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The Resurrection of Jesus According to Mark

April 7, 2017 By Peter Krol

Milana (2013), Creative Commons

Why did Jesus rise from the dead? Each Gospel author answers this question differently. We’ve already looked at Matthew and Luke. Today we turn to Mark.

Mark’s Big Idea

As I’ve written before, Mark’s Gospel is the simplest and most concise account of Jesus’ life. But this simple narrative poses a challenge to interpreters by rarely coming out and stating its points explicitly. Mark is the Gospel of showing, not telling. The Jesus portrayed by Mark wants us to investigate his remarkable deeds and pursue our own process of discovery.

And the result leads in one direction. At key points, Mark shows his cards. His book describes “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). From that first verse, Mark’s presentation of Jesus’ identity has two parts. After the book’s first half, Peter nails the first bit: “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). After the book’s second half, a Roman centurion can’t deny the second bit: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). Together, these pieces drive to a singular conclusion: Jesus is the appointed King of heaven and earth. He is the Christ, the Messiah, the one anointed to take up God’s cause on earth. And he is God’s Son, the one in close fellowship with the Father, appointed to represent God’s interests in the well-being of his people.

Both titles, Messiah and Son of God, have to do with the kingship of Israel, mediating God’s blessing to all nations. “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill…You are my Son…Now therefore, O kings, be wise…Serve the LORD with fear…Kiss the Son” (Psalm 2:1-12).

So Mark wants us to see Jesus as God’s reigning king. But how does the resurrection narrative advance this idea?

Anointing the Anointed One

In Mark alone, of all four Gospels, are we told that the women took spices to the tomb that morning “to anoint him” (Mark 16:1). In Matthew 28:1, they go to see the tomb. In Luke 24:1, they take spices, but we’re never told what they intended to do with said spices. In John 20:1, they merely come early and see that the stone was taken away. And though the women want to anoint Jesus, he had already been anointed, by his own account, by the woman who blew 300 denarii worth of ointment on his kingly pate (Mark 14:8).

When did they go to the tomb? Not just “while it was dark” (John 20:1), nor “toward dawn” (Matt 28:1, Luke 24:1), but “when the sun had risen” (Mark 16:2). This temporal setting signifies another day, an arrival, a new age.

On the way, they don’t contemplate how to roll the stone away, but who will roll it away. They need a patriarch like Jacob (Gen 29:2-3, 10), a judge like Samson (Judg 16:3), an emperor like Darius (Dan 6:17-19). They need someone with either strength, authority, or—preferably—both, because this stone is “very large” (Mark 16:4).

They enter the tomb only to find a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe. The right side, hmm? Isn’t that where the Lord’s ruler sits (Psalm 110:1)? Where Jesus himself will ascend to take his post (Mark 16:19)? Now this young man is not the King; he merely tells them of the king who is not here. Note that Mark’s sepulchral messenger is not an “angel” but a “young man” robed in white. Jesus’ resurrection, according to Mark, is not so much about heaven coming down to earth (à la Matthew) as it is about humanity being glorified and lifted up to God. Mark’s portrayal of Jesus is certainly divine, but with a clear focus on being a human king, glorified to God’s right hand.

Remember, the Greek word Christ = the Hebrew word Messiah = the English phrase Anointed One. Or more colloquially, the Chosen One. The king of the ages. The ruler of all nations. Jesus Christ = King Jesus.

Seeing and Serving Your King

“All hail King Jesus! All hail Emmanuel!”

“Hail Jesus, you’re my king.”

“Rejoice! The Lord is King!”

We celebrate Jesus’ kingship in our songs, as we ought to do. But have you ever actually entered the presence of royalty? Have you spoken with the Queen of England? Have you shaken the President’s hand? Have you visited the Principal’s office?

Such experiences expose our insecurities and raise fundamental questions about our worthiness. No wonder these women were alarmed (Mark 16:6)—though they need not be (Mark 16:7)—trembling, astonished, and seized with fear (Mark 16:8). If you can’t relate, you may need to revisit your understanding of Jesus’ kingship. When the true king is elevated on high to God’s right hand, everything changes. You can’t hide. You can’t mind your own business and be left alone. You can’t settle for the applause of men.

What’s the Main Point?

In recounting Jesus’ resurrection, Mark wants to communicate that the King has come, but he is not here; so everything must change. Seek him. Look for him. Tell others about him. Tremble. But…don’t be alarmed. All is just as he told you.

Excursus: The Difference Between Matthew and Mark

In Ryan’s excellent post on Matthew’s account of the resurrection, he offered the following main point: The risen Jesus is the gracious king of the Jews, the Messiah. How is my analysis of Mark any different? Or is it the same?

I propose the following. Though both Matthew and Mark focus on Jesus’ role as King, ushering in the promised Kingdom, they still present Jesus differently:

In Matthew, Jesus is primarily God, who has come to dwell with us (Matt 1:23). In Mark, Jesus is primarily human, though elevated to his rightful place at God’s right hand (Mark 16:19). Both perspectives are crucial to understanding the person of Jesus Christ.
In Matthew, Jesus’ kingship focuses on his authority to determine who is in the kingdom and who is outside of it. In Mark, Jesus’ kingship focuses on his authority to rule the world benevolently. Both perspectives are crucial to understanding the kingly office of Jesus Christ.

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Reflections on Rapid Bible Reading

April 5, 2017 By Peter Krol

I love challenging people to read the Bible like they’d read any other book. And when folks have been trained their whole Christian lives to read just a few verses at a time, such rapid reading can be thrilling. Here’s what some of you have said about your Bible reading in the last few months:

I was pleasantly surprised to find how much more enjoyable I found reading larger chunks of Scripture as opposed to the choppiness of reading smaller sections. It was also nice not to get bogged down in the typical sections but to sprint through them as part of their larger story.

Though I have been a believer for years, I have never successfully finished a cover to cover reading plan. I learned in this challenge that a short term goal is easier for me to attain. I found that consuming large portions of Scripture increased my understanding and led to wonderful discussions with my husband. This Bible reading challenge was life changing.

Previous to this I struggled with actually wanting to read the Bible, since to me it was kind of boring in places. When I heard about your challenge, I was originally just doing it for the prize. However reading through the Bible in such a short period of time was very enjoyable for me. Never staying in the same book for more than a couple days kept me interested through the whole Bible.

I felt spiritually so much more alive diving into Scripture evert single day for three months, and getting a broad overview of Scripture. I would not trade this time in God’s word, as He really used it to strengthen my faith and give me a fuller picture of who He is.

I have read through the Bible using a one-year plan many times, but reading it in 90 days was life-changing. God knew I needed this challenge, as He has used this concentrated time His Word to humble me and increase my awe of Him. Glory to God!

When you read 16 chapters in a row (many times whole books all at once) you can truly grasp and remember the context of the situation a whole lot more.

After spending weeks in the prophets with their largely unheeded calls to repentance, getting to Matthew was like a breath of fresh air! This helped me appreciate various parts of scripture for explaining different things clearer and more vividly.

I had been very far from God for the past several years and hadn’t read the Bible in a while, and now that I have repented and am following Jesus again, I thought it would be good to read the whole thing through. 30 days wasn’t really that hard for me because I read really fast. What was hard for me was not stopping to analyze everything or ask a million questions. As I read I kept a list of my overall impression of what each book revealed about God’s heart and character. Overall it was an amazing experience and I’m super glad I did it.

It was difficult at times, yet it was such a blessing to develop the discipline of consistently reading long portions of the word. I developed a feel for the flow of the Bible.

I have to say that it was a life changing experience. I never considered such a thing as helpful. I had read the Bible many times in the past, but never in such big portions and never in such a short time. It amazed me the impact and insight this practice had on my life. The discipline was invaluable. This practice of reading through the Bible will be part of my daily life from now on.

I feel more like I have “the whole bible” in my mind now than I ever have before. It was also great to get to see all the interconnections, like for example I read Joel and the first chapters of acts on the same day. It has made me think that I want to get the benefits of breadth even while doing deep study.

Reading the Bible at this pace was so much fun. I hadn’t read the Bible in chunks like this since freshman year in college, when I wasn’t a Christian, but figured I should read the whole Scriptures to get a better idea what it was all about. Returning to this approach after 5 years of following Christ was thus pretty neat. Like the first time, I was struck by the unity of the Scriptures from front to back. Jesus Christ truly is the same yesterday, today and forever.

I’ve always loved reading any book like this, and the Bible is unique in the diversity and unity within it. Getting lost in history, or a running argument between Job and his friends, or multiple Psalms all has value it’s hard to get in the morning bursts of drilling into a particular passage. And meditating on the trajectory of God’s work in history is really cool. This is going to be an annual tradition for sure, external incentives or not.

This has actually inspired me to try to read whole books of the Bible in as close to one sitting as possible.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that reading the whole Bible in exactly 90 days or less is not for everyone:

Reading the NT is not so bad, but reading the OT tends to hit a wall somewhere around Psalms/Proverbs/prophets, where there’s less of a narrative to follow.

I do believe that listening to the Bible on a regular basis will be doable, I just can’t stand sit and read through it quickly.

Honestly, it bothered me to read through/listen to the Bible so quickly. I am the type of person that likes to focus on one book for an extended period, about a month for Ephesians, for example.

I started with Genesis, and thoroughly enjoyed the process. But next I went for Job, and really struggled to not let my mind wander. I thought that listening to Matthew next would be ‘easier’. But I still struggled to pay proper attention. So I decided to stop last week, as there didn’t seem much point doing it just to say that I’ve done it. I was listening while walking, so the distractions should have been limited. But I was doing so at the end of a working day. So perhaps I was too tired.

But despite the fact that not everyone was in a position to complete the reading, I’m encouraged by how many came to see the value of reading larger portions of Scripture. Whether it’s a 90-day full read-through of the Bible, or simply an occasional one-sitting read-through of a single book, may the Lord help us to encourage others to read the Bible like a masterpiece of literature. May the Lord use this process to deepen our understanding of him, as we receive his revelation, in context, with deeper understanding and greater benefit for the world.

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The Resurrection of Jesus According to Luke

April 3, 2017 By Ryan Higginbottom

Why did Jesus rise from the dead? We’ve previously looked at Matthew’s account, and today we turn to Luke.

The Purpose of Luke

Luke’s purpose is evident from the first verses of his book (Luke 1:1–4). He is writing an “orderly account” for Theophilus, that he would “have certainty concerning the things [he had] been taught.” Luke writes as a historian.

Following Daniel Wallace, I take this as Luke’s theme: Jesus is the Son of Man, rejected by Israel, offered to the Gentiles.

(See also Peter’s look at Luke for a previous series.)

The Witnesses

Luke 24 opens with three women approaching Jesus’s tomb at dawn (Luke 24:1), expecting to anoint his body with spices they prepared (Luke 23:56). They had seen Jesus’s body laid in the tomb (Luke 23:55), so when they find the stone rolled away, they know where to look. They are “perplexed” to find no body.

As the angels tell the women that Jesus has risen, they emphasize Jesus’s own words.

Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. (Luke 24:6–7)

The women then remember (Luke 24:8) and tell the apostles what they saw (Luke 24:9). But the apostles don’t believe them (Luke 24:11), so Peter checks it out himself. He leaves the tomb convinced (Luke 24:12).

Remember that Luke is a historian, so he presents his readers with evidence and testimony about this miraculous discovery. We have not one, but two heavenly witnesses declaring, “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6). All three women who saw the empty tomb are named (Luke 24:10), perhaps for the purpose of verification. The angels point to Jesus’s prophecy about himself (Luke 9:22) as more evidence.

Peter gives the final testimony. It is significant that Peter saw the linen wrappings (Luke 24:12) instead of an empty tomb. Grave robbers would have taken the body with the cloth; a resurrected Jesus would shed his wrappings.

Peter’s previous appearance in Luke did not end well. Jesus looked at Peter after the rooster crow marked Peter’s third denial (Luke 22:61). After being absent at the crucifixion, he was desperate for another chance to see the Lord. He had to see the evidence for himself, and we see it through him.

Who is this Risen Jesus?

Luke doesn’t just present the empty tomb. He teaches us about Jesus in the process.

Through the account of the crucifixion, Luke highlights Jesus’s innocence. Pilate proclaims Jesus innocent three times (Luke 23:4, 23:14, 23:22). Herod can find nothing in Jesus worthy of death (Luke 23:15). One of the crucified criminals recognizes Jesus has done nothing wrong (Luke 23:14). And after Jesus breathed his last, the centurion praised God, knowing Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:47).

In Luke’s gospel, the phrase “sinful men” (Luke 24:7) is unique to this passage. He uses it here as a contrast: Jesus was unlike the men that carried out his death. In his resurrection, Jesus was vindicated, declared righteous and innocent. (See also 1 Timothy 3:16.)

Secondly, in Luke 24:7 the angels refer to Jesus as the “Son of Man.” This was Jesus’s favorite title for himself; the angels confirmed that Jesus used the title rightly. So what does that title mean?

At first glance, the title “Son of Man” seems ordinary, as though Jesus just meant he was a human. But Luke has far more in view.

The title “Son of Man” comes from Daniel 7. In a vision, one “like a son of man” appears before the Ancient of Days and is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Strikingly, “all peoples, nations, and languages” will serve him and “his dominion [will be] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14). Instead of an earthy, human title, “Son of Man” is heavenly and kingly, with worldwide consequences. (For more on Jesus as the Son of Man, see here or here.)

Beyond Israel

A few more details from the surrounding chapters will help us firm up the main point.

Jesus prayed that his Father would forgive those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). He promised one of the criminals that he would be with Jesus in paradise (Luke 23:43). Additionally, when the resurrected Jesus meets with his disciples, he says that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in [the Christ’s] name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Jesus came for Jews and Gentiles.

What’s the Main Point?

Here is Luke’s main point.

Believe this: Jesus is the innocent Son of Man, raised from the dead for the whole world.

In the resurrection passage, Luke aims for the head, so let’s focus our application there. Do you believe in Jesus’s resurrection? How does that affect your thinking about forgiveness, God’s power, and God’s promises?

Luke also wrote the book of Acts, and there we see that Jesus’s resurrection changed the apostles and turned the world upside down. Be careful, or it will have the same effect on you.

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ESV 6-Volume Reader’s Bible, Part 2: Last Impressions

March 31, 2017 By Peter Krol

In the first review, O God-lover, I have dealt with all that Crossway began to conceive and risk, until the day they presented the world an utterly uncluttered, heretofore unseen, edition of God’s word. They showed us a living and active book, appearing to the populace just like any other book, yet speaking about the kingdom of God. And just as this edition’s first eyewitnesses delivered many opinions to us, it seemed good to me also, having now read every page of the 6-volume set, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning whether this literary wonder should grace your shelves.

For the facts about the physical books, page layout, and specifications, please see my first review. For reflections on the reading experience itself, read on.

The Bible tells a story

I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve heard it before: The Bible tells a unified story, beginning to end, of God’s glorious rescue, through Christ, of his fallen creation. But, though you’re familiar with the idea, do you read the Bible like a story? That is, do you read the Bible the way you would read a story? Beginning to end. Pages at a time. Devouring the drama. Anxiously awaiting the next plot twist.

Most people read the Bible like an encyclopedia. Or like a menu. Or like a codebook. And most Bible typesetting encourages us to read the Bible in these ways.

But the clean look of the ESV Reader’s Bible, 6 Volume Set expects you to read the Bible as you’d read any other book. It encourages you to keep reading and reading. There are no big black numbers coercing you to a screeching halt every few verses. There are no verses. You can’t snack on this thing. All you can do is binge.

And if you get into a theological debate with someone, and this edition is all that’s handy, your only recourse to objection is to read (or tell) a story. Sort of like what Jesus did when he faced opposition…

The Poetry drips with glory

I’ve often struggled with the Bible’s poetry. It often just doesn’t connect with me the way I hear it does for other people. But that has always surprised me, because I have no problem enjoying other poetry. I’ve read Shakespeare, Longfellow, and others to great profit. And I’ve grown to love Proverbs and Job, but Psalms and the Prophets are hard, hard going.

And I now wonder how much my struggle has to do with the typesetting more than the content.

In reading the 6-volume set, I could not put the Psalms down. The Prophets were still challenging, but they felt more…personal. It’s amazing what happens when you get the verse numbers, excessive footnotes, and narrow columns out of the way. Volumes 3 (Poetry) and 4 (Prophets) look and feel like other poetry collections. They sit nicely in hand, invite a nightcap, and call for extended reflection. I know I could read the Psalms meditatively in any version of the Bible, but the reader’s set basically begged me to do so.

Reading the Bible is fun again

As a child and pre-teen, I loved to read. And I learned young that, if I wanted to read the Bible, my best option was to take up a story Bible. The Bible itself was for study, preaching, or classes. Lengthier consumption—you know, the kind done after hours under the covers with a flashlight—was reserved for the “interesting,” the “engaging” re-tellings of biblical tales in children’s Bibles or youth story books.

But discovering God’s word, as presented in the ESV’s 6 Volume Set, rekindled a joy in reading God’s word like I have never experienced. Perhaps this set might do the same for you.

Conclusion

You can tell this review is not so much about this specific edition of the ESV, as it is more about the philosophy that birthed said edition. This philosophy ought to be shouted from the mountaintops. I hope this experiment of Crossway’s provokes a revolution among Bible publishers. I hope we see a similar reader’s edition for every translation. Since the ESV set, one has been published for the KJV. I’m aware of both single-volume and multi-volume reader’s Bibles coming this spring for the NIV. Perhaps more are on the way.

I doubt we’ll ever lose our unreasonably cluttered editions of the Bible altogether. They are useful, after all, for study, preaching, and classes. But I hope new generations of Christians can be brought up learning to simply read the Bible. It is, after all, a book. Or 6.

ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set. Get it at Amazon or Westminster.

Disclaimer: Amazon and Westminster links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, we’ll get a small commission, thus enabling our ongoing Bible reading binge.

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Last Chance to Win an ESV Reader’s Bible, 6-Volume Set

March 29, 2017 By Peter Krol

If you’ve been working on reading the whole Bible since January 1, you have only two days remaining to finish and email me to enter the drawing. Reminder: We’ve got two copies of the ESV Reader’s Bible, 6-Volume Set to give away. I will select and email the two winners this weekend. So far, I’ve received 21 entries. Though only two can win, I believe those are better odds than most online giveaways!

Please see the official contest rules for how to enter. I have responded directly to everyone who has entered so far. So if you tried to contact me and didn’t hear back, please try again.

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Lessons From This Year’s Speed-Read

March 24, 2017 By Peter Krol

On March 9, I completed my 7th annual speed-read of the Bible. If you’d like to know why I do an annual speed read, see my Bible reading plan for readers. This year, I used the ESV Reader’s Bible, 6 Volume Set. I chose not to supplement with an audio Bible, so I could get my eyes on every page of the new 6-volume set. Next week I’ll offer my final impressions of the 6-volume set and its presentation, but this week I’ll share my biggest takeaways from the stupendous subject matter.

In canonical order, here’s how the Lord impressed me through his word over the last 10 weeks:

Partly under the influence of having just read Hays’s delightful The Temple and the Tabernacle, I was better able to see the differences between Kings’ and Chronicles’ treatment of Solomon building the temple. The narrative of Kings clearly has a hint of something sinister, particularly in contrast to Moses’ erection of the tabernacle. Solomon receives no direct mandate from the Lord. He does not build things according to a heavenly pattern. There is no repetition of instructions and construction (as in Exodus 25-31 and Exodus 35-40). In the narrative of Kings, Solomon’s construction of the temple has more than a hint of the beginning of Solomon’s fall. However, the narrative of Chronicles clearly portrays the temple construction under direct and explicit divine blessing. In the flow of that story, Solomon’s building of the temple is the beginning of Israel’s greatness, which the exiles attempt to recover. These different perspectives on the same event are very interesting indeed.
I have never been a big fan of the Psalms. I prefer narrative and wisdom literature. But each year, my love for the Psalms deepens. The 6-Volume Set encouraged me to read Psalms in 5 sittings, as 5 “books.” Each book held together really well, beginning and ending on a similar note, and grouping psalms in some intuitive ways. As I get more familiar with the book, I’m enjoying it much more.
When reading Isaiah and Jeremiah, I usually feel like I’m swimming in molasses. It’s slow going, I’m easily stuck, and whatever I try to grab slips through my fingers. Part of the problem is that I’ve never had opportunity to study these books at length. This year, I began to see glimmers of structure in these books, and that gave me just the footholds I needed to feel a sense of progress and development throughout.
When I read the New Testament, I usually follow my favorite four-track reading plan, with each track beginning with a gospel and ending with the related epistles. This year, I went straight through canonically, except that I flipped Luke and John in order to read Luke-Acts together. What impressed me was, after reading all 4 gospels in a row, the book of Acts felt glorious. Seeing the apostles perform the works of Jesus, and do even greater things (taking the gospel out to all nations) thrilled me like never before.
After reading all of Paul’s epistles in a row, Hebrews shone afresh. This “word of exhortation” (Heb 13:22) is likely a transcribed sermon, and as I read, I could almost hear an apostle preaching it. Reading Hebrews in one sitting is something that must be done if we are to get the big idea. And imagine what might happen in our churches if this inspired sample sermon shaped our preaching today.

If you joined this year’s reading challenge—and even if you haven’t completed the Bible—I’d love to hear what struck you as you read.

Disclaimer: The Amazon link above is an affiliate link. If you click it and buy stuff, we’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

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What We Might Miss When We Discuss the Bible’s Context

March 22, 2017 By Peter Krol

Writing for the Logos Talk blog, Michael Heiser makes an important point about the Bible’s context. When we study the Bible “in context,” we tend to focus on the literary context (surrounding passages) and historical context (what was going on in Israel’s culture at the time).

But another context is just as important, yet often overlooked: The socio-religious context. In other words, what was going on in the surrounding nations at the time? What did those nations believe about their gods and how to serve them, and how does the true God’s revelation to Israel relate or stand out?

The profound contextual overlaps between Israel and her pagan neighbors was a wise theological tactic on God’s part. When divergences in Israel’s theology appear in the text—and there are some dramatic, stark points of contrast—they scream for attention on the part of the ancient reader. Unlike the pagan deities, Israel’s God could not be cajoled like an idol; Yahweh could not be brought down to earth and tamed. Laws about sacrifices were set in specific covenant contexts, giving them a unique theological dimension. Yahweh would rather have faith and loyalty than sacrifice.

We can miss the punch of what the Bible says when we don’t grapple with how it would have sounded to the ancients in their social context. Heiser gives a number of examples of the similarities and differences that help our interpretation.

Check it out!

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The Resurrection of Jesus According to Matthew

March 20, 2017 By Ryan Higginbottom

anonymous (2016), public domain

Why did Jesus rise from the dead? Each Gospel author answers this question differently. In this post we’ll look at Matthew’s account.

Context

To understand his account of the resurrection, we must understand Matthew’s purpose in writing. Peter has previously addressed this, but here’s a brief summary. Matthew wrote to convince his audience that Jesus was the king of the Jews. He spends much of his book explaining the kingdom of heaven and its subjects.

More immediately, we need to consider Matthew 27 if we’re to understand Matthew 28. Chapter 27 describes Jesus’s encounter with Pilate, his mockery by the soldiers, his crucifixion, and his death (among other events). Since Matthew is concerned with Jesus’s identity, let’s pay special attention to the titles Matthew uses.

Jesus is called “King of the Jews” or the “King of Israel” four times in this chapter (Matthew 27:11; 27:29; 27:37; 27:42). Pilate refers to “Jesus who is called Christ” twice (Matthew 27:17; 27:22). Finally, we read the title “Son of God” three times in this chapter—twice by mockers (Matthew 27:40; 27:43) and once by a now-convinced centurion (Matthew 27:54).

Though we don’t have the space to explore this thoroughly, these three titles are connected. Take a look at 2 Samuel 7:14 to see the relationship between the King of Israel and the Son of God, and read Psalm 2 to see the connection between the Anointed One (“Messiah” or “Christ”), the Son of God, and the King.

Matthew 27 describes the final rejection of Jesus as the King of Israel. The political leaders, religious leaders, and crowds delight in Jesus’s death. He will trouble them no more (so they think).

Jesus is the Risen King

As Matthew 28 begins, we see Mary Magdelene and “the other Mary” coming to look at Jesus’s grave. They were present when the stone was rolled in front of the tomb (Matthew 27:60–61) and, remembering Jesus’s promise to rise (Matthew 16:21), they came back. I imagine they were not prepared for what they saw.

An “angel of the Lord” had rolled the stone away, causing a “severe earthquake” (Matthew 28:2). The soldiers guarding the tomb also quaked, and they were as good as dead (Matthew 28:4). If you saw an angel like this (Matthew 28:3), you’d probably pass out too!

The angel comforted the women and answered their (unspoken) questions plainly: Jesus is not here, he is risen.

Note how the angel speaks about the resurrection to the women. He invites them to see the empty tomb. He also reminds them that Jesus had predicted this himself (Matthew 28:6). Given that Matthew highlights Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, this is not a surprise.

The angel dispatches the women to announce the resurrection to the disciples, and Jesus meets the women on the road. His encounter with them is the key to this passage.

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:8–10)

Notice their response upon meeting Jesus: they worshiped at his feet. They didn’t run or scream or question him or embrace him—they worshiped. Matthew communicates his purpose in telling this story through the women’s reaction: Jesus is the risen king!

Jesus is a Gracious King

Jesus was alive, and this proved his kingship. And this is world-rocking news! But Matthew had more to tell.

It’s astonishing to read about the disappearance of the disciples in Matthew’s Gospel. After Jesus is arrested, “all the disciples left him and fled” (Matthew 26:56). After the story of Peter’s denial (Matthew 26:69–75) and Judas’s suicide (Matthew 27:3–10), none of the disciples are mentioned in chapter 27. They really have abandoned him—his close friends were not there to carry his cross (Matthew 27:32), offer him a drink (Matthew 27:48), request his body (Matthew 27:58), or place him in the grave (Matthew 27:59–60).

And yet, Jesus refers to the disciples as his brothers. Don’t miss this! Jesus embraced these men who abandoned him. He wants the women to bring the news of his resurrection to the disciples and to assure them he will meet them in Galilee (Matthew 28:10).

Main Point

Understanding the purpose and themes of Matthew, and working through this passage carefully, we’re ready for the main point. The risen Jesus is the gracious king of the Jews, the Messiah.

There are ten thousand implications for us. We must recognize Jesus’s authority as the risen king and worship at his feet. We must accept his gracious offer to meet us. And as we meet with Jesus, we will be comforted, assured of his authority, commissioned, and encouraged by his ongoing presence with us (Matthew 28:16–20).

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Defining and Refining the Main Point

March 17, 2017 By Peter Krol

This is a guest post by Brian Stenson and Lincoln Fitch, who serve with DiscipleMakers in eastern Pennsylvania. They share a love for good coffee, good books, and good Bible study. Listen to their talk on Bible study from the DiscipleMakers Fall Conference here.

After a long, hard-fought battle, you have captured the main point of your passage. You have made many observations. You’ve asked and answered key interpretive questions. You’ve resisted the five misconceptions. Now you sit atop the glorious truth you’ve discovered, basking in the glory of victory.

In this grand moment, you may be tempted toward overconfidence. We’ve been there. We’ve felt like strutting across the local coffee shop like decorated Olympians, hands punching the air, spectators lavishing accolade upon accolade. This part of your Bible study is dangerous because, in your overconfidence, you might fail to take an honest, humble look at your work.

So before taking your victory lap, humbly filter your proposed main point through a defining and refining process, especially if you plan to teach or preach this passage. This will ensure you have an accurate main point, ready to communicate with clarity and potency.

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Bible Word Studies Gone Bad

March 15, 2017 By Peter Krol

As we study the Bible, we must not forget to correlate similar passages into an overall framework of biblical teaching. Such correlation is necessary for good Bible study, yet it comes fraught with many dangers, such as flipping around too soon, harmonizing without first interpreting, and connecting words instead of ideas.

For example, many “Bible word studies” do more harm than help by creating an illusion of authenticity without reaching the true meaning of a text.

George Guthrie gives a great example about Euodia and Syntyche in Phil 4:2-3, where attempting a word study before understanding the passage at hand could lead to some crazy ideas: Arrest those women! Capture those women! Impregnate those women!

I beg you: If you feel stuck in your Bible study, and you’re not sure what to do, please don’t rush into a word study. You will feel busy, and you’ll feel like you’ve made progress in your study. But the progress is almost always in a wrong (or at least irrelevant) direction. If you feel stuck, just observe the text more deeply. Ask better questions. Take a stab at the main point.

After you have guessed at the main point, then it might be helpful to reference other passages to see where these ideas also come up. But if you’re stuck on a specific word, the immediate context (and not a word study) is typically your best help.

Guthrie’s article is a short and clear attempt to show how easily our word studies can go wrong. Check it out!

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