Read: Matthew 27:45-54
The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. (vv. 51-52)
In the beginning, God made heaven and earth: one creation consisting of two realms, seamlessly, perfectly united. After the beginning, human sin forged a barrier between heaven and earth. The barrier was signified by the flaming sword on the border of paradise. Its emblem was death—the “wages of sin” (Rom. 6:23). It was symbolized by the curtain that ran through the heart of the temple. The barrier was impenetrable to the inhabitants of earth. It could only be opened from heaven. It could only be lifted by the ruler of heaven. Earth did not deserve for heaven to break through.
But the ruler of heaven so loved the earth he made that he sent his Son to be born into it. The Son came to proclaim heaven’s love to the lost on earth. But he came to do much more. He came to bring heaven and earth back together.
It would cost him everything. The barrier, after all, was human sin; and the consequence of human sin is death for every sinful human. The only death that could pay for all sin was the death of a sinless human. The Son, Jesus, took on human flesh to live a sinless life and to die a sinner’s death. The death of the Son of God was more than a substitution. It was more than absolution. It was re-creation. When the Son gave up his spirit, the curtain was torn and graves were opened and the ground was shattered. Earth shook as heaven broke through.
As you pray, praise the Son for paying the price to reunite heaven and earth.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon is a preacher and writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
