reproaches cast upon the word of God and the people of God, arise, as here, from gross mistakes.
Christ, just before he expired, spake in his full strength, to show that his life was not forced from
him, but was freely delivered into his Father's hands. He had strength to bid defiance to the powers
of death: and to show that by the eternal Spirit he offered himself, being the Priest as well as the
Sacrifice, he cried with a loud voice. Then he yielded up the ghost. The Son of God upon the cross,
did die by the violence of the pain he was put to. His soul was separated from his body, and so his
body was left really and truly dead. It was certain that Christ did die, for it was needful that he
should die. He had undertaken to make himself an offering for sin, and he did it when he willingly
gave up his life.
Verses 51–56
The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by his death, opened a way to God. We have an
open way through Christ to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat now, and to the throne of glory
hereafter. When we duly consider Christ's death, our hard and rocky hearts should be rent; the heart,
and not the garments. That heart is harder than a rock that will not yield, that will not melt, where
Jesus Christ is plainly set forth crucified. The graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which
slept, arose. To whom they appeared, in what manner, and how they disappeared, we are not told;
and we must not desire to be wise above what is written. The dreadful appearances of God in his
providence, sometimes work strangely for the conviction and awakening of sinners. This was
expressed in the terror that fell upon the centurion and the Roman soldiers. We may reflect with
comfort on the abundant testimonies given to the character of Jesus; and, seeking to give no just
cause of offence, we may leave it to the Lord to clear our characters, if we live to Him. Let us, with
an eye of faith, behold Christ and him crucified, and be affected with that great love wherewith he
loved us. But his friends could give no more than a look; they beheld him, but could not help him.
Never were the horrid nature and effects of sin so tremendously displayed, as on that day when the
beloved Son of the Father hung upon the cross, suffering for sin, the Just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God. Let us yield ourselves willingly to his service.
Verses 57–61
In the burial of Christ was nothing of pomp or solemnity. As Christ had not a house of his own,
wherein to lay his head, while he lived, so he had not a grave of his own, wherein to lay his body,
when he was dead. Our Lord Jesus, who had no sin of his own, had no grave of his own. The Jews
designed that he should have made his grave with the wicked, should have been buried with the
thieves with whom he was crucified, but God overruled it, so that he should make it with the rich
in his death, Isa 53:9. And although to the eye of man the beholding a funeral may cause terror, yet
if we remember how Christ by his burial has changed the nature of the grave to believers, it should
make us rejoice. And we are ever to imitate Christ's burial in being continually occupied in the
spiritual burial of our sins.
Verses 62–66