What sticks with me is the faithfulness of God. He literally sacrificed his most prized possession, his unblemished perfect Lamb, just as He commands us to do in Leviticus. He’s never asked us to do anything that He has not done Himself.
I, like many others it seems, didn’t realize all that happened when Jesus gives up his spirit. The Earth shakes, holy people come back to life…. how could people not have realized who they just mocked and killed??
Curious if we have any account of the saints being raised when Jesus died??? I have not caught that in scripture before especially the fact that people saw them. Matthew
Beautiful scriptures! I have a great love for the Feasts of the Lord. Periods of rest and delight built right into our schedule. From Shabbat to Sukkot God has given us a schedule to celebrate Him throughout the year. It is sad that the Church throughout the centuries has exchanged the Feasts of the Lord for celebrations scheduled Pagan holidas
Allison, I share your thoughts. Sometimes I think I’m being strong by responding to everything I’m offended by but really all it shows is that I’m dependent on how others treat me to know who I am. My prayer is that I become stronger in Christ, so that be strong in him, and sometimes that strength can look like silence in the face of whatever offends. Now he also turned over the tables of the money changers too, so there is room for righteous anger and different responses to different situations. I have to let God be the one who drives my responses though. So thankful for the example of Jesus!
Something put on my heart today in Matthew was Jesus’ strength – he trusted and stayed calm. So often I think of strength as might and fists and pushing through, but it can often look the opposite and I’m thankful for this reminder. They mocked Him and thought He was weak through his silence, but Jesus embodies strength and gives us strength!!
I still can’t get past the fact that Jesus came to earth and lived as a human – he felt pain and temptation! Yet he resisted everything that wasn’t glorifying to God. He was perfect. I couldn’t think of a better role model than one who lowered himself to our level and lived this life without fault.
Leviticus 24: 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death. 17 “ ‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.
I wish I understood context more. When I read this I see ‘kill someone for taking the Lord’s name in vain’ and then the immediate verse reads ‘kill anyone that kills another person’. Are these not contradicting themselves? Do any of you have scholar insight for these passages? I desire so much to understand and know the Bible in and out, but feel so restricted by my own knowledge of it!
I’m on the same page! This is often times used by unbelievers to discredit other aspects of the
Gospel, and I’d love to gain a better understanding to be able to combat those remarks. My thought on the matter are more so He’s instructing not to kill people on their own accord, without God’s clear instruction. Here He is commanding that no one who takes His name in vain shall live, as he’s going to great measures to keep His people pure, and someone going around blaspheming obviously wouldn’t be a healthy, or helpful addition to the community. Where as on the other hand, if men kill men of their own accord, it’s always stemmed from some sinful, impure state i.e. Anger, jealousy, pride, judgement, spite, what have you, it’s not of the Lord. Here the people stoning him, all had to do so together as a community, and it was only due to true desire to follow and honor the Lord’s instruction, therefore being a lot different in the execution of the act, opposed to if a man was to kill another man on his own…
I thought of the song Forever while reading the passage in Matthew:
“The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon him
One final breath He gave
As Heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness”
So appropriate that the mockers used destroying the temple & rebuilding it in three days as their point of reference. He was tearing the temple down as they spoke and in three days when Jesus rose again it would be to a new world; the curtain would be torn & the Holy Spirit would be running free & He will have conquered death once and for all! Thank you Lord that you stupid by your promises by continuing to hang on the cross when you could’ve so easily come down.
Wow. These passages are so powerful. I’m reading Mark at the same time, but I’m not to the crucifixion yet. Reading these 2…3 books together is pretty shocking… And Jesus followed Mosaic laws perfectly! Then for him to take on our sins so that our sins would be dead and he can rise up to break the veil! Wow, that’s a great God.
Matthew 27:51 “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom”. From Leviticus we know that the veil was designed to separate the common people from the Holy Place. Now the veil is torn. From top to bottom. Jesus’ death opened the way for common people to approach God. What beautiful imagery.
Oh wow that’s beautiful. Every detail orchestrated by God for our good!
This makes me think of the song by Steffany Gretzinger Out Of Hiding-
“Now rid of the shackles, my victory’s yours
I tore the veil for you to come close
There’s no reason to stand at a distance anymore
You’re not far from home…”
The stoning of the old testament reading makes me ponder on how many times we take God’s name in vain. It is such a brutal death. It is a tough read because God told Moses “anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death”, and so the son was stoned! Then seeing the brutal death of God’s only son unfold in the New Testament. This made me revisit the point that without Jesus dying on the cross, we each would have to die individually, and God being perfect we, as humans, would never be able to ever attain the equivalence of perfection (leading possibly even to a stoning death!). Jesus’s blood gives me an undeserved passage to God, known as “grace”. And through faith, and grace, as a sinner I can still come boldly to God because Jesus made it possible. Amazing!
I don’t know how I’ve missed it or glanced over it all these years but I had a mild freak out when I read that people who were dead came back to life and walked into town! I’ve always stopped after the veil & earthquake. Can you imagine what people were thinking after they’d seen their dead relatives walking around again? He indeed brings the dead to life!
Why does the part about other people who’d died rising & appearing to their loved ones always get overlooked? It’s surprising that this detail is never talked about.
I thought that too!! That’s such a little sentence for such a weird occurrence, I might have to read up in some commentaries because what’s up with this? (is never in the Easter movies…)
Ty, most modern Jewish people still follow the laws. I don’t know to what extent (doubt stoning still takes place!), but their customs are filled with a variant of old testament following. I visited Israel a couple years back. The Jewish Orthodox are very strict followers. The beards, the clothing, women only wearing skirts, are pretty evident customs. The Sabbath is strictly followed! Everything, I mean everything was shut down, with the exception of Arab run facilities. The hotels had a special person check the food to make sure it was Kosher. In Chicago there is a predominant Jewish neighborhood…they are pretty strict followers of the Jewish customs. Just a small take on my personal observation.
My sister lives in Jewish community and they follow law and sabbath and food etc. stores close at sundown in Friday. They wear the traditions Jewish clothes and hair etc. this is in Pittsburgh pa
I have read this passage many times, and never has it touched me to my soul in this way! Just the truth in every verse, how it all shows him as Holy, even in their mocking of him (the sign above his head and the fact that it was true…). I feel an ache in my chest for his pain and for his sacrifice, and yet joy at the love it meant I would have and the mercy and grace it gave me. Seeing these two passages in conjunction just shows how blessed we are that we can go through the torn curtain directly to God and be in his presence. That is the best gift I can be given! If I can just remember Jesus’ faith in his times of hardship while I am going through my own how much easier would they be.
Amen Jessee! His selfless sacrifice makes my everyday stuff seem so small. How could I not have faith? Almost embarrassed to struggle with such mundane things, but I know he cares for even my simplest needs and concerns.
I love when the scriptures of the old testament are fulfilled in the new testament. Psalm 22:18 They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments is fulfilled in Matthew 27:35. God is all-knowing and all powerful!
What manner of love is this, that you would lay down your life? You paid the price, the sacrifice for redemption. This story is so hard for me to read. I feel almost physically uncomfortable reading it. And only recently have I started looking at the redemption story with awestruck wonder. With the lent plan and this bible in a year plan, my eyes have been opened to so many things. Praise God for softening my heart to this incredible story.
I don’t know about you girls, but even though I know what happens, I couldn’t stop reading this morning. The resurrection is so amazing!!! I’ll happily read it again tomorrow..God is so good. What an amazing, incredible and wonderfully terrible sacrifice.
Some of these verses are so short, but cover so much…. “and they took him out and crucified him”…. but when we think about what that involved, it is so much more than that few words. At this time of year I’m reminded more than normally of the movie The Passion of The Christ. It was hard to watch, but it certainly made it obvious what a terrible thing it was to be crucified, especially when added to the beatings and scourging that Jesus had already endured. And to think he would have done it all for me even if I was the only person in the world is so amazing and humbling.
The same God who set the law in place was put on the cross. Sometimes it’s hard for me to grasp that truth, they seem so different! The law was so restricting and Jesus brought so much freedom! I’m so thankful for a God who IS. He is everything good!
I think modern Christianity could use more of these observances–simply just for an opportunity to REMEMBER what God has done for us. Really I only partake in the Sabbath and in Communion. I read these and think But what if I did camp outside in a tent one week a year just to remember and rejoice? That’s extreme for me because I hate camping but I love the idea behind it! Taking a day or a week to intentionally REMEMBER God’s faithfulness is so important!! I feel like if I did this regularly, I would be a different person! Maybe quicker to trust God with my future because I have reviewed what He’s done for me in the past!
I love that! What if we were radical about remembering His faithfulness?! That would certainly change our hearts and might well change the world. What a beautiful challenge! Thank you Amy!
The curtain was ripped. Oh baby!!! That’s like the best verse ever!!! He breathed His last, His spirit was released, and the veil in the temple was ripped top to bottom. Allowing us full access into the Holy of Holies forever more. Thank you God and may we take full advantage of the fact that we are allowed the privilege of entering into His presence!!!
especially after we’ve just been reading about the the specifications of the temple and can fully understand what that means! no more fancy outfits, no more bloody sacrifices, nothing between us & God but the Christ who chose to stand in the gap.
Hi Shirl, me too!! Every time I read about the sabbath, I see the wisdom in it. Not from a legalistic standpoint but that we need rest for our bodies and souls..
I keep the Sabbath every week & so look forward to it! It is definitely a rejuvenation of one’s soul after a hard, long week. Having a special day set aside to spend all day with God is a tremendous blessing.
Every time I read this story, I am left in awe!
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I never noticed it until today either!
Leviticus v19-20 Jesus transformed this! He changed it from what you do will be done to you to treat others the way you want to be treated.
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“truly this was the son of God”
The upside down Kingdom- woman were there – God giving place to those who had no place
What sticks with me is the faithfulness of God. He literally sacrificed his most prized possession, his unblemished perfect Lamb, just as He commands us to do in Leviticus. He’s never asked us to do anything that He has not done Himself.
Rest!!
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I had no idea of the the initial steps Jesus had taken to prove his love for us all!
I had no idea of the the initial steps
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It is insane what happens when Jesus gave up his spirit! People came back to life, and the earth shakes!
I, like many others it seems, didn’t realize all that happened when Jesus gives up his spirit. The Earth shakes, holy people come back to life…. how could people not have realized who they just mocked and killed??
Does anyone know if we have accounts of the saints appearing to others after Jesus death? Vs 52 and 53 I have never caught that part before.
I was wondering this too. I am reading from King James and have never noticed that before.
Well, verse 53 says that they went to the city and present themselves to the people or witnesses.
V.53
I read 3 versions because I had never noticed that either! How strange that I’ve never had anyone point that out in a sermon either…
Curious if we have any account of the saints being raised when Jesus died??? I have not caught that in scripture before especially the fact that people saw them. Matthew
Anytime I read of the pain that Jesus suffered, it just rips at my soul. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice. Thank you for loving me that much!
This is the Son of God
the Sabbath day should be recognized as the day to praise God -ellie
I learned today of the feast of weeks/first fruits being fulfilled at the Pentecost – the first fruits of believers
Beautiful scriptures! I have a great love for the Feasts of the Lord. Periods of rest and delight built right into our schedule. From Shabbat to Sukkot God has given us a schedule to celebrate Him throughout the year. It is sad that the Church throughout the centuries has exchanged the Feasts of the Lord for celebrations scheduled Pagan holidas
I agree! One of the most impactful decisions my family made was to start celebrating the feasts. It’s amazing how clearly each one points to Jesus!
Allison, I share your thoughts. Sometimes I think I’m being strong by responding to everything I’m offended by but really all it shows is that I’m dependent on how others treat me to know who I am. My prayer is that I become stronger in Christ, so that be strong in him, and sometimes that strength can look like silence in the face of whatever offends. Now he also turned over the tables of the money changers too, so there is room for righteous anger and different responses to different situations. I have to let God be the one who drives my responses though. So thankful for the example of Jesus!
Something put on my heart today in Matthew was Jesus’ strength – he trusted and stayed calm. So often I think of strength as might and fists and pushing through, but it can often look the opposite and I’m thankful for this reminder. They mocked Him and thought He was weak through his silence, but Jesus embodies strength and gives us strength!!
Love this!❤️
This is so true! Thank you for sharing and opening my eyes to this
Unmerited grace and mercy. Grateful girl.
I still can’t get past the fact that Jesus came to earth and lived as a human – he felt pain and temptation! Yet he resisted everything that wasn’t glorifying to God. He was perfect. I couldn’t think of a better role model than one who lowered himself to our level and lived this life without fault.
So true!
Such an emphasis on the Sabbath throughout the Bible!
Leviticus 24: 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death. 17 “ ‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.
I wish I understood context more. When I read this I see ‘kill someone for taking the Lord’s name in vain’ and then the immediate verse reads ‘kill anyone that kills another person’. Are these not contradicting themselves? Do any of you have scholar insight for these passages? I desire so much to understand and know the Bible in and out, but feel so restricted by my own knowledge of it!
I’m on the same page! This is often times used by unbelievers to discredit other aspects of the
Gospel, and I’d love to gain a better understanding to be able to combat those remarks. My thought on the matter are more so He’s instructing not to kill people on their own accord, without God’s clear instruction. Here He is commanding that no one who takes His name in vain shall live, as he’s going to great measures to keep His people pure, and someone going around blaspheming obviously wouldn’t be a healthy, or helpful addition to the community. Where as on the other hand, if men kill men of their own accord, it’s always stemmed from some sinful, impure state i.e. Anger, jealousy, pride, judgement, spite, what have you, it’s not of the Lord. Here the people stoning him, all had to do so together as a community, and it was only due to true desire to follow and honor the Lord’s instruction, therefore being a lot different in the execution of the act, opposed to if a man was to kill another man on his own…
I thought of the song Forever while reading the passage in Matthew:
“The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon him
One final breath He gave
As Heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness”
Yes, KK! And the next part always brings me to tears;
“The ground began to shake
the stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome…”
Thank You Lord for this most perfect sacrifice!
Thank you Lord for the ultimate sacrifice. Amen.
So appropriate that the mockers used destroying the temple & rebuilding it in three days as their point of reference. He was tearing the temple down as they spoke and in three days when Jesus rose again it would be to a new world; the curtain would be torn & the Holy Spirit would be running free & He will have conquered death once and for all! Thank you Lord that you stupid by your promises by continuing to hang on the cross when you could’ve so easily come down.
stood not stupid!! That was a bad spot for an error! sorry ladies!
Wow. These passages are so powerful. I’m reading Mark at the same time, but I’m not to the crucifixion yet. Reading these 2…3 books together is pretty shocking… And Jesus followed Mosaic laws perfectly! Then for him to take on our sins so that our sins would be dead and he can rise up to break the veil! Wow, that’s a great God.
Matthew 27:51 “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom”. From Leviticus we know that the veil was designed to separate the common people from the Holy Place. Now the veil is torn. From top to bottom. Jesus’ death opened the way for common people to approach God. What beautiful imagery.
I don’t know why I didn’t catch that before- thanks for brining that up! Amen
Oh wow that’s beautiful. Every detail orchestrated by God for our good!
This makes me think of the song by Steffany Gretzinger Out Of Hiding-
“Now rid of the shackles, my victory’s yours
I tore the veil for you to come close
There’s no reason to stand at a distance anymore
You’re not far from home…”
Beautiful!!
The stoning of the old testament reading makes me ponder on how many times we take God’s name in vain. It is such a brutal death. It is a tough read because God told Moses “anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death”, and so the son was stoned! Then seeing the brutal death of God’s only son unfold in the New Testament. This made me revisit the point that without Jesus dying on the cross, we each would have to die individually, and God being perfect we, as humans, would never be able to ever attain the equivalence of perfection (leading possibly even to a stoning death!). Jesus’s blood gives me an undeserved passage to God, known as “grace”. And through faith, and grace, as a sinner I can still come boldly to God because Jesus made it possible. Amazing!
I was struggling with the stoning…your comment was what I needed! Thank you
Love this insight!
I don’t know how I’ve missed it or glanced over it all these years but I had a mild freak out when I read that people who were dead came back to life and walked into town! I’ve always stopped after the veil & earthquake. Can you imagine what people were thinking after they’d seen their dead relatives walking around again? He indeed brings the dead to life!
Thanks for the insight! Amazing.
Why does the part about other people who’d died rising & appearing to their loved ones always get overlooked? It’s surprising that this detail is never talked about.
I thought the same thing! I’ve heard this story many times and never remembered this part.
I thought that too!! That’s such a little sentence for such a weird occurrence, I might have to read up in some commentaries because what’s up with this? (is never in the Easter movies…)
The continuous detail of the OT Law is incredible. I was wondering, do modern Jewish people follow this law? And if they don’t does anyone know why?
Hi Ty, long story short is that it’s because there’s no temple anymore.
Thank you!
Ty, most modern Jewish people still follow the laws. I don’t know to what extent (doubt stoning still takes place!), but their customs are filled with a variant of old testament following. I visited Israel a couple years back. The Jewish Orthodox are very strict followers. The beards, the clothing, women only wearing skirts, are pretty evident customs. The Sabbath is strictly followed! Everything, I mean everything was shut down, with the exception of Arab run facilities. The hotels had a special person check the food to make sure it was Kosher. In Chicago there is a predominant Jewish neighborhood…they are pretty strict followers of the Jewish customs. Just a small take on my personal observation.
Thank you!
My sister lives in Jewish community and they follow law and sabbath and food etc. stores close at sundown in Friday. They wear the traditions Jewish clothes and hair etc. this is in Pittsburgh pa
I have read this passage many times, and never has it touched me to my soul in this way! Just the truth in every verse, how it all shows him as Holy, even in their mocking of him (the sign above his head and the fact that it was true…). I feel an ache in my chest for his pain and for his sacrifice, and yet joy at the love it meant I would have and the mercy and grace it gave me. Seeing these two passages in conjunction just shows how blessed we are that we can go through the torn curtain directly to God and be in his presence. That is the best gift I can be given! If I can just remember Jesus’ faith in his times of hardship while I am going through my own how much easier would they be.
Amen Jessee! His selfless sacrifice makes my everyday stuff seem so small. How could I not have faith? Almost embarrassed to struggle with such mundane things, but I know he cares for even my simplest needs and concerns.
I love when the scriptures of the old testament are fulfilled in the new testament. Psalm 22:18 They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments is fulfilled in Matthew 27:35. God is all-knowing and all powerful!
What manner of love is this, that you would lay down your life? You paid the price, the sacrifice for redemption. This story is so hard for me to read. I feel almost physically uncomfortable reading it. And only recently have I started looking at the redemption story with awestruck wonder. With the lent plan and this bible in a year plan, my eyes have been opened to so many things. Praise God for softening my heart to this incredible story.
I don’t know about you girls, but even though I know what happens, I couldn’t stop reading this morning. The resurrection is so amazing!!! I’ll happily read it again tomorrow..God is so good. What an amazing, incredible and wonderfully terrible sacrifice.
Hi Suzanne..I had the same thought. There’s a deeper story behind every sentence.
Some of these verses are so short, but cover so much…. “and they took him out and crucified him”…. but when we think about what that involved, it is so much more than that few words. At this time of year I’m reminded more than normally of the movie The Passion of The Christ. It was hard to watch, but it certainly made it obvious what a terrible thing it was to be crucified, especially when added to the beatings and scourging that Jesus had already endured. And to think he would have done it all for me even if I was the only person in the world is so amazing and humbling.
The same God who set the law in place was put on the cross. Sometimes it’s hard for me to grasp that truth, they seem so different! The law was so restricting and Jesus brought so much freedom! I’m so thankful for a God who IS. He is everything good!
I think modern Christianity could use more of these observances–simply just for an opportunity to REMEMBER what God has done for us. Really I only partake in the Sabbath and in Communion. I read these and think But what if I did camp outside in a tent one week a year just to remember and rejoice? That’s extreme for me because I hate camping but I love the idea behind it! Taking a day or a week to intentionally REMEMBER God’s faithfulness is so important!! I feel like if I did this regularly, I would be a different person! Maybe quicker to trust God with my future because I have reviewed what He’s done for me in the past!
I love that! What if we were radical about remembering His faithfulness?! That would certainly change our hearts and might well change the world. What a beautiful challenge! Thank you Amy!
Me too! Like Anne Marie, I had to read that twice.
The curtain was ripped. Oh baby!!! That’s like the best verse ever!!! He breathed His last, His spirit was released, and the veil in the temple was ripped top to bottom. Allowing us full access into the Holy of Holies forever more. Thank you God and may we take full advantage of the fact that we are allowed the privilege of entering into His presence!!!
Yes I agree!!!
I loved this visual also. Very powerful indeed.
Yes!!!!
My favorite too
especially after we’ve just been reading about the the specifications of the temple and can fully understand what that means! no more fancy outfits, no more bloody sacrifices, nothing between us & God but the Christ who chose to stand in the gap.
So interesting to learn the basis of the Jewish holidays like Passover and Yom Kippur, and why they don’t work. I want to keep the sabbath holy too
Hi Shirl, me too!! Every time I read about the sabbath, I see the wisdom in it. Not from a legalistic standpoint but that we need rest for our bodies and souls..
I keep the Sabbath every week & so look forward to it! It is definitely a rejuvenation of one’s soul after a hard, long week. Having a special day set aside to spend all day with God is a tremendous blessing.
Same here! I had never noticed that before!
We miss so much detail in the Word; didn’t realise other people rose too.
Isn’t that so incredible?! Can you imagine living then and suddenly seeing a relative who had passed on walking around in a glorified body?!
I had to read that twice, Angie. I’ve read this story so many times and didn’t even notice that till now!
It’s the first time I’ve noticed that too!
new to me too!
I was just thinking this!
I had missed or forgotten that too!
Yes, I was dumbstruck! How have I been missing that??
That stuck out to me!! I lie that Gods word does not change and yet we constantly discover new things!!