At different points in history, people have written songs to help them remember important events that have happened. Today, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, what songs come to your mind? You might remember hymns like, “He Arose” and “Up From the Grave He Arose.” But there is one song especially that is always sung with great emotion this time of year. It is the spiritual, “Were You There?” According to Hymnary.org, it is “an African American spiritual that probably predates the Civil War … first published in William Barton’s Old Plantation Hymns (1899).”1 During this morning’s service, we will be singing verses from this powerful song after we look at what the Bible says about the cross, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
- The Cross
What does it say? (Matt. 27:45-56)
After the religious leaders convinced the governor to crucify Jesus, they sent Him to Golgotha where He was nailed to a cross to die in excruciating pain. During that time, God took away the light of the sun for three hours.2 Around the ninth hour, Jesus cried out, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of the bystanders thought He was crying out to Elijah for help. Someone tried to help by filling a sponge with sour wine and lifting it up to Him with a reed. The others told him to leave Him alone because they wanted to see if Elijah would come to rescue Jesus. Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice and died. At that moment, the veil of the temple was torn in half from top to bottom. There was a earthquake which caused rocks to split. Graves were opened and many dead believers came back to life. Later these resurrected people appeared to many in the holy city. When the Roman centurion and the other soldiers saw the earthquake and the other events, they were afraid and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Many of the women who had followed Jesus and ministered to Him were there watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
What does it mean?
Jesus was forsaken (Matt. 27:45-46).
During the crucifixion, Jesus suffered excruciating pain. He had been whipped, beaten, punched, and mocked before being nailed to the cross. However, the greatest pain He experienced that day was being forsaken by God the Father. On the cross, Jesus carried the sins of the world. Think of that. Every sin ever committed was being put on Jesus’ account. This may explain why there was darkness for three hours. It also explains why Jesus said what He did. He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” What did He mean? “During those three black hours Jesus was made sin for us (II Cor. 5:21), was made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13), and thus God turned completely away from him. … He cries to God and now no longer sees in him the Father, for a wall of separation has risen between the Father and the Son, namely this world’s sin and its curse as they now lie upon the Son.”3 In other words, the sins place on Jesus caused God the Father to forsake the Son as He took our guilt and paid the price for our sins. If Jesus was forsaken by the Father, was His payment for our sins accepted by God?
Jesus was successful (Matt. 27:50-51).
After shedding His blood on the cross and suffering for our sins, Jesus finally cried out with a loud voice and died. He did this willingly for us. But was he successful? We know that it was successful because of what happened in the temple at that very moment. When Jesus died, the temple curtain was ripped in half from the top to the bottom. What was the significance of that? The temple curtain was a very tall, heavy curtain that covered the temple room which contained the ark of the covenant. This was the place where the high priest would offer a blood sacrifice once a year for the sins of the people (Lev. 16). The blood of a goat was taken behind this curtain and sprinkled onto the ark of the covenant as a payment for their sins. This had to be done repeatedly every year. However, when Jesus died, His blood was the final payment for our sins. And to show that His payment was accepted, God ripped the temple curtain to signify that the price had been made and accepted by Him.
How does it apply?
Jesus paid the price not only for the sins of the world but also for your sins and mine. Because God accepted His blood as the payment for our sins, we can be forgiven and reconciled to the God we have sinned against. But this forgiveness must be received. God calls on all people to repent and believe to be saved. When you repent of your sin, you are recognizing its seriousness. You recognize that you have sinned against God and deserve death and Hell. But when you believe, you are putting your trust in what Jesus did for you once and for all. When God brings you to the place where you repent of your sin and put your faith in Christ, you will be forgiven and made right with God.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
O sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? - The Burial
What does it say? (Matt. 27:57-66)
That evening, a rich disciple of Jesus named Joseph of Arimathea, came to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body. The governor commanded that the body be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean, linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb which had been carved out of a rock. When he was finished, he rolled a stone against the opening4 and then left. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting across from the tomb. However, the next day, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and requested that soldiers guard the tomb.5 They remembered that Jesus had once said that He would rise again after three days. They considered Jesus a deceiver and were afraid that the disciples would remove the body and claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. To them, this would be worse than his original deception. The governor told them to make the place secure with their own guards. So, they went to the tomb and sealed the stone and placed a guard near it.
What does it mean?
Jesus was loved by His disciples (Matt. 27:57-61).
How do we know that Jesus’ disciples loved Him? We see that in two instances. First, we see the love of Joseph of Arimathea. He was a rich man who is here described as a disciple of Jesus. The other gospels tell us that he was a secret disciple for fear of the Jews (John 19:38), a council member who had not consented to killing Jesus (Luke 23:51), and someone who was waiting for God’s kingdom (Mark 15:43). After Jesus’ death, Joseph put aside his fears and showed his love for Jesus by burying him in his own tomb. He went so far as to ask the governor for Jesus’ body. Once obtained, he buried Jesus’ body in his own hand-hewn tomb. Second, we see the love of two of the women who had ministered to Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. They were there when Joseph buried Jesus and sat across from the tomb. They were probably stunned by what had just happened, and yet they still watched from a distance as He was buried.
Jesus was hated by His enemies (Matt. 27:62-66).
How do we know that Jesus’ enemies hated Him? Despite the fact that the religious leaders had been trying to find a way to kill him for a long time, we have another indication of their hate in what happened after He was buried. The religious leaders returned to the governor after Jesus was dead. They were happy that he was no longer around to point out their hypocrisy and wrongdoing. But they also remembered Jesus saying that after three days, He would rise. They were concerned that the disciples might steal Jesus’ body from the tomb and then say that Jesus had risen from the dead. So, they were given some Roman soldiers to guard the tomb. A seal was put on the entrance, and the soldier were left to stand guard. The religious leaders left no openings for their hated enemy to get the best of them.
How does it apply?
The people who loved Jesus showed their love by the things they did for Him. Joseph carefully wrapped Jesus’ body in clean linen and buried Him in his own tomb. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were at the crucifixion and followed Joseph to see where Jesus was buried. All of them showed their love for Jesus by their actions. The religious leaders showed their hatred for Jesus by what they did against Him. They were so against anyone believing Him that they hired soldiers to try to keep Jesus from coming back to life. Their hatred for Jesus drove their actions.
But what about you? If your love for Jesus were to be measured by your actions, what would be found? The Bible tells us that someone who has been born again “should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15). Your love for Jesus will be seen in the way you live. Your hatred for Jesus will also be seen in the way you live. What does God see in the way you live?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
O sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? - The Resurrection
What does it say? (Matt. 28:1-15)
After the Sabbath, at the dawning of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb but there was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled back the stone, and sat on it. He looked like lightning and wore clothes that were as white as snow. The guards shook with fear and fainted. But the angel told them the women not to be afraid. He knew they were looking for Jesus was had been crucified. He told them that Jesus was not there because He had risen. He invited them to look at the place where he had been. He then told them to quickly tell Jesus’ disciples that He had risen from the dead and that He would meet them in Galilee where they would see Him. The women ran to tell the disciples with a feeling of fear and joy. As they went, Jesus greeted them and said, “Rejoice!” They fell down, held his feet and worshiped Him. Jesus told them not to be afraid but to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee where they would see Him. As they were going, some of the guards went into the city to report what had happened to the chief priests. After a quick meeting with the elders, they gave a large amount of money to the guards to tell people that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body while they slept. They even promised to protect them if the governor heard about it.6 So, the solders took the money and did what they were told. As a result, their lies were repeated for a long time.
What does it mean?
Jesus was seen alive (Matt. 28:1-10).
The Bible tells us that over 500 people saw Jesus alive after He rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:6). The first to see Him were the women who came to anoint His body on the first day of the week. As they arrived at the tomb, there was a big earthquake and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven. He rolled the stone from the tomb entrance and sat on it. His appearance was as bright as lightning, and his clothes were extremely white. He told them that Jesus was alive and that the disciples needed to meet Him in Galilee. As the ladies ran to tell the disciples, Jesus met them and they fell down to worship Him. He encouraged them and also told them to tell the disciples. The other gospels tell about Jesus appearing to the eleven disciples, two disciples on the road to Emmaus, to Peter, and to Thomas. The fact is that Jesus did come back to life three days after He died.
Jesus was lied about (Matt. 28:11-15).
The soldiers had fainted when they felt the earthquake and saw the angel roll the stone away. But what were they to do? The body was gone that they had been hired to guard. Some of them chose to go back to the religious leaders and report what had happened. Can you imagine what these men thought about the soldiers’ story? You would think that these hard-hearted men would have realized who Jesus was. But instead, they chose to double down in their hatred for the Son of God. They paid the soldiers a large amount of money to spread a lie in the city. They were to tell people that the disciples stole the body when they were sleeping. Sadly, the soldiers valued the money more than their own integrity. They spread the lie throughout the city and many people believed them.
How does it apply?
Jesus died on the cross, was buried in a tomb for three days, and then what? Some people, who knew better, spread the lie that the disciples had stolen the body. Others, like Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, Peter, Thomas, and the rest of the disciples, actually saw Him alive. You can read about His appearance to each of them in the four gospels. The truth is that Jesus did rise from the dead. But do you believe that? Jesus told His disciples that He would rise from the dead multiple times (Matt. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Mark 10:33–34; Luke 18:31–33). If you doubt His resurrection, you might as well doubt everything else that He said. He promised to save those who believe in Him (John 3:16). He promised to come again to take us to heaven (John 14:1-6). If you don’t believe that He rose from the dead, then you might as well think that Jesus is a liar and you are lost in your sins. However, you would be wrong. The truth is that Jesus did die for your sins and He did rise from the dead. And because of that, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). Do you believe Him?
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
O sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Conclusion
The song we have been singing today contains questions that make us think about what Jesus did for us. He died, was buried, and then rose again. Were any of us there when those things happened? No, but as you have heard, the Bible tells us about people who were there when these things happened. And by faith, we believe that Jesus did die for our sins, that He was buried in a tomb, and that He did rise from the dead after three days. Jesus did all that for us and accomplished what we never could have on our own. Through faith in Him, we have forgiveness, cleansing, and hope for the future. All because Jesus died and rose again. Do you believe that? I hope so.
Bibliography
Barbieri Jr., Louis A., “Matthew” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1983.
Blomberg, Craig L., Matthew, Nashville: Broadman, 1992.
Lenski, R. C. H., Columbus: The Wartburg Press, 1951, orig. 1943.
Plummer, Alfred, An Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to S. Matthew, Minneapolis: Colormaster Press, n.d.
“What is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)?” as viewed at https://printer.gotquestions.net/GeneratePF?articleId=1049 on 4/4/2026.
Footnotes
- https://hymnary.org/text/were_you_there_when_they_crucified_my_lo ↩︎
- “As a cause of darkness an eclipse is impossible, for it was the time of the Paschal full moon.” Plummer 398. ↩︎
- Lenski 1119. ↩︎
- “The stones were sometimes round and flat, like millstones, lying upright against the face of the rock in which the excavation was made. They could then be easily rolled backwards and forwards, to open or close the aperture.” Plummer 407. ↩︎
- “Evidently they want something which requires his permission; and it is Roman soldiers who are set to guard the tomb.” Plummer 410. ↩︎
- “Such a report would not have been well received by the officials for a soldier who fell asleep on guard duty would be put to death (Acts 12:19). The Jewish leaders realized this as well, but promised to make things right with the superiors… Such satisfaction obviously would involve the payment of another large sum of money.” Barbieri Jr. 93. ↩︎