Seeds of Thought On The Passion

With the Easter season almost upon us, pastors and Bible teachers will be expounding again the fearful yet wonderful story of the death of Christ and its victorious aftermath. Here are some thoughts on a few verses, mainly from Matthew’s Gospel, ideas that may be useful in sermons, Sunday School lessons, or devotionals.

Matt. 26:24

There is, in this verse, a balancing of the two paradoxical elements, the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. Judas is held responsible for his choices, and yet the cross was a part of God’s foreordained plan. We are not asked (or expected) to resolve the apparent contradiction between these two.

Matt. 26:26

Those who insist Jesus means, “This turns into my literal body” must be consistent and handle the second command the same way (cf. Lk. 22:20; I Cor. 11:25). “This cup is the new covenant…” to anyone using common sense means, “This represents the New Covenant established by the shedding of My blood.” There is undoubtedly a close connection between the symbol and the reality.

1. Not that the symbol becomes the reality…
2. Not that the symbol is invested with power to bless as though it were the reality…
3. But that the symbol has value as a vehicle to communicate truth about the reality. Since His body was still there before them, the disciples without doubt understood Jesus to mean, “This symbolizes My body,” and likewise, “This symbolizes My blood.”

During the Passover, the head of the home would take up the bread and say, “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt” (meaning this represents it). All Jesus did was shift the focus of the symbol from the type to the antitype, instituting a service of remembrance. (Compare: Jesus’ use of the same formula in Luke 8:11, “The seed is the word of God,” and Paul’s adoption of the formula in using Hagar in an allegorical illustration– “This Hagar is Mount Sinai” (Gal. 4:25).

All through Scripture the Lord jealously guards the rituals He institutes. Severe punishment is meted out upon those who would carelessly misuse or abuse them, thereby distorting the truth God intends them to convey (cf. Num. 20:7-12; I Cor. 11:17-22, 29-30).

Matt. 26:38

“My soul is deeply grieved [emphatic] (NASB). “My soul is encircled and overwhelmed with grief, so much so that I am very close to dying” (Wuest). “My heart is breaking with a death-like grief” (Phillips). This is none other than the sorrow for sin (infinitely magnified) which should strike every heart. Sin grieves the heart of God (Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30). And any who view it from God’s perspective are likewise touched with grief (Ps. 38:3-8). How would one feel whose life had never been tainted with the minutest wrong, yet who suddenly bore the guilt of all mankind’s sin to its most foul depths? We shall never understand the half of His grief.

Think of sitting at the bedside of someone you dearly love, watching him or her die of a terminal illness and knowing that the end will bring terrible pain. That heartache, that helpless feeling, that longing wish that things could be different from what they must be, that almost unbearable inward pain that echoes the pain in the other, all of that is a parable of sin’s grief. It is one reason why God has allowed physical suffering to continue. Without the analogy of physical suffering we would miss great lessons on the grief and pain in the heart of God because of this destructive thing called sin.

Matt. 26:39

As John Walvoord points out in his commentary Thy Kingdom Come, there is an overwhelming impression of loneliness here. Jesus left the world behind in the upper room and was deserted by Judas. Then he left eight of the disciples on the borders of Gethsemane (vs. 36). Then even Peter James and John were left behind. Finally, at the cross, there was the consciousness that His fellowship with the Father was broken because of His bearing of the world’s sin. The prayer in the garden was:

1. A private prayer. Though He had told His disciples to pray too (Lk. 22:40, 46), this prayer had to be His own. In the same way, there will be certain of our prayers that must be for the Father’s ears alone.
2. It was a humble prayer, and yet one in which He claimed His relationship with God. “[He] fell on His face and prayed…’O My Father…’” Similarly, we must approach God first with a recognition of who He is, by nature and by right, and then with an appreciation of who we are, by grace.
3. It was a persistent prayer (vs. 39, 42, 44) and yet always a submissive prayer–“as You will…Your will be done.” It is not wrong to keep asking, as long as we leave God the right to answer as He wills. William MacDonald says, “Jesus was saying, in effect, ‘My Father, if there is any other way by which ungodly sinners can be saved than by My going to the cross, reveal that way now! But in all of this I want it known that I desire nothing contrary to Your will.’” The silence of heaven at this point is eloquent proof that there is no other way.

Matt. 27:4

1. His own betrayer confesses the innocence of Christ
2. As does Pilate (vs. 24)
3. And Pilate’s wife (vs. 19)
4. Also the thief on the cross (Lk. 23:4)
5. The centurion beneath the cross implies the same (vs. 54).
6. Even His accusers speak not out of a conviction of His guilt, but from “envy” of His power–a fact well known to Pilate (vs. 18). They are forced to seek false witnesses against Him (26:59-60).
7. Herod also confesses Jesus’ innocence (Lk. 23:13-15).

Matt. 27:6

How scrupulous they are of the fine points of the Law, while they plot to crucify the Lord of glory! They decide to use the money to purchase a burial ground for “foreigners” (vs. 7)– meaning Gentile proselytes to Judaism, whom they considered of lower status than themselves. F. W. Grant comments, “Phariseeism remained true to itself!”

Matt. 27:24

Pilate declares Jesus’ innocence, but he tries to relinquish any responsibility for His death. It could not (and cannot) be done. We must not think we can evade our responsibilities by simply saying, “I will not be held responsible”! Pilate yielded to the pressure of the world; Peter succumbed to the perversity of the flesh (26:41, 74-75); Judas was ensnared by the persuasion of the devil (26:47-50; cf. Lk. 22:3-6).

Compare John’s account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. The latter tries to quell the crowd’s growing unrest with:

1. An appeal to LAW (Jn. 19:4). Is this really just? Is it legally proper? “I find no fault in Him.” But Christ’s legal position in cosmic terms is that He bore the guilt of our sins.
2. An appeal to LOVE and compassion (Jn. 19:5)–“Behold the Man!” Jesus had been abused and crowned with thorns. Pilate hopes an appeal to pity will change their minds. But the “love” is not on their side but on His. For love of us all He suffered.
3. An appeal to LOYALTY (Jn. 19:14)– “Behold your King!” He has claimed to be their King. Will they respond as loyal subjects? No (vs. 15). But all will recognize His sovereign right one day (Phil. 2:9-11).

The dramatic difference between Pilate and Christ is exemplified in two basins of water. One is found here, the other in Jn. 13:5.

1. Pilate’s action was self-serving; Jesus served others.
2. Pilate sought to evade responsibility; Jesus seized it willingly.
3. Pilate’s actions were typical of man trying somehow to obliterate his own guilt; Jesus’ actions symbolize the true cleansing from sin that only He can provide.
4. History records that three times in his career Pilate handled the Jewish populace badly. He was recalled to Rome where he apparently committed suicide. Jesus, after His death, rose again in victory and is our coming King.

Matt. 27:25

The Jews readily accepted responsibility for Christ’s death. One can only dismiss as ludicrous the following explanation of their words. In 1990, the people of Oberammergau were preparing to enact their three century old Passion Play. The Jews objected that it was anti-Semitic in that it blamed them for Christ’s death. The focus of attention with this verse. There was some discussion of dropping it from the script. It was retained by a narrow vote. At this point the director, Otto Huber, offered his interpretation of the words, citing some radical theologians. He said the words are really a reference to the saving power of Christ’s death, a sign of the New Covenant in the same sense as “washed in the blood of the Lamb.” This is utter nonsense. (Source: TIME Magazine, June 4, 1990).

Matt. 27:27-31

Emblems of royalty:

1. A royal robe (vs. 28; cf. Rev. 19:13)
2. A royal crown (vs. 29; cf. Rev. 19:12)
3. A royal sceptre (vs. 29; cf. Rev. 19:15)
4. A royal entourage (vs. 29; cf. Rev. 19:14)
5. A royal title (vs. 37; cf. Rev. 19:16).

Conspicuous by their absence:

6. A royal prerogative (the sovereign right to act as He wills). We see Christ utterly submissive and acted upon in Matthew (vs. 26, 27, 28, 30, 31), whereas in Revelation He takes kingly action (Rev. 19:11).
7. A royal pronouncement or declaration. In Matthew, Christ says nothing during this abuse (cf. Isa. 53:7), but in Revelation, “Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword” (Rev. 19:15). This visionary image likely depicts His word of judgment on His enemies.

Matt. 28:6

“He is risen!” That announcement, coupled with the one recorded in John 19:30, “It is finished,” proclaims the legal letter and the living power of the gospel. The work of redemption is accomplished, and its sign and seal is the empty tomb. Now we wait expectantly for one more grand pronouncement, “The Bridegroom cometh” (25:6).

“Come, see.” Compare vs. 7, “Go…and tell.” As it was for the resurrection, so it is for all of God’s truth. First come and see. There is a commitment of the will and an involvement of the senses, aided by spiritual perception. Unstated, there is a presumption of satisfaction with what is seen. That becomes part of the motivation to go and tell. That which is received is to bear fruit. That which has been received freely is to be given likewise (10:8). This continues the propagation of the good news.