“From the sixth hour until the ninth hour
darkness came over all the land. About
the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’
-- which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of those standing there heard this,
they said, ‘He’s calling Elijah.’
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a
stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
The rest said, ‘Now leave him alone.
Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.’
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his
spirit. At that moment the curtain of
the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth shook and the rocks split.
The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died
were raised to life. They came out of
the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and
appeared to many people. When the
centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all
that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son
of God!’” (Matthew 27:45-54)
Jesus lived uniquely: He spoke with authority. He accepted worship as God. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He exercised power over nature. In these and many other ways, Jesus lived
uniquely.
Jesus also died uniquely:
The temple curtain was torn in two from top
to bottom. A fitting symbol to say that
access to God had been opened to man, and God had done it Himself. Man did not rip the curtain from bottom to
top to force his way in, God ripped it from the top down to allow man into His
presence.
An earthquake shook the world. Many earthquakes cause death, but this was
the first death that caused an earthquake (and the last)!!! His death shook the very foundations of the
world.
Tombs of some of the dead opened and they
came out alive. The way to life, eternal
life, had been opened by Jesus’ death.
These were but the firstfruits of the many who would be raised to eternal
life through His death -- including you and me.
So unique were the things that surrounded
Jesus’ death that even the soldier at the cross knew there was something
powerful about Him.
But the most unique thing about His death was
yet to come. In just a few days His
death would be proven temporary!!!
There is something very unique and very
powerful about Jesus!!!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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