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 And false letters of Pilate to the Emperor, are shared outside of fact, social media, not following the historical references.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

Isaiah 61 ~ The Spirit of the Lord

Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

    He has sent Me 

to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

    and 

the opening of the prison to those who are bound

To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,

    and the day of vengeance of our God;

    to comfort all who mourn

To grant to those who mourn in Zion—

    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit

That they may be called oaks of righteousness,

    the planting of the Lord, 

that He may be glorified.

4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;

    they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

    the devastations of many generations.

We went to the National Gallery of Art as a family vacation. And came upon a quiet room displaying The Descent from the Cross by Rembrandt Van Rijn.  The room was slightly dark, the light was coming from the Portrait of Jesus. We all 4 walked to the painting. Our faces up to Jesus, being tenderly lowered in weakened and quiet death.  And our son burst into tears. Streaming down his face, "How could they do this to JESUS? The blind see. The deaf hear. How. Could they do this to Jesus?"

And we hugged him. More people came up to the portrait. They wept.  One woman said, it is so real and so tragic. She wept.  As we left the room in a few moments, another viewer came up to the woman and put a hand on her weeping back. 

The faces of the mourners, were our faces.

They shall build up the ancient ruins;

    they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

    the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks

    Foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;

 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;

    they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;

you shall eat the wealth of the nations,

    and in their glory you shall boast.

Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;

    instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;

therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;

    they shall have everlasting joy.

For I the Lord love justice;

    I hate robbery and wrong;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their offspring shall be known among the nations,

    and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge them,

    that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

    my soul shall exult in my God

For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation;

   He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,

    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

    and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

so the Lord God 

will cause righteousness 

and praise

    to sprout up before all the nations.

Later in the June weekend, we came back to the Portrait of Jesus, and other people were weeping before Jesus.

Hebrews 13:8

 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

We witness in Jesus His Life on Good Friday.  We face the loss of Jesus and know again how much we want The Lord in all of our life. 

On Good Friday, the Loss of His Ministry on earth causes us to want more of Jesus.

John 1 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. 

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The true Light, which gives Light to everyone, was coming into the world. 

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become Children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

I had a long conversation today with family today. We were discussing the after Pandemic world. He was telling me about a friend who lost $30,000 in a costly, special purpose, camera suitcase.  The man was recently divorced and was leaving the country, his dog and had this one suitcase of his photographic equipment.  And in this man's sorrow and distraction, he left the suitcase in a parking lot after retrieving one piece of the equipment. And they were all charged with the horror of this situation for a man feeling the world had left him plunged into darkness after the loss of his beloved spouse. And without hope, they posted on NextDoor and Facebook. While repeatedly returning to the parking lot. About 2 hours later, they were asked to return to the huge city parking lot to have the suitcase returned intact. No reward was accepted. 

And in our area, people write about having two jobs for the first time. A divorce. An eight-year-old daughter who just wants a Barbie Birthday. And seeing a 100 people offering their Barbies and bakers who will make a free Barbie Cake. A Barbie bicycle belonging to their child. An elderly couple inviting the divorced mother to come to Walmart and pick out Barbie things. And in fact, this generosity led to an overwhelming overflow of Love for the child and her mother.  Posts came back of the gifts and donations.

We see animals loved and cared for that never would have happened during my childhood years. People are hungry to love and cherish one another and their pets.

And yet, so many will tell you of the day-to-day disappointment with grumpy people in their small and more care worn paths and lives. Not the joy of sunny days from all ages, remembering a less care worn world.  Even Baby Boomers, Millennials and all the Generation named age groups will tell you of people and families with fewer worries.  The exponential rise of the cost of necessities in the last 30 years.  Especially since the Pandemic. A fear of the future imposed on each life. 

Good Friday reminds us of our need for His Mercy, 

His Forgiveness and our repentance in adding to the difficulties in His Path and the people surrounding us.  We need Jesus and we acknowledge and bewail manifold our sins and wickedness.  

Descent from the Cross after Rembrandt, painted by Cora Wendell 

I was asked if I see hope for the future.

I do. More people are awake to the forces of Good in Jesus Christ and the evil of His absence.  The Bible bears witness to the pendulum of each generation finding out we need Jesus and His Love, Mercy and Shelter based upon what they can see and put hands on in their lifetime.  

Abba, Father, 

Mark 12:24

Life assures us the road has sharp turns,

Unforeseen corners and the comments do not cease.

Jesus Himself tells us

He is the way, the truth and the Life.

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

John 13:3-9 ~ His Hands

 

John 13:3-9

3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His Hands, 

and that He had come from God 

and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. 

He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, 

tied it around His Waist. 

5 Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. 

 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 

7 Jesus answered him, 

“What I am doing you do not understand now, 

but afterward you will understand.” 

8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet.”

 Jesus answered him, 

“If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 

9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only 

but also my hands and my head!”

The New Covenant is our opportunity to renew our being born again in Jesus Christ. 

To remember God first. 

Matthew 6:33

 

Seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you.

Abba, Father,

Our heart hears the call from You.

We ask healing

of Your Good Creation

The fullness of the earth is Yours.

The healing of those we pray for
in our heart and soul.

Dwell in us, Father,

Dwell fully in those we love,

Help us to seek You first

and we will finish well in Jesus Christ.

Our God. His Son, 

Jesus Christ.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

YES Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You Jesus