Today’s passage: Matthew 27:57-66

Helpful thoughts:

• A rich man became a disciple…because with God, anything is possible.  (Matthew 19:23-26)
• Jesus burial in Joseph’s tomb fulfilled prophecy (Isaiah 53:9).
• The account of Joseph’s work for burial and the two Marys being present gives validation/eye witness account of the death of Jesus Christ.  He did not swoon. He did not resuscitate.  He was dead.
• The Jewish leaders knew of the prospect of the resurrection, or at least the attempt at an appearance of resurrection (Matthew 12:38-40). So, they were given permission to take away any possibility of interference.  Jesus’ body was well guarded and sealed by Rome.
• The Jewish leaders were also well aware of the possible ramification if a resurrection story got out.  People would believe.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it important for Matthew to have shared all of this information?  Why would he name names and mention eyewitnesses?  Why would he share about the added security and the motives of the chief priests and Pharisees?
2. Is it OK for people to call the Bible “religious material” and therefore not acceptable for historical proof?  Why or why not?  Should we always eliminate sources of historical events because the writers actually believe the events they recorded happened?
3. How should all of this information and the efforts of the unbelievers to prevent a hoax encourage our faith?  How should the eye witness accounts throughout the writers of the NT encourage our faith?

Today’s passage: Matthew 27:45-56

Helpful thoughts:

• There is no mention of Jesus crying out or wailing in pain until this passage.  The greatest pain Jesus suffered that day was God’s wrath against our sin.
• In the midst of all the mockery, the people watching acknowledged that Jesus had done miracles and believed there was a chance Elijah could come and get Him.
• The veil in front of the Holy of Holies in the Temple was at least 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide.  It is said to have been 4 inches thick.  It took many men to get it hung in its place.  For it to rip from top to bottom was a miracle.  Mankind no longer is separated from God.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20 says Christ was the first fruits of the resurrection.  And after His resurrection, others were raised as well and made appearances in Jerusalem.  It wasn’t just Jesus who was raised from the dead that week.

Questions to consider:

1. After seeing all that had transpired, what did the Roman Centurion and his soldiers come to believe?
2. Why do we no longer need the Holy of Holies and the Temple?  What did Christ accomplish once and for all?
3. Have you put your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ? Have you believed in His name? Is the Son of God your Lord and Savior?

Today’s passage: Matthew 27:27-44

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus was mocked by an unjust set of trials.  Now He is mocked by the Roman soldiers, passers by, the chief priests, scribes and elders, even as He hangs on the cross.
• In their efforts to mock Jesus, they fulfilled scripture. (Psalm 22)
• For information regarding the details of the crucifixion process (and other events leading up to the crucifixion), check out this article.
• Gall was given to numb the pain and settle the person down for the crucifixion process.  Jesus refused it.

Questions to consider:

1. Do you think these mockers would have believed if Jesus had taken Himself off of the cross?  Even if they believed, what would have been their fate if Jesus refused to die?
2. Since we know that one of the robbers being crucified next to Jesus was promised to be with Jesus in paradise, what had to have happened between the beginning of the crucifixion and prior to their death?
3. Why do we sometimes take the love of God for granted?  What does preaching the Gospel to ourselves (including the cost!) do to help us keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Him?

Today’s passage: Matthew 27:11-26

Helpful thoughts:

• The crime which the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of before Pilate was treason.  They accused Jesus of trying to be King of the Jews.
  • Remember, the crime they wanted to see him pay for was blasphemy; Calling Himself the Son of God.
  • Pilate’s response to Jesus shows that he had little concern over Jesus’ attempt at a revolution.  If Pilate viewed Jesus as a threat, he would not have offered to let Him go free.
• Pilate attempted to release Jesus.
  • He never declared Him guilty.
  • He tried to offer Barabbas as the other option for release thinking that Jesus would have been the easy choice.
  • He even symbolically washed his hands after the decision was made in an attempt to show that he was not responsible.
• Ultimately, (In his mind) Pilate went forward with the crucifixion in order to prevent the Jews from breaking out into a riot.

Questions to consider:

1. How did Jesus handle Himself in the midst of these events and the questioning?
2. Who suggested crucifixion?
3. What was the response of the Jewish people when Pilate asked for a specific crime worthy of crucifixion?
4. Did the Jewish people try to avoid the charge of being responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion?  What did they say?
5. Why shouldn’t we be judgmental toward the Jews for this?  What would you have done?  What did Peter and the rest of the disciples do?

Today’s passage: Matthew 27:1-10

Helpful thoughts:

• The chief priests and the elders had to wait until the sun came up to officially convict Jesus.  All of the previous aspects of the trial were against their rabbinical law because it all occurred at night.
• The Romans had taken away the right of the Jews to execute on their own.  The Romans would now have to be convinced that Jesus was deserving of the death penalty.
• The word used to denote Judas’ change of mind is not the word used for repentance, only sorrow.  Judas felt the guilt of his grievous sin, but he did not repent.
• When Judas threw the money back to the priests in the Temple, he was not giving it to charity.  The money represented his guilt.  He was trying to remove his guilt and place it on those who “hired him”.  He tried to get out from under his guilt his own way.
• The prophecy about the Potter’s Field is actually in Zechariah 11, not Jeremiah.  But, the books of the prophets were often called “Jeremiah” because his book was listed first.  (They also often called the entire unit of the books of poetry the “Psalms”).

Questions to consider:

1. Why would the priests remember to follow the law as it pertained to the blood money and yet have no problem violating their law repeatedly as it pertained to the trial of Jesus?  How does this inconsistency follow the pattern of which Jesus had accused them?
2. How does Judas’ suicide confirm that he had not repented?  How was we trying to take away his feeling of guilt? Why would that not have worked?
3. Judas was with Jesus for three years and saw and heard more than anyone else on the earth, save the other eleven disciples.  Yet, he didn’t believe.  He didn’t repent. He still tried to do things his own way even after he felt that incredible weight of guilt.  What can that teach us?

Today’s passage: Matthew 26:69-75

Helpful thoughts:

• The people pointing out Peter were servant girls and bystanders.  Not one of them had the authority to do anything.
• Peter’s denials were increasingly extravagant and violent, even though the same people were probably not around to hear them more than once.
• Peter had adamantly insisted he would ever deny Jesus Christ just the day before.

Questions to consider:

1. What would have been Peter’s motivation to deny Jesus?  What was he avoiding?  What are some things that could have been troubling him throughout the night?
2. How could it have been so easy for Peter to promise Jesus his loyalty and then curse and swear against him in another setting with different circumstances?
3. What kinds of circumstances make it the hardest for you to be faithful to your Lord?  What do those times of failure reveal about the desires of our hearts?
4. Praise God for His grace and mercy toward us!  What is the proper response when we fall? How do we prepare for success in the future?  Who do we esteem the most?

Today’s passage: Matthew 26:57-68

Helpful thoughts:

• See the Law concerning trials of this sort:
  • Deuteronomy 16:18-20
    • The requirement for a fair trial
  • Deuteronomy 19:16-19
    • False witnesses were to receive the punishment desired for the accused
• According to Rabbinical law:
  • Death sentences could not be carried out for three days after the verdict.
  • Confession by the defendant was not enough to prove guilt.  There had to be external evidence.
• Jesus’ official crime was calling Himself the Son of God/The Son of Man.  His assertion was called blasphemy.

Questions to consider:

1. Was Jesus given a fair trial?
2. Were the false witnesses punished?  Who put them up to it?
3. Was the death penalty scheduled for three days out?
4. What was true of Jesus’ “crime”?
5. Why were the Sanhedrin able to accomplish this guilty verdict and deliver Jesus to Pilate?  Who was victorious this night?

Today’s passage: Matthew 26:47-56

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus knew the crowd was coming to seize Him (See verse 46).
• Jesus was able to evade their attempt to capture Him if He wanted.
• It certainly appears that the only person who understood what was happening that night was Jesus.
  • The crowd thought they needed the cover of night, clubs and swords.
  • Peter thought they should fight.
  • Judas thought devising a plan would ensure success.
  • The disciples thought Jesus’ had been defeated and fled.

Questions to consider:

1. Who was in control that night?
2. Why did the disciples flee and abandon Jesus?  Why would it be foolish for us to look down on them for their response?  Have there been times you froze, remained silent, abandoned Jesus in your life?
3. What is true about Jesus that gives you the confidence to faithfully identify with Him?  How does His control and willingness to fulfill God’s will through these hours and to the cross give you confidence?

Today’s passage: Matthew 26:36-46

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus brought the three disciples with him for their good, not necessarily for His.
• Jesus knew more than anyone else what He was about to go through.  His distress and anguish were totally appropriate.
• Jesus asked if there was any other way to purchase our redemption.  The answer was no, and He was willing to go to the cross, suffer the wrath of God, and be forsaken by the Father for us.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways did Jesus model prayer in times of hardship for us?
2. What kinds of temptations come during suffering?  How did Jesus say to fight it?
3. Why was Jesus willing to go on to the cross?  Be careful not to insert an answer of your own here…what does this Scripture say was His motivation?