Scripture Reading

Well, you can turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 27 for our meditation this evening before the Lord's Supper. I figured while we're at the foot of the cross and our studies in John's gospel, we'll focus on some things that are unique and peculiar to Matthew's gospel in terms of the passion narrative, all three synoptic gospels indicate the tearing of the veil, but Matthew goes on to describe some other phenomena, some other signs and wonders, the earthquake and the rock splitting and the resurrection of the saints. So our focus tonight will be on verses 51 to 56, but I'll begin reading in verse 45 in Matthew 27. 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, Lama 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 there 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.

Opening Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank you again for the death of our blessed Savior on the cross at Calvary. We thank you for that resurrection the third day in the current session now at your right hand. And we thank you for that life of obedience leading up to the death on the cross. We know that through his active and passive obedience, Jesus has indeed satisfied all. satisfied divine justice, satisfied the demands of the law, and has brought to us the forgiveness of sins and has given to us a righteousness that we, by your grace, receive through faith alone.

We give praise to you for this wonderful truth, for this wonderful gospel. Again, may you encourage and build us up in our most holy faith. May you forgive us for all of our remaining sin. May you guide us now by the spirit of the living and true God.

And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Introduction

Well in terms of Matthew's gospel up to this particular point we have the crucifixion of Jesus in verses 32 to 38, the mockery of the crucified one in verses 39 to 44, the cry of dereliction which is the fourth saying of the Savior on the cross in verses 45 and 46, and then of course the death of Jesus in verses 47 to 50. So we'll pick up the signs and the wonders following the crucifixion in verses 51 and 53, and then the witnesses to the crucifixion in verses 54 to 56. But with reference to the signs and wonders following the crucifixion, I've already mentioned that Mark and Luke indicate this torn veil. Well, so does Matthew here, specifically in verse 51.

The Torn Veil

So verse 50, and Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. then behold the veil of the temple was torn into from top to bottom. Now most likely it was the inner veil. There were two veils. The first veil was the inner veil that separated the holy of holies from the holy place.

Actually that's called the second veil in Hebrews 9.3. So the inner veil separated the holy of holies from the holy place. Remember the holy of holies was only entered into one day out of the year on the day of atonement by the high priest. He would take off all of his outer sort of pomp and majesty in terms of his clothing.

He'd wear a linen garment and he would go into that holy of holies to render atonement. He'd bring the blood of an animal He'd pour it on the mercy seat for his sin, for the sins of Israel, for the altar itself, because it had had contact with sin, with reference to the atonement. And then he would take that second goat, the scapegoat, he'd put his hands on that goat, confess the transgressions of Israel. and then send it out into the wilderness. So the inner veil was the one that separated the holy of holies from the holy place.

The outer veil separated the holy place from the courtyard. So again, two veils in play. And commentators mostly land on this rending of the veil being the inner veil, but it's not altogether out of the ordinary to suggest that it might have been the outer veil. Now, the tearing of the inner veil would only be known to priests, but in the book of Acts, many priests come to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus, so they would have testified, they would have told people, yeah, the inner veil had been rent at the time of his death.

The book of Hebrews stresses mainly the inner veil, that second veil in Hebrews 9.6. In fact, a commentator on Matthew's gospel, I'm gonna refer to him a couple of times tonight, Frederick Bruner mentions this. He says, the whole of the epistle to the Hebrews is commentary on the split veil. And in that, we see that access to God.

In fact, the veil, the inner veil, is typical of the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Hebrews chapter 10. Now, in terms of the significance of the rending of the veil or the tearing of the veil, had it been the outer veil, this would indicate the destruction of the temple. in A.D. 70. God had already, through our Lord Jesus Christ and His prophetic ministry, pronounced the coming judgment upon the city of Jerusalem. The measure of their guilt had been filled and wrath would come upon them to the uttermost, according to Paul, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2.

So the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, consistent with Matthew 23 and verse 38, and of course the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. If it indeed was the intervail, that's the abrogation by fulfillment of the old covenant and thus an opening up to the presence of God Almighty. Now both these things, judgment and salvation, are not mutually exclusive. In fact, when we see the salvation of some, we see the judgment and the condemnation of others.

So the judgment upon the Jews may be indicated in this rending of the veil. Matthew Poole says, by this rending of the veil, God testified his wrath against the Jews and that he was leaving his temple amongst them. Spurgeon says, as if shocked at the sacrilegious murder of her Lord, the temple rent her garments like one stricken with horror at some stupendous crime. if indeed it was the inner veil, that salvation of all who come to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The veil is torn from top to bottom indicating God's initiative, God's bringing sinners nigh through the blood of the Lamb.

The veil that prohibited access to the Holy of Holies except for the high priest on the Day of Atonement is no longer present. And in the book of Hebrews, in chapter 10, verses 19 to 25, we see that we have free access now by the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ. We're not kept outside the Holy of Holies, but rather we are brought nigh through His precious blood. It's quite an encouraging statement here.

It's quite an encouraging bit of theology that the gospel writers are indicating. This isn't just happenstance. It's not just observational. It's not just, wow, there's this phenomena that occurs.

There is theological significance. Those veils that kept people out are now rent, indicating that people can come in. And that's precisely what we have in the New Covenant Church. We come to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit, in public worship.

Remember Paul's prayer in Ephesians chapter 3, I pray that you would be filled with all the fullness of God. That makes sense in light of Ephesians 2, 18 and 22 where he sees the people of God as the temple of God and that filling of God in his temple harkens back to the Shekinah glory in the Old Covenant tabernacle and the Old Covenant temple. The veil is torn and that serves as a visible display of the covenantal transformation that had taken place. Jesus is the surety of a better covenant.

The old covenant is fulfilled. The old covenant is no longer binding upon the children of God. We have free access. We don't need tabernacle.

We don't need temple. We don't need an earthly priesthood. We certainly don't need a sacrificial system because the Lamb of God has taken away the sin of the world. And that rent veil indicates now we have free access through His precious blood.

And we see as well it's an abrogation again by fulfillment. It's not that it was bad, but it fulfilled what God had intended for it to do. And in the coming and the life and the ministry of our Lord Jesus, he fulfilled all the obligations of ceremonial law. In fact, Calvin indicates this.

He says, for then Christ, the true and everlasting priest, having abolished the figures of the law, opened up for us by his blood of 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.

Hebrews 10: Draw Near, Hold Fast

You can turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, this is practical application. This is the use of what the author has discoursed on in chapters five to nine, the superiority of Christ's priesthood over Aaron, over the Levitical system and its consistency with Melchizedek as prophesied in Psalm 110. So after telling us about the glorious priesthood of Jesus in chapter 10 at verse 19, notice he says, therefore brethren, It's going to get real practical, real concrete.

He's going to move from that glorious bit of theology concerning the priestly office of Christ to what that means for us in the New Covenant Church. Now, through the veil, that is His flesh, veil functioning typically of the flesh of our Savior, and having a high priest over the house of God, notice He gives three exhortations. Verse 22, let us draw near. Verse 23, let us hold fast.

And verse 24, let us consider one another. Verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Because of what Christ has accomplished, we now have free access to the very presence of God. We get, as it were, to go behind that veil into the very Holy of Holies.

The priestly office of our Lord Jesus Christ makes the way of access for all those who, by God's grace, are believers in Him. The Apostle's writing to the church. The Apostle is encouraging the people of God. The Apostle is contrasting the Old and the New Covenants, and he's showing the superiority of the New Covenant, and the superiority of the New Covenant is seen in its priest, in its sacrifice, and in the access that it provides for the worshiper.

And so he says, let us draw near. That's an exhortation. That's an emphasis. And in order for us to draw near, we need to open our Bibles.

We need to go to the throne of grace in prayer. We need to come to the public assembling of God's people together in the church. We need to come to the supper. We need to participate in the things that he has given.

These are the means of grace that God has ordained for the drawing near. If you say, well, I tried to draw near, but it just didn't work out. We walk by faith, not by sight. This drawing near is not marked by fireworks.

It's not marked by, you know, emotions. It's not marked by, you know, an overemphasis on feeling. We walk by faith, whether we feel it or not, what God says concerning what we're doing here is a drawing knife through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We've gone through that veil, we're in the very Holy of Holies, we get to sop and commune with our blessed Savior tonight.

He goes on to say in verse 23, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. Remember this morning, the last exhortation in Psalm 31, 24, be of good courage. He starts off in verse 1, let me not be ashamed.

Well, how do you think we go from a place of being ashamed to of good courage? It's by feeding upon the truth of scripture. It's by knowing the objective content of God's revealed will. It's by understanding the truth as it is in Jesus.

And so he tells us, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Sounds like the psalmist in Psalm 31. Sounds like our Lord Jesus Christ. He's faithful.

But this idea, in this particular context, is uniquely fitted to that context. What's happening in the book of Hebrews? It's written prior to AD 70. The temple's still standing, the priesthood is still in play, and the sacrifices are still being offered up.

And so the Jewish believers are being tempted to go back to Moses, to go back to Aaron, to go back to the temple, to go back to the sacrifices. And the apostle is saying, no. All those things, the temple, the tabernacle, the priesthood, all pointed to this particular time, namely the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look back at Hebrews chapter 8 for just a moment in verse 13 in that he says a new covenant he has made the first obsolete.

He made the first obsolete at the death of the Savior. The rending of the veil indicates the obsolescence of that old covenant situation. But then he goes on to say, now what is becoming obsolete, I think that's a reference to the fact that the temple was still standing, the priesthood was still active, and sacrifices were still being brought. He goes on to say, and growing old, is ready to vanish away.

The ready to vanish away-ness is going to take place in AD 70 when that temple is destroyed. when there will no longer be that central sanctuary for the professed people of God. There'll be no more temple ever to be built again. Why? Because tabernacle and temple pointed to our Lord Jesus Christ.

They prefigured and typified. They are not the end. This idea that we're going to see a rebuilt temple is to go backward in redemptive history. To go back to an animal sacrificial system is to go backward in redemptive history.

The author is announcing there's no more going back. In fact, if you're still going through that, you need to depart from it and you need to hold fast. Namely, you need to hold fast the confession of our hope. 10.23, without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. They'd need that encouragement so that they would not be tempted to go back to Moses, back to Aaron, back to Temple.

And then he says, finally, in verses 24 and 25, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another in so much the more as you see the day approaching. Intriguingly, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." Imagine a time long ago when you didn't have email. Imagine a time long ago when you didn't have texters. Imagine a time long ago when you didn't have cars.

Imagine a time long ago where you just couldn't pop in to a brother or sister on a Tuesday morning and love on him. It's one of the emphases that we see here in terms of Lord's Day worship, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. It is to express our mutual love for one another. It's one of the emphases with reference to the supper as well.

Yeah, it's vertical communion with God, but it's also communion with one another. It's the body life expression of Christ's church. We are to do these things. We're not individualistic.

We don't do this in our closet taking the supper. We do it in the church because this is a time for us to express that love and that one body-ness to one another in the context of public worship. So when we get to that rent veil, there's a lot of theology going on. It's beautiful, it's wonderful, and it shows us that God has brought sinners nigh through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Earthquake and Split Rocks

But then Matthew mentions the earthquake and the rocks. This is unique to Matthew. Mark and Luke do not indicate this in verse 51b. So then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earthquake and the rocks were split.

The earth quaked and the rocks were split. Davies and Allison say, God vindicates his son with a shower of astounding miracles. Nature speaks again and loudly. Look up at verse 45.

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land. When we get to the centurion and the soldier's confession that this was the son of God, we might wonder, well, why would they do that? Well, this was a scene, Unlike any they had seen before, these guys were pros. They killed people for a living.

I wouldn't imagine that every time they killed people, there was darkness over the land for a period of hours. I would imagine every time they killed people, there was earthquakes. Every time they killed people, rocks split. Every time they killed people, graves were opened and the saints came out.

This was unique. This was different, this was phenomena, this is signs and wonders. Bruner says, as the skies darkened before Jesus' death, now the earth trembles after it. It is an impressive scene of the power of God in creation.

It is a powerful scene in terms of God's affirmation, the Father's affirmation or confirmation of the sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in terms of earthquake and splitting of rocks, the Old Testament seems to suggest the intervention of God. Earthquakes indicate God's intervention with reference to the affairs of men. Judges chapter five, verses four and five in the Song of Deborah. as well in Psalm 114, 7, and 8.

Also indicated in the Old Testament is that earthquakes are symptomatic of the judgment of God. The judgment of God is obvious in Jeremiah 10, 10, Joel 3, 16, and Nahum 1, 5, and 6. We all know John 3, 16. We should probably be a bit more familiar with Joel 3, 16.

With reference to earthquakes, as we see it in the Old Testament, oftentimes, I'm not suggesting that every single time is a direct providential act by God to judge certain people. I'm not saying that. But it is one of the means that God has used according to these Old Testament passages. Matthew Henry says, the earth, by trembling under such a load, bore its testimony to the innocence of him that was persecuted, and against the impiety of those that persecuted him.

Never did the whole creation before groan under such a burden as the Son of God crucified and the guilty wretches that crucified Him." So with reference to the earthquake, it does indicate divine judgment. As I mentioned this morning, when the psalmist is crying out in anguish, when he's expressing his adversities, he understands all too well that God is not only going to deliver His saints, but God is going to punish the wicked. He's going to send them off to hell. So this is indicative of that blessed reality.

The Resurrection of the Saints

And then thirdly, in terms of the signs and wonders, notice the resurrection of the saints in verses 52 and 53. Again, unique to Matthew and difficult to get our minds wrapped around. There's some things going on here I just can't explain, but let's look specifically at verses 52 and 53. Notice how the text reads in verse 52, and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

It's probably best to put a hard break or a period after open. And the graves were opened, period, 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 many resurrected saints are said to come out of the grave after Jesus' resurrection.

That's what the text says. Notice, coming out of the graves, verse 53, after his resurrection. So with that in mind, the text as it is punctuated suggests that the graves were open, the bodies were raised, and then they sat in the graves until Sunday when Jesus was raised from the dead. That doesn't seem to be the way that it happened.

Calvin says, there is no probability in the conjecture of some commentators that after having received life and breath, they remained three days concealed in their graves. Again, look at the text in verse 52, and the graves were open. And then, 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. And I think this foreshadows what we're gonna see in spades in chapter 28.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ, that's the foundation and the basis for the resurrection of all those who by God's grace are in Jesus Christ. This shows us Jesus' power over the grave, John chapter five. It's a God-befitting task entrusted to the Savior to judge men, those who are in the graves, hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who are destined for eternal life, for eternal life. Those who are punished are cast away from the Son of God.

This shows us as well the efficacy of Christ's atoning work. The fact that he died, the fact that he's raised again, the fact that these saints are raised indicates that his work was efficient, that his work was sufficient, that his work did answer the demands of God's law and justice, and that it provided the way of resurrection for all those who by grace are in him. Now, in terms of the identification of the saints, Matthew doesn't tell us. Matthew doesn't say there was Bill over there, there was Jack over there, I saw Diane.

That's not what he says. He simply states it as it is. We know that anybody that was saved before Jesus was saved by Jesus. Hebrews 9, 15, we looked at that this morning.

The retrospective application of Christ's redemptive work to old covenant saints. And so who these people were, we do not know. But also it shows us something of the nature of the Christian hope. The nature of the Christian hope.

I wonder at times if we are Gnostic, at least at some level. And by Gnostic, we have a problem with the external. We have a problem with the natural. We have a problem with the physical.

The Bible doesn't have a problem with the physical. God made the physical. God created this world and all things in it and all very good.

Bodily Resurrection as Christian Hope

The nature of the Christian hope is the bodily resurrection from the dead. Brethren, we are not Gnostics. We do not look at the physical, the body, the pieces, the parts as bad. As I've mentioned many times, God's not at war with our nature.

God's at war with our sin. And so when Jesus saves us from our sins, it affects us, obviously, in a soulish or spiritual way, but it affects us physically. Listen to Bruner. I think he makes a good perceptive comment here.

He says, matter matters. 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. That's a great emphasis, brethren, and one we need to hold on to.

There is a resurrection bodily of the living and the dead. That's the Christian hope. That's the new heavens and the new earth. That's the consummation.

That is the corrective to what Adam does in the garden in terms of forfeit righteousness. The last Adam comes to perfect. The last Adam comes to restore. The last Adam comes to recapitulate.

The last Adam comes to bring to fruition God's purpose in the created order. Creation isn't bad. Sin is bad. But sin has a remedy in the person and in the work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We ought to confess that Apostle's Creed. I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. And then note, the saints went into Jerusalem. The saints went into Jerusalem, verse 53, and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

The theological significance, Christ is the firstfruits of resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15, 20, and Colossians 1, 18. As well, there's a bit of historical significance. The saints went into the holy city. That was Jerusalem.

They appeared to many. This wasn't, you know, they just hung out, the saints just kind of gathered by an empty tomb and, you know, shot the breeze until whatever their final disposition was. They appeared to many. Why would Matthew write that?

Why would Mark and Luke and John give us details with reference to the nitty-gritty Why when the disciples come to the empty tomb in John's gospel, they find the bodily garments folded up, or the napkin that was on his head folded up and laid on the bench there. Why do you think they do that? Because grave robbers wouldn't go in and plunder a grave and then fold up after themselves and leave things neat and tidy. They're doing apologetics.

They're doing history. They're doing eyewitness confirmation. The next section in John's gospel is the confirmation of his death and John the Apostle says, I was there. I'm an eyewitness testimony.

The same sort of a thing here. Notice they went into the holy city and appeared to many. You could talk to those many and say, what did you see? Well, I saw resurrected saints.

Did you get their names? Yeah, one was Jack, one was Bill, one was Doug. No. You could verify it.

It was verifiable. It was true. It was accurate. It is history.

The saints, as representatives of the Jewish past, add their testimony to Jesus, which confirms the Christian present. Davies and Allison. Now Matthew does not say what happened to these saints. Matthew does not tell us.

There's two suppositions. One, they ascended with Jesus when Jesus ascended on high. Or two, they continued on much like Lazarus. Remember, Lazarus was raised from the dead in John's gospel in John chapter 11.

I'm sure after his dealings and doings with Jesus, he didn't drop dead again. He continued on. So, you know, we don't know for certain. Gil seems to favor that they ascended with Jesus as the sign of his first fruits in terms of resurrection.

But Matthew simply does not tell us, doesn't always answer the questions that we'd have, because we'd read this and say, well, what happened to them? Did they go get jobs? Did they get their jobs back? Did they go back to their wives, their husbands?

How did this all work? History, verifiability, but not. curiosity. They don't answer every single question the people of God may possibly have.

Witnesses to the Crucifixion

And then finally, notice the witnesses to the crucifixion in verses 54 to 56, the confession of the soldiers. This is not unique to Matthew. We see it in Mark and Luke as well, and the presence of the women in verses 55 and 56.

The Soldiers' Confession

But note the confession of the soldiers, their identity. There were four soldiers specifically tasked with carrying out his execution. We saw that in John John 19, 23 to 24. Remember they wanted to divide his garments?

There were four of them present. They also mocked Jesus, according to verses 27 to 31 here in Matthew's gospel. They're the ones who cast lots for his garments, according to verse 35 in Matthew 27. The ones who kept watch over him, according to verse 36.

And the ones who witnessed all that Jesus went through on the cross. So notice in verse 54, so when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly. Again, they feared greatly because their job was to kill people, but usually when they killed people, they wouldn't go home and say, honey, there was an earthquake. There's a period of darkness.

It was, you know, just like always, routine. Every time we kill a malefactor in the Roman Empire, there's always this darkness that precedes it, and there's always this earthquake that follows it. And this time, honey, the graves actually opened up, and all these people they called saints came out of the graves. They feared greatly because of the darkness.

They feared greatly because of the earthquake. They feared greatly because those aren't normal goings-on in your daily job or in your day-to-day life at work. So there was a fear about them. And then note their confession.

It says, Mark and Luke put this in the mouth of the Centurion. The they here suggest the others were participant in this as well. Truly, this was the Son of God. As far as I can tell, they only got one thing wrong, and that's the tense.

Truly this is the Son of God. Perhaps they didn't think that He was going to be resurrected. Perhaps they didn't know that He was going to ascend on high and lead captivity captive and give gifts to men. Their confession is good.

The rejection of the Son of God on the part of the Jewish leaders and the people of Israel. These guys say truly this was the Son of God? Davies and Allison say that 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. Notice in verse 40.

Verse 40, 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. Verse 43, he trusted in God. Let him deliver him now, if you will have him.

For he said, I am the Son of God. Mocking and taunting on the part of the Jewish leaders. But the soldiers, truly, this was the Son of God. The confession of the Son of God in light of what they knew.

They saw the charge above his head, according to verse 37. They saw as well the mockery of the opposition. They heard what they were so upset about in verses 40 and 43. He's the Son of God.

He says he's the Son of God. Jesus cry in Luke chapter 23, verse 46, into your hands, Father, I commit my spirit These men had ears. They were able to observe phenomena. They knew about the darkness.

They knew about the earthquake. They certainly would have heard the Savior and His seventh cry from the cross. As well, their time in Israel. Their time laboring in Jerusalem.

They probably had heard something about this Jesus who was now very famous, this Jesus who had gone about teaching and preaching all over the land. So when we see this confession, it's not just out of nowhere. They've witnessed these things. They've seen these things.

And it evokes from them this Jesus was the Son of God. Now, this confession is similar to what the Father confesses in Matthew's Gospel at chapter 3, verse 17 and 17-5. At the baptism of the Lord Jesus, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. At the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

Hear Him. So the confession imitates what the Father says. As well, it imitates what the disciples have confessed in 1433 and in 1616, that Jesus is the Son of the living God. As well, Jesus himself in Matthew 11, 25 to 30, the all you who come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden come to me section, Jesus praises the Father.

Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You hid these things from the wise and the prudent, but you revealed them unto babes. And he speaks of that intimacy. Nobody knows the Father except the Son.

Nobody knows the Son except the Father, and anyone whom the Son wills to reveal it. And as well, even demons in Matthew's Gospel at chapter 8 and verse 29 confess that Jesus is the Son of God. So these men are on equal footing, at least in terms of confession. Poole says that many believe that these men were actually saved.

They were actually converted, which makes sense. Works well, access now, no more ceremonial law. It's not like these guys had to go get circumcised and join the synagogue and then perhaps they could be brought nigh. No, the blood of Jesus Christ for Jew, for Gentile.

The blood of Jesus Christ for men, for women. The blood of Jesus Christ for every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. Bruner again 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 Truly, this was the Son of God.

Brunner says concerning Luther, Luther believed that the soldier's confession is, quote, the sign of the power of the death of Christ. The blood of Christ not only wakens dead bodies, verse 52, but also sinner souls when they confess, truly, this was the Son of God.

The Women at the Cross

And then finally, the presence of the women in verses 55 to 56. Mark, Luke, and John record this as well. The presence of the women at the foot of the cross. Now in terms of their devotion, they had followed Jesus a long way.

They hailed from north, Galilee, to Jerusalem. That's a bit of a trip, a bit of a hike. We see that women tended to his needs according to Luke 8, 1 to 3. And we see that women are present here at the foot of the cross.

The women identified as Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and then the mother of Zebedee's sons. We see her in Matthew 20, that section where the boys want to be on the right and on the left of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now in terms of their witness, first it's apologetic. Apologetic, not an apology like I'm sorry, but apologetic in terms of defense.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that the testimony of women in the first century was pretty much nil. You didn't call as your star witness a woman. Sorry women, it just didn't happen. So if I was faking the gospel of Matthew, and I'm Matthew, I'm not gonna put women as my witnesses if I'm faking it.

If I'm not faking it, I've got nothing to hide. So the apologetics or the defense part of this is pretty amazing. The crafting of the gospel was not through cunning deceit. The crafting of the gospel was through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He led these men to write specifically what happened and women were there. Bruner says, precisely because women's witness was not considered dependable in Israel's courts, the canonical writers would have had male witnesses present at these crucial events if they had invented the stories. Look at Matthew 28 as well. Notice in verse 16, then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.

When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. If I'm faking it, I'm going to leave out the some doubted. If I'm faking 2 Samuel, I'm not putting in David's fall into sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. Those details, those historical tidbits matter for the veracity of the overall narrative.

And the gospel writers do not shy away from telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. In terms of context at the foot of the cross, these women are present. At his death, here, verses 55 and 56, at his burial, verse 61, and then at his resurrection in 28.1. And then practically, the male disciples had fled.

John is present, according to the fifth saying, or the, yeah, fifth saying, no, third saying of the Savior from the cross. But what happens in Matthew 26? Look back there for just a moment. specifically at verse 56, then all the disciples forsook him and fled, consistent with what Jesus had predicted in verse 31. Then Jesus said to them, all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. We've got these ladies near the cross, we've got the ladies at the tomb, we've got the ladies at the empty tomb. 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 don't doubt there's feminist readings of these sections.

Well there you go, men are nasty evil beasts and it's all about women. I doubt that's Matthew, Mark, Luke and John's motivation. It shouldn't be an interpreter's motivation either. There are feminist readings in the book of Judges that would make you want to vomit.

It's just bad, bad interpretation. But having said that, These ladies didn't flee. These ladies are there at the foot of the cross. These ladies are there at the filled tomb.

And these ladies are there at the empty tomb. It's a beautiful and a wonderful thing. God Most High saves not just men, but men and women. God Most High saves not just Jews, but Jews and Gentiles.

God Most High is the Most High that saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto Him through His blessed Son.

Application: Efficacy of Christ's Work

Well, in conclusion, I think we see first the efficacy of the work of Christ, the efficacy, the effective application or the successful execution of the work of Christ. First, the power of Jesus in inaugurating the new covenant, Matthew 26, 28, which we'll read later when we get to the supper. This is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins. This is evident by the fact of his death here on the cross and what he's done in terms of that rent veil and bringing nigh. sinners.

Ryle says, the rending of the veil proclaimed the termination 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 in a priesthood now is to light a candle at noonday. He's right. And obviously he's got Rome in his crosshairs, because Rome is the one that has altars, has sacrifice, and has priesthoods now.

But again, consider that scheme called dispensationalism that wants to go backwards in redemptive history. We need a temple. We need sacrifices. Why?

It is finished. Why? The veil has been rent. Why would we go back to tabernacle or temple?

Why would we go back to Day of Atonement sacrifices with blood animals when Christ has paid the debt? When Christ has satisfied divine justice? When Christ has procured for us reconciliation? Why march back into the Old Covenant?

The Old Covenant is fulfilled. The Old Covenant is given way to the New Covenant, which is a better covenant founded on better promises that affords a better hope. Let's rejoice in the new covenant with the victor and champion of our faith. Jesus has shown the power.

This passage shows the power of Jesus over sin, access to God through that rent and veil. The power of Jesus over the grave and death. Where's your sting, death? Where's your victory, grave?

Paul challenges in 1 Corinthians 15. And the power of Jesus for all types of sinners, Jew, Gentile, men, women, old, young, big, small. There is nothing keeping you from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. All those who believe in him, all the believing ones, will have everlasting life.

Sirs, what must I do to be saved, said the Philippian jailer. Well, you've got to convert to Judaism, you've got to go to synagogue, you've got to get circumcised, you've got to do your classes, and then, and maybe believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. There's no this and that. It's justification by faith alone.

The Glory of Christ's Person

And I would suggest secondly and finally the glory of the person of Christ. The signs and wonders affirm his divine sonship. He's not a regular ordinary sort of a man. Regular ordinary sort of men were executed by the Roman state and they didn't have periods of darkness and earthquakes and split rocks and resurrected bodies coming out of the grave.

The very signs themselves indicate that what we're dealing with here is unique. As well, the soldiers confess his divine sonship. Again, the only thing I think they got wrong was the tense. This is the son of God.

And the women confessed his divine sonship. And as a result, they followed him, they served him, and they were attendant witnesses at his death, at his burial, and at his resurrection. So what we see at the cross is what God has done in terms of saving His people from their sins. The Apostle Paul puts it this way, that God is in Christ reconciling the world to Himself in 2 Corinthians 5.19.

And then that glorious passage in 2 Corinthians 5.21, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So as we eat this bread, as we drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. It is the corporate proclamation of the truth of the gospel that we get the privilege to engage in tonight. So let us pray and then transition to the elements.

Closing Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the glorious work of our Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf. We thank you for this death. We thank you for that resurrection. We thank you for that rent veil and the earthquake and the splitting of the rocks and the resurrection of these saints.

And God, we see here the blessed, blessed provision that Christ has made for all those who come to him in faith. Thank you that you have given us faith. We know it wasn't conjured up in our own minds or hearts or according to our own free will, but we know that faith itself is a gift of God, and we give praise to you for that. We thank you that it's the empty hand that receives from you the many benefits associated with Christ's redemptive work.

May you encourage us as we eat this bread, as we drink this cup, and may you be glorified as we proclaim the Lord's death together. And we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Thank you.

Scripture References

• Judges 5:4-5
• Psalms 31:24; 110; 114:7-8
• Jeremiah 10:10
• Joel 3:16
• Nahum 1:5-6
• Matthew 3:17; 8:29; 11:25-30; 14:33; 16:16; 17:5; 20; 23:38; 24; 26:28; 26:31; 26:56; 27:27-31; 27:35; 27:36; 27:37; 27:40-43; 27:45; 27:52-53; 27:61; 28:1; 28:16
• Luke 8:1-3; 23:46
• John 5; 11; 19:23-24
• 1 Corinthians 15:20
• 2 Corinthians 5:19; 5:21
• Ephesians 2:18-22; 3
• Colossians 1:18
• 1 Thessalonians 2
• Hebrews 8:13; 9:3; 9:6; 9:15; 10; 10:19; 10:22; 10:23; 10:24-25