Turn with me if you would now
to Matthew 27. Matthew 27, the last time that
we were in Matthew, verse 50 was our text. And in this verse,
our Lord accomplished death. It says, Jesus, when he had cried
again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. In the first half
of that verse, our Lord is alive. And in the second half of that
verse, he has died. And now from verse 51 to the
end of this chapter, we have the record of the time that our
Lord spent hanging on the cross in death. And how he was brought down from
the cross and laid in a tomb where he was kept for the remainder
of what we call Friday. and then all day Saturday and
very early the morning of Sunday. Let's read this account, all
right, and then let's see what was accomplished in it. Matthew
27, verse 50, it says, Jesus, when he had cried again with
a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of
the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And the earth did quake, and
the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and
many bodies of the saints which slept arose. and came out of the graves after
his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto
many. Now, when the centurion and they
that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and
those things that were done, they feared greatly. saying,
truly, this was the Son of God. And many women were there beholding
afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto
him, among which was Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James
and Josie, and the mother of Zebedee's children. When the
even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph,
who also himself was Jesus's disciple. He went to Pilate and
begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body
to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the
body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. and laid it in his
own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock. And he rolled
a great stone to the door of the sepulcher and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulcher. Now the
next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief
priest and Pharisees came together unto Pilate saying, sir, we remember
that the deceiver said, that deceiver, that's what they called
him. While he was yet alive, after three days I will rise
again. Command, therefore, that the
sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples
come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, he is
risen from the dead, so the last error shall be worse than the
first. Pilate said unto them, you have a watch, go your way,
make it as sure as you can. So they went and made the sepulcher
sure, sealing the stone and setting a watch. After our Lord died,
this man, Joseph, requested the body of our Lord, and Pilate
gave our Lord's body to him. And what a sight that must have
been. This is holy ground right here. Such holy ground. But Joseph
wrapped our Lord in clean linen. This was the king. This was the king. Joseph knew
that. It was written on top of his cross. This is the king.
Kings wore linen. This was the great high priest. who made intercession and offered
the blood for the sin of God's people. The blood of God's lamb
sprinkled on the mercy seat. This was the great high priest
and the high priest wore linen. Joseph knew that. He took our Lord's body and wrapped
him in linen. and laid him in Joseph's own
new tomb, one of the other accounts says, where no man had ever laid
before. And then Pilate gave the command
for his soldiers to keep a guard and a watch over it. Those guards sealed the tomb. and watched the tomb so that
there could be no doubt he's in there. And no other man had ever laid
in that tomb before, so there could be no doubt it was him
that came out. And while our Lord was in there,
something amazing took place. Something absolutely amazing
took place. Now, I have always been so fascinated
by this portion of scripture. If you look at verse 52, it says, the graves were opened. Have
you ever noticed this before? I don't know when it was the
first time that I noticed this, but it was shocking to me. The
graves were opened. and many bodies of the saints
which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection,
and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." In our
Lord's literal death, literal life was given. The moment he died, many of the
saints, many of the believers who believed on him previously
for many years before and had died, they arose. When he closed his eyes in death,
they opened their eyes in life. And they came out of the ground
and they went into Jerusalem and they started talking to people. And I don't know how long they
lived after that. They must have carried on some
kind of life until an appointed time for them to die again. It
doesn't say, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. What happened
to them physically is just a representation of what Christ accomplished for
his people spiritually. By his death, we live. Because he died, we live. In his death is our life. And we don't just live, we have
entrance into the city. New Jerusalem, the holy kingdom,
the beautiful city of God. That's what happened when Christ
died. He obtained life and entrance into his holy place for his people. That's what we're going to focus
on for this message. And we're going to do that by
focusing on verse 51. All right. Verse 50 again says,
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up
the ghost And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain
from the top to the bottom. Now, as amazing as it is that
when Christ died, many saints arose from their graves and went
into the city, as amazing as that is, more amazing than that
was his accomplishment in tearing that veil. More amazing, I'm amazed by that.
I really am amazed. When he died, if I can say it this crudely,
dead people came to life again and came out
of their graves and went and showed themselves to That's amazing,
but I'm telling you more amazing than that is our Lord's accomplishment
in tearing that veil. That's what Christ accomplished
in his death. That's what happened in his death. He tore the veil. The tearing
of that veil declares his accomplishment. What that veil was and what that
tearing is, that is the declaration of his accomplishment. Look with
me if you would at Exodus 26. Exodus 26 verse 30. It says, and thou shalt rear
up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was
showed thee in the mount. And thou shalt make a veil of
blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen of cunning
work with cherubims shall it be made. And thou shalt hang
it upon four pillars of chitim wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold
upon the four sockets of silver And thou shalt hang up the veil
under the tatches that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil
the ark of the testimony. And the veil shall divide unto
you between the holy place and the most holy. This veil marked
a division. That's what it was. A separation
between God and men. Inside this tabernacle, there
were two rooms. And in the first room, the priests
would do the work that was required to be done. And in the second
room was the ark of God's testimony. And what separated those two
rooms was a great veil. And it goes into more detail
about this veil. John Gill said it's recorded
that this veil was an hand breadth thick. That's how thick this
curtain was. 60 feet tall. 30 feet wide and
it took 300 priests to wash it. That just tells you how big and
heavy this veil was. This veil marked a division between
God and men. Inside the veil was the most
holy place. It was the place where the Ark
of God's testimony was. And no man or woman was allowed
to go in there but the high priest only. A king tried to go in there one
time. God killed him. Only the high priest could go
in as long as he had blood. As long as he had blood, he never
went in without blood. He went in one time a year to
make an atonement for the sins of the people. And if the atonement
was accepted, the high priest lived and he was allowed to come
back out of the holy place. If the atonement was not accepted,
God killed that high priest right there and he didn't come back
out. Look at Exodus 28. Verse 33, this is describing
the garment that the high priest wore to go into the holy place. All right. Exodus 28 verse 33,
it says, and beneath upon the hem of it, this garment that
he would wear. Beneath upon the hem of it thou
shalt make pomegranates of blue and of purple and of scarlet
round about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them
round about. A golden bell and a pomegranate. A golden bell and a pomegranate
upon the hem of the robe round about. And it shall be upon Aaron
to minister, and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto
the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that
he die not." As long as the people heard those
bells, every time he'd take a step, those bells would ring. And as long as the people heard
those bells ringing, they knew the atonement was being accepted
and he was still alive. But if the bells stopped ringing,
they knew the atonement was not accepted and he was dead. Those priests and that veil and
that holy place was symbolic. It pictured the atonement that
Christ would have to make for his people. It pictured him being
the high priest that had to enter into the holy presence of almighty
God, bearing his own precious blood. And that's exactly what he did
the moment he gave up the ghost. That's what he did. He entered
into the holiest of all. Father into thy hand, I commend
my spirit. the presence of God. He entered
into the holiest of all, bearing the bloodshed of the lamb that
God provided, which was himself. He entered into the holy of holies
as the high priest. He entered in as the lamb slain.
He entered in as the mercy seat that that blood was to be sprinkled
on. the mercy seat that covered the Ark of God's testimony. The
moment Christ bowed his head and commended his spirit, he
entered into the place where his people were not allowed to
go. He did the work of atonement while his people waited outside.
From the time of the evening sacrifice on Friday till the
early morning hours of the first day of the week, our Lord was
making the atonement for the sins of his people. Now, was
his atonement accepted? Was his atonement accepted? Here's the answer. Yes, it was. How do we know? He came back
out. That's how we know. He walked
back out. When that high priest would walk
back out, the people were so relieved. And when our Lord walked back
out of his own tomb, his people were so relieved. That's our
relief. Turn over to Hebrews 6 with me. Hebrews 6 verse 17, wherein God, willing more abundantly
to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel,
the unchangeability of His counsel, He confirmed it by an oath that
by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to
lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth
into that within the veil. Whether the forerunner is for
us entered, even Jesus made an high priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. Our hope is sure because Christ
entered into that veil for us. He went into that place for us.
Look at Hebrews 9 verse 2. Hebrews 9, 2, for there was a
tabernacle made, the first, the first room, wherein was the candlestick
and the table and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary.
And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the
holiest of all. which had the golden censer and
the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein
was the golden pot that had manna and Aaron's rod that budded in
the tables of the covenant, and over it the cherubims of glory
shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak particularly.
Now when these things were thus ordained, the priest went always
into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God, the priests,
with an S on it, plural. Verse seven, but into the second
went the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood,
which he offered for himself and for the heirs of the people.
The Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way into the holiest
of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle
was yet standing. What that means is that tabernacle
in the wilderness in the Old Testament was picturing Christ. It was all about Christ. Verse
nine, which was a figure for the time then present in which
were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that
did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, which stood
only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances
imposed on them until the time of reformation, but Christ being
come and high priest of good things to come. By a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Not only was his atonement accepted,
it was eternally accepted. You know, those priests, all
those priests, and that high priest, there was one until he
died, and then another high priest would be raised up and he would
die. They went in and symbolically made an atonement for the sins
of the people. They never put away one sin of
anyone. And they had to do it every year
because the people kept sinning. They had to do it last year for
last year's sins, and this year for this year's sins, and we're
going to do it next year for next year's sins. But our Lord's atonement was
so powerful by one offering. He obtained
eternal redemption, eternal perfection, eternal cleansing, eternal covering,
eternal atonement forever. Verse 12, neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Verse 24 says, for Christ is
not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true, but in the heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us. nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entereth into the holy place
every year with blood of others, for then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now once in the end of the
world he hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Not only was his atonement for
us accepted, it was eternally accepted. And to prove that to
us, The moment he died and entered into the presence of God on our
behalf, that big, huge veil in the temple of Jerusalem was ripped
in two. From the top to the bottom. Why
the top to the bottom? Why not the bottom to the top?
It's because God Almighty is the one who reached down and
ripped it. The atonement of Christ was so
redeeming for his people, God Almighty said, they will never
be separated from me ever again, never again. Christ broke down
the middle wall of partition, having abolished in his flesh
the enmity, making in himself one new man, so making peace. Hebrews 10 verse 9 says, Then said he, lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that
he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can
never take away sin. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is
a witness to us, for after that he had said before, This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission
of these is, there is no more offering for sin. having therefore
brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus
by a new and living way which he hath consecrated that means
newly made for us through the veil that is to say his flesh
what that means is when he was ripped in half by the punishing judgment of
God when he was ripped in half, that veil was ripped in half. Verse 20, by a new and living
way which he had consecrated for us through the veil, that
is to say his flesh, and having a high priest over the house
of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water. Can you imagine those priests,
lowercase p, those priests who were in the temple doing the
daily services of the temple at that moment in time? Daily
services of the temple. Our Lord bowed his head and gave
up the ghost at the exact moment of the evening sacrifice. They
had to offer an evening sacrifice. It was a lamb. They had to offer
a lamb to God in the evening. 3 p.m. I believe it was. Our Lord gave up the ghost at
the exact time of the evening sacrifice. Can you imagine all
those priests working, minding their own business, and all of
a sudden, can you imagine? I don't think we need to do this
anymore. Oh, the amazing wonder of what
happened in that moment of the death of our Lord. He put away the first and established
the second. And I'm going to close right
here, but you know what Hebrews 4 says. We have a high priest
that was touched with the feeling of our infirmity. Therefore,
we can come with boldness straight into the holiest of all, right
to the throne of his grace, that we may find mercy and grace to
help in time of need. We are coming to this table in
remembrance of that. That's what he did. That's what
he accomplished. We're coming in the remembrance
of the way that he opened for us. That's what he did is he
opened the way through the torn veil of his own flesh. We are
remembering him and we're thanking him for it. Thank you, Lord,
for saving our souls. All right, Brother Brandon, you
come and read for us.