After Jesus was crucified and put in a sepulcher, Matthew the apostle wrote, “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse sixty-two of his book, Matthew shared how, “the next day … the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate” where we read:
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation,
the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
The verse reads, “Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, ...” Matthew began words, “now the next day” which means “moreover and the day after Jesus' death and burial”, “that followed” or “that came behind and after” “the day of preparation” which means “the day on which the Jews made necessary preparation to celebrate a sabbath or a feast”. Matthew shared the timing for the next event was the day after the Jesus prepared for the Sabbath.
The verse goes on to say, “... the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,” Matthew added the words, “the chief priests” or “the high priests” “and Pharisees came together” which means “assembled and were collected with one another the sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to Old Testament books the Pharisees recognized in oral tradition a standard of belief and life for distinction and praise by outward observance of external rites and by outward forms of piety, and such as ceremonial washings, fastings, prayers, and alms giving; and, comparatively negligent of genuine piety and they prided themselves on their fancied good works” “unto Pilate” or “to Pilate whose name means armed with a spear” and was “the sixth Roman procurator of Judah and Samaria who ordered Christ to be crucified”. Matthew shared how the religious leaders gathered together once again to approach “Pilate”.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how these “religious leaders” “strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel” (See Matthew 23:24) as they observed the “Sabbath Day” preparations by not going to Pilate on that day, but as soon as the Sabbath was over, they were front and center with him. This is “religiousness” at it's best as those who believed they were conducting God's business were actually going against God's Messiah and Christ. We shall learn more of this effort by the “chief priests and Pharisees”, but for now let us be reminded of Jesus' mission to “seek and to save that which was lost” (See Luke 19:10) and know the “religious leaders” became a great example of how “lost” people can be.
Next time Matthew shares how the chief priests and Pharisees say to Pilate, “command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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