Gospel of Matthew
The Messiah Buried
Chapter 27:51-66
All four Gospels contribute details about the interval between the death of the Lord Jesus, which occurred shortly after 15:00 pm on Wednesday and the resurrection immediately after 18:00 on Saturday. We will include them all in this study, i.e., the text of Matthew and Mark 15:38 to 16: 1, Luke 23:45 to 56 and John 19:31 to 42.
Here we highlight the following facts:
The veil of the temple was rent
In the temple there was a veil woven of blue, purple and red cloth and fine linen, with cherubim drawn on it, in the entrance to the Holy of Holies (2 Chronicles 3:14), where the high priest once a year took blood of the sacrifice. It represented the entrance to God's presence, allowed only to the high priest.
Without human intervention, God tore that veil from top to bottom at the moment that His Son completed His redemptive work by giving His life on the cross. Entrance to His sublime presence is now publicly available to all who enter through "the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19), that is, those who put their faith entirely upon His atoning work and receive Him as their personal Lord and Saviour There is no more veil of separation, or intermediation by human priests, for He is our High Priest.
Then Matthew tells us that there was an earthquake that opened tombs and resurrected bodies of "saints which slept ". The resurrection was probably similar to what the Lord Jesus had performed before, such as the resurrection of Lazarus. These saints entered the "holy city" (Jerusalem) three days later, at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
Effect on those present
The centurion and the soldiers, closest witnesses of all that happened, were appalled to discover that He who they had crucified was not a criminal. Matthew reports that they said He was “Son of God ", but this expression by the soldiers might mean little more than that He was a good man. Luke reports that the centurion gave glory to God, and said, “in fact this was a righteous man.”
Many had gathered to watch the spectacle of the Lord Jesus on the cross. They would not be His enemies, who had mocked him, but just curious onlookers. Seeing what had happened, the crowd returned to the city beating their breasts, a gesture that showed their great sorrow.
All His acquaintances were there, watching from a distance, the women who had followed the Lord from Galilee to serve Him and many others.
Christ had died for the retreating crowd. From this moment, we see the beginning of His glory.
His burial
When the Lord Jesus Christ died, He went in His spirit to paradise, as He had declared to the criminal crucified beside him, who had repented. Paradise was known among the Jews as the “bosom of Abraham", where the beggar Lazarus also went, as the Lord Jesus had told (Luke 16: 20-25). Thus, He fulfilled the prophecies in Psalm 16:10 (see also Ephesians 4:9).
His body, torn and lifeless on the cross, had a worthy burial, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9: "they made His grave … with the rich at His death", as we see below:
It was customary to throw the bodies of the crucified in a common pit, where they were burned. However, this is not what happened to the body of Christ.
Among the chiefs of the Jews there was a man named Joseph, from a town called Arimathea. He was "a council member, a good and fair man, who had not consented to the counsel and deed of the others, and who also was a disciple (hidden) of Jesus and waited for the kingdom of God " (Matthew 27:57, Mark 15:43, Luke 23:50, 51, John 19:38).
Joseph now gathered his courage, went to the governor Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead, and sent for the centurion to confirm that He had been dead for some time. On confirmation, he ordered the body to be given to Joseph.
Joseph bought a clean linen cloth, he was joined by Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) who contributed with about a hundred pounds (46 kg) of a mixture of myrrh and aloes, and went to the place of crucifixion.
Joseph and Nicodemus took the body of the Lord Jesus from the cross and they "wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, as the Jews usually do in preparation for burial . "
In the place of crucifixion there was a not ??very extensive piece of land where ornamental plants were cultivated (a garden), and a new sepulchre had been carved in the rock, which had not yet been used, belonging to Joseph.
It was late on the “day of preparation”, and the body was laid just before the hour (18:00h) when the day ended. A large circular stone was placed in the opening. The special “Sabbath” (rest day), was a “high day” falling on a Thursday that year, starting that evening.
The women who had come from Galilee followed Joseph and Nicodemus, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Among the women were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses, and they sat in front of the sepulchre.
The three days and three nights
On the next day (Thursday), the chief priests and Pharisees gathered and came to Pilate, and asked him to secure the tomb safely. These enemies of Christ, responsible for His arrest, trial and crucifixion, remembered that the Lord had said that after three days He would rise again (Matthew 12:40), and feared that the disciples of Christ might go there secretly by night, take away the body and then tell the people that He has risen from the dead.
We know from their attitude that, far from that, the disciples were in hiding for fear of being arrested as accomplices of the Lord. They were not even remembering, let alone giving credit to what the Lord Jesus had prophesied concerning His resurrection.
Pilate told them that they had a guard and to make it as sure as they could. They rushed to make “the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them” thinking that with this, the body would be intact there for more than three days.
On Friday, the second day after the burial, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Him (Mark 16:1). And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
On Saturday, the weekly Sabbath, they rested according to the commandment (Luke 23:56).
R David Jones
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar,
56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,
63 saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'
64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first."
65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."
66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
Matthew chapter 27, verses 51 to 66
38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"
40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,
41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.
42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.
45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.
16:1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.
Mark chapter 15 verses 38 to chapter 16 verse 1
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.
47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"
48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.
49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.
51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.
52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.
54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
Luke chapoter 23, verses 45 to 56