Good morning my friends,
Today’s edition of “Walking with Jesus” is unusual in that we are focusing our thoughts on what may be, for some people, the most hopeless day in all of history! It’s the Saturday of that Passover/Easter weekend after the Friday when Jesus was crucified on a cross. I left you yesterday standing on the hillside called “Golgotha” outside the city wall of Jerusalem watching the most indescribable scene in history. The man called Jesus was dying on a cross.
But this is no ordinary man! This man is Jesus the Christ, God incarnate, Immanuel. The birth of this Jesus was announced and celebrated by angels, and every year we celebrate it at Christmas. The miracles of this Jesus gave blind people sight, and cripple people walked, and demon oppressed people were delivered, and even a few dead people were raised to life! Oh my friend, this was no ordinary man hanging on that cross! This was Jesus the Christ, God the Son!
When Jesus breathed His last that Friday, Matthew tells us several unexplainable things happened in Jerusalem:
First: The thick veil curtain which shielded the Most Holy place, where the Ark of the Covenant was to be kept in the Temple, suddenly split, as though an unseen hand was tearing it, top to bottom!
Of course that would open the Most Holy place not only to the eyes of all who entered the Temple, but it was a very significant visual symbol. The death of Jesus OPENED the Throne Room of God to any person who wants to speak directly with God! No longer is a human intermediary required! No Priest, no Rabbi, no Pastor, no Parent or Grandparent!
God Himself invites every person to come directly to God in the name of Jesus, because the sin atonement sacrifice of Jesus’ death paid the full price for our unrestrained audience with Almighty, Holy God!! Do you understand that my friend?
That’s the promise of Hebrews 10:19-22 “…since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is His body, and since we have a great priest [Jesus] over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with full assurance…”.
So here’s a very important question for all of us: how often do you and I take advantage of the open door to God which Jesus earned for us?
Secondly, Matthew tells us that as Jesus died an earthquake shook Jerusalem which broke open many tombs from which some people known to be holy people were raised to life after Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday! (Matt. 27:52,53)
Third, the Roman Centurion, giving oversight to the crucifixions on that day, was heard to declare as Jesus died: “Surely He was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54)
The disciple John was the only disciple of Jesus standing near the cross, along with Jesus’ mother Mary and several other women who had come from Galilee for the Passover. John tells us the Jewish leaders pressured Pilate to be sure to get the bodies of the three men crucified that day down off the crosses and disposed of before sundown that Friday, because sundown would be the beginning of Passover Sabbath. Pilate sent word to the Roman Centurion at Golgotha, and John records that soldiers, probably using the hammers they’d used to pound the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, came and smashed the leg bones of both criminals being crucified that day. This trauma and their inability to push themselves up for air would have caused near immediate death.
But when they came to Jesus, they found Him dead already. But just to be sure, a soldier jammed his spear up into Jesus’ side. John records it this way: “…one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you may believe. These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones will be broken…” (John 19:31-37) John wants us to be sure we understand that he was an eyewitness.
The disposal of crucified bodies was the responsibility of their family or friends, if they were willing to come forward. If not, the Roman soldiers took the bodies and disposed of them however and wherever they desired. That was never an honorable burial! We have no record of what happened to the bodies of the two criminals, but for Jesus, John tells us a remarkable thing happened as the women watched. One of the Pharisees named Joseph of Arimathea had gone to Pilate requesting permission to take responsibility for the body of Jesus! A Pharisee!!
But look, there are two men working together removing the almost unrecognizable body of Jesus down off the cross. John tells us the second man is Nicodemus! Yes, the same Nicodemus who had come to Jesus at night to ask eternal life questions. John told us about that visit in John 3, remember? It was in that conversation Jesus may have spoken His most famous words explaining WHO He is and WHY He came to earth: John 3:1-21
As the women watched, Joseph and Nicodemus carefully wrapped Jesus’ emaciated body with Jewish burial spices and wrapped it in linens, according to Jewish burial custom. Then they carried Jesus’ wrapped body away from the cross, down the hill, into a garden nearby. John records the burial of Jesus Christ with these simple words: “…in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
Matthew tells us the tomb was actually owned by Joseph of Arimathea and after he and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body there, they rolled a large stone over the opening of the cave/tomb. Matthew, Mark and Luke all made sure to record in their accounts of the burial of Jesus’ body that Mary Magdalene and other women watched and made careful note of exactly where the tomb was.
That Friday night, we can be sure, was a terrible night of little if any sleep for all those who had been close friends of Jesus. There was no possible explanation for what they had witnessed that horrible Friday.
If Jesus was who He claimed to be and who they believed Him to be, the Son of God incarnate, then what they had watched was totally illogical, incomprehensible and unreasonable. They could not imagine that anything good could possibly come from such a gruesome, horrific execution of the Man they had followed, believing Him to be their Messiah.
As Passover Saturday dawned, it was the darkest day of their lives. This Passover Sabbath was not in any way a Passover of hope. Rather it was a Passover of despair for these closest friends of Jesus. Perhaps they were in Jerusalem, but I believe they were more likely in Bethany at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus who would also have been devastated by the reports of Jesus’ humiliation, horrific beatings and crucifixion. The despair they all felt this Dark Saturday could not be overestimated or exaggerated. They were hopeless, devastated, perhaps angry. Nothing made any sense to them.
Matthew tells us the Pharisees and chief priests, who had demanded Jesus’ death, were not yet satisfied. They went, on this Dark Saturday, to Pilate demanding a guard be posted at the tomb so no one would tamper with the body of Jesus. They said: “We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give orders for the tomb to be made secure…” (Matt. 27:62-66) And Pilate did so, giving them permission to post a detail of round the clock guards, and even allowing a wax seal on the large stone over the mouth of the cave.
I wonder if the unsettledness in the hearts of the Jewish religious leaders that Saturday was similar to Pharaoh’s unsettled heart that Passover night as he heard reports of Jewish slaves splashing lambs blood on the doorframes of their homes? (Ex. 12:7) I think both Pharaoh and those Pharisees were holding their breath wondering. Moses had told Pharaoh an angel of death would be coming. (Ex. 11:4-8) Moses had told the Hebrew slaves to prepare for God’s miracle deliverance. (Ex. 12:21-27)
Jesus had told His disciples “…everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. On the third day He will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33)
So my friends, on this Saturday, what is the condition of your heart? What is the significance for you of Crucifixion Friday? What do you anticipate tomorrow, Easter Sunday? Is this Dark, hopeless Saturday or Hope filled, Anticipation Saturday looking forward to Resurrection Sunday for you?
Here’s a worship song to help us consider this important day of decision: Friday’s Good because Sunday’s coming!!
Today’s Scripture: Matthew 27:45-66.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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