THE GOSPEL ACCORDING
TO MATTHEW
CHAPTER
27
1. When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 1 to 2)
Oh Jesus son of God my Father, only You can tell what it must have felt like to be punched bruised spat on and battered by the forces of evil and left bound by heavy chains for a whole night while the elders spent the night and following, day planning Your death. How lonely it must have been, although while the evil ones were, gathered together You were surely in contact with Your Father and my Father who for a second would not have left You rejected, forsaken and alone. Oh God I also pray for those moments of loneliness in our lives, especially for those of us who have been sentenced to prison and may also experience this horrid feeling of loneliness. I also pray for the parents and relatives of such people, whom we call prisoners or criminals so that You will give them all consolation, love and care Amen.
3. When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus' was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4. He said, " I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." 5. Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 3 to 5)
Oh Jesus, this is the trap of the evil one, first he leads us to sin, and then he does not give us a way out to repent and go back to our good ways and patterns. One our reward system in the brain is stimulated in order to possess that thing or that drug which gives us pleasure there is a high chance that we are overcome by this reward system. However as in the case of Judas who, may have thought that at the last minute You could have made a miracle and escaped the priests and the elders, felt deeply guilty and tried to seek repentance. However, the forces of evil leave no space for repentance but pave the way for desperation and death! However if the world quits on us, we have a merciful kind and loving Father who really loves and forgives us and bears with our misgivings Amen.
6. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury since they are blood money." 7. After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter's field as a place to bury foreigners. 8. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 6 to 8)
Oh God my Father this is a typical case of money laundering, that has become commonly practised even during our times. The income of Your sale which was the fruit of sin and wickedness were cleansed by being used in a legitimate transaction in the purchase of the field of the potter.
9. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10. and they gave them for the potter's field as the Lord commanded me."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father, Judas and the High Priest agreed on the price of thirteen silver pieces as a price for the transaction to take place thus leading to Your betrayal. As Christians and Roman Catholics, it would be interesting to know how much we would value You my God and Father on a scale of 1 to 10. Amen.
11. Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him,"Are you the King of the Jews" Jesus said, "You say so"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 11)
Oh Jesus, battered and bruised, tired eyes from having a rough and sleepless night You stood before the governor. Likewise oh Jesus we also stand before You as sinners, however in our situations, You are the one who is going to ask the questions. The question that was addressed to You by the governor of the world may be easily addressed to us. You may ask us "Am I Your God?. When confronted by this question all of us may have a different response to the given question. Amen. Oh Jesus I pray that You will stand before us before Your Father in heaven and advocate for me and others that even though my ways were not always according to Your will I truly love You. Amen.
12. But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you? 14. But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 12 to 14)
Oh Jesus son of God my Father when confronted by Your enemies for my sake and that of the world You remained silent. If You wanted one argument would have been enough to clear You of all the arguments brought against You but Your primary interest was my salvation and not Your own salvation from the passion that awaited You. Although at times we are placed on the receiving end and others gather false evidence against us we are to stick to the truth and let God's will be done, even if this holding our silence, because if we hold our silence You oh God can intervene if we try to defend ourselves it might be the case that we mess up by letting our emotions get the better of us.
15. Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16. At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Barabbas. 17. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"18. For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they handed him over.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 15 to 18)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, during moments of crisis we try and compromise with reality, by trying to fool ourselves that we are going to make a good decision by comparing like with like, according to our human criteria instead of according to Your teaching and will. Both outcomes may appear good, as both prisoners were called Jesus, however only one Jesus could save us, and this was surely not Jesus Barabbas the Jesus of the World.
19. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him." 20. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21. The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said "Barabbas." 22. Pilate said to them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" All of them said, "Let him be crucified! 23. Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 19 to 23)
Oh, Jesus Son of God My Father. Pilate was facing one of the biggest dilemmas of his life. He was trapped in satisfying the wishes of his wife, over the demands of his work represented by the demands of the people and above all by the reality that before him stood an innocent man who was brought before him as a consequence of the elders and high priest's jealousy.
At times oh Jesus we also face the same dilemmas. It is not easy to strike a balance between the demands of work and the demand of family, moreover, it is also not easy for the businessman to strike a balance between making an honest living by sticking to laws and standards that at times may place him at a disadvantage over ones' competitors to becoming corrupt in order to survive the stress of the competition and remain competitive. Even though oh Jesus was on stress ,management without Your help and support I would not be able to cope with the daily work, and home stressors.
With reference to God and how we are to cope with stress please click on the following link:-
God the stress remover
24. So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." 25. Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood on us and on our children! 26. So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 24 to 26)
Instead of solving the dilemma by being assertive even though his job as governor was at stake Pilate claimed to be not responsible for Your death. Oh Jesus Son of God my Father may we be responsible for our sins and never shirk the blame or responsibility on others. When claiming that Your blood was on them and on their children the people were not aware, that by the shedding of Your blood You would bring their salvation, even though they were not aware of what they were doing . Amen.
27. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29. and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30. They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 27 to 31)
Oh God indeed we do not know what we do, had the Roman Soldiers been aware of whom they were spitting on and scourging with whips they would surely have refused carrying out such a cruel task. The scourging was so harsh and cruel that it could have made a man go crazy in pain. However for my sake my God and Father You did not turn Your back away from the whip that tore apart pieces of flesh from Your back and caused You great agony. With reference to the whip used by the Romans please click on the following link it was unimaginable:-
The Roman Whip or flagrum
The whipping process of 40 lashes
32. As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 32)
Oh God my Father as much as You never abandon us during times of trouble and stress and provide us the much-needed love care and support, Your loving Father did not deny You of the needed support in such a situation. We are never alone oh God my Father for You are our supporter from Cyrene who stays with us to the very end until we have drunk the last drop of our chalice of wine that You give us to be tried by and disciplined in Your school of love Amen.
3. When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus' was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4. He said, " I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." 5. Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 3 to 5)
Oh Jesus, this is the trap of the evil one, first he leads us to sin, and then he does not give us a way out to repent and go back to our good ways and patterns. One our reward system in the brain is stimulated in order to possess that thing or that drug which gives us pleasure there is a high chance that we are overcome by this reward system. However as in the case of Judas who, may have thought that at the last minute You could have made a miracle and escaped the priests and the elders, felt deeply guilty and tried to seek repentance. However, the forces of evil leave no space for repentance but pave the way for desperation and death! However if the world quits on us, we have a merciful kind and loving Father who really loves and forgives us and bears with our misgivings Amen.
6. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury since they are blood money." 7. After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter's field as a place to bury foreigners. 8. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 6 to 8)
Oh God my Father this is a typical case of money laundering, that has become commonly practised even during our times. The income of Your sale which was the fruit of sin and wickedness were cleansed by being used in a legitimate transaction in the purchase of the field of the potter.
9. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10. and they gave them for the potter's field as the Lord commanded me."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father, Judas and the High Priest agreed on the price of thirteen silver pieces as a price for the transaction to take place thus leading to Your betrayal. As Christians and Roman Catholics, it would be interesting to know how much we would value You my God and Father on a scale of 1 to 10. Amen.
11. Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him,"Are you the King of the Jews" Jesus said, "You say so"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 11)
Oh Jesus, battered and bruised, tired eyes from having a rough and sleepless night You stood before the governor. Likewise oh Jesus we also stand before You as sinners, however in our situations, You are the one who is going to ask the questions. The question that was addressed to You by the governor of the world may be easily addressed to us. You may ask us "Am I Your God?. When confronted by this question all of us may have a different response to the given question. Amen. Oh Jesus I pray that You will stand before us before Your Father in heaven and advocate for me and others that even though my ways were not always according to Your will I truly love You. Amen.
12. But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you? 14. But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 12 to 14)
Oh Jesus son of God my Father when confronted by Your enemies for my sake and that of the world You remained silent. If You wanted one argument would have been enough to clear You of all the arguments brought against You but Your primary interest was my salvation and not Your own salvation from the passion that awaited You. Although at times we are placed on the receiving end and others gather false evidence against us we are to stick to the truth and let God's will be done, even if this holding our silence, because if we hold our silence You oh God can intervene if we try to defend ourselves it might be the case that we mess up by letting our emotions get the better of us.
15. Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16. At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Barabbas. 17. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"18. For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they handed him over.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 15 to 18)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, during moments of crisis we try and compromise with reality, by trying to fool ourselves that we are going to make a good decision by comparing like with like, according to our human criteria instead of according to Your teaching and will. Both outcomes may appear good, as both prisoners were called Jesus, however only one Jesus could save us, and this was surely not Jesus Barabbas the Jesus of the World.
19. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him." 20. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21. The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said "Barabbas." 22. Pilate said to them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" All of them said, "Let him be crucified! 23. Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 19 to 23)
Oh, Jesus Son of God My Father. Pilate was facing one of the biggest dilemmas of his life. He was trapped in satisfying the wishes of his wife, over the demands of his work represented by the demands of the people and above all by the reality that before him stood an innocent man who was brought before him as a consequence of the elders and high priest's jealousy.
At times oh Jesus we also face the same dilemmas. It is not easy to strike a balance between the demands of work and the demand of family, moreover, it is also not easy for the businessman to strike a balance between making an honest living by sticking to laws and standards that at times may place him at a disadvantage over ones' competitors to becoming corrupt in order to survive the stress of the competition and remain competitive. Even though oh Jesus was on stress ,management without Your help and support I would not be able to cope with the daily work, and home stressors.
With reference to God and how we are to cope with stress please click on the following link:-
God the stress remover
24. So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." 25. Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood on us and on our children! 26. So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 24 to 26)
Instead of solving the dilemma by being assertive even though his job as governor was at stake Pilate claimed to be not responsible for Your death. Oh Jesus Son of God my Father may we be responsible for our sins and never shirk the blame or responsibility on others. When claiming that Your blood was on them and on their children the people were not aware, that by the shedding of Your blood You would bring their salvation, even though they were not aware of what they were doing . Amen.
27. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29. and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30. They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 27 to 31)
Oh God indeed we do not know what we do, had the Roman Soldiers been aware of whom they were spitting on and scourging with whips they would surely have refused carrying out such a cruel task. The scourging was so harsh and cruel that it could have made a man go crazy in pain. However for my sake my God and Father You did not turn Your back away from the whip that tore apart pieces of flesh from Your back and caused You great agony. With reference to the whip used by the Romans please click on the following link it was unimaginable:-
The Roman Whip or flagrum
The whipping process of 40 lashes
32. As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 32)
Oh God my Father as much as You never abandon us during times of trouble and stress and provide us the much-needed love care and support, Your loving Father did not deny You of the needed support in such a situation. We are never alone oh God my Father for You are our supporter from Cyrene who stays with us to the very end until we have drunk the last drop of our chalice of wine that You give us to be tried by and disciplined in Your school of love Amen.
33. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34. they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 33 to 34)
Oh God my Father the world offers us many quick fix solutions such as alcohol and drugs as a means to help us cope with our situations, however, these offers create more problems than ever and are of no help at all, for You are the only one who can give us comfort. I thank You oh Jesus for wanting to make the offering of Your self, complete by enduring without any means of relief every second of Your passion. Amen.
35. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36. then they sat down there and kept watch over him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 35 to 36)
Oh Jesus Son of God and my Father, You love us so much that You deny us of nothing that is good for us. Yo u gave us even the c;lothes that You were wearing and later on You even gave us Your mother in order to be our mother. Instead of giving adoration the soldiers kept watch over You as if You were going to go against the will of the Father and get down from the cross. I pray that we follow You with certainty and not with doubt in order to test if You are truly, as genuine as You say You are, by making one request after each other.
37. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 37)
Oh God my Father the charge that they put upon Your head was in truth a declaration of truth and not one of condemnation, for in truth You are the god of all and not only the Jews. I can only imagine oh God the charge that would be placed upon my head if I were to be crucified. I pray for forgiveness, for even though I do my best not to commit my gravest of sins, I still end up doing the same sins. I still feel weak in front of the sinful situation. I pray for help on this issue my God and Father. I know that one day I will be completely healed of my desires and feelings. I believe in You my God and Father, I pray that You continue helping me to carry my cross up to Golgotha, for during sacred moments of prayer I am greatly tempted to sin by the evil one. I become harassed by negative thoughts. Amen.
38. Then two bandits were crucified with him. one on his right and one on his left.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 38)
Oh God my Father in life we are also crucified between our two selves, one is our natural self, which is our human nature, and the other is our spiritual self, which is the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Both realities have voices which direct us to behave in different ways, of which one is totally good according to Your will and the other which is broken and limited by sin and the conditions of time and space and also to the limited abilities of our brains. At times we end up ' harassed ' by the two realities and at times end up siding with our natural reality with all its negative traits and inclinations, however on the other hand at other times we crucify our natural self and let ourselves be directed by the presence of Your holy Spirit who dwells within us. Amen.
39. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40. and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41. In the same way the chief priests also along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42. "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe him. 43. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, 'I am God's Son.'" 44. The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 39 to 44)
Oh God, my Father I can just imagine how sad You must have felt when experiencing such taunting. I know how much You love Your Father, and how cruel it is to experience such emotional abuse. I think this was worse than the Roman Flagrum that ripped Your body to pieces making damage that could not be repaired. I have also experienced such abuse therefore in a way I can understand my experiences but not as much as You can understand mine. As a human, I can empathise with You meaning experience understanding of how You may have felt in that particular situation for every situation is unique in itself. I thank You for understanding me and my situations and feeling compassion for me Amen.
45. From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46. And about three o'cklock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 45 to 46)
At three o'clock the harshest of battles was at its peak, that is that between the forces of evil represented by the darkness that came over the whole land as if to conquer it and make of it a reign of darkness and the reign of light which found its origin in You oh God my Father. Your human nature reacted to the seemingly feeling of loneliness, however even though the heavens where, blotted out by the darkness You still placed Your trust in Your Father and raised a prayer to Him knowing well that He would never forsake or abandon You. Up to the last second of agony on the cross, Your eyes never left the heavens which show, how convinced You were that You were not alone and that soon You would be again reunited with Your Father in heaven. Amen.
Oh God, You teach us a wonderful lesson in faith and perseverance. Even though a situation may be difficult, even though storms may be raging, causing one tragic moment that is followed by another and another, accident claiming the death of a loved one, followed by a terminal illness, that claims the life of another, our eyes are to remain fixed on You from where our love and support is always flowing to our aid. Amen.
47. When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah. " 48. At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 47 to 48)
Oh GOD my Father during trials You send us people or friends or provide us with professionals in order to help us however it is only You who can give us comfort and healing Amen. For anyone who feels afflicted in some way or other I invite you to join me in the following prayer by clicking on the following link
I am the GOD that heals you
49. But the others said, "Wait let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." 50. Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.53. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many,
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 49 to 53)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, up to the very end of Your physical life on earth You remained in contact with Your heavenly Father in a spirit of love and Faith. You let out a cry coming from a heart that knows the true meaning of love so much that in response to this great love You were given a reply instantly for the curtain of the temple was ripped apart, the earth shook as in an earthquake and rocks were split. Oh God my Father it was indeed heartbreaking to see Your only Son in such a state. As in the film the 'Passion of the Christ' Your heart, was so stimulated with compassion that a tear fell on the earth. I thank You for loving us so much oh God my Father, You who experienced such love for Your Son can never deny us Your children of that same love that was so powerful that it shook the earth from its foundations.
In order to view such a moving experience of the immense love of God during such painful moments of anguish and sorrow please click on the following link:-
Passion of the Christ Tear drop of God
54. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 54)
Oh, Jesus Son of God my Father, on reflecting on this verse I feel really mad at the centurion and myself in general. Had You not been preaching and showing enough signs to convince us of Your true self? Did it have to be the signs that were mentioned to convince us that You are the Son of God?
Oh God, my Father I pray for all those who have witnessed such confessions at the point of death of their loved ones, that either was of empowerment or of terror. I pray for all those who at such delicate moments discovered that they were the son's and daughters of the person that they held to be a foreigner, or maybe even the disclosure that one may be the sister or brother of one's girlfriend or boyfriend or that one had been adopted into that family.
I pray for forgiveness for we are all weak and subject to sin. We all sin, therefore we are to let the person making one's last confession rest in peace and forgive amen.
55. Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 55 to 56)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father many of us are claiming to be Your followers, however in different stages. There are those whom You have called to advance very closely to You such as saints and many holy people who have sacrificed their life for You and there are those like myself who are those who are claimed to be sinners who are still tagging behind the crowds of good people begging for Your love and mercy with the hope that one day we will make part of Your inner circle and join the rest of the crowds of good people Amen.
57. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 57 to 58)
Oh God my Father usually tasks that are performed in the evening are dark and evil, the darkness is the cloak of all those who commit such negative acts, however in this case it served to protect Joseph of Arimathea from the Pharisees and elders so that he could perform this noble task.
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, I pray that we bury the past, forgive and forget. I am aware that certain situations such as the death of a loved one may not easy to experience, for the consequences of grief may take time to heal, however with Your help anything is possible Amen.
59. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60. and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 59 to 61)
Oh, Jesus Son of God my Father as humans we may also be wrapped up in bandages without or being aware of them or maybe even as according to our free choice. Our bandages may be our bad habits and compulsions and maybe even our deadliest sins that keep us bound up tightly giving us no opportunity to be free of them. However as in the case of Joseph You love us so much as to help us remove one bandage after another and even heal the wounds and signs of infection by changing our linen cloth. I ask of You to keep on taking care of both body and soul, for they are both in need of Your supervision and treatment for I am still weak in the face of temptation. Indeed, the victory is Yours, for every time I think that I am strong and coping well I end up putting my foot in it and ending up in square one again. I pray that You have mercy on my deficiency Amen.
62. The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63. and said "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64. Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." 65. Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." 66. So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 62 to 65)
Up to the point of Your, death oh Jesus Son of God my Father the hearts of the Pharisees and the elders was hardened. Although this seems to be a negative act, in itself this was also an important part of Your plan for our salvation being unfolded. If You had not made them so obstinate and determined they would not have thought of making the tomb guarded so securely. On the other hand at the point of Your resurrection, these soldiers would serve as witnesses of Your resurrection and also a means of eliminating the fact, that Your body could ever have been stolen as a means of treachery.
Therefore oh Son of God my Father out of what seems to be a negative situation, You can turn into a positive one, even if all the possibilities or expectations appear to be almost impossible. You can change the course of nature. Even if a person is medically diagnosed with terminal cancer, You can reverse both the cause and the symptoms and restore health back to that person.
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
I pray oh Jesus that You give us an overflowing abundance of Your Holy Spirit so that our Faith in You will be as firm as the rocks, like the lampstand in the tent of the meeting that was to remain always burning in order to reflect Your presence that is with us at all times. Amen
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 33 to 34)
Oh God my Father the world offers us many quick fix solutions such as alcohol and drugs as a means to help us cope with our situations, however, these offers create more problems than ever and are of no help at all, for You are the only one who can give us comfort. I thank You oh Jesus for wanting to make the offering of Your self, complete by enduring without any means of relief every second of Your passion. Amen.
35. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36. then they sat down there and kept watch over him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 35 to 36)
Oh Jesus Son of God and my Father, You love us so much that You deny us of nothing that is good for us. Yo u gave us even the c;lothes that You were wearing and later on You even gave us Your mother in order to be our mother. Instead of giving adoration the soldiers kept watch over You as if You were going to go against the will of the Father and get down from the cross. I pray that we follow You with certainty and not with doubt in order to test if You are truly, as genuine as You say You are, by making one request after each other.
37. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 37)
Oh God my Father the charge that they put upon Your head was in truth a declaration of truth and not one of condemnation, for in truth You are the god of all and not only the Jews. I can only imagine oh God the charge that would be placed upon my head if I were to be crucified. I pray for forgiveness, for even though I do my best not to commit my gravest of sins, I still end up doing the same sins. I still feel weak in front of the sinful situation. I pray for help on this issue my God and Father. I know that one day I will be completely healed of my desires and feelings. I believe in You my God and Father, I pray that You continue helping me to carry my cross up to Golgotha, for during sacred moments of prayer I am greatly tempted to sin by the evil one. I become harassed by negative thoughts. Amen.
38. Then two bandits were crucified with him. one on his right and one on his left.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 38)
Oh God my Father in life we are also crucified between our two selves, one is our natural self, which is our human nature, and the other is our spiritual self, which is the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Both realities have voices which direct us to behave in different ways, of which one is totally good according to Your will and the other which is broken and limited by sin and the conditions of time and space and also to the limited abilities of our brains. At times we end up ' harassed ' by the two realities and at times end up siding with our natural reality with all its negative traits and inclinations, however on the other hand at other times we crucify our natural self and let ourselves be directed by the presence of Your holy Spirit who dwells within us. Amen.
39. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40. and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41. In the same way the chief priests also along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42. "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe him. 43. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, 'I am God's Son.'" 44. The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 39 to 44)
Oh God, my Father I can just imagine how sad You must have felt when experiencing such taunting. I know how much You love Your Father, and how cruel it is to experience such emotional abuse. I think this was worse than the Roman Flagrum that ripped Your body to pieces making damage that could not be repaired. I have also experienced such abuse therefore in a way I can understand my experiences but not as much as You can understand mine. As a human, I can empathise with You meaning experience understanding of how You may have felt in that particular situation for every situation is unique in itself. I thank You for understanding me and my situations and feeling compassion for me Amen.
45. From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46. And about three o'cklock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 45 to 46)
At three o'clock the harshest of battles was at its peak, that is that between the forces of evil represented by the darkness that came over the whole land as if to conquer it and make of it a reign of darkness and the reign of light which found its origin in You oh God my Father. Your human nature reacted to the seemingly feeling of loneliness, however even though the heavens where, blotted out by the darkness You still placed Your trust in Your Father and raised a prayer to Him knowing well that He would never forsake or abandon You. Up to the last second of agony on the cross, Your eyes never left the heavens which show, how convinced You were that You were not alone and that soon You would be again reunited with Your Father in heaven. Amen.
Oh God, You teach us a wonderful lesson in faith and perseverance. Even though a situation may be difficult, even though storms may be raging, causing one tragic moment that is followed by another and another, accident claiming the death of a loved one, followed by a terminal illness, that claims the life of another, our eyes are to remain fixed on You from where our love and support is always flowing to our aid. Amen.
47. When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah. " 48. At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 47 to 48)
Oh GOD my Father during trials You send us people or friends or provide us with professionals in order to help us however it is only You who can give us comfort and healing Amen. For anyone who feels afflicted in some way or other I invite you to join me in the following prayer by clicking on the following link
I am the GOD that heals you
49. But the others said, "Wait let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." 50. Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.53. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many,
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 49 to 53)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, up to the very end of Your physical life on earth You remained in contact with Your heavenly Father in a spirit of love and Faith. You let out a cry coming from a heart that knows the true meaning of love so much that in response to this great love You were given a reply instantly for the curtain of the temple was ripped apart, the earth shook as in an earthquake and rocks were split. Oh God my Father it was indeed heartbreaking to see Your only Son in such a state. As in the film the 'Passion of the Christ' Your heart, was so stimulated with compassion that a tear fell on the earth. I thank You for loving us so much oh God my Father, You who experienced such love for Your Son can never deny us Your children of that same love that was so powerful that it shook the earth from its foundations.
In order to view such a moving experience of the immense love of God during such painful moments of anguish and sorrow please click on the following link:-
Passion of the Christ Tear drop of God
54. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verse 54)
Oh, Jesus Son of God my Father, on reflecting on this verse I feel really mad at the centurion and myself in general. Had You not been preaching and showing enough signs to convince us of Your true self? Did it have to be the signs that were mentioned to convince us that You are the Son of God?
Oh God, my Father I pray for all those who have witnessed such confessions at the point of death of their loved ones, that either was of empowerment or of terror. I pray for all those who at such delicate moments discovered that they were the son's and daughters of the person that they held to be a foreigner, or maybe even the disclosure that one may be the sister or brother of one's girlfriend or boyfriend or that one had been adopted into that family.
I pray for forgiveness for we are all weak and subject to sin. We all sin, therefore we are to let the person making one's last confession rest in peace and forgive amen.
55. Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 55 to 56)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father many of us are claiming to be Your followers, however in different stages. There are those whom You have called to advance very closely to You such as saints and many holy people who have sacrificed their life for You and there are those like myself who are those who are claimed to be sinners who are still tagging behind the crowds of good people begging for Your love and mercy with the hope that one day we will make part of Your inner circle and join the rest of the crowds of good people Amen.
57. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 57 to 58)
Oh God my Father usually tasks that are performed in the evening are dark and evil, the darkness is the cloak of all those who commit such negative acts, however in this case it served to protect Joseph of Arimathea from the Pharisees and elders so that he could perform this noble task.
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, I pray that we bury the past, forgive and forget. I am aware that certain situations such as the death of a loved one may not easy to experience, for the consequences of grief may take time to heal, however with Your help anything is possible Amen.
59. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60. and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 59 to 61)
Oh, Jesus Son of God my Father as humans we may also be wrapped up in bandages without or being aware of them or maybe even as according to our free choice. Our bandages may be our bad habits and compulsions and maybe even our deadliest sins that keep us bound up tightly giving us no opportunity to be free of them. However as in the case of Joseph You love us so much as to help us remove one bandage after another and even heal the wounds and signs of infection by changing our linen cloth. I ask of You to keep on taking care of both body and soul, for they are both in need of Your supervision and treatment for I am still weak in the face of temptation. Indeed, the victory is Yours, for every time I think that I am strong and coping well I end up putting my foot in it and ending up in square one again. I pray that You have mercy on my deficiency Amen.
62. The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63. and said "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64. Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." 65. Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." 66. So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 27 verses 62 to 65)
Up to the point of Your, death oh Jesus Son of God my Father the hearts of the Pharisees and the elders was hardened. Although this seems to be a negative act, in itself this was also an important part of Your plan for our salvation being unfolded. If You had not made them so obstinate and determined they would not have thought of making the tomb guarded so securely. On the other hand at the point of Your resurrection, these soldiers would serve as witnesses of Your resurrection and also a means of eliminating the fact, that Your body could ever have been stolen as a means of treachery.
Therefore oh Son of God my Father out of what seems to be a negative situation, You can turn into a positive one, even if all the possibilities or expectations appear to be almost impossible. You can change the course of nature. Even if a person is medically diagnosed with terminal cancer, You can reverse both the cause and the symptoms and restore health back to that person.
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
I pray oh Jesus that You give us an overflowing abundance of Your Holy Spirit so that our Faith in You will be as firm as the rocks, like the lampstand in the tent of the meeting that was to remain always burning in order to reflect Your presence that is with us at all times. Amen
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