Peace and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 27 refers to seven sprinklings of blood upon the Ark of Covenant.
Now it means the suffering experienced by Jesus up to His death on the cross to save, purify, and perfect us.
In Matthew 27, there are seven passages that refer to seven sprinklings of blood experienced by Jesus.
We learn about the fourth passage, namely Jesus is crucified and dead[Matthew 27:32-50].
Matthew 27:32 is about the practice of the cross in our daily life.
Matthew 27:33 is about the place of crucifixion at Golgotha.
Matthew 27:34-44 is about the meaning of the cross and our attitude to the cross.
Matthew 27:45-50 is about the time of crucifixion.
There are some things that happen at the crucifixion time as follows.
Why is Jesus left alone?
There are three things done by Jesus alone on the cross as follows.
Matthew 27 refers to seven sprinklings of blood upon the Ark of Covenant.
Now it means the suffering experienced by Jesus up to His death on the cross to save, purify, and perfect us.
In Matthew 27, there are seven passages that refer to seven sprinklings of blood experienced by Jesus.
We learn about the fourth passage, namely Jesus is crucified and dead[Matthew 27:32-50].
Matthew 27:32 is about the practice of the cross in our daily life.
Matthew 27:33 is about the place of crucifixion at Golgotha.
Matthew 27:34-44 is about the meaning of the cross and our attitude to the cross.
Matthew 27:45-50 is about the time of crucifixion.
There are some things that happen at the crucifixion time as follows.
- [Matthew 27:45] Darkness.
- Jesus is left alone on the cross, even God the Father also forsakes Him.
Matthew 27:46
27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Why is Jesus left alone?
- Since Jesus bears the sins of men.
- Since Jesus gives opportunity to men to have private relation with Him, especially when we feel alone.
There are three things done by Jesus alone on the cross as follows.
- Jesus is alone on the cross to save sinful men.
Jesus is the only Savior since He is the only sinless man who can save sinful men.
Sinful men actually must be judged and destroyed, but we can be saved since Jesus bears our sins on the cross.
Luke 23:40-43
23:40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
23:41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
23:42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
23:43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Jesus is alone to save the criminal, cursed life. This is a lesson for us. Whoever we are, whatever our sins are, He is able to save us.
The process is believing to Jesus as the King of Righteousness. It must be continued with confessing sins to God and the others. The blood of Jesus will forgive all our sins and we should not repeat them anymore. We live in righteousness.
Hophni and Phinehas are God’s servants, the priests. But when they defend wrong things, they are destroyed.
In the other hand, this criminal wants to live in righteousness so he is saved.
Being the servant of God is not the guarantee of salvation. But by being the servant of righteousness, surely we are saved. Do not be afraid to live in righteousness, although it means that we must be left alone. At that time, Jesus is alone together with us to transfer the cross ambience into the ambience of Paradise, that is the ambience of care from Heaven in the middle of all crises in this world, Heavenly joy in the middle of tears in this world. - Jesus is alone to do intercession prayer, to struggle on the cross for God’s servants. He stretches His hands to help us who are alone in sinkage.
Matthew 14:22-23,28-33
14:22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
14:23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himselfto pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
14:28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
14:29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
14:30 But when he saw that the wind wasboisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched out Hishand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
14:33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Peter is great servant of God. He has many experiences with God. But sometime he sinks and needs God’s help.
Sinking means as follows.
- Sinking physically, that is sinkage in finance, work, health, study, etc.
- Sinking spiritually, that is being doubtful and worried, falling in sins up to the peak of sins, shock within marriage or ministry.
- Being failed and without hope, without future.
- Sinking happens because of doubtful heart as the consequence of boisterous wind, especially the wind of false teaching.
- Jesus is alone on the cross to do great miracles.
Psalm 136:1-4
136:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He isgood! For His mercy enduresforever.
136:2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy enduresforever.
136:3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy enduresforever:
136:4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy enduresforever;
Ephesians 5:25-27
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
The greatest miracle is Jesus Himself on the cross sanctifies and renews us until we are perfect and glorious as He is.
It is started from lip only gives thank to God whatever happens in our life, there is no grumbling nor murmuring.
The term ‘fully entrusting’ means being obedient until His death on the cross. For us, it means being obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore.
Genesis 22:1-2
22:1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
22:2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only sonIsaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Abraham is obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore. Individually, he answers “Here I am”. In marriage, Abraham is also obedient by submitting his only son. In ministry, Abraham is also being obedient by sacrificing Isaac in the land of Moriah, not in another place.
The measure is obedience. The result is miracle will happen, the impossible things become possible.
Joshua 2:1,18-19
2:1 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.
2:18 unless, whenwe come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home.
2:19 So it shall be thatwhoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall beon his own head, and we will beguiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall beon our head if a hand is laid on him.
Rahab is a harlot from the Gentiles. Rahab is obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore for the salvation of her family.
The scarlet cord is the representation of the sacrifice of Christ which saves us and our marriage.
On the contrary, Eli the priest, an Israelite and God’s servant, is disobedient so his whole family is destroyed.
1 Peter 5:5
5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to yourelders. Yes, all of yoube submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Young people must be obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore. Do not use logics. Thus, we will be inside the strong hands of God that will lift us up on His time, to make everything beautiful, until lift us up on the glorious clouds and we will be on God’s throne at the New Jerusalem forever.
Why does God let us sink?
So we can stretch out our hands to God and call His name. It means we believe and fully entrust our life to God.
The lesson for us is in facing any problems until we feel that we are alone, we should not become doubtful and desperate. That is the widest opportunity to meet Jesus alone. We fully entrust our life and stretch out our hands to God. Thus, He will also stretch out His loving hands to us on His right time.
The result is the wind ceased, meaning everything becomes good and successful, everything becomes easy and light.