Bible Study on Matthew 27, verses 57 to 66, he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre

 

Matthew 27:57 ¶  When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: 58  He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 61  And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 62  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63  Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64  Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65  Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66  So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

 

Joseph of Arimathea plays an important part in Western European lore and legend. First, from the Bible, we have the prophecy of the Messiah being buried in a rich man’s tomb.

 

Isaiah 53:9a  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death;

 

Then, there is mention made of this man in a non-biblical text, the apocryphal 5^th or 6^th century work called, since the Middle Ages, The Gospel of Nicodemus, but called at first The Acts of Pilate. In this it is recorded how angry the Jews were at Nicodemus, mentioned in John, at providing the burial place for Jesus.

 

Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned in the works of several early church fathers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Eusebius where they spread traditions that had formed around him. Much later in the Middle Ages writers created legends about Joseph being buried at Glastonbury Abbey, having brought the Holy Grail of King Arthur legend to Britain, and how his miraculous walking stick grew into the tree that still exists from cuttings and is called the Glastonbury Thorn.

 

A great stone is rolled in front of the opening to Christ’s burial place. Women who followed Jesus witnessed his burial, two named here although different commentators I read disagree on the identity of the other Mary. The Jews the next day come to Pilate and repeat what Jesus had said in the face of Scribes of the Pharisees;

 

Matthew 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 

They are concerned about Jesus’ body being stolen but Pilate seems to be suggesting they use the temple watch to guard the tomb. They set a seal on the stone and placed their watch. A seal could have been something as simple as a piece of string or it could have been the governor’s seal of which it would be under pain of death to break. Later, apocryphal texts such as The Gospel of Peter, The Report of Pilate to the Emperor Claudius, and the aforementioned Gospel of Nicodemus suggest that there was either only Roman guards or a mixture of Roman and Temple guards at the tomb. There are, though, some things in the text that suggest a Roman guard rather than just a Temple watch, arguments which I am not going to go into here as they don’t really matter or change what is about to happen unless you’re making a movie.

Bible Study on Exodus 7, verses 1 to 7, the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD

 

Exodus 7:1 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2  Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. 3  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4  But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5  And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6  And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. 7  And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

Moses is 80 years old when these events take place and Aaron is 83, old men by our measurement in a world where lifespans were decreasing from the hundreds of years before the Flood due to the judgment on mankind, in part, made possible by the change in environment after the Flood.

Pharaoh is already stubborn, obstinate, prideful and a type of not only Satan but the Beast of Revelation, popularly called The Antichrist. God will use that pride and harden his heart for an occasion to perform signs and wonders. The Hebrew people are born in signs and wonders.

Deuteronomy 4:34  Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

The condition of the ancient world was such that each nation, each tribe even, claimed its very own deities and, as we have seen, even individual families had their own gods of familial spirits of ancestors. The understanding that the God of the Hebrews is real and powerful will not save the Egyptians because they will regard Him as only the God of the Hebrews. Mankind has degenerated to the point where he worships national gods he has invented who represent people groups and real devils as layers upon layers of spiritual beings preventing them from seeing the God who created him, as we do today with the theoretical entities of science like the Higgs-Boson particle that have explanatory power but no other reality. Now, the God who created them all is announcing Himself to the world using the people He has prepared as a vehicle.

The question begs itself, has He made Himself known to you?

Bible Study on Matthew 27, verses 50 to 56, Truly this was the Son of God

 

Matthew 27:50 ¶  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54  Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 55  And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56  Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.

 

As the body of Jesus died He cries out and then gives up His human spirit, ghost, lowercase g. For ghost and spirit as synonyms see;

 

Luke 4:1  And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

 

Luke 23:46  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

 

John 1:33  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

 

John 7:39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

 

Acts 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 

1Corinthians 12:3  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

 

It is no wonder both English words are typically translated from the same Greek word, pneuma, from which we get pneumonia.

 

The veil of the temple separating the profane from the holy is then torn from top to bottom indicating a work not of man but of God, from Heaven downward to earth. The significance of this action is referred to by Paul in Ephesians, chapter 2.

 

Ephesians 2:11 ¶  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

 

    14 ¶  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

 

 

An earthquake accompanies His death on the Cross according to Matthew. Then some of God’s anointed ones rise up and are seen in Jerusalem after Christ’s resurrection. Are these Old Testament prophets? Would they be recognized? What if they are followers of Christ who died during His ministry? These are questions we ask ourselves when we read this passage like what happened to these people? Like Lazarus we must assume that they would die again as they would need resurrection bodies to live forever and we would have seen or known of them if they were alive today, movies and fantasy books notwithstanding.

 

The centurion in command of the crucifixion acknowledges that Jesus is God in the flesh, the Son of God, and one would presume that saves him and he will be seen by us in eternity. Women who ministered to Jesus witness this single-most important event after creation itself. There are so many good preaching points in this passage but I’ll leave them for another time and move forward.

Bible Study on Exodus, chapter 6, see what I will do to Pharaoh

 

Exodus 6:1 ¶  Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2  And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4  And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5  And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7  And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8  And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. 9  And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

Now, God says He’s going to do a work. He reaffirms to Moses who He is and states His name, and Moses is the first of God’s people to hear that name used so many, many times in the Bible as LORD. He also reaffirms the covenant He made with Abraham. He gave Moses mighty words to repeat to the Hebrews but they were too busy with their own suffering now to pay any attention. It was bad before Moses returned but it is worse now.

Here is a point for the new believer in Christ. First, your plight may seem worse after you were saved than before and second, Satan or your own flesh will keep you down with anguish of spirit and cruel bondage to keep you from doing what you must do and allowing God to do what He wants to do in your life.

Exodus 6:10 ¶  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 11  Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 12  And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 13  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 6:14 ¶  These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben. 15  And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon. 16  And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years. 17  The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families. 18  And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years. 19  And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations. 20  And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. 21  And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. 22  And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri. 23  And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24  And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites. 25  And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families. 26  These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. 27  These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron. 28  And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, 29  That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. 30  And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Moses repeats his self-doubts in this chapter. He uses the phrase uncircumcised lips to describe his condition. He feels totally inadequate for this incredible assignment, to go again before the most powerful man on earth to demand the release of his Hebrew slaves. His lips are not sanctified, set apart for God’s purpose. A type of that phrase is used a number of times in the Bible in different contexts.

A proud heart;

Leviticus 26:41  And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

An ear that won’t hear and obey;

Jeremiah 6:10  To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

…resisting the guidance and instruction of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

And here, lips that the owner has no confidence in to do God’s will and bidding. But it is true that Moses lips are incapable, on their own, of doing God’s will. However, God uses fallible men and women to achieve His purposes, here to move His ministry of reconciliation forward. He will give them the words to say.

Luke 12:11  And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

God gives Aaron and Moses a charge, a command, to give to the children of Israel.

Genesis 26:5  Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Through the use of listing the ancestry of Moses and Aaron God prepares us specifically for the events that are about to take place and declares with no uncertainty who He is going to use as His vehicles to announce said events.

This is one of the most momentous occasions in human history, where God is interfering with what He has allowed to happen by His permissive will. Not since the dispersal at Babel have we seen such an event or series of events that is about to happen. Creation, the Flood, Babel, and the Exodus all are events that impact directly the world at large rather than God just singling out individuals and working with them to move His plan forward.