Introduction to Judges / Israel’s Roots of Apostacy

Posted on July 11, 2026 by PastorDave

Joshua / Judges / Ruth | Lesson 3 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Judges 1—3.6

Introduction to Judges / Roots of Israel’s Apostacy

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / BRIEF EDITORIAL NOTE: I have titled this lesson ‘L3,’ or Lesson 3, not because this is the third lesson in this 13-lesson course, but because it is the third lesson for which I have prepared these printed lesson notes. There have been a number of life events which have prevented me from preparing lesson notes for each of the lessons—or even from attending and teaching all of the lessons. But, here I am picking it back up and resuming with this one…

2 / We will introduce the Judges segment of this course on Joshua/Judges/Ruth. We will devote four lessons to this rather extensive and detail-laden book; so that means all we can do is break down the book into its literary sections, and then summarize the contents of each section, and show how they all fit together to manifest the narrator’s theme and purpose for writing it.

II | What is a ‘judge’?

What is a ‘judge,’ and what did the ‘judges’ do, and why were they called ‘judges’? We need to kinda re-align our thinking from the get-go here about what a ‘judge’ is. They were not judges in a legal sense like we first think. They didn’t adjudicate legal laws and cases. When you think of these judges, think ‘liberator, savior, or deliverer.’ See Judges 2.16, 18; 3.9-10, and so throughout the book. But, they were ‘judges’ since The LORD used them to lead His people into their holy wars to exact His ‘judgment’ and justice against their enemies. The ‘judges’ were Yahweh’s instruments of judgment!

III | Span of historical / redemptive timeline of Judges

What portion of Bible history does the Book of Judges record? That is easy to answer: it is from right after the death of Joshua until just before the birth of Samuel—who, of course, would anoint David as king of Israel. See Judges 1.1 and 1 Samuel 1. Samuel goes down in Biblical history as the last of Israel’s judges, 1 Samuel 7.6. In that way, Samuel serves to bridge the gap between the times of the ‘judges’ and the kings of Israel, particularly David. That is also one of the significances of the phrase that is repeated four times in Judges, “In those days, there was no king in Israel…” [17.6; 18.1; 19.1; 21.25]. There was NO KING IN ISRAEL—YET! BUT A KING IS COMING IN THE KINGDOM PLAN OF GOD!” [The Book of Ruth will confirm and chronicle that covenant plan!]

IV | Approximate number of years in Judges timeline

How many years of history are covered in the Book of Judges? Probably in the range of 300-350 years according to the dates of the events we have mentioned. If you add up all the years that are recorded in the Book of Judges, it ends up being more than that—410 years. But, keep in mind, that some of these events recorded in the Book of Judges are happening in different locales in Israel and some of them are happening and overlapping each other at the same time. See the accompanying map on page 5.

V | Authorship of Judges

Who wrote the Book of Judges? Again, like the Books of Joshua and Ruth, we don’t know. What we do believe is that these events were carefully recorded and kept in their historical chronicles as they happened, and then composed as an official document some time later.

VI | Some prominent themes of Judges

Why was the Book of Judges written? There are numerous theme-threads that are all woven together throughout the Book of Judges. For the purposes of this brief summary study, we will focus on one of the most comprehensive and over-arching themes as it applies to Israel: Apostacy. But, here are just a few theme breakdowns…

[1] The Book of Judges documents the failure of the Israelites to keep their part of Yahweh’s covenant He had made with them. He was faithful to every word and promise of His covenant as the Book of Joshua says [Joshua 23.14]. But, Israel failed in every respect, even in spite of all their promises to be faithful to Yahweh [Joshua 24.14-28].

[2] Time after time in the cycles of history that are repeated throughout Judges, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of The LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned The LORD, the God their fathers … They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them … They abandoned The LORD and served the Baals and the Ashteroth” [Judges 2.11-13; 3.7, 12; 4.1; 6.1; 10.6; 13.1]. These introductory summaries to the various sections and cycles of Judges are Yahweh’s witnesses against their apostacy from Him.

[3] And yet, Yahweh remains faithful to the covenant promises He has made to preserve His covenant nation for the purpose of bringing our Ultimate Deliverer into the world [Romans 11.25-27]. Every time they apostatized, they would cry out to Yahweh for deliverance, and He would raise up a judge to save them from their oppressors. For example, “But when the people of Israel cried out to The LORD, The LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them…” [ch 3.9]. In this case, it was the first judge, Othniel. But the same pattern is repeated throughout the cyclical narratives in the book.

[4] Most importantly, though, here is the primary purpose for all the records of these judges in this book: this book chronicles the abject inability and failure of the people of Israel, God’s Kingdom, to rule themselves in covenant obedience to Yahweh. The people repeatedly failed, and even after their God-provided human judges delivered them—those judges died, and the people returned once again to their faithlessness and covenant-breaking disobedience. The grand summary conclusion of the book “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” [ch 17.6] begins to prepare us to look and long for a judge—a King, even—who will not die but will secure the obedience of His people forever! The judges point forward to the person and work of Christ, the only One who will deliver us from all our enemies, provide for our obedience, and lastingly, eternally secure our inheritance for us to enjoy…with Him!

VII | Four-fold cycle of apostacy

So, here is the four-fold cycle that will be repeated and recorded all throughout Judges:

[1] SIN [faithless, covenant-breaking apostacy]: the people of Israel will sin against God and go after the gods of the nations around them…

[2] SUBJUGATION: their enemies will gain mastery over them, subjugating them to service to them…

[3] SUPPLICATION: they will cry out to God in their distress, begging Him to save them from their distresses…

[4] SALVATION: Yahweh will have pity on them, raise up a judge and empower that judge with His Spirit, and save them from their oppressors…

[5] REPEAT: and then after The LORD saves them, they will return to their sinning again, going even deeper into their apostacy…

VIII | Literary structure of Judges

What is the literary structure of the Book of Judges? The Book of Judges clearly divides itself into three broad divisions:

chs 1—3.6: The roots of Israel’s apostacy

chs 3.7—16.31: The downward spiral of Israel’s apostacy

chs 17—21: The depths of Israel’s apostacy

IX | Judges 1 – 3.6 | The Roots of Israel’s Apostacy

What we will do here for the rest of this lesson is open up this first section of Judges. Because here in Judges 1 – 3.6, we will find the narrator’s accounts of Israel’s failures to do their part of what Yahweh commanded them to do in order to completely subjugate and occupy the Land as their promised inheritance. They failed to drive out the native inhabitants of the Land as Yahweh had commanded them to do [see Deuteronomy 7, especially vv 1-5]. We will break down this section paragraph by paragraph … and briefly summarize how that paragraph establishes the primary themes that will be developed and illustrated throughout Judges [see VI above].

ch 1.1-26 | Judah rises as the leader-tribe [pointing to David…and on to Christ]

1 / The Book of Judges begins with “After the death of Joshua…” This forms the connection with the end of the Book of Joshua and continues on with the storyline of the OT without interruption. What is significant about this paragraph is that the people of Israel did what they should have done: “…the people of Israel inquired of The LORD, ‘Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” Joshua had been their leader since the death of Moses—now, who should replace him to lead them? How did Yahweh respond? Who should be their leader? IT WAS THE TRIBE OF JUDAH! What we see here is Yahweh’s covenant intention that their leader should be from the tribe of Judah. As we are repeatedly told here in Judges, ‘There was no king in Israel,’ but Yahweh will give them a King in His time, and He will be from the tribe of Judah! See Genesis 49.10. And, of course, God will provide his king just a few centuries later from the tribe of Judah—David. And, Christ Himself will be the ultimate King of kings and will finally and forever conquer all our enemies and victoriously lead us into our eternal rest and inheritance [see Revelation 5.5 & 22.16].

2 / But Judah successfully fought against the Canaanites who inhabited their portions of their inheritance. Why? Because they ‘wholly followed The LORD’! Judah was led by Caleb who was a faithful follower of Yahweh, even going all the way back to Kadesh-barnea [see Joshua 14.6-15]. We also need to note that in all these successful campaigns to possess the Promised Land, it was The LORD Himself who gave them the Land [see vv 2, 4, 19, 22]. Every tribe who trusted Yahweh to give them their Land—conquered it by the faithfulness of Yahweh to His covenant promises. The one exception in this opening paragraph is Benjamin, v 21. This same tribe of Benjamin will prove their faithlessness all throughout the book until we find them wholly given to apostacy and debauchery in the end of the book. Benjamin apostatized until they became Canaanites themselves, practicing all the worst debaucheries of the Canaanites!  

ch 1.27-36 | The roots of Israel’s apostacy

1 / What follows in these verses is a listing of the tribes who failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants from their portions of their inheritance. They chose instead to follow the unfaithful example of Benjamin in v 21 instead of the examples of Judah and Simeon in the other verses of vv 1-26. In all their conquests, they relied on the promised Presence of Yahweh, “and The LORD was with them,” fought for them, and delivered their inheritances into their possession.

2 / Instead, these other tribes—Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, Dan—they chose to coexist with the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. This was in blatant violation of the charge Yahweh had given them in Deuteronomy 7. NOTE: they didn’t fail to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because the Canaanite inhabitants were too strong for them; but rather because they would not wholly follow The LORD–fully trust Him to drive them out before them as He had promised He would.

3 / As a result, the Israelite tribes didn’t influence the pagan Canaanite peoples—it was the other way around! The Canaanites influenced the Israelite peoples, and the Israelites became like them! The Canaanites did become the servants of the Israelites. “…they became subject to forced labor” [vv 28, 30, 33, 35]. But that wasn’t Yahweh’s plan or command to them. We will not ‘manage’ our sins or peacefully ‘coexist’ with them. Either we kill our sins, or our sins will kill us! We are commanded to ‘mortify’ or ‘put to death’ the ‘members of our fleshly desires’ ‘that war against our souls’! [Romans 8.13; Colossians 3.5; Galatians 5.24; 1 Peter 2.11].

ch 2.1-5 | Yahweh’s scathing indictment against Israel

1 / Yahweh comes onto the scene in the person of the angel of The LORD. This is reminiscent of the appearance of the Commander of the army of The LORD who appeared to Joshua in Joshua 5.13-15. This angel identifies as Yahweh by using the first person “I” throughout His indictment. What Yahweh reminds them of is His impeccable and unerring faithfulness in everything He has promised them going all the way back to the promises He made with Abraham in Genesis 12 and thereafter. Yahweh had faithfully kept every detail of every promise He had made to them. “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ but you have not obeyed my voice. What is this that you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” And once again, Yahweh refers them back to that seminal covenant confirmation event in Deuteronomy 7.

2 / And so, the Book of Judges will chronicle Israel’s faithless covenant-breaking alliances with all the godless nations that Yahweh had commanded them to drive out. Instead, they chose to coexist with them, and in the end, Israel learned, adopted, and worshiped their gods and followed their ways.

ch 2.6-10 | A second ‘introduction’ to the Book of Judges

1 / In this brief paragraph, the narrator return again to the death of Joshua just as he did in ch 1.1. Why this second reference? Because in this account, the narrator will give the historical, sociological, and theological explanation for Israel’s apostacy. Israel followed Yahweh all the days that Joshua lived to lead them and remind them of Yahweh’s great deliverances from Egypt. In other words, Joshua and all the other Egypt-era elders who survived Joshua kept Israel’s focus on Yahweh—serving Him, trusting Him, obeying Him. But then, “…there arose another generation after them who did not know The LORD or the work that He had done for Israel” [ch 2.10].

2 / This will provide the background for the over-arching trajectory of the Book of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” [ch 17.6].

ch 2.11-23 | A summary of the four-fold steps of apostacy in Judges

Again, remember that what we are reading here is the narrator’s summaries of what we will read in the more detailed events that will follow throughout the rest of the book. Here is the Book of Judges ‘in a nutshell,’ or ‘the Cliff’s Notes’ version of the book.

[1] SIN—apostacy, disobedience, faithless covenant-breaking against Yahweh…

[2] SUBJUGATION—Yahweh would not deliver them from the oppression of their enemies, but rather turn them over to be oppressed and subjugated by them…

[3] SUPPLICATION—they would cry out to Yahweh in their distresses. See v 18b: “For The LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.”

[4] SALVATION—“Then The LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.”

[5] REPEAT—“Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of The LORD, and they did not do so” [ch 2.17]; “But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways” [ch 2.19].

ch 3.1-6 | The nations Yahweh left in the land to test Israel’s covenant obedience

1 / These verses will complete the introduction and theme-setting for the rest of the book by enumerating some of the nations that The LORD used “for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of The LORD, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses” [ch 3.4].

2 / In the next lessons, we will commence the stories of their judges with the first one, Othniel.

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Taking the Land (Joshua, chapters 6-12)

Posted on June 20, 2026 by PastorDave

Joshua / Judges / Ruth | Lesson 3 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Joshua, chapters 6-12 |Taking the Land

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / In our first lesson, we set the historical timelines we are on this juncture in the Bible—and the historical/redemptive plan of God in His OT preparations to send Jesus Christ into our world to be the Savior of His people.

2 / We also provided an outline of the major narrative divisions of the book of Joshua. If you go to the last verses of these section ends, and the first verses of the next sections’ beginnings, you can see how the writer is developing his narrative and the transitional, connecting phrases he uses to keep the storyline intact and developing into its next series of events…

  • chs 1-5: Crossing into the land
  • chs 6-12: Taking the land
  • chs 13-21: Dividing the land
  • chs 22-24: Serving The LORD in the land

3 / So, in this lesson, we’ll cover the six chapters in the second division—chs 6-12: Taking the Land. Due to the amount of text we’ll need to survey in this one lesson, what I will do here is just give you the themes of each chapter and the major verse divisions in each. We’ll have to be content for now with just some few sentence summaries of each chapter’s narrative and how it advances the narrator’s writing plan for the whole book.

4 / What we will see is that the author of Joshua covers the whole span of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land in this section: “Taking the Land.” That miliary conquest will be comprised of three major military campaigns or ‘theaters’ of conquest:

  • The Central Campaign / Jericho, Ai, Gibeon, and the anti-Gibeonite coalition / chs 6 – 10.28
  • The Southern Campaign / ch 10.29-43
  • The Northern Campaign / ch 11 

5 / And this will bring us to the end of this section in ch 11.23: “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that The LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” Then, this will lead us into the next section: Dividing the Land, chs 13-21.

6 / ALSO, I have included a map on page 4 that I hope will help us to visually follow the narratives of these conquest campaigns as they progress over these chapters. I have added some text boxes to help us locate the strategic places of action. And I have also highlighted the various theaters of the conquest campaigns and the portions of Joshua where they are narrated.

THE CENTRAL CAMPAIGN BEGINS [see map]

II | Joshua, chapter 6 | The Fall of Jericho

“See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor”

6.1: Jericho secured

6.2-14: Yahweh’s commands and Israel’s actions for days one through six—and for day seven

6.15-21: Yahweh’s commands and Israel’s actions on day seven—the fall of Jericho

6.22-25: The rescue and arrangements for Rahab

6.26: Jericho is cursed

6.27: Joshua affirmed

III | Joshua, chapter 7 | Rebellion and Restoration in Israel [Defeat at Ai and Achan]

“Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them … I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you … You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”

7.1: Sin in the camp

7.2-5: Israel’s first campaign against Ai—and their humiliating defeat

7.6-15: Joshua’s prayer to Yahweh and Yahweh’s response

7.16-25: Yahweh’s judgment against Achan and his punishment

7.26: Yahweh’s anger is abated

IV | Joshua, chapter 8 | The Second Campaign against Ai and the Covenant is Renewed

“Do not fear and do not be dismayed … arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.”

8.1-2: Yahweh instructs Joshua with His battle strategy [ambush]

8.3-9: Joshua sets the ambush troops

8.10-29: The destruction of Ai

8.30-32: Joshua builds an altar and copies the Law [see Deuteronomy 27.1-13]

8.33: The groupings and positions of the people for the readings of the Law

8.34-35: Joshua reads the Law to the people [see Deuteronomy 27-28]

V | Joshua, chapter 9 | The Deceptive Ruse of the Gibeonites and How it was Resolved

“…but [they] did not ask counsel from The LORD…”

9.1-2: The Canaanite kings assemble to fight against Joshua and Israel

9.3-15: The Gibeonites trick Joshua and Israel into making a peace treaty with them

9.16-27: The Israelites discover their ruse and subject them to servitude

THE CENTRAL CAMPAIGN CONTINUES [see map]

VI | Joshua, chapter 10.1-28 | The war at Gibeon—where the sun stood still

“There has been no day like it before or since, when The LORD heeded the voice of a man, for The LORD fought for Israel.”

10.1-5: Five kings form a retaliatory coalition against Gibeon

10.6-8: The Gibeonites appeal to Joshua and Israel to come and save them

10.9-14: The LORD fights for Israel—Joshua prays for more daylight and the sun stands still

10.15: Israel returns to Gilgal [their base camp in the Promised Land]

10.16-28: The five Amorite kings are captured and executed, and their capitol city is captured

THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN [see map]

VII | Joshua, chapter 10.29-43 | The cities conquered in the Southern Campaign

“…because The LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.”

10.29-30: Libnah

10.31-33: Lachish with Gezer

10.34-35: Eglon

10.36-37: Hebron

10.38-39: Debir

10.40-42: Summary of the Southern Campaign conquests

10.43: Joshua and Israel return to their headquarters base–Gilgal

THE NORTHERN CAMPAIGN [see map]

VIII | Joshua, chapter 11.1-15 | The Northern Campaign is detailed

“And The LORD gave them into the hand of Israel…”

11.1-5: The Northern coalition is formed

11.6-9: The battle at the Waters of Merom

11.10-15: Hazor and its allies are defeated

IX | Joshua, chapter 11.16-23 | Summary of all the land’s campaigns and conquests

“For it was The LORD’s doing…”

11.16-17: The geographical summary is repeated and updated

11.18-20: Yahweh’s purposes and promises [theological summary] is repeated and updated

11.21-22: The destruction of the Anakim is summarized

11.23: The Land had rest from war

X | Joshua, chapter 12 | Summaries of the kings Israel defeated since leaving Egypt

12.1-6: Kings defeated by Moses East of the Jordan

  • Sihon, king of the Armorites
  • Og, king of Bashan

12.7-24: Kings defeated by Joshua West of the Jordan

  • 31 of them, listed with their kingdoms
  • see v 24b: “in all, thirty-one kings”

NOTE: Throughout this outline, I have repeatedly used a sentence or phrase that includes some action by Yahweh to sum up what occurred in that section: “The LORD did…” or “The LORD gave them into their hand…” That is because, as we said in our introduction to this Book, Joshua may be the primary human agent and character of the events, but he is NOT the primary actor or ‘cause-er’ of the events—YAHWEH IS!

And this, too, points us to the promise of Christ who will come “in the fullness of time” as our NT Joshua to fight our battles for us, destroy all our enemies, and lead us into our eternal ‘inheritance’ and ‘rest’—God’s eternal Kingdom of the New Creation! [Hebrews 3-4]

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50 years ago today! | 18 June 1976

Posted on June 17, 2026 by PastorDave

Yes! The Big Golden 5-0! 50 years ago today!

My, how time flies when you’re so in love [and we are!] and having so much fun [and we have!]!

“…still crazy after all these years…!”

That’s 18,250 glorious days of undying, uninterrupted, and overtly-expressed love with all the multiplied thousands of touches, kisses, and verbal “I love you!”(s) generously blended throughout.

That’s 200 meteorological seasons—and too-many-to-count seasons of life and experiences with family and ministry. Many ups and downs, good times and bad times. Endless vicissitudes. And, we have shared them all together. We have loved, nurtured, sustained, and faithfully cared for one another “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health…till death do us part.”

And, through them all, Debbie has been my constant, faithful companion, lover, strength, support, and surety. She was “the dawn of my new day” of love; and every day for the past 50 years, she has continued to be “my sun to be my light … and my star to be my guide”! https://daveparksblog.com/2018/06/19/youre-the-dawn-of-my-new-day/

Truly, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from The LORD” [Proverbs 18.22]—and so I have…

“Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that He has given you under the sun…” [Ecclesiastes 9.9]—and so I have…

And it would take another 50 years to express my gratitude to God for His abundant mercy and grace in giving Debbie to me … and to Debbie for giving His grace—her grace—to me!

So, Debbie, my Dove, this is for you!

On this golden occasion, I want to ‘repeat and renew my vows of love’ to Debbie again with the words of a couple songs I wrote and sang to her in the months leading up to our marriage. We also included them on a program we printed for our marriage ceremony.

They are just some simple verses that I composed from my heart and set to tunes. I would sing them to her to the accompaniment of my autoharp. No one else knows the tunes but us because I can’t write music, but they are just a couple other love-notes I wanted to promise her, and I renew those promises here:

“SWEET RESIGNATION“

O, sweet resignation,

Love, I now resign to thee,

All the love of all my heart for all eternity!

            I here surrender all I have,

            And all I am I give—

I forfeit all my claims to self,

And pledge for thee to live.

“WE TWO“

We two … we stand together now,

We two … in living, loving union, we are one—we are only one.

Only one—only one to love,

Only one—only one to care,

Only one—one to give and share.

Only one—to honor and uphold,

Only one— to comfort and console,

One—to encourage and inspire,

One—for the need of every hour.

We two—forsake all others now,

We two—exchange our happy vows,

We two—we are only one.

We two—we’re joined together now,

We two—no longer ‘you’ and ‘me’—but only ‘we’

For we are only one.

I have written several other love tributes to Debbie over the years—especially on our special occasions—highlighting some of the scenes and vignettes of our love story … mainly because I just want Debbie to know my undying love for her. And also, if anyone else cares to see and read them, I want everyone else to know just what a noble and virtuous lady she is, and how worthy she is of my love for her.

Like…

Here is at least a partial reference to how we first met—my first sight and introduction to her: https://daveparksblog.com/2023/06/17/otd-1976/

And, then, just a little background story about my marriage proposal to her and our engagement to marry [and yes! it was in Lexington Cemetery!]:

“I love you for love’s sake…”

And about my specific promise to ‘honor’ her in obedience to 1 Peter 3.7: https://daveparksblog.com/2023/03/27/and-show-her-honor-1-peter-3-7/

And, I have never gotten over my smitten-ness with her beauty and virtuous character:    

“My Dove, my perfect one, is the only one!” ~Song of Solomon 6.9
That’s what she looks like to me!

I still look at and adore her this same way…

And so, Debbie, I want to renew today the same promise I have written in all those numerous cards and love-notes I’ve given you for 50 years:

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My loving, personal tribute to my long-time true Friend, Bobby Creiglow

Posted on June 15, 2026 by PastorDave

MEMORIAL WORSHIP SERVICE

FOR BOBBY CREIGLOW

25 July 1926—4 June 2026

[NOTE: We conducted a memorial worship service for my long-time true friend, Bobby Creiglow, on 12 June 2026. I have included a brief order of service, link to his obituary, and link to a FB live-stream recording at the end. Here is my loving, personal tribute contribution…]

            Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

            So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the new world [regeneration]], when the Son of Man sits on the Throne of His Glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

            And there is no one who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” [Matt 19.27-29; Mk 10.28-30; Lk 18.28-30]

Bobby and I talked about these verses numerous times over the years. Bobby lived by this self-sacrificing rule of Kingdom economics all his life. When Jesus called Bobby into service, Bobby forsook everything to follow Jesus. Bobby never kept anything the Lord ever gave him. Either he used it in the service of the Lord—or he gave it back to the Lord or to one of the Lord’s servants to help them. At the end of his life, Bobby would say, “The Lord has been faithful to every word of His promise. He’s given me back much more than I ever gave Him—and I’m looking forward to seeing what more lies ahead!” Now, he knows…

********************

Bobby charged me to preach the Gospel here during this service. “I want you to give them one last Gospel witness for my sake.”I told him I would—but also, that even this would not be his ‘one last Gospel witness’by any stretch of the imagination.

Because all the witnesses to the Gospel that Bobby gave during his lifetime here will continue to go on. That’s the way Gospel witness ‘seed’ grows: it dies in the ground and germinates, sprouts up, and bears fruit—and then that fruit also becomes seed that bears yet more fruit … and on and on from one generation of fruit to another.

The Gospel witness that Bobby has given for these 67 years in all the places where he’s been have not only borne fruit when and where they were given, but they continue to bear fruit as those who received it pass it on wherever they go. And it goes on and on until Jesus comes back.

I guess that may be at least part of what Revelation 14:13 means:

“Then I heard a voice from Heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes! says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Bobby’s works will continue to follow him into the successive generations until we all arrive and stand together in that united praise chorus of the redeemed that John foresaw in Revelation 7:9-10:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the Throne, and to the Lamb!’”

That was Bobby’s mission and message … and many among that great multitude on that day will have heard the Gospel of the Lamb of God from Bobby Creiglow.

We are also told that all of the activities of Heaven—and there will be many—are all summed up this way in Revelation 14:4:

“These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.”

But you will not be among the followers of the Lamb there …

if you do not first follow Him here, in this life.

And that’s what the Gospel is all about. And that’s the story of Bobby’s life. We can’t give Bobby’s testimony apart from the Gospel of salvation he believed and the Christ he followed.

Bobby was born in sin and separated from the favor of God just like every human being has been … ever since Adam disobeyed God, and fell into sin, and brought upon himself and all of us the just condemnation of our sins and the curse of the Holy wrath of the Holy God.

“But God—” in His gracious Providence brought Bobby under the influence of a Baptist pastor in Sanford FL … a preacher of the Gospel by the name of Bill Stevens. Pastor Stevens befriended Bobby and witnessed the Gospel to him.

One night in January of 1956, Pastor Stevens sat at their kitchen table and told them again how Christ had died for their sins, was resurrected, and that he needed to trust Christ and be saved.

Bobby repeatedly told me:

“I was convicted of my sins as he quoted Proverbs 14:12: ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.’ He warned me if I continued on my way that seems right to me, trusting in my own goodness to make me right with God, I’ll die in my sins and be separated from God forever. But Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I trusted Christ, and God saved me from my sins!”

And that night, both he and Betty put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Bobby was baptized in a city lake in Sanford FL on the 29th of January. And, yes, even in Florida, the water is cold in January. But Bobby wanted to publicly profess his faith in Christ as He commands.

And here’s his life’s testimony … anyone who’s ever hung around Bobby long at all has heard this story over and over … this became his credo for the rest of his life.

I’ll tell it as he would tell it:

“The church congregation had gathered on the bank of the lake to sing as I was baptized. As Brother Stevens brought me back up out the water, and the water ran out of my ears, the first sound I heard was them singing, ‘Wherever He leads, I’ll go.’ I determined then and there, that wherever Jesus leads me, I will go…”

1. “Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I heard my Master say;
I gave My life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today!

Chorus
Wherever He leads I’ll go; Wherever He leads I’ll go;
I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so; Wherever He leads I’ll go.

2. He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know;
And in that will I now abide, Wherever He leads I’ll go…

3. It may be through the shadows dim, Or o’er the stormy sea;
I take my cross and follow Him Wherever He leadeth me…

4. My heart, my life, my all I bring To Christ who loves me so;
He is my Master, Lord, and King— Wherever He leads I’ll go.

It was as simple and committed as that. And that’s what Bobby did for the next 67 years. And the Lord did call him—and Bobby went every time and every where from that moment … until the day he died from here last Thursday.

He started immediately by assisting Pastor Stevens. And then, one day, Pastor Stevens said, “Bobby, you’re preaching next week.” That was news to Bobby—he’d never preached before. But he did, and he continued preaching and serving in his local church there. And even helping plant a church in another part of their city.    

Bobby was always the missionary.

First, it was to Florida.

Then shortly after that, it was to Brazil. Here’s how that came about. Bobby was also influenced by another brother by the name of Bruce Lunsford. Brother Lunsford was a missionary in Brazil, supported through Baptist Faith Missions. Very quickly, through their association, the Lord laid the burden on Bobby’s heart to go to Brazil and carry the Gospel there.

So, Bobby met with Hafford Overbey who was the Executive Secretary of Baptist Faith Missions. Brother Overbey said: “You’re not ready yet … go and start a church, get some experience, and then we’ll talk about Brazil.”

So, Bobby did just that. He and Betty moved a few miles away to a community called Gotha FL and began visiting around among the neighbors, witnessing the Gospel, calling on them to repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. ‘And the hand of the Lord was with him, and a number of them came to the faith.’ (Acts 11:21).

Bobby led in the formation of Park Ridge Baptist Church and became their pastor. And Park Ridge is still one of our partnering churches. Those works are still following him…

So, Bobby and Betty were sent by Park Ridge to Brazil through the support of Baptist Faith Missions in 1960. Bobby would spread the Gospel throughout Brazil for the next 33½ years.

He started out in Manaus for the first year to learn the language and get oriented. By this time, he had partnered again with Bruce Lunsford—this time in Brazil. Brother Lunsford had been laboring down in the interior—in Cruzeiro do Sul, State of Acre.

Brother Lunsford wanted Bobby to come with him to Cruzeiro do Sul and help him—and Bobby agreed. Except that Brother Lunsford was afraid of flying. So, yes! Bobby agreed to get on a steam ship … and for the next sixty days, they made their way downriver—some 1000 river miles—to Cruzeiro do Sul. He and their family would serve in Cruzeiro do Sul for seven years—living in a houseboat down on the river.

Then, after serving the Lord there, Bobby re-located to the State of Matto Grosso, evangelizing and establishing churches in Cuiaba and Varzea Grande—and in numerous surrounding cities and towns.

They returned to the States in 1993, and Bobby continued to be a missionary…

  • as a pastor in Plant City FL;
  • then serving in a church in Winter Haven FL;
  • before moving here to KY to serve in churches in Richmond and Science Hill;
  • until, following Betty’s death in 2009, he came here to Lexington in 2010 to labor alongside me in the church where I was pastor;
  • and then finally coming here to New Life in 2017.

Also, during all this time after coming back to the States, Bobby remained active in missionary outreach as he partnered with Baptist Faith Missions as Field Representative and on the Council of Directors.

Bobby was always the missionary.

During the years of his pilgrimage here, Bobby was my friend; Brother in Christ; confidant; ministry partner / helper / counselor / encourager; travel companion; evangelism role model and example—and my all-around best buddy.

I have known who he is from the beginning in 1960 when I would see his pictures and read his reports in our newsletter—The Mission Sheets. Then, I had my first face-to-face encounter with him when we both preached at the Clarksville Baptist College conference in 1973. Our first conversation there was a warm, personable, humble, transparent affirmation … from a brother who was at that time twice my age. But that was the Bobby we all came to know and love. Then he made furlough visits to my first pastorate in NC. And, I would see and talk with him on numerous occasions at our Missions Conferences.

But it was in 1998 that we really bonded with one another. Baptist Faith Missions commissioned us to go together to Memphis TN to work with a videographer there to produce a missions promotional video. We rode that trip together, roomed together, collaborated together—and the bond was set.

From that day on, we were friends who stick closer than brothers (Proverbs 18.24). The Lord gave us a relationship very much like a David and Jonathan brotherly love for one another. We became ‘familiar friends’ (Psalm 41.9)—just very comfortable to be with one another. A ‘familiar friend’ is one in whom you can confide … a brother you can trust with your deepest fears, weakest foibles, and your greatest failures. And we did.

To say we grew familiar and comfortable with another is an understatement, really. In fact, we became so comfortable with one another … [you know how we say, “You can let your hair down” with your comfortable friend] … well, Bobby wouldn’t just let his hair down, he would take his hair clean off. He wore a toupee during a season of his life until he got tired of it. So, when we would travel together, we would go to our room for the night, and Bobby just took his hair off! That is comfortable!

We knew and shared each other’s lives transparently, trustingly, and faithfully—from the heart out.

But, Bobby was always the missionary.

During these last few trying years as his strength began to fail, it was my privilege to care for him. I would take him to his numerous doctor’s appointments for weekly check-ups, regular infusions, and frequent blood transfusions. And we would visit and talk—countless hours, all told. It was always about the Lord, about his years of missionary service, about Baptist Faith Missions and our missionaries, and especially about witnessing the Gospel of Christ and seeing people saved.

But, he would often grow weary of the physical burden. More than one time, we would be riding together in the car, and he would be silent. Sometimes, just slumping in his seat. I would ask him, “Bobby, what’s going on?” And he would just reply, “I don’t even know why I’m here. I don’t know why I’m still alive. I don’t know why the Lord is keeping me here — I just feel like I’m no use to anyone … not even the Lord.”

And I would always say, “Well, Bobby, I sure don’t know … but what we both know is that the Lord is all-wise, all-merciful, and all-good. And the only thing I can tell you is that God knows why you’re here and what He still wants to do with you. Surely, there’s somebody else He wants you to witness to.”

But, Bobby was always the missionary.

And his final field of missionary service was Sayre Christian Village. He became too weak to live at home anymore, so he moved into Sayre in August ’23. And from day on, Bobby witnessed to everyone who touched him and served him. Bobby not only touched people’s lives by his gentleness, kindness, winsomeness, quick wit, and personable humor—but Bobby impacted and influenced people’s lives. And some of them for eternity. Bobby captured their hearts. And he did it all in the Name of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. All of them loved him. And some of them listened to His Gospel witness, and God prepared their hearts to receive it … and they confessed their faith in Jesus Christ.

I told the administrators of Sayre in some of our early-on care plan meetings: “I know you all have a staff chaplain here at Sayre—but I’m telling you that Bobby Creiglow over on Unit 3 is the unofficial chaplain of Sayre Christian Village.”

Bobby’s memory and legacy will live on there. Unit 3, especially, will never be the same now that Bobby Creiglow has lived there. 310 will always be “Bobby’s room.”  

Bobby longed for the day when he would see His beloved Savior face-to-face. It would take the same numbers of hours to repeat the conversations Bobby and I have shared—especially here over the past couple of years. And we don’t have that time right now.

But, I promised Bobby back at the beginning of this last final weakness that I would walk with him every step that I could on this side of the valley of the shadow of death. But there would come the time when no one of us could walk with any farther.

And when that time came, he wouldn’t need me, anyway.

We often talked about the actual physical death experience: “What’s it like to die? What will I experience? What will I feel?” Of course, I would always say, “Bobby, I don’t know. Nobody’s ever died and then come back to tell us what it’s like [at least with credible Scriptural authority]. But what I can tell you with assurance is that, according to Psalm 23:4, there’s going to come a time when you’re going to walk away from us. And, as you descend into the valley of the shadow of death, we’ll call for you, but you won’t answer us. But, you can be sure—and we can be sure—that when that time comes, the further you walk away from us, the nearer you will be walking into the Light of the Face of Jesus Christ. He will be with you…and you will be with Him … And you won’t be alone; and you won’t be afraid.”

And then we would quote together:

“Yea. though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup [of joy] runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.”

And that’s the way it went down last Thursday.

And we would talk about our hope of Glory and the hope of Heaven. We would speculate the best we could from what is revealed in the Word of God about what Heaven is going to be like: What will it be like to see Jesus face-to-face for eternity? What will we doing—what kind of activities—as we “follow the Lamb wherever He goes”?

Again, we would have to confess that all we know right now is what we can see ‘darkly’ through the mirror of the Word of God. But we know it’s going to be unimaginably glorious!

And Bobby would quiet down, and shake his head in worship, and say, “God is so good! God is so merciful! God is so faithful—and to think He would want me, and love me, and choose me in Christ before the foundation of the world!”

Some of my friends from our church had a family member in Sayre a couple years ago … I had told them about Bobby, and they dropped in to meet and visit with him one Sunday when they were there. They took some pictures and sent them to me the other day. In one of those pictures, Bobby is sitting in his wheelchair beside his Bible that he had on a reading stand behind a magnifier. I was curious what Bobby was reading that day, so I zoomed in on the page. And, wouldn’t you know! …he was reading John, chapter 17. And sure enough, down in the bottom right-hand corner of the magnifying glass, is verse 24:

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My Glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

God sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a missionary into our world—a whole world lost in the darkness of sin. God sent Jesus to seek and save those who were lost and bring them back Home to His Glory to be with Him!

Jesus Christ lived the only perfect, sinless life that’s ever been lived. And then, He died on His Cross as a Substitute for sinners—in our place. In other words, He took upon Himself the blame for the sins we have committed … and suffered the punishment that we would suffer if we keep our sins to ourselves—which is the hell of God’s holy and just wrath against our sins … and eternal separation from God.

But when, by faith, you trust Christ to be your Sin-Bearer and Savior, then God graciously forgives all your transgressions by the merits of Christ’s death … and credits to you the perfect obedience and righteousness of Christ.

And, in that transaction of love and faith in Jesus Christ, Christ promises to bring you Home to Glory to be with Him!

That’s where Bobby is!

And Bobby would say to everyone of you whom he loved and prayed for: “Be there!”

——————–

Just a couple love-notes here before we go…

We all want to express our profound and heartfelt thanks to all of you who not only took care of Bobby, especially during these past four years, but you loved him as you ministered to him.

  • To Dr Scott Pierce & all the staff at St Joseph Hematology Oncology—From the beginning, Dr Pierce treated Bobby not only with the skill of his hands and medical expertise—but also with his heart. For 3+ years, he diligently researched, tested, and pursued every option available to Bobby until the last one was exhausted.
  • And to all the loving personnel, nurses, and aides at Sayre Christian Village—you all loved Bobby, and Bobby loved you. You took care of him, kissed on him, ate his chocolates, and you were his final home and among his final family here. I don’t want to get started naming names, but just from my personal interactions: Amanda, Melissa, Cindy, Spence, Jennifer, Christina— and especially Audrey, whom Bobby affectionately called “Mama” because she mothered him.And a special heart-felt thanks also Bobby Duncan, our faithful transport van driver. Bobby drove us numerous times to our Dr’s appointments. Bobby was not only our driver—Bobby was our friend.

In Bobby’s place, and with Bobby’s voice, I’ll tell you all one more time:

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you all!”

——————–

“Wherever He Leads, I’ll go“

Please join us as we conclude this memorial service by singing together Bobby’s ‘life’s missionary song and testimony’ … and as we sing it together, please consider this your invitation and challenge to personally answer Christ’s call to follow Him. It may be by your repentance from your sins and personal profession of faith to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior—and be saved from your sins. Or, it may be to make a total, unreserved, unconditional commitment of your life to follow Him in service: Wherever He leads, you’ll go.

Here is the link to the FB live-stream recording of Bobby’s memorial worship service…

Here is the link to Bobby’s obituary…

https://www.morrisandhislope.com/obituaries/bobby-creiglow

A brief order of service…

MEMORIAL WORSHIP SERVICE

FOR BOBBY CREIGLOW

12 June 2026 | 12 noon | New Life Baptist Church, Lexington KY

Lydia & Sarah Wainright: Preludes

Pastor Steve Wainright: Welcome / Obituary / Scripture / Prayer

Congregational Song: “It Is Well With My Soul”

Pastor Dave Parks: Eulogy / Tribute / Gospel Testimony

Missionary / Son / Pastor Mike Creiglow: Family Tribute

Congregational Song: “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go”

GRAVESIDE | McKinney Cemetery, Science Hill KY | 3:30pm

Mike Creiglow: Remarks / Scripture / Prayer             

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OTD | 11 June

Posted on June 11, 2026 by PastorDave

On this day, 11 June…

Today marks the 9th anniversary of our very first visit to Buck Run Baptist Church where we now worship and serve the Lord.

In 2017, this day was a Lord’s Day. I had resigned my former pastorate two Lord’s Days previously.

The following Lord’s Day, 6/4, I was in NC for our family reunion. Debbie attended worship with her life-long friend in Salvisa.

Then on this Lord’s Day, we came here. I had talked with then-Pastor Hershael York, and he had welcomed us to attend.

As we arrived, we were still very much disoriented—kind of in a state of shell-shock, very much out of our usual frame of habit, mind, and spirit. But, all we wanted to do was go to a sanctuary of worship—to worship God in His assembly of saints and be refreshed in our spirits, preferably even in anonymity.

Upon our entry into the lobby, we discovered Buck Run to be much larger in size than either of us had ever been used to. And, just the size of the buildings and the numbers of people who were there held out the prospect of the anonymity we wanted—but the warmth of welcome was immediate.

We were first greeted by a brother whom we would later come to know and love in person—Bruce McCutchen. So, everyone at Buck Run understands that there couldn’t be a more personable welcome to any place than Bruce McCutchen! His warm smile, gentle demeanor, and hearty handshake welcomed us in! We all have remembered that first encounter and have talked about it many times since. Bruce has told us, “Well, I knew I didn’t recognize you, so I wanted to meet you and let you know we’re glad you’re here!”

We made our way into the sanctuary—and, of course, down to the front rows. We’ve always been ‘front-row’ people. Then, to our surprise, who should we meet there but our long-time dear friends, John and Sherry Wehrle! Debbie and Sherry knew each other, having worked together in a school setting, and we had numerous other associations from times when they had visited our services in my previous pastorate. So, they welcomed us to sit with them, and we were very glad to do so.

Then, after the service, we were greeted by Pastor Wesley Noss as we were leaving. He, too, didn’t recognize us, so he reached out to remedy that and welcome us! As soon as he introduced himself, I recognized his name because Pastor York had told me in one of our previous conversations, “You need to meet and get to know Wesley Noss. You’ll love him!” And we did and still do! … that love and appreciation for Pastor Wesley has increased and deepened over the past nine years.

And then, after all that on that day … I received a hand-written note card three days later signed by a “Jan Harris” whom I hadn’t met yet—though I shortly would; and she and Russell have become very dear friends also and still attend the SS class I teach. But she wrote in the note something to the effect of “Thank you visiting with us Sunday, and we hope you’ll come again. We think you’ll love our church as much as we have for the past forty years [that was nine years ago].” And we have.

But, in addition to all the welcoming greetings we received along the way, and just the warmness and friendliness of the whole congregation’s spirit, it was the Presence of the Holy Spirit in the singing, praying, and preaching of the Word that welcomed us most! It was very much like being at ‘home’ from that very first visit. We were not just welcomed, we were received and embraced with love.

And those very first impressions have proven to be sincere and genuine over these past succeeding nine years. As I have often expressed, Buck Run Baptist Church has become our…

  • Holy Place … because the Presence of the Lord is honored and manifested;
  • Healthy Place … because the Gospel of Christ in the Word of God is honored, preached, taught, and obeyed;
  • Healing Place … because the love, mercy, grace, and comfort of God is generously shared;
  • and Happy Place … because the joy of the Lord is the very Spirit and ambience of all our shared fellowship.

So, we want to say again, “Thank you, beloved Brothers and Sisters at Buck Run. Thank you for sharing your hearts and home with us! We sure do love you all!”

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The ‘Gatorade Guy’

Posted on June 8, 2026 by PastorDave

“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you” [Philemon, verse 7].

“…for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people” [1 Corinthians 16.18]

We’ve all seen them, most of the time during breaks in the action of a football game. I just call them the ‘Gatorade guys’ (and gals, too). But when there’s a time-out, and the players run to the sideline for a huddle, the Gatorade guys run out to meet them as they come in. They are carrying their cartons with bottles of Gatorade. The players pull off their helmets as the Gatorade guys squirt the refreshing electrolytes and hydration into their parched and thirsty mouths. Then, back into the game action they go—except that the Gatorade guys have literally ‘refreshed their spirits’ with renewed energy and vigor.

The Gatorade guys are anonymous—nameless to us. We have no idea who they are. They don’t have jerseys with their distinctive number or their name on the back. They’re not on the roster. They are not celebrated. They are not highlighted on the jumbotron. No play announcer ever credits them with any kind of ‘assist.’

They’re not Gatorade guys for the recognition. They’re Gatorade guys to serve refreshment and refresh the spirits of the other team members and participants in the game. That’s what they do. That’s their service. That’s what they want to do. That’s enough. They serve mindlessly of the cameras. They are never looking around to see where a camera is: “Hey, did you get what I just did?”

Our ministries are like that. I have been pastoring in some capacity for over fifty years now. Always low-key. Never widely-recognized or well-known. No prominent platform. Probably considered ‘small-time’ by many metrics. And very content for it to be that way. Just trying to faithfully, day by day, service by service, sermon after sermon, year after year, person by person, encounter by encounter—to refresh someone’s spirit.

To preach, teach, exhort, and encourage everyone whose life I can touch to seek and know the Lord; love God with all your heart; place all of your belief, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; and commit your life to obey, serve, and please Him.

Be encouraged. Don’t quit. Get up and back in the game again.

And then go and refresh someone else’s spirit with the refreshment by which you have been refreshed.

And then go and refresh someone else’s spirit with the refreshment by which you have been refreshed.

And everyone of us can do that: an encouraging greeting, embrace, letter, note, text message, phone call—you get the picture. You never know how low or ‘spiritually dehydrated’ that one you refresh may be or how you may ‘make their day.’

Hey, for all we know, God may choose your refreshment in that moment to change the trajectory of their very life! It means a great deal to everyone of us just to know we are not alone. That somebody else knows and cares we are in the world.

I know. I have received innumerable shots of refreshment myself along the way from so many who have revived me, picked me up, and kept me going—much like Titus did for Paul in 2 Corinthians 7.5 ff. in his low-down moment…

However, there is recognition for ‘spirit-refreshers.’ And it’s really the only recognition ‘spirit-refreshers’ seek—and, that is, that the souls of those whom they seek to refresh are indeed refreshed.

I’ve often wondered whether any of all those football ‘stars’ ever returned even a breath of their refreshed spirit to say ‘Thank you! I really appreciate your refreshing my spirit’ to the Gatorade guy?

I kind of doubt it.

But in Paul’s testimony in 1 Corinthians 16.16.17-18, he names names: “I rejoice at the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.” Except for Stephanus, all three of these ‘spirit-refreshers’ are ‘one-time honorable mentions’ in the New Testament. For what?  All three of them stand on record as being ‘spirit-refreshers.’ We do hear of Stephanus two other times here in 1 Corinthians (1.16; 16.15), where he and his family are recognized: “…and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints…” Stephanus was a career ‘Gatorade guy,’ a committed and veteran ‘spirit-refresher.’

That’s really all I aspire to be. I just want to refresh someone’s spirit—strengthen and encourage someone along the way. And when and where God doesn’t call or assign me to serve any other way, just let me help refresh the spirits of those who do.

At the end of my life’s day, it will be enough if someone says of me as they said about Elisha’s ministry to Elijah: “He refreshed his spirit” … except that in his case, they said “…who poured water on the hands of Elijah” [2 Kings 3.11].

Here…a shot of Gatorade?

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Crossing into the Land | part 1

Posted on June 6, 2026 by PastorDave

JOSHUA/JUDGES/RUTH | Lesson 1 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Joshua, chapter 1

Crossing into the Land | part 1

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / We are beginning today with a new course of study. For the next thirteen weeks, we’ll be surveying three of the OT books: Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. Of course, there’s a lot of content here for so few studies, so we won’t be able to do any detailed chapter-by-chapter commentary on the contents of any of these books—although we will devote more time to specific content when we get to Ruth, mainly because it is shorter and also because of the historical/redemptive themes relating to Christ.

2 / But, for Joshua and Judges, we will have to content ourselves with giving some background information, along with showing the divisions of the book—how these two books are outlined to advance the narrative the inspired author wish to tell.

3 / So, to begin here with Joshua, let me answer some basic background questions before we get into the introductory chapter 1.

Who is Joshua, and what is his role in this book?

4 / This book is named for Joshua. And, he is the main human character in the book. However, Joshua isn’t necessarily the author of the book. Joshua is mentioned in at least two places in this book as ‘writing’ down events that happened: see 8.32 & 24.26. However, all of the content of the book refers to Joshua in the third person as if someone is writing about him rather than him keeping a journal/log of his own.

5 / The events that happen here in Joshua did occur in their own real times, and someone was keeping a detailed account of the events—but it may have been someone other than Joshua. These detailed accounts were carefully kept.

  • However, we do have some hints throughout the book that the book in its current finished form was completed at a later date. That detail is that: repeatedly, we are told that some event happened or some place was named such-and-such, and we are told ‘as it is to this day.’ That little phrase ‘to this day’ signifies that what happened in its real-time occurrence was still extant in the time when the book was finalized in its present form. The first occurrence of that phrase is in ch 4.9 and is repeated some ~15 times throughout the narrative. So, at least we know this much: whoever authored and edited the book in its current form did so sometime after the events had taken place and were recorded in real-time.

6 / And, here’s another point we need to keep in mind: even though Joshua was the God-appointed leader of the people and the most prominent human actor, he is NOT the main actor in all the narratives. Yahweh, The LORD, God Himself is the main and most prominent Actor in the book! Not only is He the One who first directly speaks to Joshua in the opening line of the book—and throughout—but He appears to Joshua in ch 5.13-15 as “…I AM the commander of the army of The LORD. Now I have come!” to assure Joshua, not only that He is there present on their scenes, but that everything that will be accomplished throughout the narrative of the book will be under His command and direction—and that He will be the One who is doing it!

  • Yahweh also presents Himself as the Divine Warrior who fight all their battles for them and give them all their victories. He is the Divine Presence who accompanies His people throughout all their generations, is evident on every page of the Bible, and will come ‘in the fullness of time’ in the Person of Jesus Christ as ‘Emmanuel-God with us’!

7 / But, who is Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim? Joshua had been Moses’ assistant [‘minister’ KJV–that’s what Joshua is called in ch 1.1] since before they came out of Egypt.

  • Joshua was surely among the elders of the people of Israel when they were in Egypt [see Exodus 3.16].
  • Joshua’s birth name was Hoshea [Savior], and Moses renamed him Joshua [Yahweh will save]. That re-naming is recorded in Numbers 13.8 & 17 when Moses sent the twelve spies into Canaan from Kadesh-barnea to ‘spy out’ the land. And, in that instance, only he and Caleb trusted Yahweh to give them the land. So, Joshua had distinguished himself in Moses’ estimation as a trustworthy assistant very early on, not only as a faithful servant, but as an assistant, a protégé.
  • Joshua was also a military strategist and a valiant warrior. So much so, that the first time we meet Joshua in the Bible narrative is in Exodus 17.8-16. This was when the Amalekites [descendants of Esau] attacked the Israelites immediately upon their coming out of Egypt. Moses commissioned Joshua to ‘general’ that battle. This will help illuminate that meeting the Joshua had with ‘I AM the Commander of the army of The LORD’ in Joshua 5.13-15. Joshua may have been the earthly Commander/General of Israel’s fighting forces, but Yahweh Himself was the One who would fight and win all their battles!

8 / Joshua is then mentioned by name some ~30 times throughout the Pentateuch.

How is the Book of Joshua connected with the rest of the Bible—both in time and text?

1 / The book of Joshua is inseparably connected with the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, that come before it. The chain of events and narrative is unbroken. In fact, when you open the book of Joshua and begin reading it, the very first words are: “Now after the death of Moses the servant of The LORD, The LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant…” This lets us know that Joshua will just pick up where Moses and the Pentateuch had left off with Moses’ death. Everything you will read in Joshua, chapter 1 has already been written—sometimes numerous times—in the previous books of Moses. The LORD now calls Joshua to finish the tasks that Moses had begun.

2 / Some specific Pentateuch texts that will lay the groundwork for this transition of leadership are: Numbers 27.12-23; Deuteronomy 31.23; 34.9; and others.

3 / As for the connections of Joshua with the rest of the Bible narrative, we will see that Joshua is connected with Judges the same way in the opening line of Judges: “After the death of Joshua…” And, then the book of Ruth [these are the three books of our current survey course] opens with: “In the days when the judges ruled…” So you can easily see from the words that authors write in all these books that they are giving us an unbroken, uninterrupted narrative of Israel’s history during those centuries when Israel was being formed as Yahweh’s covenant nations.

4 / And then, from the book of Ruth, the Bible narrative continues on with the histories of Samuel, who followed after the judges—and from there into the histories of the kings of Israel [and Judah]—which will ‘set the table’ for David who is introduced in the book of Ruth—and who will foreshadow and ‘pre-enact’ the Christ, God’s anointed and appointed King of kings and Lord of lords.

What is the Book of Joshua all about? What are its main purposes, themes, and lessons?

1 / The main, primary, over-arching theme of the book of Joshua is God’s faithfulness to fulfill all the covenant promises He has made to His people—both in that immediate historical context, and forevermore! As we see when we begin reading the book, Joshua is all about ‘the land’ Yahweh had promised to give them as their inheritance, place of habitation with Him, and as their ‘rest.’ Over and over, Yahweh repeats the promises that He had made to Abraham first, and then re-affirmed them to the other covenant patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, in Genesis 12.1-7; 13.15-17; 15.12-21; 17.8; and others. The people of Israel kept this promise of their covenant ‘Promised Land’ in all their longings all during their 400-year enslavement in Egypt. When Yahweh appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He reiterated His covenant promises [Exodus 2.23-25; 3.7-8]. Their entrance into the Promised Land was delayed for 38 ½ years when they faithlessly rebelled against Yahweh at Kadesh-barnea [Numbers 14]. But now, Yahweh has faithfully kept them through their forty years of wandering in the desert and defeated all their enemies along the way. They are now encamped on the east bank of the Jordan, looking westward across the Jordan into the Promised Land.

2 / And so, what the book of Joshua will chronicle for us is how Yahweh faithfully fulfilled everything He promised He would give them and do for them. After all is said and done, the primary theme of Joshua and the purpose for its writing is found in ch 21.43-45: Thus The LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And The LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for The LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. And this same theme and purpose is repeated again in a brief historical summary in ch 24.1-13.

3 / There are numerous other themes and purposes that are developed and emphasized throughout the narrative [this is copied from the ESV Study Bible]:

The theological lessons to glean from the pages of Joshua are many:

  • The Lord’s abiding presence as the key to strength and courage (e.g., 1:5, 9).
  • The centrality of the Lord’s instructions for succeeding in one’s mission and acting with insight; land and rest as divine gifts (1:7–8).
  • The ability of the Lord to save the “outsider” (Rahab), and the danger of the “insider” falling away (Achan; see chs. 2 and 7).
  • The Lord as divine Warrior and the reality of judgment when iniquity is full (e.g., 10:42; 11:19–20).
  • The danger of presumption and failure to inquire of the Lord (e.g., 9:14).
  • The Lord as protector of the covenant (e.g., 10:1–15, esp. v. 11).
  • The unity of the people of God (18:1–10; 22:34).
  • The sovereignty of God in giving his people place and rest (1:13; 11:23; 21:43–45).
  • The faithfulness of God in fulfilling all his good promises (1:2; 21:43–45).
  • The necessity of removing false gods and worshiping God alone (ch. 24).

The list could continue.

How does the Book of Joshua point to Christ?

1 / This is one of the most essential lessons we must learn and keep in mind as we read anywhere in the
Bible. As Jesus said in Luke 24.27: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them an all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. And again, in v 44: “These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” And so, everything that is written in the book of Joshua speaks of Christ.

2 / But here are just a couple ‘Christ-themes’ that jump out at us as we look ahead and also from a NT hindsight and retrospect:

  • The very name ‘Joshua’ is the Hebrew OT name for the NT Greek ‘Jesus.’ The name translates as ‘Yahweh [Jehovah] saves’ [see Matthew 1.21]. In fact, in the KJV, Joshua is called ‘Jesus.’ In fact, in the KJV, Joshua is called ‘Jesus.’ This is not only because their names are the same in OT and NT, but also because the OT Joshua ‘pre-enacts’ or serves as a historical type and foreshadowing of what Jesus the Christ will do when He comes in ‘the fullness of time.’
  • And so, in his OT role, Joshua led the military charges to save Israel from all their enemies who were occupying Israel’s Promised Land and inheritance.
  • More importantly and pointedly, the OT Joshua led God’s covenant people into their promised ‘rest’ [see ch 1.13, 15, and numerous other references throughout]. In the over-arching redemptive covenant plan of God, Joshua was ‘pre-enacting’ how our Jesus came to lead us into our eternal New Covenant ‘rest’ in the New Creation—after He has redeemed us, delivered us from our bondage to sin, fought all our battles for us, conquering and subduing our enemies, and delivered us to the Father [see Hebrews 3-4].

How is the Book of Joshua divided—and what does each section describe?

The theme of Joshua is “the land” and how Yahweh fulfilled all His covenant promises to give them their inheritance in “the land.”  Even just in ch 1, the phrase is repeated over and over: “the land I have given you … the land I am giving you to inherit … the land that I swore to their fathers to give … just as I promised to Moses” etc. So, the whole narrative of Joshua is an account of how Yahweh gave them their Promised Land. We will recognize and point out those same developments of the narrative, and they will be the titles of the five lessons we will survey [:

  • chs 1-5: Crossing into the land [two lessons]
  • chs 6-12: Taking the land
  • chs 13-21: Dividing the land
  • chs 22-24: Serving The LORD in the land

Joshua, chapter 1 | Crossing into the land, part 1

Since we have already referred much to the various elements of the content of chapter 1 in our introductory remarks, I will just give you here a brief breakdown outline of the chapter. Chapter 1 is composed of three conversations; so that is how we will follow it:

1 / vv 1-9: Yahweh’s charge to Joshua.

  • After reminding Joshua of Moses’ death and His previous Divine appointment of Joshua to be Israel’s God-appointed leader, The LORD re-affirms the promises He’s made before to give them their Promised Land. Even the surveyed boundaries of their inheritance had been pre-announced, and now The LORD commits to give it all to them. See Deuteronomy 11.24-25.
  • The LORD gives Joshua His personal assurance of His Presence: Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. This promise is given to us all in Hebrews 13.5.
  • But Joshua must continue to trust Yahweh in all their ways. He must be strong and courageous … Only be strong and very courageous. But Joshua is not only commanded to be strong and very courageous in his military campaigns and wars, but also in being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left… [Those are sometimes the hardest times to be brave—when our implicit trust and faith in God is required and obedience is difficult…] “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
  • The LORD re-asserts His absolute authority to command all the servants and agents of His Kingdom—but also promises and commits: …for The LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

2 / vv 10-15: Joshua relays commands to his ‘officers of the people’ according to what The LORD had commanded him. Everyone must prepare to cross the Jordan when Yahweh gives the command. But do so in full confidence that The LORD will faithfully accompany them: “…to take possession of the land that The LORD your God is giving you to possess.” Then follows specific instructions to what we call ‘the two and a half tribes’: Reuben, Gad, half-tribe of Manasseh. Their story goes back to Numbers 32.19-32. Remember, they are still on the west banks of the Jordan—they haven’t crossed Jordan yet. But these tribes had asked Moses back then if they could receive their inheritance in those regions since the landscape was well-suited to their agricultural and herdsmen vocations. Moses [from Yahweh] gave them permission to inherit Transjordan on one condition: they must cross over with their brothers and fight their battles with them until their inheritances were secured. Then, they could return back to their chosen inheritances Transjordan.

3 / vv 16-18: This third brief conversation is the response of the Transjordan tribes that they will live up to that commitment—and then they encourage Joshua to lead them all as Yahweh had commanded him—“Only be strong and courageous.”

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“Good News about the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ”

Posted on May 30, 2026 by PastorDave

MATTHEW | Lesson 17 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Matthew, chapter 28

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / We come now to the conclusion of Matthew’s Gospel narrative—and also of our brief survey/summary of it. This is the blessed account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Not only is this the conclusion of the historical Gospel story—but it is also the grand and climactic Gospel plan that God has purposed from before the creation of the world [see Revelation 7.9-17]. EVERYTHING that God purposed and promised to do for us to save us from our sins was confirmed and assured for us when He raised Christ from the dead! And so, this is not only the end of this part of Jesus’ earthly mission story and Gospel ministry, but it is also the assurance of everything we hope to receive, have, and enjoy forever!

2 / God has prophesied from the beginning of His Gospel revelation to us that our Messiah and Savior would not only die, but that He would be raised back to life! [see Isaiah 53.10]. Jesus made this crystal-clear to His disciples as He discoursed with them enroute to Emmaus [Luke 24.25-27]. AND, every time our Lord foretold to His disciples what sufferings He would endure in Jerusalem when He would be crucified, He also told them He would be raised from that death He would die [Matthew 16.21; 17.22-23; 20.17-19]. So, as we know from our hindsight perspective—after it’s all said and done and recorded in history—they should have known this part of the Gospel story and waited with anticipation for it to be fulfilled. But, alas, just like we are many times, they were “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” [Luke 24.25]. They were ‘a faith work in progress.’ So, now that we do know, and it is plainly recorded for us in the inerrant Scripture record, let’s prepare our hearts—not only to believe it, but also to live our daily lives in the truth and power of the resurrection!

3 / There is no Gospel without the resurrection! The resurrection of Christ was never considered by God apart from the death Christ died. Obviously, Christ couldn’t and wouldn’t have been resurrected if He had not died—He had to die to be resurrected from death. BUT, if Christ had died, but wasn’t resurrected, then His death would have been in vain. That is a vain hypothetical, but that is precisely the point Paul made in his magisterial commentary on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.1-34. “…but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead…” as he assures us in v 20.

4 / Everything Christ died on His Cross to accomplish for our redemption is assured to us by His resurrection from that death! That’s why this account is so indispensable to our faith—AND to the Gospel message Christ has sent us to proclaim to the world. And again, that’s why, especially in the Book of Acts, as the disciples and the churches obey Jesus Christ and went into all the world to proclaim this Gospel of salvation, they almost always proclaimed both Christ’s death on the Cross and His resurrection from His death! [for examples, Acts 1.22; 2.31; 4.2, 33; 17.18, 32; 23.6; 24.15,21]

5 / Matthew is also an explosive ‘myth-buster’ here:

[1] the first myth is that Jesus didn’t really die—He just passed out, or went comatose, or lapsed into a major swoon. Of course, if He didn’t really die, then His ‘resurrection’ is not really a resurrection—He just revived. But Matthew goes to great lengths to demonstrate that Jesus died—He died and was buried;

[2] and the second myth is that He really didn’t resurrect or live again. In fact, one version of this myth is included in this lesson text [see vv 11-15].

6 / Just one more thing before we get into the text itself: Matthew is going to bring all the themes together that he has been emphasizing all throughout this Gospel narrative. There are many threads to the Gospel theme, but they all are woven together here in this resurrection account—Jesus Christ is the ‘all authority’ King of the Kingdom of Heaven, and His Gospel [Good News] is the “Good News about the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ!” [from Acts 8.12—the source of this lesson’s title]. Jesus Christ exercised His omnipotent authority by the death He died and the way He died it—and also by His invincible resurrection from that death! He conquered all His enemies and foes—Satan, sin, and death—and He shares that Kingdom victory with us when we receive Him and believe His Gospel!   

II | ch 28.1-10 | “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.”

1 / v 1 | Ch 28 is connected closely with the conclusion of ch 27.57-66. In fact, one way to look at those two concluding paragraphs of ch 27 is to see how they serve as a transition or ‘hinge’ between the narratives of the crucifixion and the resurrection. They describe the concluding activities immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion—and at the same time, as ch 27 concludes in those hurried activities on Friday evening, they are just the preparations and ‘preamble’ of the next momentous act—the resurrection. The last time we saw these godly and faithful women disciples was in ch 27.55-56 & 61. They followed at a distance as Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to claim the body of Jesus for a proper burial. They watched closely as Joseph laid Jesus’ body in his own new sepulcher, and they visually marked it with plans to come back as quickly as the Sabbath had passed. Due to the rush to get Jesus’ body buried before the Sabbath [day of rest] began, Joseph had not had the time to anoint Jesus’ body. So the women planned to return as soon as the Sabbath had passed and properly prepare His body according to their custom [see Luke 24.1]. However, they anticipated a problem even to get into the tomb to minister to their beloved Lord’s corpse [they thought]—and they talked about it among themselves as they set out. THE STONE! “And they were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’” [Mark 16.3-4]. BTW, as we shall see—and as we often say—the stone was rolled away NOT to allow Jesus to ‘escape’ and get out of the sepulcher … but so the disciples could go into it to see that it was empty!

2 / vv 2-4 | HOWEVER, God had already taken care of the stone! “And behold [Look!], there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it!” This had already taken place earlier—before they got there. Jesus Christ did not resurrect through any human means or intervention. God needed no human hands or participation to raise Christ from the dead. Jesus Christ was raised by the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and by His own power of life! And so, when they arrived at the open, empty sepulcher, there was the angel of the Lord sitting on it, waiting for them to arrive to deliver the Good News of the resurrection!

3 / The appearance of the angel displayed the Heavenly Glory that had done the work; and the angel’s appearance terrified the soldier guards so that they suffered physical meltdowns and seizures—and passed out from their terror! The soldiers had every reason to be afraid. They were pitting themselves against God—attempting to frustrate the Almighty’s eternal purposes to keep Christ from living again!

4 / vv 5-7 | The angel [messenger] had a four-fold message to deliver to the women…for them to pass on:

[1] ‘Do not be afraid!’ The same terror that had paralyzed the guard soldiers was Good News to them!

[2] ‘for I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.’ So they were the first eye-witnesses of the empty tomb;

[3] ‘Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead…’ The disciples are all cowering behind closed and locked doors—too fearful to be seen publicly and especially to the authorities who had crucified their Messiah. They would need to be told by the women.

[4] ‘And behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See, I have told you…’ Pay close attention to these instructions about this future arranged meeting in Galilee. They are not in Galilee now…they are in Jerusalem, in Judea. But, apparently Jesus had already told them, perhaps in their conversations during those last days of this Passion week, that He would be seeing them again back in Galilee. NOTE: if you scan down through the rest of this narrative, you will see ‘Galilee’ come up again three times: v 7 [by the angel], v 10 [by Jesus Himself], v 16 [where and when the disciples followed Jesus’ directions and did meet Him there].

5 / vv 8-10 | The faithful women did as they were told by the angel. So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. This ‘fear’ is from the awesomeness and wonder of what they had just witnessed. And the ‘joy’ is what always accompanies the Gospel of the Kingdom, both in the hearing of it and the telling of it! Then, look who always meet us when we go with His Gospel witness! And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They did as we would expect them to do! They rushed to prostrate themselves and hugged His feet, hold onto Him—and worshiped Him! Oh, how they worshiped Him! He is their Lord—the very same Lord they know and love! And He is alive!—after they had witnessed His crucifixion and burial! And He is here with them! [Just as this same resurrected, risen Lord is with us, as He will promise in v 20!] And He repeats to them again: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me.” [Do you hear that? Jesus calls us, His disciples, His brothers {and sisters}! See also Hebrews 2.9-12]

III | ch 28.11-15 | “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away…’”

1 / We need to connect this section with ch 27.62-66. In fact, we need to go back and re-read that scene … and as we now say, “How did that work out for you?”

2 / This whole scene is so rich with irony, and I can do no better than to quote here from Daniel M. Doriani in ESV Expository Commentary:

“After the crucifixion, chief priests and Pharisees had gone to Pilate and reminded him that Jesus had foretold, “After three days I will rise” (27:63). They had urged Pilate to set a guard at the tomb until the third day, lest the disciples steal the body and proclaim that he arose (27:64).

            The resurrection ruins their plans. Like the women, the guards from the tomb go and tell what has happened. But the high priests do everything possible to prevent the spread of the news.

            We can observe the ironies. First Jesus’ foes remember his promise of resurrection better than the disciples do. But since the Jewish leaders assume that the disciples would remember, they plan to thwart any attempt at a faux resurrection. At their request, Pilate had secured the tomb (27:65–66). The authorities’ plan works after a fashion—no one steals the body. Nonetheless, the body does disappear—due to the resurrection. The guards then tell the chief priests “all that had taken place” (28:11). When the chief priests meet with the elders and devise a plan, they give the soldiers an ample sum of money, telling them to confess to dereliction of duty: “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep” (vv. 12–13). If the report reaches the governor, the priests promise to protect the soldiers. The soldiers accept the money and do as instructed (vv. 11–15).

            The futile effort of the authorities to seal and guard the tomb contrasts with the power of God to open it. Can puny soldiers thwart the almighty God? And God does what the leaders thought the disciples might allege. Israel’s priests and elders pay the soldiers to claim that the disciples stole the body, but nothing stops the spread of the story of Jesus’ resurrection.

            There is further irony. The authorities try to cover up the resurrection by advancing the very story they had hoped to prevent. When the authorities tell the guards to say the disciples have stolen the body, they spread the story of the empty tomb. The authorities also demonstrate their depravity. They had demanded signs from Jesus so that they might believe (27:42). Jesus had said they would get no sign but the resurrection (12:38–40). Now they have the sign they demanded and the sign Jesus promised. But instead of believing, they attempt to destroy the evidence.

            Matthew 28:11–15 is a portrait of depravity and abuse of power. The actions of the authorities would be laughable if they were not so wicked. If the soldiers were asleep, how could they know who stole the body? We see abuse of funds, lying, manipulation of the legal system, and more. The authorities called Jesus “that imposter” (27:63), but who is posing now?

            The story reminds readers that a veil lies over the eyes of unbelievers. Some refuse to repent and believe. But the women show the way of faith. Their faith and love move them to stay with Jesus, to visit the tomb, to overcome their fears, to testify to Jesus, and to do it all with joy.”

IV | ch 28.16-20 | “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”

1 / v 16 | This is that Galilee rendezvous Jesus had appointed for them before His death and resurrection [see vv 7, 10]. [The other ‘Great Commission’ accounts are in Mark 16.14-16; Luke 24.44-49; John 20.19-23; and Acts 1.1-8].

[1] These were their most familiar environs—where they had spent the vast bulk of time together over the past 3+ years. This was their ‘home regions.’ They knew these parts well.

[2] And also, they could meet up in Galilee without attracting a lot of attention from the authorities in Jerusalem/Judea who had just a few days ago crucified Him.

[3] This also was one of those ‘teaching times’ that Jesus shared with His disciples during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension back into Heaven. As Luke writes in Acts 1.1-3: In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. [NOTE the summary theme of Jesus’ continued teaching and instructions—“the Kingdom of God.” This has also been one of Matthew’s primary ‘theme threads’ he has woven throughout his Gospel narrative.

[4] ALSO, Jesus’ physical, bodily appearances to His disciples are an essential element of the Gospel and evidences of His resurrection [see 1 Corinthians 15.1-9]. We have to wonder whether this Galilee meet-up is what Paul refers to by “Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep [died].”

2 / v 17 | “And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted.” What could this possibly mean? Most likely, it doesn’t mean that even among His disciples, there was some skepticism whether this was really Jesus, and that He had really resurrected from His death. The word for ‘doubt’ that Matthew uses here is not the usual word for ‘questioning whether it is true,’ [diakrino]. It is the word ‘distadzo,’ which is used only two times in the NT, both of them in Matthew, the other use in ch 14.31 when Peter ‘wavered’ or ‘doubted’ as he walked on the water to go to Jesus. It may be that they ‘doubted’ due to the overwhelming reality of all they were trying process all at once. As we sometimes say, “I’m having trouble wrapping my head around all this…” as we struggle to ‘take it all in’ and process it, put it in order in our thinking. Whatever the case, they knew they were in the Presence of Deity, and so ‘they worshiped Him.’ Worship is the only response we should have any time we encounter the Living God in the Person of Jesus Christ [see v 9]. We worship Him because He is our King! And His Kingdom is a present and Heavenly reality even here on earth—as we eagerly anticipate its full revelation when He comes again!

3 / vv 18-20 | Jesus then gives them His Great Commission. Again, we have noted repeatedly as we have followed Matthew’s theme-threads that he has developed throughout his Gospel narrative … Matthew knew he would end up here, and so he has woven these themes from the beginning:

[1] Jesus declares His absolute, sovereign, omnipotent Lordship and Kingship over His Kingdom: “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me…” Matthew introduced Him as such in ch 1.1, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David…” in fulfillment of 2 Samuel 7.11-14 and Daniel 7.13-14.      

[2] The primary imperative verb that Jesus commands here is “make disciples of all nations.” And so, Matthew has been focused on Jesus, the Supreme disciple-Maker. “Because/since I have this authority…”

[3] We must make disciples of all nations because Jesus Christ’s Kingdom of disciples is not only from among the Jews, but also from the Gentiles also. And so, Matthew introduces Jesus also in ch 1.1 as “the son of Abraham” because God has purposed from way back then “…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” [Genesis 12.3; Galatians 3.7-9, 14, 16, 25-29; Romans 3.29; 9.23-26]. And that’s why Jesus took up His primary ministry residence and ‘base of outreach in Capernaum in ‘Galilee of the Gentiles’ [Matthew 4.13-17]. “From that time [and place] Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’” Now, He commands His disciples [and us] to go and make disciples of all the other nations of Gentiles.

[4] The means by which we accomplish this disciple-making missionary mandate is in the three participial phrases [also imperatives]: “as you are going … baptizing them in the [Triune God] Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” NOTE all the ‘alls’… Matthew has recorded his account of ALL that Jesus taught and commanded them in the contents of this Gospel narrative—especially in the ‘five pillar teaching discourses.’

[5] The power and assurance of the effectiveness of our preaching, teaching of Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom is His very Presence: “And behold, I AM with you always, to the end of the age.”  Amen!

LET’S GO!

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“And when they had crucified Him”–The King reigns over His Kingdom from His Cross

Posted on May 23, 2026 by PastorDave

MATTHEW | Lesson 16 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Matthew, chapter 27

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / Let’s remember that Matthew has been chronicling the events that transpired in this last week of Jesus’ life beginning with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem in ch 21 to the cries of the crowd “Hosanna to the Son of David!” [King] and the fulfillment of Zechariah 9.9: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you…”

2 / So Matthew is keeping to his theme he has established from the beginning of his narrative: Jesus Christ is the King of Israel. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus has been proclaiming by His preaching, expounding in His teaching, illustrating in His parables, and demonstrating in all the miraculous signs and wonders He has performed. AND, all of this is pointing to the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven which will be revealed when He comes again to bring it to fruition.

3 / Furthermore, as we have seen and will see in these last lessons [chs 26-28], especially in these ‘passion narratives,’ which focus sharply on the accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion … in every statement that is made, every response Jesus gives, and in every detail of the crucifixion story—Jesus is exercising His sovereign majesty and glory as our King!

Even when it appears He is weakest, and when He willingly and voluntarily yields Himself to the death He died, He is reigning in authority, control, and power to secure His predestinated work of redemption—the salvation of His people from our sins.

4 / What Matthew is describing here—and what we are witnessing—is what John saw in his Revelation visions of the Conquering King in Revelation 5.1-7, “a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain…,” which is itself the fulfillment of Daniel 7.13-14!

So, how does Matthew here—even in Jesus’ crucifixion account—proclaim that Jesus, the King, reigns over His Kingdom…even from His Cross?   

II | ch 27.1-14 | The Jewish leaders deliver Jesus over to the Roman governor Pilate to be crucified

1 / vv 1-2 | These Jewish leaders have had Jesus on trial all night—ever since they arrested Him in Gethsemane last evening. They have already concocted their charges in their informal ‘hearings’ they have conducted in Caiaphas’ palace and before Annas. What Matthew describes here is the formal hearing they convened before the Sanhedrin—their ‘Supreme Court’ of religious leaders. And, having satisfactorily [to themselves] charged Him with a capital crime deserving death, they bound Him and led Him away and delivered Him over to Pilate the governor. They need Pilate to put Jesus to death because by Roman law under their occupation, they were not permitted to execute capital punishment. See John 18.31.

2 / vv 11-14 | I’m taking this paragraph out of its written order because this paragraph concludes the opening paragraph [we’ll come back to Judas here in a minute…]. So Pilate asks Jesus to answer the charge which had obviously been given to Him by the Jews: “Are you the King of the Jews?” [Luke 23.1-5]. If they can hang this charge on Jesus from a political angle, it will make Him a rival king to Caesar. And Pilate can’t survive if he allows it to pass… However, Jesus doesn’t answer in His own defense according to Isaiah 53.7. This, too, is a demonstration of Jesus’ Kingly sovereignty and authority over His own death. He had come to die this death [John 10.18], and He must give Himself to His mission, His Kingdom, and His elect sheep-subjects He has come to redeem to God for His people.

3 / vv 3-10 | Now, back to Judas—Matthew inserts this paragraph to show the ruinous and fatal end that Judas suffered because of his treacherous betrayal. BTW, Matthew uses this word for ‘deliver over’ or ‘betray’ fifteen times here in chs 26-27. Judas ‘betrayed’ Jesus to the chief priests; they ‘deliver over’ [same word] Jesus to Pilate; and Pilate will ‘deliver over’ Jesus back to them and to the executioners. This whole story is one of dark, evil, demonic betrayal of the King of the Kingdom by all of these wicked perpetrators. Yet, Jesus reigns over them all to turn their evil into good—our salvation—and to fulfill all the Scriptures that have said it had to be this way!  

III | ch 27.15-31 | Pilate succumbs to the demands of the Jewish leaders … orders Jesus’ crucifixion

1 / vv 15-18 | Pilate is not only inconvenienced by this abrupt imposition on him, but he is also sorely conflicted with anxiety by what he knows is a project of malicious envy by the Jews [see v 18]. So, he tries to bargain with the mob: he had a custom to release one of their political prisoners to them at the Passover. There was a prominent prisoner in custody, Barabbas. Mark 15.7 says that Barabbas was a rebel who had committed murder in the insurrection… So Pilate offers to release Jesus back to them—surely they would want their King back! But that ruse backfired [as we shall see…]

2 / vv 19 | But there was something else that was spooking Pilate: Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of Him today in a dream.” So, Pilate knows they have delivered Jesus to him out of their envy; he has already ascertained for himself that Jesus is not guilty of any offense, much less a capital offense; and now his wife is relating this out-of-this-world dream that she dreamed in the daytime. Maybe they will ask for Jesus back and save him from this dilemma…

3 / vv 20-23 | But the chief priests and elders have already ‘poisoned the well’ of the mob’s minds that Jesus must be destroyed. So, when given the choice between Jesus and Barabbas, And they said, “Barabbas.” Then all the back and forth: Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? Pilate would have gladly given them Jesus, too. They all said, “Let Him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let Him be crucified!”

4 / vv 24-26 | Pilate has a way out—he can stand his ground, do what he knows to be right, and not concede to the political coercion, strong-arming, and pressure of the mob. But Pilate is a spineless coward. And besides all the other inner conflicts he is suffering, he is already on shaky ground and a kind of ‘probation’ from Caesar for some previous administrative mishandlings he had called been back to Rome to give account for. So he attempted to publicly ‘wash his hands’ in innocence to absolve himself from any culpability … and then the people willingly took all the responsibility: His blood be on us and on our children! And so it was—and they suffered everything Jesus had said they would suffer [see again chs 24-25]. Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified. The scourging itself was a severe punishment and often fatal in itself…

5 / vv 27-31 | The mockery and humiliation that Jesus suffered and endured continued. A whole battalion or cohort, ~600 soldiers, had a ‘field day’ with Jesus’ royalty: And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on him [probably one of their own uniform tunics], and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him and led Him away to crucify Him. All of this mockery of His Kingship was an affront to His royal majesty—and their attempt to flaunt their supremacy over Him.

6 / But here’s the thing Matthew—and we—know: everything they are mocking in their arrogant rebellion against the King of the Kingdom of Heaven is, in reality, the truth! They themselves are witnessing and testifying to the very King and Kingdom they are mocking as a ‘flimsy farce.’    

IV | ch 27.32-44 | Jesus is crucified under the mocking ‘charge’ of ‘King of the Jews’

1 / v 32 | Just as they were going out of the city to the scene of crucifixion, this Simon of Cyrene was coming into Jerusalem for the feast via one of the main travel routes. Jesus was exhausted and depleted of physical and emotional strength after the long evening of discourses with His disciples the previous evening, agonizing in Gethsemane, His mock trials, and especially from His scourging—too weak now to carry His own cross. The Roman soldiers ‘conscripted’ him into service—to drag the crossbeam of the cross. Condemned criminals were required to carry their own crossbeam to their own execution [the upright cross members were already planted at the execution site]. Like Mary, Simon is now memorialized for his service. He became well-known in the Christian community along with his sons, Alexander and Rufus [see Mark 15.21]. We can only speculate from the way they are spoken of with such familiarity that they also became faithful disciples and familiar characters to Gospel readers from this experience.

2 / vv 33-37 | The place of crucifixion was outside the city so as not to ‘defile’ the ‘sanctity’ of Jerusalem, especially during a holy feast occasion. This was just another expression of their rejection of Jesus, putting Him to more humiliation and shame [Hebrews 13.13]. “…they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull).” Several more acts of cruelty, insult, and violence took place to add to Jesus’ mockery—all of which also fulfilled centuries-old prophecies:

[1] they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when He tasted it, He would not drink it [Psalm 69.21];

[2] And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among by casting lots [Psalm 22.18];

[3] And over His head they put the charge against Him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” NOTE: keep in mind as we’ve already said, that they did all these things to mock who He is really is—to ridicule, insult, humiliate, and make fun of His Messianic claims … but in so doing, they were only affirming who God had prophesied He would be and who God had provided Him to be for our redemption! They did it out of mockery, but God provided even in their mockeries a testimony and witness to the Gospel of our salvation!

3 / vv 37-44 | The plan had been to execute three criminals that day—we can assume Barabbas would have been the third had Jesus not taken His place [see Isaiah 53.9, 12]. The gathered spectator mob now all joined in with the mockery, even the passers-by who were coming in and out of the city. Again, their insults were in the terms of the twisted narratives that the chief priests and elders had been circulating, all of which were spun to make them look good and justify their public actions:

“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!

If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross …

He saved others; He cannot save Himself.

He is the King of Israel; let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

AND AGAIN, even though these charges were all twisted and taken out of the context in which Jesus had said them, there is an irony in them all—they meant it all for evil, but God worked it out for good! Jesus had come to be all of these—Son of God, King of Israel, Savior—but if He had saved Himself from this foreordained death which He, Himself, had foretold in detail, He could not have accomplished the substitutionary atonement and redemption by which we are saved!

4 / Just one more narrative note here: Matthew shows us the unanimity and ‘group-think’ that had infected the whole mob mentality who were swept up in their murderous frenzy: “those who passed by; the chief priests with the scribes and elders; the robbers who were crucified with Him also reviled Him in the same way”; also the squads of soldiers who had been assigned to this crucifixion offered their own taunts and jeers both by what they said and what they did…

V | ch 27.45-54 | Supernatural physical phenomena and spiritual transactions accompany Jesus’ death—signs of His Kingdom sovereignty and accomplished Gospel mission

1 / Now we come to the narrative that describes the climactic moments during which “The Great Transaction” was made—when the Lamb of God was slain, the once-forever perfect, spotless, sinless Sacrifice was made for our sins, our sin payment was made in full, and our eternal redemption was accomplished! “‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done! I am my Lord’s, and He is mine!”

Much of it transpires and transacts between God the Father and God the Son [and also God the Holy Spirit {see Hebrews 9.14}] … and other signs are also manifested in the world of physical observation to show us what had been transacted in the spiritual world…

2 / v 45 | Now from the sixth hour [noon] there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour [3pm]. Darkness has always in the Scripture been a manifestation of the Presence of God when He comes in His wrath, displeasure, and judgment. Here, this noon-day supernatural, physical darkness phenomenon is a testimony that God is judging sin. Yes, He is judging the sins of the people for crucifying His Son, but more, God is judging our sins in the Person of Christ! “Well might the sun in darkness hide and shut his glories in, when Christ the mighty Maker died for man, the creature’s, sin.” Darkness is also a description of being separated from God who is Light.

3 / vv 46-49 | And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabacthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is from the well-known Psalm 22.1. Along with Psalm 69, these two Psalms are cried out by David as laments in his own extremities. These are real experiences—suffered in their own times. David suffered his as a representative prophet of the Messiah, foreshadowing the sufferings of The Son of David when He would come in His own time to fully suffer them in the fulfillment of the eternal plan of God. Such is the marvel and wonder of God’s sovereignty in every detail of the purposing, predetermining, provision, prophesying, and fulfillment of His eternal New Covenant. There is no way we can perceive, understand, comprehend, or adequately explain what all transpires in the eternal transactions of the Triune God—we can just read what God is willing to reveal, know it happened, and rejoice in what God is willing to tell us. What we do know is that God is NOT displeased with Jesus Christ and He is NOT rejecting Christ in any way. BUT what God IS displeased with IS our sin. He cannot look upon our sin with any acceptance or pleasure. He MUST condemn, judge, and punish our sin by putting it away from Himself and out of His sight. And since Jesus Christ has now in some way inscrutable to us just taken our sin upon Himself and assumed personal responsibility for committing them, He must assume also the punishment that our sins deserve. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5.21, For our sake He [God] made Him [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. We can’t figure that out—we just know He did. That’s why Jesus addresses God, not in His customary expression of intimate union and fellowship as “Father,” but as the Holy, righteous, and just Judge of sin, “My God, my God…” Those around Jesus mistake His appeal to God [Eli or Eloi] as calling for Elijah. They again offer Jesus the sour wine potion, and this time He takes it because He knows He has fulfilled His Kingly mission [contrast v 34].

4 / v 50 | And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. Yes, physically, Jesus died from the physical effects of the crucifixion—but even the physical effects were the eternal spiritual prescriptions of God’s New Covenant redemption—and Jesus voluntarily, willingly, and sovereignly reigned over every detail and execution of them all. They ‘killed’ Jesus as the Scriptures repeatedly affirm—but they did NOT ‘take His life’ from Him. “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” [John 10.17-18]. Jesus voluntarily breathed His own last breath and yielded up His [own] spirit. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” [Luke 23.46]. “It is finished!” [John 19.30].

5 / vv 51-54 | Three more physical/spiritual phenomena occur:

[1] And, behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom [to show that we now have access to the Presence of God, our sins having been atoned and fully paid for—and put away forever!];

[2] And the earth shook, and the rocks were split;

[3] The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

All of these are physical evidences of the spiritual work that had been accomplished! Even the Roman [Gentile] centurion and the attending soldiers bore witness to the Divine act they had helped to perpetrate: “Truly this was the Son of God!” [see also Mark 15.39; Luke 23.47]  

VI | ch 27.55-66 | Jesus is buried—attesting to His real death—and preparations are made for His resurrection

This section bears witness to the reality of Jesus’ death—and prepares us for the astounding miracle of His resurrection:

  • the women disciples observe Jesus’ burial, marking the tomb [vv 55-56, 61; Luke 23.56];
  • Joseph of Arimathea comes to claim Jesus’ body, prepares it, and entombs Him in his own private sepulcher [vv 57-60; Mark 15.43; Luke 23.51-53; Isaiah 53.9];
  • the chief priests and Pharisees request and are granted a military guard to ‘secure’ and seal the tomb with watch guards [vv 62-65]…

“It’s Friday…but Sunday’s a-coming!”

SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES

I want to add here just a couple supplemental notes that will help explain and reinforce the significance of the lesson theme: “And when they had crucified Him”—The King reigns over His Kingdom from His Cross!

These are taken from Daniel M. Doriani, Matthew contributor in the ESV Expository Commentary …

On verse 37:

“Next, according to custom, the soldiers place the charge against Jesus over His head: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matt. 27:37). Perhaps Pilate means to sneer at the Jews; this certainly instills terror of Rome’s wrath, broadcasting that such torment is the fate of Caesar’s rivals. But Jesus is King of the Jews, and, ironically, He reigns from the cross. From the cross, He fulfills a king’s central duties, protecting His people and delivering them from harm. He atones for their guilt and vanquishes sin and its power. He defeats their prime adversaries, sin and death, all from the cross.”

And, in his ‘Response’ comments on this same section, Matthew 27.32-44, [with an inserted quote from D. A. Carson’s Matthew commentary]:

“The crucifixion, when joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection, reveals the centrality of the cross as the time and place at which Jesus atones for sin. From a biblical perspective, ‘the curse on Jesus at the cross fulfills all OT sacrifices; it is a curse that removes the curse from believers—the fusion of divine, royal prerogative and Suffering Servant, the heart of the gospel, the inauguration of a new humanity, the supreme model for Christian ethics, the ratification of the new covenant, and the power of God.’ The silence of Jesus on the cross also presents his moral excellence: his self-control, his endurance, his submission to the Father, his willingness to suffer for his flock.”

Matthew.L16.Matthew 27.%22And when they had crucified Him%22–The King reigns over His Kingdom from the CrossDownload
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“My time has come”–The King commits Himself to His Kingdom mission

Posted on May 16, 2026 by PastorDave

MATTHEW | Lesson 15 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Matthew, chapter 26

I | INTRODUCTION

1 / Jesus has completed His ‘disciple-making’ teaching ministry with the last of five major teaching discourses that Matthew records in chs 24-25. Just a literary note here: Matthew will add this same line at the end of all five of Jesus’ major discourses that you will read in ch 26.1: “When Jesus had finished all these sayings…” You will find this same transition statement at the ends of chs 5-7, 10, 13, 18, and here. Look for them…

2 / Now, Jesus is committing Himself to the mission He had come to complete. This is why He was born and why He came into our world. Yes, He had come to say all the words He has said, and He has come to do all the works He has done … but the most primary purpose for which He has come is to “save His people from their sins” by His substitutionary death and victorious resurrection. And so, as Jesus says here in ch 26.18, “My time is at hand.” That time has come—that time is NOW. This is the same my time that He so often called My hour in John’s Gospel.

3 / So now here in ch 26, Matthew is giving us the narration of those final events that will lead to His death on the cross and then His resurrection from that death here over the next and final three chapters of Matthew.    

II | CONNECTIONS & CONTEXT

1 / We need to remember and keep in mind that Matthew has already recorded three separate occasions when Jesus has pulled His disciples aside and specifically, explicitly told them beforehand that everything that is going to happen here…will happen. You should review those intense prophetic teaching encounters in chs 16.21; 17.22-23; 20.17-19. Every detail that Jesus foretold will be fulfilled here in these following narratives. Of course, we know that none of this is a surprise to Jesus because He has known it from before the world began [Revelation 13.8]. And, everything that will transpire here is also prophesied beforehand in the Old Testament. Repeatedly—just in this narrative—we are reminded either by Jesus’ own words or Matthew’s commentary that everything that happens is “as it is written…that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” We won’t have the time or space here to note each one—just look for them.

2 / ch 26 is a long chapter—75 verses—so, as always, we can’t give here anything more than an outline and brief summary of the sections of the narrative. But what we do want to do is to show how Matthew writes what he does to give us an account of the Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus has been teaching about from the beginning…and how that Gospel is the record “…that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, (and) that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… [1 Corinthians 15.3-7].

3 / If your Bible edition is broken up into paragraphs, you will find +/- ten distinct paragraphs of narrative. But for our purposes now, we will break down those paragraphs into four major ‘acts’—each of which will have other ‘scenes’ within the ‘act.’ But each ‘act’ will describe a distinct movement toward the ultimate end—the Cross and the resurrection.   

III | ch 26.1-16 | Judas transacts his treacherous betrayal

1 / These verses relate Jesus’ own advance word that He gave His disciples about what is about to transpire. Again, Jesus is trying to prepare His disciples for the ultimate shock and trauma of His crucifixion—but they are still not going to be prepared for it. He plainly tells them: “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” We have no way of knowing what they didn’t ‘get’ about all these explicit fore-warnings He’s been giving them. But they are still going to be caught off-guard. They have been observing the Passover since the days of the Exodus. They themselves had observed the Passover every year of their lives. Jesus, though, knows that, at this Passover, He Himself will be “The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” [John 1.29]. He will explain this when the meal comes.

2 / But Jesus also tells them that on this Passover, “the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” In other words, He will be ‘handed over’ by betrayal. Now, there were many ‘hands’ involved in His ‘handing over.’ Among them were the chief priests and elders of Jerusalem and Pilate. But the one who transacted the ‘handing over’ was none other than one of the Twelve—Judas Iscariot. And so, in this section, there is an ‘inclusio’ or ‘book-ends’ in vv 2 & 16. Matthew does this on purpose. The same word is used for delivered up in v 2 and betray in v 16. So Matthew ties this section together by the use of betray to show that Jesus was delivered up by the betrayal of Judas.

3 / Let’s worship God by His perfect purpose and plan. In vv 3-5, “the chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest…and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” Jesus had to go, and they were willing to conspire some kind of secret assassination after Passover to get it done. BUT, God had already determined that it would be during the Passover feast because Jesus Christ Himself was the Passover!

4 / This is where Judas enters the picture. In vv 14-16, Judas secretly meets with them and offers to deliver [betray] Him over to you. They can’t pass up this opportunity to enact their murderous plot.

5 / There is one more scene in this section that Matthew uses to ‘make his point.’ In vv 6-13, we find the narrative of Mary’s anointing the head of Jesus with the costly burial ointment. Jesus says “she has done it to prepare me for burial.” And so, in this section, Matthew is asking us: “What is your response to Jesus’ death” He has shown us the intent of the chief priests and elder to kill Jesus; he has shown us Judas’s treacherous act to betray Jesus over to them; and smack in the middle, he has shown us Mary’s act of love and gratitude to Jesus for His sacrifice of Himself for her.    

IV | ch 26.17-30 | The Passover Lamb offers His own body and blood  

1 / We are told in numerous other places in Scripture that “Jesus offered Himself…” He offered Himself to God as our spotless, sinless Substitute; and He will offer Himself to the arresting party later in the narrative; and He offers Himself to us as our loving Savior and Redeemer. He pictures this perfectly and memorably in the Passover supper He ate with His disciples—for whom He was dying.

2 / Jesus had already made the arrangements for where He would eat this last Passover with His disciples, as we see in vv 17-18. He told His disciples “Go into the city [Jerusalem] to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’” So they did. THIS is where we get the title of this lesson. THIS is the hour, the occasion, and the mission for which He had come…and to which He is committing Himself.

  • AND, just as surely as Jesus made all those specific arrangements for that supper, He has also made all the arrangements for the Final Supper He will share with us when the Kingdom comes in its fullness [see v 29]!

3 / When they recline at the table, though, for the traditional meal, Jesus unsettles them again with another disturbing announcement: “And as they were eating, He said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me!’” Of course, they were all shocked to their core [and no one suspected Judas]—and they all began to ask Jesus: “It isn’t me, Lord, is it?” Jesus only hints that “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me”… but, as the host of the meal, He has served them all with a portion of the broken bread dipped in the charoset sauce. But it was going to be one of them—His closely-knit band of twelve disciples.

4 / AND THEN…Jesus startles them again with another metaphor as He serves them after one of their ‘cups of blessing’ [there were several cups of wine they drank during the course of the meal]: as He continues with the course of the meal, He breaks and serves them bread and declares: “Take, eat; this is my body!” That is what Matthew records—Jesus said more as the other Gospel writers record: “This is my body which is broken for you…Take, and eat it! Do this in remembrance of me!”

  • Of course, we now know that He was initiating and instituting the Lord’s Supper which we still observe—“until He comes” [1 Corinthians 11.23-26]–to remember His broken body on the Cross—as our sinless, spotless, substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. He was the Passover!
  • Then…the cup: “And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom!” [see Revelation 19.6-8]
  • Here again, Jesus promises the fullness of the Father’s Kingdom of Heaven which He had come to inaugurate…and which will be revealed in that day, the Day of His Second Coming. We are eagerly awaiting and anticipating that Day—and we are sure it will come because He has promised…and “the Word of God cannot be broken”!

5 / The meal concludes, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” [v 30]. Action by action, movement by movement, Jesus commits Himself to fulfill, accomplish, and ‘finish’ His Kingdom mission…  

V | ch 26.31-46 | The ‘Second Adam’ conquers His Garden temptation and surrenders to ‘the cup’ in His agonies of prayer

1 / There are yet more agonies yet to be experienced before the actual physical and spiritual pains of the Cross … and so they proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane. NOTE: in the plan of God, a ‘garden’ is the site and venue of both the need of our redemption and the provision of the redemption. Adam failed his temptation in the Garden of Eden and plunged our whole race into sin. Jesus comes as the Second Adam to be tempted—whether He will follow through with His commitment to His redemptive mission—also in a Garden. Both our fall into our sin and our redemption from our sin—both transpired in a garden.

2 / As the now-Eleven disciples enter Gethsemane, Jesus leaves eight of the disciples near the entrance, telling them “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”  He summons Peter, James, and John to go with Him further in. And then He leaves them with specific and urgent instructions.

  • We can’t even begin to plumb the depths or relate to what was going on in His soul; but His urgent plea expresses the agony, the conflict, the temptation that was already wrenching Him to the core of His God-Man being: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with me.” He just wants them to share in the depths and griefs of His agony. He goes yet “a little farther.” This was about a stone’s throw further [Luke 22.41].

3 / There are actually three times Jesus goes to His solitary place of agonizing prayer. The different Gospel writers reveal that “He knelt and prayed,” and Matthew here describes the utter agony of His travail: “…He fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Luke 22.43-44 describes the extremities of His agonies…

  • This was real agony—real temptation. The temptation was whether He would commit Himself to drink the ‘cup’ that was required to be God’s all-sufficient Passover sacrificial Lamb for the forgiveness of our sins!
  • The emblem of the ‘cup’ as it is revealed in all the Scripture is the ‘cup’ of God’s wrath and judgment against sins. Even the first Passover lamb that was slain in Egypt for their salvation was NOT ONLY for their salvation from slavery and bondage … BUT it was also the bearer of God’s judgment wrath against the sins of their captors.
  • Jesus, as a real man, dreads the physical pains, agonies, and torturous death of crucifixion—BUT MORE, He dreads the agonies of God’s wrath against the sins that He would bear as our Substitute. He bore, NOT ONLY the blame for our sins as our atonement and Redeemer, but He so identified with our sin, “For our sake, [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin…” [2 Corinthians 5.21]. Having been made to be our sin, God must punish Him as if He were the sinner.
  • That meant He would have to endure the Holy wrath and judgment of God that we would have suffered if we had endured it on ourselves. And that means: separation from the face and pleasure of God for the season required to exhaust that punishment. He will express the agonies of this ‘cup’ when He screams from the Cross during the three hours of darkness: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?”
  • No one of us pretends to understand how all this transpired between the Father and the Son. And we can’t adequately explain how this relationship was transacted in these experiences—we just know that Jesus struggles with its prospects. But, He commits Himself to the fulfillment of His God-sent mission when He surrenders to the Father’s will—which was also His own will as the Surety of the New Covenant.     

4 / Every time Jesus returns to His disciples, He finds them dozing and falling asleep as they wait for Him. They can’t even stay awake and watch with Him as He struggles and agonizes for their salvation. He had already forewarned them all [and Peter, in particular] that they would abandon Him in His direst time of need [vv 31-35]. And especially Peter, in his typical fashion, had pledged to Jesus that he would never desert or abandon Jesus, even if it meant defending Him to his own death. Jesus warns Peter that he will deny Him—even repeatedly, three times! We will see how this plays out, true to Jesus’ warnings…

  • We, too, must receive this same advance preparations for our own temptations! “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak!” [v 41].

VI | ch 26.47-75 | The religious authorities arrest, charge, indict, and sentence Jesus to death

1 / So now, we come to this rather lengthy conclusion of our ch 26 lesson passage. I will make some brief comments about the three ‘scenes’ in this ‘act.’ The ‘act’ includes all the movements from the Garden of Gethsemane through the mock ‘hearings/trials’ before the religious authorities. These scenes will fulfill and put into motion the predictions Jesus made to His disciples in v 2: “…the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” [See I | INTRODUCTION (1/) of these notes…].

2 / I want us to take note of at least these important observations concerning Jesus’ sovereignty in all that is occurring: [1] Jesus knows all that will happen to Him, long before it happens…not just in the moments prior; [2] All of these events have been decreed and predestinated from before the creation of the world in the eternal purposes of God [Acts 2.23]; [3] Every movement has been prophesied, typified, and foreshadowed in the OT Scriptures [see v 31, 56; et. al.]; [4] Also—and keep this in the forefront of your mind as you read on—Jesus Himself is in charge/control of everything that is happening to Him. He rules over all His experiences as LORD and The Son of Man [Daniel 7.13-14]. He willingly submits to the Father’s will, and all these events are exercises of His sovereign rule and jurisdiction as The King of the Kingdom of Heaven!

  • vv 47-56 | Judas arrives with the armed officers of the ‘Temple police’ to arrest Jesus and take Him into their custody. Judas identifies Jesus, his Rabbi, with a kiss. Jesus surrenders. Peter attempts to ‘rescue’ Jesus with his short sword—cuts off Malchus’s ear—Jesus heals it back. “Then all the disciples left Him and fled” as Jesus had told them they would [see v 31].
  • vv 57-68 | Jesus appears before the high priest, Caiaphas. They must elicit some ‘violation’ according to their ‘law’ to justify their killing Him—even suborning false witnesses. Jesus acknowledges that He is “the Christ, the Son of God” and that they will see Him again in His sovereign Lordship and judgment. They condemn Him to death [vv 65-66].
  • vv 69-75 | Peter follows Jesus—sneaking and slinking, trying to remain anonymous and incognito—into Caiaphas’s palace courtyard. And over a series of temptations to deny that He knows Christ, he fails and does deny…just as Jesus had forewarned him he would [see vv 30-35]. His remembrance of Jesus’ words breaks his heart: “And he went out and wept bitterly.”

“…if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself!” [2 Timothy 3.13]

Matthew.L15.Matthew 26.%22My time has come%22–The King commits Himself to His Kingdom missionDownload
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