The Big Buts of Passion Week
Saturday 4.7.07
Read Matthew 27:62-66
No buts about it. Matthew’s gospel is the only one of the four that gives us any mention of that Saturday. He doesn’t mention any of Jesus’ followers. We can only imagine that theirs was a very sad and confusing Sabbath. I wonder if they were thinking back over their experiences with Jesus. Perhaps they recalled the occasions of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 16:21, 17:9, 17:22-23, 20:18-19 and 26:32. Perhaps they didn’t. We don’t know.
What we do know is that the most ‘religious’ people of that day – the religious leaders – spent the Sabbath trying to insure that they’d heard the last of this controversial Rabbi. Matthew records that they were busy petitioning Pilate to post a guard at the tomb. Note their words: ‘we remember that while he was still alive the deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again’.
Interesting, isn’t it, that we have no record of the followers of Jesus comforting one another with reminders of His words, while we find those who plotted against Him mobilized in response to His teachings that sad Sabbath day.
Father, will you speak to my heart today? Will you foster an expectation? Not only the expectation of a Risen Savior, but also an expectation of my walking anew with my Risen Savior, will you awaken my heart to sing and my life to move in concert with the promises of Jesus? Will you not only remind me of those promises on good days, but especially and dark and difficult days? Will you turn sadness to hallelujahs in my life?
Read Matthew 27:62-66
No buts about it. Matthew’s gospel is the only one of the four that gives us any mention of that Saturday. He doesn’t mention any of Jesus’ followers. We can only imagine that theirs was a very sad and confusing Sabbath. I wonder if they were thinking back over their experiences with Jesus. Perhaps they recalled the occasions of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 16:21, 17:9, 17:22-23, 20:18-19 and 26:32. Perhaps they didn’t. We don’t know.
What we do know is that the most ‘religious’ people of that day – the religious leaders – spent the Sabbath trying to insure that they’d heard the last of this controversial Rabbi. Matthew records that they were busy petitioning Pilate to post a guard at the tomb. Note their words: ‘we remember that while he was still alive the deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again’.
Interesting, isn’t it, that we have no record of the followers of Jesus comforting one another with reminders of His words, while we find those who plotted against Him mobilized in response to His teachings that sad Sabbath day.
Father, will you speak to my heart today? Will you foster an expectation? Not only the expectation of a Risen Savior, but also an expectation of my walking anew with my Risen Savior, will you awaken my heart to sing and my life to move in concert with the promises of Jesus? Will you not only remind me of those promises on good days, but especially and dark and difficult days? Will you turn sadness to hallelujahs in my life?
Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Big Buts, Passion Week Devotional
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