SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 27:57-66
When evening approached, a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea who had become a disciple of Jesus asked Pilate for Jesus’s body. He wrapped Jesus’s body in clean linen cloth and put him in his tomb. He rolled a big stone in front of it. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sat outside the tomb.
The Romans made the tomb secure so that the disciples could not come and take Jesus’s body and tell people he had been raised from the dead as Jesus preached he would do on the third day. So Pilate ordered a guard to secure Jesus’s tomb by putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 28, Day 5: Matthew 27:57-66
13) Joseph prepared Jesus’s body in rich clothes and placed in a nice tomb. Joseph used his best for Jesus.
14a) The Romans made the tomb secure so that the disciples could not come and take Jesus’s body and tell people he had been raised from the dead as Jesus preached he would do on the third day.
b) It proves that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead without any help or dark magic. No one entered or exited the tomb after Joseph placed his body there. There is no doubt that Jesus rose on the 3rd day.
15) Finding a new job. Moving states in the midst of uncertainty. Living a God-centered life always.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 28, Day 5: Matthew 27:57-66
I love how God thinks of everything. Jesus’s body has to be guarded so there is no doubt that he rose from the dead. Amazing!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 28, Day 5: Matthew 27:57-66
Normally, the Romans left the bodies of those who were crucified to rot. But since it was Passover, no one wanted the bodies left. Plus, the fact that a rich person asked for Jesus’s body helped.
Joseph had little time to prepare Jesus’s body before the Sabbath arrived where he could not touch a dead body.
Having a huge stone seal the tomb was the custom of the day for the rich. Several men had to work together to move it, which ensured nothing happened to the body. This tomb was made from solid rock and was near where Jesus died (John 19:41). These tombs had a small entrance. The bodies would be laid out so that they could mummify, rot, and decay to bones. Once they bodies were bones, they would be collected and placed in ossuaries or small boxes that then remained in the tomb with loved ones.
The priests and Pharisees approached Pilate on the Sabbath, breaking Jewish law again. They were not afraid of the disciples; they were afraid of Jesus’s power of resurrection. The chief priests were probably wondering if Jesus would rise again and wanted to make sure there were no doubts.
The Romans sent their best men to guard the tomb of Jesus.
The Roman seal is significant. First, if anyone broke the seal, they would be facing death since it would be a defyment of the Roman Empire. The seal was a rope that was secured by wax. If the stone moved, the seal would break.
The Roman guard was not just one man. This was at least four men. Then, two men could watch while the other two slept. However, in this case, there may have been more. All these soldiers cared about was ensuring the seal was not broken, for then their lives would be at risk if it were.