The following is one part of a larger series of reflections (two to go) on the resurrection of Jesus. It is, at times, highly technical which is due to the fact that it comes from a three-hour lecture that I gave for a class on the Historical Jesus at Tyndale University College in 2004. I am going to extend the discussion on Resurrection in the Gospels into four seperate blog entries (one for each Gospel)...
The account of the resurrection in Matthew brings together his main themes as well: themes of authority and commission.
We begin at Matthews story of the crucifixion, where, contrary to custom, Jesus is given a decent and reverent burial. The Romans did not bury a crucified body, they simply threw it on the ground. Executed criminals ended up in a public plot, buried without honor and were not allowed to be placed in their family tombs.
The reason Rome made the exception about Jesus? Maybe because of all the fuss about crucifying him in the first place and here was someone (Joseph of Arimathea) willing to just get rid of him so that people could move on?
But Joseph takes him, wraps him in a “clean linen cloth” and places him in the tomb.
Then we get something that isn’t in the other gospels: Matthew tells us that the guards are posted. Why? (27.62-66) The reason has something to do with what Jesus had said while he was living: (this is Matthews bringing to the readers mind the reason why Jesus’ raising should be seen as a vindication of his teaching) he said this would happen. But it is also because by the time Matthew was writing the rumor had been going around already (27.64) that the disciples had stolen the body.
Coming back to our comments on the ‘spiritual resurrection’ which J.D. Crossan and friends talk about, saying that the resurrection is Jesus’ ‘heavenly seating’ at the right hand of God, one might then be confused why these men are concerned with a body being stolen and why they send guards or a stone.
Now comes the actual resurrection narrative. I am tempted to call Matthew’s resurrection account the “Apocalyptic Telling of the Resurrection”, because of the apocalyptic overtones that drive his plot: an earthquake which is apocalyptic imagery and which connects it powerfully to the crucifixion event where the “earth shook and the rocks were split” (27.51).
Matthew also has the angelic scene here which recalls all the other presence of angels throughout: twice at the birth (1.20; 24) the flight to Egypt (2.13) and the flight back from Egypt (2.19)— this all done, one could say to emphasize the in-breaking of the eschatological age by directs acts of Israel’s God. Again and again Matthew draws the mind toward God being with us; in action.
Matthew tells us (within the crucifixion account) that after Jesus was raised
The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many (27.52-53), echoing Ezekiel 37.12-13, where YHWH promises to an exiled Israel “I will open your graves and lead you out of your graves”. Remember that this metaphor by the first century was understood as a literal prediction of what would happen to the righteous at the end of the present age and the dawning of the age to come.
Quite obviously the resurrecting of these OT echoes themselves serves Matthews purpose: This is the real return from exile, the dawn of the new age. This resurrection event is the event which takes the eschatological (age to come) hopes of Israel and brings them abruptly into the present. Though this event is not to be confused with the great general resurrection of all the righteous it is a strange anticipation of it.
On a Mountain in Galilee…
What is so different about Matthew, among other things is his focus on what happened in Galilee (the place the disciples were told to go in Mark, but that we never saw). Now we do see what happened there: One of the great Matthean themes is here highlighted, in the story of the ‘Great Commission’. Like the commissioning scenes in Luke and John, this final scene concentrates on the instructions the risen Jesus gives to his disciples for their new worldwide mission. What is important about the focus of the “worldwide” mission, is that up until this point in Matthew Jesus has continually reminded the disciples that the gospel strategy, during Jesus’ lifetime, was to be being restricted to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”:
"Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (10.5)
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (15.25)
We begin at Matthews story of the crucifixion, where, contrary to custom, Jesus is given a decent and reverent burial. The Romans did not bury a crucified body, they simply threw it on the ground. Executed criminals ended up in a public plot, buried without honor and were not allowed to be placed in their family tombs.
The reason Rome made the exception about Jesus? Maybe because of all the fuss about crucifying him in the first place and here was someone (Joseph of Arimathea) willing to just get rid of him so that people could move on?
But Joseph takes him, wraps him in a “clean linen cloth” and places him in the tomb.
Then we get something that isn’t in the other gospels: Matthew tells us that the guards are posted. Why? (27.62-66) The reason has something to do with what Jesus had said while he was living: (this is Matthews bringing to the readers mind the reason why Jesus’ raising should be seen as a vindication of his teaching) he said this would happen. But it is also because by the time Matthew was writing the rumor had been going around already (27.64) that the disciples had stolen the body.
Coming back to our comments on the ‘spiritual resurrection’ which J.D. Crossan and friends talk about, saying that the resurrection is Jesus’ ‘heavenly seating’ at the right hand of God, one might then be confused why these men are concerned with a body being stolen and why they send guards or a stone.
Now comes the actual resurrection narrative. I am tempted to call Matthew’s resurrection account the “Apocalyptic Telling of the Resurrection”, because of the apocalyptic overtones that drive his plot: an earthquake which is apocalyptic imagery and which connects it powerfully to the crucifixion event where the “earth shook and the rocks were split” (27.51).
Matthew also has the angelic scene here which recalls all the other presence of angels throughout: twice at the birth (1.20; 24) the flight to Egypt (2.13) and the flight back from Egypt (2.19)— this all done, one could say to emphasize the in-breaking of the eschatological age by directs acts of Israel’s God. Again and again Matthew draws the mind toward God being with us; in action.
Matthew tells us (within the crucifixion account) that after Jesus was raised
The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many (27.52-53), echoing Ezekiel 37.12-13, where YHWH promises to an exiled Israel “I will open your graves and lead you out of your graves”. Remember that this metaphor by the first century was understood as a literal prediction of what would happen to the righteous at the end of the present age and the dawning of the age to come.
Quite obviously the resurrecting of these OT echoes themselves serves Matthews purpose: This is the real return from exile, the dawn of the new age. This resurrection event is the event which takes the eschatological (age to come) hopes of Israel and brings them abruptly into the present. Though this event is not to be confused with the great general resurrection of all the righteous it is a strange anticipation of it.
On a Mountain in Galilee…
What is so different about Matthew, among other things is his focus on what happened in Galilee (the place the disciples were told to go in Mark, but that we never saw). Now we do see what happened there: One of the great Matthean themes is here highlighted, in the story of the ‘Great Commission’. Like the commissioning scenes in Luke and John, this final scene concentrates on the instructions the risen Jesus gives to his disciples for their new worldwide mission. What is important about the focus of the “worldwide” mission, is that up until this point in Matthew Jesus has continually reminded the disciples that the gospel strategy, during Jesus’ lifetime, was to be being restricted to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”:
"Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (10.5)
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (15.25)
Now, he says, in direct contrast to those things: this is about “all the nations”— that shift in mission surely has something to do with the cross and the resurrection and the authority which those things give to Jesus and through Jesus to his disciples. It is important to be reminded at this point, that in Israel’s prophetic history when the restoration of Israel came, one of the defining points in that time would be that Israel would finally include Gentiles.
The fate of the Gentiles was bound up with that of Israel. What happened to the Gentiles is conditional upon, and conditioned by, what happens to Israel. Thus in Jesus Israel itself has undergone her long awaited restoration. So, the Gentile mission is precisely what is being announced on this mountain in Galilee.
Jesus is saying that the lifelong vocation of Israel is coming true at last: Israel would be the light of the world, so that the nations seeing it would come in and glorify God. In that mission the God of Israel was the authoritative figure, but interestingly that is now Jesus: the one in whom the God of Israel is truly revealed, the one whom “all authority” has been given.
The fate of the Gentiles was bound up with that of Israel. What happened to the Gentiles is conditional upon, and conditioned by, what happens to Israel. Thus in Jesus Israel itself has undergone her long awaited restoration. So, the Gentile mission is precisely what is being announced on this mountain in Galilee.
Jesus is saying that the lifelong vocation of Israel is coming true at last: Israel would be the light of the world, so that the nations seeing it would come in and glorify God. In that mission the God of Israel was the authoritative figure, but interestingly that is now Jesus: the one in whom the God of Israel is truly revealed, the one whom “all authority” has been given.
In 1.21 the special baby is to be called Jesus; which means YHWH saves— because, says Matthew, he will save his people from their sins. (1.11-14); That is he will deliver them from their exile, which was the punishment for their sins. He will be the king who will go down into exile with and for his people and lead them out the other side. But this time it will be the ultimate exile, not of Babylon, Syria, Rome or any other political foe. This time it is the satanic exile of sin and death. The exile which began with Adam and Eve and extended to all of humanity.
The second name that is given is Emmanual; which means “God with us” (1.23). So, Matthew has drawn together two strands of Jewish eschatology: first, God will save his people from their sins. Second, God himself will come and dwell with his people. Both of which Matthew says have come to be in Jesus. The cross and resurrection forgave and now Jesus says, “I am with you always”— God with us— Emmanual.
The second name that is given is Emmanual; which means “God with us” (1.23). So, Matthew has drawn together two strands of Jewish eschatology: first, God will save his people from their sins. Second, God himself will come and dwell with his people. Both of which Matthew says have come to be in Jesus. The cross and resurrection forgave and now Jesus says, “I am with you always”— God with us— Emmanual.
1 comment:
Nice writing Mark as always keep it coming!
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