Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19970518.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part XII: The Postponement Of Messiah's Kingdom
C. The Passion Of The King
6. Leaving The Blossoming Of A Weak Believer's Faith For God To Produce
(Matthew 27:57-60)
  1. Introduction
    1. When we see people come to faith in Christ, but seem not to grow much in that faith, we can become anxious and try to "prime the pump" or pressure them to get with it.
    2. This temptation, however, is to be resisted as we are to be patient with all men to obey 2 Timothy 4:2 in view of the program of God. As evidence, we examine in detail God's ministry of developing weak believers in the burial events following Christ's crucifixion.
  2. Leaving The Blossoming Of A Weak Believer's Faith For God To Produce, Matthew 27:57-60.
    1. Two men of high and socially noble rank in Israel were secret believers in Christ who failed to follow Him publicly due to the cost it would mean on their positions and income:
      1. Joseph of Arimathaea was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin who secretly believed in Christ as he feared reprisals from the Jews that could have cost him his wealth and position, John 19:38a; Lk. 23:51.
      2. Nicodemus was also a secret believer since he, also a member of the Sanhedrin would have lost his rank and possibly income for following Him publicly, John 19:39a; Jn. 3:1-3:
        1. Long before the crucifixion, Nicodemus had secretly met with Jesus by night had then admitted that he knew Jesus was from God by way of His authenticating miracles, John 3:1-2.
        2. Jesus then sought to instruct Nicodemus to believe on Him to receive eternal life, John 3:3-4, 5-16.
        3. Later, following Christ's death, he joined Joseph of Arimathaea in contributing his resources to bury Christ's body, indicating that he, too had become a believer in Christ.
    2. When Jesus died, these two men, appalled at what had happened, put their rank and welfare all on the line publicly to request for Jesus' body for burial:
      1. When criminals were crucified, their bodies were normally discarded, and that either to a lowly grave or an ignoble one as further humiliation for the deceased criminal, B.K.C., N.T., p. 91.
      2. However, Joseph of Arimathaea who had been a secret believer did not consent with the Sanhedrin as a member of that body to condemn Jesus, Luke 23:51. He thus publicly sought the body of Jesus from Pilate, making his faith a potentially costly one to his rank and financial welfare, Mtt. 27:57-58, cf. Ibid.
      3. He was joined by another member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus, who in helping Joseph bury Jesus publicly made known his faith to his own potential persecution, cf. John 19:39.
      4. When Pilate gave approval, these men, possibly along with their servants, risked ceremonial defilement before the Sanhedrin amidst all the other possible mistreatments, and buried Jesus, Mtt. 27:59-60.
    3. To understand what caused these men to come out in a bold stroke of faith and no longer be weak, secret believers, we find from Isaiah 53:9 that God was involved in a discipling maneuver with these men:
      1. Isaiah 53:9 predicts Messiah would be buried in honor with the rich under God's leading as He was righteous; this would contrast how man had treated up to His death, Young, Isaiah, v. III, p. 352-353:
        1. The NIV reads that Messiah is buried with the wicked rich "though" He was righteous, Is. 53:9.
        2. However, since criminals were buried in ignoble ways unlike the rich, Messiah's death is honorable in contrast to His death experience, and the verse should be translated "And one might have wanted to appoint with the wicked His grave, but with the rich He was in His death; since He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth." (Ibid.; Alexander, Isaiah, p. 301-303)
      2. Thus, though the twelve disciples had all fled, leaving Jesus to the authorities to crucify, it was God who moved the hearts of these secret believers to risk rank and income to bury Jesus! (Ibid., Young)
Lesson: God caused previously secret believers with much to lose by going public to go public with their faith just when it was the hardest time to go public for a believer -- at the death of Christ!

Application: We need to let the maturation of weak believers lie in the lap of Almighty God! He is the One Who takes charge of bringing the weak along in marvelous steps of growth!