Friday-The Crucifixion & Burial

I want to just kind of catch you up, reset, and make sure you understand where we are and what we're doing. It was this coming, I think this coming August, three years ago, that we started a series in the life of Christ. I intended it to be about a six-month survey, and it has turned into an Odyssey of sorts, and I believe that was a direction the Lord impressed on my heart to just go a little deeper. I have a little bit deeper into what we find in the Gospels, and so what we've done is basically, we've done a harmony of the Gospels, and just tracing chronologically, the events of our Lord's life as recorded in the four Gospels. We are close to the end, I would say probably about six months from the end. I don't think it'll take us quite that long, but we are finishing up the crucifixion scene, and we may be able to get into the events that take place immediately after the crucifixion tonight. Tonight, on your outline, you see that we are in Matthew 27, all four Gospels cover the events of the last three hours on the cross, but we're following Matthew's account, and we'll dip into the others a little bit here and there to gain a few details that Matthew doesn't give us. The last time we were together, we finished up talking about the first three hours on the cross, and the first three hours on the cross, the journey to the cross, and the first three hours on the cross, are marked by a number of different interactions that Jesus has with different people, and the expression that I love that Kent Hughes came up with where they were explosions of grace. And they really are evidences of Christ graciously reaching out to various people in spite of the incredible suffering that he was undergoing. The last three hours on the cross, we've been looking at now last week, a couple weeks ago when we met, and the last three hours on the cross have four of the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. And in those sayings and other events that take place, you find the real meaning of the death of Christ. What is really happening is illustrated by everything that takes place in those last three hours. What we saw last time was that both the darkness that came over the earth during those three hours, and the cry of Jesus from the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Both of those events symbolize and illustrate, demonstrate the judgment of God, and that Jesus was being judged for our sins, and the wrath of God was being poured out on him. And then we saw that Jesus has another couple of sayings on the cross. He says, I first, to be able to be given some moisture so that he can then cry loudly, it is finished. And those two events demonstrate for us the completed payment for sin, that Jesus' death, as he nears death, he is saying, the work that I've done on the cross, pays in full for the sin of man. The literal word, it is finished, the word literally means paid in full. It would be stamped on receipts of bills paid in the first century. And so Jesus was saying, nothing else can or need be added to the work that has been done here on the cross. It is finished, paid in full. Now, we ended in verse 50 of Matthew 27 last time, and that's where we'll pick up tonight. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, and that cry we saw last time was, it is finished. The next statement says, he gave up his spirit. And so the very last thing that happens in Jesus' life before he dies is another demonstration of the real purpose in the Bible. And so the real purpose and meaning of the cross, and it's this, it's the voluntary giving of his life. And the emphasis on voluntary, voluntary giving of his life. He gave up his spirit. Now, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus did not die an ordinary death. Even knowing what we know about death by crucifixion, this was not an ordinary death. Death by crucifixion usually took place by a gradual weakening of the body to where you remember we described the pushing up on the feet so that they could get the shoulders level with the hands and loosen the pressure on the pectorals and the diaphragm and be able to breathe. And that was how people on the cross continued breathing. And so there was this constant rising and lowering motion of people who were on the cross. Well, gradually they would lose strength and suffocate. And it was an agonizing, horrible death. But that is not the way Jesus died. He was conscious till the end. Although he has been beaten and tortured brutally, he was conscious till the end. He was in full control of his thoughts. And just before he gives up his spirit, Luke adds a bit of a detail that Matthew doesn't have. And it's this on the screen, Luke 2346. Jesus called out with a loud voice. Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit. When he had said this, he breathed his last. So the last statement of Jesus on the cross, just moments before he dies, is father, into your hands, I commit my spirit. And the way he says that and then he breathes his last is an indication that this was not a normal death. He was literally voluntarily giving his life, voluntarily laying down his life of his own will. He died at a time that he chooses when he knows it is finished. Then he commits himself to the father literally gave his life. And that reminds us of what he had said earlier in John chapter 10 verses 17 and 18. The reason my father loves me is that I laid down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me. But I lay it down of my own accord. Jesus says, I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my father. So Jesus has the command or the authority from God, the father to voluntarily give up his life to lay it down to to to will his death, if you will. And it is not taken from him. So it was an unusual death. It was a death really unlike any any other death, even others who were crucified. The gospels use expressions which forcibly demonstrate this very thing that he voluntarily willingly gave up his life. None of the four gospels say he died. None of the four gospels describe it that way. Matthew's gospel as we see here says he gave up his spirit. Mark and Luke say he breathed his last in the sense that he voluntarily breathed out his life gave it up voluntarily gave up his spirit. And then John says he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. So he is the one in control. He is the one taking action to empty his life. And so he lays it down as he said he would in John chapter 10, truly a death unlike any other. So any comment or question about the actual death of Christ and what that demonstrates? Yes. So great perspective Michael. And he described so completely by Paul and Philippians 2, isn't it where he talks about Jesus, his condescension step by step, sevenfold steps down that begin with him leaving heaven, setting aside the glory, the outward manifestation of his deity. And it ends with death and then Paul goes even a step lower, even death on cross. And so every step of that sevenfold condescension Jesus is voluntarily doing it. You're right. From the moment he volunteers to leave heaven to the moment he voluntarily breathes out his last and gives up his life. And the neat thing about that that you've indicated is that Paul uses that as an example of how we should willingly voluntarily serve others. Humble ourselves, put others interest before our own, he says in Philippians 2, verse 3. And then he says let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Jesus is the example of a voluntary giving of ourselves to put others first. Great point. Okay, others before we move on to the events of actually the events that take place right after his death. Okay, well let's move on then verses 51 to 56. Give us several effects of Christ's death. These are some things that happen immediately following his death before he is removed from the cross. Okay, so these events take place quickly right after his death, but they indicate some of the effects of his death, even theologically, spiritually, some of the effects of his death. The first one is access into God's presence, which is symbolized by something that takes place immediately upon his death. Verse 51 says at that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Now what is what is being spoken of here? What is this curtain of the temple? The Holy of Holies? The Holy of Holies is the room behind this curtain, isn't it? Okay, what is the curtain sometimes called? The veil, the veil of the temple? Okay, the Bible says it was torn and then it adds this explanatory note from top to bottom, which indicates it was an act of God. It was miraculous. It was not ripped from the bottom where people maybe priests would have been standing in the Holy place. It was ripped from top to bottom and at the moment Jesus dies, this happens. The timing of it is also divine and supernatural. Let's take a look. I want you to gain some perspective here, access into God's presence. This is Herod's temple. A little different than Solomon's actually built on the Solomon's temple, but this is the temple proper right here, this building. This picture has been cut away to go inside the Holy place. This is the Holy place where the priests would go where the altar of incense and table of show bread and candlesticks were, those three pieces of furniture. Here's the veil right here. Here's the veil that separates the Holy place, this room from this inner room, the Holy of Holies, where there was one piece of furniture which was the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the place covered with a gold lid that contained the law and thus symbolized the judgment of God, but the condemnation of the law against us, but then the high priest once a year would do what? Sprinkle what? Blood on the mercy seat, which was the lid covering the Ark of the Covenant. Once a year he would do that. Why did he do that? Atonement for sin? What did that accomplish in Israel's life? Cleansing? Yes, that's involved. It's already been mentioned in the sense of covering their sin, but it covered their sin in that it kept them rightly related to God under the Mosaic Covenant. It did not mean individual salvation for every Jew. It kept the nation in right covenant relationship with God. Salvation in the Old Testament is pictured that way, but salvation is in the Old Testament just like the New, very personal individual. By faith in the promises of God, an individual Jew would have been saved, and because of their faith they would have been obedience, been faithful to the other sacrifices which were brought and so forth. This one sacrifice every year was for the nation as a whole and kept them in the right covenant relationship with God, getting a little bit off the point here. But this is where atonement is made for the nation. And this is the veil. Let's take a look a little closer. Let's go inside the holy place. We're staying inside the holy place now. Here's a priest. Here's this veil. Did you have any idea that it was that big? Herod's temple was 172 to 180 feet high. The veil was at least half that, 80 feet high, eight stories high, the veil itself. Okay, we're not talking about a little partition like we would have in a room. This thing was four inches thick. Okay, this is not something you just reach up. One person would not have been able to tear it anyway. 10 people, 20 people would not have been able to tear it. This was obviously a supernatural act of God. What was it made of? Some kind of cloth. I'd have to go back to Exodus to make sure. Has anybody got that? I know a bunch of you got pads and iPads and tablets and stuff. Four inches thick. I don't remember the exact material that it was made of. But it was obviously substantial. How did they sew it up again? I would love to know that too. I would love to know that. In fact, that must have been quite a chore for them and sparked a lot of conversations, which may have resulted in Acts chapter six, many priests coming to the faith. One of a series of things that may have happened. Let's take a look at the next picture. This is maybe what it looked like. You see the priest falling to the ground here. I don't know if this is just an artist representation. But it's torn. You see, it's not quite all the way down to the bottom yet. It's torn from the top all the way down. What is being symbolized by that? Access to God. Yes. The veil in the temple over the holy of Holies was designed basically to restrict people from the presence of God. To keep them out of the presence of God. It was to demonstrate that access into the presence of God is not something you just kind of walk into. The high priest and only the high priest, not even the other priests could do this. Only the high priest could go in and he only did it one time a year on the day of atonement. And so the point is this to come into God's presence is not to be taken flippantly. This is serious business. And it's not open to anyone. The high priest is the one who must represent the people in God's presence where he manifested his presence in the holy of Holies. And now the moment Jesus dies, the barrier between God and man is ripped from top bottom. Wow. What symbolism there. What amazing truth is found in that very act. The writer of Hebrews says it this way in Hebrews 10. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place, does that mean we're still entering a temple? No, no. The temple in Hebrews is heaven. It is God's presence. It is the actual presence of God. So that's what he's talking about here. We now can actually enter the presence of God, not a room that symbolized his presence where he manifested his presence, but literally into his presence in heaven. Okay, we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way contrasted with the old way that had to be repeated year after year under Israel's law. This is a new and living way. Opened. Notice that word opened for us. The picture of the veil being torn. It's been opened up. The presence of God has been opened up to us. How? Through the curtain. Oh, don't you love this? Through the curtain, which is his body. So it is Jesus that represents the entrance into the presence of God. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and the full assurance that faith brings. Amazing truth is both symbolized and declared here at the cross that when Jesus dies no longer is their distance between God and man. No longer is there a barrier between God and man. The way into the very presence of God has been opened up for everybody. Through faith, it says we have a confidence that we can draw near through a sincere heart, genuine salvation, in other words, and the full assurance that faith brings. Nobody comes into the presence of God except by faith in the one who is our great high priest Christ. He is the one that opened up the way for us into the presence of God. That's just tremendous truth. By Jesus, blood, we can come into God's presence directly in terms of salvation, but also in terms of prayer, which is also mentioned in the book of Hebrews chapter 4. Access into God's presence is one of the effects of Christ's death, and it is vividly demonstrated with this tearing of the veil in the temple. Amazing, amazing stuff. It is a symbol of Jesus. I think it is for us to be able to come down and enjoy the world with this coming next to the world. That's interesting. The fact that Jesus came down and it is torn from top to bottom, starting at the top and coming down. So one of the effects of Christ's death symbolizes that the moment he died is accessing the God's presence. The second one, and this is one we all have been waiting for. Someone told me last time that they had read ahead a little bit and looked at these two verses and wanted to know what was going on in verses 52 and 53. I said, well, I have to wait a couple of weeks. Look at what happens. This is victory over death. Victory over death is also symbolized by something that happens very strange, very unusual, but look at what happens. Actually, let's take the end of verse 51. The earth shook. The rocks split. There is an earthquake. The rocks split and the tombs broke open. This was a serious earthquake that tombs actually broke open. The stone seals and so forth. That would seal the openings broke open. What happens next? The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Matthew is the only one that tells us about this. The other gospels don't mention it. Matthew tells us about it. It is very intriguing as to what was going on here. It is interesting to read the commentators, lots of different thoughts and ideas as to what was happening. Who were these people that were raised from their graves? Pardon me? Don't think anybody knows. We don't know for sure who they were. They had to be Old Testament saints though. We haven't gotten into the church age yet. They had to be Old Testament believers. They are called holy people. Was it some of Israel's leaders that would have been known to people? Is it just Joe from down the street that died a month ago? I don't know who exactly it would have been. But they are Old Testament believers. By Old Testament I am moving that right on up to the death of Christ and the ensuing events that would lead to the foundation of the church. That people that were really recognized would make a wall of death be a wall of death. Quite possibly. We are not told that. That seems to be the implication. They appeared to people evidently in Jerusalem or thereabouts. Notice that it says, of course the earthquake and the tombs being opened happened on Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock when Jesus died. But they did not come out of their tombs until after Jesus' resurrection. So on Sunday morning is when this would have happened. This is where commentators kind of dabbled in the what's going on here. Probably they did not, probably they were not brought back to life until Sunday morning. Matthew is compressing the details into one account here. The graves were opened up. The rocks, the earthquake and so forth opens up the inferences to the tombs on Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock. But they do not come out and I do not think they were resurrected and just were hiding out in their tombs until Sunday morning. I think they probably were resurrected and came out on Sunday morning after Jesus was resurrected. I do not think they would have been resurrected before him or where is the problem there. Where is the problem if they would have been resurrected before Jesus. Exactly. Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 15, 22 that Christ is the first fruits. He is the first one to be resurrected from the dead never to die again. So I believe that means Christ was resurrected early, sometimes Sunday morning and then these people came out of the tombs just after him. Interesting thought, isn't it that they wondered throughout Jerusalem. How long were they alive? That's another conjecture. We don't know for sure. I kind of like to follow the thoughts of Dei Carson here who says basically they probably were alive long enough to establish the credibility of the resurrection and in still hope of the resurrection in others who might have talked with them or seen them maybe a day or two. It's hard to tell how long maybe just a few hours but they were they interacted with people and then the Bible to silent as to what happened to them. What do you think happened to them? Okay. Okay. Everybody here what Max said? Is it possible that these were glorified bodies, not just people who were resurrected like Lazarus into their natural body and died again? Could it be that these were glorified bodies? What do you think? If they didn't stay very long, okay, probably was. Okay. Well maybe they would have. It's hard to tell. Jesus glorified body was similar in appearance to his pre-cross body. People recognized who he was. So it may be that it could be they had glorified bodies. I'm not sure. I really don't know. Yeah. That people had been resurrected. Okay. Okay. Well here's what most commentators believe would have happened and I still think Dei Carson who's probably the foremost New Testament scholar in this country in our era says about this. And I think it's theologically correct. These people probably stayed around Jerusalem long enough to interact with people to to demonstrate the hope of the resurrection based on Christ's resurrection and then they were translated directly to heaven. They were in a sense, raptured. And I think that's probably what happened and here's why if they had stayed on earth, then we would probably have heard about them in the book of Acts or we would have heard some kind of response of the Jewish leaders saying, you know, Moses was hanging around here yesterday. What's he doing around here? You know, or David. I saw David yesterday. You know, you don't hear any of that. You don't hear any evidence in the book of Acts that they're still here. I think that would have created quite a commotion. I think they probably were allowed to see people for a brief period of time and then they were taken on to heaven. I don't think they I don't think they stayed very long or surely there would have been more said in scripture about that. So I think that would have been the people that actually thought I was very used to to think that they were somewhere else. Right. Yes. Yes. The revelation there is kept in mind that it's been the way that those guys think that a way is to then just to follow the disciples and get them to heaven. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. There is a parallel to what happens with the two witnesses in Revelation chapter 11 and they are caught up to heaven. That fits. I think that's probably what happened. I mean, we can't speak dogmatically about that, but it just seems to fit with everything else that's happening and with the theology of everything that they would have been resurrected after Jesus was resurrected. They go into the holy city. It says into Jerusalem. They appeared to some people and then they're taken on to heaven, which would lead me to believe if that's the case, would lead me to believe they did have glorified bodies. They were not in their natural bodies. They didn't die again. They were caught on up to heaven. Now again, the text does not specifically say that, but it surely seems to imply it just because of the silence of any other mention of this in the book of Acts. And if there had been a lot of Old Testament saints resurrected and hanging around, I think you would have heard about it in Acts. Yes. Yes. Exactly. Good point, Bobby. And Jesus was on earth for 40 days after his resurrection. So you wouldn't expect these would be here longer because the focus really wants to be on, is supposed to be on Jesus. That's good point. So their appearance was brief in all likelihood and evidently for the purpose of encouraging and substantiating the fact that the resurrection actually took place and then they're caught on up to heaven and their glorified bodies. That seems to be what's happening here. But it is highly unusual and very strange, isn't it? This whole account is very strange. But the point is one of the effects of Jesus' death is victory over death. And so you have that symbolized and demonstrated in the fact that some people literally came out of the tombs, and they were glorified bodies and were caught up to heaven. We're assuming that seems to be the case. And if that is the case, then this certainly is a picture of what's going to happen at the rapture. When everyone who has died in Christ will be resurrected, be changed into his image given their glorified body and caught up to be with the Lord. It's really an amazing scene. Okay. Any other comment or question about this before we look at one other effect? Two others actually. Okay. Verse 54 gives us the third effect of Christ's death, and that is a confession of faith. And this is also amazing. Verse 54 says, when the centurion and those with him, notice that statement. Now remember, who's the centurion? The guard watching the cross. Actually, he's the head of the unit of soldiers there. He's the head of them. Okay. So when the centurion and those with him, which would be the other soldiers, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake, and all that had happened, and there's a lot in those words, all that had happened. They were terrified and exclaimed, surely he was the son of God. Now think about it. Think about what this centurion and his fellow soldiers had seen. Four of them remember. People were accompanied to the cross by four soldiers forming a square around them with them in the middle. Remember, we saw that earlier. And so they're there at the cross. They've watched this whole thing happen. They they were a part of and saw his beatings. Probably if they were not a part of, they witnessed the scourging. They accompanied him to the cross and they saw him reach out to the women who were wailing, the professional mourners. They heard everything that happened when he got to the cross. They heard him pray for the fathers forgiveness for them. Remember, father, forgive them for they know what to do. We saw that that was probably directed to the soldiers, not the religious leaders, because they knew what they were doing. They purposely were doing what they were doing. So they heard that. They heard him forgive the thief next to him. They heard they read the accusation over him. This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. They heard the accusations that were coming from the crowd, the religious leaders and so forth that he is the son of God. He claimed to be the son of God. He saved others. They're hearing all of this for six hours. They watch him. He's totally different than anybody else they have ever put on across or seen on across. Never one foul word, never crying out, vengeance against his persecutors, but calmly, majestically in control until he voluntarily gives up his life. And then they feel the earthquake. They've seen the darkness. There's a lot of supernatural stuff going on that they've witnessed on this day. And so by the end of that time, they are convinced he is the son of God. Now that is a statement of faith and look at the accompanying verses in Luke, Luke 23. The Centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God. There's a response of worship and adoration there, praised God and said, surely this was a righteous man. So he believes both that Jesus is a righteous man. In other words, he believes the testimony of the thief who said this man has done nothing wrong. We're getting what we deserve. He's done nothing wrong. He's a righteous man. He's also the son of God. And so that is a statement of faith, a public commitment. I believe of genuine faith in Christ as the son of God, the righteous one. And so I believe this may indicate that the Centurion and the other soldiers with him became believers that day. Now notice what Luke goes on to say. When all the people who had gathered to witness this site saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. What was the beating of the chest symbolic of in Jewish culture? Remorse, mourning. And one other thing I would add, repentance. It is quite likely that there were a number of people who became convinced that Jesus was the Savior by witnessing the events of the crucifixion. So all of these people who were in the church were trying to think and they were about to verify the studies of the Christian and the Christian and the Christian. Yeah, I think that's just verifying everything. Yeah. Right. Yes. Yes. Yeah, I think it is. I think that's for verification, for confirmation, for assurance, for confidence on the part of those who have witnessed these events. Because they still are trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. You know, even after Jesus is resurrected, they're still trying to put it all together. And so all of that was done, I think, for confirmation. But I think we have here a legitimate confession of faith on the part of the centurion and the other soldiers. Yeah. Right. Yeah. That's a great question. Was it a sincere heart confession of faith or was it just a head acknowledgement? And I don't guess we can say with 100% accuracy or certainty. But just the way it's described, it mentions when they saw all that had happened. In other words, they were putting together everything that had happened at the cross, all those things we mentioned. And then the fact that they praised God, which is an active worship and seems to be genuine, the fact that they said two things about Jesus, he was a righteous man. And that had to come from the things they'd heard about him while they were there that day. And that he's the son of God. That's the most telling. The son of God, which is a very strong declaration of his deity and his purpose for being here. It's hard to know for sure, but that sure tips me to the side of it was genuine. It may include that. It does. It's not. You know, that expression is is basically talking about the people who had gathered to witness it. But that may also include the soldiers and it may include the fact that they laid down. It's hard to know for sure. But I just get the sense that it was genuine. Again, I wouldn't. I wouldn't start a new denomination on that. But I do get the sense that it was genuine. The confession of faith. Okay, let's look at one more before we stop kind of come to a good breaking point here. There was also an expression of love at the cross that is in a sense symbolic of an effect of the cross. And that is to bring out our love for what Christ has done for us. Notice this expression of love in verses 55-56. Many women were there watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. These women are mentioned several times in the gospels. Women who evidently had the means to be able to provide support for Christ and his disciples so that they would be able to purchase food or get food or be able to take care of their needs while they were traveling and ministry. So there are a number of these women there. And among them, verse 56 says, was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Who were Zebedee's sons? Do you remember? James and John. They were two of the disciples. And remember, John is there. Remember, Jesus is entrusting his mother to John. So John is there. He's the only disciple that's at the cross. But you've got these three mentioned. Now look at John 1925. It will be on the screen for you. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother. So Mary was there too. And then his mother's sister. Hang on to that. Mary the wife of clopus. Mary the wife of clopus is the same as what we find in Matthew. Mary the mother of James and Joseph. The wife of clopus. And clopus is another, it's a Hebrew synonym, another name for alfias. There was one of the disciples called James the less or James the son of alfias. And most Bible scholars believe that this Mary wife of clopus was the mother of another one of the disciples. James the less or James the son of alfias. And then Mary Magdalene. You put those two texts together and what you find. And also if you put Luke together, I think it's Luke that mentions that the mother of of Zebedee's sons was named Salome. Okay. Salome by process of elimination is Jesus mother's sister. But all the accounts together and you got four women that are mentioned. And the only one who fits is Salome. The mother of James and John is Christ's mother's sister, which would make James and John his cousins. Interesting, isn't it? The ties that are represented there at the foot of the cross. But this expression of love, these women are drawn to the cross to show their love for him. They cannot stay away. It is an amazing scene at the foot of the cross. And what what will happen next is a quick succession of events over the next three hours before six o'clock when the Jewish Sabbath starts six o'clock on Friday evening. There's a quick succession of events that takes place leading up to the burial. And we'll take a look at those next Wednesday night, some of the things that take place leading up to the burial of Christ. Before we stop any questions, comments. There were two other yes, yes, two other things that were put into the ark initially, Aaron's rod that butted the the tin commandments were put in there and some of the mana that fell in the desert were put in there. Now, whether or not the rod and the mana were preserved, we don't know may have been. It would have had to be supernatural, but the stone tablets of the tin commandments obviously would have stayed. They would have been preserved. Okay, anything else? All right, let's pray. Father, we're grateful to you for all that is intended for us to see in the death of Christ. The amazing effects of his death that we've witnessed tonight. And we thank you that even as we're talking with you right now, that that is made possible by what we've just studied happening at the cross. Thank you for that new and living way opened up to us through the blood of Christ to come directly into your presence with confidence, not not with arrogance, but with confidence that we can be there because Jesus has made it possible. He is our great high priest. We thank you, Father, for the opportunity to know you and to know that we ourselves will be resurrected someday in glorified bodies and taking home to be with you. Thank you for these amazing scenes around the cross. Help us to ever be grateful and to live in the light of what you've done for us at the cross. We ask in Jesus name, amen.