Alienated for Our Access (Matthew 27:45-56)

Here’s my sermon from Sunday, October 12th in our “Our King, His Kingdom” series from Matthew 27:45-56. You can also listen to the audio here.

Not the best ending yesterday, huh? Diving into this passage this week, my mind went back to a previous contest against a ranked-team, against a long-time powerhouse. It was 2009. We were playing Nebraska on a Thursday night. And in a torrential downpour. I was there. And it wasn’t pleasant to start with. But right before kickoff, the stadium suddenly went dark. And the lights stayed off for about 12 minutes. But when most - not all - were powered back on, they decided not to use the sound system. Or the brand-new, state-of-the-art scoreboard. Just to be safe. Something country music star and Missouri native Sara Evans probably didn’t appreciate. As she sang the national anthem and no-one could hear her. But the game kicked off with this sinking feeling. This is not going to go well at all.

Not too long after, their star defensive tackle, and notoriously dirty player, Ndamukong Suh grabbed our quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, and threw him around like a rag doll, almost breaking off his ankle. Still we somehow built up a 12 to nothing lead. But Nebraska scored 27 straight points in the fourth quarter to seal the win. On that eerie, silent night. It was the day that Faurot went dark.

Well, last week, we looked at verses 27 through 44. And Aaron walked us through the crucifixion of Jesus. Our Lord suffers perhaps the most humiliating and painful form of capital punishment ever invented. But on that cross, Jesus is making atonement for us. He’s taking our punishment on His shoulders. Today, we’ll go even further, even deeper, into what happened on that day. And what it means for us still. To what His cross cost. And where His cross leads.

Not Your Typical Execution

But we’ll start with some signs that this was not a typical execution. First, that darkness. Verse 45 puts it this way. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” From noon to 3 p.m. So right in the middle of the afternoon. It would have been eerie, no doubt creepy, for sure. And seen as an omen from Romans and Jews there, alike. It might have reminded the latter of the ninth of those plagues. That happen back in Egypt. When Moses stretches out his hand. And Exodus 10:21 says there’s a darkness that was even “felt.”

There are also passages in the Old Testament that sound like Amos chapter 8:

Amos 8:9    “And on that day,” declares the Lord GOD,

“I will make the sun go down at noon

and darken the earth in broad daylight.

10 I will turn your feasts into mourning

and all your songs into lamentation;

I will bring sackcloth on every waist

and baldness on every head;

I will make it like the mourning for an only son

and the end of it like a bitter day.

Darkness is no doubt a sign of God’s judgment. On those people. On that land.

Second, the earthquake. Verse 51 says that “the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” Imagine standing on that hill. Looking up at the Lord. And suddenly the sky goes black. And the ground under you shakes. Listen to another Old Testament prophet, in Nahum 1:5-6.

Nahum 1:5 The mountains quake before him;

the hills melt;

the earth heaves before him,

the world and all who dwell in it.

Nahum 1:6    Who can stand before his indignation?

Who can endure the heat of his anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire,

and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

Earthquakes, too, point to the judgment of God.

Jeremiah 10:10 puts it this way:

Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God;

he is the living God and the everlasting King.

At his wrath the earth quakes,

and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

The darkness - the earthquake - they point to the displeasure of God. To His righteous judgment. That something really bad is happening.

Many years back, I was a regular part of a church worship team. And the leader, who was a good friend of mine, got invited to lead music at a conference. So I jumped in, along with the rest of the team. From the very beginning it felt extremely uncomfortable. Like I was trapped in a B-movie about budding televangelists. It was extremely creepy. It was very, very “cringe.” Some ultra-wacky stuff was happening from the speakers and from those attending. And there was this growing conviction that I needed to take my guitar and run. And then something happened that shook me to the core.

I’m up there, strumming along, wondering how I can extract myself from the situation, when this roar - and I mean roar - comes through the sound system. Now you’ve heard soundboards go awry. You’ve heard feedback I’m sure. This was at a whole other level. I look at people in the crowd. And there’s this look of horror in their faces. And I’m thinking, “WE ARE GOING TO DIE!”

Now somehow we all survived. But I was deeply shaken. And I had to tell my friend. I can’t come back. That was my reaction. I was traumatized by it. How do people respond here? On that dark hill?

The Response These Signs Evoke

Let’s turn now to the reactions we see to these signs. Here, gathering around this cross, we four groups responding to what takes place. And Matthew presents them with a bit of irony.

I know even some of our youth have heard of singer Alanis Morrisette - or at least her most famous tune, “Ironic.” Maybe you’ve seen the phone commercial that plays off that song. But here’s the thing. Rain on your wedding day isn’t ironic. Neither is a fly in your Chardonnay. Or most of the other images in the song. They’re just bad things that happen. The ironic thing is that the song misunderstands irony. Perhaps. I really do think. But either way, there is some actual irony in this passage here today. As we see how people react to the signs.

We first see these “bystanders” there, in verses 47 through 49. They’re looking at Jesus. They’re taking in these words. We’re not sure where their hearts are. But they show Jesus some compassion. Verse 48 says one of them runs, grabs a sponge, puts it on a stick, fills it with “sour wine,” and gives it to Jesus. They try to relieve His suffering. Attempt to quench His thirst. And this fulfills Psalm 69:21

But what bursts out of those dry lips leave them confused. “My God, my God,” in Hebrew or Aramaic, sounds a lot like the name of a prophet of Israel. “Eli, Eli” is what Jesus cries. Maybe it’s the first syllables of Elijah’s name. Verse 47 says they think Jesus is calling on him for help.

And there was a tradition among Jews that their great prophet - the one that had just flown up to heaven - would come back down and help the righteous - especially when they were suffering. Verse 49 says they decide to wait and see what happens. “This could get interesting. Let’s hang back and watch.”

And there we find the first irony - and they’re all over Matthew. Jesus doesn’t need Elijah to save him. He came to save Elijah. And all of His people. Folks like us here. Moses. Elijah. The law, the prophets. They all pointed to Him. They had waited for Him. To bring His salvation. Maybe the bystanders have good intentions. But they’re missing the point. Only this King saves! Do we recognize this?

Now did you see the bizarre thing that happens in verses 52 and 53? Let’s read them again.

Matthew 27:52 The tombs also 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 went into the holy city and appeared to many.

This is our second response we see to the cosmic signs at Christ’s death. The earthquakes shake the tombs. And open them right up. And the “saints who had fallen asleep” - that means those who had died - are “raised.” And they get up and walk around. They dab people up in Jerusalem. This is wild!

Now did you immediately think of zombies - with Halloween coming soon? I did. But we shouldn’t. These aren’t the dead who are now walking. These are the living dancing around. Not just resuscitated. But resurrected. “Saints” - maybe fathers and mothers of the faith - who looked and longed for the Messiah.

They’re pictures of what we’ll be, if we’re followers of Christ. When He raises our dead bodies and reunites them with our souls. When He makes us all new - with no more sickness, pain, or death. Did these folks die again? Or ascend to heaven with Christ? We don’t know. Probably the latter. Maybe like Elijah. Meeting the Lord in the sky. And there’s the second irony here. Through death, life is happening - literally bursting out of the tomb. That’s what Jesus can do. Is this our hope, Karis?

One thing that’s interesting is that this doesn’t happen immediately. It’s like Matthew jumps ahead in the story. Did you notice that? This happens “after His resurrection,” verse 53 tells us. On Sunday morning. That kind of bothered me at first. What were they doing? During that time? But, then I thought: if you and I had been dead for a few hundred years, we might need a day or two to get ourselves together.

We third see these Romans react, there in verse 54. A “centurion,” a Roman officer, along with some other guards, are there. They’re “keeping watch over Jesus.” They’d been a part of crucifixions before. But something is different about this one. The darkness, the tremors. And this man hanging there, the way He carries Himself. The text says they are “filled with awe,” and they cry out, “Truly this was the Son of God!” This is no doubt a model for how all should have responded.

And there, of course, is our third ironic thing here. These are the Gentiles, the pagans, the people Israelites hated. And they can see this is no ordinary man. While the Jews are resisting Him all the way. Do they really comprehend who Christ is? We’re really not sure. But the Lord sure wants us to! To see Him in His glory. Hanging on that cross. But we should also see how this points to the heart of Jesus. For His gospel to go to the nations. That no one is beyond His rescue. And that should be our heart, too. For people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. And for those seen as the worst of the worst. No one is beyond the reach of King Jesus. Do we grasp this?

There’s a fourth group we see, down in verses 55 and 56. It’s a big group of women. And among them, some familiar names. Like “Mary Magdalene.” They’re there to witness the crucifixion. But they’ll see the resurrection, too. They’ll be there first, in fact. Waiting at the tomb. But the fact that they’re here, and Matthew points them out to us, is important for a couple of reasons. It first communicates the value Jesus places on women. In a society - especially then - that completely pushed them out. They’re near Him throughout His ministry. And there in His biggest moments. Here, His most difficult hour. Soon, at His greatest triumph. Christ brings them in, pulls them to the front. As should we, church. Do we?

But there’s a second important reason why these women are mentioned here. And it’s also our fourth bit of irony. The main witnesses are made up of a demographic that everyone ignored. Their testimony wouldn’t stand up in a court of law in those days. Why would you include this, unless it was really true? And on that note, if you were making up the story, why would you have your hero screaming out these words? You just  wouldn’t. And with that, let’s dive in, and plunge the depths of those cries.

The Real Reason for These Signs

I want to turn now to the reasons for these signs. And I think there are two main ones to understand. The first we hear in these cries of Jesus here. The second we glimpse in what happens in the temple.

Let’s first look at those cries. There first, in verse 46: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Now these are hard words, friends. But they point to something deeper going on. This is far beyond even the worst physical pain. This is the deepest of emotional turmoil. And Christ is suffering spiritually. And deeply. He’s plunging down into the darkness places for you and for me.

Now this comes straight from Psalm 22:1. I won’t have time to dig too much into this song. Go back and check out all that Aaron said last week. But hear those words:

Psalms 22:1    My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

Now here’s what these words just can’t mean. He’s not caught off guard at what’s happening. And then plunging into despair. He’s known about this moment. He’s been warning His disciples. It’s why He came to earth. He’s also not momentarily confused. Thinking God has abandoned Him. Wavering in faith. Blinded in His pain. When God’s really there. No. Something real is happening. Christ is really broken here. And all for our good.

Now to try to comprehend these words, we wade into really difficult territory. And to think about it rightly, I’m going to have to use some more big words. First, Trinity. We believe in one God who is in three persons. And Father, Son, and Spirit have been in perfect community and love, from all eternity. And that fellowship won’t ever be broken. And it certainly wasn’t here. There is no “rupture” in the Trinity as many have said. As Jesus is forsaken by God here.

Second, incarnation. God puts on flesh. In the person of Jesus. That’s what incarnation means. The eternal Son of God. Becoming a man. Walking on earth. 100% God. 100% man. Two natures. One person. Joined together. Hanging on that cross.

Think about it. God can’t die. Nor can He suffer. But humans can. Jesus is there, a perfect man, suffering, dying in our place. A mediator between sinful humanity and a holy God. And there, as a human, He is suffering the separation we deserve. And suddenly things are silent. He’s rejected. God is distant. Jesus can feel God’s absence. And He cries out in pain — and not just from the pain of that cross.

Think about what hell is. It’s in part separation from God. It’s being forsaken by Him. It’s being cast out from His presence. In the gospels - thrown to the “outer darkness.” And Christ here is experiencing the pain of all of that. All the punishment we deserved. Jesus takes that on Himself. And He’s completely abandoned.

The darkness that covers that hill. It’s not just about God’s anger at those people. It’s HIs judgment. Directed at Jesus for our sin. He’s drinking that cup. The cup of God’s wrath.

Remember what we’ve talked about in previous weeks. He without sin has become sin - He’s been treated as sin - for us. So that we could be counted as righteous. That’s 2 Corinthians 5:21. He who’s lived in eternal blessing is cursed for us, as He’s hanged on that tree. That’s Galatians 3:13. As Isaiah 53:10 put it, long, long before: “It was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put Him to grief.” This is all coming down on the shoulders of Christ. And it’s piercing His soul. And that explains the loud cries we see in this passage. The deep grief. He experiences our alienation.

There’s another cry in this passage, where Christ takes His last breath. Verse 50 - “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His Spirit.” Now don’t miss that last phrase. He gives up His life Himself. There’s no struggle in the Trinity. No. As He puts it in John 10, the Son willingly lays it down. And He does it very intentionally. Because as dark as this day was, we call it Good Friday for a reason. Because Christ pays for our sins. But to do that, Jesus goes to a really dark place. And it shakes our Lord to the core.

What was the first reason for these signs? The King’s suffering and death. He experienced our alienation. And now there could be relationship again. And that leads to our next point.

There’s a second reason we see for these signs in this passage. The earthquake shakes the tombs - and resurrected bodies run into the streets. But it also shakes the temple. Verse 51 again: “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” The temple is the place where heaven and earth would meet. Where God would dwell with man. But there were signs everywhere that limited your access.

Gentiles hit a curtain, one they couldn’t go beyond. A “court of women” inside kept the ladies cut off. Priests could enter into what was called the “holy place.” But a massive curtain kept the people of God from entering His presence. It was 60 feet high and 30 feet wide. And the only person that could go behind that curtain - and then, only once a year - into the “holy of holies” was the high priest of Israel on the day of Atonement. On Yom Kippur that was celebrated by Jews just last week. Where He’d go make a sacrifice. On behalf of their sins.

When the earthquake hits the holy land, it rips that curtain in two. And there makes a way for us to draw near to God. The separation between God and His people ends through the sacrificial death of Christ. We can be in His presence again. Listen to what that means from Hebrews chapter 10:

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,

20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Church, He experienced our alienation, so we can enter into His access. Verse 51 says that curtain is torn from the “top” to the “bottom.” What’s the significance of that? Maybe because that’s only something God can do? Only He could make a way.

And He does it through His Son. That second cry in this passage, where Jesus takes His final breath. We get another detail from John. Words that Jesus also says. Look at John 19:30. “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up His Spirit.” Jesus had fulfilled His ministry. Accomplished all He’d come to do. He gifts us access. And we see a second reason for the signs. The tearing of the curtain. The judgment of the temple.

No more sacrifices are needed. The temple here’s condemned. That old way has passed. And a new way’s been opened up. Now Jesus is that temple - where heaven and earth meet. Where God dwells with man. Where His presence can be seen and felt. Karis, now we have access because Jesus Christ was alienated. We can be reconciled with our God. Now, He, too, is our Father. Because the God-man paid the price for us. And reopened that portal to God. In taking upon Himself our judgment, He gives us His salvation. He experienced our alienation so we can enter into His access.

What These Signs Mean to You and Me

I want to end by talking some application. Here are five responses we should have to these truths.

First, understand that He feels our alienation. A week or so ago, our MC got together. We’ve been sharing our stories, of what God’s doing in our lives. One sister in our group shared a life-long struggle with fears of rejection. Did you know that Jesus understands that feeling? He was rejected by His own people. His disciples fled the scene. The Gentiles He came to gather mocked and killed him. And He was forsaken as we’ve seen - by God the Father. If you feel alienated, rejected, forsaken. Or fear all those things. Jesus knows that feeling. He understands.

Second, realize He heals our alienation. Jesus can actually do something about it. We no longer have to live apart from others. We don’t have to live separated from Him. In this life, on earth - but especially not for eternity. Hell doesn’t have to be our future. Jesus has gone into the dark for us.

And if we’re in Christ, whatever we may feel, Christ hasn’t and won’t abandon us - even in our darkest hour. I love the way my friend Robert Cheong has put it:

“Jesus willfully suffered temporary separation from God so that we would not suffer eternal separation and can cry out with confidence that nothing ‘will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:39).” (Robert Cheong)

Third, trust you can receive this access. By faith, in Christ, you can be one with God again. You can call Him Your Father. And be brought into a broader family - the church, the people of God. You are accepted by Him - in Jesus. You can have a relationship with Him. You can be in God’s presence again. That curtain has been torn. The Father calls you. Trust in the work of His son. On that hill. On that dark, dark day.

Fourth, believe you can live in this access. You can run and jump in His lap. You can share your heart with Him. You can be fully known and loved - accepted, affirmed - by Him - and by His people, as well. We can live out this reality described in Romans chapter 5:

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The Lord wants us to experience this. It’s what He died to bring about. Some of you might have heard the name Heather Gillian. She is a friend of my wife’s. The Wilsons - Jonah and Jaylyn are friends with the family. She has written a big called Dancing On My Ashes, where she tells the story of losing her husband and her brother in a tragic river accident. She has suffered so much over the years. But the last couple of years have been really tough.

Her son Noah was diagnosed with bone cancer. It hit him especially hard in his leg. He went through chemo and radiation and had to have one leg amputated below the knee. I’m not sure if you saw what happened over Homecoming. But Noah got to ring the bell on the field during that home football game. He got to be on the sideline, meeting the coaches and players. He got to be interviewed by Tebow on the SEC Network. He and his family got this incredible access. And it doesn’t compare to the access they have to God in Jesus.

Friends, you have an all-access pass. You’ve got the wristband to get in. You can walk right up to the King. This can be our reality as His people. We shouldn’t expect this distance. We don’t have to hold back. We shouldn’t stand back. We don’t have to fake it until we make it. And then go in. We can come as we are. And that honors our Lord.

Ray Ortlund explains it like this:

“It is not reverent to erect barriers of icy formality [with God] which Jesus died to tear down. Doing so is pious rebellion. There is no more beautiful reverence in the sight of God than the simple heartcry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Ray Ortlund)

Fifth, know you can rest from your efforts. What are those words again, Jesus yells out at His death? “It is finished!” What are the last words found in Psalm 22 - where we get this cry from Jesus? “He has done it.” We don’t have to try to earn our way. We don’t have to prove ourselves. We don’t get this access from being in the right family. We don’t get in on it from paying loads of money. We can’t do enough to earn it. We can’t do so much to lose it. It comes from His work, and His work alone. “It is finished!” “He has done it.” That is good news, friends. What the Bible calls gospel.

Tim Keller once shared the last words from Buddha. What were those? “Strive without ceasing.” What were Christ’s last words? “It is finished.” That makes all the difference, friends. We can rest. In His care and His love. We can get off the treadmill. We can jump out of the mouse wheel. “It is finished.” All we must do is open our hands and humbly receive it. “He has done it.” Let’s live in His presence again.

Now when we come back to Matthew, we’ll see a good man bury his body. And evil men try to guard that tomb. They had heard Christ’s words. Even if His disciples hadn’t. He was gonna rise from the dead. But good luck with that, guys - trying to lock Him inside! We’re heading straight to the resurrection, Karis. And it’s gonna be great.

The Judo Death-Blow

Now after the start of the year, we’ll embark on a series through Genesis. We’ll go back to the beginning of our Bibles. And look at how everything begins. At the start of God’s story. And the foundation it lays. Just after the fall of mankind, there’s this puzzling promise, that God gives the serpent, right after the curse. The Lord says, in Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

There’s going to be enmity. There’ll be a battle. Between your offspring, serpent. And Eve’s. You may grab and break his heel. But He’s going to crush your skull. And that’s what we see fulfilled on the cross. On that day the lights go out.

Satan thinks he won a battle. But he’s lost the war. Through this judo death-blow from the Son. Where Jesus uses Satan’s evil against him. And that day has amazing implications for you and me - if we’ll just believe.

The door between heaven and earth has been busted down and opened wide - through Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus walked into darkness - through God’s judgment - so we could experience His light of salvation. He experienced our alienation so we can enter into His access. Let’s pray.