Series — The Road to the Resurrection — Message 18 — It is Finished
The Road to the Resurrection • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
The Supernatural Events Surrounding the Savior’s Final Moments
The Supernatural Events Surrounding the Savior’s Final Moments
The Supernatural Darkness
The Supernatural Darkness
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
We pick up this morning right where we left off last week…at the foot of the cross.
And we pick up looking through the same lens we also looked through last week…the lens of the Roman Centurion who the Bible says was sitting there watching these events unfold.
Up to this point it had been anything but a normal crucifixion.
After crucifying this man named Jesus you have watched as people have mocked Him, as people have mourned Him, as He’s asked forgiveness for the sins of those who have placed Him in this awful position, as He’s told one of the thieves crucified with Him that today he would join Him in paradise.
This has been anything but a normal crucifixion and to be honest, you’re really not sure what to think.
It started out normal but as the events of the day have unfolded something just don’t seem normal about any of this.
There’s something more going on here than meets the eye but you really can’t put your finger on it.
Only time will really tell.
Now, you’ve been sitting here watching the events unfold for about three hours now.
It’s noon…midday.
And all of a sudden a darkness settles in on this hill called Calvary. At a time when the sun should be at it’s brightest, it becomes as dark as the darkest night.
It’s definitely not normal.
You nudge your buddy and ask him what’s going on…but the look on his face says, “man your guess is as good as mine.”
This isn’t your normal dark skies when it’s about to storm we’re talking about here, no it’s a darkness that’s so dark it’s as if it can be felt.
Felt hovering around you…felt encompassing you.
You don’t know what’s going on but you know something ain’t right.
And for the next three hours it’s as if the darkness just gets thicker and thicker.
This man named Jesus is silent. Not a word for the next three hours.
Now, many thoughts have been mentioned about what took place during these three hours and what could have caused the darkness it speaks of here and I feel the best explanation is what William Barclay wrote.
William Barclay writes — It is suggested that in that moment the weight of the world’s sin fell upon the heart and the being of Jesus; that that was the moment when he who knew no sin was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21); and that the penalty which he bore for us was the inevitable separation from God which sin brings. No one may say that that is not true; but, if it is, it is a mystery which we can only state and at which we can only wonder.
Listen friend, the Bible says in...
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Scripture tells us that in those final waking moments, sin was the reason our Savior hung on that tree and when you look back throughout the old testament, often times you will find that darkness is representative of the judgement of God.
I believe in those last three hours the sins of all mankind…past, present and future gathered on that hilltop called Calvary and was placed on the only one who could bare them…our God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ!
The light of the world was the only one who could take upon Himself the darkness of the sins of the world and that’s exactly what took place!
John MacArthur writes — The cross was a place of immense divine judgment, where the sins of the world were poured out vicariously on the sinless, perfect Son. It was therefore appropriate that great supernatural darkness express God’s reaction to sin in that act of judgment.
So, we’ve set the scene. Darkness envelopes the entire land and not just any darkness but rather a darkness like has never been nor ever will be again.
And for three hours the darkness grows and then out of nowhere at the end of the 3rd hour…the Savior Speaks.
The Sovereign Departure
The Sovereign Departure
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
John Phillips — All we are permitted to know is that just as the three hours of darkness ended, the Lord cried out, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The Lord was quoting Psalm 22:1 and thus with almost His last breath He was endorsing the Old Testament.
He tasted the ultimate horror of a lost soul: to be abandoned by God. In that mysterious loneliness, He who knew no sin was made sin for us and experienced the torment of a soul in Hell.
An Old Testament type gives us a vivid picture of Christ’s despair. One of two goats taken on the day of atonement was known as the scapegoat. Over its head the high priest recited the sins of the children of Israel. When the long catalog was finished, the goat was handed over to “a fit man,” who led it away into the desert, to “a land not inhabited” (Leviticus 16:21–22). There, far from human haunts, far from its kind, it was abandoned amid scenes of appalling desolation. There, with never a drop of water, never a blade of grass, in indescribable loneliness and isolation, it raised its plaintive cry—which was answered with total and awful silence. Thus our Savior suffered. His orphan cry rang up to Heaven and the only answer in the darkness was impenetrable, imponderable, complete silence.
John MacArthur — In this unique and strange miracle, Jesus was crying out in anguish because of the separation He now experienced from His heavenly Father for the first and only time in all of eternity. It is the only time of which we have record that Jesus did not address God as Father.
Because the Son had taken sin upon Himself, the Father turned His back. That mystery is so great and imponderable that it is not surprising that Martin Luther is said to have gone into seclusion for a long time trying to understand it and came away as confused as when he began.
In some way and by some means, in the secrets of divine sovereignty and omnipotence, the God-Man was separated from God for a brief time at Calvary, as the furious wrath of the Father was poured out on the sinless Son, who in matchless grace became sin for those who believe in Him.
Habakkuk declared of God, “Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, and Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor” (Hab. 1:13).
God turned His back when Jesus was on the cross because He could not look upon sin, even-or perhaps especially-in His own Son. Just as Jesus loudly lamented, God the Father had indeed forsaken Him.
Jesus did not die as a martyr to a righteous cause or simply as an innocent man wrongly accused and condemned. Nor, as some suggest, did He die as a heroic gesture against man’s inhumanity to man. The Father could have looked favorably on such selfless deaths as those. But because Jesus died as a substitute sacrifice for the sins of the world, the righteous heavenly Father had to judge Him fully according to that sin.
The Father forsook the Son because the Son took upon Himself “our transgressions, … our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). Jesus “was delivered up because of our transgression” (Rom. 4:25) and “died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3). He Himself “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 3:18), and became “the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Even in His beaten, battered, and bruised condition as it was, His faculties were still in tact.
He knew there was one thing left to do!
This was a direct fulfillment of Psalm 69:21
21 They gave me also gall for my meat; And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Look what happens next...
48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
“It is finished” — Greek “Tetelestai”
That great Baptist preacher of yesteryear, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, said, “When that blood fell to the ground beneath that cross, it fell on the dust, and the dust said to the grass, “It is finished!” And the grass said to the shrubs, “It is finished!” And the shrubs said to the trees, “It is finished!” And the trees said to the leaves on the trees, “It is finished!” And the leaves said to the birds in those trees, “It is finished!” And those birds flew up to the clouds and said, ‘It is finished!” And the clouds ascended to the stars and said, “It is finished!” And the stars went into the throne room and said, “It is finished!” — Adrian Rogers TARLC
D.L Moody — At last He cried, with a loud voice: “It is finished!” Perhaps not many on earth heard it, or cared about it when they did hear it; but I can imagine there were not many in heaven who did not hear it, and if they have bells in heaven how they must have rung out that day; “It is finished! It is finished”!
The Son of God had died that poor sinful man might have life eternal. I can imagine the angels walking through the streets of heaven crying: “It is finished!” and the mansions of that world ringing with the glad tidings: “It is finished!”
It was the shout of victory. All you have got to do is to look and be saved.
You have seen the waves of the sea come dashing up against a rocky shore. They come up and beat against the rock, and, breaking into pieces, go back to gather fresh strength, and again they come up and beat against the rock only to be again broken into pieces.
And so it would seem as if the dark waves of hell had gathered all their strength together and had come beating up against the bosom of the Son of God; but he drives them all back again with that shout of a conqueror: “It is finished. And with that shout He snapped the fetters of sin, and broke the power of Satan.
William Barclay wrote — He did not say ‘It is finished’ in weary defeat; he said it as one who shouts for joy because the victory is won. He seemed to be broken on the cross, but he knew that his victory was won.
Let the Spirit Speak — It is finished!
And then the Bible says that Jesus bowed His head and “gave” up the ghost.
Don’t miss this friend.
That word “gave” is the Greek word (paradidōmi) and it’s a verb and it means to hand over, entrust, commit.
The fact that it’s a verb is important because it tells us that there was an action that took place here, right?
What it’s telling us is that no one, and I mean NO ONE, took our Savior’s life! He gave it, He laid it down, He turned it over to the Father…freely!
In His life, in His death and as we will see next week, even in His resurrection Jesus was in control and sovereign in all things!
In...
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
The Sovereign Son freely without any help from anyone or anything lay down His life for you and for me!
At this moment, a host of supernatural events begin to take place that leaves our Centurion friend with but one conclusion!
The Savior’s Sovereignty on Display
The Savior’s Sovereignty on Display
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
John MacArthur writes — Once a year the high priest was allowed to pass through the veil on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle blood on the altar for the sins of the people, and that only for a brief period of time. Because, like God’s presence in the Holy of Holies, even that special sacrifice was only symbolic. The ritual had to be repeated every year, anticipating the one, true sacrifice for sins that the Son of God Himself one day would offer.
When Christ gave up His spirit, that once-for-all sacrifice was completed and the need for a veil no longer existed. By coming to the Son, any man could now come to God directly, without need of priest, sacrifice, or ritual. Consequently, the veil was torn in two from top to bottom by God’s miraculous act, because the barrier of sin was forever removed for those who put their trust in the Son as Lord and Savior.
By rending the Temple veil, God was saying, in effect, “In the death of My Son, Jesus Christ, there is total access into My holy presence. He has paid the full price of sin for everyone who trusts in Him, and I now throw open My holy presence to all who will come in His name.” The writer of Hebrews admonished, “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
John Phillips — The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, an ominous sign heralding the end of Judaism and its ritual religion, the end of the Old Testament economy.
Alfred Edersheim said the veil was sixty feet long, twenty feet wide, as thick as a man’s hand when measured right across the palm, and enormously heavy.[12] A yoke of oxen could not have rent that veil. The fact that it was torn in two from the top indicated the divine nature of this symbolic catastrophe.
John G Butler — said that Edersheim went on to say that “the veil was so heavy that it needed 300 priests” to hang it.
Ryle quoting Doddridge says, “This being a high day [special Passover day], it is probable that Caiaphas the high priest might now be performing the solemn act of burning incense before the veil.” What a shock to have the veil rip in two right before his eyes. — John G Butler
William Barclay — That was the veil which covered the Holy of Holies; that was the veil beyond which no one could penetrate, except the high priest on the Day of Atonement; that was the veil behind which the Spirit of God dwelt. There is symbolism here.
Up to this time, God had been hidden and remote, and no one knew what he was like. But in the death of Jesus we see the hidden love of God, and the way to the presence of God once barred to everyone is now opened to all. The life and the death of Jesus show us what God is like and remove forever the veil which concealed him from men and women.
And if this weren’t enough, the Bible says the earth did quake and the rocks rent!
That means they split into!
When I was reading through this this week I couldn’t help but to be taken back to the day that Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
If you will remember, the people were shouting “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” and if you will remember the Pharisees told Jesus to tell the people to quieten down and do you remember what Jesus said?
He said, “I tell you that if this people were to remain silent even the rocks would cry out!”
I couldn’t help but to be taken back to that point when I read this part this week.
The Son of God has given His life a ransom for all mankind; He’s conquered sin and come out victorious and even the earth is crying out now for our Lord!
And the Bible says as the earth began to shake the graves were popped open!
Can you imagine all of this taking place immediately upon Christ’s passing?
Let’s step back into our character the Centurion. Can you imagine what’s going through his mind right now?
Well we actually know what’s going through his mind!
Look in...
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
They feared greatly, saying, truly this was the Son of God!
Anyone remember...
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Who does this remind you of?
And what about...
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Now, I’m not trying to prove something that may not be so but by all appearances, it would seem to me that our dear friend the Centurion might of just gotten saved!
What do you think?
If he did, I hope I get to meet him someday when I get to Heaven.
Can you imagine the story he’ll be able to tell?
Talk about a testimony!
“Truly this was the Son of God!”
Now, I want you to think of something else real quick before we move on…if this Centurion and the other guards that were with him did get saved do you realize that the first people to come to salvation that day were gentiles?
What an amazing thought that is!
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
The Savior’s Sovereignty still on display; still fulfilling prophecies even in His death!
And don’t miss something John says here…I was there! I saw it all with mine own two eyes!
No wonder John was able to write his gospel from a different perspective. He was there!
We’ve looked at the supernatural events surrounding the Savior’s final moments, now, let’s look at the secret disciple.
The Secret Disciple
The Secret Disciple
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
Mark says of Joseph of Arimathaea that he was “an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God.”
Luke says he was, “a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just: 51(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.”
John said he was, “a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews.”
So, from these four different gospel writers when you put them altogether, we find that this man who is but a blip on the radar screen of history is a rich man; he was a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews; he was an honorable counselor who waited for the kingdom of God; and he was a good man and a just man who did not not agree with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders.
John Phillips — It is interesting that God had on hand a Joseph to provide protection for the Lord when He was born, and a Joseph to provide protection for Him when He was buried. One Joseph was a carpenter; the other was a counselor. One was poor; the other was prosperous. Both men were described as “just” (Matthew 1:19; Luke 23:50). Both blazed for a moment on the sacred page and then disappeared into obscurity.
And although he might have secretly been a disciple before, he would be a secret disciple no longer.
Look on down at what happens next.
43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
Matthew & Luke state that he went in and “begged” the body of Jesus. He consented not to his cohorts evil deeds but he would be silent no longer!
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
The Spooked Dogmatists
The Spooked Dogmatists
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Conclusion
Conclusion
It is finished!
As Jesus hung up on the cross
Darkness filled the land
The sins of all the world
The sins of fallen man
Past present and future
And all of the sins that would come
Placed upon him
God’s one and only son
Why did it have to happen?
Why did he have to hang up on that tree?
The answer is very simple
He hung there for you and me
God‘s greatest creation
In whom he breathed the breath of life
Was in dire need of being rescued
So God decided to pay the price
The price would be a steep one
For the ransom of all mankind
And after searching all of creation over
There was only one that He could find
Who would fulfill His promises of scripture
And live a perfect life
Never a cross word spoken
No anger, no malice, nor strife
His one and only Son, Jesus
His precious, perfect, blood it would take
To pay for the sins of all mankind
The sacrificial lamb of God born on Christmas Day!