2025.11.09. Sermon Notes. THE KING IN THE TOMB - MATTHEW 27:45-66
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: Jesus’ death was not the end; it was the fulfillment of prophecy, the payment for sin, and the prelude to victory. The cross and the tomb reveal the King’s divine authority, sacrificial love, and the unstoppable plan of God.
SCRIPTURES: Matthew 27:45-66, Psalm 22:1-18, Isaiah 53:4-9, John 10:18, John 19:30, John 19:38-42, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:19-22, Ephesians 2:13-18, Matthew 28:1-6, Romans 5:8-10, Romans 8:31-39, Revelation 1:18
KEY WORD/TOPIC
Darkness, Forsaken, Veil, Earthquake, Faithful, Tomb, Guard, Seal, Redemption, Access, Resurrection, Victory.
I. THE DARKNESS AND THE CRY (vv. 45-50)
The Death of Jesus
45 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.
Luke 23:46 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.
John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
KEY VERSE: 45-46 “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land... My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
TEACHING POINTS
From noon to 3 p.m., supernatural darkness fell; creation itself mourning the death of the Creator. Jesus’ cry, quoting Psalm 22:1, reveals the deep agony of bearing the world’s sin. In that moment, the perfect fellowship between Father and Son was interrupted as Christ took upon Himself the punishment for mankind’s rebellion.
When He cried out again and “yielded up His spirit,” it was not defeat, it was deliberate. He laid down His life willingly (John 10:18).
John 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
REFLECTIONS:
• Have I truly grasped the weight of what my sin cost Jesus?
• Jesus endured separation so that I might never be separated from God. Am I living in that freedom and gratitude?
• Darkness may surround us, but the Light of the World has conquered it.
SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE:
Psalms 22:1-18
1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.
Isaiah 53:4-6 4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
II. THE VEIL AND THE EARTHQUAKE (vv. 51-54)
The Veil Torn in Two
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!”
KEY VERSE: 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.”
POINT
The veil, thick and tall, separated man from God’s presence in the Holy of Holies. When Jesus died, God Himself tore the veil “from top to bottom,” showing that access to Him was now open through Christ’s sacrifice.
The earthquake and open tombs signified that even death was shaken and defeated. The centurion’s declaration “Truly this was the Son of God”was the first confession of faith at the cross.
REFLECTIONS:
• The veil is torn. Do I live as one who has full access to God’s presence through Christ?
• The centurion saw and believed: Have I proclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God”?
• The earth shook then; our hearts should be shaken now with awe and worship.
SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 10:19-22 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Ephesians 2:13-18 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Christ Our Peace
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Romans 5:8-10 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
III. THE WOMEN AND THE TOMB (vv. 55-61)
The Women at the Cross
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.
Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb
57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
KEY VERSE: 55 “Many women who followed Jesus from Galilee... were there looking on from afar.”
POINT
While the disciples had fled, the women remained; faithful even at the cross. Their love compelled them to stay and watch where He was laid. Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, bravely asked Pilate for Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen, and placed it in his own new tomb. God used faithful servants to fulfill prophecy (Isaiah 53:9).
REFLECTIONS:
• Am I faithful to stand by Christ when others fall away?
• Like Joseph, am I willing to identify with Jesus openly, even when it costs me?
• True discipleship endures beyond the miracles; into the moments of sorrow and silence.
SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 53:9 9 And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Luke 23:50-56 Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb
50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
John 19:38-42 Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Matthew 16:24-25 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
IV. THE GUARD AND THE SEAL (vv. 62-66)
Pilate Sets a Guard
62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,
63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’
64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”
66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
KEY VERSE: 66 “So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.”
POINT
Even in death, Jesus’ enemies feared His word. They remembered His promise, “After three days I will rise.” Ironically, their attempt to prevent resurrection only ensured it would be more undeniable.
The sealed stone and Roman guard became the stage for the greatest proof of divine power. No human scheme can stop the plan of God.
REFLECTIONS:
• The enemy still tries to seal off hope; but God breaks every seal.
• Do I trust that God’s promises will stand, even when circumstances seem “sealed shut”?
• The cross silenced sin’s power, the tomb would soon reveal heaven’s victory.
SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE:
Psalms 2:1-4
1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Romans 8:31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Between the cross and the resurrection lay silence. Yet even in the tomb, God was at work.
When life feels sealed behind stone, remember…the story isn’t over. Sunday is coming.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
We stand in awe before the cross and the tomb. Thank You for sending Jesus to bear our sin, for tearing the veil that once separated us, and for opening the way to Your presence. Help us to live in faith, to stand firm in darkness, and to proclaim with boldness, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Bill
HYMNS
•When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
•Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)
•At the Cross
•Sacred Head, Now Wounded
•Jesus Paid It All
