DBG - October 16 - Matthew 27-28

In this chapter Christ is condemned and crucified.

vs. 1-2 – This parallels Mark 15:1, Luke 22:66-23:1, and John 18:28.  Christ is officially condemned to death on the charge of heresy.  The Sanhedrin must now forward Christ to the Roman authorities to have the execution take place.  In their scheme, this also passes the blame from themselves onto the Romans.

vs. 3-10 – This parallels Acts 1:18-19.  Judas has remorse for his actions but not enough to repent.  He seeks to return the money he had been paid but the Jewish leaders refuse it because it was associated with murder.  Is it not strange that they so willingly paid the same coins to have Christ murder but now refuse to accept them?  He casts the money down and leaves.  The money is used to buy a field that had been left worthless because of excavations for clay.  This would become a cemetery for Gentiles.  Matthew points to a prophecy given by Jeremiah which is not found in the Book of Jeremiah.  There is a similar one in Zechariah 11:13, but I think this is more likely a true prophecy made by Jeremiah that had been passed down through tradition.  Judas chooses that plot of land to hang himself.

vs. 11-14 – This parallels Mark 15:2-5, Luke  23:2-5, and John 18:28-38.   When Christ is turned over to the Romans, the charge is changed from heresy to sedition.  Rome quickly and harshly put down any hint of rebellion, so this charge coupled with Christ’s popularity would likely ensure a death penalty.  Pontius Pilate is the Roman prefect who held that office from A.D. 26-36.  We know very little about him outside of the Biblical records.  Typically, the Roman government and its leaders stayed on the coast at Caesarea, but the gathering of the Jewish people for the Passover brought them to Jerusalem to assert their authority.  Matthew only records the most basic of details of the events with Pilate and Herod Antipas (the same ruler that had killed John the Baptist).

vs. 15-26 – This parallels Mark 15:6-15, Luke 13-25, and John 18:39-40.  Pilate attempts to diffuse the situation and rid himself of culpability.  There was a tradition of the Romans releasing a prisoner at the Passover.  Pilate attempts to release Christ, but the crowd chanted for Barabbas (“son of the father”) instead.  Who was Barabbas?  He was likely one of the Zealots that violently opposed Roman rule.  His name indicates he may have even claimed to be the Messiah.  Pilate attempts to wash his hands of the entire affair, but the Jewish crowd readily accepts the guilt. 

vs. 27-30 – This parallels Mark 15:15-19 and John 19:1-3.  Romans did not merely execute or punish people; they humiliated and made examples of them.  Pilate is hoping to placate the crowd with the release of Barabbas and by subjecting Christ to great physical punishment.  Christ is now in custody of the Roman military, whose members were likely from Syria with Italian officers.  Christ is scourged: tied to post and flogged.  In cruel mockery a purple robe is placed on His shoulders, a crown of thorns beaten onto His head, and a reed placed into His hand a scepter.  He is beaten and ridiculed by the soldiers before being led to His crucifixion. 

vs. 31-33 – This parallels Mark 15:20-22, Luke 23:26-33, and John 19:16-17.  Part of the humiliation of a Roman crucifixion was the victim carrying his cross (usually just the horizontal beam) to the place of execution.  Christ is so weakened from His beatings that He cannot carry His cross.  Simon of Cyrene (a Greek/Roman colony in modern Libya) to carry the cross.  The place of execution is called Golgotha (Hebrew, “place of the skull”) or Calvary (“a skull”).  I believe this is the site today known as Godon’s Calvary, whose hillside resembles a skull.  This also would be near the roads leading into the city so the many pilgrims coming in for the Passover would see this display of Roman authority. 

vs. 34 – This parallels Mark 15:20.  Christ is offered a drink of what is likely the Roman soldiers’ posca, a drink made of water and wine vinegar.  Gall is added to this, which would act as a sedative.  It was an act of mercy to the condemned, but He refuses.  This fulfills the prophecy of Psalm 69:21.

vs. 35-38 – This parallels Mark 15:24-28, Luke 23:33-38, and John 19:18-22.  Christ is one of three men condemned to be crucified this day.  He is on the middle cross.  There is a sign above His head containing the crime He had been condemned for, (rightfully) claiming to be the king of the Jews.  The soldiers gamble for His clothes, fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 22:18. 

vs. 39-44 – This parallels, Mark 15:29-32 and Luke 23:35-43.  The mob surrounding Calvary mocked Christ.  Remember that these were the same people that had rejoiced and celebrated His arrival a few days before.  Even the two other condemned men join in railing on Christ.  Matthew does not record the conversion of one of these.

vs. 45-47 – This parallels Mark 15:33-35 and Luke 23:44-45.  At noon the sky goes dark for three hours.  This cannot be an eclipse.  Such would be impossible during the full moon  and would only last for at most seven minutes.  It is my opinion that during this time the fullness of the weight our sins were pressed upon Christ.  He cries out in agony, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”  These words are in Aramaic and mean “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?”  It is a quote from Psalm 22:1, or rather Psalm 22:1 is prophetically quoting Christ at this moment.

vs. 48-50 – This parallels Mark 15:35-37, Luke 23:46, and John 19:28-29.  Christ is given a drink of posca from a sponge.  As the people continue to mock Him, He cries out and surrenders His life. 

vs. 51-56 – This parallels Mark 15:38-41 and Luke 23:45-49.  The death of Christ is marked by numerous signs.  The veil that hung in the Temple tore from top to bottom.  This is massive tapestry measured 82 feet high, 24 feet wide, 4 inches thick.  There is an earthquake.  The earthquake causes graves to open and some of their inhabitants are resurrected with Christ.  Meanwhile at Calvary, the centurion in charge of the crucifixion is moved to confess Christ was the Son of God.

vs. 57-61 – This parallels Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, and John 19:31-42.  A secret follower of Christ in the Sanhedrin named Joseph of Arimathea (a town in Judah that may be Ramah) is given Christ’s body.  Burial preparations are rushed because sundown was approached which marked the 15^th of Nisan and the beginning of Passover.

vs. 62-66 - The Jewish leaders rightly understood Christ’s claim that He would rise again.  Fearing that His followers would steal His body and claim He had risen from the dead, they are granted use of guards to provide security for the tomb.  These troops were probably from a contingent of soldiers assigned to aid in guarding the Temple.  To further dissuade any attempt to open the tomb, a seal is placed on its stone door.

In this chapter Christ has risen from the dead.

vs. 1-8 – This parallels Mark 16:8, Luke 25:1-8, and John 20:1.  The group of women have come to finish the burial preparations on Christ’s body.  Why had they waited so long?  I believe Christ was crucified on Wednesday, and this is now Sunday.  The reasons are first that Thursday and Saturday were Sabbaths, and the second that Fridays was spent gathering supplies and preparing for his task (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:55-56).  Christ had risen sometime around nightfall on Saturday evening.  The guard had passed out in fear as an angel rolled the stone away.  An angel tells the women that Christ was risen and that they should go and tell the disciples.  John tells us that Mary Magdalene rushed back to tell them after only seeing the stone had been rolled back.

vs. 9-10 – This parallels Luke 24:9-11.  Christ appears to the women as they are headed back into Jerusalem to tell the disciples about the empty tomb.

vs. 11-15 – The guard could have been up to 16 soldiers in number, and all had abandoned their post after seeing the angel.  Such dereliction of duty would guarantee the death penalty.  Instead of admitting the truth, a cover story is concocted.  It involved the soldiers falling asleep on duty, which was also punishable by death.  Then a group of amateurs silently sneaked past them, broke the seal, rolled the heavy stone back, and carried away the body of an adult man.  Also, the pungent scent of the spices would have escaped when the tomb was opened.  If they had to resort to such a ridiculous story, it guarantees they were covering up something big!

vs. 16-20 –  This possibly parallels I Corinthians 15:6.   The eleven remaining disciples return to Galilee after the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Christ appears to them as promised. Matthew’s account concludes with the Great Commission.  There are three parts to this command that we are still to obey today.  First, the Gospel message is to be proclaimed to all people.  Second, those that accept it are baptized and organized into local churches.  Third, the ongoing work of discipleship continues. 

We have read today of the most important event in human history.  God became man to give Himself as a sacrifice to redeem us from our sins.  All eternity hinges on what Christ did.  Our eternal fate rests on what we do with this message.  Will we love and trust the Christ of the Cross?  Will we reject Him and trust our own self-righteousness?  Nothing can compare to what He did for us.

Our hymn today is “My Song of Love Unknown,” written in 1664 by Samuel Crossman.

My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed for Christ would know:
But O! my friend, my friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend.

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then Crucify! is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.

Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of Life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.

In life, no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav’n was His home;
But mine the tomb wherein He lay.

Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend, in whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.