Verse: Matthew 27:45-54
“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!””
Devotion
We mostly hear of the resurrection of Jesus, not the death of Jesus. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a momentous event that changed the course of human history. In Matthew 27:45-54, we see Jesus on the cross, bearing the sins of the world and experiencing the profound darkness of separation from God. Despite the agony and the darkness, Jesus displayed sacrificial love, revealing his divinity and completing the redemptive work for humanity.
Jesus cried out with a loud voice, quoting Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This cry was not a cry of despair, but rather a cry of deep agony as Jesus bore the weight of sin on behalf of ALL humanity. It was a moment when Jesus, who had always had perfect communion with the Father, experienced the pain of separation from God as he took upon himself the sins of the world. Jesus’ cry from the cross reminds us of the great cost of our salvation and the depth of his sacrificial love.
When Jesus died in verse 50, the curtain was torn, the earth shook, rocks split, tombs were opened and the saints were raised. This is monumental and foundational for us, as this was the moment that Jesus removed the greatest obstacle for all of humanity— our sin and God’s righteousness.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the reconciliation you provided through Jesus’ death. It’s hard to even fathom the experience that Jesus endured. Lord please help us to be mindful of what took place to allow us to be redeemed. Provide us opportunities to share this with someone this week, or to even just begin planting seeds with those who may not know you yet.
In Your heavenly name I pray, Amen.
Author: Justin Artymenko
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