MATTHEW 26-28: DAY 70 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
March 11, 2023
MATTHEW 26-28
DAY 70 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
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Focus Verses For Today: Matthew 28:16-20
Today, our journey concludes our study of the Gospel of Matthew, by taking us through Jesus’ last days on this earth. It is a story of betrayal, false allegations, sorrow, triumph, and revelation. Today’s journey is an overview of Holy week. From April 2-9, TFFCM is posting a detailed study of these events. He has risen! He has risen! Jesus has risen!
Take a few minutes to ask God to reveal to you His understanding of Matthew 26-28. Now read Matthew 26-28. Let’s journey!
Matthew 26-28: The beginning of Jesus’ last days of ministry on this earth and another step toward the fulfillment of God’s covenant with His people, Israel, through His servant Abraham. Jesus told His disciples of the things to come. The chief priests and elders determined that Jesus must die. Jesus is anointed. Judas agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The Last Supper where Jesus institutes the sacrament of holy communion and points out Judas as His betrayer. Jesus, with His disciples, goes to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Three times Jesus asks God to release Him of this burden; but God’s will, not Jesus’, be done. Jesus truly comprehended the pain He would suffer for all sin to be forgiven, even the sin of the unrepentant. Judas betrays Jesus. Jesus is arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin. Jesus is found guilty of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin. Peter denies knowing Jesus. This is all transpiring in one night. Can you imagine the confusion? Can you imagine the chaos? Can you imagine the intensity? Can you imagine those moments?
The chief priests determine that Jesus must be executed and hand Jesus over to Pilate, requesting that Jesus be executed. Judas recants his story and attempts to return the money. The chief priests tell him it is too late, it is on him. Judas realizing what he had done hangs himself. Pilate carries out the request of the Jewish leaders and crucifies Jesus. Jesus dies hanging on the cross after suffering humiliation and abuse at the hands of the Roman soldiers. Joseph of Arimathea secures Jesus’ body and buries Jesus per Jewish practice. Guards are placed at the tomb where Jesus is buried to insure that His disciples do not steal His body. Jesus defeats death. He is risen and showed Himself to the women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and then to the disciples. The guards were paid to lie by the Jewish leaders who asked them to say that Jesus’ body was stolen. (Matthew 26:1-28:20)
Our focus verses of the day:
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:16-20, NIV)
The last thing Jesus said to the disciples is to go out into every part of the world and make disciples of all people. Is your daily life a testimony to your relationship with Jesus? It is. It reveals your love for Him. It reveals your complacency toward Him. It may even reveal your contempt for Him. The way you live your life reveals your relationship with Jesus. What does the way you live your life reveal? As Christians, we are obligated to share Him with all we encounter in our thoughts, our words, and our deed.
Godspeace!
There is no way a brief daily bible study can do justice to the events covered today, and the preceding weeks, in Matthew 21-28. Please take some time to study Matthew 21-28, to prepare for our Holy Week special study.
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