Theme Jesus’ Burial
Verses- Matt 27:62-66 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.
63 "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'
64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
65 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."
66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The Burial Shows Caution as Illustrated by the chief priests and Pharisees.
The day of preparation was usually Friday before the Sabbath begins to get things ready in each household or gathering to celebrate. Such days were also designated before other Jewish festivals. I suppose it used to be like Christmas Eve Day. Christmas was the Holiday for years and Christmas Eve was the preparation before the Holiday. But in time I am guessing (I didn’t look it up) Dec 24 became important to people as they gathered for the meals and left Christmas for religious observances. In time people would gather for mass the hour before Christmas Day at Midnight. So families would come Christmas Eve before the services the next day and have a special time preparing for all the events. Convenience changes things and many churches, like Stanchfield, have an afternoon service before many family meals and prepartions. Now in many homes gifts are exchanged the night before Christmas. Dec 24 becomes as much a day of setting aside regular activities as it was the Day before the annual Passover.
With a week of holidays ahead, the Preparation Day for the Passover was especially busy. The details for preparing the Passover supper had to be completed by afternoon. Preparations included baking the unleavened bread, gathering festive garments to wear for the occasion, and taking a ceremonial bath. But above all, the paschal lamb had to be slain. Slaughtering began an hour or more earlier than for the usual daily evening sacrifice. At the Temple, the priests slaughtered thousands of lambs brought in by the people. Their blood was poured at the foot of the altar. Then the lambs were roasted whole in preparation for the Passover meal in each home that evening.
It was this time the paschal Lamb of God was shed.
As good Pharisees, Joseph and Nicodemus prepared the body for burial in the amount of time they had before the Sabbath. If they would work quickly so it wouldn’t be too late. But the ladies noticed the job wasn’t completed, so they intended to come back after the Passover day celebration to complete the anointing.
But Jesus' burial indicates all is finished. The burial puts to rest the body of Christ and confirmed the death of Jesus.
Some people who watched the movie, The Passion of Jesus Christ were so moved to bring to mind the details of a wicked suffering and crucifixion they repented of their sins and change their ways. Mel Gibson said he was a Christian, but the spirit of God moved in his heart and compelled him to produce a film on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. No one would back him. So he was willing to give up reputation, give up being hired anymore in Hollywood. He was willing to take the scorn and received it from friends and journalists and reviewers. He was willing to give up millions of dollars to follow the commitment of his faith in Jesus Christ. He reminded me of Joseph of Aramathea. He came out publicly for this faith and gave what a rich man had to give to honor the Lord.
The Muslim clerics thought this might be a means of adding to Anti-Semitism. So they initially agreed to have people see the movie. But some came from the movie saved and others asking questions like never before. One missionary recently said more had been done in the 2 hour movie than in 5 ½ years of his working in a Muslim land.
Bringing the suffering of Jesus to light again was used by the Holy Spirit to confront people with their sin. A neo-Nazi confessed to two decade-old bombings in Norway after watching the death of Jesus in "The Passion." Here in the states, a man in Arizona walked up to police and confessed to a half-dozen burglaries after watching the movie, and, in Florida, a fugitive from a bank robbery that happened two years ago turned himself in to police after watching Gibson's film. In Texas, a man had confessed to killing his girlfriend -- after the death had been ruled a suicide -- saying he had been moved by his experience viewing "The Passion."
Religous leaders wanted to exercise caution as to what the results might be following Jesus' burial. In the passage today it records that since rumors were going around that Jesus might be resurrected they requested guards be placed around the tomb for 3 days in case the disciples return to steal the body away. They wanted to take precautions to stop the Jesus movement.
King Herod wanted to take precautions to stop any Kingship movement when he ordered his troops to commit child genocide in Bethlehem.
When a follower of Jesus Christ is baptized there is something about the burial, the symbol of being immersed that says the old life is finished. Now there is a new life begun.
All of the caution and precautions in the world cannot stop God from advancing his kingdom. Herod couldn’t do it at Bethlehem, the chief priests and scribes couldn’t do it at Calvary. The Communists couldn’t do it in the last century, and the Muslim world cannot do it today.
There is a power in the hearts of believers that advances until He returns. Any burial is only temporary.
Pastor Dale
