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Matthew 27:45-56 (Death)

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Lead Me to the Cross and we have been following Jesus’ final footsteps to the cross of Calvary. Last week we came to the cross itself as Jesus was led through the streets of Jerusalem to Mount Calvary where he was crucified between two thieves. We looked at Jesus’ sufferings on the cross and saw that the greatest suffering occurred at the cross because the greatest price was paid at the cross. Now we come to Jesus’ death on the cross, a death which especially focuses on Jesus as the Son of God. (Read Matthew 27:54 and pray.)

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We come now in these final passages of Matthew to Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, what Paul calls the matters of first importance when it comes to the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Last week we looked at the many ways Jesus suffered at the cross, but today we want to focus not so much on Jesus’ sufferings as his death. Jesus’ sufferings were an essential part of his work on the cross but so was his death. Jesus told his disciples he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die (Matthew 16:21). Both are important. If Jesus had died without suffering, the full price for our sins would not have been paid. But if he had suffered without dying, the price would not have been paid either.

Matthew especially focuses on Jesus as God’s Son in these verses. So, today we will look at Jesus’ death on the cross through the lens of his sonship. Jesus is the Son of God who was forsaken, attested and affirmed at his death.

I. The Son of God forsaken (45-49)

First, we see the Son of God forsaken at the cross by the Father. We looked at these verses last week as part of the spiritual sufferings of Christ, but I want us to look at them again in view of Christ’s sonship.

   A. Jesus cries out “My God” instead of “My Father” (45-46)
      – Amos 8:9-10; Matthew 7:21, 10:32, 11:25-27, 26:39, 42, 53

And the important detail to notice here is that Jesus cries out “My God” instead of “My Father.” Look at verses 45-46:

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” – which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46)

As we saw last week, darkness in the Bible is a sign of judgment. This particular darkness was a sign of God’s judgment for sin. It is a darkness that was prophesied in the Old Testament. God said in Amos 8: “In that day I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight…. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.” (Amos 8:9-10) The sixth hour was twelve noon as prophesied, and notice the reference to “mourning for an only son,” God’s only Son who died on the cross for us, as we focus on the sonship of Jesus at his death. It was during these three hours of darkness that Jesus the Son of God suffered the full wrath of God for our sins. And so, Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Throughout Matthew’s gospel Jesus has always spoken of God as his Father, and he has always addressed God as his Father in prayer (Matthew 7:21, 10:32, 11:25-27, 26:39, 42, 53). Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus addressed God as his Father. But at this moment Jesus is forsaken by the Father, and so he cries out “My God” instead. This is the first and only time Jesus does not address God as his Father in prayer.

   B. Those standing there misunderstand him (47-49)

Matthew tells us that those standing there misunderstood him. Look at verses 47-49:

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” (Matthew 27:47-49)

When Jesus cried out “Eloi,” which means, “My God,” those standing near him misunderstood him. Eloi sounds like Elijah, so they thought he was calling for Elijah. Jesus had very little strength left, and he may have been difficult to understand. One of those nearby gave him some wine vinegar to drink. The rest mocked him. “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

How many people still misunderstand Jesus? How many do not understand what Jesus was doing on the cross? Do you understand what Jesus did on the cross for you? Do you understand why he was forsaken by his Father in heaven? It wasn’t because he had done anything wrong. It was all for you. He took your sins upon himself, and he was forsaken for your sins, not for anything he had done himself. Those standing there misunderstood what Jesus said on the cross. Don’t you misunderstand it. Jesus the Son of God was forsaken by the Father for you and for me.

II. The Son of God attested (50-53)

So, first we see the Son of God forsaken at the cross. But next, we see the Son of God attested at the cross.

   A. Jesus cries out in a loud voice (50a)

And the first witness comes from Jesus’ own lips as he cries out in a loud voice. Look at verse 50:

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Matthew 27:50)

Matthew doesn’t tell us what Jesus said but the gospel writers John and Luke do.

      1) “It is finished!” (John 19:30)

John tells us that Jesus first cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) It is a word that means “paid in full.” Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” because the work he came to earth to accomplish was now done. Jesus was born into our world as a man, he lived a perfect life, he went to the cross in obedience to the Father, and he paid the full penalty for our sins by receiving the full wrath of the Father for sin at the cross. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” he was saying his work was done, the penalty for sin was paid in full, and that he was now restored to fellowship with his Father.

      2) “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

We see that restoration to fellowship in the very next words Jesus cries out. Luke tells us his final words: “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” (Luke 23:46) Notice that Jesus calls God his Father once again. As the obedient Son, he has completed the work the Father sent him to do. No longer forsaken, Jesus attests that he is the Son of God with his very last words, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” His suffering was completed, and the only thing left was for him to do was to die.

   B. Jesus gives up his spirit (50b)
      – John 10:18

Jesus attests that he is the Son of God through his words, and then he attests that he is the Son of God through his actions. Matthew tells us, “He gave up his Spirit.” In other words, Jesus chose the precise moment of his death. Remember we said that Jesus was the one in charge every step of the way to the cross, and none of that changed when he was actually on the cross. Christ actively suffered the just punishment for our sins, and when the full payment was made, he didn’t just die – he willingly gave up his spirit, further attesting that he was the Son of God.

Earlier in his ministry Jesus told the people: “No one takes [my life] 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 10:18) No one took Jesus’ life from him. No one forced him to go to the cross. No one forced him to stay on the cross. At any time, he could have called on legions of angels to rescue him, and they would have. Why? Because as the Son of God he commands the angels, and they would have responded immediately.

We saw last week how the people mocked him as he hung on the cross: “Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:42-43)

The people thought Jesus coming down from the cross would prove that he was the Son of God. But it was Jesus remaining on the cross that showed he was truly God’s Son. Jesus went to the cross in obedience to his Father, and he stayed on the cross in obedience to his Father. He stayed on the cross out of his love for you. As someone once out it, it was not the nails but his love that held him there. And at the very moment of his choosing, he gave up his spirit. No one took his life from him, but he lay it down of his own accord. As the Son of God, he had authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This authority he received from his Father, because Jesus is the Son of God.

And so, Jesus not only attested that he was the Son of God with his lips, but also with his actions. When he had cried out in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit, fulfilling the last requirement that sin exacts from us all – he died for our sins.

   C. Miraculous signs accompany his death (51-53)

Jesus was attested as the Son of God by the final words from his lips, by his final action of giving up his spirit, and then also by the miraculous signs that accompanied his death. We see this in verses 51-53:

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:51-53)

Just as there was the miraculous sign of the darkness showing that Jesus was suffering the full punishment for our sins, so there were three miraculous signs that took place at the time of his death attesting that he truly was the Son of God.

      1) The curtain of the temple was torn in two.
         – Hebrews 10:19-20

The first miraculous sign was the curtain of the temple being torn in two from top to bottom. Now this curtain was sixty feet high, thirty feet wide and probably about four inches thick. Are you going to reach up there and tear it in two from top to bottom? No, this is a miraculous sign. Someone reached down to tear it from the top to the bottom. This was God’s work.

This curtain guarded the entrance to the innermost chamber of the temple, signifying that we were separated from God by our sins. When the curtain was torn, God was showing that the way back to him has been opened through the death of his Son.

Matthew tells us this happened right at the moment of Jesus’ death, showing that the two events are clearly connected. The book of Hebrews also connects the tearing of the curtain with the death of Jesus. We read in Hebrews 10: “Therefore, brothers … we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.” (Hebrews 10:19-20)

      2) The earth shook and the rocks split.

Secondly, the earth shook, and the rocks split. This was a sign of God’s mighty power and presence. It was also a sign of warning and judgment. An earthquake is not a miracle in itself, but the timing of this earthquake is the miracle, as it happens right at the moment of Jesus’ death.

      3) The tombs broke open and bodies were raised to life.

And then thirdly, the tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people were raised to life. The wording is mysterious, but I believe we are meant to understand the resurrection of these believers did not take place until after Jesus’ resurrection. The Bible elsewhere calls Jesus the firstfruits of those raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20). So, I believe we should read it this way: “The earth shook, and the rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life and they came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection. And they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.” And so, the earthquake and the opening of the tombs would have happened right at Jesus’ death as a precursor of Christ’s resurrection. Then, after Christ was raised, a number of others were immediately raised in anticipation of the great resurrection that will take place when Christ returns.

Now, these things don’t normally happen when a person dies. In fact, none of these things had happened before and none have ever happened again. I suppose there could be a random earthquake around the time someone dies, but the tearing of the curtain was a one-time historical event, and the resurrection of dead saints certainly won’t happen again until Jesus returns. The torn curtain shows us that Jesus conquered sin. The opened tombs and resurrection of believers show us that Jesus conquered death.

Yes, Jesus was forsaken as the Son of God on the cross as he paid the penalty for our sins. But when the full price was paid, Jesus was attested as the Son of God by his own words, by his actions and by the miraculous signs that accompanied his death.

III. The Son of God affirmed (54-56)

And then finally, Jesus was affirmed as the Son of God by the centurion and others who were there with him at the cross.

   A. “Surely he was the Son of God!” (54)
      – Matthew 3:17, 8:29, 14:33, 16:16, 17:5, 26:63-64

First the centurion affirmed that Jesus was the Son of God. We read in verse 54:

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54)

You probably know that the number seven is a pretty important number in the Bible. It is the number of perfection or completion. This is now the seventh time that Jesus has been affirmed as the Son of God in the gospel of Matthew. God the Father affirmed Jesus as the Son of God at his baptism and then again at the Mount of Transfiguration (3:17, 17:5). The demons affirmed Jesus as the Son of God when he met them among the tombs (8:29). The disciples affirmed Jesus as the Son of God when he stilled the wind and the waves (14:33). Peter affirmed Jesus as the Son of God when Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (16:16). Jesus affirmed that he was the Son of God at his trial before Caiaphas (26:63-64). Now the centurion and those guarding Jesus see these miraculous signs that accompany Jesus’ death and affirm the same: “Surely he was the Son of God.”

James Boice makes the point that there were actually five miracles associated with Christ’s death at the cross: 1) the darkening of the sky, 2) the tearing of the curtain, 3) the earthquake that opened many of the tombs, 4) the resurrection of many holy people who had died, and 5) the cry of the centurion who said of Jesus when he saw these things, “Surely he was the Son of God.” This last was the greatest miracle of all. (James Boice; The Gospel of Matthew, p. 622)

   B. Other witnesses – the women who watched from a distance (55-56)

There were other witnesses there that day. Matthew mentions the women who watched all these things from a distance. Look at verses 55-56:

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. (Matthew 27:55-56)

These are the women who ministered to Christ while he was alive. These are the women who watched as he suffered and died. These are the women who will watch again and see where he is buried. These are the women who will return to his tomb early on Sunday morning to anoint his body with perfumes and spices. They were the last of Jesus’ followers at the cross and the first at his tomb. They were the final witnesses of Jesus’ death on Good Friday and then the first witnesses of his glorious resurrection on Easter morning.

CONCLUSION: Jesus is the Son of God who was forsaken, attested and affirmed at his death. He was forsaken by the Father and misunderstood by the people as he suffered God’s wrath and paid the full penalty for our sins. He was attested as the Son of God through his final words and actions and by the miraculous signs that accompanied his death. He was affirmed as the Son of God through the words of the centurion and the witness of the women who watched from a distance.

If Jesus was just an ordinary man, then it wouldn’t matter that he died on the cross. Many had died before him, and many would die afterwards. But if Jesus is the Son of God who was forsaken by the Father when he died on the cross for you, then that makes all the difference in the world. In the words of the song that we sing to Jesus: “I’m forgiven because you were forsaken. I’m accepted; you were condemned. I’m alive and well, your Spirit is within me, because you died and rose again.”

Jesus would rise again on the third day, the final proof of his sonship (Romans 1:4). But for now, Jesus had died. His followers mourned, while his enemies rejoiced. Judas was filled with remorse and hung himself. The angels of heaven held their breath, and the whole world waited.

Jesus went to the cross and conquered sin and death and hell. But oh, what a price he paid. May we stand in awe of the work of Jesus, the Son of God, this morning.

© Ray Fowler

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