MATTHEW LESSON 59
We will pick up this lesson in Matthew 27:32 "And as they came
out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to
bear his cross.:
Cyrene was associated with Africa, so this means that Simon was a
black man. This was not a voluntary act of Simon, but rather this job
was thrust upon him. There was no evidence that he was forced. I
believe when they told him to do this, that he willingly did it.
Matthew 27:33 "And when they were come unto a place called
Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull," Matthew 27:34 "They
gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted
[thereof], he would not drink."
Here, Matthew skipped all the details of getting to the hill of
Golgotha where Jesus was to be crucified. This hill was chosen, because
it was against Jewish law to kill someone inside the gate. This spot was
on a busy road out of town, so the passerby could see the agony. and
perhaps it would be a deterrent to future crime. You can actually see the
form of a skull on the side of this mountain.
We assume that this vinegar and gall had some sort of use, maybe
to kill some of the pain; but we see that Jesus refused it.
Matthew 27:35 "And they crucified him, and parted his garments,
casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did
they cast lots."
This robe had no seam, so each one wanted it. There was no way
to divide it, so they cast lots to see who would get it.
Crucifixion was a cruel form of punishment. the victims were
nailed, hands and feet, and stood up in view of everybody to die.
This process usually took several days with torturing pain to the
victim.
Matthew 27:36 "And sitting down they watched him there;" Matthew
27:37 "And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS
THE KING OF THE JEWS."
This was an accusation as far as they were concerned, but was
100% true. Jesus is not just King of the Jews, He is King of everyone.
Matthew 27:38 "Then were there two thieves crucified with him,
one on the right hand, and another on the left." Matthew 27:39 "And
they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads," Matthew 27:40
"And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in
three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from
the cross."
We will see that these two thieves, the one on the left and the
one on the right, were very different. The difference lies not in the
sin they committed, but the fact that the one on the right repented and
the one on the left did not. We read in Luke 23:43, That Jesus
promised the one on the right that He would be with Him in Paradise.
Again, the temple that Jesus was speaking of was His body. These
people were so blinded that they would not have believed, even if He
suddenly were to get down from the cross.
Matthew 27:41 "Likewise also the chief priests mocking [him],
with the scribes and elders, said," Matthew 27:42 "He saved others;
himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come
down from the cross, and we will believe him." Matthew 27:43 "He
trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he
said, I am the Son of God." Matthew 27:44 "The thieves also, which
were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth."
What none of these people realized was that Jesus was completely in
control of the situation, even though He was hanging on the cross. No
one took His life from Him, He gave it willingly. Just as He did not
have to prove anything to Satan, when Satan tempted Him for forty days
and nights, He did not have to prove anything to these people either.
They already had their chance to believe, and they rejected it. They
(these so called religious people) will have their lot with the devil
and his angels on judgement day. Jesus never will show us something
physical so that we will believe. We must believe, when we cannot see,
from our heart, not fact, but faith is required.
Matthew 27:45 "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over
all the land unto the ninth hour."
Jesus hung on the cross for six hours, which are symbolic of the
six days we must work. It, also, has to do with the six 1,000 year days
that will be worked and then a 1,000 year day (millennium) of rest of
the believers. God set the earth on six days work, and one day rest.
Jesus was fulfilling every detail here. In six hours His work was
completed. This darkness from twelve to three is three hours that were
symbolic for the three days in the earth. The darkness symbolized that
the Light (Jesus) had gone out for awhile.
Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
You see, at one point of this crucifixion, when Jesus took on
the sin of the whole world, God turned His head. God cannot look upon
sin that is not covered by the blood. He is pure. God will burn it up.
The sacrifice was not completed yet.
Matthew 27:47 "Some of them that stood there, when they heard
[that], said, This [man] calleth for Elias."
The strange thing was that they had no idea who Jesus really was.
Just like most people of our day do not know. Jesus is Elias' God. How
could they be so blind after all the miracles?
Matthew 27:48 "And straightway one of them ran, and took a
sponge, and filled [it] with vinegar, and put [it] on a reed, and gave
him to drink." Matthew 27:49 "The rest said, Let be, let us see
whether Elias will come to save him." Matthew 27:50 "Jesus, when he
had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."
Luke 23:46 "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he
gave up the ghost."
Jesus dismissed His spirit from His body and told it to go to the
Father. Even this was in His control and not someone else's. The
teaching going around that Jesus was taken from the cross by two
demons and suffered in hell for us is blasphemy. He went to hell to
take the keys away from the devil, and to preach to those in hell, and
bring them out with him (not to suffer). Jesus had everything under
control all the time. The cross was no defeat, but the greatest
victory mankind has ever known. Jesus is no longer on the cross. He is
not the suffering Christ. He is the victorious Christ.
Matthew 27:51 "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in
twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the
rocks rent;" Matthew 27:52 "And the graves were opened; and many
bodies of the saints which slept arose," Matthew 27:53 "And came out
of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and
appeared unto many."
Here is victory to the utmost. What all the prophets and holy men
before Him had not been able to do, Jesus did. Jesus had opened the
way to the Holy of Holies in heaven to His followers. God had torn
down the curtain of partition that had kept the people from getting
close to God. All believers have been made perfect by the blood of the
Lamb (His precious Son).
These graves opened when Jesus came out of the earth and brought
captivity captive with Him. The Sunday that Jesus arose is the feast
of the firstfruits with the Jews. This is the first of the harvest.
Truly these coming from the graves were the firstfruits of the
rapture. These resurrected from the dead were seen of many in
Jerusalem, as Jesus was seen by over 500.
Matthew 27:54 "Now when the centurion, and they that were with
him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were
done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."
If anything would make you believe, this would. They had, probably,
been involved in many crucifixions before and never saw signs like
earthquakes and darkness in middle of the day before. It was time to
believe.
Matthew 27:55 "And many women were there beholding afar off,
which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:"
There is no mention here, but John the beloved was present and
Mary the mother of Jesus. Jesus left His mother with John.
Matthew 27:56 "Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children."
Matthew 27:57 "When the even was come, there came a rich man of
Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:"
Matthew 27:58 "He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then
Pilate commanded the body to be delivered." Matthew 27:59 "And when
Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,"
Matthew 27:60 "And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out
in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre,
and departed."
Notice, here, this was late in the evening. Jesus' body being buried
now would fulfill the feast of unleavened bread. Jesus is the Bread of
life and He, like the Matzah, had stripes and holes. He was covering
this feast, as well. Notice, there was NO embalming. That is Egyptian,
not Hebrew custom. One more thing to notice is that this rich man was a
disciple of Jesus Christ. Linen was what the high priest wore in the
Holy of Holies to be in the presence of God.
Matthew 27:61 "And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary,
sitting over against the sepulchre." Matthew 27:62 "Now the next day,
that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and
Pharisees came together unto Pilate," Matthew 27:63 "Saying, Sir, we
remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three
days I will rise again." Matthew 27:64 "Command therefore that the
sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by
night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from
the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first." Matthew
27:65 "Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make [it]
as sure as ye can." Matthew 27:66 "So they went, and made the
sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."
A good many of the women who followed Jesus seemed to be near
when Jesus was crucified. Here we see Mary Magdalene, and another Mary
near the tomb.
These scribes and Pharisees had seen enough that now they knew,
perhaps, this was the Son of God and, perhaps, He would rise again. They
figured out this scheme to secure the tomb. Jesus cannot be held by
things of this earth. They could have had a thousand stones and it
would have made no difference. You see, They knew nothing of the
spirit at all, only the physical; so they had set the watch to keep
the disciples from stealing His body. Had they known the Scriptures as
well as they pretended, they would have known that He truly would rise
on the third day, (Sunday, firstfruits).
Notes.
Matthew 59 Questions
1. What country was Simon from?
2. What did they compel him to do?
3. What color was Simon?
4. What are two other names for Calvary?
5. What did they try to give Jesus to drink?
6. Why was this hill chosen for the crucifixion?
7. What did they do with Jesus' garments?
8. What did they cast lots for?
9. What accusation did they put over Jesus' head?
10. How many were crucified with Jesus?
11. If thou be the Son of God, _______ ______ ______ ______ ______.
12. What was different about these two thieves?
13. What temple was Jesus speaking of?
14. The scribes, chief priests, and pharisees said that they would
believe if He did what?
15. What did they accuse Jesus of calling Himself?
16. These religious people turned down Jesus, so they will have their
lot with whom?
17. There was darkness, for how long?
18. Why was Jesus on the cross six hours?
19. What does Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani mean?
20. Who did the people think Jesus was calling?
21. When Jesus went to hell, He was _________.
22. What two things did He do there?
23. The temple veil was rent how?
24. What had Jesus done that all the holy men of old could not?
25. Those who came out of the graves with Jesus were ______ _______ of
the rapture.
26. What made the centurion say "Truly this was the Son of God"?
27. Where had the women followed Jesus from?
28. Who was the rich man who came for Jesus' body?
29. What did they wrap the body of Jesus in?
30. Was Jesus embalmed? Why?
31. This rich man was a _________.
32. Who was sitting by the sepulchre?
33. What did the scribes and Pharisees ask Pilate to do? Why?
34. What day would Jesus rise? What other names is it called?
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