THE DEATH OF JESUS
Good Friday
Read Matthew 27:45-66.
Isaiah 53:4-5 says: “Surely he has borne our griefs and
carried our sorrows…He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his
stripes we are healed.” Reflect on the
crucifixion in light of these words.
Notes on the text:
Verse 45: See Amos 8:9 which states that on the day of the
Lord, the sun shall set at midday.
Jesus quotes Psalm 22:2 in Aramaic. Those who spoke only Greek could easily have
misunderstood his words to think he was calling for Elijah, who was thought to
come to assist those in distress.
Verse 50 emphasizes that Jesus was in control of the
situation even up to and including his death.
The veil of the sanctuary was a heavily woven curtain,
several inches thick, which separated the Holy of Holies from the innermost
court of the Temple. Only the High
Priest entered the Holy of Holies and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The significance is that now all people have
access to the presence of God.
The story of the earthquake and the resurrection of the dead
appear only in Matthew. While Jerusalem
is an area with frequent earthquakes, it is likely that this part is symbolic,
borrowing language from the Old Testament to describe the coming of a new age.
The bodies of the crucified were normally not buried but
left upon their crosses as a warning to others who might seek to defy Roman
authority.
Jewish burial rites called for internment before
sunset. This is especially important here
because the Sabbath was to begin at sunset. [The Jewish day ran sunset to
sunset.]
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