THE DEATH OF JESUS
Matthew 27:45 – 28:10
45 From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land., 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him were there, watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
 
THE BURIAL OF JESUS
57 When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that it be released. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.
 
THE CLOSELY GUARDED TOMB
62 The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “You have a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66 They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.
 
RESURRECTION MORNING
Matthew 28
1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.
5 The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”
8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9 Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”[1]
 
Video – Israel ‘22
 

• One of my favorite times of the year is spring.
• I love that feeling of the stirrings of new life that arises when first the tiniest spring flowers like snowdrops or aconites fight their way through the winter frosts, to be followed by crocuses, daffodils and apple blossom.
• There is something in the human psyche that responds to new life.
• In some ways, the resurrection of Jesus chimes in with this response to new life.
• Just as spring flowers intimate that winter is passing and summer is round the corner, so also Jesus’ resurrection points us to the fact that the old order is passing and new creation is just about to happen.
• The major difference between their rising to new life and Jesus’ rising is that their new life is cyclical, interwoven with death, whereas Jesus’ is not. Jesus rose to new life and will never die again.
• The difference between what happened to Jesus and what happened to Lazarus is vast because just like the spring flowers Lazarus died again, and awaits another resurrection.
• Jesus did not die again, nor ever will; Jesus rose not to the same life—as Lazarus did—but to a different life in which death no longer features.
• Technically, what happened to Lazarus was not resurrection (rising to a new eternal life) but revivification (rising to a renewed old life).
• Jesus’ resurrection is more than just that he was dead and now is alive, since this could be said of Lazarus and many others who were miraculously raised in the Bible.
• What is ‘more’ about Jesus’ resurrection is that he will never die again.
• Jesus had risen from the dead but no one else had; Jesus had risen from the dead but the world was, apparently, no different from the way it had been before: the Romans still occupied Palestine, the poor were still poor, Israel still down-trodden.[2]

 

• There are 3 groups of people at Pinheads today:
  1) Those who are just curious about what is happening here… on an Easter Sunday Morning.
  2) Those who don’t believe in resurrection.
  3) Those who do believe in resurrection.
• Have you ever given thought to the idea that what separates you from the rest of the world is your belief in the idea of resurrection?
• We have almost worked our way through the history of the New Testament Church in the Bible.
• Paul is imprisoned and being sent to Rome, for what reason?
• Simply because he believes in the resurrection of Jesus and is telling people about this great news.

 

• Belief in the resurrection is an act of rebellion against the evil, corruption and oppression that can so easily swamp us.
• Believing in the resurrection can be a refusal to accept that the world is as it is, that it can never change and that we must accept it simply as it is.
• Believing in the resurrection can and should transform not only how we view the world, but how we live in it.
• We naturally become people in whom others can see new life, and people who introduce that new life wherever the world is stifling and life-denying.
• Resurrection makes a difference not only to Jesus and the earliest disciples but also to us, as we live out our lives day by day.[3]

 

• Jesus’ resurrection points us to a new way of looking at the world, a new way of being that changes who we are and how we live in the world.
• The only way to escape from our identity in Adam was by dying.
• When Jesus died, he made a way of escaping from identity in Adam, and by rising again he opened up a new identity, a Christ identity shaped, not by Adam and who he was, but by Christ and who he was.
• Our baptism marks that pattern of dying and rising with Christ which allows us a new corporate identity now infected, not with Adam’s imperfections, but with Christ’s perfections.
• You have to believe in resurrection because you have been resurrected!
• Galatians 2:20-21 - I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.[4]
• We talk about identity in Christ every week here at Pinheads. Why is that so important?
• Everything about who we are, what we think and what we do is now infected with Christ and, as a result, our lives should be entirely transformed.[5]
• But at the same time, there is an evil in this world that wants to tell us a different story/narrative.
• And for some reason, no matter how many times you keep hearing that we are new creation, we keep coming back to the idea that is a great message but I just don’t “feel” it right now.
• That is because it is not a “feeling”.
• You being a new creation, is a reality based upon Truth.
• I will spend the rest of my days reminding you about the Truth of you who you really are.

 

• Resurrection is not complete, however, without the ascension and Pentecost.
• The death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit all come together as a seamless whole.
• The resurrection offers us transformation in Christ, the ascension gives us the motivation to act and Pentecost the ability to do it.
• The reason why the ascension was vital was that if the risen Christ had not ascended into heaven and was still on earth proclaiming the good news, healing the sick and befriending the poor and oppressed, then most of us would leave this work to him.
• We would become passive recipients of his ministry rather than active proclaimers of his message.
• After the resurrection, once they had grasped what had happened to Jesus, the disciples were in danger of slipping back into their previous form of existence.
• What they most needed was a vacuum, and this is what the ascension provided, a space that could only be filled if they picked up the challenge and took it on.
• The sending of the Spirit gave them the ability to do what otherwise they were incapable of doing.
• Filled with the Spirit they were able to comprehend the significance of the resurrection and to understand that Jesus’ ascension and command to proclaim the gospel sent them out into the world but, most important of all, the Spirit gave them the ability to do as Jesus commanded.
• Beyond their human limitations, fears and anxieties, the Spirit-filled disciples were at last able to do all that Jesus asked.

 

• Some people understand ‘living the resurrection’ to mean that we should be constantly (and, in my view, irritatingly) cheerful, whatever the ups and downs of life.
• This is far from the experience of the New Testament writers, who spoke often of real sufferings as a result of their life in Christ.
• What it really means is that we enter the hard times with our feet firmly planted on the rock, our souls anchored in the hope that Christ brings.
• This does not mean a lack of suffering or even that we do not feel suffering as much as others.
• To believe in resurrection is to believe that death is not all powerful, that beyond despair there is hope or, as Paul puts it…[6]
• Romans 8:37-39 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.[7]

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Mt 27:45–28:10). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Gooder, P. (2015). This Risen Existence: The Spirit of Easter (p. 5). Fortress Press.
[3] Gooder, P. (2015). This Risen Existence: The Spirit of Easter (p. 7). Fortress Press.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Ga 2:20–21). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Gooder, P. (2015). This Risen Existence: The Spirit of Easter (p. 14). Fortress Press.
[6] Gooder, P. (2015). This Risen Existence: The Spirit of Easter (p. 17). Fortress Press.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Ro 8:37–39). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.

??? - What is the difference between an apostle and a disciple?
        While a disciple is one who learns from a teacher, a student (pupil), an apostle is sent to deliver those teachings to others (delegate). Apostles – Those who saw Jesus after the resurrection and were sent as messengers to tell the Gospel.
          The word "disciple" comes from the Latin discipulus, or pupil. "Apostle" comes from the Greek word apostolos, or delegate.
 
Acts 1
1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus,

• Theophilus “dear to God” or “friend of God”. A person to whom Luke dedicated his gospel (Luke 1:3) and its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:1).
• Theophilus was most likely a Gentile “God-fearer” in need of an “orderly account” of the gospel, about which he may have had some knowledge.[1]
• Theophilus may have received the special dedication for being a patron who helped defray some of the costs of Luke’s writing.[2]

about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

• After His resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days and ministered to His disciples.
• He had already opened their minds to understand the Old Testament message about Himself (Luke 24:44–48), but there were other lessons they needed to learn before they could launch out in their new ministry.
• Jesus appeared and disappeared during those forty days, and the believers never knew when He might show up.[3]
• The period of instruction was a time of transition. In the Gospel it was the time when Jesus completed his earthly ministry.
• In Acts it was the time when Jesus prepared the apostles for theirs.[4]

 
THE HOLY SPIRIT PROMISED
4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” (Luke 3:16 - 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.[5])
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

• This explains that the power of the church comes from the Holy Spirit and not from man.
• God’s people experienced repeated fillings of the Spirit as they faced new opportunities and obstacles (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9).
• Ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things because the Spirit of God was at work in their lives.
• Throughout Scripture we have stories of the Spirit coming “upon” people.
• Numbers 11:16-30

SEVENTY ELDERS ANOINTED

• The Lord answered Moses, “Bring me seventy men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit who is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.

• 18 “Tell the people: Consecrate yourselves in readiness for tomorrow, and you will eat meat because you wept in the Lord’s hearing, ‘Who will feed us meat? We were better off in Egypt.’ The Lord will give you meat and you will eat. 19 You will eat, not for one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes nauseating to you—because you have rejected the Lord who is among you, and wept before him: ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”
• 21 But Moses replied, “I’m in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’ 22 If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?”
• 23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm weak? Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen to you.”
• 24 Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. He brought seventy men from the elders of the people and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord descended in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed the Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they never did it again. 26 Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad; the Spirit rested on them—they were among those listed, but had not gone out to the tent—and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
• 28 Joshua son of Nun, assistant to Moses since his youth, responded, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”
• 29 But Moses asked him, “Are you jealous on my account? If only all the Lord’s people were prophets and the Lord would place his Spirit on them!” 30 Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel. [6]

 

• Jesus did not reject the concept of the “restoration of Israel.”
• Instead, he “depoliticized it” with the call to a worldwide mission.[7]
• He promised two things: power & witness
• The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity.[8]
• The geographical scope of Acts 1:8 provides a rough outline of the entire book: Jerusalem (1–7), Judea and Samaria (8–12), the ends of the earth (13–28).
• The story of Jesus led to Jerusalem and the story of the Church led from Jerusalem.[9]

 
THE ASCENSION
9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

• Our Lord’s ascension into heaven was an important part of His ministry, for if He had not returned to the Father, He could not have sent the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (John 16:5–15).[10]
• Luke did not dwell on the ascension. He quickly shifted the apostles’ gaze back to earth. [11]
• We have incredible spiritual experiences. It is in these moments that we don’t remain but we become witnesses to others.
• We share what we know is true with others.

 
UNITED IN PRAYER
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

• Luke 24:50-53 -  50 Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually in the temple praising God.[12]
• Jesus ascended from the Mt. of Olives (1/2 mile away)
• The disciples returned probably to the Upper Room.
• Prayer meeting in Mary’s house (John-Mark’s mother) (Lord’s Supper & Peter)

 

• What a variety of people made up that first assembly of believers!
• There were men and women, apostles and “ordinary” people, and even members of the Lord’s earthly family (see Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3).
• His “brethren” had not believed in Him during His ministry (John 7:5), but they did come to trust Him after the Resurrection (Acts 1:14).
• Mary was there as a member of the assembly, participating in worship and prayer along with the others.
• The center of their fellowship was the risen Christ, and all of them adored and magnified Him.
• How easy it would have been for someone to bring division into this beautiful assembly of humble people!
• The members of the Lord’s family might have claimed special recognition, or Peter could have been criticized for his cowardly denial of the Savior.
• Or perhaps Peter might have blamed John, because it was John who brought him into the high priest’s house (John 18:15–16).
• John might well have reminded the others that he had faithfully stood at the cross, and had even been chosen by the Savior to care for His mother.
• But there was none of this. In fact, nobody was even arguing over who among them was the greatest!
• The key phrase is “with one accord,” a phrase that is found six times in Acts (1:14; 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25; and note also 2:44).
• There was among these believers a wonderful unity that bound them together in Christ (Ps. 133; Gal. 3:28), the kind of unity that Christians need today.[13]

 

• Jesus set the pattern of prayer for His disciples.
• Jesus even downloaded this to Paul.
• Romans 12:12 - 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.[14]
• Colossians 4:2-6 - 2 Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, 4 so that I may make it known as I should. 5 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.[15]
• The time before Pentecost was a time for waiting, a time spent in prayer undoubtedly for the promised Spirit and for the power to witness.
• There is no effective witness without the Spirit, and the way to spiritual empowerment is to wait in prayer.[16]

 
MATTHIAS CHOSEN
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters--

• Peter is portrayed throughout Luke and Acts as one of the primary leaders among the apostles—although that does not mean he possessed sole authority (15:6,22–23) or was beyond rebuke (see Gal 2:11–14 and note; compare note on Acts 1:13).[17]

the number of people who were together was about a hundred and twenty—and said: 16 “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David foretold about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.” 18 Now this man acquired a field with his unrighteous wages. He fell headfirst, his body burst open and his intestines spilled out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field is called Hakeldama (that is, Field of Blood). 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his dwelling become desolate;
let no one live in it; and
Let someone else take his position.

• Arnold Fruchtenbaum has this to say about Judas’ death in his Life of Christ series:
  “According to Jewish law, if there was a dead body in Jerusalem, the city was considered defiled and the morning Passover sacrifice could not be offered and could not be celebrated. However, Jewish law goes on to say that if the body is taken and cast into the valley of Hinnom, a place of burning… then the city is reckoned as cleansed and the Passover can be partaken of, and then later they can return and bury the body.”
• November 4, 2018 – Gospels #77 – For more details on Judas’ death.

 
21 “Therefore, from among the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us--22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us—from among these, it is necessary that one become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23 So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “You, Lord, know everyone’s hearts; show which of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry that Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias and he was added to the eleven apostles.[18]

• “But it was wrong for them to select a new apostle,” some claim, “because Paul was the one who was chosen by God to fill up the ranks.
• They chose Matthias and he was never heard of again!”
• Except for Peter and John, none of the original Twelve are mentioned by name in the Book of Acts after 1:13!
• Paul could not have “filled up the ranks” because he could never have met the divine qualifications laid down in Acts 1:21–22.
• Paul was not baptized by John the Baptist; he did not travel with the Apostles when Jesus was with them on earth; and, though he saw the glorified Christ, Paul was not a witness of the Resurrection as were the original Apostles.
• Paul made it clear that he was not to be classified with the Tw elve (1 Cor. 15:8; Gal. 1:15–24), and the Twelve knew it.
• If the Twelve thought that Paul was supposed to be one of them, they certainly did not show it! In fact, they refused to admit Paul into the Jerusalem fellowship until Barnabas came to his rescue! (Acts 9:26–27)
• The 12 Apostles ministered primarily to the twelve tribes of Israel, while Paul was sent to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:1–10).

No, Paul was not meant to be the twelfth apostle. Peter and the other believers were in the will of God when they selected Matthias, and God gave His endorsement to Matthias by empowering him with the same Spirit that was given to the other men whom Jesus had personally selected (Acts 2:1–4, 14).[19]


[1] Myers, A. C. (1987). In The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (pp. 997–998). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
[2] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 79). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 402–403). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 80). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 3:16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Nu 11:16–30). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 84–86). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[8] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 403). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[9] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 86). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[10] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 403–404). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[11] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 87). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[12] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 24:50–53). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 404). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[14] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ro 12:12). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[15] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Col 4:2–6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[16] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 90). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[17] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ac 1:15). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[18] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 1:1–26). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[19] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 405–406). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.