BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Betrayed by Judas and handed over to the authorities, Jesus meets with Judea’s Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. After minimal dialogue, Jesus stands silent before Pilate, refusing to respond to any accusations (Matt. 27:14). Isaiah 53:7 describes the suffering servant not as a shrewd warrior but as a silent one, led like a lamb to slaughter.

This moment might be the loudest silence in the whole Bible. Without saying a word, it’s like Jesus is saying humanity has become entirely lost and blind. Giving more reasons and more time for dialogue won’t help. Instead, Jesus is going to give himself so that the world can witness true love.

As Jesus hangs on the cross, midday darkness sweeps over the land. He yells, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He quotes the first line of Psalm 22, a psalm of lament that expresses not a genuine disconnect from God but the human experience of feeling disconnected. It ends with an expression of total trust in God.

Then, an innocent Jesus dies for the world. The world responds with dramatic cosmic signs—the strange darkness lifts, the earth quakes, the temple’s veil tears in two, and people start rising from their graves all around Jerusalem.

Though the 12 male disciples have fled in fear, Jesus’ female disciples show courage and remain near. They travel to the tomb, keeping vigil that night. On the third day, these women become the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection.

Watch today’s video to learn about the vital role witnesses play in the Kingdom of God. What they see and describe to others becomes an eyewitness account that changes the entire world.

Matthew’s gospel closes with Jesus and the disciples on a mountain, a place where Heaven meets Earth. Jesus tells them to bear witness and to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a statement suggesting God as Trinity that looks back to Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3) and forms a bookend to the whole story. Living in Jesus’ way will be living in God’s Heaven-and-Earth Kingdom, truly experiencing the divine life of Father, Son, and Spirit.

With his closing words, Jesus tells his disciples that he is always with them, recalling his name given in the very first chapter of Matthew—Immanuel, which means “God with us.”

Reflection Questions

• Notice the roles played by women in our reading yesterday and today: Women anoint Jesus, recognize Peter, testify to Jesus’ innocence, witness his death, and proclaim his resurrection. Where else does this gospel highlight the presence of women? How might this reveal the upside-down kingdom values of Jesus?
• Jesus tells his followers to make disciples of all nations. How does this fulfill the promises God made throughout the Hebrew Bible?