. . . And Then, What Happened?, Part 3

Today from Chuck Swindoll is a very precious one and you feel hopeless and not able to go on.

Remember that when a person of God dies nothing.God is powerful during the life of your loved one is still the powerful God of your life is still there for your account will rely and trust. If you have your Bible nearby encourage you to find your way to Matthew chapter 27 in the final verses the gospel writer gives us shocking details about events that followed the crucifixion of Jesus. It includes a guttural cry from Jesus, a massive veil was torn in the temple bodies rising out of grade. What was the meaning of the stunning moments in history today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll concludes a three-day message answer these questions and more title his presentation and then what a marvelous right after the death of Jesus the Lord sort to the veil between saying from this moment all you have access to me, no longer needing to go through the priest, the high priest further.

Furthermore, there was an earthquake.

The earth shook, so much so that rocks split apart when you remember also the same day there was a darkness that shrouded the earth not only clamps were never told that the son was in the clips know it wasn't him it was a supernatural phenomenon. The atmospheric condition of earth was changed by the one who created atmospheres and preferred the tunes were open and the bodies of many godly men and women who had died raised from the dead and left the cemetery after Jesus resurrection went to the city of Jerusalem and peered many people. The first one to be resurrected with Jesus.

There were others who were resuscitated they came back from beyond. In the same body, but they were not raised in the glorified body until Jesus direction. This was the first and they followed the Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake. See they are yawning. They're not having to imagine it. They're going through it and it is truly a terrifying experience and notices response, he goes around him say almost in unison. This man truly was the son those of the words of Harden's veteran who doesn't based anything on emotions whose life is been marked by combat chili all around him, maybe done some of it himself and he is so moved. I believe it's a moment of conversion. This is a man Gentile to the poor has had no schooling, no religious training.

All of his training in anything related to God would be regarding the mythical God of role and suddenly he's saying that one hanging on the cross is the scene changes rather quickly in Matthew's gospel.

As we get to verse 57 and Joseph appears before Pilate since Pilate is the governor, the Roman in charge of the capital punishment and he asked permission for him to take the body from the cross, we pause and mention something that becomes very important. Remember what you learned last time, bodies were usually left on the cross to disintegrate.

They were not considered worthy of a burial but not in this case Joseph and other gospel writers tell us, a Pharisee who has been converted, named Nicodemus remember that name who came to Jesus by night, according to John three and heard the gospel being born again. So these two Mandel Matthew only mentions Joseph here. They went to Pilate and asked for Jesus body pilot issues an order allows them to release him. So watch closely the go to the cross. They take the body down from the cross to carry the body and its limp and lifeless state to a private place, for they will prepare it with dignity and honor for the burial in those days bodies were not prepared as they are today, as we do with involving in those days they were wrapped like what we would call money strips of cloth often linen and there would be splices mostly of gummy consistency sticky. We would say, and the scripts would be wrapped and the spices would be added to hold the wrappings in place so that once dried, this is important to remember when we get to the resurrection.

The body is in case in the limited wrappings so that it is much like being in a cocoon of linen. The head was wrapped in a napkin, they called it in the job was tied so it would gape open hide under the chin in a separate little ball unto itself. All of this was done as they prepared the body for the great interesting that Joseph had his own new tomb.

Again the word is important to explain terms were not then as they are today. Today we go to the gravesite and the body is usually encased in a casket and then the casket is ultimately lowered into the earth, and the dirt covers it, and grass grows over in those days bodies were buried in hillsides for their work.

Natural caves or when necessary.

The soft limestone would be carved. It by gravediggers and they would carve out a T large enough to hold the body which would be illegal on the sled. This is a new tomb so apparently it was one that has just been hard as an opening and he has a strong ready for it.

A stone was rolled across the tomb and the stone would often weight a ton or more, and it was heavy on purpose to guard anyone from going into the area of the deceased because often valuable things were buried with the body not in Jesus case, but often that would be true. And the stone was there to keep everyone out and including animals from going in or any other kind of printer so all of this was to seal the opening of the tomb and that's exactly what we have in the normal manner.

I go over this because skeptics have written about the resurrection, and they denied this and denied that. I just want you to know truly dead truly wrapped as they would wrap a dead body placed an actual tomb stone across the mouth of the tomb and they left it as such, as they just brought the stone across the entrance. They laughed and it was witnessed by the women, Mary Magdalena and the other Mary were there watching it all now, I believe, and have never heard anyone say this, I believe that the that the priests and the Pharisees who came verse 62 Amber 63 to meet with Pilate came surprised they had anticipated that body remaining on the cross because the last thing they wanted was that there be anything near a resurrection like Jesus had predicted, but to their surprise, the body had been allowed to be taken down notice when Joseph and Nicodemus came for approval. The other authorities were not there because it was in the Jewish decision. It was a Roman decision. That's why Pilate was the one who was the acting official so they found out about it sometime through the night and they realized, of all things. He is now in a two is the last place they wanted that cadaver and knowing that he is now in the to their concern is how do we make sure no one comes to and takes the body and then claims a resurrection, because of course they never believed he could be miraculously raised, but they didn't want a hoax to be presented as real fact. So now were ready. The leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate remember Pilate, the governor remember what Pilate had been told by his wife. Your call his wife and said to him in a note have nothing to do with this innocent man. I've had this dream though. I don't even think about being a part of condemning him.

He's an innocent man, and what is Pilate do in a weak moment. He washes his hands of the whole responsibility. Remember any says to the crowd is yours, and he condemns him to crucifixion what you don't read is Pilate going home to face his wife. Now you got it. Now you little giggle their value into it.

Pilate has been living with a woman who didn't get her way home in at the wrong way but mommy happy and nobody had. And in this case pilots sleeping on the patio and eating cold cuts and every he's paying the price because she said in you did what and so he is up to here with Jesus forgives up euros window per phrases that I worked into the last part of Matthew 27, but what else is a real guy.

She's a real live in a surreal mode and it's a real active disobedience and the guy goes home and is going to tell his wife any citizen through not that you sit through a lecture or anything, but he said to sit through a lecture and have all of this go on so now that you know all of that.

Look at Pilate's response and you appreciated. They say to him. We want you to send guards it.

We want you to seal the tomb so that no one could, take the body look at 60, 65, Pilate replied.

You take care the guard yourself.

You secure it is best to get. He is up to year with the whole mess want to mess with the back when he washed his hands and here he is having to deal with that again some provinces, it's your mess is mine.

I did my part now you got to do yours so would've they do will be seal the tomb of the posted guards to protect you. Talk about a God who sends darkness and earthquake and opening truths. A God who can create something out of nothing.

And the Lord God who was able to do the impossible and they put a few puny Jewish guards out there to guard the tomb and a double ceiling with a little extra wax to go around the stone and they think that's going to keep him in. You want to know the whole truth, and I will give you a little hint regarding next week. That stone didn't have to be removed for Jesus to come out that he came out before the stone was rolled away the stone was rolled away so we can go in and see that the tomb is empty. That is very important insight Jesus in his glorified state is able to move through any solid mass because the whole molecular structure of a glorified body is different to move through space of massive distance in a split second, it can move through any kind of dense material with no friction or hesitation or resistance, but they think what we really need is more guards and a better seal will leave you patiently set through it.

I draw three lessons from all of this and on through number one when you come to the dead end of all hope. Remember what happened right after Jesus died when you come to the end of all your remember what happened after Jesus died reason I say it like that is most people who walked away from the body hanging on the cross walked away without hope.

I will read of anyone leaving the scene of death going to be raised it's only a matter of time is coming back. No, no, the disciples were hiding in fear.

The others were walking away, clapping their hands saying it's finally all over. We got it done. We put Jesus where he belongs, no hope of resurrection and in your life.

No hope to going different would you look at what God did immediately after the death, even before there was a resurrection is as if he saying when someone who represents me dies nothing of God dies when you lose a very precious loved one and you feel hopeless and unable to go on. Remember that when a person of God dies nothing of God dies, the God who was powerful during the life of your loved one is still the powerful God of your life. He still there for you to count all and reliable and trusted. Here's the second lesson I stated earlier not repeated here. When you think you so you know someone who is too far gone ever to believe in Christ. Remember the centurion if the Lord is able to save the life of a hardened battle strong and tough minded Pharisee how easily he can reach your loved one in mind, I want you for the next moment to think about that person that you have been tempted to put on your forever lost list. Think about maybe a roommate from college.

Maybe one of your sons or daughters wayward they walked away from all of it may be a partner in business that you were once close to maybe a former partner in life you were once married to someone that you couldn't even think of right now would be a great time for you to remember that person before the Lord and called aligned that King of Babylon, who became an animal in the field because he had with such arrogance taken the credit for the prosperity of his surroundings Nebuchadnezzar by name and you live like an animal in the field for years until the Lord reached him and do you know he has added to the words of Scripture. Your read it in Daniel 435 it isn't signed Nebuchadnezzar but your read Nebuchadnezzar said listen to what he said all the inhabitants of the earth or is nothing, and he does according to his will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and no one can stop his hand or say to him what are you doing that's the man who was once in the field as an animal, whom the Lord gloriously transformed. Think of Paul the apostle, the terrorist who preyed on Christian communities made life miserable for those who love Christ until he was himself transformed beginning on the road to Damascus if the Lord is able to do this with Nebuchadnezzar and with Saul of Tarsus. He is able to save your loved one. Your friend, your relative even a century. Here's 1/3 lesson when you put together a plan that tries to hinder the plan of God. Remember the resurrection you could today be as a cynic and and as one who works against the things of God. You can stack everything up against them. The work of God. But there's no way you can outperform or resist the hand of God when he is ready and he makes his move trumps all other action. It overcomes all other barriers and here you can split a veil in two from top to bottom. You can bring an earthquake or darkness over the earth can bring Jesus from the grave is able to work even in your life when you think all is futile and there is no hope beyond this, I like us together to bow our heads just for a few moments. Just for your sitting right there you may know the Lord, but you may know someone who doesn't. I sure hope you do would you claim that person right now in prayer for the Lord God to get a hold of in whatever means he chooses.

However, severe. He may prefer to break that person's will and to break through that person's barriers. Frankly, you may be the one not talking about them and never been a time in your life when you submitted your life to Christ will hear you are today and the moment is right.

Trust in Jesus Christ and you will know a piece you've never known before, and a purpose that will replace all the futility of emptiness you've been living with Tristan. Now let us know you trusted you want to help you get underway in the life that is that is so marvelous you can even imagine what you've been missing. But it all begins with the cross for you first trust in Jesus. Father, thank you in advance for doing the work in the life of those that we so easily write off. Thank you for being able to still break through tough wills and get the attention of those who seem to be lost forever, who give no evidence of any sense of interest.

We pray that you will go to work on those individuals and bring about the events that are necessary, just as you did with this centurion and awaken that person to what's missing and bring them in submission to Christ.

For those at this very place right now in this time. Never come to Christ, pray that you will lead them before the day is done, giving themselves to the Lord Jesus, trusting him and him alone for eternal life. This we pray in the name of the Savior who died and rose again, even Christ in all God's people, a man named this is insight for living learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org with Chuck Swindoll's closing prayer we wrap up an emotion filled week of Bible study. He's teaching for Matthew 27 in helping us relive the dramatic moment surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus.

In light of this compelling subject. I'll draw your attention to a sermon, Chuck presented that parallels the one you heard today. It's an audio CD called delivered up to be crucified and you can order a copy by going to insight.org/offer this daily Bible teaching program and all of the companion resources are prepared just for you and we love getting your emails, letters and phone calls. For instance, I was moved by these comments from a listener in Georgia will explain how should been the victim of betrayal in her marriage. She said Chuck many years ago when I was going through one of the most frightful times in my life alone in a foreign country with a two-year-old and a second child on the way you spoke life my desperate situation every day that she had.

I'm thankful to God use you to speak home to my despair to reassure her that he is always with me in the midst of the storm. Thank you for teaching me all those many years ago, trust and depend on God. Just one more confirmation the God spirit is still changing lives as we enter the holidays and approach the end of the year we're calling on every listener to do their part in making this Bible teaching available we can accomplish our mission without friends like you. And so as you grow spiritually to checks Bible teaching. Please give us a call listening in the US, one 800-7728 88 that's 1-800-772-8888 or you give a donation online insight.org join us again Monday. Chuck Swindoll continues our study in the book of Matthew right here on insight for living. The preceding message and then what happened was copyrighted in 2018 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

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