Sermon Tone Analysis

*MATTHEW 27:57-61 *

 

#.

*THE DEATH OF JESUS *

*1.        **Jesus & The Cross*

*a.        **The Position*

Christ Jesus the High Priest is the mediator: “/by how much he is the mediator/…” [8:6].

§         μεσίτης - “/mediator/” [8:6], ‘arbitrator, reconciler’; ‘the one in the middle who performs the function of a mesoj; ‘between contestants or parties’;

§         The “/mediator/” steps into the gap between two parties, but the “/guarantor/” stakes his person and his life on his word.

*b.        **The Possession*

*i.        **Cup-Bearer*

Christ Jesus is the cup-bearer: “/O my Father, let this cup pass from me/…” [26:39].

§         τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο - “/this/ /cup/” [26:39], ‘drinking vessel’; the ‘cup of suffering’.

§         A metaphor for the suffering and death that he was soon to face: “/the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation/…” [Rev.14:10].

*ii.

**Sin-Bearer *

Christ Jesus was the sin-bearer: “/who his own self bear our sins in his own body/…” [1Pet.2:24].

§         The Sin-bearer: “/the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all/” [Isa.53:6].

*c.        **The Identity *

Christ Jesus takes on a new identity when he carries the sins of the world: 

§         Identified with our sin: “/he who knew no sin was made sin for us/…” [1Cor.5:21].

§         The object of God’s curse: “/Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having been made a curse for us/…” [Gal.3:13].

*d.        **The Conclusion *

The final cry: “/Father, into your hands/…” [Luk.23:46].

§         φωνήσας - “/cried/” [23:46], aorist active participle, ‘to call out, cry out’;

§         φωνῇ μεγάλῃ - “/loud voice/” [23:46],

*i.        **The Intimate Relationship *

The intimate relationship restored: “/Father, into your hands/…” [23:46].

§         πάτερ - “/Father/” [23:46], ‘male parent, ancestor’; “/His father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him/” [15:20].

§         παρατίθεμαι - “/commend/” [23:46], present middle indicative, from /pará/, ‘near or unto’, and /títhēmi/, ‘to put’; ‘to put or place near someone’; ‘to entrust to’; ‘to set before’; commercially, ‘to give something to someone for safe-keeping’: “/to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more/” [12:48].

*Application*

Would anyone have the faith to recognise the temporary nature of the abandonment?

*2.

**The Burial *

*a.        **The Word of Prophecy  *

The intention of the Servant’s enemies: “/he made his grave with the wicked/…” [Isa.53:9].

§         יִּתֵּ֤ן  - “/made/” [53:9], qal imperfect, ‘to give’; ‘to place’; ‘to appoint’;

§         קִבְרֹ֔ו  - “/his grave/” [53:9], ‘to bury’; ‘to be buried’;  

§         The situation at Calvary: “/the thieves also which were crucified with him/…” [27:44].

*b.        **The Wicked *

*i.        **The Description *

The description: “/with the wicked/…” [53:9].

§         רְשָׁעִים - “/wicked/” [53:9], ‘covenant-breakers’;

§         Criminals: “/there were also two others, malefactors, led with him/…” [Lk.23:32].

>>>> “/numbered with transgressors/…” [53:12].

*ii.

**The Law & Burial  *

According to the requirements of the Law, Jesus could not be left on the cross overnight: “/if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and you shall hang him on a tree: his body shall remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; for he that is hanged is accursed of God) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God gives you for an inheritance/” [Deu.21:23].

§         To be refused burial is a fate understood as a divine curse: “/all these curses shall come upon thee…thy carcase shall be meat unto all the fouls of the air/” [Deu.28:26].

§         The curse of the wicked: “/he will give them that are wicked to the sword…they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried/…” [Jer.25:31].

§         Common burial place: “/cast his dead body into the graves of the common people/” [Jer.26:23].

*iii.

**The Family Burial *

The practice of honourable burials: “/Jacob requested…//bury me with my fathers/…” [Gen.49:29].

§         Executed criminals were denied burial in their family tombs: “/in as much as you have disobeyed the mouth of the Lord…thy carcass shall not come into the sepulcher of thy fathers/” [1Kgs.13:21-22;

Jer.26:23].

*3.        **The Evening of the Sabbath *

The burial had to be completed by sunset: “/because it was the preparation/…” [Mar.15:42].

§         ἦλθεν - “/came/” [27:57], aorist active indicative, ‘to come, go’; ‘to move toward or up to’;

§         Ὀψίας - “/even/” [27:57], ‘late’; ‘after 3.00pm’;

§         The bodies could not be left into the Sabbath: “/the day before the Sabbath/…” [Mar.15:42].

*Application*

The Jews took very seriously the importance of a burial.

§         The Jews never refused to bury any executed criminal, but instead of allowing the bodies of sinners to be placed in family tombs, where they might desecrate those already buried, they provided a burial site for criminals just outside the city.

§         Under Roman law, the bodies of those crucified for sedition were left to the vultures, the culminating indignity of shame.

#.

*JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA *

*1.        **The Sanhedrin  *

Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin: “/there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor/…” [Luk.23:50].

§         βουλευτὴς - “/counsellor/” [23:50], ‘member of the counsel of the Jews, the Sanhedrin’;

*a.        **The Death of Jesus  *

The Sanhedrin was closely involved in the death of Jesus:

§         The arrest: “/they that had laid hold of Jesus led him away to Caiaphas/…” [26:57].

§         The false accusation: “/the chief priest, and elders, and all the council sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death/” [26:59].

§         The decision: “/when the morning was come all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death/…” [27:1].

*2.        **The Disciple  *

*a.        **The Rich Man *

Joseph was a rich man: “/there came a rich man of Arimathea/…” [27:57].

§         Ἁριμαθαίας - “/Arimathea/” [27:57], ‘city near Jerusalem?’;

§         πλούσιος - “/rich/” [27:57], ‘wealthy’;

*i.        **Jesus & Riches *

As both a rich man and a disciple, Joseph is a unique person in Matthew’s narrative:

§         Jesus’ teaching: “/It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God/” [19:23-24].

§         An example of God’s power to do seemingly impossible things: “/with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible/” [19:26].

*ii.

**Resourceful *

The rock-hewn tomb is likely to have fitted the socio-economic standing of Joseph:

§         Shebna was the leader of the pro-Egyptian faction in Jerusalem: “/Thus says the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto the treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house/…” [Isa.22:15].

§          A “tomb cut out of the rock” [27:60] would have been particularly expensive: “/what hast thou here?

And whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here/…” [Isa.22:15-16].

…

§         Matthew probably has the words of Isaiah in his mind: “/he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death/” [Isa.53:9];

*b.        **The Disciple *

Joseph was a disciple of Jesus: “/who also himself was a disciple of Jesus/” [27:57].

§         ἐμαθητεύθη - “/disciple/” [27:57], aorist passive indicative, ‘to become a pupil’; ‘a follower’; ‘one discipled by Jesus’;

§         There is thus no μαθητής without a διδάσκαλος; the process involves a corresponding personal relation’;

*c.        **A Man of the Kingdom  *

*i.        **A Righteous Man *

Joseph was a righteous man: “/there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor/…” [23:50].

§         βουλευτὴς - “/counsellor/” [23:50], ‘member of the counsel of the Jews, the Sanhedrin’;

§         ὑπάρχων - “/was/” [23:50], present active participle, ‘to begin’; ‘to be ready or be at hand’;

§         ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς - “/good/ /man/” [23:50], ‘moral qualities in general’;

§         δίκαιος - “/just/” [23:50], ‘upright’; ‘living according to God’s standards’;

*d.        **The Alignment *

Joseph was aligned with other prominent people in Luke’s gospel: