Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, ND and Zion Lutheran Church in New Salem, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 27:57-66.
Although Jesus’ burial is sometimes neglected in preaching, it is a key event in the Lord’s work for our salvation. Jesus’ burial shows that He is, in fact, dead, and His third day resurrection is not a farce. Jesus’ burial fulfills Scripture, an important theme in the Gospel of Matthew. Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man who is a disciple of Jesus, shows kindness to the Lord by providing for His burial. He is given the burial of a rich man in a new tomb, preaching the importance of Jesus’ death for sinners. Matthew anticipates Jesus’ resurrection already, as the women stand by as witnesses to the events of Good Friday. On the next day, the Sabbath, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and chief priests is shown. Though they should have been at rest, they are at work before Pilate yet again, attempting to thwart Jesus yet again. They know what He has said, yet they don’t believe Him. They do all that they know to make Jesus’ tomb secure, yet nothing will stop the one true God from fulfilling His promise of resurrection for sinners on the third day.
“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.
