Recapitulation
Matthew closes his account of Jesus’ crucifixion and death
with a mention of witnesses who looked on “from a distance. He specifically mentioned “many women” who
had “followed Him from Galilee” and “ministered to Him.” By comparing various other passages in the
gospels, we learn that that these were largely relatives of His parents. The notable exception was Mary of Magdala
from whom Jesus had cast seven demons.
Earlier in His ministry, His family had taken exception to
His abandoning them. His fellow citizens
from Nazareth had even tried to kill Him and He used those well-known events to
illustrate the necessity of a higher loyalty to the kingdom of God. But, all throughout His ministry some
of His family – especially the womenfolk – saw to His physical needs. They even followed Him from Galilee on this
last final journey that led to Jerusalem and the cross. John tells us that he and Jesus’ mother were
also there for at least part of the time.
He may have escorted her back to his home at some point while the others
stayed to watch the end.
Forsaken but not Abandoned
As Jesus died that day, those who stayed witnessed His cry,
“My God, My God! Why have you forsaken
me?” Forsaken by everyone. Broken fellowship with His Father. But as the
darkness fades and the light returns, Matthew records one more cry before
yielding up His spirit, and Luke tells us His words: “Father, into your hands I
commit my spirit.” John tells us He also
said, “It is finished,” before dying. The punishment for the sins of the world has
been accomplished on the cross. He has
not been further punished by being abandoned to Hades as some have taught. There was no weekend in hell. Scripture doesn’t teach that. His spirit went to the Father. But His body did go to the grave—the grave of
a rich man. Our text is Matthew 27:55-66.
The Rushed Cleanup
Now we know Jesus died at 3 PM and the Jews were very
sensitive about “uncleanness” caused by unburied corpses in the vicinity of the
holy city of Jerusalem where they were about to eat the Passover. So, they only had a very short window to
clean up Golgotha. Normally victims of
crucifixion were allowed to hang there, sometimes for days, until they
died. They were then disposed of in a
pit in the valley of Hinnom (the ravine south of the city which was a common
dump that was always burning). But
today, they cannot wait.
Secret Followers
We learn in verse 57 that a “rich man” from Arimathea (a
small village about 25 miles to the northwest) named Joseph who “also” was a
disciple of Jesus entered the picture. The other gospels help fill out the details. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin but had
voted against the execution of Jesus. He
(and Nicodemus) were acquaintances and both were secret followers of Jesus and
while Joseph approached Pilate, Nicodemus purchased burial supplies.
Surprise Funeral
Matthew says Joseph asked for Jesus’ body. (The other gospels tell us that Pilate was
surprised that He was dead so soon and had the centurion verify the death. This led to the soldiers breaking the other
victims’ legs so they would die very quickly and then piercing Jesus’
side.) Pilate gave his permission to Joseph—perhaps
because he wished to see the other council members squirm as they did at his
calling Jesus the King of the Jews.
So, Joseph and Nicodemus met up again at Golgotha with the official
orders for the body and the burial supplies, but where could they bury
Jesus? Matthew says that Joseph
‘happened’ to have a “new tomb” “cut in the rock.” Other gospel writers tell us that it was
nearby in a “garden.” Apparently, Joseph
wished to be buried in the holy city of Jerusalem. This may have been a new idea to be buried
here instead of his hometown as his enthusiasm for the kingdom of God (Mark
15:43) blossomed. So, his wealth had
made it all possible but now Jesus needed a tomb quickly as sunset
approached. Jesus’ family tomb in
Nazareth (or perhaps Bethlehem) was too far.
That settled it. The two secret
followers washed and wrapped His body in a clean sheet with 75 pounds of spices
that Nicodemus had brought and laid Him in Joseph’s own tomb. Working together (and perhaps with hired
help), they rolled a great stone in front of the entrance.
The Watchers
All this time, Matthew tells us that Jesus’ aunt Mary
(Joseph’s sister perhaps) and Mary of Magdala watched the procedure just as
intently as they had watched the entire crucifixion. They had not only witnessed the death of
jesus on the cross, but they also witnessed His burial in the tomb. Why?
Because they wished to prepare more spices to also anoint His body just
as soon as it was possible. They had now
seen where He was buried and they planned to return at first light on Sunday
after the Sabbath and Passover.
The Guards
Meanwhile, the Sanhedrin finished gloating over Jesus’ death
only to see Jesus honored with a noble funeral by two of their own members and
with Pilate’s blessing. But as they
thought about it, they realized that this could work to their advantage. There was no way Jesus was going to be
resurrected on the third day as they heard Him say but with Him in a tomb cut
in the rock blocked by a huge stone, neither could His disciples attempt to
steal the body and claim that He was alive IF they could only manage to seal
and guard the tomb until Sunday. They
needed some non-Jewish soldiers who had no qualms about the Sabbath or
cemeteries and Pilate’s blessing for an official seal to be placed on the
tomb. To keep the peace, Pilate
agreed. “Make it as secure as you can.”
Bold but not Fearless
Monday morning quarterbacks can see the irony in this whole
affair. Those who should have
believed—the disciples—were in hiding and too fearful to believe. Those who did not want to believe, were
afraid of the disciples. The two fearful
secret believers screwed up their courage and beyond all hope took it upon
themselves to bury Jesus in the eyes of many witnesses. Did they even believe Jesus would rise
again? If so, why the spices that were
supposed to cut the smell of decay?
Fearless but Heartbroken
Perhaps only the women who watched were seemingly fearless,
though heartbroken. Yet they, too, did
not seem to believe that He would rise again.
They made plans to visit His body and bring spices on Sunday
morning!
Unbelief
Matthew 27 closes with a sense of fear and hopelessness on
the part of those who should have believed and a display of fear by his enemies
that even the dead “fraud’s” teaching could still defeat them.
And yet behind all these activities, God was still
working! The whole tomb scenario would
also act as a PROOF that Jesus was really dead AND that He really did rise from
the dead—that the disciples could NOT have stolen the body. And it fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that He
would die with the wicked but make His grave with the rich—a verse that Matthew
does not even point out.
© 2018 Eric Thimell
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