Seeing the signs around the events that brought our forgiveness

Imagine with me you are driving down the road and as you come into a populated area the speed limit drops. You drive on oblivious to the change in conditions and “program”. Just a bit up the road is a roadside speed trap. You zip right on through at the pace you were going before coming into that town. The letter comes to you box, and you say, “Oh, but I did not see the sign!” Does that excuse you and make you innocent? No.

As gentile believers, we know that the signs are for the Jews and we work off the wisdom of God. However, if we fail to see the signs, we will find ourselves guilty all the same.

Today we want to see the signs around the cross so we better know what God was doing, thus being better prepared to see what God is doing today!

Sign #1 - Darkness

Matthew 27:45 ESV

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

They drove the nails at about 9:00 AM. At noon everything goes dark. Psalm 22.2 suggests a period of light and a period of darkness.

Throughout the time Jesus spent on the cross, we see things and even quotes from the Old Testament. These are not accidental or coincidence. These are signs to show the Jews, and us, the Saviour. Don’t rush past them; even the small things.

It was during this time that God was showing His disapproval of sin, because Jesus is bearing the weight of all our sin.

The sign was also more obvious to those who knew their Jewish history. Just as there were 3 days of darkness in Egypt before Passover (Ex 10.21-23) so too there were three hours of darkness as the Lamb of God dies of our sins and so allows God’s wrath to pass over us.

see: 2 Cor 5.21, Gal 3.13

Sign #2 - Jesus cried out with a loud voice.

Jesus has now been hanging there for six hours. By this time a person being crucified is short of breath. The pain worsens by the inability of the body to get a good supply of oxygen to the muscles. I am sure if you or I just tried to hold our hands up for 6 hours we would be in great pain.

Note He used “a loud voice”

When you can’t breath, it is hard to be loud. Yet as part of this sign it is noted for all time that it is a loud voice. Everyone heard His cry!

Matthew 27:46 NKJV

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?”

Jesus quotes Psalm 22.1 as part of this sign.

Jesus shouts these words in Hebrew. It does get a reaction!

Some people thought He was crying out to Elijah!

Matthew 27:47 ESV

And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

Why? There were no such prophecies saying Elijah would help in such a situation, but there is for God (El) is the common name for God

Adding the “i” to the end of God (Eli) adds the personal pronoun “My” in English.

Why wouldn’t a person be calling out to God at this point? Add to this that all His life He had lived to show people the Father.

Then, because of his loud cry, one person seeks to take action. We do not know who this was, but we do know that he was condemned for his kindness by other people.

Finally, the life Jesus had lived as a perfect example, came to an end!

Matthew 27:50 NKJV

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Again a loud voice heard by everyone.

Again a statement to prove who He is.

John 10:15–17 (ESV)

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

Sign #3 - The Temple veil

We are stronger Christians for understanding the things that happened and why they happened.

Matthew 27:51 NKJV

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-Five: The King’s Suffering and Death (Matthew 27:27–66)

The rending of the veil symbolized the wonderful truth that the way was now open to God (Heb. 10:14–26). There was no more need of temples, priests, altars, or sacrifices. Jesus had finished the work of salvation on the cross.

Proof that the work was sufficient would take another 3 days to see - His resurrection!

For now, we need to see that it could not have been a man who tore it. Not only was it a series of materials that ended up being about the thickness of the width of your hand according the the Old Testament records. But it is also top to bottom. No, it was not the earthquake that follows that tore it as sometimes displayed in movies. That would go against the science of Physics. To not contradict physics would require the walls to also fall down.

God is at work opening the way between Himself and the people He created! Access to God is now open! This too shows us sin was paid for when Jesus made that last shout - and not at the point of resurrection.

Sign #4 - Earthquake that splits rocks

This is a sign in its own right. It reminds us of what happened at Mount Sinai when God handed down the LAW. Ex 19.16ff

We should also remember that earthquakes symbolized God’s mighty acts over 10 times in Scripture.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-Five: The King’s Suffering and Death (Matthew 27:27–66)

The earthquake at Calvary signified that the demands of the Law had been met and the curse of the Law forever abolished (Heb. 12:18–24).

Hebrews 12:24 (ESV)

24 Jesus, the mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood ...

The LAW is now fulfilled!

There is one other reference for this sign. In Luke we read about what would happen if the religious leaders were able to stop people from worshiping.

Luke 19:37–40 ESV

37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Were these stones splitting at the death of Christ Jesus actually calling out? I think so!

Sign#5 - Resurrected saints

This is so odd that it can’t be anything but a sign! It was widely known that Jesus had raised people from the dead. Now, at His death, many saints come out of their graves. We do not know much about this. However, there are a few details we can identify.

Matthew 27:52–53 ESV

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.

Tombs - plural, How many people are involved we do not know.

opened - remember, they were not buried 6 feet under like people today.

Many bodies - this is quite a few! The words used make it clear that it was more than a small crowd. And these are not ghosts - they have bodies!

Saints - these are people who had looked for God’s salvation. They are called by God “holy ones”. That could have been a great comfort to living relatives, yet also possibly hard to say goodbye again.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-Five: The King’s Suffering and Death (Matthew 27:27–66)

It is not likely that many Jews would be in the cemetery on Passover, since they might be defiled by the dead. These resurrections could have taken place with nobody finding out at that time.

A simple reading of the text leads us to believe that these saints stayed in the cemetery till Sunday morning. This too could have been to lower the level of fear about dead bodies around such a high and holy passover.

Matthew Jesus Dies on the Cross / 27:45–56 / 236

The opening of the tombs and people coming back to life revealed that by Jesus’ death, the power of death was broken

Hebrews 2:14 NKJV

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

By entering the city of Jerusalem on Sunday the saints are able to be part of that inauguration of the new age of Grace.

This would have also been a slap in the face of the Sadducees! Talk about a sign to those responsible!!

Sign #6 - Gentile confession

Matthew 27:54 ESV

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 of God!”

When people are coming to a greater understanding of God, we need to pay attention!

Notice this is more than just one man. It includes “those who were with him.”

These men saw something most of the Jews missed! They had seen many crucifixions, but this was not like any other crucifixion.

Hearts are open to the truth. From this point on, the Jews were mocking, and the gentiles are now believing. This is a good thing we should notice even in our day!

Sign #7 - Women given greater prominence

Matthew 27:55 ESV

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,

Now we know that John (Jn 19.35) was the only disciple there. He is given the responsibility of caring for Jesus’s mother. This would not have happened of Joseph was still alive, but since it did, and since we have not heard from him since the incident when Jesus stayed in Jerusalem as a boy, we can correctly assume that he is dead.

It is also notable that Mary’s other children were not given that responsibility. That would have been the norm. However, Jesus does a special think and gives this grace of care to John.

This is not a matriarchal declaration. It is simply a greater acknowledgment of the equality of men and women before Christ.

Conclusion: Gods work has always been seen.

Some know God’s word so well, that they can identify what God is doing as it unfolds. Others watch in amazement and figure it out later. As believers who put a high priority on the Bible, we should be quick to understand and express that impact in worship and witness.

1.Fear can be the first step towards faith. How do we come along side people who are in fear?

2.Rocks should not have to shout their worship because we should be proclaiming our worship. When we see God at work, are we quick to turn that into a moment of worship - even when the location might not be considered “conducive”?

3.Are we aware when unbelievers around us are having a faith growing moment?