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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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.