Matthew
27:45-66
Lesson 61
27:45-66
Lesson 61
Matthew 27:45-66
Jesus dies and is buried 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 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 Zebedees children. 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. |
Margin notes:
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." (27:45) - Jim Bishop, author of The Day Christ Died, (Harper & Brothers, New Your, New York; page 299) reports this darkness was experienced world-wide. "The darkness, which was like looking through extra-strong sun glasses, seems to have pervaded the world at this hour. Phlegon (Greek historian) wrote that in the fourth year of the two hundred and second Olympiad, there was a great darkness over Europe, surpassing anything that had ever been seen. At mid-day, he said, the stars could be seen. At the same time an earthquake caused much damage in Nicaea (present-day Iznik, Turkey). Tertullian (author and early Christian) found in the records of Rome a notation of world-wide darkness which the statesmen of the Empire couldn't explain." "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (27:46) - These words were first spoken by King David (Psalm 22:1). Carrying the weight of all mankind's sins, Jesus was feeling the full wrath of God. "Straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed." (27:48) - Means, "Immediately one of the soldiers ran and got a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine and held it up to Jesus on a stick." Just as prophesied in Psalm 69:21 centuries earlier. "The rest said, Let be." (27:49) - "The rest said, leave him be." "The veil of the temple was rent in twain." (27:51) - "The veil in the temple was torn in two." See today's question below. "The rocks rent." (27:51) - "The rocks broke apart." "Truly this was the Son of God." (27:54) - These words were spoken by the same men who mocked Jesus, gambled for His clothes, and nailed Him to the cross. "Beholding afar off." (27:55) - "Watching from afar." "The mother of Zebedees children." (27:56) - This is Salome, Zebedee's wife, the Virgin Mary's sister (Jesus' aunt), and the mother of the disciples James and John (Mark 10:35). Salome was a devoted follower of Christ. While most of the disciples fled when Jesus was crucified Salome not only went to Calvary to witness the crucifixion, she stayed until the agonizing end (Matthew 27:54-56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25). Three days later she went to Jesus' tomb to anoint His body with spices but found it empty (Mark 16:1-8). "When the even was come." (27:57) - "When evening had come." "Rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre." (27:60) - "Rolled a large stone in front of the door to the tomb." "Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre." (27:61) - "Mary, sitting across from the tomb." "The sepulchre be made sure." (27:64) - Means, "The tomb is made secure." "Ye have a watch." (27:65) - "You have a guard." |