ARTICLES

If I were to ask you whether going through this Easter weekend will change your life, what would you say? For many of us, we are so familiar with the stories and have been through the Good Friday to Easter Sunday routine so often that it becomes hard to believe that it will have any earth-shattering impact this time around.

But what if the cross did shake the earth? Split the rocks? Tore the curtain of the temple in two? (Matthew 27:51).

The Bible claims that Jesus is not merely a human. He is the Son of God. And the Bible tells us that the cross, the Good Friday event, demonstrates that earth-shattering event—the truth—that he is the Son of God. Everyone who repents and believes can see that Jesus is the Son of God when you look at the cross.

So let us look at his death, look at his resurrection, and then look at the response.

Look at His Death

At Jesus’ death, there was darkness from noon until 3 p.m. That’s the modern equivalent of the sixth hour to the ninth hour. Something is happening at this moment that is so cosmically, cataclysmically, scarily big. There’s a first cry, and then there’s a second cry.

We think of the cross as a piece of jewelry or religious art, but according to God who made the whole land dark for those hours, the cross is the moment when heaven itself shut its eyes, for as Jesus said in his first cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus at that moment is telling us, for those who will look at the cross, that the cross is not primarily about the physical pain that he suffered but the spiritual forsakenness that he experienced. Jesus was forsaken that you might be forgiven. He experienced hell that you might have heaven. He took death. He took God’s displeasure, your sins, that you might experience life and God’s pleasure because of Christ’s righteousness. For with Jesus’ second cry, he cried out again with a loud voice and died (Matthew 27:50). Jesus died that you might live.

He who gave so much for you, how will he not also give you all things? He who suffered so much, how will his blood not be sufficient for your sins? Will you look at his death?

Look at His Resurrection

Then the resurrection. Here in the story, there’s the curtain, the earth, and the tombs. The curtain was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). The curtain, you see, separated the Holy of Holies in the temple from everyone else. But now, God is saying by this event, where the curtain is torn in two from top to bottom, now there is openness of access to the very presence of the Holy God. The earth shook and the rocks were split.

Now, there are earthquakes on occasion at this place in Jerusalem, but that it happened as Jesus died shows the cross to be the cosmic, cataclysmic, scary event. Strangely, the tombs were opened, and we are told after Jesus’ resurrection that those who had been raised went into Jerusalem and appeared to many (Matthew 27:52-53). You see, the death of Jesus cannot be separated from the resurrection of Jesus, and the resurrection cannot be separated from death.

Without the resurrection, Jesus’ death is merely a failure (1 Corinthians 15:14). It’s just gloomy and dark. It’s something sad, tragic even. But with the resurrection, Jesus’ death becomes a triumph (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). He paid the price for our sins, and the resurrection declares that price was sufficient. It declares him victorious, and so the Bible tells us of this strange event that took place after the resurrection of Jesus because the Bible wants to teach us that the cross of Jesus cannot be understood unless it is looked at as the place where Jesus died and rose again.

These saints, some of the great and godly men and women of the Old Testament were raised to new life by the death and resurrection of Jesus. What that means is we who trust in Jesus and follow him will also be raised with Jesus to new life. So look at Jesus’ death but also look at his resurrection. Even as we consider the cross, consider the empty tomb. For without the resurrection, the death is just a failure. Bring people for Easter Sunday when we proclaim the triumph of the resurrection. Will you look at the resurrection?

Look at the Response

Then look at the response of the centurion and those with him (Matthew 27:54). They saw, they were filled with awe, and they realized that Jesus is the Son of God, not merely a human, also divine. They saw the earthquake and what took place. You can have eyes opened and not really look. They saw. Will you really look at the cross? Will you really look at the effects of the cross?

Many people have died in human history, but no other death has created so much life. This death has given new life to millions and millions of people. It has given hope to the discouraged, strength to the weary, and most of all and as the basis of all forgiveness to the sinful, it can do all that for you. Will you look at the cross? He hung dead for you that you might live for him. They saw and they were filled with awe.

Easter Can Change Your Life

Well, yes, it is easy to just go through the motions at Easter. But this year will you take the time to be filled with awe at the price that was paid that you might be free? And so, they said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” If a centurion, working within his pagan worldview, could still say that Jesus was Son of God, will you not this Easter be confident, convinced, repent of your sins, believe, and confess that truly Jesus is the Son of God?

Everyone can see that Jesus is the Son of God when you look at the cross, look at his death, look at the resurrection, look at the response. If you do, it will change your life.