Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XIX

Verses 62b-64: The next day, the leading priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. They said, “Sir, we remember that while that impostor was still alive He said, ‘I will rise from death in three days.’ So give the order for the tomb to be guarded well for three days. His followers might come and try to steal the body. Then they could tell everyone that He has risen from death. That lie will be even worse than what they said about Him before.”

Early church scholar Chrysostom writes: “But note carefully the disciples’ love of truth. They do not conceal from their reader what was said by their enemies. They call Jesus an impostor. Note the contrast between the savagery of the authorities and the simple and truthful disposition of the disciples. Not even at His death did the authorities surrender their anger. But is it worthwhile to inquire concerning that point also where He said, ‘After three days I rise again’? His detractors clearly understood this saying. Even if they did not grasp the metaphor of Jonah, they remembered this.”¹

Verses 65-66: Pilate said, “Take some soldiers and go guard the tomb the best way you know how.” So they all went to the tomb and made it safe from thieves. They did this by sealing the stone in the tomb’s entrance and putting soldiers there to guard it.

I’m sure after Joseph, Nicodemus, and the women left, the Jewish leaders did not expect what happened next. For all their excuses and alibis for having Pilate send guards to the tomb, it would have never crossed their minds to request such action if they too did not fear that He might rise from the dead just as He proclaimed He would. Certainly, the words in a Messianic psalm do apply here, “But the one who rules in heaven laughs at them. The Lord makes fun of them. He speaks to them sternly, and it fills them with fear.”²

Their hatred was so bitter that they could not help but call Jesus an “impostor.” It is a word that was used in Greek literature for a wandering vagabond that goes around pretending to be something he is not. The Rabbis explain their meaning of such an individual as: “One who incites [individuals to idolatry, and referred to as a meisit (also mesit)] is a layman [as opposed to a prophet], who incites an individual. [The Mishnah here expresses the view of Rabbi Shimon who argues with the Sages, maintaining that one who incites a city is hung, rather than stoned].”³

Also in the text, we find that a meisit is described as someone who persuades others to respect and revere him. In such cases, a meisit is not only an impostor but also a deceiver. But the Psalmist saw a light in the darkness when it came to such actions by one’s enemies, “Even human anger can bring you honor when you use it to punish your enemies.”⁴ And Solomon also had a word for them that they should have heeded, “There is no one wise enough to make a plan that can succeed if the Lord is against it.”⁵ The deception that the Pharisees tried to fabricate and the thing they attempted to prevent, became the reality upon which our eternal hope is based.

Likewise, if those who criticize and denounce the idea of a rapture taking place would try and prevent the second coming of Christ, they would be just as unsuccessful as these Pharisees. And just as He arose, He is returning, no matter what the skeptics say or try to do. But Pilate was no doubt growing tired of their constant bickering and requests, so he authorized the stationing of guards around the entrance of the tomb. Not only were they to guard against the disciples from coming and stealing the body so they could trumpet that He had risen, but they were ordered to seal the stone.

This echoes what happened to Daniel when he was put in the lions’ den in Babylon, “A big rock was brought and put over the opening of the lions’ den. Then the king used his ring and put his seal on the rock. He also used the rings of his officials and put their seals on the rock. This showed that no one could move that rock and bring Daniel out of the lion’s den.”⁶ We can also add that the Jewish Fathers made this comment that perhaps one of His own disciples may have repeated: “Daniel, that greatly beloved man, was engaged in acts of loving-kindness [all his days. For it is said of him, Your God whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.⁷”⁸

In summary, these religious cynics saw Christ’s claim to be the Messiah, and the King of the Jews, a great error which had led many astray. His crucifixion had for the time being canceled His claim as Messiah and King, thus scattering His followers. These skeptics knew that a similar claim of being the Messiah had been made by many others who came before Jesus, but there was no record of their ever being resurrected. So if Jesus was an impostor like the rest, why worry about Him rising from the dead? His miracles were, in some part, also performed by magicians of that day, as well as the prophets of old; yet they were accepted and believed to be real because they never claimed to be the Son of God.

They also knew that for someone to claim that they would be resurrected from the grave, its fulfillment would be a feat hard to accomplish, but if successful it would impossible to deny. They realized that the resurrection of Christ would be the only chance for His cause to survive. Not only would it impress His image in people’s hearts as the triumphant One, but they would then be labeled as defeated doubters. In recent times there has been an uptick in efforts to disprove the death of Christ on the cross and debunk His resurrection, to the point that some are suggesting that He really didn’t die on Calvary but went into a coma and that the coolness of the grave brought Him back to consciousness.

There are even now archaeological undertakings to find His grave so that His bones can be retrieved. Never mind that He was pierced in the side so blood and water could run out, allowing Him to bleed to death in order to provide the blood necessary for sins to be blotted out. Also, we have no record that after His grave was discovered empty, that Peter, James, and John returned to the grave on a regular basis to show their respect, or that Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mother came once a year to put flowers near the opening of His tomb in memory of His death and burial.

So why then, if His death is a myth and His resurrection a fairy tale do His critics fear these truths? Why do they spend so much time trying to explain them away? That’s because they fear an even greater threat to their campaign of doubt and suspicion. Jesus promised that He would rise from the grave, and He did! He also promised that after He went away He would come again, and He will! That is what they fear, His return to resurrect all those who died with faith in His coming and transform those alive who wait for His appearing. They know, that if this does take place as He promised and as His followers believe it will, they will be proven to be the faithless fools they really are. Had He not died, He would not have been buried; had He not been buried He would not have risen from the grave: had He not been raised from the grave He would not ascended into heaven; had He not have ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us to follow Him, He would not be coming back.

Early church theologian Origen has this to say: “What do you say, chief priest? Do you really think that Christ said to His men ‘after three days I will rise again⁹ and then secretly commanded them to steal His body during the night and to tell everyone that He had risen from the dead after three days?¹⁰ Yet it is manifestly incredible that after giving such great moral instruction to all peoples and after demonstrating such great power throughout all of Judea, He would then turn and deceive His disciples. Even they would find fault with their Commander and therefore refuse to do His bidding, most especially in view of the danger which would have threatened them from the people if they had confessed the man just crucified to be both their Teacher and the Messiah. But if it is hardly believable for Him to have said such a thing to His disciples, see if it is not more logical to believe that just as He performed great miracles and predicted that His gospel would be preached ‘to the ends of the earth,’¹¹ that His disciples ‘would stand before rulers and kings¹² and that ‘Jerusalem would be destroyed by an army,’¹³ so also did He predict His resurrection when He said ‘destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’ Indeed, it was for that reason that the chief priests and Pharisees said to Pilate, ‘That impostor said, while He was still alive, “after three days I will rise again.”’¹⁴”¹⁵

All of these things are part of our faith and hope that is kept alive by the fact that Christ still lives today and is changing thousands of lives. His blood is still cleansing; His power is still healing; His words are still changing men and women whom society, medicine, science, and psychology cannot redeem. But the greatest proof of all is not far hence, His triumphant return in clouds of glory.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XVIII

Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would be laid in a tomb among those who are rich.¹ Also, in a small Jewish tractate we are told: “…a new grave may be measured, and sold, and divided; an old one may not be measured, nor sold, nor divided.”² Rabbis also tell us that more than one tomb may be chiseled out of the same rock, but it all depends on the size and condition of the rock. They say that each burial chamber within the tomb must be four cubits in length [about 6 feet], seven [handbreadths] in height [about 3 feet], and six handbreadths in width [about 30 inches].³

As far as sealing the tomb with a boulder is concerned, we also find this in Jewish writings: “If a beam was used instead of a stone to seal the tomb, either upright or on its side, only that part is unclean that lies opposite the opening.”⁴ Therefore, Joseph had a choice and he chose a large rock. Rabbis give us a little more information on the use of the stone by saying: “The stone that seals a grave and its buttressing stone convey uncleanness by contact and by overshadowing but not by carrying. What is the buttressing stone? That against which the stone leans that seals the grave. But a stone that serves as a buttress to the buttressing stone is clean.”⁵

So we can see, that neither the disciples nor the leading Jews could have removed this stone without being declared unclean. There is an interesting story in Jewish lore that tells of what happened at Adam’s funeral after he had been entombed. It reads: “And God called and said, ‘Adam, Adam.’ And the body answered from the earth and said: ‘Here am I, LORD.’ And God said to him: ‘I told you (that of) earth you are and to earth, you will return. Again, I promised the Resurrection to you; I will raise you up in the Resurrection with every man who is of your seed.’ After these words, God made a seal and sealed the tomb, that no one might do anything to him for six days until his rib was restored to him. Then the Lord and His angels went back to their place.”⁶

Maybe that’s why God sent an angel to do the job of moving the stone from the tomb opening where Jesus’ body was laying. And believe me, once the angels touched that stone, it became clean. But rolling the stone in front of the cave entrance served another purpose besides sealing the tomb. In one Jewish document, we find what may be a veiled reference to Jesus where it says: “Abaye retorted: ‘Would you compare those who are slain by a Gentile Government to those who are executed by the Beth din? The former, since their death is not in accordance with Jewish law, obtain forgiveness, but the latter whose death is justly merited, are not [thereby] forgiven. This can also be proved from what we learned: ‘THEY DID NOT BURY HIM IN HIS ANCESTRAL TOMB.’⁷ It goes on to say, ‘THEY OBSERVED NO MOURNING RITES BUT GRIEVED FOR HIM FOR GRIEF IS BORNE ONLY IN THE HEART.’⁸ It then adds, ‘Ashi said: “When do the mourning rites commence? From the closing of the grave with the gravestone.”’”⁹ In the footnotes, there is a comment on sealing a grave by “rolling” a stone in front of the entrance. The commentator says this is what the Hebrew means, “…because it can be rolled away.”¹⁰

Another great Rabbi mentions the same practice, “From what point is a person obligated to mourn? When the grave is sealed. But until the corpse has been entombed, a mourner is not bound by any of the prohibitions incumbent on a mourner. For this reason, King David washed and anointed himself when his son died, before he was entombed.”¹¹ It is also significant to notice that according to the way Matthew’s notes were translated from Hebrew into Greek, it suggests the Joseph rolled the stone in front of the tomb. However, the Aramaic Version of this verse reads, “And they rolled a large boulder and they placed it at the entrance of the tomb and they departed.”¹²

This clearly intimates that Joseph did not do this himself because the stone was too heavy. We should also note that Joseph and Nicodemus were very devout Jewish scholars, and although they recognized Jesus as the Messiah, they still wanted to be observant to all the Jewish customs and traditions. So, how could they be doing such manual labor on the eve of the most sacred festival in Judaism, the Passover? A Rabbi explains: “We may take care of all the needs of a corpse during Chol Ha Mo’ed.¹³ We may cut its hair, wash its shrouds, and make a coffin for it. If there are no boards available, we may bring beams and cut boards from them in a discreet manner inside a building. If the coffin is intended for an important person, it may be made in the marketplace.”¹⁴

So they were safe as far as the verbal law was concerned. But they did not do this in secret or solitude, Matthew tells us that two women who were followers of Jesus were watching the whole thing. But they were more than just curious onlookers. They wanted to make sure they knew where the Savior’s body was being laid. They fully intended to prepare spices and ointments to anoint His body. They had not yet begun to grieve, but as soon as the stone was placed in front of the opening, that was the sign for them to begin their mourning, that is, they wrapped the body with cloth around and around, as was the custom of the Jews. Also, it was normal to bury the body of a common person in inexpensive shrouds made of flax.¹⁵

Verse 62a: That day was the day called Preparation day.

We learn that this was the day before the Sabbath spent in “preparation” for the holy Sabbath of the Passover week. The Jews were scrupulous about allowing no work such as this on the Sabbath, so it was necessary for the two friends to finish the burial necessities to the extent they could before the sun went down. Thus, just as the Lord rested one day after finishing the work of His creation week, so He would also rest another full day after finishing His redemption work of Passover week.

Jewish writers also tell us there is a lot that goes on during this week. We find the following written by Ari Goldman, a former New York Times reporter. He says: “One prepares for the Sabbath all week. In Hebrew the days of the week do not have names; they are all a launch pad for Shabbat. Sunday is the first day, Monday the second, and so on until Friday, which is both the sixth day and ‘the eve of Shabbat.’ In anticipation of the Friday night meal, observant Jews tend to eat lighter meals during the daytime on Friday. There is also much to do. In fact, the more observant you are of the details of Shabbat, the more you have to prepare before it arrives. The late eminent scholar Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik used to say that the true mark of a pious Jew is not that he or she is ashomer Shabbat (a Sabbath observer) but is shomer erev Shabbat (one who properly prepares on the eve of the Sabbath). By traditional Jewish law, one cannot shop on the Sabbath, so marketing is usually done during the day on Friday. Cooking is prohibited on the Sabbath, so that must be done in advance, too. Foods prepared beforehand can be kept warm on a hot plate or on the stove, a condition that has led to a preference for certain hearty dishes like a meat-bean-and-potato stew called cholent.”¹⁶

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XVII

The last Mary, in Matthew’s list, was the mother of Zebedee’s children – James and John. In Mark’s Gospel, she is identified as also being called Salome.¹ In any case, they were three brave women willing to do what the other disciples were afraid to do. At the time Matthew wrote this Gospel, there were those among the Jewish opponents who found every occasion to discredit and dismiss the followers of this Jesus of Nazareth. To put this in perspective, Jesus was surreptitiously identified by the Jews as ben Stada, or son of Stada, who was not Joseph. It was an attempt to paint Jesus as an illegitimate child. For instance, in the Jewish writings we find where Ben Stada (the Jewish code name for Jesus of Nazareth) is accused of “bringing witchcraft out of Egypt by means of scratches [in the form of charms] upon His flesh.”² These “scratches” have been interpreted by scholars as “incisions,” and are references to the nail scars in His hands and scratch in His side as proof that He was the One hung on the cross and rose from the dead.³

Then, somehow things got mixed up with Mary Magdalene the hairdresser being confused with Mary mother of Jesus. Mary Magdalene, out of whom Christ had cast out seven devils, and who, having received much from Him, revered Him so much that she showed it by her zealous and constant service to Him. As mentioned before, she was an inhabitant of the town called Magdala. This was a normal way of referring to such denizens from there because we also read about a called Rabbi Isaac of “Magdala.”⁴ In addition, we find her referred to in Jewish writings as: “Miriam, the women’s hairdresser.”⁵ This, scholars tell us: “Supposed by Tosefta⁶ to be the Mother of Jesus in the earlier uncensored editions. [Her description megaddela (hairdresser) is connected by some [people] with the name of Mary Magdalene whose name was confused with that of Mary, the mother of Jesus.”⁷

The other women were Mary the mother of James and Jose (short for Joseph). Some scholars believe this to be a reference to the mother of Jesus and two of His brothers. Then Mary the mother of James and John, known as the sons of Zebedee. Only John, the disciple that our Lord felt the closest to, was there at the crucifixion. All the others had fled. What a pitiful sight for Jesus to look down from the cross and only see a handful of supporters. But He knew it would all be straightened out in a few days when He would appear to them alive and victorious.

Verses 57-61: That evening a wealthy man named Joseph came to Jerusalem. He was a follower of Jesus from the town of Arimathea. He went to Pilate and asked to be given Jesus’ body. Pilate gave orders for the soldiers to give Jesus’ body to him. Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a new linen cloth. He laid Jesus’ body in a new tomb that he had dug into the wall of rock. Then he closed the tomb by rolling a very large stone to cover the entrance. After he did this, he went away. Mary Magdalene and the other woman named Mary were sitting near the tomb.

Some Bible scholars identify the town of Arimathea with the town of Ramah mentioned by Samuel.⁸ The Onomasticon of Eusebius and Jerome identify it with Ramathaim-Zophim in the hill-country of Ephraim,⁹ which is Ramah the birthplace and burial-place of Samuel.¹⁰ and places it near Timnah on the territorial borders of Judah and Daniel. Scottish Professor, George Adam Smith, thinks it may be the modern-day Beit Rima, a village on a raised plateau 2 miles North of Timnah.¹¹ Yet others incline to identify it as Ramallah, 8 miles North of Jerusalem and 3 miles from Bethel.

Joseph was not your average citizen, he was a highly thought of member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and apparent friend of Nicodemus who was also a member of the Sanhedrin. Some believe that Joseph’s real name was Joseph ben Gorion and that he was the brother of Nicodemus ben Gorion.¹² While this is a possibility, as far as the Scriptures are concerned it is pure speculation. What is striking here is that both were secret disciples of Jesus coming out openly and asking for the privilege of taking care of His body, while His publicly identified disciples were secretly hiding in order to avoid repercussions for their association with Him.

Beside their reverence for the Son of God, it is quite possible that they were also driven by the Jewish verbal tradition concerning the prohibition of leaving a victim hanging overnight, as we see in their writings: “And if God is so grieved over the blood of the wicked that is shed, how much more so over the blood of the righteous! [Referring back to the prohibition of leaving one hanging overnight] not only of this one [a criminal,] did they [the Sages] say it, but anyone who leaves his deceased [unburied] overnight transgresses this prohibition.”¹³

Joseph and Nicodemus brought along all the burial materials they needed, and I’m sure they selected what was right and proper. One Jewish scholar gives us some insight into the burial process: “These are the customs observed by the Jewish people with regard to corpses and burial. We close the eyes of the deceased. If one’s mouth hangs open, we tie the jaw close. After washing the corpse, we stuff the orifices so they are closed, anoint it with different fragrances, cut its hair, and dress it in shrouds of white linen which are not expensive. Our Sages followed the custom of using a cloak worth a silver coin, so as not to embarrass a person who lacks resources. We cover the faces of the deceased so as not to embarrass the poor whose faces turned black because of hunger. It is forbidden to bury the dead, even a high official among the Jewish people, in silk shrouds or clothes embroidered with gold, for this is an expression of haughtiness, the destruction of useful property, and the emulation of gentile practices. We carry the dead on our shoulders to the cemetery.”¹⁴

From this description of the burial materials in which that which covers the body is separate from that which covers the head, the Shroud of Turin is thereby brought into serious doubt as being the authentic burial clothes of Jesus, since the face is present in the cloth along with the whole body. In addition, we read in the Scriptures where it says that when John reached the tomb, he stooped and looked inside and saw the linen cloth lying there. Then it says, “Simon Peter arrived and went on inside. He also noticed the cloth lying there, while the swath that had covered Jesus’ head was rolled up in a bundle and was lying at the side.”¹⁵

It is also important to notice that Matthew states that the body of Jesus was “laid” in a new tomb purchased by Joseph, that was dug out of a rock. So often those in the Western culture imagine any burial to be in a grave dug into the ground. In fact, the word “buried” is never used in the New Testament for the interment of Christ. Even one of our most famous Easter hymns erroneously says, “Up from the grave He arose.” In a song the Holy Spirit inspired me to write years ago, I rendered the wording this way, “All was still, on resurrection morning, when our Savior stepped triumphant from the tomb.”

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XVI

In the Jewish Mishnah, we read the following law concerning those accused of blasphemy, such as Jesus was: “The blasphemer is liable only if he utters [the Divine] Name. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karhah says: The entire day [of the trial,] the witnesses are examined by means of a substitute for the Divine Name. When the trial is finished, however, the accused must not be executed by [a testimony given using] a substitution. Rather, all persons [who were not absolutely necessary to the case] are removed [from the courtroom], and the chief witness was told, state exactly what you heard. Thereupon, he did so [using the Divine Name]. The judges then stood up and rent their garments, which were not resewn [in a manner so that the tear is no longer noticeable].” Thus the veil, like the garment of the ordinary priest, was torn from top to bottom. And while the blood of a lamb was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies, in this case, the blood of the Lamb of God was sprinkled on God’s Mercy Seat – the cross, for all the world to see.

The term, “Divine Name,” was a reference to what God said to Moses who asked Him to identify Himself. God replied: “I AM WHO I AM.”¹ In order not to disrespect God’s name, in Jewish literature it is referred to as “Ha-Shem,” which means, “The Name.”In Judaism 101 it is explained this way: “The most important of God’s Names is the four-letter Name represented by the Hebrew letters Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei (YHVH). It is often referred to as the Ineffable Name, the Unutterable Name, or the Distinctive Name. Linguistically, it is related to the Hebrew root Hei-Yod-Hei (to be), and reflects the fact that God’s existence is eternal. In scripture, this Name is used when discussing God’s relation with human beings, and when emphasizing his qualities of lovingkindness and mercy. It is frequently shortened to Yah (Yod-Hei), Yahu or Yeho (Yod-Hei-Vav), especially when used in combination with names or phrases, as in Yehoshua (Joshua, meaning ‘the Lord is my Salvation’), Eliyahu (Elijah, meaning ‘my God is the Lord’), and Halleluyah (‘praise the Lord’).”² When you see the name of God in most Jewish literature, it is always printed as, “G-d.”

Verses 51b-53: Also, the earth shook and rocks shattered. The graves were unsealed, and many of God’s people who were sleeping were raised from death. They walked out of the graves. And after Jesus was raised from death, they went into the holy city, and many people saw them.

It is worthy to note that Matthew says, “they who were sleeping,” arose. The Aramaic Version puts it the same way. They came out of their tombs and were seen walking around in Jerusalem. There is no record that any of them stayed for long, or went back to their families as Lazarus did. It also points out that all the graves were outside the walls of the city, that’s why they had to enter the city.

A great Jewish teacher makes this very clear, “Every city is given a cemetery outside these boundaries, for they do not bury their dead within their cities: as [implied by Numbers 31:3]: ‘The residential area will be for their animals, their property, and all their vital needs.’ [This land] was given ‘for their vital needs’ and not for burial.”³

But Matthew makes something quite plain in this verse that many fail to see. It is accepted by Bible scholars that v. 52 tells us that upon the initial quake, the graves split open and the dead saints rose to walk the streets. But here in v. 53, Matthew clearly points out that these saints did not rise until after Christ had risen Himself. These two verses, then, should have been combined as one, not two. This then preserves Christ’s position as the first fruit of the resurrection.

The early church bishop of Laodicea has this to say about these resurrected saints: “The raising up of the saints’ bodies was announcing that the death of Christ was actually the cause of life. They certainly were not made visible prior to the Lord’s resurrection, since it was necessary that the resurrection of the Savior first be made known. Then those raised through Him were seen. It is plain that they have died again, having risen from the dead in order to be a sign. For it was not possible for only some of the firstborn from the dead to be raised to the life of the age to come, but the remainder [must be raised] in the same manner. Now, Luke says that the crowd passing by ‘beat their breasts and went away.’⁴ Thus the divine superiority did not escape the notice of the Jews, either in the Passion itself or in the obscurity of the Savior. But habitual human forgetfulness held them fast, and the deceit of the teachers led many astray.”⁵

Verse 54: The army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus felt this earthquake and saw everything that happened. They were very afraid and said, “He really was the Son of God!”

This earthquake proved to be a wake-up call for those soldiers guarding the scene around the cross. There is something in the response of the officer in charge and his detail that makes me think that somewhere and somehow the fact that Jesus was being called the Son of God had reached his ears. Of course, there are some critics who would say that since the Romans believed in their gods having sons who came to earth, that they were, in fact, saying, “Truly, He is the son of one of the gods,” such as Romulus and Remus. But such thinking is severely flawed because no such circumstances as a crucifixion ever accompanied the revelation of these gods. The centurion and his soldier’s reaction was one of awe and respect, not fear and anxiety.

Jerome puts it this way: “Another Gospel⁶ demonstrates more clearly the cause of the centurion’s astonishment after the shaking of the earth. It wasn’t until after he had seen Christ give up the spirit that he said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God,’ for no one has the power to give up the spirit except He who is the Creator of souls. Here we can understand ‘soul’ for ‘spirit’ because the soul animates the body and makes it spiritual and because the spirit is the substance of the soul itself, as it is written: ‘You take away their spirits and they cease to be.’⁷”⁸

Verses 55-56: Many women were standing some distance from the cross, watching. These were the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for Him. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were there.

But there were other witnesses that Matthew names, and they were all women. Of course, we know about Mary Magdelene. Mary the mother of James and Jose (Joseph) is identified with the Mary we read about earlier.⁹ And of course Mary to mother to the sons of Zebedee, James and John. In reading this list of names in several commentaries, it is clear that all of them agree that Mary Magdalene, was the one from the village of Magdala up in Galilee on the southwestern coast of the Sea of Galilee. Several also point to her as the one out of whom Jesus cast seven demons. Philip Schaff and C. J. Ellicott in their commentaries point out that some have confused her with the sinful woman who anointed our Lord’s feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee,¹⁰ and others with Mary, the sister of Lazarus (who anointed our Lord in Bethany).¹¹

The next Mary is identified as the mother of James and Jose, which is short for Joseph. There is quite a bit of uncertainty about her identity. Perhaps the clearest reference is where she is standing near the cross with Mary, the mother Jesus, and identified as Mary’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas or Cleopas or Cleophas.¹² One thing you learn about the names of people and places that are translated from Hebrew to Greek and Greek to English, there are always numerable differences in spelling. Since Cleopas was one of those Jesus walked with on the road to Emmaus, which has been identified as the brother of Joseph, the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus, then instead of sister it should read “sister-in-law.”

Cindy Lew, who became disabled due to medical issues after being a high school teacher and who now feels extremely blessed and inspired to work with students teaching Graphic Design, wrote this line: “Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends.”

On this special day when we celebrate the greatest gift from heaven, God’s only Son who came to be our Lord and Savior, those presents under the tree only represent the idea of celebrating such a wonderful event. When we look back over the past year, I’m sure we all can see many gifts that God gave us, without which we would not have made it this far. So, ask yourself what is my gift for Him on this day? – Dr. Robert R Seyda

Christmas Reunion

True Story – by Pastor Rob Reid

A young pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time so they could celebrate their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc., and on December 8 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the December 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet directly behind the pulpit to fall off the front wall. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do headed home. On the way, he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted table linen with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole on the church wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An elderly lady running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait inside the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and watched the pastor as he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman slowly walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor,” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?”

The pastor told her. The woman then asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of this woman who had made this tablecloth years ago when she lived in Austria. The woman explained that before the WWII she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Germans came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor was so touched by her story that he wanted to give her the tablecloth, but she told him to keep it for the church. So then the pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One old man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in the pew and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war. How could there be two tablecloths that looked so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where he had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door. When the lady opened the door, as soon as their eyes met he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could have ever imagine. God does work in ways mysterious to us but not to Him.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XV

In the mean time, Matthew tells us that some soldiers apparently thought the pain was too much for this suffering king, so they went and fetched a sponge and dipped it in a sedative-ladened sour wine to give Him some relief from the agony. The object they used may have resembled the one we find described here: “Regarding the usage of a sponge to wipe off the table; if it has a leather handle so that by handling it he will not necessarily squeeze water out of it, one may wipe the table with it; if not and one would definitely squeeze out the water, one may not wipe the table with it. The Sages maintain that when dry; in either case, whether or not it has a leather handle it may be handled on the Sabbath since it is definitely a vessel and not set aside and even so it is not susceptible to defilement since it is not a vessel of wood, garment, sack or a metal utensil¹.”² However, there is no reason to believe that the soldiers would have taken such care.

Verses 50-51a: Again Jesus cried out loudly and then died. When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces. The tear started at the top and went all the way to the bottom.

Matthew does not give us the words that Jesus spoke with His last breath. However, John records that this is when our Lord cried out: “It is finished!”³ Luke tells us that Jesus was then heard saying: “Father, into Your hands I surrender my spirit.”⁴ Also, when it comes to certifying that Jesus was dead, the Ethiopic Version adds that one soldier took a spear and pierced His side with it, and blood and water flowed out: but this circumstance is only recorded by the Evangelist John,⁵ although Beza says the same is read here in two ancient copies of Matthew.

Early church preacher Chrysostom, had this to say: “If giving up the spirit or (according to John) handing over the spirit were simply tantamount to dying, it would be easy to understand the passage which states ‘He gave up His spirit.’ However, since discerning minds define death to be nothing other than the separation of the soul from the body, we can see that yielding up one’s spirit is something more than simply dying physically. It is quite something else to ‘cry out with a loud voice and give up the spirit’ (as in Matthew) or to commit one’s spirit to the hand of God (as in Luke) or to bow one’s head and hand over his spirit (as in John). It is for all people to die, including the evil, because the soul of every person, including the unrighteous, will be separated from the body.”⁶

Chrysostom then continues: “If therefore we now understand what it means to cry out with a loud voice and thus to give up the spirit, that is, to commit oneself to the hand of God (as we have explained above in accordance with Luke’s Gospel), and if we understand what it means to bow the head and hand over the spirit, let us hasten to guard the conduct of our lives so that, upon our deaths, we also, like Jesus, might be able to cry out with a loud voice and thus to give up our spirit to the Father.”⁷

Some critics point out that this event is recorded nowhere else in non-Christian sources. Some simple logic may explain why. As far as the Romans are concerned, an earthquake could be responsible for more destruction than just rending a curtain in two in a temple, especially a Jewish one. So they had no need to make note of this. In the case of the Jews, the last thing they needed was for Jesus’ death to be connected to the sudden exposure of the Holy of Holies for people to see other than the High Priest. This would certainly lend authenticity or our Lord’s death as the Lamb of God and the Messiah. So they would make sure that none of this was known to the outside world, just as they would cover up His resurrection. However, with the apostle John, Jesus’ mother, and others standing on Golgotha at the time this happened, that’s why the Holy Spirit made sure it was recorded.

Nonetheless, I’m sure that when the Jewish leaders heard Jesus follower’s talking about it, they were quick to dismiss it as an unfounded rumor. In any case, it must have been known well enough to appear in one of the Apocryphal Gospels.⁸ I like the way one Jewish writer put it: “The fate of crucifixion, however, did not end the career of Jesus, as it had that of many other claimants to the Messiahship in those turbulent times. His personality had impressed itself so deeply upon His followers that they could not admit that He had gone from them forever…This was but the starting point of that remarkable religious movement which grew first among the lower classes in northern Palestine and Syria, then gradually throughout the entire Roman Empire, shaking the whole of heathendom until all its deities gave way to the God of Israel, the divine Father of the crucified Messiah. The Jewish tidings of salvation for the poor and lowly offered by the Nazarene became the death-knell to the proud might of paganism.”⁹

Meantime, those standing around the cross heard our Lord’s last cry just before He died. But what they didn’t see was what was happening over at the Temple. Matthew says that the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, was ripped down the middle from top to bottom. There is an interesting comparison between the veil and what Jewish verbal teachings say about the high priest’s garments: “Rabbi ‘Inyani ben Sason said: Why are the sections on sacrifices and the priestly garments similar? To teach you: as sacrifices make atonement, so do the priestly garments make atonement.”¹⁰ It then goes on to say that the robe atones for slander. In this case, Jesus had been accused and convicted of slander by claiming to be the Son of God, the Messiah. Quite amazingly, when the high priest was permitted to tear his garments upon hearing blasphemy,¹¹ it was also from top to bottom.

The veil in the Temple was a beautiful piece of woven linen. We read where Moses was told: “Use fine linen and make a special curtain for the inside of the Holy Tent. Use blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and sew pictures of Cherub angels into the curtain.”¹² When Solomon was building the Temple he was told to use “expensive linen.”¹³ This is significant because as one revered Rabbi explains: “Whenever the Torah uses the term sheish or ‘spun sheish,’ it is necessary that the strand is sixfold. Where the term bad is used, it is valid, if one strand alone is used. Even in such situations, the most desirable manner of performing the mitzvah¹⁴ is that it be sixfold. Whenever the term meshizar¹⁵ is used alone, the intent is a thread that is eightfold.”¹⁶

The Rabbis tell us, “The veil was three and one-half inches thick, and was woven on a loom of seventy-two cords, and each cord was made up of twenty-four threads. It was forty cubits high, and twenty cubits wide. It was made up of eighty-two times ten thousand threads.”¹⁷ A cubit was somewhere between 17 to 21 inches. On a conservative basis, this veil was 60 feet high and 30 feet wide and 4 inches thick. Also, the Rabbis say that this curtain had to be immersed in order to sanctify it for temple use, and that immersion took some 300 priests.¹⁸ This made the ripping of the veil even that more impressive. But that was not all. In the words of David: “In my trouble, I called to the Lord. Yes, I cried out to my God for help. There in His temple He heard my voice. He heard my cry for help. The earth shook and shivered. The foundations of the mountains trembled.”¹⁹ Not only did the veil rip, but so did the ground. Metaphorically, we could also see the veil as representing the sky opening when Jesus returns to gather the saints, and the ground opening to let them free to meet Him in the air.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XIV

Another thing to consider was how far this darkness extended beyond Jerusalem. In other words, did it become dark as far away as Antioch or Damascus? There was a Greek author named Phlegon of Tralles, born about 80 AD, who was a secular historian, and who lived into the second century. There are two books credited to his name: Chronicles and the Olympiads. Little is known about Phlegon, but he made several references to Jesus Christ. Some of those statements were recorded by other writers. For instance, this reference: “And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place . . . ”¹ And another quote from Philopon is found where he mentions the eclipse which took place during the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and no other eclipse; it is clear that he did not know from his sources about any similar eclipse of previous times . . . and this is shown by the historical account of Tiberius Caesar.²

Then we have the third quote by Sextus Julius Africanus,³ “Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Cæsar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth – manifestly that one of which we speak. But what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe? . . . And calculation makes out that the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time.”⁴ And finally a quote from St. Jerome. “In the fourth year, however, of Olympiad 202, an eclipse of the sun happened, greater and more excellent than any that had happened before it; at the sixth hour, day turned into dark night, so that the stars were seen in the sky, and an earthquake in Bithynia toppled many buildings of the city of Nicaea.”⁵

As mentioned before, Phlegon’s comment that an eclipse of the sun occurred during Jesus’ death was impossible since the Jewish Passover occurs during a full moon. It is important to note that 1) an eclipse of the sun cannot occur during a full moon since the moon would be on the opposite side of the earth and 2) that Jesus died on Passover during a full moon. It is important to read Thallus’ history of the Mediterranean world to completely understand the issue.⁶ But the obvious point here is this, with Phlegon and Thallus writing so close to the event and being quoted by so many authors as valid, surely that should give any historian cause to take what happened according to Matthew’s account seriously.

I like what one of the earliest church scholars had to say about examining the facts concerning the validity of Jesus being the Messiah. He wrote: “If the Jews object, we answer that Moses, who was but a man, taught them their religion; against the Greeks we urge that Orpheus at Pieria, Musæus at Athens, Melampus at Argos, Trophonius in Bœotia, imposed religious rites; turning to yourselves, who exercise sway over the nations, it was the man Numa Pompilius who laid on the Romans a heavy load of costly superstitions. Surely Christ, then, had a right to reveal Deity, which was, in fact, His own essential possession, not with the object of bringing peasants and savages by the fear of multitudinous gods, whose favor must be won into some civilization, as was the case with Numa; but as one who aimed to enlighten men already civilized, and under illusions from their very culture, that they might come to the knowledge of the truth. Search, then, and see if that divinity of Christ is true. If it be of such a nature that the acceptance of it transforms a man, and makes him truly good, there is implied in that the duty of renouncing what is opposed to it as false; especially and on every ground that which, hiding itself under the names and images of dead, that labors to convince men of its divinity by certain signs, and miracles, and oracles.”⁷

Furthermore, in the Suda (or Souda),⁸ Dionysius the Areopagite, who was a judge of the Areopagus as chronicled by Luke,⁹ and was converted to Christianity by the preaching of the Apostle Paul during his sermon before the Areopagus council, while he was still a heathen, observed this midday darkening of the sun as far away as Egypt. In the Suda¹⁰ we read: “So such a report has descended to us, transmitted from father to son from above, concerning the holy Dionysius, that at the time of the Savior’s passion, when the sun at midday was hidden, being very much astounded at the marvel and surpassing his human understanding, perceiving the event, he said, ‘An unknown god is suffering, through whom everything is darkened and shaken.‘”¹¹ Add to this the fact that it lasted three hours; whereas a natural eclipse of the sun is but of a short duration: “The Lord God also said, ‘At that time I will make the sun set at noon and make the land dark on a clear day.‘”¹²

In an interesting passage in the Jewish Zohar on “The Coming of the Messiah,” based on the Book of Exodus (Shemot) we read: “After twelve months, the Messiah will be raised inside that pillar into the firmament, where he will receive strength and the crown of kingship. And when he descends to the earth, that pillar of fire will be seen again as before, in the eyes of the whole world. Afterward, the Messiah will appear and many nations will gather to him, and he will make wars throughout the world. At that time, the Creator will awaken all the peoples of the world with His might, the Messiah King will be known throughout the world, and all the kings in the world will awaken and unite to wage war against him. Several rulers in Israel will revert and return to the gentiles and will come with them to wage war against the Messiah King. Then, the whole world will darken for fifteen days and many from the people of Israel will die in that darkness. This is why it is written, “For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth.”¹³

If they will believe that about the future, then it should not be hard to believe that God darkened the skies for just three hours by His own divine hand. Not only that, but the time for our Lord to complete His mission had arrived. According to the earliest Jewish verbal traditions, this was the hour for the slaying and offering of the daily sacrifice. This time frame is confirmed by Rabbi Joshua ben Levi who said, “The idiom ‘twilight’ is made up of two words that yield ‘between the evenings.’ How is this to be understood? Divide ‘between the evenings’ in the sense of the two periods in which the day becomes darker; hence, divide between the post-noon period, when the day grows darker, and the post-afternoon period, when the day becomes even darker with the onset of night and assign two-and-one-half hours before the sacrifice and two-and-one-half hours after it and one hour for involvement with the planning and preparation of the Daily Whole Offering offering. You may say that the Daily Whole Offering offering is offered at the ninth-and-one-half hour and the time of the Passover sacrifice is derived from that of the Daily Whole Offering offering. Therefore it should be fit to offer a Passover sacrifice from the sixth hour and on.¹⁴

To put it simply, anytime after 3 pm and before it got dark, the Passover Lamb was to be sacrificed. Perhaps that is why the Lamb of God who was being sacrificed at this moment suddenly cries out! Did not Isaiah say: “But the Lord was pleased with this humble servant who suffered such pain.”¹⁵ Also what Jeremiah said may have crossed our Savior’s mind at this moment, “All you who pass by on the road, you don’t seem to care. But look at me and see. Is there any pain like my pain? Is there any pain like the pain that has come to me? Is there any pain like the pain that the Lord has punished me with?
He has punished me on the day of His great anger.”¹⁶

1 Origen, “Against Celsus”, Book 2.33

2 Phiopon: De opificio mundi libri

3 A Christian historian, who lived c. 160-240 AD, and composed a five-volume chronology of world history from creation up to 221 AD, which had great influence upon Eusebius and on many writers of Church history.

4 Sextus Julius Africanus, Chronography, Fragment 18.1

5 Phlegon’s 13th book quoted in Jerome’s translation of Eusebius’ Chronicle, 202 Olympiad.

6 Thallus was a Greek historian who in 52 AD wrote a three-volume history of the Mediterranean world from approximately 112-109 BC.

7 Tertullian, Apology, Ch. 21

8 The Suda or Souda (meaning “Stronghold”), is a massive 10th-century Byzantine Greek historical encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, covering the whole of Greek and Roman antiquity and also including Biblical and Christian material.

9 Acts 17:34

10 Suda: Medieval Greek: is a massive 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Suidas. It is an encyclopedic lexicon, written in Greek, with 30,000 entries, many drawing from ancient sources that have since been lost, and often derived from medieval Christian compilers.

11 Suda: Headword: Ἀνέκαθεν, Adler number: alpha, 2231

12 Amos 8:9

13 Jewish Zohar, which means “Splendor” or “Radiance,” and is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah, which loosely means, “Tradition,” pp. 103-104

14 Jerusalem Talmud, Second Division: Tractate Pesahim, Ch. 5:1, [I:1 K]

15 Isaiah 53:10

16 Lamentations 1:12

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XIII

It must be appreciated that Jesus was not crying out in disrespect of His heavenly Father or because He had done anything wrong, but that He was standing in God’s courtroom in place of the sinners for whom He was dying. Nor was this cry one of impatience or out of despair, for He was entirely resigned to the will of God, and content to drink the last drop in the bitter cup. But to those Jews listening, they knew it was said in their tradition involving Esther, who, as she stood in the inner court of the King of Persia’s house,¹ Rabbi Levi said: “The Divine Presence left her. She said, My God, My God, why have You forsaken me.’”²

But as to the reason why our Lord chose this Psalm for this particular occasion can easily be seen in the fact that it had always been considered a Psalm about Him. As scholars tell us: “In Judaism, when a Bible verse is cited its entire context is implied, if appropriate. Thus Yeshua refers all of Psalm 22 to Himself.”³ So here was the Messiah calling out for those who may have doubted Him, inspiring them to read this whole Psalm and see how applicable it was to His situation. But Matthew tells us that some standing near the cross did not understand completely why He was quoting it.

Verse 47: When some of the people standing nearby heard this, they said, “He is calling for Elijah.”⁴

In all the darkness and confusion, and with many standing around the crosses no doubt trying to figure out why it had gotten so dark at noontime, especially since there had been no signs of a thunderstorm or heavy clouds, it should not surprise us that the people may have misunderstood what our Lord cried out on the cross. Or, as some scholars have suggested, they were reminded of the words spoken by the prophet Malachi: “Look, I will send Elijah the prophet to you. He will come before that great and terrible time of judgment from the Lord.”⁵

Throughout the writings of the Jews, we find on numerous occasions where it is mentioned that Elijah came and spoke to them, giving instructions and admonishment. For instance, we read where during a trial of a Rabbi suspected of stealing: “Elijah came disguised as one of the dignitaries of Rome and said to that man: As miracles were worked for him in all the other matters, a miracle will also happen in this one, and you will only be exposed as being bad-natured.”⁶

In another place, we read where some Jews decided to send a gift to the emperor. So they chose a man named Nahum of Gamzu who was known to perform miracles. On the way, the bag containing precious stones and pearls were stolen by the staff at the inn where he was staying. So they filled the bag with dirt. Since Nahum was blind, he did not know what had happened until the bag was opened in front of the Emperor. Before he could try and explain, it says: “Elijah appeared in the guise of one of them and remarked, Perhaps this is some of the earth of their father Abraham, for when he [the emperor] threw this earth [against the enemy] it turned into swords and when [he threw] stubble it changed into arrows.”⁷

So we can see why perhaps they were speaking about Elijah as one who could come and miraculously get Jesus out of this predicament. But mostly, they were asking sarcastically, “Let’s see if Elijah will come and save Him.” This was important because Elijah was someone the Jews looked upon to be the forerunner of the Messiah. Therefore, to suggest that should he come and save Jesus they would then believe He was the Messiah, was ludicrous. Yet, even though they did have an acceptable notion of Elijah appearing to persons frequently, and talking, and conversing with them,⁸ they considered these persons being of great note, known for their piety and learning. But they really did not believe Elijah would come and appear to Jesus of Nazareth, as they pretend because they held no such high opinion of Him.

Such sarcasm continued among the Jews for centuries, as we see in the polemic writings of a Jewish Rabbi in the Middle Ages, who imagined that when God said, “Let us make man in our image,”⁹ He was speaking to His Son. However, the Son rebelled and did not wish to help His Father, so that’s why the text then goes on to say: “So God the Father created man in His own image.”¹⁰ The writer continues his diatribe by indicating that God then said to His Son, “If the time should come when you need my assistance, I will not help you just as you have not helped Me.” This sounds more like material constructed out of fairy tales instead of scholarly theological research.

But we must also examine what was unspoken in this cry of the Master in His agony. As we have noted, the words He uttered here are from the opening lines of Psalm 22. This is accepted by both Jews and Christians as a Messianic Psalm. And just as interesting, is what the Psalmist says about the torture the Messiah would go through. For me, I see this as our Lord’s way of getting the disciples to look at this Psalm once they were alone, to see what it meant. In the text, they would find further confirmation that He was dying as the Messiah, the Lamb of God. The last verse of this Psalm says it all: “Our descendants will serve Him. Those who are not yet born will be told about Him. Each generation will tell their children about the good things the Lord has done.”¹¹

Verses 48-49: Quickly, one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled the sponge with sour wine and tied the sponge to a stick. Then he used the stick to give the sponge to Jesus to get a drink from it. But the others said, “Don’t bother Him. We want to see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

What happens now gets the attention of the whole city of Jerusalem. Matthew was alert enough to give us the time frame involved. Since he notes that it was about 3 pm when our Lord cried out and that it had been dark for some three hours, this suggests that our Lord was led to Calvary and nailed to the cross sometime in the morning, probably around 10 am. With this comes the word given to Isaiah, “I dress the heavens in black to mourn and make their covering sackcloth.”¹² And also, what the prophet Amos heard, “The Lord God also said, ‘At that time I will make the sun set at noon and make the land dark on a clear day.‘”¹³

Some have suggested, that there could have been a full solar eclipse. However, we know from Jewish custom that the Passover was only celebrated at the time of a full moon, which would have made that impossible. This time period of 3 pm is described by the Jews as follows: “The Daily Whole Offering of the afternoon generally was slaughtered at half after the eighth hour [after dawn, about 2:30 pm] and offered up at half after the ninth hour [about 3:30 pm].”¹⁴ So, since their new day would begin at 6 pm, this point in time was considered to be at the end of the day.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Part XII

The heckling and disrespect of those in authority, especially those who God anointed to teach and guide His people was something predicted long ago. This was the theme of the Rabbis who commented on the verbal traditions, quoting from the original document:¹ “In the footsteps of the Messiah insolence will increase and honor dwindle.”² Another renown Rabbi commented: “At the end of the King Messiah, audacity will increase; i.e., at the end of the exile, prior to the advent of the Messiah.”³ This is followed by a tempting dare that Jesus had faced before. Several times He was challenged to do miracles in order to prove His claim as the Son of God,⁴ starting with Satan’s temptations in the wilderness.⁵

In one polemic writing, Jewish writers say that the mockers were actually saying, “If You are the Son of God, why haven’t you delivered Yourself out of our hands?”⁶ The answer, of course, is very simple, because it wouldn’t be long before they would hear this suffering Messiah cry out, “Father, I put my life in your hands!”⁷ Matthew will now give us a glimpse into who was the source of such mocking and taunting.

Verses 41-44: The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders were also there. They made fun of Jesus the same as the other people did. They said, “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself! People say He is the king of Israel. If He is the king, He should come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in Him. He trusted God. So let God save Him now if God really wants Him. He Himself said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ And in the same way, the criminals on the crosses beside Jesus also insulted Him.”

I can’t help but wonder what gave these opponents of Jesus such boldness and sense of invulnerability that they now openly made fun of the man who reportedly healed the sick, cleansed lepers, walked on water, and raised the dead. But I wonder if the words of Job ever crossed their minds: “If God checked you very closely, would He see that you are right? Do you really think you can fool God the same as you fool people?”⁸

But king David would have a different take on them, “Let my enemies be ashamed and embarrassed—all those who were happy about my troubles. Proud of themselves, they treated me as worthless. So let them be covered with shame and disgrace.”⁹ One of their pokes at the Messiah on the cross sounds like what king David had to deal with, “God will not rescue him!”¹⁰ Then they teased our Lord just as they teased His royal ancestor, “Call to the Lord for help. Maybe He will save you. If He likes you so much, surely He will rescue you!”¹¹ They also used the words of the Korahites, “Where is your God?”¹² So they came to the same conclusion as the Psalmist “God has left him, so there is no one to help him.”¹³

Jerome gives us his understanding of why the Jewish leaders were taunting Jesus this way. He writes: “What a deceitful promise! Which is greater: to come down from the cross while still alive or to rise from the tomb while dead? He rose, and you do not believe. Therefore, even if He came down from the cross, you would not believe. Furthermore, it seems to me that this would usher in the evil spirits. As soon as the Lord was crucified, they sensed the power of the cross and realized their own strength was broken. They were acting in this way to get Him to come down from the cross. But the Lord, knowing the snares of His adversaries, remained on the cross that He may destroy the devil.”¹⁴

Even though Luke records that it was one thief that mocked Jesus, and was rebuked him for being so foolish,¹⁵ Matthew says that both thieves on either side of Jesus joined in with the crowd. Some Bible scholars suggest that these thieves may not have ridiculed Jesus themselves, but merely watched without objecting to their derisiveness. But in my opinion, since Matthew does not go on to include the confession of the one thief, he is only reporting what happened up to that point based on the information he had been given.

Verses 45-46: At noon the whole country suddenly became dark. The darkness continued for three hours. About three o’clock Jesus cried out loudly, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” This means “My God, my God, why have You left me like this?”¹⁶

To understand this scene, we need to look at the Jewish timetable for the Temple and the daily scheduled burnt offerings.¹⁷ In the first hour of the day, beginning at dawn until 8 AM the priests prepared the altar for the first sacrifice.¹⁸ The first male lamb is brought out and tied to the altar.¹⁹ Then during the third hour (9-10 AM), the incense was offered in the Sanctuary and the first lamb was sacrificed. In the sixth hour (Noon to 1 PM), the second lamb is brought out and tied to the altar at high noon.²⁰ Then, in the ninth hour (3 – 4 PM), the second lamb is sacrificed.²¹

So when we use this timeline to follow what was happening on the cross, at approximately 12 PM, in what was usually the hour when the sun was at high noon, the sky suddenly became pitch black. This was the same moment when in the Temple the second lamb was brought out and tied to the altar. It stayed that way for 3 hours. Then at the same moment when this second lamb was sacrificed, our Lord cried out to His heavenly Father, wanting to know why He was there all alone.

Metaphorically speaking, we could call the first lamb that died earlier as portraying all the lambs that had died over the centuries since the Law was given to Moses. In this case, and on this day, its death represented the truth that this would be the last time God would accept an animal sacrifice for sins. And the second lamb that died is portrayed as the Lamb of God that would die one time for all time to cover the sins of mankind and would never need to die again. This ninth hour was also called the second hour of prayer,²² and was also called the hour of confession. So we can see that the whole drama of our Lord being on the cross at this particular time of day was not happenstance, but orchestrated by God the Father from before the beginning of the world.

Of course, God’s anger was against man’s sin, the sin that made His Son the only one qualified for crucifixion. But what Matthew records is very important for us to understand, not only what Jesus said but why He said it. It is the opening lines of a Messianic Psalm.²³ It is interesting that in the Aramaic Version it reads, “My God, my God, why have You spared me?” This can be best understood when we take the word “spare” as a verb meaning, “to part with.” We also must note that “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,” is a combination of both Hebrew and Aramaic, with the first two words being the Hebrew name for God, and the remaining phrase being Aramaic. As a matter of fact in the Aramaic paraphrase of this verse, we find “azabthani.”²⁴ One Jewish translation renders it: “Eli! Eli! L’mah sh’baktani?” (My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?).²⁵ Although Matthew, no doubt, wrote it this way in his Aramaic notes, in the Greek it was transliterated as “sabachthani.”