Read Matthew 27:55–66
Questions from the Scripture text: How many women were there (Matthew 27:55)? How did they get there? What had they been doing all that time? What were they doing now? Which ones were specifically mentioned (Matthew 27:56)? Who came at what time (Matthew 27:57)? What had he become? To whom did he go (Matthew 27:58)? For what did he ask? What did Pilate command? What did Joseph first do with the body? Where did he lay it (Matthew 27:60)? What did he do to the tomb? Who was there, doing what (Matthew 27:61)? Who came, on what day, to whom (Matthew 27:62)? What did they remember He had said (Matthew 27:63)? What did they ask Pilate to do (Matthew 27:64)? Lets what should occur? How did Pilate respond (Matthew 27:65)? And what did the chief priests and Pharisees do (Matthew 27:66)?
Whom does the Lord use to prepare and assure of His resurrection? Matthew 27:55–66 looks forward to the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Lord uses faithful but unheralded servants, and even the most earnest efforts of His enemies, to prepare His resurrection and assure us of it.
In this passage, we learn, in an offhand comment, of a cohort of women who have been serving Christ (Matthew 27:55). And, we hear of Joseph of Arimathea for the first and last time. Both are courageous and steady and faithful. His service is very straightforward: take the body, wrap it, inter it, secure it, leave. Such humble, unheralded service may be used much by the Lord. Also, the collaboration of Pilate and the Jewish leaders is used by God. They thought that resurrection was impossible, and labored to prevent the claim of it. But, they made it so that only genuine resurrection could succeed, thus assuring that this is what happened. Behold the sovereignty of your God in all things, but especially in preparing for, and assuring us of, the historicity of Christ’s resurrection!
What unheralded service has the Lord given you to do? How are you doing it with steady courage and faithfulness?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for how You use courages, steady faithfulness of unheralded saints. And thank You for assuring us of Christ’s resurrection. Give us to be courageous and faithful, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested Songs: ARP30 “O LORD, I Will Exalt You” or TPH16A “Preserve Me, O My God”
No comments:
Post a Comment