death, symbolizing that the barrier between God and humanity was removed.
e. Now all people are free to approach God because of Christ's sacrifice for our sins.
f. This tearing of the curtain was a symbolic sign of the new way into God's presence, which had now been opened for everyone.
3. Then Matthew shows how it changed the past when he said, "The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people."
a. Christ's death was accompanied by at least four miraculous events: darkness, the tearing in two of the curtain in the Temple, an earthquake, and dead people rising from their tombs. Jesus' death, therefore, could not have gone unnoticed.
b. Everyone knew something significant had happened.
c. The resurrection of these believers was a fulfillment of and a prelude to the resurrection of the righteous during the last days, in which the OT prophesies.
d. The phrase "appeared to many people," indicates a return to natural life just like Lazarus.
e. Their bodies are revived with glorified bodies and they appear to many people in Jerusalem. They did not come and live with them and did not die again latter (Horton, 637).
f. So his death created a new future for us, but it also reversed our past.
4. But you might ask, "How did his death affect the witnesses?" Well it certainly affected every that experienced all of this formerly dead people who were walking around. However it also affected people who knew nothing of God.
5. Matthew says, "The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
a. This man knew nothing of the God of the Hebrews. As a Roman he served many idols, but he did not know the real God.
b. The events of Jesus' crucifixion made the Roman officer realize that this was no ordinary crucifixion.
c. He had seen hundreds of these executions, but never one like this.
d. These events led them to believe that Jesus must have been who he said he was. the Son of God.
e. What happened to this man after this is unknown, but certainly if the thief on the cross could find salvations it is not beyond the realm of possibility that this Roman officer could too.
B. Enduring Evidence
1. Illustration: Dr. George Wood in his book Living In the Spirit wrote, "Something is wrong with our experience if the only evidence of Spirit baptism is speaking in tongues. It is the initial physical evidence, but that initial is meant to be followed by a whole train of other evidences" (54).
2. What affect has the cross had in your life?
a. Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
b. What difference has the cross made in your life?
c. Has it changed the way you act, the way you talk, or the things you deem as important?
d. Do people look at you and say there is something different about you?
e. Or do they look at you and say you're just like everybody else?
3. What affect has the cross had on the way you treat others?
a. John 13:34-35 (NLT)
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
b. The cross should change our past as well as our future.
c. It should change what we do.
d. It should change our priorities.
e. Above it should change how we treat people.
f. Jesus showed the ultimate act of love on the cross, and he expects us to follow his example.
Transition: The crucifixion affects nature, the witnesses, and...
III. The Crucifixion Affected Courage (57-61).
A. Joseph...Went to Pilate
1. The cross causes people to do extraordinary acts of courage.
2. We can see in the actions of Joseph of Arimathea. Matthew tells us, "As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him."
a. Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of Jesus. He was a religious leader, an honored member of the high council.
b. Arimathea was only about twenty miles from Jerusalem. Joseph is said to have been wealthy; he must have been prominent to have secured an audience with Pilate after his official public hours.
c. When buried, crucifixion victims were normally thrown into common graves; they did not receive an honorable burial in their family tomb.
d. Exceptions were often made when relatives asked for the body, but in the case of treason (as claiming to be the Jewish king would be) an exception would not be made unless the deceased had a prominent advocate (Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
e. Joseph courageously asked to take Jesus' body from the cross and to bury it.
f. The disciples who publicly followed Jesus had fled, but this Jewish leader, who followed Jesus in secret, came forward and did what was right.
3. Then "Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left."
a. Being wrapped in a fine linen shroud would mark an honorable burial. To bury someone in one’s own family tomb was a special act of reverence and affection (Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
b. The tomb where Jesus was laid was probably a man-made cave cut out of one of the many limestone hills in the area. These caves were often large enough to walk into.
c. Joseph and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body in the tomb and rolled a great stone across the entrance.
d. A wealthy person’s tomb would often have a groove sloping down into the doorway, and a stone slab a yard in diameter would be rolled into it.
e. The stone would be easy to roll in, but it would take several men to roll it up the slope to open the tomb (Life Application New Testament Commentary).
4. Not only did Joseph and Nicodemus show extrordinary courage, but "Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching."
a. Two of the women who had been at the cross (27:56), Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, followed Joseph and Nicodemus as they carried Jesus’ body to the tomb.
b. No mourning was permitted for those executed under Roman law, so they followed in silent grief.
c. They wanted to know where the body would be laid because they planned to return after the Sabbath with their own spices to anoint Jesus’ body (Life Application New Testament Commentary).
d. Even this they did at great risk to their lives, but the cross has that affect on people.
B. Holy Boldness
1. Illustration: The courage of Civil War leader Stonewall Jackson in the midst of conflict can be a lesson for the believer. Historian Mark Brimsley wrote, "A battlefield is a deadly place, even for generals; and it would be naive to suppose Jackson never felt the animal fear of all beings exposed to wounds and death. but invariably he displayed extraordinary calm under fire, a calm too deep and masterful to be mere pretense. His apparent obliviousness to danger attracted notice, and after the First Manassas battle someone asked him how he managed it. "My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed," Jackson explained. ‘God knows the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter where it may overtake me.’ He added pointedly, ‘That is the way all men should live, and than all would be equally brave.’"
2. The cross gives us great courage!
a. Acts 4:18-20 (NLT)
So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
b. These same men who ran and hid when Jesus went to the cross, who are now threatened with the loss of their life, proclaim they will not stop telling people about Jesus.
c. These same men who locked themselves in a room for fear of the religious leaders, are now standing in front of them boldly proclaiming the Gospel.
d. This is the affect that the cross has on people.
e. It reminds us that the only thing we really have to fear is not making heaven, and the cross has already made that possible.
3. The cross opens the door to supernatural courage.
a. Romans 8:37 (NLT)
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
b. The cross gives us courage beyond human reason.
c. The cross gives us courage because we know that we have already won.
d. The cross gives us courage because we know that Christ has alrady won the victory for us.
e. Jesus triumphed over sin, death, and the grave.
f. Through Jesus we have the victory. There is victory in Jesus!
Conclusion
1. My friends, it is high time we stop living in defeat! It is time to live in victory!
2. The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of victory in human history. We can see this based on the fact that...
a. It affected nature
b. It affected the witnesses
c. It affected courage
3. However, the real question is has it affected us?
a. Has it changed us?
b. Has it caused us to be different from everyone else?
c. Has it given us great courage?
4. Are we living in the victory of the cross?
