Reading the Gospels Together

The Death and Burial of Jesus – Part 3

As we turn to Matthew’s gospel we discover that Matthew has followed Mark very closely in telling about the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Matthew has dropped out Mark’s reference to Rufus and Alexander (perhaps because they were unknown in Matthew’s community) and he has added the taunt of the bystanders that Jesus had trusted God so let God deliver him since he claimed to be the Son of God. Other than that his story mirrors Mark’s. Matthew follows Mark’s timeframe perfectly and at three o’clock Jesus cries out his painful lament – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” and dies.

At this point Matthew makes a peculiar and very confusing addition to Mark’s story. Matthew tells his readers that not only is the curtain of the Temple torn in two from top to bottom but, in what sounds much like an earthquake, the earth shook and the rocks split and the tombs of many of the saints were opened and their bodies were raised. After the resurrection, three days later, these saints entered the city of Jerusalem and appeared to many. Matthew leaves what happened to them after that dangling. Did they return to their tombs? Did they continue to move about the city? Did they die again? Matthew’s story is strange indeed. Only Matthew tells us this part of the story and the story likely leaves us scratching our heads searching for meaning and understanding. After this rather bazaar story Matthew returns and picks up Mark’s story regarding the centurion’s observation that this crucified one was the Son of God.

Like Mark, Matthew mentions the women who stood at a distance watching. They are Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph (the name change from Joses to Joseph matches the same name change Matthew makes when speaking of these two brothers in his version of the Nazareth story) leaving, once again, the plausibility that readers are to think of the mother of Jesus in connection with this Mary, the mother of James and Joseph. Matthew does not mention a woman named Salome but rather tells his readers that the mother of the sons of Zebedee was the third woman. Are we to surmise that Salome was the name of the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee? This mother of James and John had shown up previously in Matthew’s gospel as the one who asked Jesus, on behalf of her sons, if they could have the places of honor at the left and right hand of Jesus in his glory. She is unnamed there too.

Like Mark, Matthew tells his readers that Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea, asks Pilate for the body of Jesus. Matthew does not mention that Joseph is a member of the council but rather identifies him as a disciple of Jesus thus leaving none of the ambiguity that Mark had left with his readers. Matthew mentions nothing of Pilate’s surprise that Jesus is already dead or of Joseph’s boldness in asking for the body. Matthew also changes Mark’s story by telling his readers that Joseph laid the body of Jesus, wrapped in a linen cloth, in his own new tomb and rolled a “great” stone against the door. Though Matthew does not make this specific, something he usually does, perhaps Matthew is thinking of the scripture which spoke of one who was “buried with the rich.” With the tomb securely shut with the great rock Matthew tells his readers that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary keep watch sitting opposite the tomb.

At this point in his story Matthew makes an important addition to Mark’s account. Matthew tells his readers that the religious leaders are worried about the claim of Jesus that he would rise after three days and go to Pilate to ask Pilate to make the tomb secure and place a guard until after the third day has passed. They want to be sure that the disciples of Jesus do not come and steal his body and then claim that he has been raised from the dead. Once again risking ritual purity they would have had to go to Pilate on a holy day. Pilate does not comply with their wishes and tells them to use their own guards which they then do. Only Matthew tells us about the guards at the tomb. This story will become important for Matthew following the resurrection and we will visit it again at that time.

All in all, Matthew has not changed Mark’s story very much. He has followed his source faithfully making only those changes that will be helpful to him later in his story of the resurrection.