April 21, 2016

IT HAPPENED ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

Matthew 27:45–56

Kevin Mainz
Thursday's Devo

April 21, 2016

Thursday's Devo

April 21, 2016

Central Truth

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins, and, by His death, granted us full access to God. True belief in that is a game changer.  

Key Verse | Matthew 27:50

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. (Matthew 27:50)

 

Matthew 27:45–56

The Death of Jesus

45 Now from the sixth hour 1 27:45 That is, noon there was darkness over all the land 2 27:45 Or earth until the ninth hour. 3 27:45 That is, 3 p.m. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son 4 27:54 Or a son of God!”

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Footnotes

[1] 27:45 That is, noon
[2] 27:45 Or earth
[3] 27:45 That is, 3 p.m.
[4] 27:54 Or a son

Dive Deeper | Matthew 27:45–56

Having just celebrated the Easter season, this section of Scripture probably feels fresh for many of us. After a brutal and undeserved crucifixion, Jesus calls out to his Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Many have debated the meaning of those words, but it's no coincidence that Jesus is quoting directly from Psalm 22:1, which would have been a very familiar passage to the Jews who were gathered around the cross during those final hours.

And then in an unprecedented act of unconditional love, "Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." (Matthew 27:50). In most cases, the voice of a dying man is the first thing that fails. Words become few as the voice gets weaker. However, here Jesus CRIED OUT in the voice of a man with full strength. This was a great reminder to me that Jesus' life was not taken from Him, but was freely delivered.  

I remember in high school having the opportunity to play Jesus in our annual Passion Play. Although I didn't yet fully understand what it meant to have an abiding relationship with Christ, I vividly recall looking out into the crowd during the crucifixion segment and seeing people weeping. The magnitude of what that truly meant didn't hit me until years later, but I realized in that moment that what we were portraying was incredibly powerful and deeply personal to so many.

At the moment of Jesus' death, the veil of the temple, which served to separate guilty sinners from God, was torn from top to bottom. In that moment, Jesus granted access to God for every sinner who trusts in Christ. Then, the earth shook and those guarding Jesus exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54). This was the same profession that Peter made after being asked by Jesus, "Who do you say that I am?" in Matthew 16:15. That very question is the most important question we will ever answer. Still unsure how you would answer? See Matthew 28!

Discussion Questions

1. How would you answer this question: "Who do you say that Jesus is?"

2. Is the way you're living your life consistent with your answer?

3. Would others who know you well agree with you?