Culver Community Church

Pastor Chris Sweeney

Sermon Notes

June 02, 2019

Matthew 27:45-50 Is this the End? (Part 1)

{vs. 45} Jesus was crucified as we saw last time at about nine o’clock in the morning (9 am) and from that time until noon; He suffered upon the cross and under the mocking of the people and the anticipation of what still laid ahead of Him.  These first three hours of Jesus' ordeal on the cross were in broad daylight, so that everyone could see that it was Jesus on the cross, and not a replacement or an impostor.  During those three hours of light, Jesus had spoken from the cross three times:

· “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Some believe that Jesus is asking here for forgiveness for those who put Him on the cross (directly) and they maybe extend this to the mockers but I firmly believe that as High Priest, Jesus is showing God’s love and grace - making intercession for us all.  He is far more charitable than even the best of us could be, crediting this sin as unintentional and displaying His willingness to forgive any who will believe and repent.

· “Truly today, you will be with Me in paradise.” to the penitent thief.  This is my favorite example that God’s grace is totally a work of God!  This thief had no opportunity to offer anything to God – solely, only his faith or belief and reliance on Jesus to save him.

· “Woman, behold, your son.” to his own mother and “Son, behold your mother.” to His disciple John.  This sort of ‘reverse adoption’ is a way of providing for His mother not just because He is dying because He knows that He is coming back, but because when He rises, He will ascend to the Father in Heaven.

Each of these sayings on the cross are expressions of His compassion and grace – on a personal level, an individual level and to the mass of humanity!  Each showing mercy, even in the midst of his suffering.

However, it is at noon (when the Sun is highest in the sky!) that an eerie darkness comes over the entire land.  Some have suggested that this was merely a cloudy/stormy day or that there was an eclipse - an impossibility since Passover always coincides with a full moon.  This was definitely not a run-of-the-mill occurrence or a known phenomenon but a supernatural act – a miraculous act of God!  This was something only the God of all creation could do – but it was not unheard of for God to interfere with the Sun.  He had done it on several occasions: God caused the Sun to stand still (from a human perspective, from a scientific or Heavenly viewpoint, the Earth stopped revolving or slowed – Joshua 10); God caused the sun to move backwards (moving the time on the sundial back – 2 Kings 20); and, God covered the Sun with darkness in the land of Egypt for three days for one of the ten plagues (Exodus 10).  Luke’s account uses a word eclaipo, which means to fail utterly – It is as if God turned the Sun off, just as we would flip off a light switch!  This is the first of several signs given by God to testify about the events of that day!  When Jesus was born an unnatural light (His star) pointed to His arrival and now this unnatural darkness announced to the world that something unprecedented was taking place.  Spurgeon said “God was angry, and His frown removed the light of day”.  Whether because of sorrow, anger or something else this miracle cannot be denied and this is not just some myth or story added long after the fact by fanatical believers either, it is recorded in secular history that there was darkness over the known earth at this time, as quoted by the early father Origin -

Phlegon, Roman historian wrote: "In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: at the sixth hour, the day turned into dark night, so that the stars in heaven were seen; and there was an earthquake."

Did you hear that?  The stars shone – that means there were no clouds filling the sky – the Sun simply ceased to shine!  There is no confusing this with an eclipse either; they last for seven minutes at most (depending on Latitude) – this was three hours without Sunlight!  Supernatural darkness and darkness in the Bible is a symbol of judgment (as opposed to God's salvation which is spoken of as light.)  Hell is even called outer darkness.  And by this darkness God was declaring that the cross was about judgment, it is in fact the place of the most comprehensive Divine judgment as Jesus receives the punishment for the sins of the entire world!  Isaiah 53:5 declares “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed [made completely well or whole – not only physical healing].”

{vs. 46-49} After three hours of suffering for sin in darkness, the light returns and Jesus cries out to God.  The full total and complete wrath of God for every sin since Adam and Eve until the end of the World was poured out on Jesus during that time and for the only time in all of eternity Jesus the Son (second person of the Trinity) was separated from God (feeling forsaken).  This is miraculous in itself – how can the eternal oneness of God be changed, even if for only a moment in time to allow Jesus feel forsaken (feel the broken communion or closeness) and for God to turn away from the sin placed upon Him?  If you understand please come see me (you should write a book because the implications of this are more than my mind can handle!)  However, we need to know that this is part of the judgement – sin brings death (which is separation).  When we die, our spirit (the inner part, our true self) is separated from our physical body.  When God cursed Adam and Eve – they died spiritually, were separated from God, the source of all life and would eventually die physically as well.  Here on the cross Jesus was separated from God the Father – in some way their fellowship was lessened but He was not truly forsaken as Psalm 22:24 says:

For He [God] has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted One; He has not hidden His face from Him but has listened to His cry for help. - Psalm 22:24 NIV

Hell is where those forsaken of God go – the only place in all creation where there is no realization (awareness) of the goodness of God.  Jesus is still (at this point) in the land of the living, He is clinging to the breath of life (a blessing of God).  None of us can be forsaken by God when we still have the breath of life, enjoying His gifts to whatever degree He gives them to us!  However, if in this life we refuse to come to God, we turn away from His calls and repeatedly scorn Him – then we will go to that place where His gifts cannot be enjoyed.  No one is sent to Hell – God is providing on this cross the way to Heaven, only those who refuse His grace end up choosing their own final destination!

The mocking has been toned down after the three hours of darkness, but they could not help but make fun of this statement – they knew from context that Jesus was calling on God (not Elijah – although similar in the Hebrew).  This is a direct quote from Psalm 22 verse 1 (or that is a prophetic foretelling of Jesus’ words).  These words may have come out distorted because at this point His tongue is sticking to His mouth as Psalm 22:15 foretells:

My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue sticks to the roof of My mouth; you lay Me in the dust of death. - Psalm 22:15 NIV

This may have been why they offered Jesus a sponge full of wine vinegar, just to moisten His mouth, to keep the show going.  They morbidly wanted to see if there would be any more miracles, if God or Elijah would come to His aid.

{vs. 50} Matthew does not give us the words but we know from John’s account what Jesus cried out - “It is finished!”  In the Greek, tetelestai, an accounting term that means “paid in full.”  When Jesus uttered those words, He was declaring the debt owed to His Father was wiped away completely and forever.  Not His own debt (He owed no debt of sin) but the debt owed by all of mankind!  In Roman prisons, the jailer would put a small scroll with this word, tetelestai on it, on the door of the prisoner who has finished their sentence (paid their debt) when they were ready to be released!  This was their certificate of freedom, the proof of they did not just escape but were truly free! In this one word, we have proof that all sin has been paid – there is no new sin that can put you back into debt, there is no contribution that you or I need to add to the work of Jesus on the cross! It is finished!  It is finished!  It is finished!  Now that Christ has finished this work, the work that the Father had given Him to do – His race is run, and He gives up His spirit.  Notice that no one took Jesus life from Him,  He did not die from stress, pain or physical abuse – Jesus gave up His life to the Father, as Luke 23:46 quotes Him “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  Jesus Himself told us this would happen:

The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life--only to take it up again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father." - John 10:17-18 NIV

Let me ask you, will you be like the thief who died mocking Jesus or the one who met Him that day in Paradise?  Your eternal destination depends on your answer to Pilate’s question “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”  The wise answer is I put my faith in Him!