Matthew 27: 57 - 66
After crucifixion ...
Roman law: The law allowed the relatives of a criminal to claim the body for burial. If it was not claimed, the body was simply left to rot until the scavenger dogs dealt with it. Obviously, none of Jesus' relatives were in a position to step up and claim the body.
Jewish law: A criminal's body was not to be left hanging overnight. It had to be buried on the day of the execution. The law was based on Deuteronomy 21: 22 - 23:
If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse.
To all those aware of these laws, there had to have been a fever pitch to deal with Jesus' body.
Who was this man, Joseph? We learn from Matthew that he was rich. We learn from Luke that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. Wow. That sets up all sorts of questions. Where was he the night Jesus was railroaded through the mock trial? Remember a quorum required that 23 of the 70 members of the Sanhedrin be present. Could it be that the high priest only called the men he knew he could count on? Perhaps Joseph was not even aware of what was going down that night. We will not know this side of eternity. We do know he was a disciple. He did not support the Sanhedrin and their views and plans for Jesus. And we see him step forward when he could. I wonder what the "rest of his story" looked like?
It seems that Pilate did not care - but Joseph risked the displeasure of the ruling governor by stepping forward. I think we can assume that his position in the Sanhedrin was forfeited. At the least, he would have triggered the hatred and rage of the ruling class in Judea. There was an honorable man named Joseph at the beginning of Jesus' life on earth - his earthly father. And there is an honorable man named Joseph at the close of Jesus' life on earth - a Jewish leader - a man of courage. I have come to love the name "Joseph".
Look back at verse 62. "On the next day" - the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate. What was the "next day"? None other than Sabbath - and not just any Sabbath - the Sabbath of Passover. These religious leaders were willing to break their own most sacred laws to get what they wanted. Oh what a severe warning exists here for us! James, the earthly brother of Jesus writes:
And so Jesus' body is laid in a tomb. It would have been carved out of the rock, a small cave, with ledges upon which the bodies were laid. And we observe two groups watching ...
From verse 61 ... Mary Magdalene and another woman also named Mary. The faithful. The believers. The ones whose hearts and lives had been forever altered by their encounters with Jesus. Unwilling to leave because of love.
From verse 66 ... the guards. The unengaged. The indifferent. They were doing their job. Hired by those determined to kill and destroy faith in Jesus. What they did not know was that anyone who would try to put bonds on Jesus faced an impossible task. It is no different today.
Has your heart been forever altered by your encounters with Jesus? Or are you going through the motions of religion without the life of the Lord?
In our reading of the last two chapters of Matthew, we have "watched the lamb". Now it is time to "watch the tomb".
Look back at verse 62. "On the next day" - the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate. What was the "next day"? None other than Sabbath - and not just any Sabbath - the Sabbath of Passover. These religious leaders were willing to break their own most sacred laws to get what they wanted. Oh what a severe warning exists here for us! James, the earthly brother of Jesus writes:
When tempted,no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1: 13 - 15)We see that truth played out in dramatic fashion by these Pharisees and priests. Their own evil desire led them to violate everything they considered sacred, Godly, righteous. That leads us to serious and sobering questions. Do we see the same thing in our world? Listen to men and/or women explain why they violate their marriage covenants and have affairs. Listen to men and/or women who are in prison for fraud. What are you willing to violate to get what you want? What is "sacred" to you? Will you ever set aside your own "desires" to guard what is sacred? Hard lessons - but critical lessons for people who call themselves "people of God".
And so Jesus' body is laid in a tomb. It would have been carved out of the rock, a small cave, with ledges upon which the bodies were laid. And we observe two groups watching ...
From verse 61 ... Mary Magdalene and another woman also named Mary. The faithful. The believers. The ones whose hearts and lives had been forever altered by their encounters with Jesus. Unwilling to leave because of love.
From verse 66 ... the guards. The unengaged. The indifferent. They were doing their job. Hired by those determined to kill and destroy faith in Jesus. What they did not know was that anyone who would try to put bonds on Jesus faced an impossible task. It is no different today.
Has your heart been forever altered by your encounters with Jesus? Or are you going through the motions of religion without the life of the Lord?
In our reading of the last two chapters of Matthew, we have "watched the lamb". Now it is time to "watch the tomb".
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