1Cor 1:18

The message of the cross divides distinctly between those who follow Christ, and those who do not.

The legend is told of the cross of Jesus being found, together with two others. (There were two other malefactors crucified with Jesus. The one taunted Christ, 'If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.' The other rebuked him, 'Do you not fear God. We are justly in this punishment, but He is innocent.' And then he said to Jesus, 'Remember me Lord when Thou enter into Thy Kingdom.' Even here the cross made a division between these two, who were companions in crime. The one chose for Christ, and the other against Him.)
These crosses were very old, and they could not tell which one belonged to Jesus, until one man had an idea. They brought a cripple and made him touch each cross. As he touched the third, he was instantly healed, and they knew which cross was Jesus'.

When you touch the cross of Christ, there is healing - maybe not physically necessarily, but spiritually there is complete healing.
Have you been to the cross of Jesus, and touched it? Even if you have been to every corner of the earth - if you have not been to Jesus' cross, you have not been anywhere yet.

(The mother of Guguleko gave her testimony of how God touched and healed her completely in body and soul in December 2003 at KwaSizabantu. She could not walk when she came here, but was healed completely.)

God works in His mysterious ways. Nothing is too difficult for Him. In 1966 I questioned how it would ever be possible to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, because of communism. It did not take very long, and the iron curtain fell, and those countries were opened to the Gospel. Today the Muslim countries are in a similar situation, but amazingly enough, this very film "The Passion of the Christ", enter the Muslim countries and the Muslims are flocking to see it. Why? Because the Jews, whom they hate, are criticised in the film because of their hand in Jesus' death. We can just marvel at God's wisdom.
Where Jesus is, there is automatic growth, and people come to the cross. If the Holy Spirit cannot work through you or your church there must be something drastically wrong. Do not claim that you are alive. Repent and get converted that God can work. Do not carry on with your own schemes and playing church.

In Luke 22:53 we read of many miracles accompanying Jesus death, but we will focus on three.

1) Darkness upon the earth. Only at the appointed time did God give Satan and darkness its freedom to do what they wanted to do. Even though they had their way, the very elements (the sun) hid its face. From the 6th hour to 9th (12:00 - 15:00) there was darkness over the face of the earth. This is not just a Biblical statement, but historical records backs it up. In Egypt, Dionesius, whose home was in Eliopolus (Elio - Sun, Polus - city, i.e. Sun City), records that in his city it became dark at that very time. He wrote that there were two possibilities - God who created all things, is suffering, or the wheels of the earth are stopping to turn and it is about to be the destruction of the earth. This was an Egyptian historian who took note of this very fact, that the God of the universe is suffering.
Another Roman historian, Flego, records that in the 14th year of the rule of Tiberias, there was sudden darkness across the whole world.
It is amazing how man fell in the garden of Eden - through Eve and Adam. But in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus started His work of redemption - in the very place (so to speak) where we fell.
All these signs took place during Jesus' crucifixion, yet the prarisees hardened their hearts. Never harden your heart against God. If you find your heart to be hardened, cry and mourn before God to touch and change your heart. All of these things which happened were even recorded and prophesied in the Old Testament. In Amos 8:9, God says, 'In that day I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.'

2) Veil of the temple rent in two.

Caiaphas tore his garment, but God tore the Temple's garment. There were three distinct places in the temple. The common gathering place, the place for the priests and then behind the veil, the Holy of Holies, where the high priest only entered once a year with blood. That veil was torn in two from the top to the bottom. It was a thick curtain, and could not easily be torn.
But Jesus tore across all their boundaries and opened the way that anyone could come boldly, right to the throne of grace, with Christ's blood, and obtain mercy.
When the prarisees brought that woman caught in adultery to Jesus to stone her, he replied that the one who had no sin should throw the first stone. They all dropped their stones, and left, being condemned by their own consciences. Then Jesus said to her, 'neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more'.
Men, when your wife comes to you and confess that she has sinned with another man, how will you feel. You will want to divorce her. It would be terrible. You will have sleepless nights. But maybe you say, 'I forgive you, because it is God's command'. Tomorrow, she comes again, and confesses that she sinned again with another man.
Now your sin, anger, irritability, resentment, slander, etc. is worse in the eyes of the Holy God, than what your wife has done. How does God feel, if you sin and confess it again and then again? What will He do? Test yourself. Are you a child of God or of the devil?

3) Many of the saints rose from the dead during that great earthquake, and appeared to many in the city.

This happened literally. However, His death and resurrection has the power to raise those who are spiritually dead.