THEN THE GOVERNOR’S soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When 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!”
55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and 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. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
IN THIS CRUCIAL section of his Passion Narrative, Matthew takes us to the very heart of his gospel about Jesus Messiah. The crucifixion narrative culminates a critical theme of this Gospel, a theme that marks a central purpose of Jesus’ entire earthly mission: Jesus brings salvation from sin. The infancy narrative commenced with the announcement that the soon-to-be-born child would be named Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins” (1:21). As the narrative unfolds, Jesus makes pronouncements about forgiving sins (9:1–8) and about providing a ransom for many (20:28). At least four times Jesus predicted he would be handed over by the Jewish leaders to be killed at the hands of the Gentiles (16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19; 26:2).
For Matthew’s readers, those Old Testament passages that spoke so darkly of a suffering Servant who would bring forgiveness of sin are now crystal clear (e.g., Isa. 42:1–4; 52:13–53:12). They point to the crucifixion of their Messiah, who brings true redemption in his sacrifice on the cross. Matthew narrates these events starkly, with little commentary about their meaning. But for his readers the meaning is clear—Jesus is the crucified Messiah, whose death liberates his people through the unimaginable horror of dying for their sins in their place. Somberly, with deepest sorrow, yet with unimaginable joy, we watch our Savior go to the cross.
The full account of the events of the crucifixion leading up to Jesus’ death as recorded in the four Gospels is as follows:
1. Arrival at Golgotha (Matt. 27:33)
2. Jesus’ rejection of the soldiers’ offer of wine mingled with gall (27:34)
3. Division of Jesus’ clothes (27:35)
4. Placard over Jesus’ head: “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (27:37)
5. Crucifixion between the two robbers (27:38)
6. The first cry from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34)
7. Jesus’ being mocked by all passing by (Matt. 27:39–44)
8. Conversation with the robbers (Luke 23:39–43)
9. The second cry from the cross, to the robber, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
10. The third cry, to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother” (John 19:26–27)
11. Darkness overtaking the scene at Golgotha (Matt. 27:45)
12. The fourth cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (27:46)
13. The fifth cry, “I am thirsty” (John 19:28)
14. The sixth cry, “It is finished” (John 19:30)
15. The seventh cry, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46)1
16. Jesus’ death by giving up his spirit (Matt. 27:50; cf. John 19:30)
The Soldiers’ Flog and Mock Jesus (27:27–31)
AFTER PILATE PRONOUNCES the death verdict (27:26), his soldiers take Jesus to the Praetorium, where he is flogged. The Praetorium was the official residence of the Roman governor, but the term was also used of the camp of the troops who served him. The location of where Pilate stayed while in Jerusalem is debated, though it was probably Herod’s palace (see comments on 27:19). Each of the three possible residences had been built to double as a fortress, so a large military contingent was available at Pilate’s residence.2
In the Praetorium Jesus stands surrounded by Pilate’s soldiers. The expression “whole company [speira] of soldiers” may indicate a Roman military cohort, from four hundred to six hundred soldiers,3 which is the tenth part of a legion. But the term was also used of a maniple (a third part of a cohort, i.e., from one hundred and twenty to two hundred soldiers4). Josephus says that a large contingent of Roman soldiers was permanently quartered at the Fortress of Antonia.5 The wording “the governor’s soldiers” (27:27) may indicate that in addition to the cohort at the Antonia, a smaller maniple was housed as Pilate’s personal guard at the former palace of Herod the Great.6 With the latter in view, Jesus is surrounded by a mocking group of at least a hundred to two hundred soldiers.
Jesus has already been flogged (see comments on 27:26). Typical of the treatment given to those about to be crucified, the soldiers strip Jesus of his own clothing and put on him a scarlet robe. Roman soldiers in Jerusalem at the time were known to play a cruel game with condemned prisoners, especially revolutionary brigands. The prisoner was dressed up like a burlesque king and used as a game piece. With each roll of “dice” the prisoner “king” moved around a game board etched in the floor. All for the entertainment of the troops, they hurled verbal and physical abuse at the mock king.7 The charges against Jesus makes him fair game for this torturous pastime. The soldiers dress him up and mock him as “the king of the Jews.”
A “scarlet robe” worn by one of the Roman soldiers becomes a mock royal robe. Plaited branches with thorns become a mimic crown, perhaps inflicting wounds to his head but certainly becoming a malicious imitation of a Roman emperor’s crown. A common wooden “staff” is a nasty hoax for a ruler’s scepter. This staff is used to beat Jesus again and again around the head as they spit at him and hurl abuses. Jesus suffered similar cruel treatment in the house of Caiaphas after he was condemned. There the high priest’s guards played a brutal game with Jesus in order to ridicule his claim to prophecy (26:68); here the Roman soldiers play an even more brutal game to ridicule his claim to be the messianic king of Israel (27:29).8
After the cruel sport, the soldiers put Jesus’ own clothes back on him for the fateful walk through the streets of Jerusalem to where they will crucify him outside the city walls.
The Journey to Golgotha (27:32–34)
CRIMINALS CONDEMNED TO die were customarily required to carry to the scene of crucifixion the heavy wooden crosspiece (patibulum), on which they were to be nailed.9 The crosspiece was then secured to the vertical beam (palus), and the entire cross was hoisted into the air with the victim attached to it. The patibulum usually weighed thirty to forty pounds and was strapped across the shoulders. Jesus had already been scourged (27:26), bringing him close to death. The scourging and loss of blood had so weakened Jesus that he could hardly walk and carry the patibulum because of the tremendous injury to his skin, muscles, and internal organs.
Simon of Cyrene (27:32). Leaving the military quarters at Pilate’s palace to crucify Jesus, the soldiers recognize that Jesus will not be able to carry the cross to the execution site. Apparently at random they force a man named Simon from the city of Cyrene to carry the cross. Cyrene was a town in North Africa that had a large Jewish population (like Alexandria). Simon is likely a Jew who has made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover.10 Like most pilgrims, Simon probably stayed through to Pentecost. Tradition tells us that this incident of carrying Jesus’ cross so impacted Simon that he became a Christian, perhaps through Peter’s preaching on Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:41; 4:4).
Golgotha (27:33). The soldiers escorting Jesus and Simon arrive at the crucifixion site, which Matthew says is called “Golgotha.” The name is a transliteration of the Aramaic word for “skull,” which Matthew clarifies by providing a Greek translation, “which means The Place of the Skull.” The common designation “Calvary” comes from the Latin word for skull, calvaria. The identity and location of the place have been given considerable attention throughout history. No known place in ancient Jerusalem has ever been found that was called Golgotha, but three primary reasons for the name have been proposed: (1) It was a place of execution; (2) it was an area known for having a number of tombs; (3) the site in some way resembled a skull.
The most important clues to the identity and location of Golgotha are as follows. (1) The place must have been outside of Jerusalem, because Roman law (and Jewish law, Lev. 24:14) directed crucifixion to take place outside the city. (2) It must have been a fairly conspicuous spot, probably not far from a city gate and a highway, because the Romans used crucifixion as a deterrent and wanted the gruesome scene to be witnessed by as many people as possible (see comments on 27:39). (3) A garden containing a tomb was nearby. The tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, who later claimed Jesus’ body and placed him there (John 19:41–42).
Two primary locations have been proposed. (1) A popular location is “Gordon’s Hill” with its accompanying Garden Tomb, named after General Charles George Gordon, a renowned British military hero. During a brief service in Israel (1883), he identified a hill that looked similar to a skull, located north of the northern wall of the Old City of Jerusalem. Underneath the hill is a vast underground cemetery, including one crypt identified as Jesus’ burial tomb. However, these tombs were not used in the first century, so it cannot be identified as the newly hewn tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.11
(2) The better candidate is the place where “The Church of the Holy Sepulchre” was built by Emperor Constantine as a memorial to Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. It is located in the heart of the Christian quarter of the Old City, inside the city wall. Three Christian communities—Armenian, Greek, and Latin—all point to this site, west of the city of Jerusalem, as the place of both Jesus’ crucifixion and his burial. Most scholars agree for several reasons. (a) During the time of Jesus this location was outside of the city walls. A later wall built by Herod Agrippa between A.D. 41 and 44 enclosed this site within the city. (b) The area was likely near a thoroughfare. (c) The site was an ancient limestone quarry, which had been exhausted of its useable stone by the first century B.C. At that time the quarry was filled and used as a garden or orchard, and by the turn of the era contained a large burial ground.12
Wine and gall (27:34). At the crucifixion site the Roman soldiers offer Jesus “wine . . . mixed with gall.” But after Jesus tastes the mixture, he refuses to drink it. A rabbinic tradition indicates that when a prisoner was led out to execution, he was given a goblet of wine containing a grain of frankincense to numb his senses (b. Sanh. 43a, citing Prov. 31:6). The practice was done out of compassion. Some scholars have suggested that since Jesus refuses such sympathetic attention, we may assume that he wishes to experience the fullness of his atoning sacrifice with undulled senses.13
However, those who have brought Jesus to Golgotha are the ones who offer him the drink, and they are hardly sympathetic. They have already flogged Jesus and mocked him. More likely the present drink is another attempt at cruelty by the Roman soldiers. Feigning that they are offering Jesus a cup of refreshment, the wine has instead been mixed with “gall,” a bitter herb that may even be poisonous. When Jesus tastes the bitter drink, he knows it is not for refreshment but is only another way of torturing him. The bitterness will only intensify his parched thirst, so he refuses (see Ps. 69:20–21). Like King David before him, Jesus, the Messiah King, also seeks sympathy but instead finds scorn (cf. also Luke 23:36).14
Jesus Is Crucified (27:35–38)
THE GOSPEL WRITERS do not focus on the details of Jesus’ crucifixion. Recent historical and archaeological studies have helped bring a realistic sense of its horrors for us who live so far removed from the practice.15 Crucifixion was a painful and slow means of execution. Those passing by hurled insults at the crucified one (cf. 27:39). A victim usually died after two or three agonizing days—of thirst, exhaustion, and exposure. The hands were often nailed or tied to the crossbeam, which was then hoisted up and affixed to the upright stake, to which the feet were then nailed. Death was sometimes hastened by breaking the legs, but not in Jesus’ case, since he is so weakened by the earlier flogging that he is already near death (cf. John 19:33).
The guards cast lots and keep watch (27:35–37). In the first of a series of allusions to Psalm 22,16 Matthew quotes nearly verbatim the LXX of Psalm 22:18, but without using any sort of fulfillment formula as he does elsewhere. Yet his readers know that as the soldiers divide up his clothing by casting lots, this fulfills Scripture. The lot was cast in the Old Testament to discover God’s will on various matters, such as the goat to be sacrificed on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). But here the lot is a form of gambling by the Roman guards as they divide up whatever is left of Jesus’ clothes, which is probably not much. By so doing they take away his final external dignity and protection from the flies and elements that torture his beaten body.
Once Jesus has been affixed to the cross and hoisted in place, the guards sit down to watch, probably to make sure that none of Jesus’ many followers attempt to rescue him. Only Matthew records this detail, which prepares the way for his insights to the later details of the guards’ reactions to Jesus’ death and resurrection (27:54, 62–66; 28:11–15).
As they watch Jesus die, the soldiers carry out what was probably a regular practice to deter further crimes of the sort that resulted in Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus was falsely accused and convicted of being the seditious messianic King of the Jews (cf. 27:11–14; see comments on 27:1–2). As a deterrent to any Jews thinking of continuing his sedition or causing any other kind of uprising against Rome, the soldiers place a placard above his head with the written charge, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Perhaps Jesus wore this placard strung around his neck as he walked to Golgotha. Ironically, however, this is a statement of truth about Jesus. He is the king of the Jews, who has been rejected and framed by the very people he came to redeem.
The two robbers (27:38). Jesus is not alone at Golgotha. On his right and left are two “robbers” (lestes). These are not common thieves but political insurrectionists (cf. comments on Matt. 27:16). This same term occurred earlier when Jesus chided those who came to arrest him in Gethsemane as though he were a lestes (26:55); it also described Barabbas (John 18:40). Pilate apparently was rounding up, arresting, and convicting people who were stirring the crowds to insurrection. Had the people not selected Barabbas over Jesus, Barabbas may have been crucified with these compatriots in revolution. Instead, Jesus, falsely accused of those political crimes, receives a rebel’s execution. The two sons of Zebedee had requested the privilege of being seated at Jesus’ right and left hand side in his kingdom (20:21); with bitter irony, Matthew records that two rebel criminals form Jesus’ right-and left-hand attendants on a cross, not a throne.
The Mocking of Messiah (27:39–44)
THIS SECTION IS a sad scenario of three groups who hurl insults at Jesus while he is on the cross: the people, the religious leaders who have condemned Jesus, and the two thieves. In the cases of the former two, the issues similarly relate to Jesus’ identity as God’s Son.
The people (27:39–40). “Those who pass by” may include people randomly entering or leaving the city, but also those who have witnessed the trials. They had been convinced by the charges against Jesus, because they “hurled insults at him, shaking their heads.” The expression “hurled insults” is literally “blasphemed,” indicating that they deride him for his blasphemous claims (see comments on 26:65–66) and for the bogus charge that he would destroy the temple and build it in three days (cf. 26:61). This derision mocks Jesus’ claim at supernatural power. If he has such powers, he should be able to save himself.
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the devil tempted Jesus in the same way (4:3, 6); now the people throw another cruel temptation at him to escape the cross: “Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” Their taunt says more than they know, but Jesus will continue to pursue the Father’s will, as he resolutely affirmed three times in Gethsemane (26:39–44). Matthew’s readers will hear in these taunts from the passersby another allusion to Psalm 22: “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads” (Ps. 22:6–7).
The religious leaders (27:41–43). The religious leaders who comprise the Sanhedrin—the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders—join in the mocking. Their presence indicates more fully that those who observe the crucifixion are not there simply by happenstance. The highest tiers of Israel’s officialdom have followed Jesus out to Golgotha intentionally to hurl their final insults at this one whom they despise for being who he actually is. They throw back at Jesus the claim he made when he was on trial (see comments on 26:64).
Like the people, they taunt him for his claim to supernatural powers. How can he save others and not himself? They have witnessed him heal the sick, rescue the demon-possessed, and even raise people from the dead. Throughout his ministry they have tested him by asking for signs of his true identity (12:38–39). Now they do not address him directly in asking for a sign; rather, with cruel derision they turn to one another joking: “Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.”
Matthew again alludes to Psalm 22 (cf. Matt. 27:35) as the religious leaders mock Jesus’ supposed trust in God (Ps. 22:8).17 If he really is the Son of God, God would not allow him to die on a cross. To them, a crucified Messiah is unthinkable. A final proof to them of his identity would be for God to rescue his Son. But as Jesus earlier declared, the definitive sign of his identity will be his resurrection from the dead, which will also be a sign of God’s judgment on these religious leaders (Matt. 12:40–42). Although they taunt him to save himself, Jesus must pursue his life’s mission to the very end, because there the Son of God will truly save humanity.
The robbers (27:44). The two between whom Jesus is crucified join in the mockery by heaping insults on Jesus. It seems incongruous that the two others being crucified would insult Jesus, but Luke fills in some details. One of them ridicules Jesus for his ineffectual claim to be the Messiah: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39). But Luke goes on to recount that the other bandit halts the ridicule and acknowledges the innocence of Jesus. He exhibits a form of repentance that Jesus declares will cause the bandit to be joined with him in paradise (heaven) that very day (23:40–43).
The Death of Jesus Messiah (27:45–50)
THE TONE OF mockery from the witnesses at Golgotha suddenly turns somber as darkness comes over the land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour (i.e., from 12:00 noon to 3:00 P.M.). This is not a solar eclipse, for the Passover occurred at full moon; rather, this is some unknown act of God. Jesus had already been on the cross for about three hours (Mark 15:25).
The darkness (27:45). “Darkness” in both Old and New Testaments is an evocative word. If light symbolizes God, darkness suggests everything that is anti-God: the wicked (Prov. 2:13–14; 1 Thess. 5:4–7), judgment (Ex. 10:21; Matt. 25:30), and death (Ps. 88:13). Salvation brings light to those in darkness (Isa. 9:1; Matt. 4:16). The time of God’s ultimate judgment, the Day of the Lord, is a day of darkness (Amos 5:18, 20; Joel 2:2; Zeph. 1:15; Matt. 24:29; Rev. 6:12–17). Darkness here displays a limitation on the power of Satan (cf. Luke 22:53), God’s displeasure on humanity for crucifying his Son, and God’s judgment on the sins of the world.18
Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (27:46). At about 3:00 P.M., Jesus’ tortured body is nearly lifeless. From out of the darkness surrounding Golgotha, Jesus’ voice cries out, “ ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’—which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ ” The connection between the darkness and Jesus’ cry is close—the darkness is a symbol of its agonizing content.19 Once again the crucifixion scene recalls the lament of King David in Psalm 22:1. David goes on to recount his vindication (22:21–22), but Jesus’ cry does not go that far. Matthew’s readers, who know the full story, can think of the entirety of Psalm 22 as a preview of Jesus’ vindication by the resurrection. But Matthew focuses on Jesus’ abandonment, a theme that pervades the narrative.20
Of the seven cries of Jesus from the cross, this is the only one that Matthew and Mark record, the meaning of which is profoundly difficult to grasp fully.21 Matthew does not interpret its meaning, though this cry does indicate that Jesus’ death does not catch him by surprise. Yet this is not the declaration of victory that ultimately comes from Jesus’ completion of his atoning sacrifice, which John records (John 19:30). Matthew gives us a singular focus on Jesus’ feelings of being abandoned on the cross. He must be separated from the Father in order to bear the sin of his people (Matt. 1:21; 20:28; 26:28). He bears the divine retribution and punishment for sin, as the Father’s cup of wrath is poured out on him in divine judgment.
Not only does Jesus bear the load of humanity’s sin, but he becomes sin on our behalf (see 2 Cor. 5:21). He became cursed by God for us, “for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’ ” (Gal. 3:13). William Hendriksen comments graphically on the darkness that portends Jesus’ cry:
The darkness meant judgment, the judgment of God upon our sins, his wrath as it were burning itself out in the very heart of Jesus, so that he, as our Substitute, suffered most intense agony, indescribable woe, terrible isolation or forsakenness. Hell came to Calvary that day, and the Savior descended into it and bore its horrors in our stead.22
Jesus’ abandonment is horrific, but it is not without purpose.
From later theological reflection we understand that Jesus’ forsakenness by the Father did not affect their ontological relationship; that is, Jesus was not separated in his essence or substance from the Father as the second Person of the Trinity. Rather, Jesus’ divinely sustained humanity consciously experienced the full penalty of death for the sins of humanity. Earlier he told his disciples that his life’s mission was to be a “ransom for many” (20:28). Here that fateful prediction is carried out. This lays the foundation for the theological doctrine of the atonement, in which Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is one of “penal substitution” or “vicarious atonement”—Jesus suffers our punishment for our sin. The wages for sin is death (Rom. 6:23), and in Jesus’ separation from God he experiences deathly punishment for the sins of humanity.23
But even in the depth of Jesus’ abandonment to his atoning sacrifice, he still knows that this experience is not one of despair—he still calls his Father “my God, my God.” The relational separation while bearing the sins of humanity cannot separate him entirely from God, because his consummate trust in the Father expects that he will not be abandoned forever and because the oneness of their ontology is indissoluble.
The bystanders think of Elijah (27:47–49). Jesus’ call to God in Aramaic (eli eli; 27:46) sounds similar to the Hebrew name for Elijah (ʾeliyyah), so the bystanders misunderstand him to be attempting to summon the prophet. At the sound of his cry, someone in the crowd runs to get a sponge, which he fills with vinegar and places on a stick to reach up for Jesus to have a drink. The drink offered is oxos, a sour wine used by common people and soldiers as a daily drink with meals. It relieved thirst more effectively than water and, because it was cheaper than regular wine, it was a favorite beverage of the lower ranks of society. Perhaps one of the bystanders (a Roman guard?) is offering an act of kindness and mercy to Jesus. Or perhaps this person is continuing the earlier mockery (see comments on 27:34); nothing indicates that the mockery of the crowds has ceased.
If this person is attempting to give a sympathetic drink to Jesus, the crowd wants none of it. Or if he is continuing the mockery by giving Jesus bitter gall, the bystanders don’t want anything to interfere with their cruel entertainment. They instruct him to stop giving Jesus the drink so that they can see if Elijah will come to rescue him.24 The majority in the crowd are toying with Jesus for their own curiosity or amusement. But unbeknownst to them, God observes their cruelty and will indeed rescue his Son from death by raising him after the redemptive work of the cross is accomplished. Such profound love for those who are so cruel is unfathomable.
Jesus gives up his spirit (27:50). Jesus knows that his suffering is nearing its completion. He cries out again in a loud voice. Neither Matthew nor Mark gives the content of Jesus’ final cry, but the implication is that this is one final agonizing experience of separation from the Father as he bears humanity’s sin-punishment. Then “he gave up his spirit” (cf. “breathed his last” in Mark 15:37). This is a shorthand representation for the experience of death, though none of the Gospel writers describes Jesus death by simply saying, “He died”—a clue that they view his death as singularly unique.
In fact, Matthew shows that to the very end Jesus maintains volitional control over his destiny. He approaches his death willingly (cf. John 10:17–18). This points to what John’s Gospel makes explicit, that Jesus comes to the recognition that he has paid in full the debt for sin; with a shout of victory Jesus cries out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). John uses a single word tetelestai to record this triumph, a phrase used often in this sense on ancient Greek receipts, “Paid in full.” The redemption that Jesus came to achieve was accomplished once for all.
Testimonies to Jesus’ Death (27:51–54)
MATTHEW IMMEDIATELY RECORDS several events that follow upon the death of Jesus, all of which give significant historical and theological testimony to explain the impact of Jesus’ death.
Testimony from the temple (27:51). The first testimony comes from the temple, where at the moment of Jesus’ death, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” The word for curtain (katapetasma) is used in the LXX both of the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (e.g., Ex. 26:31–35; 27:21; 30:6; 2 Chron. 3:14) and of the curtain over the entrance to the Holy Place (e.g., Ex. 26:33; Num. 3:26). The former is more likely here (cf. Heb. 6:19; 9:3; 10:20). The curtain was an elaborately woven fabric of seventy-two twisted plaits of twenty-four threads each, and the veil was sixty feet high and thirty feet wide.25
It would take a significant rift to tear this imposing veil, so the incident gives momentous testimony to the meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross. This tearing of the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple signifies the removal of the separation between God and the people and is a further sign of God’s judgment on Israel’s temple activity (cf. 21:12–22). The sixty-foot-high curtain was split from top to bottom, which is a sign that God himself abolished the separation from the Holy of Holies, signifying that the new and living way is now open for all people to enter into his presence through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (Heb. 10:20; Eph. 2:11–22). Since only the priestly aristocracy would have known about the tearing of the veil, when only a few weeks later a number of priests became believers (Acts 6:7), they would have informed the Christian community of this event.26
Matthew’s consistent emphasis on “fulfillment” here reaches its pinnacle. Jesus fulfilled all righteousness as he undertook his earthly ministry (3:15–17), he fulfilled the Law and the Prophets as he authoritatively pronounced its intended meaning (5:17–48), and in his ministry one greater than the temple arrived (12:6). The tearing of the temple curtain testifies that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has fulfilled the hopes expressed in Israel’s years of temple sacrifice. Jesus is the great high priest, whose sacrifice is the permanent satisfaction of God’s wrath on humanity’s sin (Heb. 4:14–5:10). Jesus is the permanently accessible new temple in whom all who turn to him are reconciled to the Father.
Testimony from the dead (27:51b–53). The second testimony is a complex of earthquakes, splitting rocks, and raised bodies. Matthew says first that “the earth shook and the rocks split.” This language implies that this is a significant earthly reaction to the divine events on the cross. Because of the geological characteristics of Palestine, which sits on a major seismic rift, an earthquake would not be an unusual event, but coupled with rocks splitting to open tombs, this is another significant testimony to the meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion. Another earthquake will soon testify to a further significant divine event—Jesus’ resurrection (cf. 28:2).
Matthew then records an incident found in none of the other Gospels: “The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.” While earthquakes can damage tombs, since they were carved out of stone, raising of bodies can only be attributed to God’s direct action, which implies that he is behind the earthquake.
Matthew’s unique record of these events emphasizes the victory over death that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross accomplishes. Those who are raised are described literally as those “who had fallen asleep” (27:52; NIV “had died”), a common New Testament idiom for a person who has died but whose eternal destiny is secure (e.g., 1 Cor. 11:30; 15:18, 20; 1 Thess. 4:13–15). As with the preceding miraculous testimonies, the supernatural raising of the bodies of these holy ones and their appearances in Jerusalem is striking testimony to Jesus’ accomplished work on the cross and thereafter his resurrection.
The expression “holy people” probably refers to pious Old Testament figures—heroes and martyrs from Israel’s history selected to bear miraculous testimony to these events.27 We may think of the way in which Moses and Elijah were selected to appear with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (17:1–8). But in this case it is a resurrection of the bodies of such holy people. This allows the reader to see that even with the acted judgment of Jesus on Israel’s leadership and their condemnation in chapters 23–24, Israel does remain in God’s plans.28
The NIV placement in 27:53 of a comma after the phrase “they came out of the tombs” along with the insertion of the conjunction “and” may imply that the bodies were raised at the time of the earthquake and then later appeared in Jerusalem. It would seem strange to have raised bodies remaining in a tomb for days until they make their appearance. However, the Greek text has no punctuation, and the conjunction “and” is not in the text. A better explanation is to place a period after the phrase “the tombs broke open” and to begin a new sentence with the next phrase. As such it then reads, “And the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. Coming out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”29 With this rendering, Matthew indicates the following sequence: (1) The tombs are opened by earthquakes at Jesus’ crucifixion; (2) Jesus is raised three days later; (3) the bodies of these holy ones are then raised, and they enter the city and appear to many.
In this way the miraculously opened tombs at the time of Jesus’ death are a prolepsis of the resurrection of Jesus, and the bodies of the holy people follow in a mere three days. Their appearance to people in Jerusalem is a witness to the efficaciousness of Jesus’ work on the cross and the declaration of his victory over death in his, and their, resurrection. This anticipates Paul’s teaching on Jesus being the firstfruits of the dead (1 Cor. 15:20–23).
Some brand this incident as legend or, at best, only theological narrative (i.e., theology set forth as history). However, there is little within any of the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion (the darkness at the crucifixion, the temple curtain being torn from top to bottom, an earthquake that opens tombs, and the resurrection of Old Testament saints) that makes sense on the normal historical level. These are all unique events that uniformly testify to God’s unique acts in human history—Jesus’ vicarious death on the cross and his vindicated resurrection from the death. These are extraordinary, supernatural testimonies that confirm “that Jesus is who he had claimed to be and that his ministry stands vindicated before the nation.”30
Recalling the imagery of Ezekiel, who prophesied that the Sovereign Lord would open graves and resurrect people to life in the valley of dry bones (Ezek. 37:11–14), Matthew lets this event stand unadorned because its meaning is clear. Derek Tidball relates, “The raising of these holy ones is a foretaste of the resurrection to which all believers can look forward. Through the death of Jesus a new day has arrived, a day when death has been defeated by death, and resurrection to life eternal has been made possible.”31 Matthew does not answer all the questions we would like answered about these miraculous events, but in narrating them he presents a unified testimony to the supernatural confirmation of Jesus’ identity and mission.
Testimony from Gentiles (27:54). The third testimony following the death of Jesus is that of the centurion and the guards at the crucifixion scene. The centurion, an officer in charge of one hundred soldiers (see comments on 8:5), has probably been in attendance since Jesus’ Roman trial and subsequent flogging and mocking by the soldiers. He has probably witnessed many crucifixions, but the cataclysmic events of the earthquake and opened tombs, plus the manner of Jesus’ death, combine to evoke the statement, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
Opinions vary as to what the centurion and those with him mean by this exclamation. (1) A pagan reaction. Some suggest that this is a pagan reaction to the dramatic events unfolding, but it does not indicate true faith. They suggest that the expression can best be rendered, “Truly this was a son of a god.” The centurion and those with him view Jesus merely as a typical Greco-Roman “divine-man” figure, a great human hero deified upon death. However, the centurion and his men are more likely commenting on the current Jewish charges against Jesus, not associating this with far-removed Greco-Roman deities.
(2) A response of fear. Others suggest that the soldiers’ statement is an acknowledgment of guilt and defeat in the face of the divine. They are greatly “terrified,” an expression that implies dread. These soldiers are the same ones who brutalized and executed Jesus, and they are wicked characters right through the Passion Narrative. “The terror and subsequent cry of defeat on the part of the evil soldiers prefigures the attitude of the wicked on the day of reckoning as they learn of the horrible fate in store for them.”32 However, the positive way in which this confession is reported leads Matthew’s readers to understand that the centurion and his men are not simply terrified but are recognizing that Jesus is indeed (“surely” or “truly”) the Son of God.
(3) A beginning confession of faith. The most satisfactory understanding of this statement is that as little as these men may have understood, it is a true step of faith. The centurion is gaining an insight into Jesus’ true identity. The charge of blasphemy from the Sanhedrin was in part lodged against Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God, to which Jesus responded with an affirmative (26:63–64). The centurion is certain to know the various charges against Jesus, because the military chain of command necessitates that he know about potential uprisings to rescue the convicted Jesus. As he watches the events unfold, he and his men are overwhelmed by the realization that the identification is truthful. Jesus is innocent of the contrived charges (cf. Luke 23:47), which then leads to the logical conclusion that he is truly who he claimed to be—the Son of God, who sustains a divine relationship to the Ancient of Days as the Son of Man.33
However much the centurion and his men understand these words, Matthew’s point is clear. He emphasizes for his readers that the reaction of the centurion and his men (“they were terrified”) is exactly the same as that experienced by the disciples at the Transfiguration (17:6), and their confession is nearly identical to the conclusion drawn by the disciples at the calming of the sea (14:33). Therefore, the evaluative point of view of these Roman guards agrees with that of God the Father (3:17; 17:5) and Peter (16:16), a confession that is now given publicly.34
Matthew has given increasing emphasis to Jesus as the Son of God since the Jewish trial evinced charges of blasphemy (26:63–65). The centurion’s evocation is in dramatic distinction from the religious leaders and the bystanders at the cross, who mocked Jesus for his claim to be the Son of God (27:40–43). It is a striking picture for Matthew’s readers. The cataclysmic events recorded here testify to Jesus’ true identity, and the centurion and his men make a step of faith to acknowledge the truth of that testimony.
The Women Followers of Jesus (27:55–56)
MATTHEW NOW NARRATES a peaceful, yet melancholy scene of the women who have faithfully watched these events unfold. All of the Gospel writers mention a group of women who followed and served Jesus in Galilee, accompanied him to Jerusalem, and witnessed the events of the final week, including the crucifixion and the resurrection.35 Matthew’s description of them at the crucifixion and burial scene prepares for their significant role in the resurrection scenes.
(1) “Many women were there, watching from a distance.” In the crucifixion passages of the Gospels, at least six women are identified, though Matthew and Mark indicate that an even larger group of unnamed women watched the crucifixion. John’s Gospel indicates that at least during some of the time, Jesus’ mother and three other women and one of his disciples were near enough to the cross so that Jesus could speak to them and give directions for his mother’s care (John 19:26). But for most of the time they stand off in the distance, possibly because there is still danger of being accosted by the Roman guards if it is known that they are associated with Jesus.36 Nevertheless, their courage and commitment to Jesus keep them from running off.
(2) These women “followed Jesus from Galilee.” The expressions used to describe these women concur with the evidence elsewhere that they are Jesus’ disciples.37 The verb “follow” can be used in simply a spatial sense (e.g., 4:25; 9:19). But the context indicates the metaphorical sense of “follow” here—accompanying Jesus as his disciples. A “disciple” is the one who has counted the cost, made a commitment of faith, and then “followed” Jesus.38
As the women followed Jesus, they cared for his needs (Matt. 27:55; Luke 8:1–3; Mark 15:41), called him Lord (John 20:2, 13, 18), and worshiped him after the resurrection (Matt. 28:9). These descriptions not only designate the women to be disciples but also describe them as exemplary disciples of Jesus. They are displaying a commitment to Jesus that the Twelve themselves should have displayed.
(3) These women “cared for his needs.” While they were not involved in actual proclamation, it is unwarranted to imply that the term “care” or “serve” (diakoneo) indicates that these women simply cooked and cleaned for Jesus and the Twelve.39 Diakoneo means much more than simply “waiting on tables.” This verb encapsulates Jesus’ entire redemptive purpose for coming to earth (20:28; Mark 10:45) and will characterize both the mission of the apostles (1 Cor. 4:1) and the calling of the disciples in the early church (cf. Luke 22:24–27; Gal. 5:13). Perhaps we can say that, besides providing financial support for the missionary outreach, the women joined the Twelve as Jesus’ companions and as witnesses of his ministry.40
(4) Matthew names three of these women, who appear to be the most prominent among them. “Mary Magdalene” is a well-known person, though not previously named in this Gospel. “Magdalene” implies that she was from Magdala, a town and region on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, about three miles north of Tiberias (see 15:39). Luke 8:2 mentions that she is a woman “from whom seven demons had come out.” Mary Magdalene figures prominently here at the crucifixion scene and even more so in the resurrection scenes (esp. John 20). Being listed first suggests that she is likely a leader among the women.
“Mary the mother of James and Joses” is perhaps the woman listed third in John’s account of the crucifixion, identified as Mary the wife of Clopas. Nothing more is known of this Mary, although her prominent listing in second spot implies that she is a woman of some significance within the discipleship band.
“The mother of Zebedee’s sons” is likely Salome, the one listed second in John 19:25 as Jesus’ “mother’s sister,” or Jesus’ aunt on his mother’s side (see comments on Matt. 20:20)41 This perhaps clarifies why Jesus places his mother in the care of the beloved disciple, the apostle John, Jesus’ cousin (John 19:26–27).
One of the most important perspectives on the women is that God used them as witnesses not only to the central redemptive act of history, Jesus’ death on the cross and the sealing of the tomb (cf. 27:60–61), but also as witnesses to his resurrection from the dead. Since the women are present for Jesus’ death and his burial by Joseph of Arimathea (cf. 27:55–56, 61), they can verify that Jesus is truly dead, not just unconscious. God is bestowing a special honor on them. They are exemplary of true discipleship to Jesus, and because of their faithfulness and courage, they are given the special honor of being witnesses to these profound events.
The Burial of Jesus Messiah (27:57–61)
THE SKY HAD darkened until 3:00 P.M. on Friday afternoon (27:45), the “Preparation Day” for the Sabbath (cf. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:42), after which Jesus died. Jewish custom dictated that the bodies should be taken down before evening, especially before the Sabbath, which began at sundown on Friday (approximately 6:00 P.M.).
Joseph of Arimathea (27:57). Matthew now narrates the remarkable arrival of a man named Joseph who claims the body of the crucified Messiah. Joseph, one of the most common names for Jewish men, was from Arimathea. The location is in doubt, identified by some as Ramathaim, the birthplace of Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1, 19), in the hill country of Ephraim, about twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem, which Luke describes as the “Judean town of Arimathea” (Luke 23:51). Some suggest that it is otherwise known as Rathamein (1 Macc. 11:34) or Ramathain.42 The portrait painted of him in the Gospels is historically plausible.43
No adequate explanation accounts for his coming forward at this point except, as Matthew writes, he “had himself become a disciple44 of Jesus.” We are not told when or how he had come to faith. Although Joseph is called a disciple, he is not one of the Twelve, but like the women is among the wider circle of Jesus’ adherents.45
Joseph is a fellow member of the Sanhedrin with Nicodemus, both of whom appear as exemplary Jews anticipating the arrival of the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50–51; John 3:1–15; 19:38–42). These two are examples of persons who apparently did not follow Jesus around in his earthly ministry, but who were still considered his disciples, even while continuing to serve within the religious establishment of Israel.46 Although it is dangerous for them to reveal their attachment to Jesus at this time, when their help is needed, they step forward to show their true colors. Luke 23:50 tells us that Joseph did not consent to the actions of the Sanhedrin against Jesus. He not only likely stirred the ire of the other members of the Sanhedrin, but he now is walking into the den of the Roman executioners. To be associated with one condemned for treason is a dangerous matter, even though Pilate equivocated.47
Joseph requests Jesus’ body from Pilate (27:58). Joseph’s high standing within the Jewish community allows him access to Pilate, to whom he goes to request the body of Jesus so that he can give it a proper burial. Pilate releases Jesus’ body to him immediately. Pilate attempted futilely to wash his hands of responsibility for Jesus’ execution and perhaps sees in Joseph’s request an opportunity to relieve himself of any responsibility for Jesus’ burial.
Because Joseph is rich (only Matthew records this detail), he had the resources to purchase a newly hewn tomb, which becomes the fulfillment of the proper burial place for Jesus (Isa. 53:9).48 His courage in asking for the body and his service to Jesus are exemplary of what a disciple should do. Joseph is a fitting foil for the disciples who have forsaken Jesus (26:56).49 As a member of the Sanhedrin, it would not have been easy for him to follow Jesus, but when all the disciples flee, he comes forward to give Jesus a proper burial.
Joseph’s action in initiating the burial of Jesus is both an act of obedience to Jewish law and an act of devotion to the One who is his Master. Not only is the Sabbath approaching, but Deuteronomy 21:22–23 instructs that a person hanged on a tree should be buried the same day so that the land should not be defiled, for that person is under God’s curse.
Joseph prepares Jesus’ body for burial (27:59). Joseph begins preparing Jesus’ body for burial by placing it in a clean linen cloth or “shroud” (RSV; 27:59). John’s Gospel fills in some other details, such as another secret disciple, Nicodemus, unveiling himself at this critical moment to aid Joseph (John 19:39–40; cf. 3:1–21). Together they prepare Jesus’ body.
The Jews did not practice cremation or full embalming of corpses, but the body was prepared for burial by washing it, dressing it in special garments, and packing it in the linen cloth with fragrant spices. Along with stifling the smell of the body decaying, myrrh and other aromatics represented the preservation of the body, which to the Jewish mind was the prerequisite of resurrection. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus perform acts even more significant than they themselves understand.50
Joseph’s new tomb is Jesus’ burial place (27:60). After the body is wrapped in the linen cloth, Joseph places it in his own new tomb cut out of the rock. During this era burial was generally in cave-like tombs. The tomb was a rectangular underground chamber cut into rock, sometimes in an abandoned quarry. It was accessed through a low entry vault, closed with a stone that could be rolled back and forth, mostly to protect the body from wild animals that fed on carcasses. The dead were laid out on benches cut parallel into the rock or placed in perpendicular burial slots or recesses cut into the sides of the tomb. The body remained in its niche until the flesh decayed (from one to three years), whereupon the bones were collected and placed in ossuaries (small, carved stone, bone-box receptacles).
After Jesus’ body is laid in the tomb, Joseph rolls a large stone in front of the entrance. He and Nicodemus return to the city. Although part of the preparation for burial has been accomplished at this point, because the Sabbath is approaching, they cannot work with the dead and thus must return after the Sabbath to complete the preparations.
The women’s sad vigil (27:61). Matthew tells us that at least two of the women who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion—Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary” (cf. Mark 15:47)—sit opposite the tomb and witness the sad and lonely ceremony. These faithful women still stay with Jesus even in death. It is even possible that these women (and perhaps others) who have followed Jesus from Galilee and who have been close to Jesus and his family worked together with Joseph and Nicodemus to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.51
The Guard at the Tomb (27:62–66)
MATTHEW ALONE RECOUNTS an incident that occurs on the day “after Preparation Day,” that is, the Sabbath. While some doubt the historicity of this event,52
Matthew is writing for a Jewish-Christian audience, who would have heard the charges circulating among the Jews that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body (28:11–15). Therefore, Matthew addresses a situation of pressing concern to his readers.53
Wanting to keep a dead man dead (27:62–63). Not satisfied with Jesus’ execution and burial, the chief priests and the Pharisees go to Pilate to make certain that the dead man does not rouse more support even after his death. Despite the Sabbath and the other celebrations associated with the Passover, the Jewish officials obtain an audience with Pilate because of the threat of Jesus’ followers. As long as they do not travel more than a Sabbath Day’s journey or enter the residence of the governor (cf. John 18:28), they will not be defiling the Sabbath.54
This is the first time that the Pharisees surface in the narrative since Jesus’ woes against them (ch. 23), though they participated in the larger Sanhedrin’s rulings. Now they come to the front with an accusatory remembrance. On at least one occasion Jesus specifically predicted to the Pharisees that he would rise in three days (12:40). They have not forgotten. What they understood by Jesus’ declaration is unknown, but they assume Jesus’ followers will come to their senses and gain courage to continue the movement by perpetuating Jesus’ deception. So they approach Pilate, likely back in the Praetorium, and address him with deference: “Sir [kyrie] . . . we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ”
It is interesting that not even the disciples recall this prediction, probably because of their personal fear and grief. But these religious leaders are savvy. They have witnessed Jesus’ miraculous powers, and they want to make certain that whatever power is behind Jesus is not liberated. The cataclysmic events at the crucifixion, with the fearsome darkness, the tearing of the temple curtain, and the earthquakes portend ominous powers. The Jewish religious leaders sense that things may get out of control, so they enlist Pilate’s aid in keeping the tomb secure.
A deceptive attempt to prevent deception (27:64). The religious leaders have no authority to post guards on a criminal executed by the Roman authorities, so they request Pilate to send a contingent of guards. If the people and Jesus’ disciples are stirring, the guard must be secured immediately until the third day is past. They offer as an explanation that Jesus’ disciples are liable to attempt to perpetuate a grand hoax about Jesus’ resurrection.
Little do they know the truth of what they themselves attempt to deceive. The religious leaders allege that Jesus’ first deception was his claim to be the Messiah, and his second deception is his claim that he will be raised from the dead. If this kind of rumor gets spread, they know it will be far more difficult to squelch the stories about Jesus’ claims. But Matthew makes it clear that the real deceivers are the religious leaders, who actually deceive themselves.
Pilate orders a guard placed at the tomb (27:65–66). Pilate concurs with the potential threat to the peace in Jerusalem if a hoax about Jesus’ resurrection were perpetuated by the disciples after stealing the body, so he orders a guard to be placed. The same guard of the Roman military assigned to the temple security (see comments on 26:47) are now available to the Jewish officials to make the tomb secure. The expression rendered as a charge, “Take a guard,” may be a statement, “You have a guard” (NASB, NRSV), indicating that they are authorized now to use the troops for this security assignment. Note how these guards later go to the temple authorities to report Jesus’ resurrection rather than to Pilate himself (28:11).
After a family placed the body of one of its members in a burial recess in the tomb, a stone was placed over the entrance and was often sealed with clay.55 However, the “seal” here seems to be more of an official security device, so it was more likely an apparatus such as a cord attached to both the stone that blocked the entrance and to the rock face of the tomb, with wax imprinted with the Roman seal anchoring both ends so that any tampering could be detected (cf. Dan. 6:17). The military contingent standing guard acts as the final security seal. While the religious leaders and Pilate have gone to extreme lengths to prevent a hoax about Jesus’ resurrection, they provide another witness to the factuality of the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus, to their own judgment.
Bridging Contexts
THROUGHOUT HIS GOSPEL, Matthew has drawn our attention to the way in which Jesus is the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams of the people of Israel. Jesus is the fulfillment of the great Davidic and Abrahamic covenants (1:1), of Old Testament prophecies (1:22–24; 2:5–6, 15, 17–18, 23, etc.), righteousness (3:15), and the Law (5:17). He inaugurates a new era with the arrival of the kingdom of God (4:17), which is a mystery reality that is visible only to those with eyes and ears of faith (13:10–17). With Jesus’ arrival there is a change in ages.
At the center of this change stands the cross. Sin and death are swallowed up in its pain and love. So Matthew gives us a bold view of the passion of the cross, which culminates Jesus’ purpose for coming to his people. But Matthew also wants us to know that the cross changes people. It has defeated death, brought us into the loving hands of a wrathful God, and initiated a new life for those who dare to follow its example. Coupled with the victory declaration in the resurrection, the cross marks the transition to a new world that Jesus has inaugurated through his blood. “In his coming a new age has dawned; nothing will ever be quite the same again.”56
Matthew slows the pace of his narrative as he nears his conclusion so that we can ponder fully the immense events of Jesus’ crucifixion. In a threefold movement he recounts the horrific nature of Jesus’ suffering (27:27–44), but then points beyond the agony to its meaning (27:45–53) and results (27:54–66). Therein lies Matthew’s, and our, understanding of the cross as the consummate symbol of this age.
Jesus’ suffering (27:27–44). We watched Jesus’ life from infancy as he was born in the middle of a harsh, cruel world dominated by Herod the Great (2:1–23). Even as a baby Jesus was caught up in the battle for this world, and the warfare never let up. Whether in confrontation with Satan in his temptations (4:1–11), in the relentless onslaught of nature’s furies in the storm (8:23–27), the harassment of demoniacs (8:28–34), or the opposition of Israel’s leaders (12:22–45), Jesus continually battled powerful forces in his mission to establish the kingdom of God.
As he nears the final scene of battle—the cross—his suffering increases exponentially. Horror by horror the Savior suffers. The soldiers’ flog and mock him unmercifully until he is near death (27:27–31). The journey to Golgotha is a painful, relentless march toward the final showdown with sin and death (27:32–34). At the final destination, which Matthew ominously renders “the Place of the Skull,” Jesus is nailed to a cross like a common revolutionary criminal. (27:35–38). The soldiers place a placard above his head that sadly and ironically bears a true charge: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS (27:37). Jesus is persistently mocked by the crowds, who have gathered to watch his death. Common passersby revile him for supposedly being the Son of God (27:39–40), the religious leaders mock him as the supposed Savior of Israel, King, and Son of God (27:41–43), and the insurrectionists crucified with Jesus insult him for not being the same kind of courageous revolutionaries that they were (27:44).
Matthew’s painful narration causes us also to pause and ponder Jesus’ suffering. This is the same Jesus who rebuffed Peter’s attempt to rescue him with a sword by pointing to twelve legions of angels who stood ready at his beckoning if he so desired (26:50–53). Jesus’ suffering is no accident of history, nor is it a masochistic attempt to assert his life’s meaning. His torment is the wall of pain that he must breach to enter into the realm of his life’s mission.
Suffering is a well-known reality of life this side of heaven, a reality that all of us must learn to master or at least learn how not to have it master us. But Jesus’ suffering uniquely shows us a whole new dimension of our own, in which he had earlier tried to instruct the sons of Zebedee and the rest of the disciples (20:20–28). Our suffering must have a higher purpose than just our own advancement. Jesus suffered not for what he got out of it, but for what we did, and that brings us humbly to consider our own pain. Does every creak and strain cause us to focus on furthering our life’s purpose in establishing the reality of the kingdom of God in the lives of others, or does it cause us to bewail life’s misfortunes?
I have not suffered anywhere near what Jesus has, but when I ponder his purposeful march to the cross and the tribulation of everyday saints around me who have purposely taken up their life’s cross to follow him, I am impelled to humble myself to accept whatever suffering comes my way to advance Jesus’ purposes in my life. The powerful preacher of nineteenth-century London, Charles Spurgeon, said of the impact that Jesus’ suffering on the cross will have on us:
If you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know Him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son. As Jesus stooped for you, bow in humility at His feet. A realization of Christ’s amazing love has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson. Then let us rise and carry it into practice.57
The meaning of Jesus’ suffering (27:45–53). Nowhere does Jesus give a full exposition of the meaning of the suffering of the cross that he predicted awaited him in Jerusalem. That full theological explanation awaits the rest of the New Testament authors, especially the apostle Paul. But throughout his life Jesus gave hints of the cross’s meaning, and then in the cataclysmic events surrounding the crucifixion the meaning of the cross is illustrated.
Allusions to the cross’s meaning in Jesus’ ministry. Right from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, we read that Jesus would realize the people’s hopes of salvation. His name “Jesus” indicated that he would save his people from their sins (1:21), and as his life unfolded it was clear that he would save them in a unique and costly manner. His authority to forgive sins (9:6) pitted him against the authority of the religious system, as did other events in his life. He predicted his future suffering on the cross (16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19; 26:2), which contains allusions to the cross’s meaning—he was a threat to both Israel’s religious establishment and the Roman military and political machine.
Jesus’ way of manifesting power was not in serving self but in serving others, which he cited as becoming a “ransom for many” (20:28), a theme that has inherently ominous connotations. Because he suffered at the hands of wicked men (21:38–41), his death hints at his own righteousness. As he promised a new era of kingdom life on the earth, he did so by signaling the end of the functional role of Israel and the beginning of a new nation of his own fruit-bearing disciples, which would come to fruition even as he was rejected and killed (21:42–44).
Illustrations of the cross’s meaning in events at Jesus’ death. All of these allusions to the meaning of the cross as foretold in Jesus’ ministry are graphically illustrated in this chapter.
1. The darkness (27:45). The darkness that came over the land at the crucifixion scene displays a limitation on the power of Satan (cf. Luke 22:53), God’s displeasure on humanity for crucifying his Son, and, most importantly God’s judgment on evil.
2. Jesus’ cry on the cross (27:46). Jesus’ experiences and his painful cries on the cross result from his human suffering. But throughout church history these cries of Jesus from the cross have been understood to bear witness to much more profound experiences. None of his cries is more powerful than “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (27:45–46). Jesus’ divinely sustained humanity consciously experienced the full penalty of death for the sins of humanity. As later theologians reflected on Jesus’ utterance from the cross, they recognized that at the infinitely significant moment of his death, he suffered humanity’s punishment for sin, namely, death (Rom. 6:23), and in Jesus’ separation from God he experienced deathly punishment for the sins of all. This lays the foundation for the theological doctrine of atonement in which Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is one of “penal substitution” or “vicarious atonement.”
3. Jesus gives up the spirit (27:50). As Jesus calls out again with a great cry from the cross, this is one final agonizing experience of separation from the Father as he bears humanity’s punishment. Then “he gave up his spirit.” This is the final voluntary demonstration of his divine dignity, in which he gives the irrevocable expenditure of his life for the sins of his people.
4. The temple curtain is torn (27:51). The tearing of the temple curtain from top to bottom testifies to God’s activity of removing the separation between himself and his people through Jesus’ death. No longer is the high priest alone allowed access to the Most Holy Place to commune with God. No longer are any high priestly sacrifices necessary (Heb. 10:10–22). All who are cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus are a holy priesthood to God (1 Peter 2:5) and live in his presence constantly through his indwelling in our hearts and the ever-present comfort of God’s Spirit (Eph. 2:11–22; 3:16–17).
5. Holy people are raised and testify (27:51b–53). The earthquake and unsealing of tombs that occurs at Jesus’ death are signals of grand events to follow in three days—Jesus will be raised to life, as will many Old Testament saints. These latter will appear to people in Jerusalem as a witness to the efficaciousness of Jesus’ work on the cross and the declaration of his victory over death in his, and their, resurrection. These raised holy people are a powerful testimony to Jesus’ work and identity and of the reality of the future, final resurrection. Because of Jesus’ and the holy people’s resurrection, victorious life over death is a reality.
Theological reflections on the cross’s meaning. The Gospels are often referred to as theology enacted, whereas the New Testament letters are theology explained. In the Gospels we find God acting in history in the person of his Son, Jesus Messiah, to accomplish salvation for his people. In the letters we find the church leaders reflecting back on and giving inspired, theological explanation of what God did in history. Theologian Wayne Grudem summarizes the atoning work of Jesus’ life and death by first citing four needs of sinful humanity:
1. We deserve to die as the penalty for sin.
2. We deserve to bear God’s wrath against sin.
3. We are separated from God by our sins.
4. We are in bondage to sin and to the kingdom of Satan.
These four needs are met by Jesus’ death in the following ways:
1. Jesus died as a sacrifice for us to pay the penalty of death that we deserved because of our sin (Heb. 9:26).
2. Jesus died as a propitiation for our sins to remove us from the wrath of God (1 John 4:10).
3. Jesus experienced death and separation from God to overcome our separation from God. He provided reconciliation for us to be brought back into fellowship with God (2 Cor. 5:18–19).
4. Through Jesus’ death, we experience redemption from bondage to sin and Satan so that we now live in newness of life in the Spirit in the kingdom of the beloved Son (Matt. 20:28; cf. Rom. 6:11, 14; Col. 1:13; Heb. 2:15; 1 John 5:19).58
As much as the suffering of Jesus on the cross baffles our limited understanding, serious reflection yields powerful insights into this which is God’s central act of mercy on humankind. The meaning of Jesus’ suffering on the cross is essential for our understanding of the good news of the kingdom of God. The results of Jesus’ suffering likewise are worthy of contemplation.
The results of Jesus’ suffering: Boundaryless discipleship (27:54–66). The results of Jesus’ suffering on the cross are inextricably linked with the meaning of his suffering—his sacrifice for sin, his propitiation of the wrath of God on sin, his reconciliation of sinners to fellowship with God, and his redemption of lost sinners from sin’s grip. But here specifically we look at three sets of people who illustrate the results of Jesus’ suffering in their lives and point to a central tenet of the life of the kingdom of God in this age—boundaryless discipleship to Jesus. What this teaches us, in the words of the old proverb, is that “the ground is level at the foot of the cross.” We find a oneness and an equality at the cross that transcends national, cultural, ethnic, gender-based, social, and political boundaries. These “individuals who do not reject Jesus stand out: the Roman centurion confesses Jesus as Son of God (27:54), women who watch the crucifixion are named (27:55), and Joseph of Arimathea provides Jesus with a tomb (27:57ff.).”59
Gentiles and powerful (27:54). The Roman centurion and his men are Gentiles. They represent the most powerful military and political machine of that time, and one of the most significant of all human history. The centurion is responsible for carrying out the orders of Pilate, who represents the might of the Roman Empire. This centurion is likely the one who supervised Jesus’ flogging, who allowed the guards to ridicule Jesus, who ordered the nails to be driven into Jesus’ body, who watched with amusement as his guards taunted Jesus with the sour drink, who heard Jesus’ own people mock and taunt him, and who had probably watched with some anxiousness for the uprising that might occur.
But the centurion and his men watch Jesus die and hear his eerie cry to God about his forsakenness. As they watch the supernatural darkening of the sky, the temple curtain torn in two, the earth shaken, and the tombs opened, they are struck with the realization that Jesus just may be who he said he was. And in awe they pronounce, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (27:54). The cataclysmic events surrounding the crucifixion testify to Jesus’ true identity, and the centurion and his men make a step of faith to acknowledge the truth of that testimony.
As a result of this acclamation from Gentiles, the way is now open in principle to go and make disciples of all nations (28:19).60 Matthew has hinted at the salvation of Gentiles from the very first verse of his Gospel as he recalled Jesus fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant (1:1). A Roman centurion early in Jesus’ ministry had expressed faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his servant (8:5–13), and now another centurion steps forward to give a profound declaration of faith in Jesus’ true identity. This pagan centurion has humbly taken a step toward following Jesus.
Women and the marginalized (27:55–56, 61). Women and the marginalized are among Jesus’ closest disciples. Women and men were originally created by God as equal and as complementary coworkers in ruling God’s creation for him (Gen. 1:26–28). But in some circles within Judaism, because of misinterpretation of Scripture and cultural bias, women lost their dignity, value, and worth. Josephus stated, “The woman, says the Law, is in all things inferior to the man,”61 apparently interpreting Genesis 3:16 to indicate that women are not only under the authority of men but also have a lower personal status. One of the most widely cited rabbinic prayers reflects an attitude prevalent at least among some of the rabbis: “Praised be God that he has not created me a gentile! Praised be God that he has not created me a woman! Praised be God that he has not created me an ignoramus!”62
One direct result of Jesus’ ministry was the restoration and affirmation of women that God intended from the beginning of creation, as is demonstrated in the following ways:
• Women were equally worthy of Jesus’ saving activity (John 4:1–42).
• Women were called to be Jesus’ disciples (Matt. 12:48–50).
• Women received instruction and nurture as Jesus’ disciples (Luke 10:38–42).
• Women were part of his ministry team (Luke 8:1–3).
• Because of their courageous presence at the cross and the empty tomb, women were designated as the first to testify to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection (Matt. 28:10; Mark 16:7; John 20:17).
For women to be disciples of a great master was certainly an unusual circumstance in Palestine of the first century. Yet here we find another instance of the unique form of discipleship Jesus instituted. While women were not part of the Twelve, several of these women traveled with Jesus and had a significant part in his earthly ministry. Jesus restored and reaffirmed to women their dignity and worth as persons fully equal to men as humans created in the image of God. He also preserved the male-female distinction of humans, so that they were restored and affirmed in the different roles that God had intended from the beginning. Jesus restored to women the status of being coworkers with men in God’s plan for working out his will on earth.63
Wealthy and religious (27:57–60, 62–66). The wealthy and religious stand together before the crucified Jesus Messiah. The rich man from Arimathea named Joseph requests the body of Jesus to give it proper burial. His courage in asking for the body and his service to Jesus are exemplary of what a disciple should do. As Jesus’ disciple, he is a fitting foil for the disciples who forsook Jesus. An earlier rich man had walked sadly away when he realized that Jesus must be his sole Master and that any other “god” of his life must yield to him (19:16–22). It is harder for a rich man to be saved than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, but as Jesus declared then, all things are possible with God (19:23–26). And so we see here that God enabled Joseph to yield to Jesus as Master, to become his disciple, and to be saved.
This is a remarkable disciple of Jesus. He bucked the religious establishment, put his life on the line, and gave over his own family tomb to his Master. What a striking contrast to the religious leaders who recalled that Jesus had given them the “sign of Jonah” (12:40) and then joined forces with Pilate to see to it that a guard secured the tomb (27:62–66)! Their aim was to prevent Jesus’ disciples, now among them Joseph, from stealing his body and proclaiming a resurrection (27:64). Accordingly, the Jewish leaders continued their active opposition against Jesus even after he died. But the example of Joseph is outspoken testimony that even the wealthy and religious are welcome to the cross and to discipleship with Jesus.
SITTING IN THE little Rose of Sharon Chapel on our campus is always a moving experience for me. The tiny chapel is a quiet, peaceful place to share my heart with our Savior. It is a prayer chapel. No preaching or teaching is scheduled there. It is a place where one can find solace amidst the scurry of a university campus in the overwhelming activity of southern California.
The chapel stands for much more, however. An empty cross starkly adorns the wall. It is a powerful testimony to young Sharon Lynn Menshew. She was a nursing major preparing for medical missions. She met her future husband, Robert, while she was working part time at his family restaurant while attending school. They started dating, but before long she was diagnosed with cancer. This was a young couple who were in love, and even though the future looked grim, they married anyway. Not long after, Sharon died. As Bob continued to attend school, he sought answers from God about Sharon’s death. He could find no quiet place to pray, so God led him to raise the funds to build a little chapel on our campus in his beloved young wife’s name.
The Rose of Sharon is a poignantly peaceful little chapel with an empty cross as a joyous reminder of their hope, but also as a reminder of their dreams of a life in missions. Even though young Sharon lost her life on this earth far too quickly, she is alive today because her Savior lives. The empty cross of Golgotha points ahead to an empty tomb and trumpets the call to sacrificial service.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “cross”? For some of us it may only indicate a piece of jewelry. For others it brings to mind the difficulties in life that we are required to bear. For others it produces an emotional reaction as we think of Jesus hanging between two thieves. But for Jesus, the word “cross” is the symbol that best expresses his heart. In this powerful final scene of the Passion Narrative, Matthew calls us to recognize that the cross represents Jesus’ entire earthly ministry and allows us an intimate look into the heart that he has for this world; it also symbolizes God’s work in our lives.
The outrageous cross commands our contemplation. A slain Messiah is difficult to fathom intellectually, but it is perhaps even more difficult to encounter spiritually, relationally, and emotionally. Matthew slows the pace of his narrative so that we are forced to ponder the cross. Hear this challenge about the cross from Lloyd John Ogilvie:
Feel it if you will. Let it happen to you if you dare.
Take the most precious friend of your life. The person with whom you’ve known joy and fun and sorrow. With whom you share the deep bonds of caring. Place him upon the cross and watch him writhe in pain.
The nails driven into those beloved hands are driven into our hands. The muscles excruciatingly stretched are our muscles. The terrible burning of his tongue and mouth is in our tongue and mouth. We feel it all as if we were there ourselves because the most precious person in all the world is there on our behalf.
Feel it. Experience it if you will.64
Pastor Ogilvie was elected the sixty-first chaplain of the United States Senate in 1995. As a pastor for many years and as an evangelical leader, he understands the centrality of the cross for life and ministry. I believe that we need to take his challenge seriously—and regularly—and attempt to enter into the experience of the cross. It is vitally important for the accurate development of our theology and just as important for our own personal transformation.
In many of our evangelical churches and chapels, the empty cross that adorns our walls is an intentional declaration that Jesus is no longer on the cross but has accomplished his sacrifice once-for-all. Our emphasis is on the empty tomb, not the cross—and rightly so, for the empty tomb is a permanent reminder that Jesus’ work on the cross has effectively cancelled the penalty for our sins. As Paul declares, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17).
But we must not hurry so quickly to the empty tomb that we don’t fully ponder the inclusive events of the cross. Paul gives prominent place to the empty tomb, but in the same letter just mentioned, he begins by stating, “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). To catch the full significance of what Paul expresses, we can render the word translated “and” in the last clause in an explanatory manner as “even” or “that is”: “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ—that is, Jesus Christ crucified.” Paul’s purpose in writing to the Corinthians is to lay out for them the truth about Jesus Christ—which is wrapped up in the fact and meaning of his crucifixion.65
The profound depth of Jesus’ crucifixion tempts us to minimize its horror, so that we hear in his cry from the cross just another human who suffers death. But we must not minimize the outrageousness of the cross, because it is there that the God-man suffered a death that was unique—bearing the load of sin for humanity and experiencing ultimate separation from God, while retaining in his consciousness a painful intimacy with his Father.
In our desire to get to the empty tomb of chapter 28, we must not rush past these final verses of chapter 27. We must reflect on them meaningfully, because here we see Jesus’ heart for us, and we also see ourselves more clearly. But we must ponder rightly. In Martin Luther’s call to meditate on the cross, he gives this warning: “Some do so falsely in that they merely rail against Judas and the Jews. Some carry crucifixes to protect themselves from water, fire, and sword, and turn the suffering of Christ into an amulet against suffering. Some weep and that is the end of it.”66 Luther exhorts us to sincerely evaluate the cross so that we do not trivialize it nor brush by it too fast lest we miss its deepest significance. He goes on to say:
The true contemplation is that in which the heart is crushed and the conscience smitten. You must be overwhelmed by the frightful wrath of God who so hated sin that he spared not his only-begotten Son. . . .
If, then, Christ is so firmly planted in your heart, and if you are become an enemy to sin out of love and not fear, then henceforth, the suffering of Christ, which began as a sacrament, may continue lifelong as an example. When tribulation and trouble assail you, think how slight these are compared to the thorns and the nails of Christ. If thwarted, remember how he was bound and dragged. If pride besets you, see how the Lord was mocked and with robbers despised. If unchastity incites your flesh, recall how his flesh was scourged, pierced, and smitten. If hate, envy, and vengeance tempt you, think how Christ for you and all his enemies interceded with tears, though he might rather have avenged himself. If you are afflicted and cannot have your way, take heart and say, “Why should I not suffer when my Lord sweat blood for very anguish?”
Astounding it is that the cross of Christ has so fallen into forgetfulness, for is it not forgetfulness of the cross when no one wishes to suffer but rather to enjoy himself and evade the cross?67
As we ponder the cross, Luther (and the New Testament authors) tells us that we will find in its shadows an example for our own lives—not in some kind of mindless self-abasement but in a lifelong conforming of our lives to the example of Jesus, who saw in the cross his life’s mission of giving his life so that others could live. This is called by some “cruciformity”—that is, the salvation experience of dying and rising with Christ that embarks us on a lifelong sanctification experience of being conformed to his image and encountering a kingdom life that is expressed in faith, love, power, and hope.68 The cross commands our continual contemplation as we open ourselves to God’s transforming and conforming power.
The empty cross creates our peace. As I write these words in spring 2003, the allied invasion of Iraq and the assault on Baghdad is underway. Young men and women in the military face death for the first time in a unique manner. Seeing violent death up close changes young men and women—permanently. During their training they thought of death and considered their own. They probably joked about their bravery and stiffly rejected thoughts of fear. Many hopefully knelt in prayer before they entered into their first battle. But none of their bravado or even their prayers could fully immunize them against the harsh reality of their first combat experience.
Columnist Gordon Dillow was traveling with the Marines of Alpha Company of the 1st Battalion, Marine Regimental Combat Team 5. These young Marines engaged one of the first battles of the war at Pumping Station No. 2 in the al-Rumeilah oil fields and suffered one of the first U.S. casualties of the war—2nd Lieutenant Therrel “Shane” Childers, age 30, of Harrison, Mississippi. In his first column after the start of the war, journalist Dillow reflected on the change that came over these young Marines after their first battle and their first encounter with violent death. He writes, “After the firefight, some of the Marines were exhilarated by their first combat experience. Others had to admit to themselves that when the shooting and killing started, they were more bothered by it than they’d thought they’d be.” He wrote of one young Marine:
“It wasn’t like I thought it’d be,” said Cpl. Martin Vera, 27, of Long Beach [California], who had re-enlisted in the Marines after the Sept. 11 attacks because he thought that now, finally, he would get a chance to see some action. “It wasn’t like the movies and stuff. After 9-11 it was like, yeah, I wanted to come back for this. But it bothered me, shooting at those guys. I had to do it; it’s my job. But it bothered me. A lot.”
Dillow concluded his column with these reflections:
Despite the blood they’ve seen so far, the young Marines of the 1/5 haven’t turned hard yet—or at least not any harder than young Marine grunts already are. They still look fresh-faced and eager and generally unafraid. They will do what they have to do.
But their first firefight has changed them.
Somehow, they aren’t quite as young as they were yesterday.69
Dillow rightly observes that seeing death up close changes people. You and I aren’t any different. In much of Western culture we have isolated ourselves from death. We send sick people to hospitals, where they die away from view. We send old people to retirement or nursing homes, where in isolation from normal life they die—often alone. Death is an uncomfortable, if not fearful, part of life that many try to avoid and push as far away as possible.
But death is a real part of life. An important dimension of our discipleship to Jesus is to learn how to handle it. That is at least one lesson we can learn by looking at the empty cross of Jesus. He has conquered sin and death. The empty cross means not to focus on our own death but to look to the resurrection beyond. To meditate on an empty cross should bring us the greatest expectation of our own destiny. In so doing it will become one of our most important messages to the world around us.
Although I was not a Christian when I fought in Vietnam, and I was quite outspoken in my disdain for Christians, I was impacted profoundly by a young man in my platoon who was a devout Christian. I don’t remember his name now—over thirty years later—but I remember his life. He was a tall, well-built former football player, who had short-cropped bright red hair and a face full of freckles. He had the most peaceful demeanor of anyone I had ever known—peace in the middle of the horror of war. In combat we lived with our fear of death held in check, otherwise it would paralyze us. But fear was never far away.
I once jokingly quizzed “Red” about his peacefulness, asking him if maybe he was doing drugs. But he replied only to say with his usual calm that he did experience fear, but that he knew what would happen to him if, and when, he died. He would be in the safe hands of Jesus, who gave him peace no matter what happened to him. “Red” was wounded one day, not seriously, but enough to be sent back to the States. After that battle, he was loaded onto a helicopter to be sent to the rear. He looked at me with the same peaceful expression and said, “Sergeant Mike, think about what I’ve said.”
I never forgot. Years later when I became a Christian, I came to understand what he had experienced, and I now recognize that my own discipleship to Jesus involves how I look at death and the way I witness to my own peace as I think about what is beyond.
But facing death isn’t just for those involved in the combat of war. It is what everyone faces in the combat of everyday life. One of the most profound testimonies of our discipleship is how we face death. Howard Hendricks, a beloved professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, recently wrote a series of articles that include his own reflections on his aging and approach to the latter years of his career and life. In one of the articles he made a critical observation.
Perhaps the most important task of an elderly Christian is to teach the world how a believer dies. If God does not bring an unexpected ending to our lives, then, like Zechariah the priest and the apostles Paul and John, we are on stage before a younger generation acting out the process of leaving this life.70
Western culture idolizes the young, the beautiful, the strong, and the virulent. At times that same idolization creeps into the church. But if we wisely face our own mortality and appropriately emphasize our eternal destiny, we will give much more prominent place to the elderly saints among us who have so much knowledge, experience, and wisdom to pass on to the succeeding generations. Part of that is how to die well.
My wife’s parents lived with us during their later years while my mother-in-law, Marge, suffered increasing deterioration from multiple sclerosis. Quite suddenly during the Thanksgiving season one year, with all of the family gathered at home for the holiday, she was rushed to the hospital with lung failure. We didn’t think that it would be a long stay, but on the third day her attending nurse called to have us all get to the hospital as quickly as possible—Marge was failing. We spent the morning in her room sharing last thoughts and expressions of love, and tears. As she slowly began to fade, we all gathered around her bed. She looked at me at the foot of her hospital bed and asked me to read a passage of Scripture. I remembered that one of her favorite passages was Philippians 4:6–7, which I read out loud. We all passed the Bible around and read passages that we knew she loved and that we all needed to hear right then. We all prayed together, and then as her breathing became increasingly more labored, she looked calmly around the bed. One by one she looked each family member in the eyes and waved the fingers on her frail little hand. Her eyes went to each of her children, grandchildren, and then finally to her beloved husband of over sixty years, and she waved goodbye. Then she closed her eyes, and before too long was gone.
None of us will ever forget that moment. Marge was the matriarch of the family. She was a strong, willful, stubborn, yet incredibly loving Norwegian—a true Viking-type! And her love for her Savior was at the center of her life. She was an unwavering disciple of Jesus. In those final moments of her life, she left an indelible mark on all of us. She died well, full of the peace of God. As her eyes went around her bed, she was passing on the charge to each family member to live—and to die—well with the Savior.
Marge would want me to share her favorite passage: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7). Jesus’ empty cross is a call to each of us to expand our vision of this life and courageously face life, and death, with the peace that passes understanding.
The wondrous cross demands our all. In Gerd Theissen’s fictional account of the events surrounding the death and crucifixion of Jesus, The Shadow of the Galilean, he includes an imagined letter written by Barabbas to the main character of the story, Andreas, after the death of Jesus. Although Barabbas’s conclusions do not lead him to embrace the ministry program of Jesus, he does have an intuition regarding the substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death for him and what it requires of him in return. He says in his letter:
I’m writing above all to thank you. I’ve heard how much you did for me. I barely escaped death. The price was high. Another died in my place. Two of my friends were crucified with him. Since then I’ve been asking myself: Why the other? Why Jesus? Why not me?
I know that Jesus is close to your heart. You defended his gentle way of rebellion and rejected my way of resisting. Now I’m indissolubly bound up with him. I keep thinking what that means for me.
If he has died in my place, then I am obliged to live for him. . . . 71
Our response ought to be similar. A contemplation of the wondrous cross of Jesus should cause us to take serious pause and ask Why? Why would Jesus do this for me? It should leave us with a sense of gratitude as we determine it is simply a result of his love for us. But it should also leave us with a sense in which we are “indissolubly bound up with him” if we accept his payment in place of our own, resulting in our obligation to live for him. We are bound up with him in such a way that when God sees us, he sees Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us, allowing us to be justified in his sight; we no longer need to take the penalty for our own sins. As a result, we are now free to live for him, to become who we were intended to be before sin had its devastating effect upon the world. Lord John Acton, the brilliant nineteenth-century historian, defined a free culture as one that is free to do the right thing, free to become virtuous, but not free to do whatever one so desires.72
In this sense, we should see the freedom that Christ bought for us such that we are obligated now to follow his call in our lives. He declared, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). Yet it is an obligation that brings peace and fulfillment as we learn to “be holy, as God is holy.”
Consider the little-known figures around the cross. Their diversity is remarkable, but the confession of their lips and life is uniformly exemplary for us. The Roman centurion and his men brave harsh reprisals for taking their first step of faith by vocalizing aloud their recognition that Jesus surely was the Son of God (27:54). The wealthy Jewish religious leaders Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus risk alienation from their colleagues and punishment from the Roman occupying forces by stepping forward to claim Jesus’ body as his faithful disciples (27:57–60). And the women, Jesus’ ever-devoted servants and followers, risk social and religious ostracism as well as legal punishment for associating with a convicted criminal and never straying far from the cross or the tomb (27:55–56, 61).
These three groups set historical precedents for our own discipleship. We may not ever accomplish great feats in the eyes of the world, but when we are gripped by the profound truths that Jesus accomplished on the cross, we too will be energized by the Spirit of God to be men and women whose service to our Master is a courageous witness that the gospel of the kingdom has triumphed. Their example is a striking reflection of the challenge that Jesus laid down at a crucial turning point of his earthly ministry:
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (16:24–26)
Isaac Watts, the prolific hymn writer, understood these truths. He composed the powerful words of one of his most famous hymns, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” with Jesus’ words from this passage clearly in view.73 As Watts focuses our attention on the cross, he shows us the implications for our own lives as we learn consistently to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Look especially at the personal humility that Watts understands comes from seeing clearly Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us and Watts’s own response of sacrificial surrender of his life to Jesus in return.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Watts demonstrates in his own life the powerful meaning of a person fully surrendered to the will of God. You and I may not write hymns as beautiful as these. I can’t even read music! But in our own way, we can look at his hymnic example and draw encouragement for our own commitment to God’s will. And for those of us in leadership, we must do the hard work of translating this into the plain language of our people, to help them to live this out consistently in their daily lives. Jesus’ amazing, divine, sacrificial love for us demands our soul, our life, our all, whether we are hotel housekeepers or hotel owners, school children or school teachers, ex-cons or police officers. That is the only proper response of a life that surveys the wondrous cross.