Sermon Resources - Dr. Toby Holt
What actually happened when Jesus died on the cross? In this expository message on Matthew 27:32-54, Dr. Toby B. Holt walks through the crucifixion not as a tragedy but as the planned center of redemption. The sky goes dark, the ground shakes, and from the cross comes a cry of abandonment: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46, NKJV). Reading Matthew with the Reformed tradition, Dr. Holt shows that here the sinless Son bore the wrath His people deserved, that the torn temple veil opened the way to God, and that the peace of sinners was purchased in those three hours of darkness.
0:00 — The Hour They Wanted Him Dead. Matthew 27 brings Christ to the cross.
6:41 — Darkness Over the Land. At noon a supernatural darkness falls (Matt 27:45).
8:52 — Made Sin for Us. The Father pours out wrath as Christ bears His people's guilt (2 Cor 5:21).
16:35 — "My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?" The cry of the forsaken Substitute (Matt 27:46).
22:36 — The Veil Torn in Two. His death opens the way to God (Matt 27:51).
Questions This Sermon Answers:
1. What does Matthew 27:32-54 actually describe?
It records the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Matthew reports the road to Golgotha, the mocking crowds, three hours of darkness, the cry of abandonment, Jesus yielding up His spirit, the temple veil torn in two, an earthquake, and a centurion's confession. Matthew writes it not as defeat but as the deliberate accomplishment of redemption, the moment toward which his entire Gospel has been moving as Christ lays down His life.
2. Why was there darkness from the sixth hour to the ninth hour?
"Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land" (Matthew 27:45, NKJV). From noon to three the sun was withdrawn. The Reformed tradition reads this as the visible sign of divine judgment, God turning the day to night while His Son bore the curse. Darkness in Scripture marks God's wrath, so creation itself testified that the Light of the world was enduring the outer darkness our sins deserved.
3. What did Jesus mean by "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me"?
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying... 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" (Matthew 27:46, NKJV). This is the cry of dereliction. Reformed theology understands it as a real forsaking in Christ's experience of bearing sin, not a rupture in the Trinity. As the sin-bearing Substitute, Christ tasted the abandonment due to His people, suffering the penalty of separation from the Father's favor in their place.
4. What is penal substitutionary atonement?
It is the truth that Christ bore the penalty of sin as a substitute for His people. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV). On the cross the guilt of sinners was reckoned to Christ and He suffered the wrath they deserved. Isaiah foretold it: "The chastisement for our peace was upon Him" (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV). This is the heart of the gospel.
5. Did Christ die for everyone or for His people in particular?
Reformed theology teaches particular redemption. Jesus said He came "to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28, NKJV), and at the Supper He spoke of His blood "shed for many" (Matthew 26:28, NKJV). The Westminster Confession (8.5) affirms that Christ "purchased... reconciliation" for "all those whom the Father hath given unto Him." His death actually secured salvation for His people, not a mere possibility for all.
6. What does the torn temple veil mean?
"Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51, NKJV). The veil had barred the Most Holy Place. Its tearing, from top to bottom, signified that God Himself opened the way of access through Christ's death. Hebrews explains that believers now have "boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way... through the veil, that is, His flesh" (Hebrews 10:19-20, NKJV).
7. Why did Matthew record the earthquake and the opened graves?
"And the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened" (Matthew 27:51-52, NKJV). Matthew presents the cross as a cosmic, history-altering event. The earthquake marks the weight of what occurred, and the raised saints anticipate the resurrection life Christ's death secures. The death of the Son shakes creation and breaks the power of the grave, signaling that the last enemy is being overcome.
8. Why is it significant that a Roman centurion confessed Christ?
"So when the centurion and those with him... saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'" (Matthew 27:54, NKJV). A Gentile soldier, having watched Jesus die, confessed what the religious leaders denied. Matthew uses this to show that the cross draws people from every nation and that even in death Christ's identity as the Son of God was unmistakably displayed.
9. How does the cross relate to the doctrine of imputation?
At the cross there is a double imputation. Our sin was charged to Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us: "that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV). The Westminster Confession (11.1) teaches that God justifies sinners "by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them." Christ was treated as guilty so that believers, though guilty, are treated as righteous before God.
10. What does Christ's death secure for those who trust Him?
It secures peace with God. Isaiah said, "The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV). The Westminster Confession (8.5) affirms that Christ "fully satisfied the justice of His Father" and "purchased... an everlasting inheritance" for His people. Through His death, sins are forgiven, the way to God stands open, and reconciliation with God is accomplished, not merely offered.
Key Theological Points:
1. The Darkness That Announced Judgment
When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the sky did not stay bright. Matthew records that "from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land" (Matthew 27:45, NKJV). For three hours, midday became night. Throughout Scripture, darkness signals the presence of God's judgment. The Reformed tradition reads this not as an eclipse but as a divine sign: the Father was pouring out wrath, and creation itself dimmed as the Son bore the curse due to sinners.
2. The Cry of the Forsaken Substitute
Out of that darkness came the most piercing words in the Gospels: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46, NKJV). This is the cry of dereliction. Christ was not abandoned by the Father in His divine nature, for the Trinity cannot be divided. Rather, as the One bearing His people's sin, He experienced the forsakenness their guilt deserved. He drank the cup of wrath to its dregs so that those united to Him would never be forsaken.
3. The Veil Torn From Top to Bottom
At the moment of His death, "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51, NKJV). The barrier that kept sinners out of God's holy presence was ripped open, not from below by human hands but from above by God. Christ's death is the new and living way into the Holiest (Hebrews 10:19-20). The wrath was satisfied, the access was granted, and the peace of God's people was purchased in full.
The Scripture Text: Matthew 27:50-51 (NKJV)
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,"
Continue studying: explore the full Gospel of Matthew sermon series, or browse the complete Reformed Sermon Archive.
About The Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt serves as the third President of New Geneva Theological Seminary (Colorado Springs, CO), founded 1993. An expository preacher with over 1.9 million sermon downloads on SermonAudio.com, Dr. Holt brings over 17 years of pastoral experience to his verse-by-verse Bible teaching. New Geneva offers fully online Reformed theological education — M.Div., Th.M., D.Min., and other degrees.
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