# 121 Crucified, Buried, and Guarded

Devotional

Day 1: Three Hours of Darkness Over a Substitute’s Cross

The sky went black at noon as Jesus hung between heaven and earth. This wasn’t an eclipse or storm—it was divine judgment poured out on sin. For three hours, creation itself mourned as the Son bore the weight of separation from the Father. The darkness shouted what words cannot: Christ absorbed the wrath we deserved. His cry of abandonment echoes the cost of our redemption. [47:18]

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt the weight of isolation? How does Jesus’ cry on the cross reshape your understanding of His sacrifice for you?

Day 2: Torn Veil, Unbroken Access

The thick temple curtain—meant to bar entry to God’s presence—ripped top to bottom as Jesus died. No human hands tore it; this was heaven’s declaration. The way into the Holy of Holies now lies open through Christ’s broken body. Every barrier between God and humanity collapsed in that moment. The torn veil invites us to approach boldly, not with fear. [55:39]

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh… (Hebrews 10:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: What false barriers do you still imagine stand between you and God? How might you walk freely into His presence today?

Day 3: Earthquake Proofs and Opened Graves

Rocks split. Tombs cracked. Saints stirred. The earth itself testified to the cosmic significance of Christ’s death. This wasn’t random chaos—it was creation responding to the death of its Maker. The resurrection of saints after Jesus’ victory foreshadows our own future hope. Even in death’s domain, the crucified King’s authority reigns. [57:22]

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. (Matthew 27:51-52, ESV)

Reflection: How does the physicality of these miracles ground your faith in historical reality? What doubts might they address?

Day 4: A Borrowed Tomb and Witnessing Women

Joseph’s unused tomb became Christ’s temporary resting place—a grave too new for confusion, too specific for mistaken identity. The women who watched knew its exact location, their grief etching every detail. Their witness matters: these faithful observers saw the stone rolled shut, ensuring no one could later claim they’d gone to the wrong grave. [01:03:30]

And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. (Matthew 27:59-60, ESV)

Reflection: What “empty places” in your life might God be preparing to fill with resurrection power? How can you cultivate watchful faithfulness?

Day 5: Sealed Stones and Sunday’s Certain Dawn

The religious leaders sealed the tomb, posted guards, and called it secure. But no human precaution can stop divine promise. Their efforts to prevent “deception” became God’s Exhibit A for resurrection truth. The stone, seal, and soldiers didn’t protect a corpse—they authenticated an empty grave. Friday’s despair always bows to Sunday’s dawn. [01:07:17]

So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Matthew 27:66, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you living in “Friday’s darkness” that needs Sunday’s hope? How might you wait actively for God’s promises today?

Sermon Summary

Matthew keeps the scene at Golgotha. Jesus still hangs on the cross and still pays for the sins of humanity. The darkness from noon to three is not a weather glitch; the darkness says judgment is falling. It falls on the substitute. Jesus takes the judgment that others deserve so others can walk free. At the ninth hour, Jesus cries, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me. The cry fulfills Psalm 22 and signals a real, terrible disruption of communion within the Godhead. The Son stands where sinners stand. He is forsaken so those who trust him will never be forsaken.

The onlookers mishear Eli as Elijah and wait to see if rescue comes. Jesus instead yields up his spirit. Pulling the gospel accounts together, his seven sayings crest with It is finished, which means the debt is paid in full, and Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. No one takes his life; he gives it. The plan is not failing; the plan is being fulfilled.

The temple responds. God rips the veil from top to bottom. Access is now open, not for one priest one day a year, but for anyone who calls on the Lord. Hebrews will say Christ’s flesh is the veil. His torn body opens the way. The earth responds. An earthquake splits rocks, graves open, and saints are raised. The resurrection of Jesus will be firstfruits, and others will follow. Even hardened soldiers confess, Truly this was the Son of God. Changed lives are the point. The ministering women remain when the disciples scatter. Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons were cast out, stands there with the other Mary and Salome, faithful and watching.

Evening comes. Joseph of Arimathea, a rich disciple, steps forward with Nicodemus. They take down the body, wash it, wrap it with spices, and lay it in a new tomb cut in rock. The new tomb matters. Only one body lies there, so resurrection morning will not be a mix-up. The women sit opposite the tomb. They are eyewitnesses who know exactly where the body was laid, contrary to any wrong tomb theory.

The next day the chief priests and Pharisees remember Jesus’ words about rising in three days. Pilate authorizes them to secure the tomb. A rock, a Roman seal, and a guard stand in the way. It looks airtight. But it is only Friday. Sunday is coming.

Key Takeaways

1. Darkness preaches judgment and substitution [00:47:39] The noon blackout does not hide God’s action; it reveals it. Judgment does not evaporate in mercy, it lands on the substitute. The cross gathers the storm of wrath over the head of the willing Son so sinners can walk in light. Reading the darkness this way trains faith to see costly love at work when everything looks bleak. [47:39]
2. The forsaken Son bears abandonment [00:48:25] The cry My God, my God, why have you forsaken me is not theater; it is the Son entering God-forsakenness for others. Communion that never knew interruption is, for a moment, disrupted so grace can reach the guilty. The weight of loneliness multiplied beyond measure fell on him. Those united to him will never stand in that place. [48:25]
3. It is finished means paid in full [00:53:27] The work is not partly done, waiting on human effort to top it off. The debt is canceled, the cup is drained, the law is satisfied. Because Jesus lays down his life and completes the mission, assurance rests on his word, not on human swings of performance. Daily obedience becomes gratitude, not a desperate attempt to close a gap. [53:27]
4. The torn veil grants open access [00:55:39] God tears the curtain from top to bottom to preach that the way is open. Christ’s torn flesh becomes the doorway into the Holy of Holies for anyone who calls on his name. Access is not casual, it is blood-bought, but it is real and constant. Prayer moves from permission requested to welcome received. [55:39]
5. A sealed tomb cannot stop Sunday [01:06:27] A stone, a Roman seal, and a guard look final, but they only set the stage for God’s answer. Human schemes to silence Jesus end up certifying the miracle they fear. The women remember the place, the enemies strengthen the record, and God raises the dead. Hope holds fast when everything is locked tight, because Jesus is stronger than the seal. [66:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:51] - Open Bibles to Matthew 27:45
[46:33] - At Golgotha: Jesus our substitute
[47:39] - Noon darkness announces judgment
[48:25] - Why have you forsaken me
[52:25] - Seven sayings and yielding his spirit
[55:39] - Veil torn from top to bottom
[56:52] - Earthquake and opened graves
[58:38] - Truly this was the Son of God
[59:33] - Faithful women at a distance
[61:26] - Joseph and Nicodemus bury Jesus
[64:52] - New tomb and true witnesses
[66:27] - Seal, stone, and soldiers
[69:37] - It’s Friday, Sunday’s coming
[72:56] - Closing prayer and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 27:45-61 (ESV)
Psalm 22:1 (ESV)
Hebrews 10:19-20 (ESV)

Observation questions

What supernatural events occurred during the three hours of darkness while Jesus was on the cross, and what do they symbolize about God’s judgment? [47:39]
How does the tearing of the temple veil (Matthew 27:51) connect to the way believers now relate to God, according to Hebrews 10:19-20?
Why is it significant that the women, like Mary Magdalene, remained near the cross and later witnessed Jesus’ burial? [59:33]
What three security measures were taken to seal Jesus’ tomb, and why did the religious leaders insist on them? [06:27]

Interpretation questions

Jesus’ cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) reflects a disruption in the Trinity’s communion. How does this moment reveal both the cost of sin and the nature of substitutionary atonement? [49:33]
The earthquake and opened graves (Matthew 27:52-53) occurred after Jesus’ resurrection. What does this timing teach about the relationship between Jesus’ resurrection and the hope of believers?
The soldiers guarding the tomb confessed, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). Why might hardened witnesses like these soldiers have been uniquely impacted by these events?
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who were previously secret disciples, publicly cared for Jesus’ body. What does their boldness after the crucifixion suggest about the impact of the cross on fearful followers?

Application questions

Jesus experienced abandonment so believers “will never be forsaken” [50:24]. How might this truth reshape your perspective when you feel alone or distant from God?
The torn veil means believers have constant access to God’s presence [55:39]. How could this truth change the way you approach prayer or worship this week?
The sealed tomb seemed final, but God’s plan was unstoppable. What “sealed” situation in your life feels hopeless right now, and how can Jesus’ resurrection renew your trust in God’s power?
Mary Magdalene, freed from seven demons, stayed faithful even at the cross. What past brokenness has Jesus redeemed in your life, and how does that motivate you to follow Him boldly? [01:00:35]
The soldiers’ confession shows even skeptics can be transformed by encountering Jesus. Who in your life needs to hear about the hope of the cross, and how can you gently share it this week?
Joseph and Nicodemus risked their reputations to honor Jesus. Is there a fear or hesitation holding you back from openly living out your faith? What step could you take to follow their example?

Sermon Clips

65s

#PaidInFull

“And then he cried out something extremely important for all of us here today. As he hung on the cross our substitute, he cried out, it finished. Which literally means your sin has been paid in full. Paid in full. And then he said, father, into your hands I commit my spirit. The Bible says in John eight or John ten eighteen, no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. They didn't take Jesus' life. Jesus gave his life. He gave his life.”

50s

#PlannedRedemption

“Jesus' death was not a failed mission or an accident. It was the eternal plan of God for the redemption of mankind. Every aspect of what Jesus faced was a part of God's eternal plan for the salvation of humanity. Personalize that. He died for me. And after Jesus expired from the cross, some amazing events happened. Look at verses 51. It says, then behold the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked and rocks were split.”

35s

#SaintsRaised

“Can you imagine this morning if over at Greenwood Cemetery here at Spirit Lake, if all of a sudden, the saints the saints, those who know Christ, came came up out of the grave, and they showed up in church this morning? Would that get your attention? Would you say, woah, there's something going on here today. I've not experienced anything like this. It would get your attention. I think this is telling us that another proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

59s

#CrucifixionTransforms

“The soldiers had never seen anything like this in their life. They've crucified a lot of people. And nothing like this had taken place before. So it seemed like the only logical conclusion was this was the son of God. And while the religious elite rejected Jesus, the Roman soldiers recognized And you know what I think we have here? Changed lives. You see, you can't see, in their case, or read, in our case, these events and not be changed. That's the purpose of them. The purpose of the crucifixion is to change our lives. Change our lives.”

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Kim Alexander This sermon · AI assistant

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# 121 Crucified, Buried, and Guarded - Matthew 27:45-66