Having just gone through a couple chapters talking about the end times, now we come to the final section of the gospel! The plot is hatched to kill Jesus, and he is aware the end is near. Perhaps for Matthew to prepare for the end a story is told here of a woman anointing Jesus. The story is told in the gospels but it is different some anoint his feet here it is his head. It is at Simon's house in Bethany though elsewhere it will be at Lazarus' house and Mary will do it, but here she is unnamed though elsewhere she will be referred to as a scandalous character here she is just a woman, but Jesus will proclaim that where ever the good news is told this story will be told about her! And here the disciples get upset about the waste of this valuable perfume, elsewhere that kind of talk is suited only for the likes of Judas. Keep reading the gospels and we will note these various versions in the blogs when we get there.
Then Judas does what Judas does. He goes to the chief priests and offers to turn Jesus in. Then the Passover meal is prepared and they gather together to feast. Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him, and they all thought they could have been the one as they all ask. And then we read of the common feeding practice in the middle east without knives or forks the bread is used to dip into the bowl and scoop up the meal. By using intinction for communion we have the opportunity to dip our hand into the chalice and take the elements of bread and wine, body and blood together, with all who fall short and could be the betrayers of Jesus through our sins of commission or omission. The words in verses 26-29 I often use during informal communion services when not reciting the text from the hymnal. And verse 30 reminds me that Jesus and the disciples, like many of us, were singers.
Then Peter and all the disciples say that they won't deny Jesus, though he predicts that Peter will 3 times before sunrise or the rooster crows. And then we see Jesus and the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane. From my pilgrimage there in January, there are 2000 year old olive trees still there. It is a quiet and reverent place to reflect on Jesus praying there near the sleeping disciples. One of my first memories of an adult Bible study I remember from my youth the teacher asked the class how they thought the gospel writers knew what Jesus was praying that night when they were asleep?! It is still a good question 40 years later! In verse 39 I realize that not only does Jesus not know everything the father knows as in the end times story earlier, but her his will or at least wants seem to be different than God's will. Maybe it is an inquiry if there is a secret plan B, and that this might be a good time to implement it. Finding the disciples asleep they wake up long enough to hear and remember another quotable quote in verse 41, "The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak."
From so many retellings of the story of Holy Week - the arrest, trial and crucifixion, we think we know the story but as we now read through the Bible and read each of the 4 retellings of the story notice similarities and differences in what each one tells. Judas is the betrayer and he comes to the garden with a large crowd with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus. He had given assign to the crowd that he would point out Jesus to them by a kiss. So he greets Jesus in that customary manner. For me, this element breaks a stereotype that we often see in the famous Renaissance paintings showing Jesus with a halo and the only white robe in the crowd. No, Jesus was just one bearded guy in a robe who looked pretty much like the other 12 bearded guys in robes, and Judas had to point out to the crowd, like a witness in a police line up, which one they were to arrest. As we read the 4 gospels notice which ones do not actually have a kiss! Here a sword is used and an ear is cut off in the scuffle and in verse 52 we have another quotable quote from Jesus, "All those who use the sword will die by the sword."
Jesus is taken to the home of Caiaphas the high priest. This gospel points out they were looking for false testimony or trumped up charges against Jesus. None of them stick, but when questioned further as to whether or not Jesus is the Christ, when he affirms the prophecy of Daniel being fulfilled, the high priest tears his clothes in a symbolic gesture showing that the holy covenant which separates the holy from the profane is torn or broken. Keep reading we will hear of another tearing apart of the cloth in the next chapter. but meanwhile outside in the courtyard Peter is on trial, by those who ask if he was with Jesus. 3 times he denies it even claiming twice, "I don't know the man!" and then the rooster crows and what Peter denied he would ever do, he had just done, and he went and wept uncontrollably.
Chapter 27 tells the story of what happened on Good Friday. It is called "Good" because of the classical understanding of the sacrificial good Jesus did by dying on the cross that day to save us from our sins. Jesu is taken before Pilate early in the morning and then there is an aside as we hear the rest of the story of Judas - at least in this gospel. We will watch for what others do and do not say. Judas felt deep regret and wanted to undo his part which could not be undone and so he throws back the money he was paid and goes and hangs himself. And the story is told of what the blood money was used to buy what used to be called the potter's field for the burial of strangers just as described in the book of Jeremiah. But notice there is a new name by the time the gospel is written it is known as the "Field of Blood." to this very day! Here we can only assume that the blood refers to the blood of Jesus as Judas died by hanging. None of the other gospels tell this story, but there is another version in the sequel to the Gospel of Luke which has a different meaning to the name of this field and no OT reference, just keep reading and we'll get there.
Jesus is questioned by Pilate and there are a couple things in this gospel as we read of Pilate's wife sent a message to leave Jesus alone because she had a bad dream. And then we see Pilate symbolically washing his hands of the situation and telling the crowd how he is innocent of this man's blood but it's their problem. He tries to pass the buck and the crowd accepts it claiming that his blood would be upon them and their children. So who killed Jesus - really the Romans executed him but the Jews or the Jewish leaders have been blamed through the centuries as being the ones who killed Jesus. This text then affirms their accepting the blame.
In this gospel a "red military coat" is put on Jesus elsewhere we will read it is a purple robe, but Matthew has a different recollection of this detail. A crown of thorns is put on his head which is then struck by a stick as he is mocked. Note he is not whipped in this story. Simon is forced to carry his cross to Golgotha where he is crucified between two outlaws. He is insulted by the crowd following along, the chief priests elders and both criminals, too.
Matthew gives the time stamp from noon until 3pm Jesus hangs on the cross and then cries out in a load voice we read in Hebrew a quote of Psalm 22:1. Then he cries out with a loud shout and dies. In the gospels there are 7 things Jesus says on the cross, in Matthew we just hear this one of them. And then some interesting things happen in this version of the story. Like Caiaphas with his robe, the temple curtain is torn in two presumably signifying God's tearing the cloth in the breech of the covenant. The earth shakes, rocks are split and boies of dead people are raised! Did you remember that detail, it is only here in Matthew. We do read the classic line from the centurion, though here it includes a chorus of voices from all the guards, "This was certainly God's Son." And Matthew notes many women were there watching from a distance.
Then we read of Joseph of Arimathea who had become a disciple - there were more than 12 you know! He asks Pilate for the body, takes it down, wraps it and places it in his own tomb. Then he closes the tomb with the large round rock used like a door and leaves. Matthew notes a couple more things unique to his retelling. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there just sitting. But the next day the chief priests and Pharisees go to Pilate and ask for guards to protect the tomb thinking that the disciples will steal the body away and claim that he was raised from the dead thus deceiving the people. Pilate grants their request and posts the guard.
On Easter morning we usually read the text from the Gospel of John, so the details in this version might seem different to you. Here Mary Magdalene and the other Mary come back not with spices to further the wrapping and embalming, but rather to just again sit and "look at the tomb." There is an aftershock from Fridays quake perhaps and an angel comes down and rolls the stone away and sits on it outside the tomb. The guards are terrified, but the angel calls for the women and maybe the guards too to not be afraid, and that Jesus is not here, but raised from the dead. The women are to go tell the disciples that Jesus has been raised and to go meet him back in Galilee. As they head back they meet Jesus who tells them the same to meet him in Galilee. So the women go to tell the disciples and the guards go to then tell the chief priests and elders who decide to bribe them into saying that the disciples snuck in during the night and stole the body a rumor that seems to still be told at the time of the gospels writing.
And the gospel ends presumably some days later when they get to the mountain in Galilee where we recall the Great Commission. Some of the disciples believe, but some doubted it says. Could that have been Thomas, wrong place wrong time wrong gospel - that story is in John in Jerusalem a week after Easter. The disciples are sent out to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize in the name of the Trinity and to teach them Jesus' commandments. And the story ends with an affirmation that Jesus will be with them (and us) until the end "of this present age." I prefer other translations that say until the end of the age, or the end of time. I like the touching of eternity of the promise to be with us rather than in essence for the time being. But as all things we will take Jesus presence one day at a time. And tomorrow we will read the story from the beginning in the gospel of Mark.
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