I. Introduction
A. I borrowed part of this message from another pastor on Sermon Central
1. But, I erased his name from the text
2. And now, I can’t find it
3. My most sincere apology kind sir
4. Please forgive my sloppy ways
C. In 1173 the Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work on what would become his most famous project: A separately standing eight-story bell tower for the Cathedral of the city of Pisa.
1. The tower was to be eight-stories and 185-foot tall.
2. There was just one "little" problem: builders quickly discovered that the soil was much softer than they had anticipated, and the foundation was far too shallow to adequately hold the structure!
3. And sure enough, before long the whole structure had begun to tilt... and it continued to tilt... until finally the architect and the builders realized that nothing could be done to make the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight again.
4. It took 174 years to build the Tower of Pisa and during that time many things were done to try and compensate for the "tilt."
5. The foundation was shored up; the upper levels were even built at an angle to try to make the top of the tower look straight.
6. Nothing worked. The tower has stood for over 800 years, but it leans 18 feet away from where it should be (10 degrees from the vertical, for all the engineers).
7. One day, experts say, it will fall and all because it wasn’t built on the right foundation.
8. Recently the tower was stabilized by removing some earth from the high side foundation.
a. Engineers say that the tower is stabilized at the angle it had stood at in 1838
b. The amount of earth removed from below the foundation was 77 tons.
9. The tower may one day fall
a. Things do crumble in this life and especially, if they don’t have the right foundation.
b. But it’s not just buildings that crumble and fall. It’s lives as well.
D. For example, a very lovely woman, one playmate of the month died.
1. It seems that it was almost inevitable that Anna Nicole Smith was going to die an early death because of her drug usage and seemingly wild way of living
2. We should not be happy that she died an early death at the age of only 39
a. But apparently, her foundation was not good.
b. I don’t know if she claimed to have any faith at all, but without a secure foundation no one is ready for death.
(1) Turn to John 11:25 - 26
(2) We know that there is only one secure foundation, Christ Jesus
John 11:25-26 (NKJV)
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. {26} "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
3. Now here’s the other side of the coin…another testimony.
4. One lady said: “As a young girl I put God first in my life, when my biggest concern was how to fix my hair
a. As I grew into an adult my concerns became much greater
b. I lived through my oldest child’s severe head injury, a broken marriage, poverty, and both my parents’ tragic deaths in a tornado.”
c. How could a person endure such difficult things in life and continue to live?
(1) JESUS.
d. She said, “Although I do not understand it all, I have held onto my foundation
e. ` Jesus. I continue to realize that God IS faithful
(1) He loves me and I need him to be first in my life.
E. A little over a month before he died, the famous atheist Jean-Paul Sartre declared that he so strongly resisted feelings of despair that he would say to himself
1. “I know I shall die in hope.”
2. Then in profound sadness, he would add, “But hope needs a foundation.”
a. Our hope lies in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ
a. Outside of Christ there is little hope
(1) The world offers no hope.
(2) Hollywood can’t produce it
(3) Science can’t invent it or find it
(4) It is found only in Jesus
(5) He is our hope and the foundation of our hope.
(a) Let us turn to Matthew 27:45-50
II. Body
A. Let’s reconsider the hope that we have in Jesus by looking once again at the death and resurrection of Jesus
1. First, the excruciating death
Matthew 27:45-50 (NKJV)
Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. {46} And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" {47} Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!" {48} Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. {49} The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him." {50} And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
a. Darkness came over all the land. Why?
b. It seemed to be a dark time and God wanted to get everybody’s attention
(1) Turn to Romans 12:15
c. One writer said it was as though all of creation was sympathizing with the Creator
d. I know that from the human perspective we should sympathize with others in their hurt and pain.
Romans 12:15 (NKJV)
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
e. If we have the heart of Christ how can we not sympathize with hurting people?
f. Have you heard of cancer survivors that have found out the cancer is now through out their bodies
(1) Do you feel sympathy for them
(2) Do you sympathized with the family
(3) How could we not
(a) Turn to Mark 15:34
(4) All creation was broken over the crucifixion of Christ.
(5) Our Lord cried out,
Mark 15:34 (NKJV)
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
(6) Even though there are times when we may not like our children for what they do or how they live, WE DO NOT FORSAKE THEM!
(7) God did not forsake His only begotten Son
(a) I want to make that very clear
(b) Jesus in His humanity cried out in His pain and agony and anguish
i) Turn to 2 Corinthians 5:21
2. Think about this, there on the cross Jesus took on every sin any human being had every committed
a. Jesus became Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, and Saddam Hussein…all wrapped up in one flesh!
(1) Add to that, Judas, Cain, Ma Barker, you and I
b. How can this be?
c. You know that if you had all those men wrapped up into one man he would be the worst of the worst. He would be the most hateful and hated man of all time and would deserve death and Hell.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
3. On the cross, Jesus became the worst of the worst of all sinners
a. In Fact, He Became the Sin of All Mankind, All the Hitler’s of the World and Even Worse!
b. Some people talk about hell on earth
(1) Or that war is hell
(2) No!
(3) The closest thing to hell on earth was the death of Jesus.
(4) And what makes it so bad is the fact that you and I put Him there!
(5) Oh, we would like very much to lay it on the Hitler’s of the world but it was you and me.
(a) It was our sin that caused God to forsake His son. Jesus Became Our Sin on the Cross.
4. But it was done for a purpose and that was so we could ultimately be saved and forgiven by putting our trust in Jesus and His death on the cross!
a. God took excruciating evil and turned it into the greatest good of all time!
b. He opened the door so that all mankind could be saved, be forgiven of their sins, and live forever in heaven!
(1) Lets turn to Matthew 27:51 - 56
B. The events surrounding Christ’s death
Matthew 27:46-50 (NKJV)
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" {47} Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!" {48} Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. {49} The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him." {50} And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. {51} Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, {52} and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; {53} and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. {54} So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" {55} And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, {56} among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
1. The snide comments began again after Jesus cried out "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"
a. Its unimaginable that those around the cross misunderstood Jesus words
(1) Jesus was calling upon God, not Elijah
(2) This seems unimportant
(a) One individual seems to have a little compassion and sought to give Jesus a drink
(b) But others stopped him
i) Lets turn to John 19:28 - 29
b. Jesus fifth saying from the cross
John 19:28 (NKJV)
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" {29} Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth
(1) At the beginning of the crucifixion Jesus refused the wine
(a) Wanting a clear head and focus
(2) Now after insuring that everything was as it should be He asked for the wine
(a) Then we turn to John 19:30
c. Jesus sixth saying from the cross
John 19:30 (NKJV)
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
(1) It is finished
(2) What was finished?
(a) The complete plan of salvation
(b) Except for the resurrection
(c) But that would come
i) Turn to Luke 23:46
d. Jesus seventh saying from the cross
Luke 23:46 (NKJV)
And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.
(1) This seems to be the correct order of utterances from the cross
(a) Each gospel writer giving us part of the story
(b) Easily pieced together for a complete picture
i) But now lets turn to Matthew 27:50-56
C. The events after Christ’s death
Matthew 27:50-56 (NKJV)
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. {51} Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, {52} and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; {53} and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. {54} So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" {55} And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, {56} among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
1. The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom
a. This would have been impossible for any man to do
b. The veil was the great curtain which separated the Holy place from the Holy of Holies
(1) In the Holy of Holies stood the Arc of the Covenant upon which was the Mercy Seat
(2) The High Priest was the only person allowed to enter the Holy of Holies
(a) Then only once a year
(b) On the Day of Atonement
(c) One point of interest, the High Priest tied a rope around his ankle so that his body could be pulled out of the Holy of Holies should God find iniquity in him and strike him dead
c. There is a significance to the tearing of the veil of the temple
(1) One from top to bottom
(a) God did it
(b) One individual or group could have done it
(c) Only God
i) Turn to Hebrews 4:16
(2) Torn in two
(a) To open the way to God, and the Mercy Seat to any who would enter
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(b) Our High Priest has gone beyond the veil of the temple and sits at the right hand of God to intercede for each one who would so petition
i) Lets turn again to Matthew 27:51 - 53
2. The dead saints’ graves were opened
Matthew 27:51-53 (NKJV)
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, {52} and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; {53} and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
a. An earthquake
(1) What does it mean that the rocks split
(a) I don’t know
(b) Neither do I know the significance
(2) Perhaps the quake helped open the graves of the saints
b. The graves of the saints opened
(1) And the saints who had dies were raised
(a) Note the significance of the wording, were raised
(b) They didn’t rise from the grave they were raised
(2) Now here is a question, in verse 53 it says these saints came out of the grave after Jesus rose from the dead
(a) Was that because Jesus would be the first of the resurrected saints?
(3) Were the graves open and the dead waited for the resurrection
c. Another point, Matthew says that these resurrect saints walked in the holy city and appeared to many
(1) Why
(2) Because it was proof that the power of death was broken
(3) And it symbolizes the ultimate resurrection for all believers
(a) Now let us turn to Matthew 27:54 - 56
D. The witnesses
Matthew 27:54-56 (NKJV)
So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" {55} And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, {56} among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
1. The Roman crew who crucified Jesus saw everything that was happening and made a revolutionary conclusion
a. "Truly this was the Son of God!"
b. Think about that, the very men who nailed Jesus to the cross confessed that Jesus was the Son of God
(1) They had probably had this detail many times
(2) They saw people die on the cross
(3) They were hardened
(4) And yet, they confessed, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
2. Then at last we see the women who went to the tomb that Sunday morning
a. Mary Magdalene
b. Mary, Jesus mother
c. And James and John’s mother
d. Among many who followed Jesus though out His ministry
e. They ministered to Him during His ministry
f. And they were not about to stop
g. Let us work to insure that as much can be said of us
