SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/17/2024 8:14 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-1 “The Propagation”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
Matthew 28:15
Message of the verse: “15 And they took
the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread
among the Jews, and is to this day.”
Perhaps the first part of this verse should have
said “They took the money with joy.” I
think that these soldiers took the money and were overjoyed for their fortune,
probably thinking a bit earlier that their lives hung in the balance and now
they were paid to keep their mouth shut about the truth and propagate the lie
that is still going on today. Matthew
did not write this gospel record until around 68 A. D. so that story about the
missing body of Jesus was still going on then, and as mentioned people still
believe it today. The question is why do
they believe this story? Well I think
that the answer is that it is easier to not believe in a resurrected Messiah
than to believe in One who was raised from the dead. I think it is kind of like evolution as
opposed to believing the truth that God created the earth in seven days and by
the way “He created the stars too,” which to me is kind of an afterthought,
like it was no big deal for God to do that.
If one believes the lies of Jesus not being raised from the dead and our
universe is just some kind of a cosmetic accident life seems easier, but life
will not end easier for those who believe those lies that come right out of the
pit of hell, brought about by Satan.
Matthew
then continues by writing that this “story was widely spread among the Jews, and
is to this day.” I mentioned that
this was some 30+ years later when he wrote this.
MacArthur
writes “The Sanhedrin’s lie was still common among the Jews of the second
century. The church Father Justin Martyr
wrote in chapter 103 of his Dialogue With
Trypho, ‘You [Jewish leaders] have sent chosen and ordained men throughout
all the world to proclaim that the godless and lawless heresy had sprung from
one Jesus, a Galilean deceiver, whom we crucified, but his disciples stole him
by night from the tomb…and now deceived men by asserting that he has risen from
the dead and ascended into heaven’ (The
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1973] , p. 253). That same falsehood can be heard even today.”
I
will have to warn you, those who are reading this and the following SD that I
will quote much from MacArthur’s commentary on this subject, and I do believe
that this subject of the resurrection and the false stories told about it are
good to read about it, for as mentioned earlier it is easier to believe a lie
than the truth, especially when believing the truth cost you much.
MacArthur
then begins his commentary as he has first of all commented on Matthew 28:15,
and then goes on to write: “But as wicked and self-serving
as the Sanhedrin’s plan was, it fit perfectly into God’s much greater and
sovereign plan. God did not want
unbelievers to proclaim the true gospel, even had they wanted to. The Lord would not send out messengers to
preach the resurrection who did not believe in the One who was raised. In His eternal wisdom God permitted those
guardians of the grave, who could have spread the factual, historic truth of
the resurrection, to become victimized by the corrupt Jewish leaders. The resurrection of the Son of God would be
proclaimed only by those whose hearts were committed to the risen Savior and
Lord.”
It
was yesterday afternoon while getting a treatment to make my heart stronger
that I lie there listening to a sermon by John MacArthur on this subject, and I
don’t think that I heard his logic which I just quoted above before, but it all
makes sense to me then and now. With
that thought I will close this SD and Lord willing, continue to quote from
MacArthur’s commentary in my next SD.
Just think about what is highlighted above.
10/17/2024 8:43 AM
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