April 22, 2010
AMAZING LOVE
Matthew 27:45-56
Tawney Macfarlan
Central Truth
Jesus, being fully God and fully man, because of the joy set before Him, endured the cross and the separation that our sin caused in order to restore us to God.
Key Verse | Matthew 27:45–46, 51
Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 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?". . . And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom . . . . (Matthew 27:45-46, 51a)
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.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 27:45-56
Were you ever lost as a child? Do you remember that feeling? I do. I got separated from my dad at the World's Fair when I was five. I was lost only for a short time, but I will never forget it. Separation is horrible to experience, yet Jesus willingly experienced this for us.
A heaven-sent darkness blanketed the earth for three hours as Jesus was made sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21) and became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). Jesus, for the FIRST and ONLY time EVER, experienced separation from God the Father. Sin had broken communion between man and God. Only Jesus could fix and restore what sin had broken. Jesus, whose name means "the Lord saves," endured what we will never have to—separation from God (Hebrews 13:5b). That is, IF we confess and believe in Jesus (Romans 10:10).
God's amazing love is never so greatly realized than in these twelve verses in which His Son on the cross endured separation from the Father because of our sin and yielded His spirit (Matthew 27:50). Jesus laid down His life; it was not taken from Him (John 10:17-18), and God tore the veil as He accepted Jesus’ sacrifice (Matthew 27:51).
Do you ever feel lost, lonely, or broken? That’s the effect of sin in our lives. Sin separates us from relationship with God. The good news is that Jesus is in the business of finding the lost and fixing the broken. Our sin earns us death, but God offers the free gift of eternal life in Jesus (Romans 6:23). It is a free gift, but it must be accepted.
Well, my dad finally did find me, and I cried. But that separation pales in comparison to the separation sin causes. Where do you find yourself today? Are you a skeptic waiting to see, separated by doubt; or are you like the centurion recognizing the Son of God? May the cross always remind us of God's great love available through belief in His Son.
Discussion Questions
1. When do you feel lost or forsaken? Where do you go for comfort?
2. What’s the difference between acknowledging Jesus and believing in Him?
3. What proof do you need to believe and accept Jesus as Savior?
How can we help?
4. Take some time to read Romans 3:23-24; 5:6-8; 6:10, 23; 10:9-10; 12:1 ending with 1 John 3:1.
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Name the miraculous things that happened as Jesus was dying.
2. The soldiers witnessed all these miraculous things, what did they then know to be true about Jesus (verse 54)?
3. Have you ever seen God do something miraculous in your life? (Remember, miraculous doesn’t have to be as big as earthquake, it can be your heart being changed to love someone differently.) Did it help you trust Him more?