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Tag: Matthew

Another Day of Silence at the Grave of a Loved One
It’s a familiar scene — loved ones mourning their loss in silence once the dead body can no longer be embraced by eyes or arms.

All that remains are our fleeting memories of a life which has passed into lifeless dust. I have been there. Likely you have as well.

It happens that the Beloved Body laid to rest previously is Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you missed these mourners outside the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea where the remains of Jesus were sealed. In our own grief we lament how such a public spectacle of Jesus’ Crucifixion on a Roman Cross could have been inflicted on the Son of God.

A Day of the silence of the Passover Lamb

“An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.
Matthew 16:4 CSB

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish…

(Certain death: Three days & three nights away.)

Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the stomach of the fish.
Jonah 1:17 – with commentaries

Perhaps the bereaving Apostles or distraught mourners had recalled this and other sayings of Jesus.

“A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”
John 16:16 NASB
Christ :: The Three Days and the Three Nights

Don't become too immersed in the discussions of 'days' or 'dates' of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection, but for the curious here is an article discussing some of the Jewish calendar issues involved.

After a brief time of carrying His pierced body from the Cross, Joseph and the others must wait until the completion of the Passover feast and until the day after the Sabbath to return and dutifully complete their burial task.
We noted several witnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion previously in It is finished.. + Death’s witnesses. John does not list everyone nor does the Apostle include some additional events.

John has not mentioned Judas Iscariot since his betrayal of the Lord in Gethsemane. Yet Matthew’s Gospel reveals the death of Jesus’ betrayer, the 30 pieces of silver purchasing the field of blood and how it fulfills prophesy.

3 When Y’hudah, who had betrayed him, saw that Yeshua had been condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the head cohanim and elders..

“I sinned in betraying an innocent man to death.”
the confession of Judas Iscariot – Matthew 27:4 HNV

5 Hurling the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, he left; then he went off and hanged himself.

From Crucifixion until Christ’s Resurrection

Before we proceed to John’s witness of Christ’s Resurrection, let’s linger just one more day to note events and witnesses beyond the tomb where Jesus’ body lay.

Matthew 27:

59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

What a sorrowful scene…

And Matthew records:

62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate..

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day..

65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.

Luke 23:

And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.

(Note the brief amount of time these women John names had to see the tomb, return with spices and just begin the wrapping of Jesus’ slain body.)
- Luke tells us (Luke 23:56b) why they had to leave Jesus’ body until later.
And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
Luke 24:1 NASB
The Apostle Matthew tells how Joseph wrapped Jesus’ crucified body in a clean line cloth and laid the Lord in a place he had prepared for his own death.
Then Matthew tells us (27:60b NASB):

and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

Matthew, the Disciple of Jesus also records the sad scene of silent mourning, where Joseph must have recalled these two women who lingered there.
⁶¹And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

Joseph rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed.
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To be continued..
.. at dawn the first day of the week ...
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December 4, 2020
It is finished.. + Death’s witnesses
The Sorrow of Souls Severed from each other

Have you experienced it — the death of a loved one?

Death pierces the flesh of those left to mourning in unspeakable ways, but most of all it severs from our soul that of another to which we have clung.

Having breathed His last some time before, Jesus’ crucified body receives yet another piercing by a Roman spear as John and others remain nearby.

.. and having come to Jesus, when they saw him already having been dead, they did not break his legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear did pierce his side, and immediately there came forth blood and water..
John 19:34-35 YLT

The Lord had loved these so much, the ones remaining at the foot of the Cross for six arduous hours, witnessing His life pouring out before them.

The Centurion in effect pierced their own hearts, severing their souls from the One they loved – Jesus, the One who loved them so much.

Witnesses to Emmanuel’s Death!

John records these events of the day of preparation and Passover feast, as we noted earlier in Crucifixion! – The Spirit of Grace, and retells the Good News to a generation near the time of his own death nearly sixty years later.

John 19:

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes between them…

25-27 While the soldiers were doing this, Jesus’ mother was standing near the cross with her sister, and with them Mary, the wife of Clopas and Mary of Magdala…

..“Look, there is your son!” And then he said to the disciple, “And there is your mother!”

38-42 After it was all over, Joseph (who came from Arimathaea..).. came and took his body down. Nicodemus also ..

The short list of witnesses:
- Jesus’ mother Mary
- Mary’s sister, Salome
- Mary, the wife of Clopas
- Mary of Magdala
- The Apostle John (of course)
- (and let’s not forget) Roman Soldiers (not named here, but present)
Other Witnesses:

Although their meeting with Pilate likely took place during the time Jesus remained on the Cross, John records that two important Jewish officials succeeded in lobbying Pilate to allow Jesus’ body to be buried in the new tomb of Joseph. They may have witnessed His death and most certainly could confirm His mortal wounds.
- Joseph of Arimathea
- Nicodemus the Pharisee
What about Matthew?

The Apostle Matthew also records Jesus’ crucifixion and was, in fact, a tax collector with political connections to Roman and Jewish authorities. Matthew records earlier events of the evening preceding Jesus’ trial:

Matthew 26: Complete Jewish Bible
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As reminder that John, Matthew and the Apostles are ALL Jewish,
I offer this cultural religious look of the CJB version of Matthews's Gospel about the Messiah Jesus (in Greek, Christ).
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30 After singing the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Yeshua then said to them,

“Tonight you will all lose faith in me, as the Tanakh says, ‘I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil.”

59 The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin looked for some false evidence against Yeshua, so that they might put him to death. But they didn’t find any, even though many liars came forward to give testimony…

Matthew 27: Early in the morning, all the head cohanim and elders met to plan how to bring about Yeshua’s death. 2 Then they put him in chains, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor…

The Apostle Matthew seemingly was present not only in Gethsemane, but for Jesus’ trial by the Jewish officials who condemned their Messiah. Matthew also tells the horrific story of Jesus’ scourging.

27 The governor’s soldiers took Yeshua into the headquarters building, and the whole battalion gathered around him. They stripped off his clothes and put on him a scarlet robe, wove thorn-branches into a crown and put it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. Then they kneeled down in front of him and made fun of him: “Hail to the King of the Jews!” They spit on him and used the stick to beat him about the head.

Add to the list of witnesses:
- The Apostle Matthew
Matthew adds detail of other witnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion:
- a man of Cyrene named Simon
- a Roman officer & other Roman soldiers at Golgotha
32 As they were leaving, they met a man from Cyrene named Shim‘on; and they forced him to carry Yeshua’s execution-stake. When they arrived at a place called Gulgolta (which means “place of a skull”), they gave him wine mixed with bitter gall to drink; but after tasting it, he would not drink it…

54 When the Roman officer and those with him who were keeping watch over Yeshua saw the earthquake and what was happening, they were awestruck and said, “He really was a son of God.”

There were many women present

55 And many women were there watching from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while caring for Him.
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Matthew's Gospel helps clarify who some of these women were and their importance to the Christ Jesus and His beloved friends.
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56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Miryam of Magdala (or from Magdala)

Miryam the mother of Ya‘akov and Yosef, or James and Joses in some translations of common Hebrew names. She is Mary, wife of Clopas and sister of Mary, widow of Joseph.

He also confirms the presence of James’ and John’s mother.

Mark, referring to these same three women gives her name, Salome. Due to the importance of family in Jewish tradition she may also have been a sister of Mary, therefore confirming her sons James and John to be not only Jesus’ closest Disciples but also His cousin.

Why do the Apostles mention these women?

Because the women would survive as witnesses even as all of the Apostles but John were martyred for their witness of Jesus as the Christ and resurrected Messiah of God.

It is the same reason that some Jews, even some of the house of Herod, became believers in Christ. And gentile Romans in every major city would call Jesus Christ Lord by the time John writes his Gospel.

John 19:

40 They took Yeshua’s body and wrapped it up in linen sheets with the spices, in keeping with Judean burial practice.

41 In the vicinity of where he had been executed was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been buried. So, because it was Preparation Day for the Judeans, and because the tomb was close by, that is where they buried Yeshua.

παρασκευή +++ All must remember the Sabbath

There they buried Jesus, His body taken from the Cross on the Day of Preparation for the Passover.

“And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me,”
says the LORD.
Isaiah 66:23 NASB
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To be continued...
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Page TWO - Please click Page 2 below for the questions.
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November 13, 2020
The Last Word on Authority – Jesus Son of God
John 19:
Previously, Pilate had questioned Jesus apart from the crowds and asked if He is a king. Now, after having had Jesus scourged 39 times and coming out to the barely controlled crowds of Jerusalem, Pilate will question this ‘man’ a second time in his judge’s chambers within the palace.

Finding the Evangelical Freedom of Balaam in our Evangelical Church

2 Peter 2: Pernicious Preachers of a False Gospel

2 Peter 1 – Last Will and Testament of Simon Peter

2 Peter 1 – Know Christ’s Divine Nature

Encumbrance – Reprise

What has prompted Pilate’s new interrogation of Jesus?

This ‘man’ kept silent during all 39 lashes, confessing no crimes to receive some mercy from the whip.
When Rome’s Prefect had asked why Jesus should be crucified, the Jews answered Pilate, ‘.. because he made himself the Son of God.’
Pilate may have also been a religious man, though as we pointed out previously the Romans had many gods.

Could this man Jesus be one of them?

In a private appeal

Pilate said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to Him, “Are you not speaking to me?

Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”
John 19:10b Pilate’s claim of authority to ‘the man’ Jesus

Roman Authority

Before we hear Jesus breaking the silence of Roman interrogation, let’s consider briefly an earlier encounter of Jesus in Galilee with a Roman officer.

This healing by Jesus not only illustrates an absolute no questions asked authority of Roman Legions, but by his own high position, Pilate might have heard from this Roman leader who helped build a synagogue in Capernaum.

Matthew 8:

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him..

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.

And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

Judean Authority

Make no mistake about the authority of Rome’s governor Pontius Pilate. Rome revoked the kingdom of Herod Archelaus of Judah just two years after he failed to govern as Rome expected. They renamed the new Roman province Judea and placed a Roman Prefect in charge.

Pilate governs with political authority similar to Antipas in Galilee to the north. Jesus of Nazareth is technically a subject of Herod Antipas. Pilate, however, may have heard of Jesus from a fellow Roman legion in the region of Galilee.

Authority – Pilate’s understanding

Pilate said to Him, .. Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

ἐξουσία, the Greek word for authority simply means, power. I am in charge. I can do whatever I please.

It could mean, I have influence and the privilege of judging you. In Pilate’s case, authority means: the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed). And specifically, the power of judicial decisions and authority to manage domestic affairs.

And Jesus remains silent, Pilate must have thought? Silent even when scourged 39 times and questioned by the Prefect with authority to sentence the ‘Man’ to a Cross?

Finally the Lord answers the authority of the governor in charge of this high Judean court.

The Authority of Christ

Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above..
John 19:11a NASB

Don’t miss this: Jesus in essence refers to a higher authority (from above).

Pilate is a religious man with many gods. Rome acknowledges these higher authorities as had Greece. These are gods defined as: the leading and more powerful among created beings superior to man, spiritual potentates (that is, kings and Caesars).

Again, perhaps Pilate has heard the buzz of the crowds witnessing Jesus healing the sick and even raising the dead. Romans kept close to the everyday happenings in Judea. Had he perhaps heard about the Galilean legion’s servant who Jesus healed?

Some dilemma, that a human judge should judge a god!

12 As a result of this, Pilate made efforts to release Him..

A Greater Sin

Perhaps, in a sense, Pilate considers or acknowledges the Higher Authority of Jesus. To some extent Jesus’ answer actually exonerates Pilate, but convicts another.

Listen to the second part of the Lord’s answer to Pilate:

Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”
John 19:11 NASB

A greater sin than Pontius Pilate? For Christ-followers remember by our creeds the the Lord Jesus “was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate?”

Yet Jesus says that one who handed Him over to Pilate has the greater sin.

Does the Lord mean to say that Pilate’s sin is forgivable? Perhaps.

We assume here that Jesus refers to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him to the Jews, is the one with the greater sin.
- Have you ever considered that Annas or Caiaphas are truly the ones who handed Jesus over to the gentiles?
- These High Priests of the Jews handed Jesus over to Pilate for crucifixion.
- Annas, Caiaphas and other Jewish officials of the Sanhedrin, who betray their own Messiah, have greater sins than Pilate!
Had you have not known of the Highest Authority of Jesus until now, you may be forgiven for not knowing. But now that you know Jesus, you must accept Christ or oppose God Almighty.

Who will rule over you now?

Opposition to Authority

12 As a result of this, Pilate made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying,

“If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar;

everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!”

Pilate their Governor rules over those in the crowds and as Judea’s Governor. He appoints their religious authorities (who have consistently incited the crowds against the Authority of their Messiah) and outranks every member of the Sanhedrin in all civil matters.

But the Jewish authorities cite a technical argument, not a religious reason – a political reason for Pilate to condemn their messianic opponent.
- Jesus claims to be a king.
- Caesar, a king and a god to the Romans also commands their loyalty.
Will Pilate actually oppose the authority of Caesar by releasing a Man who makes claim as a king of the Jew?

Of course, the Governor cannot allow the crowds to think that. Now he must sentence the Man. Rome’s judge returns Jesus to the public court of crowd justice.

13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement—but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

From the hour of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas under cover of darkness in Gethsemane until now, these trials, interrogations and cruel punishments have all been completed by morning’s end.

14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour..

The Jewish Authorities Prevail

No one likes to see the opposition win — not you, not me — and not even Pilate.

But in fact, here it would seem that evil prevails. Evil destroys its opponent in the agenda of those religious leaders who have stoked the hatred of the crowds.

Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!” They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”

The chief priests answered,
We have no king but Caesar.
John 19:15b KJV

16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. KJV

Who are ‘they’ who crucify Christ?

We will explore the verdict, which would seem to suggest that the majority rules.

Who crucified the Man of God, Christ Jesus? This we must ask NEXT as we follow Christ with His Cross to the skull where criminals hang from a tree.
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To be continued...
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October 31, 2020