04/10/2020
From the desk of the Pastor:
Matthew 27:
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[j] lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48 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.”
50 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. 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.
54 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!”
In verse 46 Jesus speaks and ask why have You abandoned me to God? Some people thinks that God turned his back on Jesus because he couldn’t stand see sin because he is so pure Himself. The Bible teaches that God is with us all the time. He is everywhere, He is within us and Jesus was certainly filled with the Holy Spirit according to our Bible. It’s more likely in my mind that he felt abandoned after all that had happened to him. I know I have felt that way before in horrible times in my life.
In Verse 50 when the curtain in the temple was torn in two pieces from the top demonstrates that the Holy of Holy was no longer only for priest but was for everyone. We all can go to God at anytime now.
In verses 51 and 52 a very unusual and never again occurrence happened that I know of happening. The dead rose after Jesus’ resurrection in mass. After that they went into the city and appeared to many people. It could be that they were telling Jesus’ story of deliverance and freedom.
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With all this happening we can see that this was a horrible time especially for Jesus and his Disciples. But it was a necessary thing that had been planned before the creation of the worlds and anything in it. Jesus had to die because of the fall from grace of Adam and Eve in the beginning. When He died He cleans us of our sins forever (past, present and future for those that continue with him). The horrible death that he prayed to be taken away from him had to happen so that we could live again with harmony in Spirit with our God. He went through this atrocious experience just for us.
