Date: 3-28-99
Easter Lesson 2
Text: Matthew 27:27-53
Death, Burial, and, Resurrection
On this beautiful Lord’s Day morning we will consider once again the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our study begins as Jesus is about to be nailed to the cross. Please turn with me to Matthew 27:33-54. "And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink."
The fullness of time had come. Christ was about to give Himself over to death by crucifixion. When the sadistic parade finally arrives at the place of death His executioners do a strange thing. They offer Him wine and gall. This odd mix was meant to dull the senses of those about to be crucified, it was a pain killer. No doubt most, if not all, of those crucified drank this mixture eagerly and deeply. But Jesus refused. Why? Spikes were about to be driven through His hands and feet. The cross was about to be lifted up with Him on it and dropped, with a sudden and painful jolt, into the hole that would keep it upright. There is no more cruel or painful way of being put to death, yet, He refused the only act of mercy offered to Him. Why? He refused because He had a job to do. Jesus came to save His people from their sin by bearing in His own body the penalty of sin due them. Therefore He must endure the out pouring of Divine wrath with all His faculties intact. On this day, at this appointed hour, Jesus, fully aware of what He was doing and of what He was about to face, lay down His life for the sheep. Jesus would bear the whole burden of our sin to the cross.
You see, Jesus had come to do the will of His Father and had prepared Himself for this awful task while praying in the garden of Gethsemane just a little while earlier. Matthew 26:39 (NASB) "And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt." The cup to which He refers is the cup filled with the wrath of God for the sins of His people. If it be the will of God that Jesus bear the full brunt of His wrath for sin then that is exactly what Jesus will do. He will drink the whole cup to the dregs! Christ's suffering was indeed the will of God, thus He will have no sedative to lessen the pain. So He is nailed to the cross, it is lifted up and dropped into the hole.
Matthew 27:35 "And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots; 36 and sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37 And they put up above His head the charge against Him which read, "THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS." 38 At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left."
What transpired between Christ and these robbers is recorded in Luke 23:39-43 (NASB) "And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" {40} But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? {41} And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but THIS MAN HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG." {42} And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" {43} And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, TODAY YOU SHALL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE."
When most people hear the last statement they believe that Jesus is saying, "Today you will be with me in Heaven." And, I must confess for the sake of simplicity I do not often take exception to that conclusion. However, there's some difficulty with this assumption. The difficulty comes when you compare the content of John 20:12-18 with the statement made in our present text. In John 20 our Lord, having just risen from the dead, says to Mary in verse 17, "Stop clinging to Me, for I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER; but go to My brethren, and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God." Now, when Jesus says "I have not yet ascended to the Father" He is saying that between the time of His death and resurrection He was not in Heaven with His Father. If this is true, where was He for those three days? Our answer is found in what Jesus said to the thief, "Today you shall be with Me in Paradise." For three days after Christ’s death He and the believing thief were in Paradise.
Mention the word Paradise to a Jew in our Lord's day and he would think immediately of the portion of Sheol or Hades reserved for believers. Sheol, which is Hebrew, or Hades, the Greek form of the same word describes the abode of the dead. Before the resurrection of Jesus it is believed the dead were held captive in this place called Hades. There was a place in Hades for the wicked and the righteous.
For the wicked there was a place of torment, weeping and gnashing of teeth. It was a place where flames tormented its occupants day and night. Then there was the other side, Paradise, the place that held the souls of pre-Christ, pre-resurrection, saints in total comfort. In Luke 16 the Paradise side is called Abraham's Bosom while the place of torment is referred to as Hades. Consider the picture set before us in Luke 16:20-26 NASB. "And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, {21} and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. {22} "Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels TO ABRAHAM'S BOSOM; and the rich man also died and was buried. {23} "And IN HADES he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. {24} "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.' {25} "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now HE IS BEING COMFORTED HERE, AND YOU ARE IN AGONY. {26} 'And besides all this, between us and you there is A GREAT CHASM FIXED, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'
Before Christ performed His redeeming work, which opened up the way to heaven, the souls of the believing dead were comforted and cared for in Abraham’s bosom, in Paradise. This is where, it seems, the soul of Jesus and the thief spent the three days between Christ's burial and resurrection. For He said, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Jesus went into Paradise to lead the souls of all believers who had ever died into the real and eternal Paradise, Heaven. This act of moving the occupants of Paradise to heaven is described in Ephesians 4:8-10 NASB. Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." (The captives spoken of are, I believe, the occupants of Paradise. Jesus led them out of that place into Heaven and the presence of His Father.) {9} (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? (The possible meanings are earth itself, the grave, and Paradise, the abode of the believing dead.) {10} He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
The wicked dead continue to be held in the torment side of Hades until the general resurrection and judgment when they will be cast into the lake of fire, the last and eternal Hell. Consider the words of Revelation 20:12-15 NASB. "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. {13} And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and DEATH AND HADES gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. {14} And DEATH AND HADES were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. {15} And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." The torment section of Hades continues to receive the unbelieving dead at this time. At the general resurrection of the dead Hades will be cleaned out once and for all. Its occupants will be cast into Hell, or the lake of fire, the place of the second death, eternal separation from God.
The positive side of this brings rejoicing to our lips. Since the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus all redeemed souls go immediately to Heaven. The Paradise section of Hades has been cleaned out by Christ as we have and shall see. In Heaven we do not rest in Abraham's Bosom but rather in the presence of our great God and Father. This is, by the way, the truth behind the statement found in the Apostle’s Creed which we read together this morning. "Christ descended into Hell," meaning Hades, the abode of the dead, or Paradise.
Let's return to Matthew twenty-seven. Jesus is now on the cross suffering in our place. Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, {40} "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him, and saying, 42 "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him. 43 "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET HIM DELIVER Him now, IF HE TAKES PLEASURE IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God."
To these mockers and tormentors I answer with my Lord's words to Peter when he was ready to fight for Christ's freedom in the garden. Matthew 26:53-54 (NASB) {53} "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? {54} "How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?" With these words Jesus prevented His disciples from fighting to keep Him from being taken captive.
Could Jesus have come down from the cross? Of course He could have, He could have called to His assistance twelve legions of angels, however, He had a job to do. His Father had given Him a people to redeem with orders not to lose even one. Jesus was to secure a resurrection unto everlasting life for all those given Him by the Father and He did not intend to end His work before He fulfilled that mission. The scriptures must be fulfilled, it must happen this way!
We continue with verse forty-four. "And the robbers also who had been crucified with Him were casting the same insult at Him. 45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour."
Three hours of the blackest black that had ever been seen. The iniquity of us all was laid upon Him. The Light of the World was put out by the blackness of our sin and the sun refused to shine. During this time the Savior suffered in silence. It was during this time that the wrath of God was poured out upon the Spotless Lamb. In total silence Jesus experienced the ravages of death and Hell for all those given to Him by the Father for redemption. Matthew Henry’s comments are as follows. "During the three hours that this darkness continued, we do not find that He said one word, but passed this time in a silent retirement into His own soul, which was now in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and taking in the impressions of His Father's displeasure, not against himself, but the sin of man, which He was now making His soul an offering for. Never was there three such hours since the day that God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; the crisis of that great affair of man's redemption and salvation."
But at last, the darkness passed. Jesus finally breaks the silence and reveals to us the horrors of Hell that He had suffered in our place. Look at verse forty-six. "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?" This, ladies and gentlemen, is the curse of sin, separation from God! To be joined by faith to God is life but to be separate from Him because of sin is spiritual death. True, Christ’s separation from God was for a very short time but it was long enough to satisfy God’s law on our behalf. How horrible it must have been for Jesus to be separate from His Father. How horrible it must have been for Him to endure the wrath due us for our sin. But He did endure it, He drank the cup of wrath of God so that grace and not wrath could abound toward us.
Because of Christ’s death you and I live in an age of grace. Because of Christ’s sacrifice there is hope for every man. God promises that all who come in repentance and faith to Jesus for salvation will be saved from the wrath to come. They will be saved from the second death. However, those who die unbelief will suffer permanent separation from God. This separation from God in Hell is, I believe, the worm that never dies. The knowledge that God has abandon you to eternal punishment for your sin will gnaw and eat at you endlessly throughout eternity. But you need not suffer in this way. Jesus suffered this abandonment, this spiritual death, for all will trust Him for salvation. He died this death in our place so that we who believe would never have to taste its horrors.
When He had accomplished all the Father’s will He sent His soul away and let His body die. Lets continue to read in Matthew 27:50. "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." In Luke 23:46 this loud cry is said to be "Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit." In John 19:30 He is said to declare, "It is finished!" He cries allowed, with full strength of voice as one not about to die to show that no man takes His life from Him, rather, He lays it down that He may take it up again in just three days. (See John 10)
What kind of man is this who can give up His life and take it back again. Listen to the words of Ecclesiastes 8:8 KJV. "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; Neither hath he power in the day of death:" No man but the man Christ Jesus could have done this. No man but the God-man, the only begotten Son of God. He had the power to dismiss His spirit when His work was finished. And He had the power to recall His spirit and re-animate His body when it was time to rise from the dead. The power of life and death belongs only to Jesus and His Father.
That our Lord’s work was finished and effective became immediately evident when He gave up His life. {51} "And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split." These were signs that could not be ignored. A great earthquake and more importantly, the tearing of the veil in the temple. This symbolized the removal of that which separated us from God, our sin. The veil hung in the temple between the people and most Holy place where God dwelt. The veil was a picture of the sin that separated man from God. Before Christ no one could come into the presence of God without dying. But now, in Christ, there is a new and living way into the presence of God, not through the veil by the blood of bulls and goats, but through the blood of Christ. In Christ our sins are washed away forever. In Him the sinner and the Holy God are reconciled. No longer do the children of God stand outside dependent on a priest to carry their prayers and offerings to God. No more! As the children of faith in Jesus’ blood and righteousness we come boldly before the throne of grace to find help in time of need. Since the cross beloved, we have free and unhindered access to God. We are a kingdom of priests in our own right. We carry our own sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving into the throne room of God. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus our Lord! The veil has been rent in two! Sin has been dealt with. The way to God has been opened up by Jesus blood and righteousness.
There's still more evidence to consider! 52 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The resurrection of Jesus was the sign, seal, and proof that His work on the cross had accomplished everything God intended it to. Had the elect not been justified and reconciled to God by the shedding of Christ's blood He would not have come forth from the grave. He was raised from the dead because He effectively conquered sin, Satan, death, and the grave. Jesus was raised to prove He'd won the battle, He had paid the price.
Christ went to the cross to redeem us from the law of sin and death. The question is, did He pay a sufficient price for our salvation? The answer is yes and the proof is in His own resurrection, but not His alone. There were "many" others raised from the dead after Christ rose from the dead. That Jesus death was accepted by God as payment for our sin was proven when uncle George, back from the dead, knocked on his families front door! Jesus paid the price and has given us a great deal of proof that His payment was sufficient for our salvation. On the day that He gave up His life He went into Paradise, three days later, He returned with the souls of all the departed saints of all time. A few of these former captives He rejoined to their bodies that they might bear witness to the effectiveness of His work on the cross. The rest He took to Heaven with Him when He ascended several days later. All of which seems to be described in Ephesians 4:8-10 (NASB) "Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, (Those held in Paradise till Christ should die and rise again.) AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." {9} (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? {10} He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)" In Christ's living, dying, and rising, He fulfilled His Father’s will. John 6:39-40 (NASB) "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. {40} "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." Jesus is fully qualified to give everlasting life to God’s lost sheep and He is fully able to raise them from the dead on the last day.
The final verse in our text is verse fifty-four. {54} Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
Who do you say that He was and is today? You have heard the evidence. You have witnessed the miracles. You have gazed into the mouth of the empty tomb. You have seen men once dead walking the streets of Jerusalem again. You have experienced the blackness of night in the middle of the day. And you have stepped into the temple to behold the veil in two pieces. Who is Jesus to you? God alone can make you believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the only begotten Son of God, the only Savior of sinners. Only God can open your eyes and bow your heart in faith before His blessed Son. My work is finished, God is the only one that can make you believe. For salvation is not of him who wills or of him who runs but of God who shows mercy. Praise Him for His infinite mercy in Christ, the crucified and risen One!