Before resuming the text, we took additional time to take a deeper dive into the theological breadth and depth of all that Jesus accomplished at the cross. We first observed how Jesus was the means of propitiating the wrath of God by making satisfaction for God’s holy displeasure against sinners. This results in God’s pleasure in those whom Christ saved. Second, we considered how at the cross, Christ redeemed to Himself an enslaved people. Third, we looked at how God both authored and initiated the reconciliation of fallen mankind to Himself in Christ … by the death of God’s Son, thereby bringing about peace with God.
We then examined penal substitution, a theological concept that has to do with God’s legal judgment. As our substitute, Jesus took our place under the law, suffering the curse of the law, and shedding His blood in order to satisfy the sin debt that fallen man owed to God. As a result, man who stood fully guilty before God is judicially pronounced NOT GUILTY by God!
The final theological concept that we studied was the perfect obedience of Jesus, distinguishing between Jesus’ active obedience (His keeping of God’s commandments are revealed in God’s Word) and Jesus’ passive obedience (His voluntary submission to God’s purpose that He suffer and die for our sins). Through obedience, Jesus fully met both the penal sanctions and positive demands of God’s law. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Resuming then in Matthew 27:55, Matthew highlights the faithful female disciples of Jesus who demonstrated their faithfulness to Christ in both the good AND bad times! Then our attention is brought to Joseph of Arimathea. This formerly secret disciple of Jesus boldly asked Pilate for Jesus’ body in order that he might give Jesus an honorable burial. Despite the certain loss and persecution that would come his way, Joseph found the worth of Christ to far surpass any of these considerations.
Surprisingly, Pilate granted Joseph’s request, and Joseph then prepared Jesus’ body for burial and then laid it in a brand new tomb, sealing the tomb with a great stone: further proof that Jesus had died a real death. Finally, this burial scene closes in Matthew 27:61 with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary there at the tomb, following Jesus even unto His grave.
Listen to this teaching on Matthew 27:55-61 by clicking on the link below:
