The Triumph of the Cross (Matthew 27:45-51)

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The Triumph of the Cross (Mt. 27:45-51a) In the Spring of 1997, I went to see a movie by myself. I know, it sounds pathetic doesn’t it? The experience was so awkward I never did it again. I had just been hired by Kinko’s and they sent me up to Walnut Creek for a few days of training. I did not know anyone who lived there, and since the other trainees were all from the area, I was by myself in the evenings. I went out for dinner and then, on a bit of a whim, decided to see what was playing in the theaters. (This was before Siri and Google.) The only thing I remember about the movie was that it starred John Cusack. So I looked it up this morning. It was “Grosse Pointe Blank”. Honestly, it still doesn’t ring a bell. I think I’ve blocked out that experience because Of how uncomfortable it was. I remember it being one of the first times in my life where I really felt alone. Apparently, I don’t do well in isolation. I’ve gotten better since then, but I still crave interaction. Have you ever felt alone? I don’t mean socially distant. I mean isolated from everyone. Maybe that sounds like a good thing to some of you. Maybe you are the kind of person who enjoys going to movie theaters alone. I can understand the value of getting away from the noise of this world, but we really were not created for isolation. We long for genuine fellowship and to belong to a community that knows, loves, and supports us. This is true because we’re created in the image of a triune God who has always enjoyed perfect fellowship within the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s one thing to be physically isolated from one everyone, but it is even more significant to think about isolation on a spiritual level. Jesus certainly suffered physically on the cross, but the spiritual reality was much worse than the physical reality. Read Matthew 27:45-51 I. The Darkness of the Cross (45) The crucifixion for many lasted multiple days. Jesus’ crucifixion lasted roughly six hours. According to Mark 15:25, the crucifixion began at the 3rd hour (9am). Darkness began at the 6th hour (12pm). Then, according to v.46, Jesus died about the 9th hour (3pm). This would have allowed 3hrs for his burial before sunset, when the Sabbath officially began. We do not know the extent of this darkness. Was it merely over the land of Judea, or did it extend throughout the earth? Nor do we know for certain if this was a naturally occurring phenomenon. Some have suggested it could have been a heavy dust storm or cloud coverage. I think it was likely a supernatural occurrence that was limited to Judea in scope. Either way, God was doing something significant to show the spiritual darkness represented by the death of his Son. The symbolism of darkness represents the judgment of God. It would recall the darkness that fell upon the land of Egypt for three days (Exod. 10:22) prior to Israel’s escape at the first Passover. An even better parallel is found in Amos 8:9-10, where God promises midday darkness so that celebrations will turn to mourning and lamentation. There is a proper place for lamentation in worship, and it is sorely underserved in the church today. Psalm 22 seems to have been on the mind of Christ as he neared his final breath. That psalm can be broken down into two parts: lamentation (1-21) and thanksgiving (22-31). It is proper to practice both in the context of corporate worship. Thanksgiving doesn’t cancel out the lamentation. Lamentation anticipates thanksgiving. Think about that in the context of the cross. What finally puts an end to the darkness? One might expect the light to return at the resurrection, but in fact, light returns immediately after his death. The darkness ended when Jesus defeated it at his death. In this sense, the cross of Christ is not only for sober reflection and mourning, but it also brings hope that light will shine again soon! This hopeful sign comes at the peak of the world’s most tragic loss. Doesn’t that often exemplify how grace works in

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