Matthew 26:47-54
Three Miracles of the Cross
For several weeks, Jesus’ journey to the tomb has been on my mind. We
have followed our Lord from Caesarea Philippi where the disciples
finally recognized who He was, south through Galilee, into Samaria,
across the Jordan River and down the east bank through Jericho, over
the Mount of Olives, and into Jerusalem. This was His Farewell Tour.
Now, with His face set like a flint in His last hours, Jesus walked
to Calvary to die on the cross.
Let us consider three miracles that happened on this part of Jesus’
journey. The word "miracle" is not normally a word we associate with
the cross. There are other words which come to mind far more readily.
Words like "agony," "suffering," "incomprehensible," and "cruel," but
today, I want us to consider some of the miracles, the impossible
acts, that made the cross possible and allowed Jesus to continue His
journey to the tomb.
I. Man Handled God.
Matt 26:50 …Then came they, and laid
hands on Jesus, and took him.
A. Common men, sinful men, laid their hands upon the holy,
Almighty God. And not only so, but they did much more to
Jesus.
1. The Bible says they seized Him or restrained Him.
Matt 26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus
led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where
the scribes and the elders were assembled.
a. That is, they did not just touch Jesus, but they
forcibly held onto Him, as in to keep God from
leaving or walking away.
b. The Scripture goes on to say they tied God up.
Mt 27:2 And when they had bound him….
c. Does the impossibility of this not strike you? Have
we read and heard the story of Jesus so many times
that we fail to see the miracle that was performed,
that God would allow mere mortal hands to grab hold
of God and to detain Him?
d. Yet, the miracle continued on.
2. Several passages add that these men, with their hands and
man-made instruments, beat God.
Matt 26:67 Then did they spit in his face, and
buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms
of their hands,
68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is
he that smote thee?
a. Here with hands that God fashioned for man, man struck
God!
(1) Can we remember that God gave us these hands?
(2) These hands are wonders of engineering!
LA Times, July 13, 1986, by Richard Buffum
In an interview with a surgeon who repaired hands with injuries or
disease, Dr. Eugene Elliot described the amazing hand.
The act of simply bending one’s forefinger into the palm is
a "marvel of mechanical ingenuity."
He explained that two tendons, which pass under two sets of pulleys
to create a mechanical advantage, not to mention the complex
articulation of the joints, are involved in bending the finger.
Straightening the finger involves a separate intricate system, he
pointed out.
"The whole system involved in a single finger is so finally balanced
that if any part of the system, through injury or disease, breaks
down, the whole finger becomes unbalanced," he said.
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-13/local/me-20852_1_automata
In another article published November 30, 2014, Dr. George McGavin
pointed out:
The fascinating features of our hand, which gives us a powerful grip
but also allows us to manipulate small objects with great precision.
This ability sets us apart from other creatures. The muscles in the
hand are ‘strangely’ arranged, since most of the hand’s movements are
controlled by muscles not located in the hand but in the forearm. The
fingers are connected to the forearm by long tendons that pass
through a flexible band.
This arrangement gives the fingers movement and strength that would
be impossible if all the muscles were in the hand. In short, the hand
looks like a bony puppet controlled by the forearm.
http://creation.com/incredible-human-hand
b. Can there ever be a more realistic picture of man’s
rebellion against God than this? That man would take
the very tools that God gave to us and turn them
against Him? I think not!
3. With man’s hands, man scourged God…
Matt 26:26 Then released he Barabbas unto them:
and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him
to be crucified.
4. …drove God like men drive cattle…
Matt 27:31 And after that they had mocked him,
they took the robe off from him, and put his own
raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
5. All of this is like the Old Testament picture of a willing
lamb being led into the slaughter house to die.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
6. …and finally nailed God to a tree.
Matt 27:35 And they crucified him….
B. If the impossibility of this has not yet sank in, let me
remind you Who it was that man so cruel handled that day.
1. It was the God who came down on Mount Sinai.
a. \\#Ex 19:16-20\\ describe how the powerful God came
down on that mountain in fire and a thick cloud,
with angelic trumpets sounding, the ground shaking,
thunder rumbling, and lightning flashing.
b. Was that just a pyromania display or was God allowing
man to see but a touch of the power that is God?
2. Or was God joking when in \\#Ex 33:20\\ He told Moses,
"there shall no man see me and live." Is God really so
awesome, so holy, so powerful as these?
3. Some will say, "Yes, but these were in God’s
pre-incarnate form. He laid that power and glory aside
when He put on man’s flesh.
4. Did He?
a. How about the three times when man wanted to lay hold
on Jesus to either catch or kill Him, and He simply
"walked through their midst"?
(1) \\#Luke 4:30\\ at Nazareth
(2) \\#John 8:59\\ at the temple
(3) \\#John 10:39\\ on Solomon’s porch
b. And again, even a few hours before the cross, when
the religious police came to arrest Jesus and,
merely by acknowledging His identity, knocked them
all on their backsides?
John 18:4 Jesus …said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus
saith unto them, I am he….
6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am
he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
C. No, my friend, an impossible thing is taking a place—a
miracle—and how is it being done?
1. There is but one answer.
2. God is allowing this impossible act of finite and wicked
man to handle the holy, omnipotent God.
3. The first miracle of the cross is man handled God.
II. God Stayed on the Cross
A. Oh wicked man put God on the cross, that is true and
miraculous enough, but even more miraculous is that God
stayed on it.
Matt 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted
his garments, casting lots: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They
parted my garments among them, and upon my
vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation
written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with
him, one on the right hand, and another on the
left.
39 And they that passed by reviled him,
wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple,
and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If
thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him,
with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If
he be the King of Israel, let him now come down
from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now,
if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son
of God.
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with
him, cast the same in his teeth.
B. I can think of four reasons that God had for NOT staying on
the cross.
1. God did not belong on the cross!
a. Jesus had done nothing wrong. I had.
b. That was my cross and your cross that God was
hanging upon.
2. God had the power to come down.
Mt 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to
my Father, and he shall presently give me more
than twelve legions of angels?
a. I suspect that the angels were more than ready, and
perhaps had to be commanded NOT to come to Jesus’
aid!
b. Indeed, if the angels did not more on their own it
would have only been because they knew who Jesus was
and what power lay in His thoughts and words.
c. Friend, if God can speak the world into existence, He
can most certainly speak it back out of existence!
3. God could have proven who He was BY coming down.
a. That is exactly what the devil was baiting Jesus to
do!
b. That was the devil speaking through those men that
day. "Come down! Come down! Then we will believe in
You!"
c. And while coming down would have proven that Jesus was
God, it would have also foiled man’s only hope for
redemption!
d. Thank God that He did not come down.
4. God could have judged those evil men if He had come down.
a. Isn’t that what God is all about, judging man, the
sinner and his sin?
b. If so, why didn’t God come down that day? There was a
whole herd of blasphemers, ungrateful and unholy
sinners just below His reach?
c. And look what they were doing to Him!
(1) Friend, if you ever think that sinners do not
deserve hell, just remember the hell that
sinners but the holy, Son of God through.
(2) Yes, God knew it was going to happen. He wrote
it in a Book and planned on it, but it was
sinful man who chose to do those wicked and vile
things to God.
(3) If you stand in the company of the God rejecters,
you share in their deeds.
(4) If you die lost, you will die worthy of hell.
III. God Died.
Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried
with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?
47 Some of them that stood there, when they
heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a
spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on
a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether
Elias will come to save him.
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud
voice, yielded up the ghost.
A. Yes, God, the immortal, eternal, all-powerful Creator of all
things… died.
B. But that is impossible. Yes. It was a supernatural event.
It was a miracle.
1. But how is that possible?
2. It is possible because God put on flesh.
a. Some men like to mock God by asking, "Can God make a
rock so big that He cannot pick it up?"
b. He has already done that. When?
c. The answer is "He did that when He made Himself into
man so weak that He could die."
C. Don’t let the miracle that happened that day slip you by!
1. God died.
2. Not because man took His life but because He gave it.
3. Not just for an ambiguous world but for you.
4. And today, if you would trust Jesus’ death, you could be
saved from your sins.
I pray that you will allow God’s miracles to touch you today.
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