Matthew 27:32-66 - Jesus dies

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In this section, Jesus is crucified, dies and is buried. Matthew 27:32-66 has a lot of very interesting detail and even a whole book wouldn't cover it exhaustively. It's good to look at those details and consider them all carefully, but we're not going to attempt it in this short post.

Instead, look at the big picture. Jesus has been killed by the Roman troops and has been buried. To his followers this must have seemed like a tragic end to something that had been very special. Few of them would have had any hope beyond this point. There would have been a sense of finality, there was no way now that they would see his face or hear his voice again. What were they to do next?

Of course, we know that the story is far from over. In a sense it's just beginning! Jesus had left them plenty of clues. He said he was going to prepare a place for them, he had told them to go to Galillee and that he'd meet them there. He'd told them that he'd be with them always, to the end of the age. And he had said that without him they would be able to do nothing.

Sometimes we feel helpless and insufficient, unable to see a way forward. But in that we are in good company! Peter, James, John and eight other disciples also felt helpless and insufficient, unable to see a way forward.

Just as they would be surprised by his presence among them later, so will we be. Are we ready for that? Do we really expect it? Or will we feel defeated and lost as they must have done? Like those disciples we must wait and see what will happen next!

Mary of Magdala arrived at the tomb hoping to check all was well and was distressed until she heard Jesus call her name, she too was sorely distressed until she realised Jesus was still alive.

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Matthew 20:17-34 - Dying for life

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Matthew 20:17-34 tells us a lot about the character and nature of Jesus. It falls naturally into three parts, Jesus speaks about his coming death in Jerusalem, he deals with Zebedee's wife and sons, and he heals two blind men.

This is about as stressful as life gets! Imagine you are setting out on a journey that you know will end in your painful and desperate death, that you are having to deal with your followers jockeying for position and criticising one another, and people are stopping you along the way asking for help.

At a time like that I would be a gibbering wreck looking for a way out, grumpy and more than a tad impatient. Just look at some of the words associated with Jesus in this short passage...

Delivered over to the chief priests and teachers - condemn to death - hand over to the Gentiles - mock, flog, crucify - raise to life - ask a favour - drink the cup - indignant - servant, slave - ransom - shout - have mercy - we want our sight.

Jesus took it all and dealt with it patiently, graciously, and determinedly. He came to serve, first the Father, then the people around him.

Read the passage through with this in mind, then consider your own response to others when you're under heavy pressure and extreme stress. He is such an example for us. Can you follow him deeper into patience and grace in your own daily life?

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Matthew 17:14-27 - Healing and tax

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In Matthew 17:14-20, the disciples want to know why they were unable to cast out a demon. Jesus explains that it's because they lack faith. We can learn a lot from these few verses.

Jesus is approachable, the father kneels before him as he pleads for his son and he shows much more faith than the disciples. They couldn't heal the boy but he still thinks Jesus can.

Think about some of the amazing things the disciples have experienced in the recent past and then ask why they still doubt. They've seen walking on water, feeding many with little (twice), Jesus glorified on the mountain, and many healings and throwing out of demons.

Why do we doubt? Or, more particularly, who do we doubt?

But in considering these things we may miss something else at least as important. Jesus is approachable, the Most High has come to live amongst us and he doesn't demand any sort of special treatment. He eats with prostitutes and tax collectors, is approachable by a distraught father, and listens to requests. How we need to be like him! If we are not, how are we going to reach a lost and broken world?

In Matthew 17:22-27 Jesus mentions that he must die. He also deals with the Temple tax in an unusual way. We are not subject to the rules imposed upon us by other people, in particular we are not subject to religious rules. We are children of the Most High. Our Father is not of this world.

Do we remember this as often as we should?

Faith, Jesus' death, and our spiritual citizenship are closely connected to one another. Think about that. What does it imply for your daily life?

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Matthew 16:13-28 - The Son of Man must die

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Jesus must die, and if we are to be like him we must be willing to die too.

Read Matthew 16:13-28 and notice that people had various ideas about who Jesus really was, though they agreed that he was a prophet and somebody noteworthy. We tend to see what we are looking for so we have to ask ourselves, "What (or who) are we looking for?"

To answer as Peter did we must hear the truth from the Father himself; it must be revealed. Nobody is going to understand Jesus by mental agility and prowess but only as a gift from above. And it's on this bedrock of revelation that Jesus says he will build his church.

But if Peter felt proud to have received such a revelation, he was soon brought bumping back to the ground by hearing himself called a stumbling block placed in the way by the evil one.

Can we see ourselves in and through these verses? We should! Are we going to have the concerns of the Almighty Father in mind? Or will we be fully absorbed by our own concerns? Will we want to save our life but lose it? Or will we lose our life for Jesus? This is not necessarily about physical death. We all face that anyway. This is truly about giving up what we hold dear, picking up our cross and following Jesus.

There's a combination here of revelation and obedience. We need both. Jesus offers us both.

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