A Crucified A Crucified andand

Risen Christ Risen Christ

The Passion According to The Passion According to MatthewMatthew

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IntroductionIntroduction

• Patterns in Matthew to reinforce drama, importance

• Only two references to Jesus as “King of the Jews”– Beginning, under Herod– At death

• Alternating fivefold patterns at beginning and end: Friends/enemies/friends etc. – Friends: Mary, Joseph, Magi;

• Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdelene, women, disciples– Enemies: Herod, chief priests, scribes;

• Chief priests, Pharisees, guards

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Matthew follows MarkMatthew follows Mark

• Stories similar; often expanded in Matthew– All but 60 verses of Mark are found in Matthew– Written in 80’s, after Temple destroyed

• Emphasis different– More than relating “facts/history”– Clearly relating Jesus to prophesies of Bible

• Long-awaited Davidic Messiah

• Disciples– Mark: Never quite “got it”– Matthew (14:33): Clearly professed belief in Jesus as

Son of God• All still denied him at time of arrest

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Who Does Matthew Say the Son Who Does Matthew Say the Son of Man Is?of Man Is?

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  

And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.”

(Mt 16:13-17)

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Gethsemane: Prayer & ArrestGethsemane: Prayer & Arrest

• Gethsemane (“oil press) = Mount of Olives– Mentioned 2X in OT

• Zechariah: God will judge world from there• II Samuel: King David flees there from Absalom’s

revolt, betrayal

– Jesus’ betrayal, agony clearly linked here to both God’s judgment and David’s betrayal

• Jesus’ predictions came from here– Desertion by disciples– Peter’s denial – Judas’ treason

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In the GardenIn the Garden

• Jesus leaves disciples, goes alone to pray– Reference to OT: PS 42:6– Disciples asleep/distanced, yet we hear his

prayer (!) – echoes of Lord’s Prayer– Reference in Hebrews (5:7) to Jesus’ prayer

• Jesus’ consistent relationship to God throughout life

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AgonyAgony

• Pattern of three underlines importance– 3X Jesus withdraws to pray– 3X returns to find disciples asleep

• Jesus abandoned by all on earth

• Prayer changes him– Begins sorrowful, troubled– Ends resolute: “Arise…my betrayer is at hand”

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BetrayalBetrayal

• Judas one of the inner circle in Matthew– Betrayal all the more hurtful

• Jesus rebukes disciples for violence, sword– Mark: “bystander” – Matthew: “follower”– John: “Simon Peter”

• Matthew: Assurance that God would come to his aid if he asked, but doesn’t so that the “Scriptures may be fulfilled”

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Sanhedrin (Religious) TrialSanhedrin (Religious) Trial

• Often disputed section; hostile portrayal– Middle of night– Passover feast– Priest encourages false witness– Priest tells judges prisoner is guilty– Hands prisoner over to Romans

• Matthew wants to convince readers of Jesus’ innocence of blasphemy charges– Late 1st C. readers have suffered at hands of religious

leaders

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Peter’s DenialPeter’s Denial

• While Jesus on trial, Peter is questioned 3X by maids and bystanders– Jesus resolute and courageous– Peter avoids, lies, swears an oath

• Jesus’ prediction true– “Before the cock crows three times….”

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What about Judas?What about Judas?• Matthew’s awkward drama: “Woe to that

man….”– Alone in inserting this sentence in midst of

trial• How would others know he said this?

– Jesus alone with the Sanhedrin

• Amid trial, judges wondered what to do with blood money returned by Judas– Judas hanged self; buried in “Field of Blood”

• Connection to OT prophets Jeremiah, Zechariah

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Roman TrialRoman Trial

• All Gospels describe practice of releasing one prisoner at Passover– No basis in historical documents

• Added drama in Pilate’s wife’s dream of Jesus– Gentile woman knows his innocence– Jewish leaders work to have him held, Barabbas

(“son of the father”) released

• Jesus silent before governor– Pilate washes hands of innocent’s blood – only in

Matthew• Linked to Jeremiah, Deuteronomy

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CrucifixionCrucifixion

• Follows Mark closely– Surprisingly brief; lacking customary drama

• Direct links to OT– Wine mixed with gall (Ps 69:22)– Mockery (Ps 22:8-9)– Call to God (Ps 22)

• Pattern of 3 once more– 3 groups come to deride Jesus

• Passers-by, chief priests and scribes; robbers

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DeathDeath

• Darkness covers land from Noon to 3– Jesus silent until calling out to God

• Portrays Jesus as fully human, as well as the Son of God

• All synoptics depict tearing of Temple curtain• Only Matthew reports earthquake, rocks

splitting, dead rising• Roman soldier, a Gentile, says “This man was

the Son of God” in case we missed it

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BurialBurial

• Women present, “looking on from a distance” during earthquake, etc.– Men are nowhere to be found

• Joseph of Arimathea buried Christ in all Gospels– More fleshed out in Matthew

• “Rich” because he owned a tomb?• Why did he bury him and not the disciples?

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Resurrection NarrativeResurrection Narrative

Structure: Five episodes: similar to infancy– 1,3,5 favorable; 2 & 4 hostile

1. Burial by Joseph, with women present2. Chief priests and Pharisees place guards at

sepulcher3. Women come to sepulcher; angel frightens

guards and announces Resurrection; Jesus appears to women

4. Guards bribed to lie that disciples stole body5. Jesus appears to disciples; commissions them

to go to all nations

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Guard at the SepulcherGuard at the Sepulcher

• Guard posted at tomb only in Matthew– Confirm that missing body could not have been by

other means• May be a later response to accusations that body was stolen,

etc.

• Other Gospels terminate hostility of chief priests, rulers at crucifixion– Matthew continues hostility into Resurrection– Jesus predicted suffering, death, resurrection 3x

• Chief priests were aware of it, made sure body was secure• Matthew depicts priests, rulers (earthly powers) attempting to

thwart divine power

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The Empty TombThe Empty Tomb• Women go to sepulcher at close of

Sabbath (@ sunset Saturday)– Not described as coming to anoint Jesus here

• Next events only in Matthew– Reinforce cosmic importance of Jesus’ life,

death, resurrection• Earthquake – same as at death• Angel rolls back the stone to show empty tomb

– Matthew silent on resurrection itself

• Angel interprets empty tomb• Sends women to tell disciples of Resurrection

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Jesus Appears to the WomenJesus Appears to the Women

• First appears not to leaders, but to those outside the circle

• First response was to worship Jesus– Matthews’ model for all disciples

• Jesus’ message again to “go and tell”– Disciples now described as “brothers”

• All who believe now become God’s children

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Guards, Priests, Elders & BriberyGuards, Priests, Elders & Bribery

• Matthew returns to guard story– Guard tells Resurrection story to priests– Priests, elders refuse to believe

• “Hush money” paid to keep story quiet– Jesus’ last teaching to “go and tell” all nations

– Writing here to underline futility of fighting God’s power and will

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Jesus Appears to the DisciplesJesus Appears to the Disciples

• Jesus told disciples before death that he would go before them to Galilee– Both the angel and Risen Jesus reiterated the

promise– Not specific mountain, but high place

• Linked to Transfiguration, Sermon on the Mount• All disciples worship, despite doubt

– Points to our own lives and our faith challenges– By proclaiming to others, our faith is strengthened

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““Church-Founding Appearances”Church-Founding Appearances”

• Appearance stories point both back and forward– Backward to link to God’s salvation history– Forward to the mission of the Resurrection

• In all Gospels: Christ’s authority in heaven and on earth– Jesus carried on God’s work

• His ministry first to the Jews• Post-Resurrection disciples were to carry Jesus’ work to all

nations– Our mission, as well

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How Mission is to be AccomplishedHow Mission is to be Accomplished

• Baptism in Triadic formula in Matthew only– Used in Matthean community– Elsewhere in NT the name of Jesus alone

• Holy Spirit, Father soon related to continuance of Jesus’ work– Within both believer and church– Within a century the baptismal creed became the

Apostles’ Creed• Creed describes God’s action in us• Baptism is our acceptance, response

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Matthean FocusMatthean Focus• Matthew connects final words of Jesus to first

words spoken about him:– “I am with you all days to the end of the age” (28:20)– “They will name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God

with us’” (1:23)

• Matthew’s focus was to describe the life and work of Jesus as the longed-for son of God, Messiah, Davidic King of the Jews, so that all might believe– For Matthew, Resurrection clearly showed God’s

abiding presence and power in Jesus