We finish Matthew with the trial and the triumph displayed through Christ’s death and resurrection. Our Lord then gives the great commission to all believers.
Matthew 27: Jesus Delivered to Pilate
1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself."
5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money."
7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers.
8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,
10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me."
Jesus Before Pilate
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so."
12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.
13 Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?"
14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.
16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"
18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream."
20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas."
22 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"
23 And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!"
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."
25 And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"
26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Jesus Is Mocked
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.
33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),
34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.
36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."
38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads
40 and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah."
48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.
49 But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
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!"
55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,
56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Jesus Is Buried
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.
58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud
60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.
61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
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.
Matthew 28: The Resurrection
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you."
8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."
The Report of the Guard
11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.
12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers
13 and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.'
14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
The Great Commission
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Things to think about…
1. Judas was filled with remorse, Mt 27:3-10. What would have saved him and how would we know he had truly repented of his sin and been saved. Was this ever going to be possible? He was the son of perdition. Judas’s betrayal was used in God’s great plan to bring about the redemption of humanity. The hypocrisy of the chief priests is palpable, Mt 27:6. They rightly call the money they gave to Judas which he subsequently returned, ‘blood money’. Rather than acknowledge their role in the lying, betrayal and ultimately murder of an innocent man, they buy a field with the returned money rather than have it pollute the temple. Religion that lacks love and grace, but has a hardened self-reliant understanding of truth displays the ultimate in religious hypocrisy. May it not be named among us.
2. Pilate’s actions in Mt 27:11-26 are those of a man fearer. He ignores the vision of his wife, washes his hands and hands over Barabbas. He is guilty. History records that Pilate suffered a lonely death and went down as a man who missed an opportunity to exalt righteousness. Was it ever possible that things could have turned out differently? No, but that still does not negate Pilate’s accountability and culpability for not having done what was just for a Man who was innocent and required justice and a fair trial from the Roman ruler. Jesus fulfills the prophesy in Mt 27:14 of the words of Isaiah that says “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”, Isa 53:7.
3. Simon of Cyrene Mt 27:32-44 does literally what we are called to do spiritually; to carry the cross. This often involves shame and pain as we identify with Christ. Simon was automatically made unclean in the eyes of the law as being identified with an instrument of death. Remember this was the Passover. Fortunately, even in the law, those who are unclean are able to partake of the Passover Num 9:6-10. We are made clean in our Passover Lamb, Jesus.
4. May we see spiritually in our day those who would rise from their graves at the hearing of the gospel, just as these literally rose up and went into the city, Mt 27:45-55. Although these are confusing verses, they illustrate the power of the resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit over sin and death.
5. Even the rich can embrace the shame and danger of the cross. Here Joseph embraces Christ. As Joseph is handling a dead body. Like Simon of Cyrene, Joseph becomes unclean by the Mosaic law as a result. He was also able to partake of the Passover, but He was already made clean as a disciple of Jesus, Mt 27:57.
6. Praise God for the guard that was set by Pilate and for the sealing of the tomb by a Roman seal 27:61-66. It gives the resurrection more authority and is a clear proof as having happened in history. The world superpower knew of Christ’s words that he would rise and at the time tried to stop it and failed. Let’s proclaim this from the rooftops. World powers and secular ideologies continue to suppress the truth of the resurrection today, but, His kingdom will come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
7. Christ exalts women, Mt 28:1-10. Our Lord uses their testimony and witness as those who were first on the scene in a day when a woman’s testimony was not highly regarded. May we see many women in our day testifying to the victory and power of the resurrection of Jesus. May godly women arise and testify “He is risen”, vss 6-8.
8. The absurdity of the disciples taking the body of Jesus is self-evident, Mt 28:10-15. These men were locked away in fear. They knew how heavily guarded the tomb was and were fearful of their own lives, John 20:19.
9. The great commission is given in Galilee, not Jerusalem, Mt 28:16-20. It a commandment for all followers of Christ. Only when the gospel is shared with every nation will our Lord return, Mt 24:14. Who can you share Christ with today. The promise is that He will be with you as you do, vs 20.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sermon title was “talk about demons” - from Matt 12:22-45
1. What has been your experience with respect to demons, either oppression or possession? How did that impact you and your eventual turning to Christ?
2. Jesus speaks about what true goodness is and the difference between a good and bad tree. Do you recall what Jay said about it on Sunday? What is your understanding of what it is to be good?
3. True unity is found in Christ. Discuss what Jesus means by gathering and scattering. How is this related to what Jesus said about Blaspheming the Holy Spirit, vss 32-35. How do we know if someone has indeed blasphemed the Holy Spirit and is therefore not forgiven of this sin?
4. What did Jesus mean by saying to the Pharisees that they would not receive a sign, except the sign of Jonah, vss 38-40. Why was the request to seek after a sign ironic and evil at the same time.
5. Discuss your understanding of the house being swept clean and the waterless places Jesus spoke about and the final state being 7 times worse, vss 43-45.
6. Satan prowls around like a roaring lion. But we have a bigger and stronger lion in Christ. He fills us with the Holy Spirit. How do we deal with demonic attacks in Christ?
Prayer Points
1. 7 Missionaries held captive in Haiti.
2. Pray for testimonies that people will be doing every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours.
3. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
4. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points.
1. Christine Denning’s testimony . Heart felt and great encouragement.
2. Ministries started back
3. Worship team and technical team. Thankyou Suzy, Zac, iMan and Dan G, Melinda, Dan H. You made Sundays praise enjoyable.
4. More visitors and spirit of joy on Sunday.
Announcements
1. Combined service. 5pm Sun 24th Oct, Riverlife Baptist Church.
