Eastside Missionary Baptist Church

THE CRIMSON CROSSING Text: Matthew 27:31-50

INTRODUCTION: The Crimson Cross Is Our Crimson Crossing! It is where the Sovereign Sufferer Secures the Salvation of Sinners. When Jesus was on The Cross it was the day God Wrote in Crimson Red.   THE CRIMSON CROSS WAS BLOODIED, BRUTAL, YET - BEAUTIFUL IN ITS PURPOSE!  The cross Jesus died on was not jewelry. It was not decorative.  It was not fashionable. It was not polished, plated, or pretty. There was no Gold, Silver, or Precious stone on the Cross Jesus died on.  It was a Roman torture device, designed for: Pain, Public shame, Slow death, Maximum suffering! It was rough, splintered, soaked in sweat, blood, and tears. It was the place where Heaven’s Hero took Hell’s hit for humanity. The Crimson Cross was: A place of slaughter, A place of substitution, A place of salvation, A place of surrender, A place of supernatural victory. Matthew 27 is not a meadow - it’s a mountain of misery, a marketplace of mockery, a military execution, and a mercy explosion all at once. It is tragedy and triumph, horror and hope, suffering and salvation. And Today we walk verse by verse through this sacred scene - where every drop of blood preaches, every insult whispers eternity, and every moment moves us toward the miracle of redemption.

I. THE SAVIOR’S SHAMEFUL SUFFERING Matthew 27:31-34 The Sovereign submits so sinners may be saved.

A. The Clothing That Was Cruel Matthew 27:31They strip Him again - humiliation on repeat. Isaiah 50:6, Hebrews 12:2, It all about shame and spitting

B. The Carrying That Was Crushing Matthew 27:32 The Crossbeam Roughly Weighed Between 75 and 125 pounds. The Complete Cross if fully assembled is Estimated to be around 300 pounds. Luke 9:23, Galatians 6:2C. The Beverage That Was Bitter Matthew 27:34 Gall (Hebrew: rosh, “poison, bitterness”! Wormwood?). Psalm 69:21

II. THE SOLDIERS’ SINISTER SCOFFING Matthew 27:35-44 They ridicule the One who came to redeem them.

A. The Gambling at the Gallows Matthew 27:35, Psalm 22:18

B. The Glaring Gawkers Matthew 27:36-27Not worship - just wicked curiosity. The sign above Him: “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Hebrew: “Yeshua” — “Jehovah saves.”

C. The Grotesque Gibes Matthew 27:38-44 “They reviled Him” Greek: “blasphemeō” — slander, insult. Isaiah 53:3

 

III. THE SON’S SUPERNATURAL SUFFERING 

Matthew 27:45 - 49 Creation convulses as the Creator is crucified.

A. The Darkness Descending Matthew 27:45 The 6th hour = 12:00 PM Noon, The 9th hour = 3:00 PM Not an eclipse - supernatural judgment.

Amos 8:9

B. The Desperate Declaration Matthew 27:46 Aramaic: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”  Prophetic Cry Psalm 22:1 C. The Delusional Doubters Matthew 27:47-49 They misunderstand His cry and mock His misery.

1. The Misinterpreting Multitude Was Preposterous Matthew 27:47

“This man calleth for Elias.” The phrase “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” is Aramaic, and its literal meaning is: Eli, Eli – “My God, my God”, Lama – “Why”, Sabachthani – “You have forsaken me” or “You have abandoned me”

Thus, Jesus’ words translate to “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34) and are a direct quotation from

Psalm 22:1 in the Hebrew Scriptures, which begins with the same cry of anguish Matthew 27:46. They heard the cry of redemption but interpreted it as religious confusion. They Misheard His words, They Misread His mission, They Misjudged His identity John 1:10, I Corinthians 2:14

2. The Mocking Masses Fulfilling Prophecy Matthew 27:48 “One ran and gave Him vinegar.”, Psalm 69:21 Their actions were cruel, Their motives were cold, Their hearts were calloused. Psalm 22:7-8

 

IV. THE SACRIFICIAL, SOUL SAVING SURRENDER

Matthew 27:50

A. The Voluntary Voice Matthew 27:50 Greek: “phōnē megalē” - mighty shout. John 19:30 - Finished = tetelestai, paid in full.

B. The Victorious Yielding Matthew 27:50, John 10:18

 

CONCLUSION:

THE CRIMSON CROSSING IS A DIVINE DIVIDE

THE CRIMSON CROSSING IS A PERSONAL PASSAGE

THE CRIMSON CROSSING IS A COSTLY CROSSING

THE CRIMSON CROSSING IS A PERMANENT CHANGE

THE CRIMSON CROSSING IS A FINAL QUESTION

The Crimson Crossing stands before you - blood red, God built, Christ paid, Spirit opened.