Matthew – Page 4 – Be Still…

December 6 The Son of Man Will Come – Matthew 24:36-44

empty penches along a sidewalk with pink flowers and trees behind

In our Advent reflections, Matthew now weighs in on the return of Jesus. We’ve read through the accounts of Mark and Luke and noticed some overlap. Here again, there are similar themes. As a disciple, Matthew would have had a front row seat to Jesus’ foretelling.

The news Jesus shared about his return would have certainly been hard to believe. Not because Jesus himself is unbelievable, but because the people hearing would not be used to having people go to and from heaven. Death was usually a one-way street. But Jesus’ death was not final. He rose from the dead and then ascended into heaven. Jesus is alive!

Matthew 28:16-20 – The Great Commission

Read Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew’s gospel comes to an end with these verses. The other gospels spend more time with Jesus and his disciples after the resurrection. Matthew skips right to the point. Jesus answers the question “how will the disciples move forward in their new reality?” We can take the message to heart as well. Our reality is also having a relationship with a resurrected Lord.

So, let’s unpack these verses a little bit to see what it tells us. First of all, the disciples obeyed. They went to the designated place in Galilee to meet up with Jesus. Think for a moment about how they must have been feeling. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions! Over the last number of days (and the text doesn’t tell us for sure how many) they had experienced confusion, fear, disbelief, sorrow, hopelessness, and unspeakable joy. Can you relate to these emotions? Imagine all of them within the course of a few days!?

Matthew 28:1-15 – He is Risen

Read Matthew 28:1-15

If you’ve been a Christian for as long as I have (or longer), you’ve heard the resurrection story over and over. It never gets old, does it? Jesus’ victory over sin and death is the basis for our faith. If there was no empty tomb, our faith would have no basis. The religious leaders certainly wanted us to forget about Jesus. Their sinfulness continues as they bribe the guards to make up a story.

But the two Marys saw it all. They felt the earth tremble. They saw the angel move the great stone away. What a radiant creature this angel was. While the women were surely afraid, their fear was nothing like the soldiers on guard who fainted dead away. They certainly weren’t expecting that were they? They had been expecting the disciples to sneak up and take Jesus’ body away.

Matthew 27:62-66 – Security Duty

Read Matthew 27:62-66

It was the Sabbath. The religious leaders were on a mission to make sure that the tomb Jesus was in was secure. Would they have thought it wrong to be “working” on the Sabbath? They always gave Jesus a hard time with that. What did you think about their request?

It was interesting that they remembered what Jesus had said about what would happen in three days. Why were they so concerned? Did they secretly believe that Jesus would actually come back to life?

Matthew 27:45-61 – It is Finished

Read Matthew 27:45-61

God’s plan is moving along, and Jesus’ life as a man has now ended. The sins of the world were atoned for in this moment. Did any of the details Matthew recalls surprise you? There were a couple for me. I hadn’t recalled the dead being raised and leaving the cemetery. And, I was surprised Matthew didn’t mention Jesus’ mother directly as being present at the cross. She had to have been there, right?

Let’s look a little at the torn veil or curtain in the sanctuary of the temple. This is significant, and we might just miss the beautiful imagery of this moment. Up to this day, the temple had been a hub of gathering for the faithful Jews, where animals were sacrificed, and where worship took place. The laws Moses introduced from God had prescribed how this facility would be used.