The Crucifixion and the Resurrection

Transcript

GRM 520
3/23/1997
The Crucifixion and the Resurrection
Matthew 27:27 – 28:15
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention back to the book of Matthew and pick up where we left off really. In our consideration this morning in Matthew 27. Really my intention both this morning and this evening, it’s simply to overview in a rather sweeping fashion, some of these events, culminating in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Material that is familiar to us as believers in Jesus Christ. But in these days when special attention is focused upon the events of His death and resurrection, I thought it would be good for us just to go back and remind ourselves of some of what took place as our Savoir went to the cross. We’ve studied these passages in some detail on other occasions and you can get tapes if you’re interested in a more in-depth study of certain of the areas that we talk about.

We talked some about the trials of Christ this morning. The Jewish trials, the civil trials, the Roman trials, we call them trials and they were, but they were somewhat of a mockery. They really resulted in declarations of the innocence of Christ from most unusual sources like Pilate, like Harrod. Pilate’s wife referring to Him as a righteous man. Judas in the midst of it, declaring his guilt in betraying an innocent man and being party to His coming execution. And all confirming what the scripture says, that He is the Lamb of God, without blemish and without spot. So, indeed He can be our Savior.

In Matthew 27 we come down to verse 27, we pick up with events relating to the crucifixion. The decision has been made, Pilate made his appeal in effect saying, this is unjust. He’s an innocent man. The response of the Jewish leaders was, you are no friend of Ceasars if you let Him go. Because He declares Himself to be a king. And Pilate realizes that there is no way out. He washes his hands to symbolize that he is innocent even though he cannot escape the guilt that is his as a sinner before Christ. He releases Barabbas, a vile, guilty murderer and criminal. And he turns Christ over, verse 26 of Matthew 27, to be scourged and to be crucified. But realize, even though there is a conviction of His innocence, even on Pilate’s part once the determination is made, He will be crucified. Then the full brunt of the agony of that event unfolds.

The Roman soldiers take over the task committed to them to prepare the prisoner for crucifixion. Then this is a rather ugly event, if I can say it that way. A very painful way to die. Great abuse is heaped on the one to experience crucifixion in anticipation of that event. It’s these events that cause Isaiah in chapter 52:14 to say, that His appearance was marred more than any man. He suffered to a greater degree, the abuse, physically and the agony that He went through in this time. So that as Isaiah said, He becomes almost unrecognizable.

Verse 27, then the soldiers of the Governor took Jesus into the praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. The praetorium would be Pilate’s residence there in Jerusalem. Remember, his permanent place was in Caesarea but he maintained a residence in Jerusalem, usually thought to be at the fortress of Antonia, near the temple area. There, the Roman soldiers mock and ridicule Him. They are glad for the opportunity to heap their despising attitude on the Jews, in the person of this one who claims to be their king. So, they put a robe on Him, removing His garments. Put a robe on Him, mocking Him as a king. They make the crown of thorns, a mock crown, put it on His head, give Him a reed in His hand. So, you see, there is a vile depiction here, to humiliate Him as now He is dressed in this robe with a reed and a crown of thorns and this is their king.

They cry out, hail king of the Jews. They kneel down before Him, mocking Him. So, I couldn’t help but think as I looked over these verses, and you see them in mockery, bowing down, crying out, hail king of the Jews. Philippians 2 says, they’ll come a time when “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father”. So here, even in their ridicule there is the foreboding of the time that will come, when in reality they will be caused to bow the knee and recognize Him as sovereign Lord of all. They spat on Him, took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. There was no provision in those days for protection in any real sense of a condemned criminal. This was all part of what was deserved by a condemned person. In Christ’s case it is intensified because of who He is and the hatred that is there in the hearts of fallen men.

When they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off of Him, put His own garments back on Him, led Him out to crucify Him. So, you see they’ve taken Him into the praetorium. The soldier’s private area, if we could say it that way, and had their own time to mock and ridicule Him as they prepare to lead Him to crucifixion. Then they put those garments on Him and prepare to lead Him out to crucifixion. And as you’re aware, it was Roman custom that the condemned person had to carry his own cross to the place of crucifixion. Some believe it’s just a cross beam for the cross, but whatever. Part of the humiliation was to travel through the streets to the place of crucifixion, carrying your own beam of execution. During that time, you’re subject to the ridicule and scorn of the people along the way.

Christ has already suffered to such a degree at this point. So, while it’s summarized rather briefly before us in scripture, we just got statements that are rather condensed. By this time, He’s already too weak to carry His own cross. So, verse 32 will bring in a man who is pressed into service, Simon of Cyrene who is called upon to carry the cross as Christ walks the way to the place of crucifixion.

During events that are recorded in the following verses here, some Old Testament scriptures will become key, particularly Psalm 22. Key passage on crucifixion and we’ll go back there in a little bit.

They go to the place, verse 33 called Golgotha, which means a place of the skull. Golgotha is Aramaic, it’s the common language of this period of time. In Aramaic it means place of the skull. We’re familiar with Calvery of our songs, sing of Calvery. Calvery is the Latin word for Golgotha, for the place of the skull. There is some discussion on two possibilities. One, this could be the place of the skull because it was a hill that had the appearance of a skull. If you go to Jerusalem and go to Gordan’s Calvery, there you will see a hill behind the bus depot, that if you look at it, it looks like a skull. There are certain impressions where the eye sockets would be and so on. Some believe that this is why it was called the place of the skull, because the hill in which they would be crucified had the appearance of a skull. There are others that believe it was called that because of the place of execution. The place of death. Either way, the point is the same as far as the passage is here. They take Him to the place of the skull. They gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall. After tasting it, He was unwilling to drink it. This was the one active of compassion that was done. The intention was, to give this mixture which somewhat deadened the pain, but Christ refuses it, because His intention is to bear the full brunt of the agony of crucifixion, and all that is entailed as He pays the penalty for sin.

So, verse 35, when they had crucified Him, and very concisely in this simple statement, that agony of being laid down and being nailed to the cross, having the cross stood up, all summarize He was crucified.

Now as we mentioned this morning, Deuteronomy 21:22, verse 23, pronounces a curse on anyone who is hung on a tree. In Galatians 3:13, this curse is applied to Christ. He became a curse for us by hanging on the tree. We noted, it was necessary that Christ die the Roman form of public execution, not the Jewish which was stoning. Because indeed, He was becoming a curse by bearing our sins in His body on that cross.

Turn back to Psalm 22, it’s interesting that in Psalm 22 you have a fuller description of crucifixion then you do in the gospels. When Psalm 22 was written by David, crucifixion was not a form of capitol punishment, not a form of execution. But in the plan of God, its something of the description of its agony in unfolded here. This is a Messianic Psalm. We’ll see Christ quote from it just before His giving up the spirit and dying. Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Eloi eloi lama sabachthani,” as He will express it, basically in Aramaic there, quoting from Psalm 22:1, so keep that verse in mind. “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me.”

Come down into the passage to verse 14, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint as a result of hanging on the cross from the weight. My heart is like wax, it is melted within Me, My strength is dried up like a potsherd, My tongue cleaves to My jaws, You lay Me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me, a band of evildoers has encompassed Me; they pierced My hands and My feet. I can count all My bones. They look, they stare at Me; they divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” A picture of something of the agony of crucifixion, to hang there and the weight causes the joints to pop out, the bones showing. The agony and its intensity described here.

This was not a short, quick death. Persons that hang on the cross for days. They say that death by crucifixion usually occurred from asphyxiation where from the weight hanging you had to continue to push yourself up with your feet that were nailed to the cross, to take a breath. It’s like, you know if you’re hanging, your arms from a period of time, pretty soon you can’t catch your breath. Over a period of time the person got weak enough they couldn’t catch their breath, they couldn’t pull themselves up. So, in effect they suffocated or asphyxiated by the inability to breath.

That’s the description of Psalm 22, and you note verse 18 says, “they divide My garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots.” You come back to Matthew 27:35, “when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots.” Down to the minutest detail, God’s plan is carried out. Even how they divide up His robes, part of the pay for the soldiers who had this duty was they got to take the garments of the person. You know who wants the garments of a dead person? But you realize in those days, you just didn’t go to a store and buy garments. There was a lot of work that went into hand making the garments. So, to be able to acquire this, for these soldiers was a benefit. We are told in John’s gospel that they did not divide up His outer cloak because it was woven as one piece so they cast lots to decide who would get that garment without dividing it up, that’s in John 19:23 and 24.

Then they sit down and keep watch over Him there. They’ve nailed to His cross the reason He is being crucified. Remember this is a capitol punishment. It’s a warning to all who see what happens to criminals. So over the cross, at the top of the cross they would nail the charges. The charge that Jesus is being crucified, as far as the Romans are concerned, He’s the king of the Jews. They don’t tolerate that. Remember the Jews didn’t like that. They said they wanted Pilate to put up there He said He was king of the Jews. Pilate said, what I have written, I have written. He didn’t have to give in to them on this point because he’s safe before the Roman authority in government, that he represented. He crucified the king of the Jews. He didn’t have to give in to those Jews on this point and say that He said He was the king of the Jews. I crucified the king of the Jews because He was an opposing king.

Two robbers are crucified with Him. One on the right hand and one on the left, verse 39, “those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads saying, you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, you are the Son of God come down from the cross. In the same way the chief priest also along with the Scribes and Elders were mocking Him and saying, He saved others, He cannot save Himself, He’s the king of Israel, let Him come down from the cross and we’ll believe in Him.” No, from our understanding of who He is, the reality of what is taking place, this is almost an unbelievable scene. Here is the Messiah of Israel and here are the leaders, the religious leaders of this nation leading the way in mocking Him and ridiculing Him, despising Him. And then at the end of verse 42, saying “let Him come down from the cross and we will believe in Him.” Absurd, they have no intention of believing in Him. They despise Him, they reject Him. It wouldn’t matter if He did come down from the cross.

We saw that the events caused Caiaphas to say, “one man has to die for the nation” after the resurrection of Lazarus. John tells us the Jewish leaders were also plotting the death of Lazarus, because many people were believing because he had been raised from the dead. And now, these are men that have the audacity to say, if He’d come down from the cross, they would believe in Him.

Reminds you of Luke 16, where Jesus told the account of the rich man in hades. And he says, oh send somebody back from the dead to tell my family. And the response of Abraham was what? “If they don’t believe Moses and the prophets, they won’t believe even if someone is raised from the dead.”

You know, additional miracles today would not help people to believe the word of God. That’s not what is lacking. Those who won’t believe the word of God, wouldn’t believe if we were here doing miracles because that’s not the issue. The issue is their rebellion and rejection of God and His truth. Miracles don’t change that. Miracles serve to demonstrate that Christ was who He claimed to be, but they don’t cause the faith.

The robbers, verse 43, another quote from Psalm 22, “He trusts in God, let God rescue Him, now if He delights in Him, for He said I am the Son of God,” quoting from Psalm 22:8, in that Psalm we were just in, another verse in that Psalm. The robbers who were with Him are also casting insults on Him. Now, we are told in another gospel that one of these robbers repented and believed and asked Christ for mercy, Luke 23, “Lord remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Remarkable change occurs on this occasion for one of these criminals. Matthew doesn’t go into those details. Again, every gospel writer doesn’t give every detail, but they are each writing from their own perspective.
Now, we’re ready for the death of Christ in verse 45 and following. “Now, from the sixth hour, darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.” From noon till three, darkness is across the land. You’d think in the gospel writers, there would be some kind of extended discussion of what people thought was taking place, wouldn’t you? I mean, do you not get impacted with how blind people really are to the work of God to not see the hand of God at work in their midst? Here’s the one on the cross who claims to be the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel and as He hangs there, the land turns dark for three hours. You’d think the Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin would be reconvened wouldn’t you? No, stubborn, sinful man will not change. The evidence, it’s the grace of God that works in his heart because he’s determined nothing will change him.

I often wonder, what was the discussion going on. Lord, it would have helped if You’d have Matthew fill in a few more verses here. Say, here’s the discussion going on in the darkness that enveloped the region at this time, but we’re not told, we’re just told the darkness fell. This would be a symbol of Judgement, a judgement on the nation Israel. You can just jot down Amos 8: 9 & 10. It’s not particularly a prophecy of this particular event, but it does say in the context of God’s judgement, He will bring darkness on the land and as we think of it, that darkness, that foreboding. A fit picture of judgement. It is a time of darkness as God is poring out His wrath on His Son on the cross. Jesus Christ hangs there now as cursed of God. Galatians 3:13, He became a curse. Why? Because in His body on the cross He’s bearing our sins. “God made Him who knew no sin to become sin our behalf.” Now the wrath of God is poured out on the Son of God as He bears the brunt of God’s wrath in payment for sin.

At about the ninth hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus cries out with a loud voice. And here’s the quote from Psalm 22:1, “Eli Eli lama sabachthani, My God, My God why have forsaken Me?” People don’t understand, now some there wouldn’t have been familiar with the Old Testament scriptures. We have a variety of people here, including Romans even some of the Jews, they thought He was calling for Elijah to come and rescue Him. They put vinegar, sour wine on a sponge to give Him a drink, but others are just sitting there saying, let’s sit back here and see if Elijah comes. Let’s see what will happen.

This was an awesome event, and I don’t understand all that’s entailed here. When Christ would cry out, “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?” Here we have the one who is both God and man, one person the God man experiencing the wrath of God the Father in payment for the penalty for sins. That payment includes physical death, spiritual death and eternal death, as the scripture unfolds the penalty for our sins. I take it, Christ obviously died physically. I take it here in some sense He experienced the spiritual impact of the penalty for sin, separation from God. How that could take place, what that entailed I do not understand.

How can God the Son be separated from God the Father within the concept of the Trinity? It may be my limited understanding and knowledge at this point, but I don’t understand all that that would have entailed. But the reality of it is clearly set forth. I believe also because Christ was not only man, but also God He could suffer to an infinite degree. And in the agony on that cross He was suffering with an intensity in death that no one else ever had or ever would. Two others are crucified with Him, but the depth of their suffering will not be to the depth of Christ’s. It goes beyond what is being experienced by these men in their physical death. Jesus Christ is paying the penalty for sin. And that would have been going on I take it, during the three hours of darkness, from twelve to three. That explains somewhat why Christ, in the agony in the garden in the beginning of Matthew 26, “Father, if possible, let this cup pass from Me.” He sweat great drops as of blood, and the agony there. How that all unfolds, I mean the impact within the Trinity as God pays the penalty for our sin, I don’t know that we can grasp. But it’s a reality, we can understand the facts that are stated here, even though we may not understand all that was behind it. The depth of suffering that was entailed in it. The reality of it is clearly set forth.

They miss it. You don’t find the Jews stepping up and saying, “Eli Eli lama sabachthani,” Psalm 22:1. My, they’re just as blind to this as everything else. How can it be? You realize but for the grace of God, we would have never seen and understood the truth that He has given. So, just how blind sinners are, even the face of greatest and clearest truth? Absolutely blind. We don’t see it because we are better than they were, we see it because of the grace of God’s work in its unique way in our heart and lives to open our blinded eyes and cause us to see and believe.

And the giving of Him of the sour wine, on a reed in verse 48, you can just jot down Psalm 69:21. Psalm 69:21 said that’s what they would do. You see, it seems like in this time here, I mean in the emotion of the moment and the cry here, and this is what happened, there’s just some of this just takes place, but yet Psalm 69:21, a thousand years earlier said this is what would happen. Amazing! The Sovereignty of God in every detail of the process.

Verse 50, Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. He is sovereign in this process and over the time of His death. You do have to turn to John’s gospel chapter 10. Since we’re just highlighting a broad sweep of scripture, I’m trying to limit turning to some of the passages, but we have to go to John 10. Look what he said in verse 17, “for this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, so that I may take it again”. Now note verse 18, “no one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I have received from My Father.” And so, in verse 50 of Matthew 27, “He yielded up His spirit.” He is sovereign at this time of death and the timing of it. Awesome picture of His willing death on our behalf at the hands of sinful men.

The vail of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, a tremendous event. The vail of the temple was the dividing point between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies the central most holiest part of the temple was the place where God would manifest His presence. No one went in there. The exception of the high priest once a year to make atonement for sin. So, the vail being there portrayed the fact that what? This access, there was a barrier closed.

The book of Hebrews 10:19 & 20, tell us that this picture is rich, because what Christ has done has removed the vail. With His flesh which is the vail, now He has provided an access into the presence of God. He has opened the way. So, the tearing of the vail from top to bottom, pictures very vividly what is taking place in the death of the Son of God. He is providing access, making a way into the very presence of God by His death.

This is not just a little thin curtain that would get torn. Some indication that the vail was sixty feet long and thirty feet high. Get up there and tear it. And one inch thick. My, this is a significant, important part of the temple. I mean this is the heart of what it is. So, you have this huge vail, sixty feet by 30 feet, one inch thick, and it gets torn in two from top to bottom. I wonder what went through the Jewish leadership’s mind. And they saw what had happened in the temple and how could this happen? Wouldn’t you think they’d begin to put things together and say, the miracles He did, the claims He had, the constant declaration of His innocence, the darkness for three hours, the rending of the temple vail?

Verse 51, the last part, there’s an earthquake. The earth shook, the rocks were split. It’s an earthquake at this time. This is an awesome, solemn scene that is taking place. Earthquake and other representation of God’s judgement of this tremendous time.

Another event takes place that is a great miracle, the tombs were open, verse 52. And many bodies of the saints, who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs. After His resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. There is a resurrection of dead people at this time. Now, this causes some discussion, but wherever we go in the discussion, one thing is clear, dead people are raised back to life. Now, the discussion centers around, were these raised back to physical life as was Lazarus? Or were these raised with glorified bodies? My understanding of the scripture would be, that they were raised back to physical life as Lazarus was. In fact, I am so convinced of that I think it would almost have to be because I think the scripture indicates that Jesus Christ is the first to receive a glorified body. And He is not going to be raised for three days. I take it, these are raised back to physical life, and in all probability they are people who have died in very recent times. So, that their resurrection to life would have the same impact on people as did Lazarus’s resurrection back to life. Can you imagine the impact when, I don’t know, when Abraham then Jacob who died last week, comes walking back in. Hi folks, I’m here for breakfast. What do you mean? I’ve been raised. I take it, there would have been an impact there. If they were raised in glorified bodies, that’s fine, doesn’t change my theology. My personal preference would be an understanding that in light of 1 Corinthians 15, Christ the first fruits, afterwards those who are His at His coming and so on.

Now, some believe that the first fruits included a group with more than one stock. So, these are part of the first fruits. The problem I have with it, is Christ isn’t glorified yet. And it would seem to me that He has to lead the way in that. Look over in John 12 to the passage I referred to earlier. John 12, Lazarus is raised from the dead by Christ in chapter 11. In chapter 12, the religious leaders are plotting the death of Christ. Look at verse 10, Crowds are coming to see Lazarus, a man who has been raised from the dead. Verse 10, but the chief priest planned to put Lazarus to death also because on account of him, most of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. Are these men dead spiritually or not? Well now, they have a whole group to contend with. A whole bunch of Lazarus’s running around, resurrected and testimonies to the person and work of Jesus as the Messiah and the Savior.

You know, the Jewish leaders don’t grasp it. But one of the criminals on the cross were saved. Now, you would wonder why would he be saved on the cross? Looking at this man next to Him, and every bit as bad a predicament as He is, and yet he turns and believes and says, “Lord have mercy on me when come into Your kingdom.” Jesus said “today you’ll be with Me in paradise.” You know, it’s the ones you wouldn’t expect who get saved, who get saved.

Look at verse 54, now the Centurian and those who were with Him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, truly this was the Son of God. Remarkable! Luke 23:47 tells us that this Centurian began praising God. Which would seem to indicate he truly did believe and give glory to God. Observing the death of Jesus Christ, you’d think, well you know, if He’d been the Son of God he would have probably come down from the cross. He would have probably called for those myriads of angels to deliver Him. But He didn’t. But you know, the impact is so great there, that God in His grace opens his eyes and he believes. Amazing!

Verses 55 and 56, tell us of the women who were present. Praise God for faithful women. They form a key part through the ministry of Christ. Here they are faithfully there to the very end. They will be rewarded by being the first to see the resurrected, glorified Christ as well.

Something takes place here between verses 55 and 56 that’s not recorded by Matthew. It’s recorded in John 19:31 to 37. We won’t go there. You’re familiar with the account. Because the coming Sabbath was a holy day, the Jewish leaders ask Pilate about hastening the death and so on. To speed things along, they go out and break the legs of those on the cross. When they come, Jesus is already dead, so the soldier runs his spear into His side to be sure of His death. God anticipated already the pagans that would come in later history that would say He only swooned; He wasn’t really dead. You think roman soldiers really took people off the cross that weren’t dead, knowing they’d be crucified in their place if that happened? I mean, the foolishness of unregenerate man, you can’t convince him of the truth. Even when it is so clearly unfolded. Why did they break the legs? Because of what we said. With the broken legs, they were not able to lift themselves up to take breath anymore. So, they died that much quicker. This wasn’t an act of mercy, the Jews didn’t want the area defiled as they move into their holy days, the celebrations associated with Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the week that follows. So, that takes place here. Matthew doesn’t record it, its not part of his intention and his focus.

So, you have the burial that will take place. Here you begin to see some come to the fore, you get some picture of what was taking place is Israel at this time. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. It’s interesting to know, but what’s even more interesting to me are some facts that Mark and Luke record. This man, this rich man from Arimathea is a member of the Sanhedrin, but a believing member. Turn over to Luke 23:50, “And a man 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.” You see, there were believers even in the leadership of Israel. I don’t want to imply that there are not. The focus in scripture is on the unbelief in Israel, but there are believers by the grace of God. Joseph of Arimathea is one.

Mark 15:43, is another parallel account. Mark 15:43, “Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in”. I mean, here he’s going to make an open display now, when he goes and asks for the body. That’s an evidence of his sympathy toward Christ. So, it did take courage to do that. So, he went and asked for the body.

Maybe you ought to turn over to John 19:38, “After these things, Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews.” He hadn’t come out openly until this time, that’s why he took up his courage now and went and asked for the body. And while we’re here, verse 39, “Nicodemus who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing” the spices to anoint the body. They had to get permission from the Romans. Customary was for one who died this kind of death to be buried a criminal’s death. So, they are asking special favor from Pilate, that they be given the body for burial. They had to get permission from him to do that. So, here you see the ministry of Christ has impact at the very top of the leadership. But they have not made a difference. God’s plan was the crucifixion of Christ. Nicodemus, the one who came to him by night in John 3 and was told, “you must be born again,” evidently, he’d come to believe that message. And it’s encouraging to see him with Joseph of Arimathea in John 19.

Ok, back in Matthew 27, they take the body, they wrap it in a clean cloth, they lay it in the tomb that had been prepared for Joseph of Arimathea. He’s a rich man so He is placed in a rich man’s tomb. There’s not time to do the full preparation of the body. Nicodemus brought spices, so what they do is a temporary preparation of the body, with the intention that they will come back after the Sabbath and do it then in its final form. Wrapping the spices could be an involved process and the preparation of the spices could be an involved process. So, this is the temporary preparation. It explains why we find them coming then on the first day of the week when part of their plan was to finally prepare the body. There is speed here. Remember they want the body down off the cross and buried before the holiday begins. So, they take it and put it in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, fulfilling Isaiah53:9, “His grave was assigned to be with wicked men, yet with a rich man in His death.” It would be one of those we’d say, well how do you resolve that puzzle? His grave was assigned to be with wicked men. He’s crucified, dies a criminal’s death, should have a criminal burial, “yet with a rich man in His death.” It was in the sovereign plan of God. The rich man comes and places His body in his own tomb.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary are sitting opposite the grave. They were up in verse 56, they were there. Now, here they are again, this silent vigil by these women. Now the burial takes place. In 1 Corinthians 15, the burial of Christ is an integral part of His death, because that is the evidence of His death. You see here, the Jewish leaders are concerned that someone will come and steal the body of Christ. So, the chief priest, verse 62, the Pharisee’s, they gather together with Pilate. They say, verse 63, “sir, we remember that when He was still alive, that deceiver said after three days I am to rise again.” You think these Jewish leaders would have let Christ be taken down and carried away if they weren’t sure He was dead? I mean, I am amazed at the absolute ignorance of intelligent men who have written about these, and there have been. I emphasize it because there have been major works written, claiming the swoon theory, that Jesus didn’t die, He swooned and then was brought back to life, resuscitated by His disciples.

So, they ask Pilate to give orders that the tomb can be sealed. Otherwise, his disciples will come and steal the body and say He was resurrected. Then we’ll have more trouble than we had before. And you’ll have more trouble, we’ll all have more trouble. Pilate gives them their request. The tomb will be sealed with Roman authority, and guards will be placed. So, they will be assured that no one comes and takes the body.

Verse 66, they went and made the grave secure. And along with the guard, they set a seal on the stone so that if the stone was moved, they could tell and so on. You know, it’s all part of God’s plan. Because what does this do? This secures the tomb so that the only way for the body of Jeusu Christ to get out of there is what? Resurrection! That’s great! If the Pharasee’s and religious leaders hadn’t done this, you know what the rumor would have been? They stole His body. You know what the rumor is going to be in spite of it? They stole His body. I mean, unregenerate man is hostile in mind toward God. They are not open to be changed. But here you see in the plan of God, He is secure as the guards guard it with their lives. You remember in the book of Acts when Herod had Peter guarded in the prison and an angel let him out. Nobody could figure how Peter got out. But the last we see of the guards is, they are being led away to execution. So, these Roman soldiers know their responsibilities.

Come into chapter 28, just to highlight the resurrection. Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, they came to look at the grave. You know, we see the ladies there at the end, we see the ladies there at the beginning, so to speak. They are there at the crucifixion, they are there at the burial, they are going to be there at the resurrection. Behold, a severe earthquake had occurred. Now, they say it had occurred, it doesn’t say it had occurred in their presence. The earthquake occurred, for an angel of the Lord ascended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. It’s something of the power of heaven. I mean, here you’ve got puny Romans sealing a tomb, Roman guards. You have an angel from heaven come down. You have an earthquake when he was to roll a stone. I mean, I love what happens. His appearance was like lightening. His clothing as white as snow. It’s an awesome event! The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. But you know what I like? They saw him before they fainted. The guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. Last thing they see before they keel over is this angel who’s so overwhelming in his brilliance and glory they pass out. So, much for the power of man. Any wonder that Jesus said, when soldiers came to arrest Him, “I’m the one you’re seeking”, they all fall back on the ground. He could have called myriad of angels to deliver Him. One angel can cause Roman soldiers to faint over. I mean, it wouldn’t have been much of a battle if He had called for myriads would there? You see it’s the plan of God to provide salvation for man.

So, the angel now addresses the women. The guards are there sleeping. They’ve come, incidentally Luke 24 says, to anoint the body. I believe it’s Luke 24:1. I mentioned that the plan was to do a final preparation of the body. Luke 24:1 says, they came with spices to anoint the body. Because it had been done, as I said, temporarily. But now, they are going to do the more formal and final preparation. You note, even His disciples and followers and loyal followers have not grasped the reality of coming resurrection. But everybody knows what Jesus has said. The religious leaders are talking to Pilate, that Christ had said He’ll rise from the dead. So, they know, His disciples knew. And we could go and check passages where He told them He’d be raised from the dead after three days but they are still not expecting it.

They are coming to anoint the dead body. The angel said to the woman, verse 5, and he comforts them. “Don’t be afraid, I know you’re looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, look at the place where He was lying.” If you go to Jerusalem, they’ll take you to a tomb they say may be the tomb. Whether it is or not is irrelevant. But it gives you an idea of what the tomb would have been like. You see where the stone, large stone would role in the trough in front of the opening cut into the stone. They would role that aside. Now that the stone has been rolled aside, they look into the tomb. There was a place cut where, but wait, it’s empty. “Go quickly, tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead. Behold He’s going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you, risen just as He said.” Matthew 12:39-40, 16:21, 17:22-23, He told them He’d be raised from the dead after three days. So, go and tell His disciples. And He’s going to meet you in Galilee. Remember, Galilee is north, He’s known as the Galilean, we’re down in Jerusalem, in Judea and the more southern part of Palestine.
So, they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. You know, some have noted, it’s interesting how God works. Here’s a society where the testimony of a woman was not legally valid in the Jewish court. But the first ones that are going to testify of the resurrection of the Jewish Messiah are these faithful women. And it’s a credit to their godliness, I take it, their faithfulness that they are given this honor. To be the first to know. They hear it from the angel, to be the first human to know the Messiah has been risen. Now, go tell his disciples. What a thrilling event.

They go, so verse 8, they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy. And ran to report it to His disciples. You know, it’s a mixture here. I mean fear, well you know, this angel was so awesome, the Roman soldier’s keel over. What do they think? You know, this is amazing! He’s been raised from the dead. Keep in mind, remember doubting Thomas, as we call him. I won’t believe unless I see Him and put my finger in the wounds. You know, this is overwhelming. Today, we say of course He’s raised. And then you realize these disciples, they’re in disarray. The Messiah is dead, He’s crucified, He’s buried. Now, they go with fear and great joy. There is certainly a mixture of emotions. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. They’re on the way to give the message and by God’s grace Jesus Himself appears to them. They came up took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. You know again, these little details, I love it. They took hold of His feet.

You know, we have apparitions of Mary appearing in a variety of places, supposedly but this is not an apparition of Christ. That’s not an apparition of Mary either. But this is not an apparition. This is not a vision; this is not a ghost. This is the body of Christ. They can take hold of His feet and worship Him. He can be touched. He has tangible existence. It’s a glorified body, but it is a body. It is the body that was buried. The same that was buried, was resurrected. You ought to have that fixed.

There has been a battle going on within one of the evangelical seminaries now because one of the professors has written a book, more than one book now, advocating that the body that was raised was not the body that was buried. It doesn’t have to be a connection. That man continues on the faculty of that seminary. How does this happen? But the scripture is clear, it’s that body. Otherwise, the empty tomb is insignificant. That’s the importance! It is that body. It is the same body. Why did He show them the prints in the hands, and the wound in the side? It’s Me! This body that hung on the cross. It’s the body that was resurrected. So here, they grab onto Him. They take hold of His feet and they worshiped Him.

Incidentally, in the account with Mary in one of the other gospels, “do not grasp onto Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father.” The point there is, He’s not back to stay. It doesn’t mean they can’t touch Him because He hasn’t been to heaven yet, He’s been in hades. I don’t believe that’s true. No, the point is, don’t hold on to Me with the sense that, with the thinking that I’m back to stay because He hasn’t ascended. The ascension will occur in Acts 1. Now, following Acts 1, the next time He appears bodily on earth, He’ll be here to stay, to rule and reign in glory. And Jesus said to them, “do not be afraid, go and take word to my brethren, to leave for Galilee. There they will see Me.” So, Jesus will meet them back where His ministry began. And that is recorded at the end of Matthew 28, beginning in verse 16.

What happens now in all of this? Look at verse 11 as we draw to a close. “While they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city, reported to the chief priests all that had happened.” So, the Roman soldiers have woken up, awakened. The stone is rolled away, the body is gone, they saw an angel, they fainted, now they’ve got to come and tell the chief priests. Why they went to the chief priests, some say these may have been temple priests, maybe. May have been Roman soldiers who thought the best place to go was not to Pilate, and try to tell the story. At any rate, they went, the elders assembled, consulted together. “They gave a large sum of money to the soldiers” and said, “you are to say,
‘His disciples came by night, stole Him away while we were asleep’. If this should come to the governor ears, we’ll win him over and keep you out of trouble. They took the money and did as they had been instructed. And this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.”

Now, first reading it, say why would they do that? I mean, they saw this angel in his glorious splendor. They told the Jewish leaders what happened. You think the Jewish leaders could tell, well here’s another, this is overwhelming, it has to be that He was the Son of God. No, they say no. We’ve got to keep this from spreading. Same thing about the resurrection of Lazarus, what? We’ve got to keep this from spreading. You know, no openness at all to consider truth. Now, why would the soldiers do this? Well, I’m sure you recognize it as well as I do. Would you want to be a Roman soldier to go tell and have your life depend upon your boss believing that a glorious angel came down and rolled the stone away with an earthquake, and sat on it and we fainted? You realize their lives are at stake. This is the best deal they could cut. We’ll give you a lot of money and you say they stole His body while you slept. Now, how did they know they stole His body while they slept, if they were sleeping when they stole His body? Are they sleeping with one eye open? I mean, pretty poor testimony. But they get a lot of money and they get their lives. Because they would have to die if the body was taken on their watch. So, they are locked in, to try to get people to believe an angel came and rolled the stone and He was resurrected, or to accept the offer the Jewish leaders. And so that spread among the Jews. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 16, “if they won’t believe Moses and the Prophets, they won’t believe even if one is raised from the dead.”

Here the resurrection has occurred in spite of the best efforts of these religious leaders, to guarantee it wouldn’t happen. They have the testimony of these soldiers as to what happened. But they are unmoved by the reality of it all.
Jesus Christ is alive, raised from the dead. That is the sovereignty of God that a work of redemption has been accomplished. He died to pay the penalty for sin. He was raised victorious over sin and death. You and I have salvation in Him, because we have believed that He is the Lord of glory, the one who died for our sins, the one who was raised from the dead.

You know, you and I ought not to be intimidated, ought not to be put off, ought not to frustrated, ought not to be discouraged, because men and women will not believe the truth when we present it. The passion of our hearts is to present the truth of God. To present the glorious gospel of God, the love of Christ to a fallen world. But we ought not to be surprised when the reaction is negative. When people are offended. We remind ourselves of what took place in the days when Jesus Christ Himself, walked the earth, went to the cross and was raised from the dead. Our responsibility is faithfulness.

What a glorious message we have to proclaim. Why these days become special days of opportunity. Know in the newspapers there are articles on the significance of Easter. Many people who don’t go the church any other time, will be in church at Easter. We laugh about that, but it’s a great time of opportunity. Great time to engage people in conversation. Do you ever think about what is the significance of all this celebration about Easter? You don’t want to get mired down right now in talking about the paganism of all that goes on. I want to engage them as fallen lost beings. You understand why Easter is a time of celebration? Why we are celebrating the death and resurrection of a man who lived two thousand years ago? I trust God will make us bold with this message. We look and shake our heads at the unbelief of the unbeliever at the timidness and fear of even those who are believers. But we have a completed message. We know the story from beginning to end. How sad and tragic that we should be timid and fearful in presenting the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. May God use His word in these days. By His grace to open the many blinded eyes to see and believe in this Savior who is alive and ever lives to make intercession in the very presence of God at His right hand. That we might be secure in Him for eternity.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord, for such a Savior, such a wonderful salvation. Lord, the events are unfolded simply and quickly, but they are significance and impact is overwhelming. Lord we are appalled at the hardness of the human heart. We can appreciate the words of Jeremiah, that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things. Yet Lord, we realize that’s the condition of our hearts. We indeed, were like those who crucified the Lord of Glory. And but for Your grace, we would be forever lost in our sinful condition. So, we give You praise tonight for a Savior who loved us and died for us. A Savior who was raised in glorious victory. Lord we give You praise and thanks for Your grace, that opened our blinded hearts and eyes. And caused us to see and believe in this Savior who loved us and died for us. I pray that You’ll use Your word in our mouths to give forth the gospel in these days, to draw many to the salvation that we have privileged to enter into. For we pray in Christ’s name. Amen