Message Description

Dr. Kurt Bjorklund, Russ Brasher, and James Isaac lead the Good Friday service looking deeply at Christ's last remaining six hours on the cross.

Message Transcript

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Speaker 1 – Dr. Kurt Bjorklund

Welcome to Good Friday at Orchard Hill. Over the last several weeks as a church, we've been considering Jesus’ final hours according to the Gospel of Matthew. We saw how Jesus responded to two questions in Matthew 24. We saw the three stories that Jesus told in Matthew 25. The four places that he visited in Matthew 26. And in the first part of Matthew 27, five people who responded to his sentence of death. And tonight, we're going to consider the last half of Matthew 27 in the 6 hours and actually a little more time around when Jesus was on the cross. Then this weekend we'll consider the one event in Matthew 28 that changed the world.  

And most scholars, when they have looked at the death of Jesus, have said that he was on the cross from approximately nine to three on Friday. And hence we get our title Good Friday. And what we're going to do tonight is I'm going to talk a little bit about the suffering that Jesus had on the cross. Why did Jesus suffer? Then Russ is going to talk for a couple of moments about why Jesus died, why he needed to die. And then James will come and talk about why we have the details of the burial that are recorded in Matthew 27.  

But I want to start by just asking you, when you think about Jesus’ death, what image comes to mind for you? Chances are the first image that would come to many of our minds would be that of a cross. Even in the way that we set the auditorium this evening, there's a cross that central, and it's the image that is most thought about when we think about the death of Jesus. Certainly, we could talk about the nails that were driven through Jesus hands, or the crown of thorns that was pressed into his head, or the robe that was placed on his body or the cord or the darkness that came.  

But I'd like to suggest a different image tonight, and it's the image of a megaphone. Now, I recognize that megaphones didn't exist when Jesus was on the cross. But I suggest this because I believe that as excruciating as the physical pain and suffering was for Jesus, that there was also emotional pain. In fact, in Luke's account, we're told that that there was almost a loud yelling from the priests. In other words, people were shouting Jesus down. And in Matthew's account, we see three words in Matthew 27 that are used to talk about the emotional suffering that was hurled toward Jesus.  

I don't know how that strikes you, because sometimes I think, well, he was Jesus, he was God. Did it really hurt him to have some people yelling things at him? So, let's take a look. In Matthew 27, verse 39, we see the first of these words. Here's what it is. It says, “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads.” And in the expanded translation, it says that they defamed him, they slandered him. And the word can mean literally to blaspheme.  

And what this means is that they were attacking the character of Jesus. It was almost like they were saying, “How dare you claim to be the Messiah. Who do you think you are?” This might be a little bit like those of you who are parents having a child say to you, “You're not my mom. You're not my dad. You have no place in my life.” Here were the creatures, the created beings saying to the creator, you have no right to say anything to me.  

Then there's another phrase that's used. This is in verse 41. Here's what we read. It says, “In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.” The phrase mocked in the expanded translation means to make fun of, to ridicule, or to trick. And here, the idea is that they really were attacking his competence. So, it was his calling that they attacked then the competence. And this is where they basically were saying, “So, you think that you can be the Messiah? Look, you can't even save yourself. You're on a cross. You're captive to these people. There's not much that you can do.”  

And I don't know if you've ever had somebody question your competence. Chances are when you were a kid, the thing that you wanted to do that was most important to you, whether it was sports or music or acting or academics. If somebody told you that you weren't very good at it, it would hurt. And it's still hurtful even as we age to have people tell us that we aren't very good at something.  

I remember years ago when one of my sons was playing Tiger Pride football, which is the little, way too young football thing that we do in our community here to our kids. And my son was playing, and he was convinced that he was going to play in the NFL. And he asked me one time, he said, “Dad, do you really think I'm going to play in the NFL?” I mean, that's a conundrum when you're asked that by your fourth grader. I wanted to say I believed in him. But he ran like I ran. And if you're not tracking with that, that means he wasn't fast so I said no. And you could just see the crush in my fourth grader. Now, you can say that's not good parenting, but that's why we have a counseling center here at the church because we know that there's something when somebody attacks our competence.  

Then there's this phrase in verse 44, here's what it says. “In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.” The expanded translation says, ridiculed, taunted. They were attacking his character. They were saying, basically, you're a disgrace. You say that you are the one who is here to save us, to be our messiah, but you have evil intentions.  

One of the things I try to do when people do things or say things that aren't awesome is to give the most generous explanation I can to them. But have you ever given the most generous explanation you can to the actions or words of somebody else and then had them impugn your motives, assume the worst about you. This is what was happening for Jesus. As He went to the cross, as he hung on the cross.  

Now, here's the difference. You and I don't live perfectly. Jesus did. He didn't deserve any insults. Sometimes it's fair for somebody to say to me that I don't have an ability or to question character or calling, but it's never fair for Jesus. So, the question that I ask is why is this included in our text? Why is a megaphone a somewhat appropriate image of Jesus suffering on the cross? And I would suggest that the reason it's appropriate is that the fact that Jesus suffered tells us the reason you and I suffer can't be because God doesn't love us. If you suffer, whether it be in the indignant sea of people around you or physically or in some way, it can't be because God doesn't love you because He loved Jesus perfectly and He suffered. And it can't be because God has forgotten you because God never forgot Jesus. And yet He suffered.  

Saint Francis of Assisi put it like this. He said, “It is a meritorious thing and far more blessed to endure injuries and reproaches patiently without murmuring for the love of God than to feed 100 poor men or to keep a perpetual feast.” Mother Teresa put it this way she said, “Suffering is a gift of God. A gift that makes us most Christlike. People must not accept suffering as punishment.” Jesus suffered. And it tells us that when we suffer, it isn't because God doesn't love us, or he doesn't remember where we are. 

Speaker 2 – Russ Brasher 

Well, as we continue looking at the final 6 hours of Jesus's life, recorded in Matthew 27, we now shift from Jesus's suffering to looking specifically at verses 45 through 56, which cover Jesus' actual death. And what these verses begin to uncover is the truth behind why Jesus' death matters, why it matters more than any other death recorded throughout all of human history. And I'm convinced that as we begin to discover this meaning, it draws in us, deep inside our hearts, a question that Jesus' death forces all of us to answer. And it's a question that Jesus Himself asked His disciples back in Matthew 16 verse 15, where He said to them, “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?”  

As we jump into the texts, let's look to answer that question together. This is Matthew 27, starting in verse 45. “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”  Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” 

 

I wish we had more time to go through all the details and events that Matthew gives us of why Jesus' death matters. But I only have time to cover one. And so, I want to go back and look at verses 50 and 51 because you see in verse 50, Matthew tells us that Jesus cried out one last time, and then he died while hanging on the cross. If you jump into the gospel of John, John tells us what it is that Jesus cried out before He died, and John tells us that He said, “It is finished.”  

 

So, as we sit here on Good Friday, we have to ask the question, well, what was it that Jesus finished? And Matthew tells us what Jesus’ death finished in verse 51 where he says, at the moment Jesus died, the curtain was torn from top to bottom. So, what does a torn curtain have to do with you and me today on Good Friday?  

 

You see, you have to understand and use your imagination to picture this. When Jesus was alive, there was a temple located in the city of Jerusalem, and this temple was the central place of the city and the central place of worship. This temple was divided into two main sections by a very large curtain, and you see the outer section. This was the place located closest to the entrance. This section was called the Sanctuary or the Holy Place, but the second section was on the other side of the curtain and in the center of the temple. This place was called the Holy of Holies, or the most holy place. It was called the most holy place because it was believed to be the spot where God dwelled here on Earth. Let that sink in for a moment. 

 

So, the curtain that separated these two sections in Jesus' day was very symbolic. It was symbolic because it represented sin. It represented how our sin has separated us from God. And when I mean separated, I'm saying that this curtain itself was enormous. It is believed that this curtain was roughly 60 feet high and approximately four inches thick. Because of this curtain, no one, and I mean no one had access to God. It was a daily, visible reminder to everyone that saw it, that not only are we guilty of sin, but because of our sin we are separated from God, the creator, and designer.  

 

The only person who was allowed to enter the most holy of holy places was someone called the High Priest. And this high priest could only enter the most holy of holies once a year. And he could only enter once a year after he followed an excruciating list of sacrificial traditions which included the shedding of innocent blood from animals that were sacrificed. Not only was the curtain symbolic, but the sacrificial system itself was symbolic because it meant that the wages of our sin are death. And the only way that we could be saved was by something or someone who was willing to sacrifice themselves by shedding their blood. So, the high priest, hoping and praying that he followed every detail of the sacrificial system, would then enter the most holy places once a year and ask God to forgive the people of their sins.  

 

So why does Jesus' death matter? It matters because the moment Jesus died, Matthew tells us that the curtain that separated us from God, the visible reminder of the reality of sin, the barrier which stood in the place from us being once again with God was now torn, removed, gone forever, finished. And see, not only was the curtain torn, but Matthew begins to tell us in detail that it was torn from top to bottom. And this is a crucial thing not to miss because what it actually allows us to do is to fully embrace the reality of the gospel message.  

 

You see, I remember where I was when I heard the story of the cross for the first time. And the person talking about sin and the cross said I want you to imagine this, curtain, not just being 60 feet high, but infinitely high, infinitely deep, and infinitely wide. And the reality of sin, the wage of sin, the justice that needed to be demanded and served because of sin. The truth was that even on my best day, with my best efforts, and even collecting all that the world could offer me to help me, if I started to try to tear the curtain of sin from the bottom and try to reach my way up to God, because of my sin, I wouldn't even come close to making a way back. It would have been impossible.  But the curtain was torn from top to bottom, symbolizing that God in His grace, love, and mercy for you and me, despite our sin, sent his son Jesus from up in heaven down to us in order to make a way for us to once to be again be reunited with God.  

 

Scripture says it better than I ever could in Second Corinthians 5:21, where it says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Because of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us on the cross, His death, we now have direct access to God once again. And the beauty of the Gospel is that because of Jesus' death, we don't have to go around and try to clean ourselves up. We don't have to start doing or stop doing anything. We don't have to rely on some earthly high priest or some sacrificial traditions. We have direct access with God once again. This is what is meant by Hebrews 10 verses 19 through 20, where it says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.”  

 

Perhaps on a deeper, more personal level, we now read and hear Romans five, six through eight a little different tonight. You see at just the right time when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  

 

So, as I look to close, I want to circle back to the question that Jesus asked his disciples and the question that stirs up in our hearts when we think of why Jesus’ death matters. “But what about you?” Jesus said. “Who do you say that I am?” For the centurion that Matthew mentions in verse 54, as he witnessed and reflected on all that took place on that Good Friday event despite his own sinful past at that moment, he realized for the first time that God's grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness was on full display, and it was pointed directly at him in the same way that it's now pointed directly at you and me. And at that moment, the centurion chose to answer Jesus's question in verse 54 by saying, Surely, He, Jesus, was the Son of God.  

 

So, what about you understanding why Jesus' death that matters. Who do you say that Jesus is? In John 14:6 Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” By Jesus' death, he made a way by tearing down the curtain of sin from top to bottom. By Jesus' death, we are told the truth. As Tim Keller says it so perfectly, “We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believed. Yet, at the very same time, more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” In Jesus' death we are given full access to God once again and the opportunity to choose life. So, this Good Friday seeing love put on full display through the death of Jesus, who do you say Jesus is? 

Speaker 3 – James Isaac

As Jesus' body is taken down from the cross, Matthew, Chapter 27 records this starting in verse 57. It says, “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.”  

And we read that or we hear that, and we might ask, “Why would the Bible provide such detail about the burial of Jesus?” So, I believe the Bible provides such specific detail regarding his burial because it provides us with valuable evidence. Even today, over 2000 years later, and over the next few moments, I want to highlight some of the things that the Bible account establishes. It begins by providing important facts. The biblical detail gives us valuable, irrefutable evidence. It starts off by naming some leading figures that were present and that were responsible in the burial of Jesus. 

It names Caiaphas, the high priest. Caiaphas is a prominent historical figure in Jewish society, central around the death and the burial of Jesus. The Bible goes on to name Pontius Pilot. He was the Roman governor of the region during this time. And we know that through other sources outside of the Bible, through detailed Roman records, that Pontius Pilot was in fact a governor in this region during this time, thus giving credibility to the biblical accounts. The Bible also names a man of interest, Joseph of Arimathea. He's a wealthy and prominent Jewish leader. It's interesting because he's also a member of the Sanhedrin, the High Council, that has condemned Jesus to die. But I think perhaps most interestingly, he's a secret follower of Jesus. And we know that he carries some weight. He's able to come to Pilot in the middle of the night, summon the governor, seek an audience, and gain the body of Jesus. 

Now, because all of these key high-profile figures are named in the burial of Jesus, what it does is, places the biblical accounts under the microscope of history. If there's any discrepancy within the biblical account, there is historical evidence that would be able to call out these potential false claims. Yet these figures in the accounts are undisputed.  

Another important and valuable fact that is provided for us is the location. We read that it was Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Now, this is important because the location of a wealthy and prominent man such as Joseph would have been public knowledge certainly to the people in Jerusalem. But more than likely even within the region. Such knowledge lends credibility to the burial accounts.  

And what I've noticed is that false claims are often surrounded by a measure of secrecy. I've never attempted to start a false religion, nor do I have the desire to do that. But I've often wondered that if I were to go down such a road of starting a lie or starting a false religion, I think what I would do is I would try to bury as many of the essential details in very vague facts. I would try to be as vague about as much as I could to help shift the focus away from what is important and to what is not important. But the Bible doesn't do that. The Bible gives a specific location. The Bible has nothing to hide. And we read that in the burial account. This is why these details matter. 

The last important fact that is given to us is Jesus was dead. Matthew records that the body was prepared for burial. To be laid into a tomb requires that a certain process be done. Tasks must be performed by experts who knew what they were doing. Now, the Bible tells us that Joseph performed these tasks. More than likely because Joseph is a wealthy man, he had experts to do this. And these experts would have been able to confirm that Jesus was, in fact, dead. In fact, they wouldn't be experts if they could not do that. Thus, dispelling any sort of hypothesis or theory that Jesus had merely fainted or a natural cause explanation. All of these facts create an event that can be fact-checked through historical records, eyewitness accounts, and archaeological findings. 

But the detail of the burial also shows us that biblical prophecy was fulfilled years before the prophet Isaiah wrote this and prophesied this. It’s recorded for us in Isaiah 59. It says he, being Jesus, was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death. You see, details surrounding Jesus's burial were prophesied generations before thus giving validity to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah even in death. The prophecy points to Jesus.  

And finally, the biblical account creates historical credibility. Some of the most powerful people in Jerusalem knew of Jesus' burial. If Jesus' body were to disappear, any one of these figures would have had every incentive, every motive, and every ability to produce the body to call out the lie.  

J.C. Ryle, a theologian, put it like this, and I think this is really compelling. It says, “They little thought what they were doing. They little thought that unwittingly they were providing the most complete evidence of the truth of Christ coming resurrection. They were actually making it impossible to prove any deception or imposition had occurred.” 

You see, in truth, the majority of people, religious leaders, Roman officials, the crowds, misunderstood Jesus and why he had come. The religious leaders were threatened by him. The Roman officials didn't quite know what to make of him. They thought he was innocent. Who is this Jesus? The crowds were easily swayed. They were amazed by all that Jesus did but turned on him in a moment. And I believe the problem is that they envisioned an earthly kingdom. They were looking to Jesus to overthrow the Roman rule and to overthrow the tyranny. See, their mindset was they were focused on an earthly realm. They were focused on a political realm. And Jesus was working on a spiritual, on an eternal realm. 

As Jesus is placed in the tomb, Matthew records that there were followers of his that were gathered there. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus. And I can only imagine as a parent watching that, as somebody who has followed Jesus' ministry, watching this person that they love so dearly, being laid into the tomb. Imagine what's going through their minds, in their hearts at that moment. And the sound of the rock that would seal the tomb as it's put into place by professionals, being slowly rolled. Can you picture the sound of rock upon rock grinding against one another as it’s slowly put into place? And finally, the giant rock comes to rest. And I wonder if they thought to themselves, Jesus is dead, the tomb is sealed.