UA-NT-10 Essay on Matthew 26-28

The last chapters begin with plotting. Jesus is plotting salvation. The leaders of the Jews plot murder. A woman plots honor. Judas plots betrayal.

Jesus sees the cross so clearly and will not turn away. The religious ones are sure that the death of an innocent teacher will consolidate their power. The woman decides that an extravagant outpouring of perfume over Jesus is more important than turning that money into soup for the pour. Sometimes adoration, foolish adoration, is exactly the thing to do. Judas had walked with Jesus, preached and healed in his name, gathered bread leftover from the thousands. Now he will kiss that life goodbye.

Jesus moves toward his sacrifice by gathering his disciples for a Passover meal. This meal, its prayers, and movements are embedded in the hearts of every Jewish man and woman. In every minute they remember and celebrate the mighty, saving acts of God that brought freedom from Egypt. Here, as they remember the death of the firstborn of Egypt that was the price of their freedom, the Firstborn of heaven sits with them on the eve of his saving sacrifice. They could taste the bread and the wine and hear the mysterious promises of a new covenant.

It is a hard night. Judas leaves the Passover meal labeled clearly. As they walk into Jerusalem night, Jesus tells them that they are all going to fall away from him. He is not whining; he just tells the truth he knows. Even Peter is assured that his denials will come threefold.

“The garden of Gethsemane” It is really all one has to say. We know the prayer of the Son asking the Father to check the possibilities known to the infinite mind and heart just to see if some other, less cross-centric, way might be found to offer salvation to the people. The apostles sleep. The Father who cannot sleep says, “No.” So the cowards come under cover of night. Judas plays his part. A sword flashes briefly. The disciples scatter. Jesus is led away to a sham trial.

The trial flounders for lack of condemning testimony until Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. Now considered worthy of death the physical mistreatment and humiliation begin in earnest. They slap him, strike him, spit on him and ridicule him. Outside Peter can’t seem to remember Jesus at all – and Peter is the pick of the litter. When the rooster crows, it dawns on him and he weeps.

Matthew gives the most complete account of what happens to Judas. He has second thoughts. He doesn’t want the money. He comes to the end of his rope.

The trial before Pilate is sad. Pilate’s wife tells him not to have anything to do with Jesus. Pilate washes his hands as the Jews say they are willing for the blood of Jesus to be on them and their children. Despite his wife’s dreams and a thin case against Jesus, Pilate turns Jesus over to his executioners. The crucifixion of Jesus is not normal. The sign over him says, King of the Jews. Darkness moves into Jerusalem at noon. When Jesus dies, the curtain in the temple rips, the earth quakes, and tombs give up their dead. The centurion and his men said, “Surely he was the Son of God.”

When Jesus dies, Joseph asks Pilate for permission to bury Jesus. The Marys are there at the tomb when Jesus is laid in it. They were soon to have company because the Jewish leaders were aware that Jesus had said something about rising from the dead in three days. They request and receive guards to watch the tomb. The tomb is secure and sealed. Jesus is dead.

On Sunday morning, the Marys go to the tomb at dawn. Jesus is alive. They run into Jesus and worship him. What a moment for his mother and his friend to be with him!

The Jews start a rumor that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus. But the disciples did not steal the dead body of Jesus; the very alive Jesus called them to join him in Galilee. In Galilee Jesus tells them that they are to go into all the world, teaching, baptizing and teaching.

In a powerful way, Jesus tells them that the cross was not the end of anything. The tomb was not the end of anything. The kingdom of heaven is breaking into this world. God With Us is still with us “ to the end of the age.”