Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00026A
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00:19 Welcome to the Books of the Book.
00:20 We're exploring the gospel of Matthew, and that exploration 00:24 has brought us all the way down to Chapter 28. 00:27 We're going to be exploring this last chapter of the gospel 00:31 of Matthew. 00:32 I'm Glenn Russell, Professor of Religion at Andrews University, 00:35 here with friend and colleague, Professor Ranko Stefanovic, 00:39 who teaches at the Theological Seminary at Andrews University. 00:42 Ranko, it's hard to believe that we've been following Jesus here 00:47 into the 28th Chapter. 00:48 It's a wonderful journey, and although we want to press 00:52 into the text, I also want to say, thank you to the viewers, 00:56 and thank you to 3ABN. 00:58 It's just been a joy to partner together here. 01:00 This experience of studying scripture in-depth; 01:04 what a wonderful series idea! 01:06 You don't want to miss all the other series on the other books 01:09 of the scripture. 01:10 May God bless this ministry of 3ABN, and this series 01:13 in a very special way. 01:15 Wouldn't you agree Ranko? 01:16 Glenn, there is something I can with confidence, 01:19 We were here taping a series on the life of Jesus according to 01:23 the gospel of Matthew. 01:25 But being here with all these wonderful people at 3ABN; 01:29 actually seeing on their faces the reflection of Jesus' 01:33 character and His love; this is actually how I felt during these 01:37 days, taping, taping this series and being with them. 01:39 I really, really appreciate their ministry; 01:42 what they are doing. 01:44 Amen. 01:45 And one more time, let's get into God's Word with prayer. 01:47 Let's bow together. 01:49 Father we thank You for the privilege of studying Your Word. 01:53 We have the freedom to take Your Word and read it, 01:56 ponder it, pray over it, wrestle with it, struggle to understand 02:01 it, but most of all be moved, transformed, 02:04 and changed by Your Word. 02:05 Thank You for this privilege we have. 02:07 In Jesus' name, Amen. 02:09 Amen. 02:11 We're at the 28th Chapter. 02:14 We've been noticing, pondering, reflecting, meditating, 02:19 on those sacred scenes of Jesus on the cross. 02:24 And we find at last that Jesus breathes His last, 02:29 and He's buried. 02:31 There's this special resurrection that we've 02:32 talked about. 02:34 And now let's see the rest of the story, because Christianity 02:38 doesn't end with the cross. 02:39 Yeah. 02:41 Glenn, before we go to Chapter 28, let's just reflect a little 02:45 bit on the last several verses of Chapter 27. 02:50 We saw when Jesus was buried, praise God, when Jesus died, 02:57 okay, now He was to be buried. 02:59 God did not allow to happen to Jesus' body what usually 03:04 happened to the criminals. 03:05 The Bible says that the person by the name of Joseph, 03:10 from Arimathea, who was evidently a rich Pharisee. 03:15 According to the other gospels he was joined with Nicodemus. 03:19 They came. 03:21 They were very rich people, believe me. 03:22 They paid a large amount of money to Pilate in order to 03:28 get the body of Jesus, and to prepare His body 03:33 for a proper burial. 03:35 And again, according to prophecy, He's laid in a new 03:37 tomb, as prophecy had said, wrapped and laid there 03:42 in the tomb that Friday on the preparation day, as it says in 03:46 Verse 62. 03:48 It's a tragic thing to think that those who crucified 03:52 rushed home to keep the Sabbath, with such a startling lack of 03:57 understanding of the events that they had been part of. 03:59 So when did this happen? 04:00 It happened before the sunset on Friday. 04:04 According to the Biblical counting is days begin 04:10 with sunset. 04:13 So Jesus was buried and now the Sabbath began. 04:20 When we go to Chapter 28, Verse 1, it was after 04:27 the Sabbath. 04:29 Okay? 04:31 At the beginning of the new week. 04:33 On the first day of the week there is the resurrection. 04:36 Where is Jesus between Friday and Sunday? 04:40 He is in the tomb. 04:43 The gospel of Luke, Chapter 23, the last verses, provide some 04:48 additional information there that Jesus was actually arrested 04:54 on the Sabbath day according to the law. 04:57 Here we have a fantastic picture. 05:00 We are reminded in the book of Genesis, Chapters 1 and 2, 05:09 that when God created the heaven and earth in six days, 05:15 then God rested on the Sabbath day after that weeks work. 05:24 So now the same God, who has become flesh, 05:29 after accomplishing His mission of re-creation, 05:35 mission of redemption, okay. 05:38 On Friday He goes to rest. 05:41 Unfortunately, many Christians are using arguments that Sunday 05:46 is a very important day to celebrate and to rest, 05:50 and that Sunday replaced the Sabbath because of Jesus' 05:53 resurrection. 05:54 However, the gospels clearly, clearly state that the reason 05:59 why Jesus did not resurrect on the Sabbath was because He kept 06:03 the sanctity of the Sabbath according to the law. 06:07 He resurrected on Sunday because Sunday is the day of work. 06:12 But He rested according to the law of God following the path 06:16 of work He did at the beginning, after the creation week when He 06:20 rested on the Sabbath. 06:22 So it's after the Sabbath toward the dawn of the first day 06:25 of the week. 06:26 So we don't need to wonder when Sabbath is. 06:28 Yes. 06:29 It's before the first day; it's the end of the week. 06:30 Alright, if I might read Matthew 28... 06:33 Please. 06:34 ...Verse 1 and following; Now after the Sabbath toward the 06:36 dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene 06:38 and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher. 06:40 You see they'd buried Him. 06:42 They hadn't had a chance to anoint Him, and embalm Him, 06:46 and prepare Him fully for His burial. 06:48 And we should pause and notice that... 06:50 It was done in a great rush. 06:51 ...in a hurry, yes, and they wanted to finish the job. 06:54 Yes. 06:55 And, of course, burial is very important to a Hebrew. 06:57 Yeah. 06:59 What is done to a body when somebody dies is very; 07:00 it's important to all of us emotionally, but especially 07:03 for a Hebrew. 07:04 Even Joseph when he died said take care of my bones. 07:06 You know, take them up to... 07:07 And very special people would do it; trained people 07:10 for that job. 07:12 They knew how to do it. 07:13 So they'd come to do this sad work. 07:16 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: and an angel 07:18 of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back 07:21 the stone and sat upon it. 07:23 We just have to say, this is another marvelous case of 07:26 scriptures brevity. 07:28 If you and I were writing all the details, imagine, 07:31 there's a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord descends 07:35 from heaven. 07:36 And, you know Ranko, I just think that all the angels wanted 07:39 to have that opportunity. 07:41 Oh yeah! 07:42 I bet when God the Father said, I need someone to go, 07:44 they all raised their hand. 07:46 I mean that's my imagination. 07:47 They all wanted to go and release our Savior. 07:50 The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and rolled back 07:52 the stone, and then he sat upon it. 07:54 His appearance was like lightening; 07:55 his raiment was white as snow. 07:58 For fear of him the guards trembled and became 08:00 like dead men. 08:02 It's interesting to notice everything that was done 08:05 to keep Jesus in the tomb becomes proof that He was raised 08:09 from the tomb. 08:10 Glenn, can we understand Satan? 08:14 Please tell; explain to me. 08:18 Constantly during 31/2 years of Jesus' ministry 08:22 Satan is doing everything to prevent Jesus from going 08:26 to the cross. 08:27 Yes. 08:29 Finally Jesus is on the cross and Satan is doing everything 08:32 to pull Him down from the cross. 08:35 Remember that; not to die. 08:37 Now finally Jesus dies and He's in the tomb. 08:39 Now he does everything to keep Jesus there in the tomb. 08:43 And look what was done. 08:45 He was placed in the tomb. 08:46 There's a seal placed upon it. 08:48 There's soldiers placed around it. 08:50 Some people today wonder, did the resurrection really happen? 08:53 Christianity is based on historical events, Ranko. 08:57 If the resurrection didn't take place, what does Paul say? 09:01 What benefit is that? 09:03 We have no reason for our faith. 09:05 If Jesus did not resurrect then there is no resurrection. 09:08 And, unfortunately, that's the reason why many Christians 09:12 do not talk about the resurrection. 09:13 It's because of that; they doubt. 09:16 They have a problem with Jesus' resurrection. 09:19 To deny the resurrection of Jesus is to deny the general 09:22 resurrection that one day God's people will experience 09:27 at the Second Coming of Christ. 09:28 So we have a Centurion and soldiers guarding a dead body, 09:33 and the angel comes. 09:35 And the other gospels give us more details. 09:38 Matthew does not dwell on those. 09:39 But Matthew introduces us to the fact that an angel remains 09:44 there and says to the women, Don't be afraid. 09:47 I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. 09:50 By the way, isn't that who we should all seek; 09:52 Jesus who was crucified? 09:54 He is not here: for he has risen as he said. 09:57 Come, and see the place where he lay. 09:58 Then quickly go and tell his disciples. 10:01 Wasn't it strange that it's a woman who's the first one 10:04 to give testimony? 10:05 Actually, the gospel of Matthew begins with women. 10:09 Yes. 10:11 Remember they're included in genealogy. 10:12 Now these women are the first ones to go there to the tomb, 10:19 and to carry the news all around that the Savior is not there. 10:24 By the way, one of the most touching moments for me was when 10:27 I was there in Jerusalem. 10:29 There is a place that some people thought could be 10:37 the tomb of Jesus. 10:39 Today we know that it was not the tomb of Jesus. 10:42 But, you know, the garden... 10:44 The very scene... 10:45 It's very nice to go there. 10:47 You know that it did not happen there. 10:48 But there is something that I still visualize in my eyes 10:52 that tomb that they discovered with that, you know, 10:56 stone that was rolled over the entrance there. 10:59 But there is something that they made there in the 11:00 inscription; it's very emotional. 11:02 They said, He's not here. 11:05 He is risen. 11:07 When you look there, Glenn, you know you and me, we know many, 11:13 many religions in this world. 11:15 And I grew up among people who were not Christians. 11:20 I lived in different parts of the world; 11:23 living among people of different religions. 11:26 And we talked about their founders who were really 11:28 good, good, good men. 11:30 But they would always point to their tombs 11:33 where they were buried. 11:34 They'd go and they made pilgrimages there, etc. 11:36 It's so nice when I talk about the founder of my religion. 11:42 To tell them, I'm sorry. 11:45 I cannot make any pilgrimage. 11:47 I cannot go to His tomb. 11:49 He's not there! 11:51 He's not at the tomb! 11:53 It's empty! 11:54 Actually, I don't need to make a pilgrimage. 11:56 Uh huh. 11:58 Even here, as we are taping, wherever I go I can lift my head 12:03 there toward Him, and give Him thanks for what He did 12:07 because He is alive! 12:09 The reality of the cross is verified by the stone being 12:15 rolled, you know, Ranko some people say, well, maybe He 12:18 fainted; maybe He just went unconscious for awhile 12:22 and came back. 12:23 How would He roll the stone away after being scourged? 12:25 Some other people say, Maybe it was in a different place. 12:28 Why didn't they present the body? 12:31 The resurrection of Jesus is a great dilemma for the leaders 12:34 of the people. 12:36 Actually, the gospel writers, we're not just talking about 12:38 the gospel of Matthew, we are talking in general terms. 12:40 They want to assure us that Jesus indeed died. 12:45 How do you know that? 12:46 They said, you know, the bodies of the crucified people could 12:54 not be on the cross during the Sabbath day 12:57 or during the festivals. 12:58 That's why Pilot ordered to break the bones of those people, 13:02 you know, so they could not support themselves any longer 13:06 and finally they would die. 13:09 By the way, that young man, John's son, Ezekiel, between 13:14 that we just mentioned was; his bones were broken. 13:18 So it confirms what we read there in the gospels. 13:21 So they broke the bones of those two criminals. 13:25 They came to Jesus; they saw that he died already. 13:28 Keep in mind, they are experts. 13:30 They know if the person is alive or not. 13:32 But in order to confirm the death of Jesus; actually they 13:35 pierce His body. 13:36 And according to the gospel of John, water mixed with blood, 13:39 which was the sign of death, actually came out of the body 13:43 of Jesus. 13:44 So it was very clear that Jesus was dead when He was buried. 13:48 And if you've had your side pierced, and your hands nailed, 13:51 then your ankles driven through with a spike, and you've been 13:54 scourged, there's no way; He was dead. 13:58 There's no question about it. 13:59 The Romans were experts at killing people. 14:01 Jesus was dead. 14:02 But we could say much more about that. 14:04 Let's move, Ranko to... 14:05 Till after the break. 14:07 Let's move to the impact of the resurrection, 14:11 and other evidences. 14:12 There were others who saw the risen Lord afterwards. 14:15 We're going to come back to that right after our break. 14:17 We'll be right back. |
Revised 2014-12-17