Witnesses: Death and Burial • Luke 23:44-56 • Russell McCutcheon

Good morning, everyone. My name is Russell McCutcheon, pastor of the upcoming church plant Reconciliation Church. By God's grace, we will launch in the fall of this year. But it may seem with all this taking place that this is not the right time to plant. With COVID-19, many people out of work, and we're not able to gather as a corporate body. So, maybe it's not the right time. I've had that thought in my mind, but recently I read in Matthew 16, verse 18, and I realized something.

Jesus promised in that verse that he would build his church. No COVID-19, no other disaster will stop Jesus from building his church. And because of this truth, I am even more energized to continue this journey of church planting.

So I want to acknowledge you, CTK, any visitor that may be watching this morning, and I want to acknowledge my Reconciliation Church family. Grace and peace to all of you.

This morning, we are going to continue in the sermon series "Witnesses to the Cross," and we're going to be in Luke chapter 23, verses 44 through 56. If you have your phones or a physical Bible, please turn to Luke 23:44-56. I will be reading from the CSB version of the Bible.

It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three because the sun's light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle and Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit." Saying this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify God saying, "This man really was righteous." All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests. But all who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things. There was a good and righteous man named Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, who had not agreed with their plan and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God. He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus's body. Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock where no one had ever been placed. It was the preparation day and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how his body was placed. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes, and they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. — Luke 23:44-56

Before going further, let's pray. Lord, there's so much uncertainty, so much fear that's permeating our time, but Lord, we have the opportunity, even though we're in our homes, we have the opportunity to sit at your feet with your word open. God, please give us eyes to see you clearly and ears to hear you. May our gaze and our focus be on you and not on the things that are taking place all around us. Meet us in this moment, I pray, in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Example of Hamilton E. Holmes

There is a man outside of Jesus that I love to read about. It's the man by the name of Hamilton E. Holmes. He and his wife, Charlene, were the first African Americans to integrate the University of Georgia, and they did this in the early 1960s. His wife, Charlene, recounted how he was a straight-A student in high school as well as a phenomenal athlete in football. Hamilton wanted to go to the University of Georgia and play football. But in those days, it would have been tough for him as an African American, and he was advised not to play football in Georgia because of all of the racial tension and racial strife. It could be dangerous for him. He could even lose his life. So he did not play football, but she remembered how instead of him blocking and tackling for the university, he would block and tackle for her. If she was insulted, he was right there to make sure that she was protected. She remembered how loving he was. He loved her well, even with his high position as an orthopedic surgeon. You see, he determined from the beginning that he wanted to become a doctor, and he did. He often gave himself for her benefit, and he did this so well that she said this was the best team that she had ever joined. Hamilton E. Holmes died from heart failure. His wife lost the man that she committed her life to, and this is hard.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a call that no one wants to get. Someone told me on the other end of the phone that my dad was in grave condition and that I needed to get to him as soon as possible. As the oldest son, my wife and I drove to where my dad was. My siblings met us there, and we got to the hospital and realized that this was the end. We were in his room day in and day out, making decisions. And finally, when he was pronounced dead, we were all standing around the hospital bed. My dad died.

And all I can think about was loss, that I would never be able to have another conversation with him. I know many of you watching this know what the loss of a loved one is like. Now, we know that death comes to all humanity but it still does not make it easy to deal with. We want those loved ones to be here with us while we are here. We don't want to be without them. And truthfully, those days seem very dark. Depression often can set in. We feel all alone that part of us is missing and it can seem hopeless.

Now, death is not the only thing that causes hopelessness in us. It can be a child that seems to be going down a path to destruction. It could be the loss of a job which many people are experiencing in our day because of COVID-19. Many people feel isolated and lonely and this could lead to hopelessness. Many people are oppressed by people who feel that they are expendable. You see, with hopelessness comes fear and it comes in many forms. The fear of objects, the fear of people, fear of the future, fear of nature, fear of the unknown, fear of old age, fear of disease.

But if we are able to lift our eyes to Jesus, then we would see that he is near. He has never left us.

Be strong and courageous. Don't be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord, your God is the one who will go with you. He will not leave you or abandon you. — Deuteronomy 31:6

I pray that this comforts us this morning. See, we have a God who is with us and he does not leave us when things get hard. Jesus in Matthew chapter six informs us that we are children of God and that he sustains all of nature and guarantees the intricacies of the life process. See, in times like these, it's unreasonable for us to think that God, the God who knows the very details of the hairs of our heads or in my case, the lack thereof, that he would exclude from his concern, the things that happen with us. We have a God who cares for us. See, God is not absent when life gets hard.

The Control of God in Dark Times

In our text today, we have a very dark scene. We have the very death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Creation responded to the death of Jesus. The people who were present had different responses to his death but the main thing I want us to see, the main point I want us to extract from this is that when things seem out of control, when life gets dark, God is in control. Let me repeat that. When things seem out of control, when life gets dark, God is in control.

There was and is never a time in history where God has ceased to be in control of all of the events of life. He was in control of the lives of Abraham, the life of David, the life of Joseph, the entire nation of Israel, and Paul. And he's in control of your life and my life.

So, let's continue to examine the people, the witnesses to the cross, and see how they responded. The first person we will look at is the centurion. The Roman centurion and see how he came to the knowledge of the truth of Jesus in his death. Next, we will look at the crowds and the women from Galilee. See, the crowds left shocked and astonished at the death of Jesus and the women from Galilee, they stood at a distance taking in all that was taking place with Jesus and his death on the cross. Then, we will look at Joseph of Arimathea who is a closet disciple of Jesus but he stepped up to care for his body and then finally, we cannot end the sermon without looking at the God-man himself, the Lord Jesus Christ and him dying on the cross and seeing how he trusted God even in his darkest moment.

Before going further, I want to ask all of us this question. How do we respond in sorrow?

The Centurion's Witness

So, let's get started. Let's look at the centurion in verse 47. The text says again, when the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify God saying, this man really was righteous.

When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify God saying, "This man really was righteous." — Luke 23:47

Now, we will come back and look at the earlier verses later but first, let's examine the Roman centurion and who watched Jesus die. Now, we do not know the centurion's name. We just know his job. He was in charge of giving oversight to the death of Jesus Christ but what did he see? What did he witness in all of this?

He saw Jesus mocked. He saw Jesus despised, scorned, and even blasphemed. See, I'm sure that this man facilitated and witnessed many crucifixions because if anyone tried to come against Rome, that person would be captured and put on public display at a crucifixion to let everyone else know. You don't want to be like this person here and so he probably saw a lot of crucifixions in his time. This man would have seen the religious leaders stand in total opposition to Jesus. He even saw Jesus mocked by other Roman soldiers. Maybe he was a part of that mocking.

He saw Jesus tied to a pillar, bent over with his back laid bare, and beaten with an instrument that would have had leather strips and at the end of the leather strips would have had some iron pieces or some other metal pieces on the end of it so that every time Jesus was hit, it yanked skin away. Some people even say that he was beaten so much that maybe even Jesus's ribs were broken, cracked. He would have witnessed all of this. He would have witnessed the fact that they would have put a cross beam on Jesus as he was on his way to the cross and seeing that he was too weak because of the beating they would call Simon the Cyrenian to bear Jesus's cross.

This is what should have happened to a person who was guilty, but Jesus was innocent. He was not guilty of the crimes that he was convicted of, and this makes it all the more tragic. Jesus is the Son of God. The religious leaders would mock him and say, while he's on the cross, "If he is the Son of God, let him save himself and others." But Jesus didn't get down from the cross.

It's interesting that when the Roman centurion saw how Jesus responded in the midst of all of this and he dies on the cross, the text tells us that he began to glorify God. He began to glorify God saying, "This man really was righteous." What we see with the centurion is that Jesus's death breaks the hardest of hearts. I want you to know this morning, no matter where you are, you are not so far gone that the death of Jesus cannot by the Spirit penetrate your heart and draw you to himself. No one is too far away from him to be saved. God's arm is not too short to save.

Before his death, probably the centurion just saw another criminal. Now he saw Jesus rightly, and what Jesus said in John chapter 12 verse 32 became true for the centurion.

As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself. — John 12:32

The centurion understood in Jesus's death that he was innocent. He became the second witness to affirm that Jesus was innocent. The first one was the other criminal on the cross with Jesus who said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom," and Jesus tells him, "This day you will be with me in paradise."

What was true for the centurion is true for us today. When we see the death of Jesus, him high and lifted up from the earth, when we realize that we are the ones who deserve to be hanging on that cross, when we realize that he is our substitute and our eyes are opened and we trust in him, we will give glory to God for what he has done. I say hallelujah to the fact that Jesus saves.

The Crowds and the Women from Galilee

Now I want us to see the crowds and the women from Galilee. In verses 48 and 49, it says:

All the crowds that had gathered for the spectacle when they saw what had taken place went home striking their chests, but all who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. — Luke 23:48-49

And then in verse 54, it says:

It was the preparation day and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with him from Galilee observed the tomb and how his body was placed. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes and they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. — Luke 23:54-56

The centurion saw intimately the death of Jesus and saw Jesus rightly. The crowds had a different response. Verse 48 says that they had gathered for the spectacle, and when they saw what had taken place, they went home striking their chests. The women from Galilee also stood at a distance and watched everything, but what were they watching?

They saw darkness come over the whole land for about three hours and the temple curtain torn down the middle that accompanied his death. They saw the signs. Early in this chapter, a large crowd followed Jesus to the place that he would die. Now that they saw Jesus die, they went home beating their chests. They felt a feeling of grief. This feeling of grief is tied to mourning for the dead.

What's interesting here is that they really just saw another human die, as well as the women from Galilee. They just saw another crucifixion, another death. They didn't see Jesus in light of what he had said earlier—that he had to go to Jerusalem, be betrayed, killed, die, and be raised again on the third day. They didn't get the fact of resurrection.

The women from Galilee who were his disciples watched these things from a distance. I am glad that it singles out these women and calls them disciples. This shows me how Jesus affirms the dignity of women. He affirms them. They are not some second-class citizen. He affirms them. They followed him, and this shows me that women, just like men, have a role in God's kingdom, and that is to bring shalom to this world of chaos.

Then in verses 54, 55, and 56, we are told that these women followed Joseph of Arimathea, more on him in a moment. To see where he placed the body and how it was positioned. They wanted to see this intently. See, they cared for Jesus during his earthly ministry and they would care for him even after death. The women were the only group of people who saw all three events that were taking place. They saw his death, burial, and resurrection. They watched so intently that it would not be a mistake to know where he would be laid and whose body was in that tomb.

The text also gives us some other important information. In verse 54, it was the day of preparation and the Sabbath was about to begin. See, the Sabbath was very important for a Jew. Jesus was crucified on a Friday. The Jewish Sabbath is our Saturday but because the Jewish day begins at 6PM, Friday at 6PM starts the Sabbath. That's why the women only had time to see where the body was laid, go home and prepare spices and perfumes, and then verse 56 says, they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. See, even in the midst of pain, in the pain of loss, the women obeyed the word of God.

Faith Must Have Substance

See, faith has to have substance. If after a child has lost a tooth, the parent then says, "I really hope that a tooth fairy comes and puts some money under my child's pillow," if a parent says that, that's a wasted conversation. There's no substance. In order for faith to do something, it must be based on something. See, in tough seasons, what are we placing our trust in? What is the substance of our hope?

See, we are currently in a rough season right now and we can see no ending light. Will I lose my job? Will anyone in my family get sick? There are a lot of unknowns right now but one thing is certain: even when I don't understand what's taking place, it is the word of God. In Philippians, Paul states this:

"For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good pleasure. Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world by holding firm to the word of life." — Philippians 2:13-16

We may be crying. We may be worried. But I pray that in the midst of sorrow, we rest in the truth of God's word and obey him. Holding firm to the word of life.

I also want to say that in this season, it's okay to lament. It's okay to lament. Things are hard right now. But as followers of Christ, in the midst of lamenting, there is hope. And a great book for this is Lamentations. If you read Lamentations, you just see some very hard things but right in the middle of the book, there is hope.

"Because of the Lord's faithful love, we do not perish. For his mercies never end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I say, 'The Lord is my portion. Therefore, I will put my hope in him.'" — Lamentations 3:22-24

Joseph of Arimathea

Now, we will look at Joseph of Arimathea in verses 50 to 53:

"Since there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, who had not agreed with their plan and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town and was looking forward to the kingdom of God. He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus's body. Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb, cut into the rock where no one had ever been placed." — Luke 23:50-53

It was not the family of Jesus. It was not the 11 disciples. Now, Judas is now dead. He is not one of the disciples now. So, he's left with 11. Not Jesus's family and not the disciples buried the body of Jesus. It was Joseph of Arimathea. He was the one who saved Jesus's body from indignity because the custom of crucifixion was to let the bodies hang on the cross, not bury them, and leave them to the dogs and vultures to dispose of. Jews considered burial of the dead a ritual piety and Joseph of Arimathea believed that Jesus deserved a proper burial.

Matthew 27:57 informs us that Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man. Mark 15:43 states that he was a man with good social standing. He was loved in the community and he looked forward to the kingdom of God. Now, he did not agree with the Sanhedrin's plan to put Jesus to death. But I don't think that Joseph raised his voice in opposition because John mentions in his gospel:

"Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him so that they would not be banned from the synagogue for they loved human praise more than praise from God." — John 12:42

It seems that Joseph was among the people who cared more about not being banned from the synagogue and having people praise him. See, I think we are a lot like Joseph of Arimathea.

See, if we have attained a certain status in life and people give us high praise, when we are called on to draw a line in the sand, we have to think about what it will cost us, what we will lose if we stand with Jesus. We may not be willing to give up the good life or our station in life. However, it costs us something to follow Jesus and that cost is our very lives.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. — Romans 12:1-2

But Joseph did risk something in asking for the body of Jesus. You see, it took courage for Joseph to go to the Roman governor to ask for the body of a criminal who many thought was coming against the Roman Empire. So he risked his life, but he took the body of Jesus and took great care of his body. He wrapped his body in fine linen and placed it in a tomb, cut into the rock where no one had ever been placed.

Matthew 27:60 tells us that this was Joseph's own tomb.

This shows us that Joseph purchased this tomb for his family, for all who would die—him and whoever else was in his family. This would be the family tomb, but Joseph gave himself for the benefit of others. He offered space. He took the body of Jesus and put it in the tomb that he had for his own family.

Jesus Calls from Every Station

See, with Joseph, who was a disciple—a closet disciple—we noticed that not all Jewish religious leaders opposed Jesus. And this is encouraging to me because you have the people in higher stations in life who trust Jesus as well as the poor, those no one cares about who trust the Lord Jesus. Jesus has people from every station in life, and this shows me that God has called people to himself who may not be of our tribe, who may not be of our station. They may come from different theological traditions.

See, this is important to me because if we're not careful, we will think that people must look like us and act like us in order to be in the family of God. But that's why I praise God that Jesus didn't die for one ethnic group or one people group or one gender. Jesus died for all nations because he said to the disciples:

Make disciples of all nations. — Matthew 28

If God's heart is for the nations, then we should have on our hearts what God has on his heart.

The Final Hours of Jesus

And finally, we want to look at Jesus. We want to end with him in verses 44 through 46. God's word says:

It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three because the sun's light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle and Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands, I entrust my spirit." Saying this, he breathed his last. — Luke 23:44-46

The text starts by telling us that darkness was over the whole land from noon to three. Darkness came over the whole land can also be translated that darkness came over the whole earth. This shows that all humanity is responsible for the death of Jesus.

See, I ask this question: Has there ever been a time in all of history outside of this day where the sun's light failed? Has there ever been a day?

See, here I'm reminded of what my favorite preacher, Gardner C. Taylor, said concerning this day. He said, "Underneath that darkening sky, on that Friday in all of history, that saw night twice, he died." He also reminds us that Jesus forfeited the dignity he deserved by coming to Earth and dying on the cross.

The text states that the curtain was torn down the middle. See, Luke gives us some great details here. The curtain that separated the Holy of Holies was split down the middle, but what does this mean? Not just for the original hearers, but also for you and me. Where we once did not have access to God, we now have access to him.

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. — Hebrews 4:16

Because of Jesus, God is my Father. Because of Jesus, God is your Father. As our Father, he cares for us. He loves us. And so Jesus on the cross, with breath still in his lungs, called out with a loud voice. He said, "Father, into your hands, I entrust my spirit."

Jesus quoted Psalm 31:5, where it says:

Into your hand, I entrust my spirit. You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth. — Psalm 31:5

Even in the face of agony and tragedy, he trusted fully in God and his word. He knew that God is a God who delivers even when it looks bad. Jesus totally trusted in the plan of God no matter what it looked like.

Lord, I seek refuge in you. Let me never be disgraced. Save me by your righteousness. Listen closely to me. Rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me. — Psalm 31:1-4

A mountain fortress to save me. For you are my rock and my fortress. You lead and guide me for your name's sake. You will free me from the net that is secretly set for me. For you are my refuge.

And after this, the text tells us that Jesus breathed his last and died. Luke gives us only one statement from the cross here, but John gives us another statement that Jesus said at this moment.

In John chapter 19, verse 30, Jesus said, "It is finished." — John 19:30

Luke tells us that he said:

"Father, into your hand, I entrust my spirit." — Luke 23:46

See, here Jesus totally relinquished himself to the Father. When he says, "It is finished," this is the work of redemption. He said, "It is finished" before in John chapter 17. What did he finish there? He finished building into the disciples who would carry on this legacy, who will go to the ends of the earth. So he finished building in the people who he called to follow him. And now on the cross, he said, "It is finished." The work of redemption is done.

So now he could entrust himself to the Father. See, the battle has been fought. The victory is won. Jesus, the mighty warrior on the cross, untenses his muscles. He unbuckles his sword and he says to the Father, I'm coming home. Hell has lost. God has won. The price has been paid. The victory is secured. The transaction is completed.

There was a person who saw a lady carrying a bunch of dead roses. These dead roses were drooping, they were lifeless, and they were good for nothing else but to be thrown away. But the woman was not going to throw these dead roses away. She was crumpling them in her hand and she explained that the roses were dead, but if she dried them and crushed them, then she would have potpourri. She would have something that smells sweet. While the flowers were dead on the outside, they still had a lot of fragrance on the inside. Even in their apparent demise, they still could be turned into something sweet.

Jesus's death, my brothers and sisters, brought something sweet to us. We who were once alienated from God are now brought near to God. We have been made right with God. We are now sons and daughters of God. What seemed to be a tragic loss turned out for us to be a great victory.

My friends, in the worst of times, God can be trusted.

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Let's pray. Lord God, you are aware. You know. You see us, but not just at a distance—you're up close with us. Lord God, in the midst of this, I pray that we can look to Jesus and realize that even though times are hard, we have a God who is with us. We have a God who could be trusted. And so, Lord God, I pray that as we continue to wait, as we continue to look around us, that you would give us great comfort in the midst of all of this that's taking place around us. But I pray that we will still be on mission, that there was a way that even though we have to practice social distancing, Lord, I pray that we would not be disconnected. So Lord God, have your way in us. I do pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.