Matthew 27:62-66 ~ After three days

 Holy Saturday

Pontius Pilate's sign, 

"King of the Jews"

Clearly seen

Golgotha and the Temple, clearly, have the above view from one another.

Holy Saturday, Passover. Not like other Passovers. Good Friday had not disappeared. The events from Friday collided with Holy Saturday.

The Temple was not going to be a comfortable place.

Matthew 51 

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 

54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, 

“Truly this was the Son of God!”

The pilgrims, are uncomfortable, attending Passover. 

We know what they look at, over at Golgotha, speak of the earthquake, the total eclipse.  And by now, discuss the situation with the soldiers witnessing to Jesus as the Son of God during His Death. With the disappearance of the guards at the sealed tomb.

Pilate is extremely uncomfortable. 

The historic letter to Emperor Claudius, written by Pontius Pilate and referred to by 3 Roman historians, Epiphanius (Heresies 50.1), Justin Martyr (First Apology, Justin the Philosopher, A.D. 150) and Tertullian (Apology, A.D. 200). The Acts of Pontius Pilate were kept in the Roman archives, Commentarii principis.  The Pilate to Claudius letter has fully disappeared, in more recent history. And false letters of Pilate to the Emperor, are shared outside of fact, social media, not following the historical references. 

Matthew 27:62-66

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 

65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

The soldiers, the guard, are uncomfortable. 

It was a very unusual set of military operations. And more discomfort would follow. 

This stone is the great earthquake and is from the top

of Golgotha.

The Town of Jerusalem is very uncomfortable.

There are continued earthquakes. The Bible references several earthquakes during the first Easter.

For two millenniums, Christian Historians site non-Christian Historical references to earthquakes and darkness on Good Friday. Historians argue over text and verbs and placements of words. We would have to say 3 secular Historians of this era point out earthquake and darkness history, resulting in 2 millenniums of arguments over this history.

To analyze earthquake activity in the region, geologist Jefferson Williams of Supersonic Geophysical and colleagues Markus Schwab and Achim Brauer of the German Research Center for Geosciences studied three cores from the beach of the Ein Gedi Spa adjacent to the Dead Sea.

Varves, which are annual layers of deposition in the sediments, reveal that at least two major earthquakes affected the core: a widespread earthquake in 31 B.C. and an early first-century seismic event that happened sometime between 26 A.D. and 36 A.D.

The latter period occurred during “the years when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea and when the earthquake of the Gospel of Matthew is historically constrained,” Williams said.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Living His Story. History. Earthquake Science has been reliable.

Not everyone walking through Jerusalem is recognized.  A crowd of people are unrecognized. 

According to the Historians reading the real Claudius, Pontius Pilate Letter regarding this time, Pilate thought the reports of the tombs could be credible in their number of witnesses.  Pilate very probably did not want to include the dead rising, but with so many saying this was fact, he included this in the, "Get this Letter to Emperor Claudius, Now. " If you were to write the Roman Emperor, your all powerful employer, about the death of Jesus, you'd most likely have included this too, when so many said this was fact.  

The Roman soldiers, returning to Rome, will be questioned about this unusual week by very, very many Romans. 

The Disciples are in utter and extreme discomfort. They have betrayed Jesus, The Christ.

Matthew 19:27-29

27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 

28 Jesus said to them, 

“Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” 

The Disciples have clumped together and hide, in a place the Scriptures do not reveal, for the safety of the first Century Christians in Jerusalem.

Holy Saturday isn't comfortable for all the people who tried to find comfort.

The family of Jesus is very uncomfortable. 

They had left Mary, basically, to fend for herself. Minus a sister of Mary's. 

Joseph of Arimathea

asking Pilate for Jesus' body

is admitting the Council wasn't complete.

Very Brave of Joseph of Arimathea.

John 2:18,19

On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?” 

19 Jesus answered, 

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

 20 “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”

Matthew 16:21

From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples 

that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things 

at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, 

and that He must be killed 

and 

on the third day be raised to life.

Matthew 26:61

"This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days."

Matthew 27:40

and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple 

and rebuild it in three days, 

save Yourself! 

If You are the Son of God,

 come down from the cross!"

Mark 14:58

"We heard Him say, 

'I will destroy this man-made temple, 

and in three days 

I will build another that is made without hands.'"

Mark 15:29

And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, 

shaking their heads and saying, 

"Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple 

and rebuild it in three days."

The Light Shines in the darkness,

and the darkness

has not

overcome it

Abba, Father, 

Know the Scriptures,

Know the Power of God.

And we will believe in the One He has Sent.

Surely, He took on our infirmities 

and carried our sorrows; 

yet, we considered Him stricken by God, 

struck down and afflicted.  

But He was pierced for our transgressions,

 He was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace 

was upon Him, 

and by His stripes 

we are healed. 

Each Day we are Blessed 

to ask for more

More Heaven on earth.

More Give us This Day.

More Daily Bread.

The Universe is upheld

by the 

Power of Your Word.

May The Lord God Almighty

His Son Jesus

surround and uphold us

in This Peace.

The Peace is Upheld by God Himself 

and 

we ask

His Blessing and Favor.

Gently, we hand You our Cares

knowing Your Hands hold

this so well.

Tenderly.

And we are Loved and Filled.

We give thanks for

Your Sacrifice

to bring those unworthy

to be adopted into Your Family.

Knowing we are not perfect,

have weakness,

flaws 

and sins.

And draw near to you with confidence

in Jesus Christ

according to Your Will

Your Word

Your Steadfast Love

and Your Promises in Jesus.

Dwell in us

and help us to be Pleasing to You

Dwell in those we Love and Honor

and help us to seek You first

and we will end well in Jesus Christ.

In the Highest Name 

of Jesus Christ,

Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Our Lord Jesus