Matthew 27: Crucified (4)
Pray Psalm 69.13-15.
But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O LORD, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
Sing Psalm 69.13-15.
Greensleeves: What Child Is This?
O LORD, I make my prayer to You; receive my words, O Savior!
Let lovingkindness see me through, and answer me with favor!
LORD, lift me above the mire; deliv’rance is my one desire!
Let not the floods conspire to swallow me forever!
Read Matthew 27.1-56; meditate on verses 45-56.
Why do we need to know that the veil was torn top to bottom?
Prepare.
1. What did Jesus cry out from the cross?
2. What happened when Jesus died?
Meditate.
Here is Jesus in the last moments of His earthly life. His Father has turned away from Him, as He bears the sin of the world in His own body. He is forsaken by family, disciples, and even His heavenly Father. Only His mother and John are on hand for His end (Jn. 20.25-27). He is unfathomably alone, the Sin-Bearer of the world. He cries out in those familiar words of Psalm 22, both to indicate the depths of His suffering, and to cue those watching concerning the meaning of His death. And when He cried out again in verse 50, it was to indicate that His redeeming and saving work was finished (Jn. 19.30).
In the deep darkness of mid-day (v. 45), Jesus opened the way to God, as symbolized by the tearing of the veil that separates the holy of holies from the rest of the sanctuary (v. 51). Torn from the top down, it signifies that God, through the torn flesh of Jesus, has opened a way to Himself. The earth itself, which groans under the burden of mankind’s sin, seems to have leapt with hope at the death of the Lord (v. 51). Many saints who had died and been buried were raised to life, and appeared to many in Jerusalem (vv. 52, 53). When the reports of Jesus’ own resurrection began to circulate, these newly-revived saints would be evidence of the reliability of that news.
It took a Roman court to condemn and execute Jesus; now it takes a Roman guard to announce to the world the meaning of Jesus’ life and death: “Truly this was the Son of God!” (v. 54)
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
During the brightest part of the day, darkness covered all the land, as Christ died.
God was at work, as always, doing His will throughout His creation.
His power overshadowing all.
In His way. In His time.
God filled the inner sanctuary—the Most Holy Place,
when the ark of the covenant was first brought into the temple Solomon built—
with Himself. And it was dark.
“And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place,
that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud;
for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
Then Solomon spoke: ‘The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever’” (1 Kgs. 8.6-13).
Then Jesus yielded up His Spirit (Matt. 27.50).
“Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1.29).
Now, as God was rending asunder the old way,
from top to bottom (Matt. 27.51),
He chose darkness to foreshadow Light.
“He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
and brings the shadow of death to light” (Job 12.22).
The earth quaked.
Rocks were split.
Graves opened.
Saints were raised.
“Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27.54).
“Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see;
for I tell you that many prophets and kings
have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it,
and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it” (Lk. 10.23, 24).
But the centurion saw and heard.
Those around the cross saw and heard.
And through their testimony we have seen and heard.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light…” (Is. 9.2).
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light…” (Eph. 5.8).
God created light out of darkness (Gen. 1.1-3).
Without darkness we cannot see the light.
Or notice the difference. The contrast is important.
Jesus ushered in His Kingdom on earth—traversing through darkness—into His glorious light.
And then He chose us to inhabit His Kingdom with Him, called “out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Pet. 2.9), wherein we behold His glory, the glory “as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1.14). Finished to perfection, for our salvation.
Reflect.
1. How do you meditate on Jesus? During His ministry? His crucifixion? His ascension and enthronement?
2. Why is it important that we do this?
3. How can we as believers help one another in this important discipline?
He spoke with the voice of Scripture, uttering a cry from the psalm. Thus even to His last hour He is found bearing witness to the sacred text. He offers this prophetic cry in Hebrew, so as to be plain and intelligible to them, and by all things Jesus shows how He is of one mind with the Father Who had begotten Him. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew 88.1
Pray Psalm 69.1-12.
God made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Give thanks and praise for the suffering of Jesus, and go forth to live for Him today.
Sing Psalm 69.1-12.
Greensleeves: What Child Is This?
Save me, O God, deep waters rise and threaten to undo me!
No foothold in the mire I find; the floods must soon subdue me.
Hear, LORD, my weary cry; my throat is parched, unclear my eye.
Foes hunger for me to die and without reason hate me.
O God, my folly all You know, my wrongs from You are not hidden.
Let those who in Your mercy go not by my shame be smitten.
Let none dishonored be because, O LORD, because of me!
For You I dishonor see; on me reproach is written.
A stranger to the world am I, no family will own me.
Though I for them have come to die, yet now must I alone be.
LORD, see how my tears now fall, how their reproach befalls me!
Yet I am a curse to all, and no one ever calls me.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast features excerpts from the book, Patrick: A Devotional History. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column continues our study of “Everyday Christianity”. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
