November 5th, 2023

If last Sunday was “Reformation Day (Observed)” in a congregation, in all likelihood this Sunday will be “All Saints’ Day (Observed)” as well. The traditional text for that festival is Matthew 5:1-12. In the rare case that the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost will be celebrated, that Gospel reading will be from Matthew 23:1-12.

In the rare case that you have been not been following with the writings of this website, it should be stated that we are continuing with the Gospel according to Matthew in the very order that it was laid out, from beginning to end. And in the same way that the church year is coming to an end, we are almost at the end of this first gospel account.

This part of this gospel account will focus on the crucifixion of Christ. And since this event appears in all four gospel accounts, along with some detail, it may be helpful to point out a couple significant points that are unique to this gospel account. This will be done at the end of the text.

What follows is this writer’s attempt at a somewhat-literal translation of the account of the crucifixion of Jesus, Matthew 27:33-54.

And having come into a place called Golgotha, which it is of a skull, a place, called; they gave him to drink wine, with gall having been mixed, and having tasted, not he wanted to drink. Now having crucified him, they divided the garments of him, throwing a portion and sitting, they were keeping him there. And they placed on, over the head of him, the charge of him, having been written: “This one is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then they are crucified with him, two robbers, one from right and one from left.

Now the ones going by, they were blaspheming him, moving the heads of them and saying, “The one destroying the temple and in three days building, save yourself, if Son you are, of the God, and come down from the cross.”

Likewise, also the arch-priests, mocking with the scribes and elders, they were saying, “Others he saved, himself not he is able to save; King of Israel he is, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe upon him. He has trusted upon the God, let him rescue now, if he wants him, for he said that ‘Of God I am, Son.’” Now the same also, the robbers, the ones crucified along with him, they were reproaching him.

Now from sixth hour, darkness happened upon all the land until hour, ninth. Now about the ninth hour, he cried out, the Jesus, in a voice, mega, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani;” this is: “God of me, God of me, why me did you forsake?”

Now some of the ones there, standing, having heard, they were saying that, “Elias he is calling, this one.” And immediately, having run, one of them and having taken a sponge, having filled both with vinegar, and having put around a reed, he tried to give to drink, him. Now the rest were saying, “Release, let us see if he comes, Elias, saving him.”  

Now the Jesus, again, having cried out in a voice, mega, he released the spirit.

And behold, the veil of the temple was split, from above until below, into two, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the having fallen asleep saints were raised. And having come out from the tombs, after the rising of him, they entered into the holy city, and they appeared to many.

Now the centurion and the ones with him, keeping the Jesus, having seen the shaking and the things having happened, they feared exceedingly, saying, “Truly, of God, Son, was this one.”

There is only one section where the words are in bold print. If you have been reading the other previous writings, you probably know that this is the sign of the historical present, where the past tense verb is expected but a present tense verb is given. Interestingly enough, the historical present focuses on the robbers and not Jesus.

Ultimately the focus is on a person though. There is the person of Jesus, and then there are the two persons, the two robbers.

This may connect with what is one of the most unusual things from the perspective of this account. In no other account is there a record of having other saints rise from the dead. (This is the second-last paragraph in the text above.) And saints are also persons. And Jesus is a person.
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In the Gospel according to Matthew the emphasis is that others are crucified. And others also rise from the dead. Could this be a lesson for the one who is aware of the other accounts?  What is probably most important is that these four accounts are not seen as competing against each other, but they each give a different perspective of this totally wonderful thing. And it is not at all inappropriate for the Gospel according to Matthew to emphasize the person—and ultimately you.