Hi everyone. Welcome back to the logical
Bible study podcast. Thank you, again, for tuning in.
I know there's lots of different podcasts and media Outlets out
there at the moment, doing Catholic things.
But this podcast is a bit unique because we really dive into the
literal sense of the text of the Bible.
What is going on in each phrase? What was the author?
Trying to communicate to Their audience?
So that's what sets this podcast apart is.
We're really looking at a proper exegesis of individual.
All texts. And then we make connections to
the Catholic faith by looking at what the catechism has to say
about those particular texts. So today, if you go to mass, you
would hear from Matthew 28:1 to 10.
Although, technically today, there is no mass for Holy
Saturday. There's no Mass during the day.
There is one at night time. So there is a vigil mass, and
we're going to look at the gospel.
Text for that one. Matthew 28 1 to 10.
After the Sabbath and towards Dawn on the first day of the
week, Mary of magdala and the other Mary went to visit the
Sepulchre and all at once, there was a violent earthquake for the
angel of the Lord descending from Heaven came, and rolled
away the stone and sat on it. His face was like lightning his
robe white as snow. The guards were so shaken.
So, frightened of him that they were like dead men.
But the angel spoke and he said to the women, there is no need
for you to be afraid. I know you are looking for
Jesus, who was crucified? He is not here for.
He has risen as he said he would.
Come and see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell
his disciples. He has risen from the dead.
And now he was going before you to Galilee it is there, you will
see him? Now, I have told you Filled with
or and great joy. The women came quickly away from
the tomb and ran to tell the disciples And they're coming to
meet them was Jesus. Greetings, he said, and the
women came up to him and falling down before him clasped his
feet. Then Jesus said to them do not
be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that
they must leave for Galilee. They will see me there.
So that's our passage for today for Holy Saturday.
And because it's year a we read the resurrection account from
the gospel of Matthew. So what's the context?
Jesus has died on Good Friday and he's been buried and guards
have been placed in front of the Tomb.
So that's the last thing that happened.
So a right up to the end of the Gospel here, verse 1, after the
Sabbath. So we know that this took place
after Saturday and in fact towards Dawn on the first day of
the week and in that culture, the first day of the week is
Sunday. So we're looking at dawn on
Sunday of Holy Week and if we have our dates, correct, that
would make it a or fifth 33 ad very early in the morning.
So some women come to the tomb. We have Mary of magdala, which
is one of Jesus closest, female companions.
And then there's another woman here listed as the other Mary.
Now, it gets a bit confusing because Mary was an incredibly
common name for women in that day, and there's quite a few
Mary's in the gospel. So it can be hard to keep track
of which mirror is being spoken about when we compare this
passage with Other gospel passages the talked about the
same event. It appears that this one that
Matthew calls the other Mary is Mary, the wife of clopas make
the mother of James and Joseph. So that's apparently an auntie
or something, similar of Jesus. So, this is Mary, the wife of
clopas So these two women were Mary of magdala and the other
Mary. They had been at the cross when
Jesus died and they watched him being placed in the Tomb.
So they've been with him for the last few days.
We also know from the other gospels that there's some other
women in this group too. So we have salomi who is the
mother of James and John and also Joanna and also possibly
some other women as well. They're all there and they go to
visit the Sepulchre. So they're going to the tomb to
anoint, the body with spices out, Matthews text doesn't say
that's what they're there for. But marks text in Mark, 16:1
says that they went to the tomb to anoint, the body.
And the reason they're doing that is because you wouldn't
normally do that straight after the bodies placed in the Tomb,
and that's what Joseph of Arimathea had started to do on
Good Friday, but they ran at a time because the Sabbath was
coming. So they didn't get to finish.
So the women are coming to finish the anointing job, but
verse 2 all at once, there was a violent earthquake and there was
also an earthquake at the time of Jesus death, as well for the
angel of the Lord descending from heaven.
Now, this is quite amazing. Apparently, the women are seeing
this angel Lord coming down from heaven and he came and rolled
away the stone. Now, that's not an easy task
because these stones are very, very heavy and then the angel
sat on it, and that's kind of like a triumphal pose.
He sat on the stone that has rolled away showing that he's
been Victorious over the stone now, according to the Gospel of
John, if you compare this, with the Gospel of John, apparently
this point. Mary Magdalene sees the tomb is
empty and she runs to tell Peter and John.
So she leaves At this time to go and tell Peter and John.
And on the way she actually runs into Jesus at some point in this
Story. 2 verse 3, the angels face was like, lightning his
robe white as snow. So his whole appearance was
incredibly white and that's how angels are often depicted in the
Bible, you'll often in particular in the Book of
Daniel, angels are depicted as pure white, and it's similar to
how Jesus is depicted at the Transfiguration.
So the fact that these, we have these details that his face and
his body is white indicates that Matthew got this information
from eyewitnesses. So from the women themselves is
probably where he found this out.
Verse 4. The guards were so shaken.
So frightened of him that they were like dead men.
So the guards, the Roman guards, see the angel, and they freaked
out and apparently, they pass out from Fear now, that's pretty
significant because Roman guards were tough, and they were very
well trained. But this site was so scary to
them that they just look like they're dead and because they're
probably passed out at seems that they don't hear the
following conversation between the women and the angels.
So the angel says, Is to the women.
Do not be afraid which makes sense often in the Bible, when
Angels appear, God's people. Whoever the Angels appearing to
will freak out, and the angel has to tell them do not be
afraid. I know why you are looking for
Jesus. Who was crucified, he is not
here for. He has risen as he said he
would. So that's what the angel says,
to the women. He pronounces the good news.
Jesus is risen. In fact, he's the first person
to Proclaim that in the gospels, the angel He says come and see
the place where he lay. So he invites the women into the
tomb to see for themselves that he's no longer there, come and
see. Verse 7.
He says then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen
from the dead. So the angel wants the women to
confirm, to go into the tomb and confirm for themselves.
The Jesus is not there and then he wants him to go back and tell
the apostles. The leaders of the Christian
Community of the Apostles, they need to know that Jesus has
risen So the women here are called to be Apostles to the
apostles, really, they have to spread the good news to the
apostles. The angel says, now, he is going
to Galilee before you, it is there that you will see him.
So, the Angels, want the women to tell the disciples, to get
ready to go the Galilee cuz that's where they're going to
see most of Jesus appearances. Why does Jesus go to Galilee in
the coming weeks? So he has about 40 days of
ministry before he goes back to Heaven.
Why does he spend most of it in Galilee?
Well, that's the place where he did most of his ministry before
his death. And he's probably wants to go
back there because it's a bit quieter.
Jerusalem is too crowded. It's too public and Jesus
deliberately only appears to certain people after his
resurrection. And he decides the Galilee is
the best place to do that. So that's the message they're
tasked with, giving the women with giving the apostles verse
8, filled with or and great joy. The women came quickly away from
the tomb and ran to The disciples.
Now the word here for or is probably better translated as
fear at first, they're quite afraid of what's going on and in
fact Mark's gospel reports that initially the women were too
afraid to speak to the apostles and they don't go to the
apostles straight away but later they change their minds, that's
how Mark has it. So perhaps along the way on the
road back to Jerusalem, they change their minds.
Now the next scene we have is the women running, they meet
Jesus. This and this it's not clear
when this happens, it could be that it's right now on their way
to speak to the disciples other Scholars.
Think that when we compare the gospels what happens now is that
women go straight to the disciples and then later, the
angel appears a story later in the morning.
Jesus appears the women. I think it's more likely that
this does happen straight away on the way to seeing the
disciples. Verse 9 and they're coming to
meet them was Jesus. Now, what an amazing sight that
must have been they know his resurrected, but now they see
him for themselves, and he says, to them Greetings or hail.
So he's giving them a friendly. Greeting.
He wants to know that he comes in peace and he probably knows
how shocking it must be for the women.
So he gives them this gentle greeting.
The women came up to him and falling down before him clasped
his feet. So other translations make it
clear. Here, that the women are
worshipping. Mary, they fall at his feet in
worship. So the women, recognize that
Jesus has the power of God, and that's why they worship him.
So maybe they even recognize that he is God himself, and
that's why they're worshiping. By touching him physically.
Remember they clasping his feet here that helps them confirm for
themselves. That this is the real Flesh and
Blood Jesus. They're Overjoyed to see him and
they grabbed him and they worship him.
Now, in verse 10, Jesus is going to use the phrase, my brother's
to refer to the disciples. Which is interesting that
implies that he has forgiven his Apostles even though they just
abandon him in his hour of need. So that's quite a gentle
welcoming turn my brothers, some Scholars also, Think in this
next phrase that Jesus speaks there might be a reference to
Psalm 22, some 22 was the some that Jesus quoted a lot while he
was on the cross. My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me? And towards the end of that
psalm The psalmist is Vindicated and he has faith that God will
heal him. And in fact, in Psalm 22 verse
22, it says, I will tell of your name to my brothers and then God
comes to save the psalmist. And so some Scholars think that
by Jesus calling his Apostles, my brother's, he's quoting Psalm
22 here to complete. The psalm 22 that he's been
quoting since he was crucified. So this is the full quote that
he says to the women do not be afraid.
Go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee.
They will see me there. So, they do pass on the message
to the apostles. They tell them that what Jesus
and the angel have said, go to Galilee and the conversation
when the women speak to the disciples, that's not recorded
in Matthew. But if you go to Luke chapter 24
verses 9 to 11, it's specifically records.
This conversation, where the women tell the apostles, we have
seen, the Angel. And the angel has told us to
grow that you need to go to Galilee.
And if you read, Luke 24, the disciples.
Don't immediately believe the women.
They don't believe their story. Although later that day, Jesus
does appear to the apostles when Thomas isn't present.
So, a whole lot happens in this one day and there's various ways
of ordering the things chronologically and putting the
gospels together. It's not easy because the, the
gospels record different events from that day.
So, what happens from here, while the disciples, they see
Jesus later that day without Thomas, and then they wait for
another week in Jerusalem. They stay one more week.
The following Sunday when Thomas is present, Jesus appears to
them again, and that's when Thomas gets to put his fingers
into Jesus wounds after they've waited that extra week in
Jerusalem, they then go back to Galilee, which is a 60-mile
journey. So that's how passage for today.
Quite a joyful passage where Jesus reappears after his death.
Where does this show up in the catechism?
How does the Catholic Church develop its teachings?
Based on what we have here in Matthew 28?
So in paragraph five hundred, there's a discussion about who
the other Mary is and in fact that paragraph clearly says that
Matthew 28 is evidence that James and Joseph are not Mary
the mother of Jesus as children, they are, in fact, the children
of the other Mary and that makes sense.
So there's kind of an apologetic argument there in paragraph five
hundred which relies on Matthew 28.
And then in paragraph 2 174, it's in the discussion about the
day. Day of the Resurrection is the
day of the new creation. It says, Jesus rose from the
dead on the first day of the week because it is the first day
the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation
because it is the Eighth Day following the Sabbath.
It's symbolizes the new creation, I should him by
Christ's Resurrection for Christians.
It has become the first of all day.
The first of all feasts, the Lord's Day.
Sunday, We Gather on the day of the Sun for it, is the day after
the Jewish sabbath. But also the first day when God
is, separating matter from Darkness made the world and on
this same day, Jesus Christ. Our Savior rose from the dead.
So there's a nice link there to Matthew 28, where it talks about
the first day of the week and the catechism develops that is
meaning that's also the eighth day of the week paragraph 641.
There's a discussion about the empty tomb, it says Mary
Magdalene and the holy women who came to finish, anointing.
The body of Jesus, which had been buried in haste because the
Sabbath began on the evening of Good Friday, were the first to
encounter the Risen one. Thus the women were the first
messengers of Christ's Resurrection.
Directions for the apostles themselves.
And that all comes from Matthew 28 and then the paragraph goes
on to talk about things that happen in the other gospels.
Paragraph, 6, 5 4 is about the meaning of the Resurrection.
It says justification consists in both victory, over the death
caused by sin and a new participation in Grace.
It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ's
Brethren as Jesus himself called his disciples after his
resurrection. Go and tell my brethren.
We are Brethren not by nature but by the gift of Grace because
that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the
only son who was fully revealed in his resurrection.
So, we'll put all those catechism references in the show
notes. Thanks for listening.
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Thank you and please tune in again tomorrow for Easter
Sunday.