KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF LOVE || Lesson 38 

KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF LOVE

[With Reference to the Events Concerning Jesus’ “Passion,” note how Jesus’ love is amazingly displayed throughout and therefore ‘stand in awe of God, the Most High.’]

Lesson Thirty-eight

At Golgotha (Calvary) – Cont’d. – Matthew 27:50-53 (Mark 15:37-38; Luke 23:45b-46; John 19:30)

Matthew 27:50-53 – 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.

V.50 – Cried out again in a loud voice – John’s account: John 19:30a – When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  …

“It is finished.” – This is the Sixth of the “Seven Statements from the Cross.”

Refer to:  Matthew 26:39 – Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Matthew 26:42 – He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

Mark 14:36 – “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Luke 12:50 – But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!

V.50 (Cont’d.) – He gave up his spirit – Luke’s account:  Luke 23:46 – Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” – This is the Seventh of the “Seven Statements from the Cross.”  (See Psalm 31:5.)

John adds:  John 19:30b – … With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

He bowed his head – The Matthew Henry’s Commentary states:  “Those that were crucified, in dying stretched up their heads to gasp for breath, and did not drop their heads till they breathed their last; but Christ bowed his head first, composing himself, as it were, to fall asleep.”

V.51 – At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom – It is inferred that this was symbolic of the following:

Hebrews 6:19-20 – ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

The curtain of the temple – 2 Chronicles 3:14 – He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim worked into it.

It was made according to the pattern given to David – 1 Chronicles 28:11, 12, 19 – ¹¹Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement.

¹²He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.

¹⁹“All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.”

V.51b-53 – Note John 11:25-26 – ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

It is inferred that the resurrection of the holy people was a preview of the following:

Daniel 12:2 – Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

John 5:28-29 – ²⁸“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹and come out–those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 – ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. ¹⁸And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Application: Let us thank the GOD OF LOVE that, in the interim, we have the privilege of the “Spiritual Resurrection.” Note: Romans 8:11 – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 – ¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Colossians 2:13-15 – ¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 3:1 – Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.