Matthew 27-28: Your Turn

The book of Matthew concludes with Jesus's crucifixion, resurrection, and the Great Commission that gives every Christian their true calling regardless of profession or circumstance.

• Mike celebrates the podcast reaching 25,000 downloads, with listeners in all 50 states and 80 countries worldwide
• Matthew's gospel strategically highlights fulfilled prophecies pointing to Jesus as the Messiah
• Judas returns the 30 silver coins before taking his own life, fulfilling ancient prophecy
• Jesus remains silent before Pilate and the religious leaders, refusing to defend himself
• The crucifixion is accompanied by supernatural signs including darkness and an earthquake
• Women discover the empty tomb and become the first witnesses of the resurrection
• Religious leaders bribe guards to spread the story that disciples stole Jesus's body
• Jesus meets his disciples on a mountain in Galilee where some worship and some doubt
• The Great Commission calls all believers to make disciples, baptize, and teach obedience
• Jesus promises his presence "to the end of the age" as followers carry out this mission

Download our Echo Discipleship Guide "Not Just Another Sermon" at outloudbible.com to put Jesus's teachings into action through daily challenges that will take you slightly outside your comfort zone.

Chapters

• 0:00 Global Bible Project Impact
• 1:37 Matthew's Conclusion Begins
• 3:40 Judas's Betrayal and Suicide
• 6:26 Jesus Before Pilate
• 9:56 The Crucifixion
• 13:26 Jesus's Death and Burial
• 15:30 The Resurrection
• 17:39 The Great Commission

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:12

Welcome back to the Outloud Bible Project podcast. This is Mike, and at the time of this recording I got to tell you this podcast has seen over 25,000 downloads and that represents listeners in each of the 50 states of the United States and in 80 countries around the world. And just so humbled to see what God is doing with his spoken word. He's reaching hearts around the world. I see I've got some faithful listeners in British Columbia. Hello to you, my friends. I'm so thankful that you've made this such a part of your experience reading the Bible Listeners in Singapore, south Korea. God's doing something in South Korea. Man, it's thanks for thanks for joining me here. And man, just a just a great, great work. I can scroll through and just see numbers that represent people whose souls Christ died for. And here we are. We get to live our lives in service to him together. And man, so thankful for this out loud Bible community that God has put together and I'm glad we get to read the Bible together. And man, so thankful for this Outlawed Bible community that God has put together and I'm glad we get to read the Bible together. Isn't it good? Isn't his word good? Man, we should get into it, shouldn't we. We got some work to do here. We've been in the book of Matthew and today we actually get to conclude the book of Matthew. And the conclusion of the book of Matthew contains one of the most famous passages in the Bible, probably one you've heard before. You may be familiar with it. You've probably heard it at some missionary conference or something if you've been to one of those anytime Very famous verse, and for good reason. And of course we will talk about it here at the end of the episode. But let's see how this very dramatic book of Matthew concludes here, in Matthew 27 through 28. And this is the New English Translation.

Speaker 1: 2:04

When it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. They tied him up, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. Now, when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, saying I've sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they said what is that to us? You take care of it yourself. And blood. But they said what is that to us? You take care of it yourself. So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left, and then he went out and hanged himself. The chief priests took the silver and said it's not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it's blood money. After consulting together, they bought the potter's field with it as a burial place for foreigners. For this reason, that field has been called the field of blood to this day.

Speaker 1: 3:03

Then what was spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet, was fulfilled. They took the 30 silver coins the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel and they gave them for the potter's field. As the Lord commanded me. Very specific prophecy, don't you think? What are the odds of that one alone coming true? Anyway, let's keep going. Then Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus said you say so, but when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he didn't respond. And then Pilate said to him Don't you hear how many charges they're bringing against you? But he didn't answer even one accusation, so that the governor was quite amazed.

Speaker 1: 3:57

During the feast, the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whomever they wanted. At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. I'll pause. When I first saw this here in this New English translation, I was like Jesus Barabbas, his first name was Jesus, and I looked into it just a little bit and it looks to be like there are some earlier manuscripts that do have his first name as Jesus, which in that time was a very common Jewish boy's name, yeshua, like Joshua, very common name. It was not unique to Jesus Christ, and so, very well, barabbas could have had the first name Jesus, but it was excluded in some later manuscripts, almost like. I excluded it from this reading because I was like, well, that's a little confusing for people, let's just call him Barabbas. But it's here. There's some evidence for it. If you want to look into it more, you can. It is interesting, though, that if that's true, his first name is Jesus, then his name would be Jesus Barabbas, meaning son of the father. Jesus, son of the father. Here we have a juxtaposition of an earthly Jesus son of the father and a heavenly Jesus son of the father. We can let God be prophetic and poetic while still being factual. This might be one of those times, but let's keep reading.

Speaker 1: 5:18

So, after they had assembled, pilate said to them whom do you want me to release for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who's called the Christ? For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy. And as he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him. Have nothing to do with that innocent man. I've suffered greatly as a result of a dream about him today.

Speaker 1: 5:42

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor asked them which of the two do you want me to release to you? And they said Barabbas. Pilate said to them then what should I do with Jesus who's called the Christ? They all said to him crucify him. He asked why? What has he done? But they shouted more insistently crucify him. When Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said I am innocent of this man's blood. You take care of it yourselves. In reply, all the people said well, let his blood be on us and on our children. And then he released Barabbas for them. But after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Speaker 1: 6:36

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's residence and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him and, after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and, kneeling down before him, they mocked him oh hail, king of the Jews. They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head. When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him, and then they led him away to crucify him.

Speaker 1: 7:15

As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry his cross. They came to a place called Golgotha, which means place of the skull, and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink, but after tasting it, he wouldn't drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. Then they sat down and kept guard over him. There, above his head, they put the charge against him which read this is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

Speaker 1: 7:55

Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying you who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days will save yourself if your God's son will come down from the cross In the same way. Even the chief priests, together with the experts in the law and elders, were mocking him. Oh, he saved others, but he can't save himself. Oh, he is the king of Israel. If he comes down now from the cross, we'll believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God, if he wants to, deliver him now, because he said, I am God's son. The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

Speaker 1: 8:37

Now, from noon until three, darkness came over all the land. At about three o'clock, jesus shouted with a loud voice Eli, eli, that is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? When some of the bystanders heard it, they said this man's calling for Elijah, and immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick and gave it to him. And just then the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart and tombs were opened and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised. They came up Now when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said Truly this one was God's son. Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had given him support were also there, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, mary, the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Speaker 1: 10:16

Now, when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

Speaker 1: 10:46

The next day, which is after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate and said Sir, we remember that while the deceiver was still alive, he said after three days I'll rise again. So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day, otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people oh, he's been raised from the dead and the last deception will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them all right, take a guard of soldiers, go and make it as secure as you can. So they went with the soldiers of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Speaker 1: 11:24

Now, after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb and suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him. But the angel said to the women don't be afraid, I know that you're looking for Jesus who was crucified. He's not here, for he's been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying, for he's been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying, then go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead. He's going ahead of you into Galilee. You'll see him there. Listen, I've told you.

Speaker 1: 12:25

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples, but Jesus met them saying greetings. They came to him, held onto his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them oh don't be afraid, go, tell my brothers to go to Galilee, they'll see me there. While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After they had assembled with the elders and formed a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them you're to say his disciples came at night and stole the body while we were asleep. If this matter is heard before the governor, we'll satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So they took the money and did as they were instructed, and this story is told among the Jews to this day.

Speaker 1: 13:10

So the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had designated. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came up and said to them all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and remember I'm with you always, to the end of the age. I'm with you always to the end of the age. And that is the conclusion of Matthew's account of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Speaker 1: 13:58

Remember, matthew was speaking to a Jewish audience, trying to convince them that the Messiah they've been looking for and anticipating ever since the Old Testament prophecies has been fulfilled in the person of Jesus, and that's why he references so many prophecies and saying like this is what was fulfilled when this happened and this fulfilled this prophecy. It should be compelling for an audience who's been looking for him, but of course, even as we see here, it did not convince everybody. But let's say you are convinced. You're here listening to the Bible being read and you do, you believe and you want to follow Jesus. That's great. That last command of Jesus is for you. This is your calling. Your calling does not have to do with your work or your ministry or whatever project God gave you to do. That's not your calling. Your calling is to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded. That is true of every Christian, whether you are a Wall Street investor or a single mother living in Haiti. This is your calling to make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, son and the Spirit and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded you. And note that it's not just teaching them everything Jesus commanded them, it's teaching them to obey. That's been a little detail of that great commission that has stuck out to me recently Not just trying to teach people what Jesus said, but teach them to obey and do something about it. That's why we end each episode with a thinking out, loud thought for the day, hoping it's not just staying a thought like oh yeah, that's a good thought, but spur us to action and do something.

Speaker 1: 15:43

The importance of obeying what Jesus taught and not just hearing it and knowing it, is also the motivation behind our Echo Discipleship Guide. I've talked about it a few times here. In the book of Matthew you can go download not just another sermon is the name of this collection of Jesus's teachings. On outloudbiblecom you can find this Echo Discipleship Guide on the book of Matthew and go back and highlight some of the most important teachings of Jesus as they're recorded in Matthew, and each day it's just a seven-day guide. Each day should lead you to some action. Take some action, step that's just slightly outside your comfort zone, if you really want to take this Bible from yep words on a page, or maybe words in a podcast spoken and actually have them be transformative and have an impact in your heart and in the people around you. That requires action, and so if you haven't downloaded your guide yet, I would recommend now's a great time. You've heard the whole book and now it's time to do something about it, time to go out and live this calling of this great commission that Jesus has given. Let's do something about it. And that concludes the book of Matthew.

Speaker 1: 16:56

Here on the Outloud Bible Project podcast, we're going to continue in this season of building a kingdom. That's what Jesus talked about throughout this book of Matthew. We're going to stay in the New Testament for a little while and continue this theme of building the kingdom as we look at some of Paul's letters to some young men who are building the kingdom and fulfilling Jesus's great commission in a way that God has called them. So join Kelsey and I in the next episode of Living Out Loud as we conclude the book of Matthew, drill a little bit down deeper into what we talked about today, and then after that we'll start Paul's letter to Timothy in the book, or the letter of 1 Timothy. I'm looking forward to that. We'll see you then.