The Seventh Day of Passion Week

The Seventh Day of  Passion Week (Author: YL, Translator: HL)

Introduction:
Today is the last day of the week of crucifixion and the Jewish Sabbath. Jesus was buried in the tomb. The chief priests and the Pharisees deliberated to meet Pilate and asked to send soldiers to guard the tomb of Jesus in case his disciples stole him. After receiving the permission of Pilate, they sealed off the tomb with stones and set up soldiers to keep them safe.

Key Events:

• Jesus was buried

Events/Facts	Location	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
1 The tomb of Jesus was guarded	Outside Jerusalem	27:62‐66
2 The disciples rested on the Sabbath	Jerusalem			23:56b

Key Verses：
Matthew 27:62-66 The Sabbath
62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

Meditation：
As the Psalms 2 says: “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed.” On that day, the same was true for the chief priests and the Pharisees, who tried to stop Jesus' resurrection through stones and soldiers. "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision." (Psalm 2:4) Do you not know that not only He could not be held by death, but also through death He might destroy the devil who had the power of death, not to mention the hand of man? Although He was in the tomb, He had already won!

Therefore, even in the deepest night we can sing to God, because the dawn of resurrection will surely come!

Hymn：H108 Christ Arose