The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 27 Part 7 God's Powerful Testimony For His Son, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 

We studied the suffering and death of Christ right up to the point when He laid His life down for our sins. 

We will focus on the powerful things that happened after Jesus died.

Remember, that God turned out the lights of heaven while His Son hung on the cross bearing our sins.

John's gospel tells us that Jesus said He had power to lay His life down and power to take it up again.

Thus, when He yielded up the ghost, Jesus laid His life down after having declared that "It is finished" with regard to all the sins of all humanity for all time!

Matthew 27:51  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; 

What was the veil of the temple?

This was constructed in accord with the pattern God gave Moses in the book of Exodus. 

The veil in the Temple that King Solomon built was about 60 feet high and 40 feet wide. It was between 4 to 8 inches thick and Jewish writings note that it took more than one hundred priests to manage it.

What was the purpose of the veil?

Isaiah 59:1-3  Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3  For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 

It kept all men (priests and Levites) away from the holy of holies, which was the innermost place in the Temple, where the glory of God dwelt.

Isaiah tells us that God is always willing to save repentant sinners who trust Him, and that He is ready to hear their prayers.

The problem is that sin makes a breach between man and God. 

Sin drives a wedge between us (See Hebrews 9:1-9). 

Sin makes us unholy and unclean, whereas God is perfect in His holiness, righteousness and purity.

Thus, our sins can be atoned for and washed away only by the specific manner that God commands.

In the Old Testament, He provided the Tabernacle (and later, the Temple) as the place He would meet with His people.

Each sacrifice offered by the priests on behalf of the people, to cover their sins, pointed to the eternal, once for all sacrifice that Christ would make on His cross.

Exodus 30:10  And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. 

Man's sin separates us from God so in like manner, no one but the high priest was permitted to go behind the veil.

He was commanded to go once each year with blood to apply to offer for his own sins and the sins of all the Jewish people.

Leviticus 16:1-34 contains all of the specific details God gave Moses concerning the garments of the high priest, the manner of his entering into the holy place, and what he must do when he entered into it.

Therefore, the act of tearing the veil in two from top to bottom indicates several things happened when Jesus died.

First, it was a mighty miracle because only the hand of God could tear such a thick and heavy curtain as this one, starting at the top.

Second, the barrier separating man from God was removed.

Hebrews 4:14-16  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

All who repent and trust Christ for salvation can now directly come to the throne of grace for mercy and help in times of need.

The barrier between Jews and Gentiles has also been removed, such that any person regardless of religion, race or status can call upon Jesus Christ with repentant faith, and be accepted by the Father in heaven!

Third, this indicates that God removed His presence from the physical temple and that He no longer will dwell in a temple or building made by men.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

Now we know that each Christian is a living stone in the body of Christ, and that God's Spirit lives in us, making each one of us part of this living temple of God (See Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5)

Acts 17:24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 

When Paul preached to the philosophers at Athens, he specifically stated this truth.

God is not constrained by the space, time and matter continuum like we are. He created it and is above and beyond its constraints.

Thus, Jesus is the way, the truth and the source of eternal life, such that no man can ever come to the Father except through repentance and faith in His Son!

This is why there is only one, beautiful, powerful name under heaven, given to men to believe on for eternal life: the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (See Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:5-11).

Hebrews 10:19-22  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21  And having an high priest over the house of God; 22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 

Jesus is our eternal High Priest in heaven who always stands ready to intercede for us, and keep the way between our Father and ourselves open.

Matthew 27:51  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;

Next, Matthew tells us that there was a significant shaking of the earth when Jesus died and the veil was torn by God's hand.

The earthquake was so severe that massive rocks were broken up and littered the ground.

Luke 23:47-49  Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48  And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49  And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. 

One of the centurions was so affected by these events that he cried out that Jesus was most certainly a righteous man and he glorified God.

Faithful followers of Jesus were smitten with grief believing that their hope of Messiah and eternal life was extinguished.

Other followers of Christ, both men and women, saw what happened and pondered the meaning of it all.

Matthew 27:51-53  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. 

Matthew recorded something marvelous that happened at the resurrection of Christ.

The bodies of saints who died in faith, believing God and living in accord with His law, rose from the dead after Christ rose three days later!

These resurrection saints went into Jerusalem and the text implies that they were recognized by family and friends.

Though we do not have time to develop this here, they were part of the first fruits offering to the Father, taken to heaven by Christ (See 1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

Thus, when Jesus died, God testified that He was His Son.

The sun was darkened, the earth quaked, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom and the centurion gave glory to God.

Matthew 27:54  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.

We stop with this note of truth from a Roman centurion. "Truly this was the Son of God."

May these truths encourage us in our faith and strengthen our resolve to follow hard after Jesus, who died for us that we might live through Him!

Bob