The Motley Crew

August 24, 2011

Matthew 27:57-66

The Questions

Read Matthew 27:57-66

1. What is a disciple?

2. Are you one?

3. What do we learn from Joseph of Arimathea?

4. What do we know about this big stone?

5. When was the other time Jesus was wrapped in cloths?

6. Notice anything hypocritical about the actions of the chief priests and Pharisees in verse 62?

7. Why did the Pharisees remember what Jesus said about rising on the third day – but the disciples didn't?

8. Do you detect doubt in Pilates command in verse 65?

9. Isn't it great that Jesus' enemies help carry out the plan of redemption and solidify proof of the resurrection!

All citations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Version, used with permission.

The Motley Crew

August 24, 2011

Matthew 27:57-66

Some Suggested Answers

We opened with prayer.

Pastor Eddie mentioned that he'd been in contact with the Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia, and that since he visited last October, that church has gained more than 200,000 new converts! That's over 20,000 new Christians per month, in a country where Christianity is ruthlessly hounded. One of Eddie's daughters had a very thoughtful comment: When Christianity is comfortable, it isn't very contagious. That is “preachable.”

Read Matthew 27:57-66

The Burial of Jesus

 57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

 62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

 65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

1. What is a disciple?

A student, a believer, a follower of Jesus for life who helps others follow Jesus for life. Pastor Eddie passed out a sheet with the title “A Disciple is a follower of Jesus for Life.” It has been recreated in PDF, MS Word, and JPG:

There was a question: what's the difference between an apostle and a disciple. Pastor Eddie leans toward the definition given by the apostles themselves when they chose Matthias as the replacement for Judas Iscariot:

in those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” …

 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

   “‘May his place be deserted;
   let there be no one to dwell in it,’

   and,

   “‘May another take his place of leadership.’

 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” Acts 1:15-17, 20-22.

So, an apostle is one who has been with the group from the time of John's baptism through the time of the Ascension of Jesus. The exception was Paul, who was appointed an apostle by the Lord Himself in Acts 9:15:

... the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.

We also have Paul's testimony in Acts 22:14-15:

14 Then [Jesus] said: “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.”

And finally in Romans 1:1:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God …

One final criteria is the continuity of exercising the authority under the Office of the Keys, that is, the authority to bind or release sins.

One member shared this “below the line” definition: “a sent one.”

2. Are you one?

On the road … but Yes!

3. What do we learn from Joseph of Arimathea?

Don't be afraid to ask. Have your burial plans ready before you die, and most of all serve Jesus no matter what, even if we have to break the rules and be ceremonially unclean!

Recalling that Joseph is described as a rich man, Pastor Eddie recalled Jesus' comments recorded in Matthew 19:23-24, about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There are several sociological implications for a rich Jew and member of the Council to go to Pilate and ask for the body – and then for him to wrap the body and put it in a newly hewn, unused tomb, thereby rendering himself ceremonially unclean for this very important Sabbath.

Pastor Eddie observed that prosperity, not persecution, is the place where most Christians fail.

Right: The burial of Jesus by Gustave Doré.

Note that according to John's Gospel, Joseph “was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.” These two men, both prominent members of the Sanhedrin, were now marked men.

It is uncertain where Arimathea was. There were several cities of that name in Judea. … This man sustained a high character. He was an "honorable counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of God" Mark 15:43; he was "a good man and a just" Luke 23:50; he had nobly set himself against the wicked purposes of the Sanhedrin Luke 23:51; he was a disciple of Jesus, though he was not openly his follower, because he feared the Jews, John 19:38. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Joseph showed himself to be a true disciple and man of courage in asking Pilate for Jesus' body, since there was great risk due to the fact that Jesus had been executed for treason. Lutheran Study Bible, Note Mark 15:43, p. 1697. Nicodemus, also a member of the council, was likewise at risk in his part of procuring spices and assisting Joseph in the preparation of the body of Jesus. John 19:39-40:

He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

One member asked why Joseph and not a member of Jesus' immediate family took this action. It is unknown, of course, but it was thought that since Jesus' family was from Nazareth, they wouldn't have the resources in Jerusalem to take care of His body. This is one reason why God might have selected Joseph of Arimathea to perform this necessary task. Of course, it also fulfilled prophecy that He would be buried with the rich. Isaiah. 53:9 (we'll look at this verse in greater detail in a few moments).

It was asked whether or not the Jews required burial in three days? We weren't sure, but in this case, Jesus had to be buried before sundown in order to fulfill the requirements of Deuteronomy 21:22-23:

22 If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, 23 you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

The Jews believed that the soul lingered near the body for three days, which was the reason that Jesus waited for four days to resurrect Lazarus. John 11:1-44.

Pastor Eddie elaborated on his thoughts concerning having one's burial plans ready before you die, recalling a story where family members were gathered at a funeral home to make the plans for internment. There was tension in the air; not everyone had the same thoughts. But the funeral director told the group that the decedent had come to him a few years before and gave him a written document that outlined his desires for the funeral and the internment.

He recommended making copies for family members, the funeral director, and the pastor of your church. This makes it much easier on everyone when the directions are in hand. It's like you're talking to your loved one all that day.

A member of our group recently lost her brother, but had a similar experience. Chuck had carefully outlined his desires for his funeral – with the theme of resurrection and reunion with God – and also for the details of the internment, including the readings at the graveside. It was a remarkable and moving experience, and that member – and several others with whom she shared this story – has resolved to have her thoughts written down and given to family members so that there will be no disagreement at the time of her passing.

4. What do we know about this big stone?

Dr. Lenski discussed this at p. 1140:

The great stone that was rolled before the door of the tomb was a flat, upright slab, circular like a great wheel. This moved in a groove next to the cliff and was wheeled back to the left to expose the door and forward to close it. The groove slanted upward from the door so that, when the stone was wheeled to the left [that is, when it is opened], it had to be blocked in order to hold it. The bottom of the slant was just in front of the door where the stone would come to rest on a level. After the body was duly placed in the tomb, the circular slab closed the entrance as indicated.

Other sources have added that due to its size and placement, it took several men to open a tomb after it was sealed. It could not be opened from the inside.

The “Herod Family Tomb” in Jerusalem.
Zev Radovan/BibleLand-
Pictures.com, used by permission. This first-century BC/AD tomb is the only major ancient tomb located west of the Old City of Jerusalem.
It features a round disk sealing stone at its entrance.

It is not certain what additional significance there was in the fact that Jesus was laid in a newly-hewn tomb, unused by others.

In his own new tomb - John says John 19:41 that this was in a garden that was "in" or "near" the place where he was crucified. This tomb Joseph had prepared for himself, as was not uncommon among the Jews. In this tomb Luke and John inform us that no man had been laid. This was so ordered, in the providence of God, doubtless, that there might be no suspicion about his identity when he rose; that it might not be alleged that another person had risen, or that he was raised by touching the bones of some prophet, as happened to the corpse that touched the bones of Elisha, 2 Kings 13:21. Further, by being buried here an important prophecy was remarkably fulfilled Isaiah 53:9; "He made his grave - with the rich in his death." The fulfillment of this is the more remarkable, because during his life he associated with the poor and was himself poor. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Beth shared some thoughts from the commentator William Barclay who wrote that the Jews were required to keep two tombs ready for the poor who could not otherwise afford to have a tomb prepared before their death. Those two tombs would be used for the two men crucified with Jesus, and Jesus would be placed in the third tomb prepared for Joseph.

Again recalling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9,

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
   and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
   nor was any deceit in his mouth.

it was observed that Joseph was being used by God to advance the Kingdom. We wondered what Joseph was feeling during those days both before and after the crucifixion.

Dr. Lenski noted at page 1139 that “'A new tomb,' where no decay or odor of death had as yet entered, this was a fitting place for the body of Jesus where no corruption or decomposition dared to touch. Here his holy body could have sweet rest after all its dreadful, painful work had been done.”

Someone asked about how the tomb was sealed. The Life Application Study Bible's note stated that the tomb was sealed by stringing a cord across the stone that was rolled over the entrance. The cord was sealed at each end with clay. Note 27:64-66, p. 1599. The Archaeological Study Bible noted that the seal was a security device, likely a cord attached both to the stone and to the tomb, with wax and was imprinted with the Roman seal anchoring both ends so that tampering could be detected (see Dan. 6:17). Note 27:66, p. 1616.

Finally, there was a question about who guarded the tomb. Examination of the Gospel texts is inconclusive. There are verses where it seems that it was a Roman guard, but others where it would seem to be a Temple guard. Although a few offer an opinion one way or the other, several Study Bibles generally say “either a Roman or a Temple guard.” Isn't it ironic that the guards that the Jewish leaders wanted to be posted were among the first to report the Resurrection of Jesus!

5. When was the other time Jesus was wrapped in cloths?

“ … she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2:7

Right: The Nativity by Gustave Doré. 

6. Notice anything hypocritical about the actions of the chief priests and Pharisees in verse 62?

“The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.”

“The next day” was the Sabbath, and they were in total Gentile territory on this most special of Sabbath Days, rendering themselves ceremonially unclean. As noted before, their hypocrisy was a river both deep and wide.

7. Why did the Pharisees remember what Jesus said about rising on the third day – but the disciples didn't?

“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’

Human nature? Perhaps it was the emotional shock of His crucifixion, but we also remember that the apostles and disciples were in denial throughout the time of Jesus' ministry beginning in Matthew 16:21, “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

The third and most emphatic of His predictions was:

17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matthew 20:17-19.

The fact that the Pharisees remembered shows that they were paying careful attention. The Lutheran Study Bible noted: “Jesus had foretold His resurrection to the Pharisees (Matt. 12:40), who ironically paid more attention to His words than did the disciples.” Note 27:63, p. 1648.

8. Do you detect doubt in Pilates command in verse 65?

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”

He knows it won't stop Jesus!

One member felt that Pilate's curt dismissal exposed his deep distaste for the High Priests and others in the Sanhedrin. He saw these men for what they were, and was repulsed.

9. Isn't it great that Jesus' enemies help carry out the plan of redemption and solidify proof of the resurrection!

Yeah God! God was using them just as He used many, many others in accomplishing the payment of the ransom, and resurrection of the Son to eternal life at His right hand.

Sometimes God whispers … and we remember what that still, small voice says. The Holy Spirit “pinches” us, and we act. We pray that He will help us to listen carefully, and like the Josephs of Nazareth and Arimathea, be obedient in action.

We closed with prayer.

Parallel Verses

Cited & Consulted Sources:

Lenski, R.C.H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943)

The Life Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 1988, 2005)

The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009).

NIV Archeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005)

Barker, Kenneth L., ed., TNIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)

For Additional Study:

The Prayer And Study Resources web page has a listing of some research web sites that I use. In addition, Additional Research Resources is a page with a more complete list of Bible and Lutheran resources, plus there is the Research Resources Checklist, which is the web page I use when I first begin a Bible study. Both of these last two web pages are always growing, and please let me know if you are aware of other great sites.