4/28/2015

Luke 23:44-24:12 (NASB)

⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵  because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” ⁴⁸ And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. ⁴⁹ And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

Jesus Is Buried

⁵⁰ And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man ⁵¹ (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; ⁵² this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. ⁵⁴ It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. ⁵⁵ Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. ⁵⁶ Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.

And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The Resurrection

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; ⁵ and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” ⁸ And they remembered His words, ⁹ and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. ¹¹ But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not

Believe them. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

Even though we recently reflected on the accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection, we can really never spend too much time meditating and reflecting on the importance of all that happened at that time. We may never be fully able to comprehend and understand all that happened and what it means to us. We then, like Peter simply marvel at what had happened.

The text today begins with a description of a period of three hours of darkness. Jesus, the Light of the world, was being taken out of the world. When scientist don’t fully understand something or are unable to explain how or why something happened they create theories or hypothesis, an educated guess as to the explanation. When we as believers don’t fully understand or are unable to explain something, we should leave it as a matter of faith, trusting that the infinite and incomprehensible God of creation knows the answer, controls every situation and circumstance and will reveal to us everything we need. So I won’t try to explain, either scientifically or doctrinally why it got dark that day. This much I do know though, there will come a day when the Light of the world returns. We see an explanation of that in Revelation 21:1, 23-27

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away… And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; ²⁶ and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; ²⁷ and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Jesus, the Light of the world will return. That too we can marvel at.

The text continues saying:  ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” ⁴⁸ And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.

I can’t help but to marvel at the fickleness of the crowds. One week earlier as Jesus entered Jerusalem we see the crowd responding this way:   Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!"(Matthew 21:8-9) Then we see the crowd being swayed by the Pharisees. In Luke 23 we read:

Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. ¹⁵ No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. ¹⁶ Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” …¹⁸ But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!”  ²⁰ Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, ²¹ but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” ²² And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” ²³ But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. ²⁴ And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. ²⁵ And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Then in today’s text we see them leaving the scene, beating their breasts, perhaps realizing what they had done. We see this type of mob mentality at work often today in our cities as people are stirred to unrest and unexplainable actions through the influence of a few people operating in unholy, powers of evil. There is almost no end to the evil that an unthinking mob can do, destroying property and lives in it’s wake.  As believers we need to pray that they too will experience a revelation of Christ that will cause them too to beat their breast in repentance and turn to the one who can truly give them and the world peace. Jesus says:   Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.(John  14:27) Jesus peace is the only answer for all the unrest and turmoil of the world today.  We cannot battle or overcome evil with evil.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.(Romans 12:21)

Jesus through the empty tomb overcame the evil of sin and death. This world, in these days, there will be evil and tribulation. There is no avoiding the times we live in.  Jesus says:   These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”      

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)