by Jen | Mar 5, 2024 | 1-15, DISO studies, Matthew 28
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome to the last blog in this series on Jesus’s resurrection! If you’ve studied with me online before, you might have noticed we’re finishing a little faster than we used to: eight weeks instead of nine weeks. Let me know what you think of the changes I’ve made on my contact page or via email.
And if this is your first study, I’d love to hear from you at either of those places, too.
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
Overwhelmingly, the lesson I’m taking away from this study is the reassurance that seeking Jesus is a strategy for overcoming fear. The divine messenger in this story clearly told the women (whom he’d charged with Christian communication—a similar calling to mine) not to fear because he knew they were seeking Jesus (v5).
CONVICTION
I felt convicted that I don’t always follow this strategy: often I allow our enemy’s seeds of doubt and fear to disable me. My struggle to finish writing the book I first mentioned in this blog more than a year ago comes immediately to mind, and though I am making slow progress toward a new and much improved version of it, I am still sometimes completely undone by feelings of inadequacy.
CORRECTION
As has often been the case in these studies of mine, I felt the Spirit correcting me in one of the cross-references. This time it’s from Matthew 14:
But when he [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31 ESV)
So many times, I relate to Peter! I want to try what I see others are doing, but part-way through I take my eyes off the goal, or Jesus, or both, and focus on the things that scare me. Even when I know—as I’m sure Peter did—that my Savior is in control of all those scary circumstances and will come to my aid when I’m doing what He commanded me to do. I still allow the demons of doubt and fear to weaken my faith to the point of giving up and going under.
ACTION PLAN
By memorizing these verses, I want to cement in my mind and heart Peter’s simple prayer seeking His help: “Lord, save me!” If, as Peter, I am doing what He’s told me to do (Matthew 14:29), I have every assurance He will come to my aid. Thank you, Jesus!
Our Next Study
I’m excited to begin the final posts of the 2023 Miracles of Jesus series next week. I hope you’ll join me to dig into Acts 1:6-11 and learn everything we can about Jesus’s ascension.
I’m also looking forward to uploading my older blogs from the other four studies in this series. They were lost late last fall when I had to change website providers, but I do have my drafts and should be able to start reconstructing them next month.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll join me next week to kick off Acts 1:6-11. See you then!
by Jen | Feb 27, 2024 | 1-15, DISO studies, Matthew 28
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! I appreciate you dropping by! Isn’t God’s timing—that we are studying the resurrection of Jesus just weeks before Easter Sunday 2024—just amazing?! As part of my personal observance, I plan to revisit my steps here in the days leading up to my favorite holiday!
Last Week’s Work
In the meantime, though, let’s have a look at what I discovered this past week in other parts of Scripture and through other translations.
CROSS-REFERENCES
As I worked through the cross-references for vv5-7, I was again drawn to the angel’s statements do not be afraid, and I know that you seek Jesus. Remember a few weeks ago when we discovered the angel’s reason the women didn’t need to fear was because he knew they were seeking Jesus? That’s really good news! Friend, if we are seeking Jesus, we don’t need to fear, either.
My review of cross-references for verse 5 reminded me again of that truth when I read Matthew’s account of Jesus night-time water walk (Matthew 14:22-33). The vision so frightened the disciples, they cried out in fear. Jesus told them do not be afraid in v27. Then Peter wanted to walk on the water, too, Jesus invited him, and he went. Partway there, Peter saw the wind, became afraid, started to sink, and cried for help(v30). Jesus replied, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (v31).
Throughout my studies of Jesus’s miracles last year (which I hope to make available here very soon), I observed a strong link between faith and miracles. Maybe that explains why the women in this text could act even though they were afraid (v8). Maybe their great joy was a byproduct of faith that Jesus had done what He said He would do (seven times according to Matthew 12:40, 16:21, 17:9, 17:22-23, 20:18-19, 26:31-32, 27:63)!
The second part of the angel’s statement in v5 mentions the women were seeking Jesus. I realized that, too, occurred in all the other miracles I studied. The cross-reference that resonated most there was from John 20:14-15. This is part of John’s resurrection account, where Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, but she doesn’t recognize him. Jesus Himself asks her, Whom are you seeking? but she’s so distraught she can’t focus on his question, she just cries out, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Of course, Jesus absolutely knew whom she sought before He ever asked. But His question made me, thousands of years later, sit up and take notice. Whom am I seeking? And why? Do I just want Him for what He’ll do for me? Or, like the women in our study passage, am I looking for Him so I can serve Him?
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
If you’ve studied with me in the past, you might remember I like to review at least a couple word-for-word (following most closely the original text and its arrangement) translations. Then I’ll look at least one thought-for-thought (more loosely following the grammar and vocabulary of the original) and paraphrase (less likely to reflect the actual words or phrases while trying to convey original meaning) translation each.
This time I felt led to include the Amplified Bible in my review. This Bible, published by the Lockman Foundation (which also publishes the New American Standard Bible), incorporates synonyms and clearly marked extra-biblical explanations to help us better understand the meaning of the text.
I didn’t find anything remarkably different in Matthew 28:5-7 among the translations I compared: the English Standard Version (ESV), the New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20), the Amplified Bible (AMP), the New International Version (NIV), and the Good News Translation (GNT). Nor did I perceive the Spirit calling my attention to anything in particular this time.
Dig-In Challenges
Wow, we’re almost to the end of another study already! This week, let’s
- Read the prayer we created in Step 1.
- ALIGN: Then review our study notes and other work, focusing specifically on what we’ve learned.
- ALIGN: As we consider those “lessons learned,” notice what the Spirit is using to convict us in this study. In other words, where is He showing us misalignment between what we’ve discovered and how we practice our faith?
- ALIGN: Next, we’ll think about a part of this study that offers us a way to correct that misalignment. For me, this has often—but not always—been a verse either from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally we want to reflect on how we can change our walk or talk (or both) to align more closely with God. To really make this work, I commit to changing something and do my best to act on that commitment everyday for at least three weeks.
That may seem like a lot to consider in one week, but my experience has been the Spirit often leads me through steps 2-5 very quickly (though sometimes I have to pray about it more than a couple of times during the week). If you’re working with me, just do what you can. Any study done with the Spirit is good study, my Friend!
Also, I’m looking forward to sharing what the Spirit reveals next week, as well as a preview of our next study text, the final one from our series on miracles of Jesus from last year.
GO TO WEEK 8 >
by Jen | Feb 20, 2024 | 1-15, DISO studies, Matthew 28
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! I’m a little overwhelmed by my research this week: it wasn’t as clear and succinct as I’d have liked. But I’m trusting the Spirit to work this all out for me!
Last Week’s Work
WRITING TYPES
To start, as I reviewed the literal context, I noticed it tells the story of what two Marys experienced upon returning to Jesus’s tomb after the Sabbath, and reports some of the guards were bribed to lie about what happened that day. From these observations and my previous studies of Matthew, I concluded the overall writing type is narrative.
In addition, I found two other types of writing in the verses I’m concentrating on:
- instruction by the angel (do not be afraid, come see where [Jesus] lay, go tell his disciples in vv5-7) and by Jesus (do not be afraid, tell my brothers to go to Galilee in v10); and
- prophecy by both the angel (v7) and Jesus (v10) that the women and the disciples will see Jesus in Galilee.
LITERAL CONTEXT
To understand the literal context of Matthew’s gospel, I read chapter 1, which contains Jesus’s genealogy (vv1-17), and a mention of another unnamed angel who appears to Joseph explaining Mary’s pregnancy (vv18-25).
Next, I reviewed chapter 27, detailing events leading up to and following Jesus’s crucifixion. Most notably, I discovered Matthew tells us these two women personally saw Jesus dead, buried, and risen! In 27:55-56, he reports Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons looking on when Jesus died on the cross. Then at 27:59-61, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were present at the tomb when Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus’s body in it and rolled the stone against its entrance. And in our study text, they were given a chance to verify his body wasn’t in the tomb (28:6), and later actually saw him alive again (28:9)!
In other background reading, I came across Matthew 13:53-58, where he describes Jesus’s teaching in his home synagogue in Nazareth and the people reacting with scorn. In 13:55, they ask each other, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?” This makes me even more convinced “the other Mary” was Jesus’s mother. If so, she’d encountered another angel 30+ years before, who also said, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:26-30)!
I also read the remaining verses of Chapter 28 (16-20), which indicate the disciples did as the women told them, meeting Jesus on a mountain in Galilee. There he gave them what we know as the Great Commission.
Isn’t it awesome Jesus trusted two very different women—one who’d been possessed by seven demons (Luke 8:2) and one who’d been pure from childhood (Luke 1:26-30)—to relay such an important message!
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Based on the book’s title and what I discovered from introductions to Matthew’s gospel online, this author is believed to be the tax collector formerly known as Levi. Jesus personally invited him to become a disciple (see Mark 2:14-17; Luke 5:27-32). His writing focuses heavily on fulfillment of the Old Testament. His purpose seems to be to prove Jesus of Nazareth was the expected messiah, evidenced by Jesus’s genealogy (1:1-17) and resurrection. Since it doesn’t mention the fulfillment of Jesus’s prophecy about the temple being torn down (24:2), scholars believe this book was finished before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, possibly 55-60 AD.
It’s thought Matthew wrote for early Jewish converts to Christianity located in Antioch (Acts 11:19, 27). After the stoning of Stephen in Jerusalem, persecution there began in earnest (Acts 8:1), and many Jewish people fled to Antioch in Syria to continue following Christ. Antioch was a strategic stronghold at the intersection of north-south and east-west trade routes. It had been annexed by Rome several decades before Christ’s birth and featured, among other things, magnificent pagan temples, as well as the headquarters of the Roman garrison in Syria.
Though their customs and daily life differed greatly from ours, I believe we share some similarities with Matthew’s audience, since we also live among a diverse, mobile population that tolerates many different religions and is governed by central authority.
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE TOOLS
As I looked over vv5-7 in their original language, I was drawn to a single phrase in each verse:
Do not be afraid (v5) is rendered from mē [G3361, negation] phobeō [G5399, “startled by strange sights or occurrences”]. This same phrase was also used by Luke when he described Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would bear Jesus.
He has risen (v6) was translated from egeirō [G1453, “to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life”].
Go quickly (v7) comes from tachy [G5035, without delay] poreuō [G4198, go to do something]. This conveyed to me the idea of purposeful haste—don’t just stand there, do something! And that is exactly what the women did, even though they were afraid (v8). That’s a different reaction than I’d have probably had: I tend to put off what I’m afraid to do. I think their great joy must have at least somewhat counteracted their fear.
Whew! This has been a bit overwhelming, but I know the Spirit will help me understand it and put it to use by the time we finish this study. Till then, I hope you’ll keep studying and coming back to see what I’m digging up.
Dig-In Challenges
This week, we’re going to wrap up the second half of our Refine step by examining cross-references and other translations.
- Don’t forget to begin with your prayer from Step 1.
- REFINE: Then consult a concordance or cross-reference study tools online to find and read through the available cross-references for the verses you’re most interested in (I’ll be checking for verses 5-7). Note what the Spirit shows you.
- REFINE: Finally, compare at least a few other translations’ version of the same verses and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, and GNT.
It’s hard to believe we’re almost through this study, my friend: just two more weeks! I hope the Lord has used it for your good and His glory! See you next week!
GO TO WEEK 7 >
by Jen | Feb 13, 2024 | 1-15, DISO studies, Matthew 28
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Thanks again for joining me here! If you’re studying with me, I hope you’re benefiting from what you’ve discovered so far. If you’re not, no problem. All of us have seasons where we can’t squeeze even one more thing into our overscheduled lives. I’m just grateful that you’re finding this series worthwhile enough to keep checking in, and I pray that something about what I share here helps you connect with God’s Word in a meaningful way.
Last Week’s Work
COMPARISONS
Following my instructions from last week, I didn’t find any comparisons using like or as in the verses I’m digging into most (vv5-7). But from my very first reading of the passage in this study, I was drawn to the contrast between the reaction of the guards (vv2-4), and the women. Wouldn’t you have expected the women to faint at the sight of an angel rolling a giant stone away from the tomb? But no, it was the tough, he-man guards who “became like dead men!” Matthew doesn’t indicate the women reacted at all to the angel, other than to hurriedly obey his commands “with fear and great joy” (v8).
CAUSES/MOTIVATIONS
Next, I looked for connectors in vv5-7 and found two action – connector – explanation patterns, along with one explanation. Its connector lies in verse 8, along with the action. I charted what I discovered this way:
Verse 5:
Action “Do not be afraid…”
Connector “for…”
Explanation “I [the angel] know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.”
Wow! I just realized this divine messenger said seeking Jesus is reason enough the women shouldn’t be afraid! Feels like that is a principle worth keeping in mind even today!
Verse 6:
Action “He [Jesus] is not here…”
Connector “for…”
Explanation “he has risen, as he said.”
The reason they wouldn’t find Jesus’s body in the tomb was because, as He’d told them numerous times, He’d risen!!
Verses 7-8:
Explanation “… go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him…”
Connector “So…” [therefore]
Action “they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”
Here, I see why the women departed quickly with fear and joy to tell the disciples: because the angel told them to. Talk about courage—I admire their action in spite of their fear!
CONDITIONS/METHODS
Last, I made a note of how Matthew describes the women’s compliance with the angel’s commands in v8: “they departed quickly… with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” This seems to be another contrast: to me, fear is a negative, limiting force, while joy is positive and motivating. I am so awed these simple women didn’t let fear overpower their joy.
Dig-In Challenges
Now that we’ve collected all these fact gems, we need to make sure we’re viewing them the same way Matthew and his audience would have interpreted this story.
Why that standard? Mainly, because God chose Matthew to write this to an audience in the first century. Our Lord could have decided to send the message through a contemporary American writer—maybe even me (ha ha!)—and then we could have skipped Step 4, Refine, altogether. But He didn’t.
So, this means if we really want the correct understanding of the treasure the Holy Spirit is revealing to us, we need to know how Matthew and his audience would have interpreted it. Here’s how we’ll work toward that this week:
- As always, start with the prayer we created in Step 1.
- REFINE: next, let’s read chapters 1 and 26-28 of Matthew to determine which writing type(s) he used, and list them in our study journals or on a copy of the passage.
NOTE: I’ll be looking for an overall type and individual instances where Matthew used instruction, law, letter, narrative, poetry, and/or prophecy.
- REFINE: At the same time, notice and record any relevant details or events leading up to or following our study text. This will help us establish the literal context of the study passage.
- REFINE: Next, find out what you can about the historical context by identifying the author of this book, and when, to whom, and why he wrote it. You can usually find this information in your bound Bible if it contains an introduction to Matthew’s Gospel. If you don’t have a bound Bible with introductions, check out one of these resources: the ESV Bible Introduction, or the Introduction to Matthew’s gospel from the ESV Global Study Bible.
NOTE: Bible introductions aren’t the inspired Word of God, but they usually provide factual details about the author and his audience we can use to adjust our perspective. Keep in mind, if you decide to research this further, stick with factual, historical resources and avoid commentary if possible.
- REFINE: Finally, examine key words and/or phrases using an interlinear Bible, and note what the Spirit reveals. These Bibles are available on several study websites (I’ll be using the Blue Letter Bible Interlinear tool). They show a verse in the original Hebrew or Greek and provide detail about each word, including its meaning in context. As usual, I encourage you to log anything the Spirit illuminates from this exercise.
This week’s work is a little more involved than the observation we did earlier, but I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!
GO TO WEEK 6 >
by Jen | Feb 6, 2024 | 1-15, DISO studies, Matthew 28
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back, my friend! I admit it. I’m struggling to remember to pray before I begin! Even though I use the prayer card to save my place in my journal, I’m so accustomed to just pulling bookmarks out and setting them aside, I find myself digging in before I’m asking for the Spirit’s help! But I’m determined to retrain myself on this—I just need practice, right?
Here’s what I noticed about repetition, special statements, and lists in this passage.
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
I found two repeated concepts here. First, fear (vv4,8) and afraid (vv5,10) jumped out to me right away. I’m pretty sure I noticed that repetition so quickly because I so easily relate to being afraid! Who in their right mind wouldn’t be if they saw the sight described in v2?!
Much later, I was reading the passage again and thinking about what caused their fear. That’s when I noticed four instances of see. Interestingly, although I linked fear to the sights described, the passage doesn’t—instead, the angel and Jesus both say this word to reassure the women. First, the angel tells them see the place where he lay, so they would know He wasn’t there (v6). Then he predicts they will see Jesus again in Galilee (v7). And Jesus affirms that prediction with the same word in v10.
By the way, did you notice the angel also says, See, I have told you at the end of v7? What a strange statement! I searched the whole ESV translation to see if Matthew quoted that from somewhere else… and, in fact, he wrote in Matthew 24:25 about Jesus speaking almost the same statement after answering the disciples’ questions about the end of the age. Both statements follow a prophecy. That makes me wonder if this expression might be a way of saying, “wait and watch, this is going to happen!” After all, isn’t it possible having faith about the future—such as looking forward to seeing a dear friend again—could make one less fearful?
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
I found two types of special statements in my study. The first type is command, three of which were issued by the angel in vv5-7, with two affirmed by Jesus in v10:
- Do not be afraid (vv5,10)
- Come, see the place where he lay (v6)
- Go and tell the disciples (v7,10)
The second type is the promise made by the angel and confirmed by Jesus that they would see Him in Galilee (v7,10).
LISTS
Finally, I noticed two lists: the list of three commands to the women by the angel, bulleted above, and the three items (v7) the angel wanted the women to tell the disciples:
- Jesus rose from the dead,
- He is going to Galilee, and
- They’ll see Him there.
Did you find any other repeated concepts, special statements, or lists I didn’t notice? Remember, it’s okay if we have different answers. We are confident that the Spirit is showing each of us exactly what we need to see to learn what God wants us to know from the passage.
That said, I am hopelessly curious about all things Scripture! If you’re willing to share with me, I’d love to know what you’ve discovered. Reach out to me in the comments below, or by email if you don’t want to share with the worldwide web!
Dig-In Challenges
Next week, we’ll be wrapping up Step 3 by looking for three more elements of the lesson we’re learning from Matthew 28:1-15:
- As always, start with the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINE: Read through the passage again to see if Matthew uses any comparisons. The quickest way to locate these is to look for phrases containing the words like or as, as well as more than/ less than and better than/ worse than. Do you find any comparisons that connect directly with your personal focus area?
- MINE: Next, look for causes or motives in the text. These are actually pretty easy to spot, but there is some thinking involved here.
First, look for these key words or phrases: because, for*, in order to, lest, since, so*, so that, that*, to*, therefore. Finding them almost always means you’ll find an action phrase (noun + verb) with the reason for that action, too. The *exceptions are for, so, that, and to—when these are used as other parts of speech like prepositions or articles, you won’t find an action or a reason.
Once you’ve located one of those key words or phrases, the next thing to look for is the action (what’s being caused or motivated). With most of these words/phrases, you’ll find the action before the key word/phrase, and the reason will be after it.
For example, I went to the store because I was out of milk.
The action = I went to the store
because
The reason = I was out of milk.
Occasionally you may see the order of the statements reversed, but the reason will still follow the key word or phrase: Because I was out of milk, I went to the store.
However, with therefore and its synonyms so and hence, the action appears after these key words:
Here’s an example using the same reason and action as above, just changing the key word: I was out of milk; therefore, I went to the store.
Same reason = I was out of milk [but different location!]
therefore
Same action = I went to the store.
Try it, I think you’ll see it’s easier than all these words make it seem (and, of course, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions)!
- MINE: Finally, see if you can find any conditions/methods by asking: does the author condition the action you’re studying on something else happening—for example, if this condition is met, [then] that will happen? Or does he describe a particular method by which something happens—for example, specific steps taken to achieve something, or more generally by or through attributes or action (i.e., grace, faith)? Does he use any adverbs (-ly words) that describe how the action was accomplished?
These exercises are a little harder, but I know you can do this—I can’t want to share what I discover next week!
GO TO WEEK 5 >
by Jen | Jan 30, 2024 | 1-15, DISO studies, Matthew 28
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello! I’m so grateful you’re joining me again this week! If you’re working along with me, I hope the Spirit revealed something awesome to you in your study since last time. Remember, if it seems He’s directing your focus to different parts of this passage than He’s using with me, it’s okay. That simply means we’re at different places in our walk with God. If we all stick closely to God’s Word and heed the Spirit’s guidance, we can be confident we’re discovering exactly what He wants us to see.
Last Week’s Work
MY PERSONAL TREASURE
As I mentioned last week, I think the Spirit is drawing me to notice the experiences of the women in this passage. Like them, I am a follower of Jesus who’s also felt He was gone from my life. I intend to focus primarily on their interactions with the angel (vv5-7) and with the risen Christ (vv9-10).
That’s a pretty large chunk of the passage, but I’m confident that the Spirit will help me narrow it further as I continue to work with Him.
The other part of the text I examined this past week was setting: who’s involved, and where and when did the action take place?
WHO (CHARACTERS)
I started by looking most closely at Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary.” I need to find out who this other Mary is. It occurred to me if she is Jesus’s mother, she’s already experienced one angel-siting in her lifetime. That might explain why the women didn’t react to the angel the same way the guards did (v4), even though they apparently did feel some fear based on the angel’s reassurance (v5) and Matthew’s statement (v8). And despite—or maybe because of—their fear, they were quick (v8) to obey the angel’s command to go and tell the disciples (v7). How I wish I could say I don’t let fear stop me from doing what I believe God is telling me to do!
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
Two locations are relevant to my focus area: the tomb, where the Marys received their marching orders (v1). And somewhere along the way to the disciples (v9), where Jesus met them. I think it’s interesting that these two activities didn’t happen in the same place, nor did Matthew specify exactly where Jesus appeared to the women, or even where the disciples were.
WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)
But the most amazing thing I noticed this week was Jesus Himself came to the women and reinforced the angel’s command after the women took some action in obedience (vv9-10). Isn’t it just like our God to give us a command that scares us, but when we respond in obedience, He shows up for us in ways we never anticipated?! He is so good!
Dig-In Challenges
I can’t wait to learn more from this awesome passage! This coming week, I hope you’ll join me in one or more of these challenges:
- Start each study session by reading the prayer we wrote in Step 1.
- MINE: Notice if Matthew repeated any concepts in this passage and, if so, how that repetition might be relevant to the treasure the Spirit’s revealing in this study.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, and warnings) that connect with the treasure we’re digging into?
- MINE: Ask the Spirit to show us any lists (3 or more similar items mentioned in the text) and their relevance to our personal focus.
I hope to see you next week!
GO TO WEEK 4 >
