Today's powerful passage details the degree to which our Savior and Lord Jesus remained obedient to the mission God the Father had for Him. Recall the passage from Wednesday with Jesus praying to God the Father requesting the cup be removed from Him. As fully man, Jesus was averse to going through what we will read about today. As fully God, Jesus knew the full extent of why His obedience was so important. Likewise, though we struggle, we can make it through any challenging parts of the mission God the Father places before us through the power of the Holy Spirit in us and through use of the words the Spirit caused to be written--the Bible. As you read today's passage, consider God the Father watching all this take place with the knowledge given in Romans 5:8, that God demonstrated His wondrous love by giving up His Son to die for us, not after we demonstrated we were worth the price, but while we were yet sinners--the very reason for and cause of His death.
Matthew 27.32-66
32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Jesus is Buried
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?
+ While Jesus started by carrying His cross, after all the torture, He was unable to carry it the whole way. Who carried His cross the rest of the way? [v32]
+ When offered the wine/gull mix, which would have eased His passing somewhat, what was Jesus' response? [v34; see also Matthew 26:29]
+ What did the guards do with Jesus clothes? [v35; see also Psalm 22:18 (keep Psalm 22 available, we'll touch on this again)]
+ If Romans wanted passers by to learn what not to do, placing the crime over the head of a crucified and dying person would make it clear. From their perspective, what was Jesus "crime"? [v37]
+ What were the reactions of those around Jesus? [v38-44; see also Psalm 22:16]
+ From the sixth to the ninth hours (about noon to 3 p.m.), there was darkness. Then Jesus quoted the beginning of Psalm 22. Read that chapter. What was the full meaning of Jesus' quote? [v45-46; Psalm 22]
+ What did those around mistake Jesus quote to be? [v47-49]
+ In this account of Jesus death, what was His last actions? [v50]
+ Who took care of burying Jesus? [v57]
+ What did he do? [v58-60]
+ In addition to the disciple who provided the tomb and burial, what other disciples were with him? [v61]
+ Why did the chief priests and Pharisees want the tomb guarded? [v62-64]
+ What was Pilate's response? [v65]
+ What did the Pharisees do to the great stone Joseph had placed at the entrance of the tomb? [v66]
[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?
+ How can you increase the quantity and improve the quality of your prayer life? [v41]
+ John 3:16 tells us that all we read about today was to enable us as sinners to not be stuck in death, but have that death taken on by the perfect Son of God, so that if we believe in Him, we will have everlasting life. Have you taken this step?
+ There are challenges we go through in our lives, as people, as Christians. Jesus faced His challenge of death the same way He faced the challenges of temptations at the beginning of His ministry (Matt. 4:1-11): by quoting scripture. Are you preparing for your challenges this way?
[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?
+ What is my next step?
+ + The posterity referenced in Psalm 22:30-31 includes us and those around us. What steps can you take this weekend to be part of the fulfillment of that prophecy?