Calvary’s Drama – Matthew 27:45-56

It is always a source of amusement to me in the old James Bond movies, like Goldfinger, that the villain comes up with some extraordinary way to execute Bond that takes time to happen, then leaves. Of course, Bond finds a way to escape. The movie-maker is trying to build suspense, but it is so contrived that it is silly, instead.

God is not trying to build suspense about Jesus’ death on the cross, but trying to build something else, as he visits His Son’s dying hours with scary darkness and earthly tremors. Will Jesus escape?

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 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?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 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. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 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 of God!”

There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. (Matthew 27:45-56 ESV)

The Father does not let His Son’s death proceed entirely normally, covering the shame of the Lord Jesus, who deserved no shame, with a blanket of darkness from noon to 3:00, showing His disapproval.  Jesus cry of dereliction (it is called) is a quote from Psalm 22, in which David described his experience of feeling abandoned by God to his enemies.  Jesus feels doubly abandoned in that God has not stopped this wicked injustice and then that God Himself has regarded Jesus as sin on our behalf.  Jesus knows that David’s psalm resolves in God’s deliverance and that his deliverance is coming also when his work is done.  Jesus yields his spirit to the Father and dies.

At that moment the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place in the temple was torn from top to bottom, showing that the way to God through animal sacrifice had been fulfilled in Jesus’ sacrifice and the curtain that separated the world from access to God was forever open to any who believed.  This Priest had offered his sacrifice once for all and the temple had become superfluous.  The earth also shuddered at Jesus’ death and those witnessing the execution were in awe of the events.  The centurion in charge of Jesus’ execution became convinced that Jesus was the Son of God.

God was not through bearing witness to the way His Son fulfilled His purposes.  After Jesus’ resurrection there was a resurrection of the bodies of believers who had died and been buried in Jerusalem and now made appearances to many in the city demonstrating that Jesus was the Messiah.  Perhaps they were taken to heaven after this.  But Matthew is telling us that this dark hour has a bright dawn coming.

I love that when Jesus cried out, some in the crowd thought he was calling Elijah and actually wondered if the prophet might come save Jesus. They were really spooked by what was happening surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion. Were they disappointed when Elijah did not come? Did it harden them in unbelief? They couldn’t see what God was doing and that this most horrible of events must take place to accomplish an extraordinary deliverance.