Intro to Matthew 27:54-56

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/2/2024 8:37 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  “Intro to Matthew 27:54-56”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Matthew 27:54-56

 

            Message of the verses:  “54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" 55 Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56 Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

 

            This will be a very short SD as we will briefly look at the introduction to Matthew 27:54-56.  John MacArthur entitles this 22^nd chapter in his fourth book of commentaries on the book of Matthew “Responses to the Death of Christ.” 

 

            I want to quote what Warren Wiersbe writes on these verses and then quote from John MacArthur’s introduction.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “The result of all this was the testimony of the centurion” (things I wrote about in yesterday’s SD) and those watching.  ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’  Did this indicate saving faith?  Not necessarily.  But certainly it indicated hearts that were open to the truth.

 

            “The only disciple at the cross when Jesus died was John (John 19:35).  But many women were watching from a distance, undoubtedly those who had assisted Him in His ministry (Luke 8:2).  Mary, the mother of James and Joses, who also was at the tomb on Resurrection morning (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1); and Salome, the mother of James and John.  Salome had asked Jesus for special thrones for her sons.  We wonder how she felt as she say Him hanging on a cross.”

 

            John MacArthur writes the following introduction to these verses:  “This brief passage presents two responses to the death of Christ, both of them positive.  The first was by the centurion and his fellow soldiers who stood at the foot of the cross, and the second was by the women standing some distance away.  Another response at this same time (by disciples) is implied in all four gospels.

 

            “Those responses are representative of the responses men have made to God throughout history, and they have a powerful and practical application even for our own time.”

 

            Lord willing we will begin to look at the first section “Saving Faith” in our next SD, which comes from Matthew 27:54, and perhaps we may see a bit of a differences of opinion from what Dr. Wiersbe wrote.

 

9/2/2024 8:56 AM