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In Matthew chapter 27, we've 
been concerning or considering the cross, specifically the crucifixion 
of our Lord, and that section begins in verse 32. We've seen the crucifixion proper 
in verses 32 to 38, the mockery of the crucified one in verses 
39 to 44. the cry of dereliction from our 
Savior in verses 45 to 46, the death of Jesus specifically in 
verses 47 to 50, and this morning we'll take up the last section, 
the signs and wonders following the crucifixion in verses 51 
to 53, and then the presence or the witnesses of the crucifixion 
in verses 54 to 56. But I do want to begin reading 
in verse 32 of Matthew 27. Now, as they came out, they found 
a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, him they compelled to bear his 
cross. And when they had come to a place 
called Golgotha, that is to say, place of a skull, they gave him 
sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when he had tasted 
it, he would not drink. Then they crucified him and divided 
his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was 
spoken by the prophet. They divided my garments among 
them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Sitting down, they 
kept watch over him there, and they put up over his head the 
accusation written against him, this is Jesus, the king of the 
Jews. Then two robbers were crucified 
with him, one on the right and another on the left. And those 
who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, 
You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save 
yourself. If you are the Son of God, come 
down from the cross. Likewise, the chief priests also, 
mocking what the scribes and elders said. He saved others, 
himself he cannot save. He is the king of Israel, let 
him now come down from the cross and we will believe him. He trusted 
in God, let him deliver him now if he will have him. For he said, 
I am the son of God. Even the robbers who were crucified 
with him reviled him with the same thing. Now from the sixth 
hour until the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land. 
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, 
Eli, Eli, laba sabachthani. That is, my God, my God, why 
have you forsaken me? Some of those who stood there, 
when they heard that said, this man is calling for Elijah. 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. The rest 
said, let him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come 
to save him. And Jesus cried out again with 
a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Then behold, the veil 
of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth 
quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened, and 
many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 
And coming out of the graves after his resurrection, they 
went into the holy city and appeared to many. 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. And many women who followed Jesus 
from Galilee ministering to him were looking on from afar, among 
whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, 
and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for what is written here concerning 
our Savior. We thank you for the great lengths 
that He went to to save us from our sins, that He lived in obedience 
to your most holy and perfect and glorious law, that He was 
offered up as a sacrifice and a substitute on the cross, and 
that He died, and that He was raised the third day. We thank 
you and we praise you that you made him who knew no sin to be 
sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 
We thank you for this glorious gospel and we pray that as we 
consider this section of scripture, our hearts would be filled with 
love and adoration for the Savior. And we pray that your Holy Spirit 
would guide us and aid us and assist us and help us to understand 
your word. And God, for any and all who 
have come here this morning that are not in Christ, we pray that 
they would parallel the cry of the soldiers here, that truly 
this is indeed the Son of God, that many throughout the earth 
today, by the power of the Holy Spirit, would be drawn affectionately 
unto Christ, called out of darkness into marvelous light, confessing 
that Jesus alone is able to save to the uttermost. Do forgive 
us now for our sins and our transgressions and help us to receive with thanksgiving 
Your Word. And we pray in the name of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, as we have considered 
this particular section, we'll notice specifically that our 
Lord's death was not as a result of His own sin. Christ is not 
undergoing these things because He was a criminal, because He 
was a violator, because He was a transgressor of the law. No, 
Christ loved the law of God. Christ always did what was pleasing 
to the Father. Christ undertook this on our 
behalf. It is substitutionary atonement 
that is wrought out here at Calvary. It is Christ standing in the 
place of all those whom the Father had given Him, bearing our penalty, 
suffering in Himself the wrath and fury and the justice of God 
Almighty. It is not for His offenses, because 
Scripture declares that He's holy, harmless, and undefiled, 
but it's for our offenses. Paul summarizes the glorious 
truth of the gospel in Romans 4.25. He says that Christ was 
delivered up because of our offenses, and he was raised for our justification. So all that we witness in this 
particular section ought to lead our hearts to worship and to 
praise and to glorify. It ought to lead us to appreciate 
the great love of the Savior wherein He loved us. He laid 
His life down on our behalf. And certainly this morning as 
we take up these effects or these signs and wonders that follow 
the crucifixion, It is noteworthy that creation itself responds 
to what transpires here at Calvary. Now I want to look at verses 
51 to 53 under the title, The Signs and Wonders Following the 
Crucifixion. And then we'll finish out this 
particular section with the witnesses to the crucifixion in verses 
54 to 56. But let's look at these signs 
and wonders. And there are several. The first 
is this torn veil. Now, Mark and Luke also record 
this torn veil. Matthew is alone in verses 51 
to 53. Matthew is alone when he deals 
with the graves opening, the earthquake coming, the rocks 
being shattered, and then the bodies of many saints being raised 
and appearing in the holy city, Jerusalem, to many. So Matthew 
is unique in verses 51 to 53, but as I said, Matthew, Mark, 
and Luke all comment concerning this torn veil. Notice in verse 
51, then behold, convention used by Matthew throughout his gospel 
to identify something that demands attention. Then behold, the veil 
of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Now, there 
were actually two veils with reference to the temple. There 
was an inner veil, and that inner veil separated the holy of holies 
from the holy place. And then there was an exterior 
veil, or another veil, and that separated the holy place from 
the courtyard. Now commentators are divided 
because he doesn't identify for us which veil is in place. So there's two veils, an inner 
separating the holy of holies from the holy place. A little 
bit of familiarity with the tabernacle and the temple at this particular 
point would be most helpful. Remember that the tabernacle 
was instituted by God for Israel in the Old Testament as a place 
where God and sinners would meet together. And the tabernacle 
was constructed in a particular way. There was an outer court, 
there was a holy place, and then there was a holy of holies. Now 
later, the tabernacle gives way to the temple. Same basic design, 
however, the temple is stationary. It is located in Jerusalem. Again, 
it is that place where God and sinners meet. And sinners come 
to God through sacrifice. Sinners come to the tabernacle 
or to the temple by bringing an animal and then they cut the 
throat of that animal and then the priest takes that blood and 
he pours it upon the altar for the sins of the people of Israel. And so this was the way of access 
into the presence of God. Now it's also important to remember 
that only the high priest, one time a year, went into the Holy 
of Holies. Certainly there were others that 
were allowed to go into the holy place, the priests, but only 
the high priest alone went into the holy of holies on the great 
day of atonement. He was the only one that went 
behind that sort of inner veil. And so as Jesus is now given 
up the ghost, as Jesus has cried with a loud voice and yielded 
up his spirit, we read, the veil of the temple was torn in two 
from top to bottom. What is the significance here? 
Well, those who see it as the outer veil suggest the significance 
is the destruction of Jerusalem. Remember, Jesus has prophesied 
this. Jesus has foretold this. Jesus 
has said in 2338 that, behold, your house is left to you desolate. 
On the heels of that, in Matthew 24 and 25, he has given us the 
Olivet Discourse wherein he prophesies concerning the destruction of 
the temple. Others suggest that it's the inner veil that's in 
view, and with reference to the inner view, the significance 
is that now there is access to God. Now there is access, not 
just on the part of the high priest once a year on the Day 
of Atonement, but as a result of Christ's atoning work, access 
to the Father has been opened up. Now, I don't think these 
two things are mutually exclusive. I think the judgment of God upon 
apostate Jerusalem and the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ are 
companion, consistent thoughts. I think that both things are 
in view at this particular point. The book of Hebrews seems to 
indicate it was indeed the inner veil. Hebrews 6, 19 and 20, 9, 
11 to 28, and then 10, 19 to 22. In fact, one commentator 
says the whole of the epistle to the Hebrews is commentary 
on the split veil. The reality is, is that we were 
kept outside. The reality is that we were prohibited 
from access. The reality is that now that 
Christ has died, now that He is atoned for our sins, now that 
He has brought redemption and salvation, we are brought nigh 
through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a symbolic 
act that shows many things in my estimation. Again, the judgment 
upon the Jews. Matthew Poole said, by this rending 
of the veil, God testified his wrath against the Jews, and that 
he was leaving his temple amongst them. Remember, this is something 
that the context definitely highlights in 23 and 24. God is departing 
from this localized temple in Jerusalem, just like he does 
in the prophecy of Ezekiel. The glory of God departs, and 
that's what's happening with reference to Jerusalem and Israel 
as a whole. C.H. Spurgeon said it this way 
with reference to the rending of the veil. As if shocked at 
the sacrilegious murder of her Lord, the temple rent her garments 
like one stricken with horror at some stupendous crime. I think he's on the right track 
there. That the salvation with reference 
to those who are in Christ is certainly typified by this rending 
of the veil. Notice the direction. It's not 
from the bottom to the top. It's not man seeking God. It's 
God ripping the veil from the top to the bottom. It's God who's 
initiated the access. It's God who's provided the sacrifice. It's God who has sent his son 
as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. It 
is through this atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ that 
we now have access into the Holy of Holies, into the very presence 
of God himself. In fact, John Calvin says, for 
then Christ, the true and everlasting priest, having abolished the 
figures of the law, opened up for us by his blood the way to 
the heavenly sanctuary, that we may no longer stand at a distance 
within the porch, but may freely advance into the presence of 
God. When he says, it is finished, he means it is finished, John 
19, 30. And one of those things that 
was in fact finished was the ceremonial aspect of God's law. It's not finished because it 
was bad. It's not finished because it was evil. It's finished because 
the ceremonial law is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. He 
is the great high priest. He has brought out atonement. 
He has brought us into the presence of God Almighty. He has indeed 
gathered together many sons, and He will indeed bring them 
unto glory through this redemptive work that we find recorded for 
us here at Matthew 27. So the rending of this veil publicly 
displays the glory of Jesus Christ in his atoning word. Yes, in 
the salvation of sinners, allowing, providing, making access for 
them to the Father, but as well in the judgment upon this apostate 
nation who had desecrated the temple, who had used it, or who 
had polluted it and made it a den of thieves, a house of robbers 
itself. There is both judgment and salvation 
to come, to pass, as a result of this rending of the veil. 
And I think as well, before we conclude this particular point, 
notice what it says about the covenantal transformation that 
is taking place. Remember at the Last Supper, 
what does Jesus say? This is my blood of the new covenant, 
which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Something 
significant is going on here at a more macrocosmic level. 
God, in terms of his covenantal dealings with people, is abolishing 
the old covenant. Again, not because it was bad 
or it was evil or it was wicked or it was wretched, but it was 
always purposed to be. temporary. It was always purposed 
to point us to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It had 
fulfilled its function. It is now abrogated. It is the 
new covenant wherein we have access through his blood to the 
Father himself. Now notice, secondly, in terms 
of these signs and wonders, the earthquake and rocks. Verse 51b 
says, "...and the earthquake and the rocks were split." Davies 
and Allison say that God vindicates His Son with a shower of astounding 
miracles. Nature speaks again and loudly. If you trace through the narrative 
over the Passion Week, where has the Father been? Now we know 
where the Father has been. He's always in heaven. He's enthroned 
on high. He is sovereign and majestic 
and glorious and wondrous. But you see our Christ in the 
Garden of Gethsemane crying out to the Father. You see Christ 
on the cross in Matthew 27 crying out to the Father. The Father 
is now speaking through the created order. The Father now vindicates 
His Son through the created order. Bruner says, as the skies darkened 
before Jesus' death, now the earth trembles after it. Think 
about what's happening here. Now, there are some who suggest, 
well, you know, the temple in Jerusalem as a whole is on fault 
lines. And, you know, when you're on 
fault lines, things like earthquakes are quite typical and quite natural. This isn't a natural earthquake. This is a supernatural earthquake. If earthquakes were that popular 
and that common, which I don't really have any reason to doubt 
or be concerned with, but if they were, why are the soldiers 
afraid? Why do they greatly fear, and 
specifically with reference to the earthquake and the things 
that transpire consistent with it? It's not fault lines that 
the Bible is concerned with, it's God's in-breaking into history. And I think that's what this 
earthquake suggests for us. Notice that Matthew doesn't give 
us Matthew 29 and interpret for us these signs and wonders. It's 
a bit difficult. And as I said, Matthew alone 
records 51 to 53. Matthew alone records these earthquakes 
and splitting rocks and dead bodies of saints being raised 
and going into the city of Jerusalem. This is only Matthew. So I can't 
say with utter certainty what all of this means. Can't say 
with utter certainty because, you know, we don't have an authoritative 
interpretation. But what do earthquakes suggest 
to us in the Bible? Well, it suggests first the intervention 
of God. The intervention of God. Judges 
5, 4 and 5. And then again in Psalm 114, 
7 and 8. But it suggests as well the judgment 
of God. You can turn to the prophet Jeremiah 
here. Jeremiah chapter 10, if we ask 
the question, why this earthquake on the occasion of the death 
of our Lord Jesus Christ? I would suggest that one of the 
things we ought to appreciate is the judgment of God. In other 
words, it's not the case that this crime goes unpunished. It 
was the greatest crime that was ever committed, wasn't it? I've 
shared with you before, I like to look at the news and see the 
crime that is going on in the world. Not because I have some 
sick fascination with crime, but because I hope it elicits 
from me prayer and intercession and a cry to God to send forth 
this glorious gospel to save sinners. I gotta tell you, sinners 
really do outdo themselves in the commission of crime. And 
there's some horrific things every single day that you can 
read on the news. But hands down, the biggest crime 
that's ever transpired is the execution of Jesus Christ. He 
didn't do anything wrong. I mean, even if we were framed 
for a bank robbery and even if we were in prison, we would never 
have the ability to say, well, I've never done anything wrong. 
Now, maybe I hadn't committed that particular bank robbery, 
and I'm not saying this is the way jurisprudence should operate, 
I'm just giving an analogy. We can never stand before the 
judge and say, I'm innocent, I've done nothing wrong. No, 
you've done everything wrong, maybe you didn't commit this 
particular bank robbery, but, you know, you're a wretch, you 
deserve it. Again, I hope that's not the 
way jurisprudence operates, but you get the point. Christ didn't 
ever do anything wrong. He always obeyed the law. He 
always did what his father gave him to do. He always pleased 
his father. He says, my meat is to do the will of him who 
sent me. I mean, can any of us actually say within our Christianity 
that our meat is to do what God says? Yes, me, pastor, for about 
a millisecond, and then you go on and do something else. Brethren, 
Christ always did what was pleasing to the Father. It was a heinous 
crime. Never forget that this crime 
was punished. When these Jews in Matthew 26 
say, His blood be on us, I'm sorry, Matthew 27 previous, His 
blood be on us and our children, God heard this and God answered 
this and God surrounded their fair city with the Roman armies 
in AD 70 and sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, dispersed 
these people into exile. for their having offended the 
majesty of God most high in executing the Lord of glory, their Messiah, 
the one they should have bowed to and confessed and adored and 
worshipped." No, God does bring judgment, and this earthquake 
is typical. This earthquake points to what 
is coming in terms of the judgment of God. But just to see a couple 
places. Notice in Jeremiah the prophet, 
10 verse 7. Who would not fear you, O king 
of the nations? For this is your rightful due. 
For among all the wise men of the nations and in all their 
kingdoms, there is none like you. But they are altogether 
dull-hearted and foolish. A wooden idol is a worthless 
doctrine. Silver is beaten into plates. It is brought from Tarshish 
and gold from Ufos. The work of the craftsmen and 
the hands of the metalsmith. Blue and purple are their clothing. 
They are all the work of skillful men. The Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the 
everlasting King. At His wrath, the earth will 
tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation." 
Again, that's just one specimen passage of many that we could 
go to to highlight the reality that what we have in this earthquake 
is typical of the judgment of God to be upon these people. Matthew Henry said, the earth, 
by trembling under such a load, bore its testimony to the innocency 
of him that was persecuted and against the impiety of those 
that persecuted him. Never did the whole creation 
before, grown under such a burden as the Son of God crucified and 
the guilty wretches that crucified him. You see, this earthquake 
isn't just to be interpreted as some natural phenomena that 
is unique to the place of Israel in this geographic location because 
there's fault lines present. No, we ought to think God's wrath. We ought to think God's just 
judgment and curse. We ought to consider the fact 
that God does not take sin lightly. He doesn't pardon those who crucified 
his son lest they repent and believe in his son. He doesn't 
just turn his back on judgment. It's a difference between sort 
of human jurisprudence and divine jurisprudence. God always gets 
his man. I remember being a kid, the only 
thing I ever knew about Canada was that there were Mounties. 
And I knew that Mounties always got their man. Well, the longer 
that I live in Canada, I see that wasn't always true. They 
don't seem to always get their man. God always gets his man. If you're not a believer here 
this morning, God will get you. And I don't mean in some vindictive, 
sadistic sort of way. The judge of all the earth is 
going to conduct a grand tribunal and we will all stand before 
him to give an account of deeds done in the body, whether good 
or evil. We will all stand before the throne of God on that day. We will all give an account with 
reference to his holy law. We'll have to confess the idolatry 
that we are guilty of, and confess the blasphemy, and the Sabbath-breaking, 
and the insubordination, and the murder, and the adultery, 
and the theft, and the lies, and the covetousness. We're going 
to have to give an account for all that. I think human jurisprudence 
oftentimes dulls us or deadens us to that reality. You see, 
people get away with a lot of things. Perhaps in your home, 
you get away with a lot of things. You're a young person and your 
parents don't know the degree to which you're engaged in rebellion 
or sin or evil. You get this idea that, well, 
if they don't see me, if they haven't caught me, if they don't 
know that I'm doing this, then I'm off scot-free. The Old Testament 
teaches some lessons that we desperately need to be reminded 
about. Your sin will always find you out. You think when Achan 
took that wedge of gold and those Babylonian garments and he hid 
it under his tent, he probably thought, oh, I'm safe. Nobody's 
ever going to see this. Nobody's ever going to know this. 
It's only a portion of the spoils that were there. I mean, after 
all, I'm a soldier. I should get to reap the benefits. It doesn't matter that God said 
no. It doesn't matter that God put them under the ban. It doesn't 
matter that God says, this is anathema. Don't touch those things 
when you march against the city. We actually think we can get 
away with sin. We actually think that we can 
hide from God. I mean, it goes all the way back 
to the Garden of Eden. You ever consider the reality 
that Adam and Eve, after they plunge into, after they engage 
in sin, they reject God's rule and authority? They reject his 
word? What do they do? They make fig 
leaves for themselves to cover themselves, and then they hide 
among the trees. Don't you find that outlandish? 
Don't you find that awkward? Did they actually suppose for 
the moment that the God who built the trees couldn't see them hiding 
among the trees? And then when God comes to deal 
with them, who told you that you were naked, God's not looking 
for information because he's deficient. It's kind of like 
the father when he sees the kid with the chocolate running down 
his cheek. He knows good and well the kid stole a cookie, 
but he asks him, did you get into the cookie jar? It's time 
to reckon. It's time to pony up. It's time 
to get serious. What happens when God does that 
with Adam? Well, first Adam blames God, and then Adam blames his 
dear wife. The woman whom you gave me, she 
gave me this fruit to eat. In other words, God, if you hadn't 
given me this woman, I'd be great. Isn't that offensive? Isn't that 
terrible? See, we don't learn from that 
because we still do the very same thing. We try to hide from 
God in our sin. We try to blame others with reference 
to our sin. You see, God isn't like men. God is not like the earthly magistrate 
who misses, who doesn't see, who winks or says, well, I understand, 
be on your way. No, all of us are gonna stand 
before this God to give an account. And we ought to consider the 
reality of this particular earthquake, not in terms of seismic phenomena, 
but in terms of God's wrath and fury and curse and judgment and 
hell and damnation that sinners justly deserve and are liable 
unto. The only way to flee the very 
wrath that this earthquake typifies is in the Christ who bowed up 
his head and gave up his spirit, according to verse 50. The only 
hope of salvation is in the one who said, why hast thou forsaken 
me? The only hope of salvation is 
in the one whom these soldiers will confess, truly this was 
the Son of God. He's the only remedy that can 
provide protection from the coming wrath of God Almighty. Let this 
earthquake teach you what the judgment of God is all about. Now notice, thirdly, the resurrection 
of the saints in verses 52 and 53. This demonstrates Jesus' 
power over the grave, doesn't it? Power over the grave and 
death. Notice in verse 52, "...and the 
graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had 
fallen asleep were raised. And coming out of the graves 
after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared 
to many." Same language is utilized in the prophet Ezekiel, though 
with different sort of fulfillment. Jesus highlights his sovereign 
authority over the grave in John 5, 24-29. Jesus here demonstrates 
his sovereign authority over the grave in the sense that after 
his death, these graves opened up. I think this foreshadows 
what is going to happen in chapter 28. There's going to be a longer 
detailed analysis of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, but Matthew 
here is linking the death of Christ and the resurrection of 
bodies, the resurrection of saints. It highlights the efficacy of 
Jesus' atoning works. Once he dies, what happens? The 
graves are open. Many bodies of the saints are 
raised. What's that indicate? It indicates 
what Davies and Allison say. Jesus' death is a resurrecting 
death. The dead are revived by his dying. As he passed from life to death, 
they pass from death to life. And then notice, it says that 
the bodies of many of these saints They went out and appeared to 
many within the holy city. Again, this is not reported for 
us in Mark and Luke and John. Paul doesn't deal with this and 
give us explanation or exposition, but we just kind of navigate 
our way. What does this mean? Which saints are they? I mean, 
there's noble attempts, the old patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob. Most say, no, they were probably 
contemporary saints. You know those that when they 
went into the holy city and appeared to many, they would be recognizable 
as those who had gone into the grave and had now been raised 
from the dead? We don't know the identity of 
these saints. It doesn't tell us, it simply 
says many, bodies of many of the saints. This one thing we 
do know, however, we may not know their identity, but we know 
this of a truth, that they are saints because of what Christ 
does. In other words, the cross not 
only reaches forward to us in the 21st century, but it's the 
cross that reaches backward. In other words, old covenant 
saints go to heaven not based on their ability, not based on 
their merit, not based on their goodness, but by grace alone, 
through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. It is Christ who 
is responsible for the fact that these saints are heaven-bound. These saints were saved before 
Jesus, were saved by Jesus. And then notice something else 
with reference to the text. Many bodies of the saints who 
had fallen asleep were raised. You hear what the emphasis is 
on there? Bodies. Do you know what the Christian 
hope is? A bodily resurrection from the dead. Brethren, we are 
not Gnostics. God is not a Gnostic. God is 
not against creation. God is not at war with your body. He's at war with your sin. The 
body is good. The body was created by God. The body will be renewed in that 
blessed day in a way, in a manner in which we'll have the capacity 
to enjoy God forever. But it's not disembodied spirits 
that is the Christian hope. Again, when I was a kid, Catholic, 
growing up, my conception of heaven were angels, heads with 
wings playing harps, and disembodied spirits in the presence of God. 
That's not the Christian hope. Notice specifically and conspicuously 
many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. Bruner says, with reference to 
God, matter matters. This is important because all 
throughout the history of the church, this is one of the things 
that has plagued her. In other words, when you read 
John's first letter, what does he identify often? Or what does 
he stress? Or what is he at pains to make 
sure persons understand? He doesn't deny that Jesus was 
flesh. You see, the Greeks, the persons 
that had a bad view, you can't say the Greeks, there was a lot 
of thought concerning different things within the Greeks, but 
there was a group of thinkers called Gnostics. Now, this is 
probably not who John has in mind specifically, but Gnostic-type 
people. And Gnostic just means, or Gnosis 
just means knowledge. It's a good thing. We all ought 
to desire knowledge. Gnosis. The Gnostics were a bit 
odd in this way. They thought they had direct 
access to God for their knowledge. They had that sort of hotline, 
you know, like Charismatics or Pentecostals or certain reform, 
where they think they have their own access to God. Well, the 
Lord told me. That would be very common in 
a Gnostic Bible study. If you were to say, what does 
this text mean to you? They'd say, well, I can tell 
you precisely because God told me yesterday. That was one of 
the aspects of Gnosticism. But they also thought that the 
body was bad. They thought the flesh was bad. 
They thought that what was noble, what was good and pure and holy 
and upright was the inside of man. And so you see why they 
would struggle with the incarnation of the Son of God, why they would 
struggle with the enfleshment of the second person of the Trinity. 
They would struggle with that because conceptually they thought 
flesh was bad. So somehow if Christ came, he 
must have only appeared to be flesh. He must not really have 
been flesh, it must just have been an appearance of such thing. 
But John says, no, what we saw, we held, we beheld with our eyes, 
we touched him. John stresses the earthiness 
of the Christian gospel. John stresses the earthly reality 
of Christ. The same is true here, brethren. 
Matter matters to God. Bruner goes on, God made it in 
creation, took it on in incarnation, and raises it again in resurrection. 
Bodies are not immaterial or unimportant to the biblical God. 
They matter so much that God raises them. In the Apostles' 
Creed, we joyfully confess, I believe in the resurrection of the body 
and the life everlasting. Disembodied souls are not part 
of the Christian hope. New, spiritual, but nevertheless, 
real bodies are. You see, this body of decay, 
this body that is riddled with pain, this body that is oftentimes 
affected because we live in a world filled with sin and curse and 
all that sort of thing, this body is renewed on the day of 
judgment. Is that good news? Is that a 
blessed reality? I think it is to those who suffer. 
Preach this hope of the Christian resurrection to somebody riddled 
with cancer, with chronic illness, with pain. I've often thought 
that we North Americans can't really identify with some of 
the promises with reference to the New Jerusalem in the book 
of Revelation. When we are told they will neither hunger nor 
thirst there anymore. I don't know that we feel the 
import of that. I don't know that we can enter in and go, 
wow, I long for a day when there's no more hunger and thirst. Because 
for the most part, we've never hungered or thirsted. For the 
most part, we've always walked down to the tap and turned the 
water on. Or we've walked to the refrigerator 
and took the food out. For the most part, we waste probably 
more food than certain persons in this world even see in a month. So I don't know that we feel 
the benefit and the power and the strength of that promise 
like our Ethiopian brethren do, or our Sudanese brethren do. When they read that, they say, 
wow, no more hunger and no more thirst. Don't denigrate them 
and say, oh no, brother, you've got to think about the communion 
with the Father and the spiritual blessings wrought by Christ. 
of somehow we're more holy than God who says, look, to the Ethiopian 
and the Sudanese, when you get to the new Jerusalem based on 
the redemptive work of my son, you'll never hunger there and 
you'll never thirst there. Or in Revelation 21 and 22, there 
will be no more sorrow, no more pain. I gotta say, we probably 
don't relate to that promise if we're in good health. We probably 
don't relate to that promise if we are cancer-free, if we're 
not undergoing great suffering and turmoil and trial. We probably 
don't relate to the fact that God is promising a pain-free 
state. Talk about pain management. Talk 
about pain control. Talk about life with God Most 
High. I believe in the resurrection 
of the body. Brethren, we are not Gnostics. 
Matter is not evil. The world is not evil. The flesh 
is not evil. It is sin. You see some of this 
Gnosticism in 1 Timothy 4. Paul calls it doctrines of demons. When persons come to the church 
and they say, or come to believers and they say, no, you shouldn't 
get married and you shouldn't eat steak. Because those are 
earthly pleasures and those are things that show that we're tied 
and we're fastened to this earth. Paul says, go ahead and get married. 
Go ahead and eat steak. Be thankful to Yahweh for it. 
We are not Gnostics, brethren. Many of the bodies of the saints 
were raised. Now, notice what they do when 
they're raised. In coming out of the graves after his resurrection, 
they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Now, as 
the text is punctuated, it sounds like Christ gives up his spirit 
The veil is rent in two from top to bottom, the graves are 
opened, the bodies are raised, and they sit from Friday till 
Sunday before they go into the holy city. Perhaps we ought to 
put a full stop between graves opened and many bodies of the 
saints who had fallen asleep. In other words, the graves are 
opened at that particular moment, but the bodies aren't raised 
until Sunday. In fact, Calvin takes it this 
way, as does Gill and Matthew Henry. Calvin says, there is 
no probability in the conjecture of some commentators that after 
having received life and breath, they remained at three days concealed 
in their graves. I think you see the difference. 
Either they were raised on the Friday and sat in the graves 
until the Sunday, or they were raised when Jesus was raised. 
I think the when Jesus was raised makes more sense, given the fact 
that he is the first fruits of all those who are raised from 
the dead. The theological significance 
underscores that. In terms of the historical significance, 
notice that these saints go into the Holy City, this is Jerusalem, 
and they appear to many. And this appearance to many is 
to confirm the reality that Christ was dead and now He's raised 
again. Now notice Matthew doesn't answer 
for us, what happened to them? Did they go back to their jobs? 
Did they go back to their homes? Did one of them who had been 
raised go home and say, honey, I'm back? He doesn't get into 
all that, does he? He doesn't sort of scratch the 
itches that these things suggest or the questions that suggest 
themselves. Did they ascend with Jesus? We 
don't know. Here's the point. Christ has 
power over sin. That veil is rent in two, showing 
us access to God. Christ has power over the grave. The graves are opened, and Christ 
has power over death. Many of the bodies of the saints 
were raised. And then these bodies of the 
saints that were raised went into the holy city, and they 
appeared to many. There they demonstrated and confirmed 
all that had transpired at Golgotha, all that had transpired with 
reference to the Lord. He was dead, he was buried, but 
he was raised. He was who he said that he was, 
and these signs and these wonders confirm it. Again, the saints, 
as representatives of the Jewish past, add their testimony to 
Jesus, which confirms the Christian present in this particular situation. So that's the signs and wonders. Let's look briefly at the witnesses 
to the crucifixion. Notice the confession of the 
soldiers in verse 54. This is amazing. Unlikely confessors, these ones. 
Very unlikely confessors in spite of or in light of all that they 
had witnessed, all that had transpired. Think of a wide scale rejection 
of Jesus by Israel. Think of all the parties guilty 
with reference to the death of our Lord Jesus. The religious 
leaders, they move, they instigate, they are operating, not only 
behind the scenes, but quite openly to get Christ executed. 
They stir up the multitudes. They call upon the multitudes 
to ask for his execution. They are the mob that appears 
before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. They all oppose the Lord 
Jesus, even on the cross. Notice, those who pass by blasphemed 
Him, verse 39. Likewise, the chief priests, 
scribes, and elders, verse 41. Even the robbers, in verse 44, 
reject the claims of Christ. So that these soldiers say what 
they say, it's truly an amazing situation. Now, the four soldiers 
are specifically tasked with carrying out his execution. If 
you want to look at John 19, you can see where the death squad, 
or these four men, serve specifically to ensure Christ's crucifixion. 
Notice in John 19.23, then the soldiers, when they had crucified 
Jesus, took his garments and made four parts to each soldier 
apart, and also the tunics. You see, you've got four soldiers, 
Centurion, others with him, that serve on this particular squad 
to ensure the execution of the Son of God. Now, as we look in 
this particular passage, they are most likely the same ones 
who mocked him in verses 27 to 31. Remember after Pilate gives 
the order to execute, Pilate then turns Jesus over to the 
Roman soldiers, and what do they do? They have a mock enthronement 
scene. They have a mock enthronement 
scene. They know why he's appeared before Pilate. They know what 
the particular charges are. They know what's happening, and 
so they take that crown of thorns, and they put it into his head. 
They give him a reed to serve as his royal scepter, and they 
put that purple robe on him. It's a mock enthronement scene. 
They abuse Him, they torture Him, they slap Him, they mock 
Him. The base of the cross, they're casting lots to get His garments. 
Remember, not a lot of money to be made, they would take whatever 
spoils there were, they could go sell it. Chilliwack bidding, 
they would put it on there. We just got this garment from 
a man that was executed, come by my house, 10 bucks and it's 
yours. That's why they were casting 
lots for the garments of our Lord Jesus. They had witnessed 
the mocking. They had heard the bypassers, 
they had heard the religious leaders, they had heard the robbers. 
My brethren, as a general rule, if robbers mock you, nobody really 
pays any attention. If bypassers mock you, nobody 
really pays any attention. But when the religious elite 
of a particular society mock you, everybody pays attention. 
That's why we need to be very careful that we don't misrepresent 
things and we don't assassinate somebody's character. These are 
the ones who had charge of keeping watch over him. Notice in verse 
36, sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Now note, back 
in our text, in verse 54, those with him regarding Jesus saw 
the earthquake and the things that happened, they feared greatly. Last time this they feared greatly 
was used, it was used of the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. When they saw the glory of Christ 
revealed, it says they feared greatly. And these Roman soldiers 
are in the same boat at this particular time. Now note their 
confession. Truly, this was the Son of God. The soldiers, Davies and Allison 
make this observation, the soldiers who are set up as witnesses in 
verse 36 take up the title used to ridicule Jesus in verses 40 
and 43 and make it a sincere confession. Now, some suggest 
that we ought not to translate it as the Son of God. These Roman soldiers said, well, 
he's a son of God. Remember in the Roman Empire, 
it was not uncommon to have a plurality of gods. It was a polytheistic 
society. He might have been a divinized 
man in the sight of these particular soldiers. They might have had 
these better thoughts of him. So we shouldn't translate it, 
the son of God. We should translate it, ah, he's 
one among many of the sons of the gods. I don't think so. And 
whether they knew exactly what they were saying and the significance 
of it, Matthew certainly does. Consider what these men had heard 
and what these men had seen and what these men had known. They 
saw the charge written above his head. This is the king of 
the Jews. This would be a son of God. They heard the specific 
claims of the bypassers in verse 39. He claims to be the son of 
God. They heard the specific CAVIL, 
the insults of the religious leaders in verses 40 and 43. 
And as well, they lived in Palestine. They would have heard Jewish 
religion. They would have heard the promise of Messiah. And the 
fact that the article is not used is not a problem. It's a 
particular convention that Colwell's rule speaks to. It's not necessary 
to have the article there in this particular convention. I 
submit, brethren, they knew exactly what they were saying, and the 
was there shouldn't tip us either. Well, they thought he was the 
son of God, but no longer. No, they're going based on the 
information that they had readily available. As they survey the 
mockery that they themselves had inflicted. As they survey 
the mockery that the bystanders and leaders and robbers had inflicted. 
As they survey the results of a kangaroo court that brought 
Jesus to this particular place, standing now at the foot of the 
cross, seeing the effects of this particular earthquake, they 
are led to confess the great confession of Christianity. Truly 
this was the Son of God. They now join the disciples. Matthew 14, 33. Matthew 16. Remember when Jesus says, who 
do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And the disciples say, 
well, they say this, this, this, this. And then Jesus says, who 
do you say that I am? And Peter says, thou art the 
Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus says, Blessed 
art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood did not reveal 
this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. They have joined 
the ranks of these confessors. They have joined the ranks of 
God himself in terms of identifying divine sonship of Jesus. Not 
that they've become God, but they confess with God, this is 
my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Brethren, these men 
standing at the foot of the cross could no longer suppress, could 
no longer hold back, could no longer just say, well, he's just 
a common piece of riffraff like the other two that were crucified. 
No, this truly was the Son of God. Brunner makes this observation. He says it pleases Matthew that 
just as it was Gentile magi who first honored Jesus' birth in 
Matthew 2, So it is now Gentile militia who first honor Jesus' 
death. Think about it. What's this typical 
of? What's this symptomatic of? What's 
going to be crystal clear in the Great Commission? Go, therefore, 
and make disciples of all the nations. Some suggest, well, 
you can't really believe these Roman soldiers were converted. 
Why not? Why can't we believe that if 
the central confession of Christianity is, thou art the Christ, the 
Son of the living God, and the last recorded statement of persons 
standing at the foot of the cross say, thou art the Son of God. That seems to me to indicate 
that everything scripture says, all the way back to the Abrahamic 
promise in Genesis 12, and the application of it in Matthew 
28, is true. God is building a worldwide church, 
made up from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Roman soldiers, 
faithful women, Jewish disciples, whoever, by God's grace, come 
to him, will not be cast out. Luther believed that the soldier's 
confession is the sign of the power of the death of Christ. 
The blood of Christ not only wakens dead bodies, but also 
sinners' souls. I read something recently, another 
critique of what's called a cessationist. I don't want to weigh everybody 
down at this particular point in the sermon, but suffice it 
to say, some of us do not believe that tongues and prophesying 
continue on this side of the New Testament. We believe the 
gifts, those particular revelatory gifts of God have ceased, hence 
the name cessation. They've ceased, why? Because 
God's given us the New Testament. In other words, tongues and prophesying 
were present in the early church because they didn't have Matthew 
through Revelation. So God was speaking to the church 
via tongues and prophesying to the people of God. Once the canon 
is closed, that means we have the New Testament, there's no 
longer a place for tongues and prophesying. Now, unfortunately, 
cessationists are often represented as being anti-supernatural. I 
don't know how that follows. you know, beyond me to see how 
that follows, but you're anti-supernatural. You believe in the cessation 
of the gifts and therefore you don't believe in the power of 
God. Brethren, cessationists believe in miracles. Cessationists 
believe in the power of God when a sinner is saved. Cessationists 
bank their lives on that power, miraculous power of God Almighty 
and their ministries. It's a matter of revelatory gifts. It's not a matter of the power 
of God. It's not a matter of miracles. 
It's not a matter of, can God? Most assuredly, God can. And I would have to further submit 
that the salvation of a sinner, brethren, in my mind, as feeble 
and weak as it is, far excels the giving of a tongue. I mean, 
let's not capitalize on tongues and prophecy and forget the supernatural 
power and presence of the Holy Spirit in bringing dead sinners 
to life. Are we seeking tongues? Are we 
seeking prophesying? Are we seeking the resurrection 
of dead souls by the preaching of the gospel through the power 
of God Most High? That's what we ought to be about. 
I think Luther's right. He believed that the soldier's 
confession is the sign of the power of the death of Christ. 
The blood of Christ not only awakens dead bodies, but also 
sinners' souls. Now let's look finally at the 
presence of these women, all three. Other gospel records have 
this. The presence of these women, 
and many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to 
him, were looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, 
Mary the mother of James and Joses, or Joseph, and the mother 
of Zebedee's sons. Now, Matthew hasn't gone into 
a great deal of description about the fact that Jesus had women 
who followed him. You know, we do err if we think 
that there were these 12 men that followed Jesus and that's 
all he ever had around him. Brethren, it says they followed 
him from Galilee. This means about an 80 to 100 
mile trek to get from Galilee to Jerusalem. And notice that 
the text underscores a few things about them. They followed Jesus 
from Galilee, ministering to him. Luke 8, verses 2 and 3 tell 
us specifically from their substance, from their money, from their 
bank, from their labors, they provided for Jesus and his disciples. Notice the particular ladies 
that are mentioned, among whom were Mary Magdalene, the mother 
of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Mary 
Magdalene is often mentioned. She's the one in Luke 8 that 
had the seven demons cast out by the power of Jesus Christ. 
Now, people try to link her with a whole bunch of others in the 
New Testament, but we really don't have warrant to do that. 
But Mary Magdalene is present here. The Mary the mother of 
James and Joseph, some suggest this would be Jesus' mother. 
Because Mary, according to Matthew 13, verse 55, had two sons and 
one was named James and one was named Joseph. So some surmise 
that this must be Mary, the mother of Jesus. It's an odd way for 
Matthew to describe Mary, the mother of Jesus. I think it's 
easier to submit that James and Joseph were very common names 
in this period. So this was another Mary. And 
then the mother of Zebedee's sons. She's called Salome in 
Mark 15, 40. She's called Salome. That's her 
specific name. But it is intriguing on a couple 
of levels here. First, the apologetic significance. 
The apologetic, that means the defense significance of this. A woman's testimony in a Jewish 
court didn't mean anything, didn't mean much. Don't get offended, 
ladies. Don't go home and cry. I'm not 
trying to trigger you. This is just the way it was. 
Their testimony didn't matter. And many have observed that the 
New Testament authors use their testimony as one of the indicators 
that what they write is true. If you had gathered together 
to try to pull the wool over the eyes of a mass of humanity, 
you would never use women as your witnesses. You would make 
sure that you had men. And note the continuity with 
the women. They're present at his death. 
They're present at the burial, verse 61. And they're present 
at the resurrection, chapter 28. You see, the testimony of 
the New Testament authors is not shaped, it's not molded, 
it's not massaged. They don't leave things out that 
doesn't make or help their case. They report the facts. And the 
facts are that Jesus had women. And Jesus had women that were 
faithful to Him. Jesus had women that were devoted 
to Him. And as I look at this particular 
scene, and I see these women at the foot of the cross, I've 
got to think what kind of a man He was that they would be that 
devoted. He never insulted them. He never 
lusted after them. He never sexually harassed them. 
He never made them feel like second-class citizens. He never 
made them feel like they were relegated to simply the kitchen 
or to the bedroom. No, they were followers and devotees 
of the Lord Jesus. He never made them feel awkward, 
but as well it upholds the reality that sometimes we need to get 
over ourselves with reference to what Ephesians 5 tells us. 
Husbands are the head of the wives. Wives are to submit to 
their own husbands, as to the Lord. It can be done. There's no bad in it. There's 
no ill in it. There's no evil in it. It's not 
something to be shunned or ran from. Christ is the author of 
both Old and New Testaments. Christ is as much involved as 
Ephesians 5 and Ephesians 5, as is Paul the Apostle. Christ 
sets down that particular order with reference to his creatures. 
And Christ, who is true humanity, perfect man, is devoted or has 
devotion by these women. He always treated them with respect. 
He always treated them with love. He always treated them with kindness 
and dignity. He always made them feel welcome. And they are present. And I think 
it's the last clause, I think, that is somewhat troublesome. 
While he doesn't identify this as Salome, He identifies her 
as the mother of Zebedee's sons. Where are they? Where are they? Sisters, you 
come off well in the gospel narratives. Sisters come off well. Now, I 
don't think a bunch of unbiblical conclusions ought to be drawn 
out. Well, therefore, they should be pastors. No, no. Where's Zebedee's sons? The only 
gospel narrative that mentions one of the apostles present is 
John. And remember that this mother 
of Zebedee, according to Matthew 20, came to Jesus and said, will 
you permit that my sons sit on your right and on your left? 
Remember that? It was this Salome. Here she learns the true meaning 
of being on Jesus left and right. Her presence also serves as a 
foil for her son's cowardly absence. That's Davies and Allison. Now 
you may say, well, they're modern commentators and they're pretty 
mean to men. Calvin says, praise is bestowed 
on the women alone who accompanied Christ till death because their 
extraordinary attachment to their master was the more strikingly 
displayed when the men fled trembling. Now I'm not here to exalt womanhood 
over manhood, but I am here to call us all to faithful discipleship. Where are the women in crunch 
time? They're at the cross. Some have said, well, they were 
at a distance. So that highlights that they 
lacked courage. No, it was by necessity. You 
don't let a bunch of women next to the cross in this particular 
context. Perhaps they stayed away from 
there because of the indignities involved. They're naked men on 
a cross. It wasn't like today where everybody 
looked at everything naked. There was dignity and decorum 
with these women so that they would not draw nigh. To find 
cowardice in the women because they were at a distance is to 
see something that is simply not there. We should see devotion 
following him those 80 to 100 miles. We should see service. They ministered unto him and 
we should see the same faith as expressed by those soldiers 
because who would stay in the midst of this unless they believed 
that truly This was the Son of God. These are good witnesses 
of our Lord Jesus. Well, in conclusion, the primary 
emphasis in this passage is on the efficacy of the atoning work 
of our Lord Jesus. We see the power of Jesus in 
inaugurating, that means bringing to pass, bringing into fruition, 
the new covenant. In fact, I think Ryle is beautiful 
here. He says, the rending of the veil 
proclaimed the termination, excuse me, and passing away of the ceremonial 
law. It was a sign that the old dispensation 
of sacrifices and ordinances was no longer needed. Its work 
was done. Its occupation was gone from 
the moment that Christ died. There was no more need of an 
earthly high priest and a mercy seat and a sprinkling of blood 
and an offering up of incense and a day of atonement. The true 
high priest had at length appeared. The true Lamb of God had been 
slain. The true mercy seat was at length revealed. The figures 
and shadows were no longer needed. May we all remember this, to 
set up an altar and a sacrifice and a priesthood now is to light 
a candle at noonday. You know what he's got in his 
crosshairs there is the Roman Mass, the Romish Mass. Why would you set up a priesthood 
and sacrifices and an altar now? It's to light a candle in the 
noonday sun. Christ said it is finished. He inaugurates the new covenant 
in His blood. We see as well the power of Jesus 
over sin. That rent veil is an invitation 
to sinners to come. Access to God has been secured 
by the Son through His death at the cross. As well, we see 
that power over the grave. 51 to 53 foreshadow the realities 
of chapter 28 and the blessed truth of 1 Corinthians 15. How 
does Paul end that resurrection chapter? Yes, there's practical 
admonition, therefore be immovable, be strong, be steadfast. I get 
that, but in terms of his exposition of the glory of the resurrection, 
you know what he says? He says, death, where is your 
sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Death is swallowed up in victory. And this little glimpse in 51 
to 53, as odd as it may appear, because it's not in Mark, Luke, 
or John, it's not expounded on in the rest of the New Testament, 
as odd as it may be, at least at first, we ought to appreciate 
the reality of what it preaches and teaches us. The graves will 
be opened, and many bodies of the saints will be raised. We 
will be raised. And of course, we could spiritualize 
it and say we're heading into the holy city, the new Jerusalem, 
aren't we? That's where this train is bound. We see the power of Jesus for 
past, present, and future sinners. Those many saints in the graves 
are raised by virtue of the fact of Christ's atoning work. His 
cross reaches back. His cross reaches forward. His 
cross reaches all directions. Samuel Rutherford made this observation. The cross of our Christ, upon 
which he was extended, points in the breadth of it to former 
and following ages, his being equally salvation to both, and 
in the length of it to heaven and earth, reconciling them together. And then we see the efficacy 
of the atoning work of our Lord Jesus in the salvation of men 
from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. It's the Roman soldiers 
that confessed truly this was the Son of God. Well, brethren, 
I hope that as we have meditated upon, looked at this particular 
section, the entirety, beginning in 42 all the way to verse 57, 
hopefully it has informed our minds, but even more, I hope 
it does elicit from us worship to God. Theology, Christology 
ought to produce doxology. And I'm not saying, you know, 
knowing these things are unimportant. You know me better than that. 
We need to know these things. But may these things move us 
to praise, to adoration, to worship, and to love, and to honor, and 
adore. And if you're not a believer 
here this morning, may that rent veil show you something of the 
heart of God. May that rent veil show you something 
of God's regard for sinners, from top to bottom, to show the 
access that Christ has secured through his own precious blood. 
Paul develops this at length in Ephesians 2. He says that 
Gentiles, prior to coming into contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, 
They were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. They were strangers 
to the covenants of promise. They were without hope and without 
God in this world. But now, he says, Christ has 
come. Christ has made peace. Christ preaches peace, so that 
all who look to Him can have peace with God. through our Lord 
Jesus Christ. May the rent veil today be a 
demonstration to you of access to the Father by the Son through 
the power of the Holy Spirit. And may you look unto Him and 
may you live. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for your word. We thank you for your grace and 
your mercy. We thank you for the glorious 
gospel of our salvation. And may we learn the lessons 
from this passage, and may they provide fuel for us to worship 
our God. And may you indeed save sinners. 
May you open hearts and open ears and eyes to receive the 
truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And may souls be saved 
by your power and for your glory. And we ask these things through 
Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.