Untitled Sermon (2)

Life Unlocked by Jesus’ Death

Matthew 27:51-54

Main idea: The death of Jesus on the cross removed the barrier that separated you from God and unlocked new life for those who believe!

Introduction

I want you to imagine the vast universe is this cosmic temple of God…everything and everyone in this universe is designed for worship. 

And then inside of this cosmic temple, God creates a place where he dwells with humanity: the Garden of Eden. 

It is a holy place, it is set apart for Adam and Eve to enjoy fellowship with God

The walk with him in the cool of the day, talk with him and enjoy his presence…

Man is able to come and go, in and out of the Garden into the outer area of the temple on earth…

ever widening the breath of the Garden so they are continually in the presence of God as they multiple and cultivate the land. 

But in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sin against God…they let a snake into the sacred place of the Garden

And through deception they decide to rule their own lives, they want to be like God…and so they disobey his command by eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

And so God kicks them out of the Garden of Eden, drives them out to the east so that they are separated from the presence of God in the Garden. 

And to keep them out, to keep them from eating of the tree of life, God places a cherubim with a flaming sword in front of the entrance to the Garden. 

And so like the Doors of Durin in The Lord of the Rings which blocks entrance to Moria, 

There is now a barrier between man and where man needs to be 

We were made for God, to enjoy his presence, but God is holy, just and righteous and he cannot look upon sin and so there is a barrier that separates us from him: sin 

This barrier is picked up in the building of the tabernacle in Exodus and later the Temple under Solomon

The tabernacle is separated into two distinct rooms by a large, finely woven curtain

The outer portion is called The Holy Place…it is a larger outer gathering area 

Then there is The Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. 

The ark of the covenant resided here, and God would come down and sit on the mercy seat and dwell with his people

A cloud of smoke would fill the tabernacle which signified the presence of God with his people. 

In Exodus 26:33-35 and Leviticus 16, we see the priests were allowed to minister in the Holy Place regularly…this is where the showbread, the wash basin and other items for worship were located.

But only once a year could the high priest go beyond the curtain and into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. 

And to go in the high priest had to offer sacrifice for his sins and the sins of the people before entering lest he die from entering the presence of God defiled with sin. 

So the curtain served as a perpetual barrier: it kept sinful man from entering the presence of God and being consumed by his wrath.  

This curtain was in the tabernacle and the first and second temple’s built. 

But there is a text in Revelation where upon the coming of Christ’s Kingdom that the temple of God is opened…you can see into the Most Holy Place where the ark of the covenant is seated…the curtain is gone…Revelation 11:19

19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple.

So how do we go from man being barred from the presence of God in the Garden, separated by a cherubim and flaming sword, to being separated by a large curtain in the tabernacle and the Temple to the end of the age where the Most Holy Place is open and people are welcomed into the presence of God?

We find the answer here in Matthew 27.  

And that is what I want us to see this morning: The death of Jesus on the cross removed the barrier that separated you from God and unlocked new life for those who believe! 

As we enter Matthew 27,  Judas has betrayed him, the disciples have fled

Jesus has been bound and led away to be delivered to Pilate where stands condemned in an unjust trial. 

He is stripped of his clothes, beaten beyond recognition and then made to carry his own cross. 

As he hangs on the cross from the 6th to the 9th hour…in the middle of the day, darkness covers the land

And then Jesus yielded up his spirit…that means he willingly gave up his spirit…not even his last breath was taken from him…he gave it up freely of his own will in his timing…and in an active force of his own doing: he dies! 

And as he does, we see a series of events take place in Matthew 27:51-54 which is the focus of our sermon today:

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 of God!”

The Barrier is Torn Down (51)

The first thing we see happen because of Jesus’ death is the barrier to God’s presence is torn down. 

Remember Matthew is writing primarily to Jews so while there were other curtains or veils in the temple, the mention of “the curtain” would have been recognized by Jews as the one that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

We are given a brief description of this curtain in Exodus 26:31

“And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.

We notice the use of cherubim worked into the curtain here…a reference back to the one who blocked entrance to the Garden of Eden; thus tying the Garden of Eden to the Holy of Holies. 

Then in Hebrews 9:5 we see above the ark of the covenant that is located in the Most Holy Place were cherubim who overshadowed the mercy seat. 

So that both the cherubim and the veil are barriers into the presence of the holiness of God. 

But at the death of Jesus this veil is torn and I want us to notice three important aspects of this event 

First: the verb torn is in the passive construct meaning it didn’t just rip but someone tore it. 

Second, from top to bottom suggests to us that it was not a man….the veil of the temple is estimated to be about 60’ tall and 4” thick…so the passive voice and the fact it was torn from the top down implies that God is the one who tore the veil. 

And lastly, it was torn in two…that is the extent of its destruction is complete…irreparable…or as Gurtner notes: it “can no longer perform the function for which it was intended.”

Therefore what we see in the tearing apart of the veil is that God completely removed the barrier that separates man from himself through the death of Jesus. 

Jesus, who knew no sin became sin for us, and he walks through the flaming cherubim, through the veil carrying our sins and his body is torn to pieces, his blood spilled upon the altar of the mercy seat to atone for the sins of God’s people and he dies under the wrath of God for entering his presence in sin. 

And now man is permitted to reenter the presence of God as he once did in the Garden of Eden. 

The old covenant is done away and the new covenant is established through the blood of Jesus

So what we see here on the cross is that Jesus actually accomplished the salvation of those who believe

Through his shed blood the barrier of sin that separated us from God is removed by God once and for all time…never to be repeated

But that is not all that happened: death is unlocked

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. 

Death is Unlocked (52-53)

An earthquake like this happened in Ezekiel 37:7, 8 

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, an earthquake and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.

Like in the days of Ezekiel, there is a powerful movement of God…an earthquake through which God shakes the bones of the dead and they come together, but they have no breath in them…

And then Matthew tells us the rocks split…do not miss this active work of God…in the new covenant, now established through the death of Jesus, God himself will remove the heart of stone, he will split open the rock hard hearts that are in rebellion against him. 

Then the tombs of the saints were opened…

This takes us back to Ezekiel 27:12-13

12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.

Notice it is God who opens the graves and raises people…and then you will know that he is the Lord…

They are God’s people but they are dead in their trespasses and sin. 

Yet it is the decisive act of God that brings them to life

And then he tells us that many of those saints who had died…their bodies are raised. 

It is at that moment God breathed life into the dead bones and his people are made alive. 

It is only then through this life-giving work of God in us that we can know the Lord! 

But Matthew adds a time stamp on this event…he tells us here what happens after Sunday: “after his resurrection.”

They are not resurrected out of the tomb until Jesus is raised from the dead…which confirms Colossians 1:18 that Jesus is firstborn of the dead. 

Death is unlocked by the death of Jesus. 

Those who believe are no longer bound in the chains of sin and death but are freed and have resurrection life. 

And we will walk into the city of God, into his presence and enjoy fellowship with him as was intended for Eden. 

And then when all this happens: the veil is torn in two, the rocks are broken, and the dead are raised to life…faith comes alive…

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!”

The centurion and those with him represent those who move from death to life as they, like the bodies of the saints are brought to life through Jesus’ death. 

Conclusion

The veil of the temple was a physical reminder that sin separated us from a holy and just God. 

And we are unable in our natural state to enter his presence without facing eternal death…

So the death of Jesus was absolutely necessary…without the shedding of blodd there is no forgiveness of sin…

Jesus had to die because through his death the barrier of sin that separates us from God is removed

He became the propitiation for our sin, that means he satisfied the wrath of God against our sin through his death on the cross. 

And through his death, our death is unlocked and we can experience true life and enter back into a relationship with God as in Eden

What is the implication of these truths for us today:

First: Jesus overcame every obstacle that stood in the way for you to be restored to a relationship with the Father. 

He shed his blood for our sins thus removing the barrier of sin

And in his death he opened the door for life eternal 

And this is certain for all who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 

If you have not professed him as Lord, then today is the day of salvation…would you believe and confess him today!

Second: It has implications for your prayer life: (Hebrews 10:39)

Third: It has implications for your holiness (Hebrews 10:22-25)

A

As we enter Holy week and march towards Good Friday, I pray we do so in awe and praise on our lips. 

Jesus willingly went to the cross, defeated Satan, sin and death all because of his great love for you!