Easter Egg Matthew 27:45-54

Devotional

Day 1: The cross hides an incredible Easter egg.

You stand before the crucifixion scene and find an unexpected Easter egg: the darkness, Jesus’ cry, the tearing of the temple curtain, the earthquake, and the raised saints all point beyond the immediate horror to a deeper, glorious reality — that through Christ’s death something decisive and world‑changing has occurred, a foreshadowing that life and access to God have been forever altered. [31:06]

Matthew 27:45-54 (ESV)

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?" And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 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, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God."

Reflection: As you consider the cross today, what single element of Jesus’ death (the cry, the torn curtain, the earthquake, or the raised saints) most pierces your heart, and how will you let that one element reshape one decision you face this week?

Day 2: The torn veil invites all into God's presence.

You are reminded that the temple veil was not a fragile wedding cloth but a massive, multi‑story barrier that once separated sinners from God; its being split from top to bottom announces that through Christ’s flesh the way to God is opened for anyone, and you no longer need rituals or fear to draw near — you may approach because the curtain has been removed. [39:44]

Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV)

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, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Reflection: Name one place in your life where you act as if you are kept from God’s presence; tonight, speak that aloud to God, thank Jesus for tearing the veil, and take one concrete step (a prayer, confession, or call) that demonstrates you will draw near.

Day 3: Resurrection changes our perishable into imperishable.

You are given the hope Paul proclaims: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, but a moment will come when the perishable puts on the imperishable and death is swallowed up in victory — this transforms how one lives now, knowing labor for the Lord is not in vain and that mortality is temporary before the glorious change to come. [59:19]

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (ESV)

Now I say this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Reflection: Choose one daily practice you will adopt this week (morning Scripture, five minutes of thanksgiving, a weekly service of service) that reminds you of the coming transformation; commit to starting it tonight and record how you will keep yourself accountable.

Day 4: The Lord will raise the dead at His coming.

You are comforted with the plain promise that the Lord himself will descend with command, voice of an archangel, and trumpet sound, and that the dead in Christ will rise first — a truth meant to steady grief, fuel hope, and refocus courage for those who love Jesus and await reunion. [45:05]

1 Thessalonians 4:16 (ESV)

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Reflection: Is there someone you grieve whose loss still feels unfinished? Tonight write their name and a one‑sentence prayer thanking God for the promise of resurrection, then read it aloud before God as an act of trust.

Day 5: Salvation can come in a single dying breath.

You see in the thief on the cross that even the last moment can become the first step into paradise; no lifetime of credentials is required — a broken, sincere cry to Jesus is met with immediate, gracious welcome, reminding you that it is never too late to turn to Christ. [45:54]

Luke 23:42-43 (ESV)

And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Reflection: If you were to speak one honest sentence to Jesus right now asking for mercy or declaring trust, what would it be? Pray that sentence aloud tonight — and if you have not yet trusted Christ, ask Him now to be your Savior and record the moment in your journal.

Sermon Summary

Last night’s rewatch of Back to the Future reminded me how “Easter eggs” work—hidden details that only reveal their depth when you pay attention. Scripture does this too. In Matthew 27:45-54, a scene everyone knows still carries Easter eggs that change how we live right now. Three stand out.

First, the veil. Not a bridal veil—this was a 90-feet-tall, four-inch-thick, multi-thousand-pound separation between ordinary sinners and the holy presence of God. When Jesus surrendered His spirit, that monster tore from top to bottom. Hebrews says God opened a “new and living way” through the curtain—through Christ’s body. Access to God is no longer rare, dangerous, or reserved for the elite; it’s blood-bought, daily, and near. No ropes around ankles. No annual appointment. Through Jesus, the presence that once meant death now becomes our life.

Second, the tombs. Matthew alone tells us that when Jesus died, tombs opened and many saints appeared in Jerusalem. Scripture doesn’t explain the mechanics or the length of their stay, because the point is foreshadow: a preview of the final resurrection. In a world exhausting itself defending the illusion of control, the gospel calls death what it truly is—not the finish line, but the threshold. Our future is not stuck at a cross or a grave; it is anchored to a trumpet blast and a body raised incorruptible.

Third, the Roman centurion. The men who drove the nails, gambled for garments, and mocked Jesus became the first to confess, “Truly this was the Son of God.” That confession arrives on the heels of Jesus praying, “Father, forgive them.” It is grace doing what force cannot: disarming enemies into worshipers. I showed the image of 21 Coptic believers martyred by ISIS and said the unthinkable: the gospel envisions even executioners becoming brothers. If a thief gets paradise in a dying breath, if a centurion gets clarity at the foot of a bloody cross, then no one sitting in a pew today is beyond reach.

So the Easter eggs point forward: the veil torn means welcome, the tombs opened means hope, and the centurion confessing means grace can find anyone. Death loses. Access is open. You are not too far gone.

Key Takeaways

1. The torn veil means welcome. The temple curtain wasn’t delicate—it was a nine-story wall of “no further.” When it ripped from top to bottom, heaven declared that access to the Father now travels through the body of the Son. Holiness didn’t lower its standards; mercy met them in Jesus. Draw near with a true heart because the way is open. [39:44]
2. Death begins our truest life. Matthew’s brief note about opened tombs is a preview, not a sideshow. It teaches us to treat funerals as seedtime for resurrection, not the failure of faith. In Christ, the body you know will be raised, mended, and fitted for glory. Live today as someone whose last chapter has already been written by Easter. [45:05]
3. Forgiveness births improbable conversions. “Father, forgive them” is not sentimental—it is generative. Within hours, the very men complicit in the crucifixion become the first to confess Jesus’ divine identity. The cross breaks the cycle of vengeance by absorbing it, and then sends forgiven enemies back into the world as witnesses. Pray for those least likely to believe; grace specializes there. [50:17]
4. Learn to see Scripture’s foreshadowing. God hides previews in plain sight, training us to read for hope. Foreshadowing enlarges patience and steadies obedience because we recognize patterns of promise. When we notice these “Easter eggs,” our trust deepens: God is never improvising—He is fulfilling. Pay attention; revelation often rides in subtlety. [27:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:55] - Back to the Future setup
[27:39] - What an Easter egg means
[28:47] - Turning to Matthew 27
[32:56] - The veil torn—what it is
[36:36] - The veil’s massive dimensions
[38:53] - Access to God through Christ
[41:32] - Tombs opened; saints appear
[43:43] - Foretaste of our resurrection
[49:26] - Centurion declares the Son of God
[50:17] - Answer to “Father, forgive them”
[51:20] - Coptic martyrs and surprising grace
[56:29] - No one is too far gone
[58:21] - Death swallowed up in victory

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Matthew 27:45–54
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 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?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, and the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

Observation questions

Which three extraordinary signs follow Jesus’ death in Matthew 27:50–53 (observe the sequence and wording)? [32:56]
How does Matthew report the saints who were raised—when did they come out of the tombs and how did they appear to people? [41:32]
What exactly do the bystanders and the centurion say about Jesus (compare verse 47 and verse 54)? What different understandings do these reactions show? [30:13]
The text says the curtain was torn “from top to bottom.” What detail in the sermon emphasized the scale and significance of that tearing? How might that affect how you picture the event? [37:22]

Interpretation questions (third-person, specific)

How should the group understand “torn from top to bottom” as an indication of who enacted the change—did the tearing imply divine initiative, human action, or both? What theological implication follows if God is the one who opens the way? [39:44]
Why might Matthew alone include the brief report of saints raised and appearing “after his resurrection”? What purpose does that foreshadow serve for Matthew’s readers about Jesus’ victory over death? [43:43]
In what way does the centurion’s confession (“Truly this was the Son of God”) function as a response to Jesus’ earlier prayer for forgiveness? How does this sequence illustrate the sermon’s claim that “forgiveness births improbable conversions”? [50:17]
The sermon stressed the veil’s enormous size and weight. How does that physical description deepen the meaning of access to God “through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19–20 quoted in the sermon)? [37:22]

Application questions (specific and personal)

The torn veil means welcome: When have you felt blocked from God’s presence—what specific doubt, habit, or “rule” keeps you at a distance? Name one concrete step you will take this week to “draw near with a true heart” (for example: set aside 20 minutes for honest prayer, confess one thing to a friend, or read Hebrews 10:19–22 slowly). [39:44]
Death begins our truest life: How would your choices about time, money, or relationships change if you truly lived like “the last chapter has already been written by Easter”? Pick one decision you can make this month (e.g., schedule a conversation with an older believer, write a letter to someone you’ll miss, rearrange a budget item) and share it with the group. [45:05]
Forgiveness births improbable conversions: Name one person in your life who seems “beyond reach.” What is one specific way you will pray for or show grace to that person this week (a short prayer you’ll pray daily, a message you’ll send, an act of service you’ll offer)? [50:17]
Are there “veils” our church, family, or you personally have built that keep people from meeting Jesus (shame, judgment, gossip, a cliquish culture)? Identify one veil and one practical step you can take this month to begin to remove it (apologize, invite someone in, stop a gossip pattern). [40:12]
The sermon used the Coptic martyrs and the centurion to say “no one is too far gone.” Who is one person you’ve written off spiritually? What is one bold, measurable step you will take in the next 30 days to reengage them (invite to church, share your testimony, start a gospel conversation)? [51:20]
Learn to see Scripture’s foreshadowing: Choose one Gospel scene this week (it could be Matthew 27 again). Read it slowly and look for one “Easter egg” — one small detail that points ahead. Who will you tell about what you found and when will you tell them? [27:39]
Practically live in the hope of resurrection: When you face loss or fear, what short truth from this passage will you rehearse to yourself? Write the sentence now (e.g., “Death is not the end; in Christ I will be raised”) and practice saying it when anxiety comes. Will you share that sentence with someone in the group as an accountability step? [45:05]

Sermon Clips

The veil in the temple being split from top to bottom is symbolic. Yes, it literally happened, but it also has deeper Easter egg implications for you and I through Christ, through His shed blood. Anyone, everyone, whosoever can enter into the presence of God. There is not a nine-story, three-ton curtain anywhere on our facility. There is not a day out of the year that I have to go through a whole list of things to do and then somebody ties a rope around my ankle because who knows if I did it right and I might die on the other side of the temple and you've got to pull me out of there. [00:39:39] (53 seconds) #AllMayEnter

``We don't do that. And the reason we don't do that and the reason no one does that is because Jesus did that for us. He has allowed us to go into the presence of Almighty God and we can be called children of God, reconciled to God through Him. Christ tore the curtain separating sinners from God. And through Him all can come to the Father. [00:40:31] (29 seconds) #AccessToGod

Evidently these people were given glorified bodies they appeared to many enough to establish the reality of the miracle and then they no doubt ascended to glory a kind of foretaste this lets us know fundamental indispensable truth that whether you are a believer or an unbeliever whether you are born again through Jesus Christ or not the truth for us all is this death far from an end is but a beginning those who realize and understand that death is not the end but the beginning those have a special place elsewhere in this story. [00:44:42] (64 seconds) #ForetasteOfGlory

We're about to die you know it and I know it Jesus I believe that death is not the end it is just the beginning and when you go into your kingdom leave what did Jesus say today today this very day you are going to be with me we'll all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the sound of the last trumpet and the dead in Christ will rise to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. [00:47:31] (64 seconds) #DeathIsNotTheEnd

The Bible says this in verse 54 when the centurion and those who were with him keeping watch over Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place they were filled with awe and said truly this was the son of God I've always known that line I've always thought that line was incredible but it wasn't until this week while preparing for this sermon that I really began to appreciate and recognize that this line truly this was the son of God this line is an answer to a prayer. [00:49:21] (55 seconds) #TrulyTheSonOfGod

And the prayer that was prayed is in Luke 23 verse 34 Jesus said Father forgive them for they know not what they do and they cast lots to divide his garments who cast lots who divided his garments the centurions who were there by the cross Father forgive them for they know not what they do and in a matter of hours truly this was the son of God. [00:50:17] (44 seconds) #FatherForgiveThem

What I didn't know even at the time that's not 21 pastors it's not 21 preachers it's not 21 missionaries it's not 21 seminary professors they're construction workers they're just regular guys and they were told convert to Islam forsake Jesus or die to a man all 21 of those Christian construction workers had their throats slit in the sand that day and before that happened their last words were Jesus these 21 Christian construction workers chose to die for Jesus rather than live forsaking him. [00:52:25] (88 seconds) #FaithfulToTheEnd

Dead bodies of believers their tombs being opened and them walking through the streets and appearing to others that's an easter egg that points to a better greater resurrection and eternal life guys like these Roman centurions guys like Paul and guys like countless others throughout the centuries who have been saved by the grace of Jesus people who on paper had no business being saved that's the greatest easter egg of all. [00:56:08] (56 seconds) #ResurrectionProof

Because that foreshadows the fact that it literally does not matter so long as there is a heart beating in your chest and breath in your lungs you are not too far gone the saving grace of Jesus Christ that is the greatest easter egg of all. [00:57:04] (33 seconds) #NeverTooFarGone

There is a new glorious eternal relationship with the Father that no too far gone to get in on if a thief on the cross can get in on this if the centurions who nailed Jesus to the cross can get in on this if the apostle Paul who was Saul of Tarsus going to Damascus with legal documentation and orders from the state religion to arrest believers and drag them back in chains if he can get in on this someone sitting at Southside Baptist Church in their Sunday best on a Sunday morning. [01:00:46] (60 seconds) #AnyoneCanBeSaved

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Easter Egg Matthew 27:45-54

Devotional

Day 1: The cross hides an incredible Easter egg.

Day 2: The torn veil invites all into God's presence.

Day 3: Resurrection changes our perishable into imperishable.

Day 4: The Lord will raise the dead at His coming.

Day 5: Salvation can come in a single dying breath.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Easter Egg Matthew 27:45-54

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