what happened when Jesus died

five things that happened after Jesus

died

number one

there was an earthquake

there was a response of creation after

Jesus died

we read

the earthquaked and the Rocks were split

nature itself was shaken by the death of

the son of God

Matthew says first that the Earth Shook

and The Rock split

this language implies that this is a

significant Earthly reaction to the

Divine Events on the cross

number two

the tombs open

Matthew then records an incident found

in none of the other Gospels

the tombs were open and many bodies of

the Saints God's people who had fallen

asleep and death were raised to life and

coming out of the tombs after his

resurrection

they entered the Holy City Jerusalem and

appeared to many people

Matthew chapter 27 verses 52-53

earthquakes can damage tombs since they

were carved out of stone

the raising of bodies can only be

attributed to God's direct action which

implies that he is behind the earthquake

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 leading 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

Matthew's unique record of these events

emphasizes the victory over death that

Jesus sacrificed on the cross

accomplishes

those who were raised are described

literally as those who had fallen asleep

common New Testament idiom for a person

who has died but whose Eternal Destiny

is secure

as with the initial testimony the

supernatural raising of the bodies of

these holy ones and their appearances in

Jerusalem his 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

their appearance to people in Jerusalem

is a witness to the efficaciousness of

Jesus work on the cross

the Declaration of his victory over

Death In His and their Resurrection

this anticipates Paul's teaching on

Jesus being the first fruits of the Dead

First Corinthians chapter 15 verses 20

through 23.

but now as things really are Christ has

in fact been raised from the dead

and he became the first fruits that is

the first to be resurrected with an

Incorruptible Immortal body

foreshadowing the resurrection though

those who have fallen asleep and death

for since it was by a man a death came

into the world

it is also by a man that the

resurrection of the dead has come

for just as an Adam all die

so also in Christ all will be made alive

but each in his own order

Christ the first fruits then those who

are Christ's own will be resurrected

with Incorruptible Immortal bodies at

his coming

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

Resurrection to life eternal has been

made possible

but notice that it was not until after

the resurrection of Jesus that the

occupants of these tombs were raised and

went into Jerusalem where they appeared

to many

the Bible does not say whether these

risen Saints died again or went to

heaven with the Lord Jesus

the death of the Son of God shook nature

itself

popular preacher Charles Spurgeon stated

men's Hearts did not respond to the

agonizing cries of the dying Redeemer

but the Rocks responded the Rocks were

rent

he did not die for rocks

yet rocks were more tender than the

hearts of men for whom he shed his blood

it is best to understand that Matthew

intended for us to see that the

earthquake occurred on the day that

Jesus was crucified

then on the day he was revealed as

Resurrected

power of new life was so strong that it

brought back some of the good people who

had died

this is one of the strangest passages in

Matthew's gospel

Matthew does not provide us with a great

deal of information

and we do not learn about this

occurrence from any other source

number three the temple veil was cut in

two

Matthew chapter 27 verses 50-51

and Jesus cried out again with a loud

agonized voice and gave up his spear

voluntarily sovereignly dismissing and

releasing his Spirit from his body in

submission to his father's plan

and at once the veil of the holy of

holies of the temple was torn in two

from top to bottom

the Earth Shook and the Rocks were split

apart

the curtain that covered the temple was

ripped in two places

the curtain was the only thing in the

temple that differentiated the holy area

from the holiest part of the Temple

it was a very clear illustration of the

separation between God and man

Acts chapter 6 verse 7 says that in the

days of the early church a great many of

the priests were obedient to the faith

perhaps this torn Veil demonstrated to

them the greatness of the work of Jesus

is also probably how the torn Veil

became common knowledge

Hebrews chapter 9 verses 1 through 9.

tells us that in the temple a veil

separated the holy of holies

the Earthly Dwelling Place of God's

presence from the rest the temple where

men dwelled

Hebrews chapter 9 verses 1-3

now even the first Covenant had

regulations for divine worship and for

the Earthly sanctuary

a tabernacle sacred tent was put up

the other one or first section in which

were the lampstand in the table with its

loads of the sacred showbread

this is called the holy place

behind the second Veil

there was another Tabernacle the inner

one or second section known as the holy

of holies

the book of Exodus teaches that this

thick veil was fashioned from blue

purple and Scarlet material and fine

Twisted linen

now Christ is our Superior high priest

and as Believers in his finished work

we partake of his better priesthood

we can now enter the holy of holies

through him

Hebrews chapter 10 verses 19 through 20

says

we have confidence to enter the most

holy place by the blood of Jesus

by a New and Living Way opened for us

through the curtain that is his body

when we look at this scene we perceive a

picture of Jesus flesh being torn for us

just as he was tearing the veil for us

the book of Hebrews provides a

gloriously detailed explanation of the

profound meaning that is associated with

the tearing of the Veil

the veil that was always hanging in the

temple served as a constant reminder

that sin makes human beings unworthy to

be in God's presence

the fact that the sin offering was

presented once a year

in addition to the Myriad of other

sacrifices that were presented on a

daily basis

was a glaring illustration of the

reality that sin could not be really

atoned for or eradicated by mere animal

sacrifices

because of what Jesus Christ did on the

cross

the boundaries that used to separate God

and people have been destroyed and we

can now approach god with confidence and

boldness

Hebrews chapter 4 verses 14 through 16.

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inasmuch then as we Believers have a

great high priest who is already

ascended and passed through the heavens

Jesus the son of God

let us hold fast our confession of faith

and cling tenaciously do her absolute

trust in him as Savior

for we do not have a high priest who was

unable to sympathize and understand her

weaknesses and temptations

but one who has been tempted

knowing exactly how it feels to be human

in every respect as we are

yet without committing any sin

therefore lettuce with privilege

approach the throne of grace

that is the Throne of God's gracious

favor with confidence and without fear

so that we may receive Mercy for our

failures

and find his amazing grace to help and

time of need an appropriate blessing

coming just at the right moment

Jesus body was torn and so was the Veil

each indicating that now we can come to

God boldly

we have a high priest who presides over

the Heavenly courts to make certain the

believer has Total Access

at the moment Christ died the heavy

woven curtain separating the two main

rooms of the temple was torn by an

unseen head from top to bottom

the death of God's son was also

accompanied by huge Tremors in the

natural world

as if there was some sort of emotional

connection between inanimate creation

and the one who made it

number four

there was Darkness all over the land

Matthew chapter 27 verse 45.

now from the sixth hour noon

there was Darkness over all the land

until the ninth hour

3 P.M

there was thick Darkness over the whole

land

now the scripture was fulfilled

Amos chapter 8 verse 9.

it shall come about in that day says the

Lord God that I shall cause the sun to

go down to noon

and I shall darken the Earth in broad

daylight

have often demanded of Christ a sign

from heaven and now they had one

but such a one has signified the

blinding of their eyes

at this point in the afternoon it would

be 12 o'clock and the Darkness would

continue until the ninth hour which

would be three o'clock

this otherworldly Darkness a peered when

the Sun was shining the brightest

because the moon was now full it

couldn't have been created by an eclipse

because it can't intervene between the

Earth and the sun when it's full

God's quick intervention a not only

brought about this Darkness

astronomy knowledge was rudimentary at

the time

flea gone also mentions an earthquake

which aligns his story closely with the

sacred record

the creature could not mare the wrong

nun to its creator

therefore the son withdrew his rays that

he might not behold the Deeds of the

wicked

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the darkness occurring at such a

critical moment can signify several

things

first Darkness was associated in

Antiquity with Mourning

Darkness was also associated with the

death of Great Men

both Gentile and Jewish readers could

understand Darkness as a cosmic sign

that accompanied the death of a king

in addition Darkness was a sign of God's

judgment

the tombs were open and many bodies of

the Saints God's people who had fallen

asleep and death

were raised to life

and coming out of the tombs after his

resurrection

they entered the Holy City Jerusalem and

appeared to many people

Matthew chapter 27 verses 52-53

number five

the soldier that oversaw the execution

realized that he was innocent

now the Centurion and those who were

with them keeping guard over Jesus

they saw the earthquake and the things

that were happening they were terribly

frightened and filled with awe

said

truly this was the son of God

Matthew chapter 27 verses 53 through 54.

it was a centurion's job to ensure that

the crucifixion was carried out

correctly

and without any complications

he was usually in charge of a hundred

soldiers at the time of the crucifixion

he was a career Soldier whose courage

and intelligence had helped him rise

through the ranks

he would be a soldier of the highest

order

he would need to be both cold and

efficient to succeed in this position

this man had to follow the orders of his

superiors

the scene at the crucifixion of Jesus

was so remarkable that even a hardened

Roman Centurion acknowledged that this

was the son of God

this realization meant Jesus was

innocent of the crime

Jesus was on the cross for that very

reason

the Centurion must have had a mix of

emotions

he just realized he had supervised the

crucifixion of an innocent man

this was not the whispered words of a

frightened recruit

or the quavering words of a conscript

who was easy to manipulate

those were the recent conclusions

reached by a seasoned veteran

a man who watched countless men suffer

horrible ends and was responsible for

putting them to death

this Centurion was well aware of the

strong condemnation of the Jewish

religious leaders that it put Jesus on

the cross for blasphemy

his commander-in-chief Pontius Pilate

had sustained the conviction for Jesus

making that claim

forsakes the condemnation and declares

Jesus claim

why

why because the arguments in favor of

Christ were overwhelming

although we had no doubt supervised many

crucifixions

this execution was different

what did he see

several scenes from the events of the

arrest trial and crucifixion of Jesus

combined into a compelling statement

the first was

the response of Jesus to the Injustice

that he had been forced to endure at the

hands of his own countrymen through

arrest and trials

this man had no doubt supervised many

crucifixions

could it have been Jesus response to the

torture he had suffered at the hands of

the Centurion and his men

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one could think of the dignity with

which Jesus responded to the Lynch Mob

that demanded his blood

as a sheep silent before the slaughter

scripture records no response by Jesus

to the mob's cries

Mark chapter 15 verses 11 through 15.

but the chief priests stirred up the

crowd to get him to release Barabbas for

them instead

again pilate answered

then what shall I do with him whom you

call the king of the Jews

they screamed back

crucify him

but pilate asks him

why what has he done that is evil

but they screamed all the more

crucify him

so pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd

said maraba is free for them and after

having Jesus scourged he handed him over

to his soldiers to be crucified

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concern was for their forgiveness not

his Escape

the mercy of Jesus toward the people who

rejected him and the soldiers that

crucified him including this Centurion

his response

father forgive them

Luke chapter 23 verses 34-39

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father forgive them

for they do not know what they are doing

and they cast lots dividing his clothes

among themselves

now the people stood by watching

but even the rulers ridiculed and

sneered at him saying

he saved others from death

let him save himself if he is the Christ

the Messiah the anointed of God his

Chosen One

the soldiers also mocked him coming up

to him and cruelly offering him sour

wide and sarcastically saying

if you are really the king of the Jews

save yourself from death

now there was also an inscription above

him

this is the king of the Jews

one of the criminals who had been hanged

on a cross beside him

kept hurling abuse at him saying are you

not the Christ

save yourself and us from death

while they gambled for Jesus possessions

Jesus concern was for their forgiveness

it was not for his Escape

what a powerful statement

Matthew chapter 27 verses 35 through 36.

and when they had crucified him

they divided his clothes among them by

casting lots

then sitting down there they began to

keep watch over him to guard against any

rescue attempt

if all those did not convince him he saw

something else

saw Creations response

clearly the Centurion was shocked to be

witness to such a dramatic event during

the last hours of Christ

especially since he had never previously

seen such a thing

this made the impact on him almost

immeasurable

the Centurion had seen heard and felt

all of the events of the crucifixion and

death of Christ

as a result

he and his troops became very frightened

even though the Centurion and his group

of soldiers had learned to cope with

fear

they were now experiencing sheer Terror

it is that powerful cross and the love

display there that moves hearts

even the hardened battle weary heart of

a career soldier from Death To Life

an old saying is

the ground is always level at the foot

of the cross

it was in the first century and it still

is today

the foot of the cross is where everyone

poor and Rich finds level ground to

kneel and embrace the Christ who died

for them

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truly this is the son of God

we have heard and we have believed

the journey must not end there

we must have a passion for knowing him

deeper

May that same desire burn in our hearts

so we might honestly know the one who

loved us and gave himself for us

one can't help but wonder about how

coming in contact with Jesus affected

the soldiers lives

did they become Christians

the pulpit commentary relates the

tradition that the centurion's name was

longinus and that he became a devoted

follower of Jesus preached the gospel

and died as a martyr

this is just tradition we do not know if

this happened but we do know that the

truce has a way of holding on to a

person's heart

the cross of Jesus has the power to

change the individual

the Centurion began as a Roman officer

overseeing a crucifixion

but ended the day acknowledging that

Jesus was the son of God

has already taken the initiative in

Salvation

Christ died for you

now it's your move

Jesus gave up his life so we could have

ours back

he died like us so we could live like

him

he not only pleased his father but

received us as a bounty

as a substitute for sinful Humanity

Jesus suffered the withdrawal of the

father's Fellowship

horrible as this was it fulfilled God's

good and loving Plan of Redemption

there are others who consider this to be

a myth or at best a theological story

these are all unique events that

uniformly testify to God's unique acts

in human history

these are extraordinary

Supernatural testimonies that confirm