The Plan of God for Real People

The nature of faith is that it’s hard to see. defines faith as ‘the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.’ And, that’s tricky, isn’t it? It’s tricky when you’re told to believe God, trust God, and obey God when you can’t see God. In fact, there are many times in our lives in which it’s difficult to discern where God is, what He’s doing, and what He’d have you to do. When you’re throwing up because of chemo or when you hear of another child that has lost their lives, God isn’t easy to see and his plan isn’t easy to trust.

The providence of God is best appreciated in retrospect. The nature of faith is hard to see in the here and now, but the glory of providence is that looking back, examining what’s been behind, God’s presence is apparent. When you’re sick and when your ambitions are slashed beyond repair, you feel alone, but how many times four or five years down the road have you looked back at the hardest seasons of your life and seen them as the greatest evidence of God’s faithfulness and providence. What appears as defeat in the moment turns out to be victory for the long haul. This morning, this is what we’ll see. The cross appears to be defeat; it appears to prove the absence of God. But, looking back, we’re going to see how it verifies God’s providence and leads to God’s glory.

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The Plan of God Affects People

Sometimes, it’s easy for us to talk about the plan of God as though it were out there somewhere. We talk about missions as though it’s a fairy tale, or we talk about suffering as though those suffering are faceless and imaginary. But, the providence of God is a real plan that affects real people. There are real children being born without the hope of the gospel, and there are real moms and teenagers and lonely men in despair in our own community. The plan of God is not out there somewhere. It’s coming to bear in my life, your life, in our community, and in communities just like this one around the world. And so was the case on that original Good Friday all those years ago. It’s easy for us to think of Jesus’ crucifixion and death theologically in such a way that focuses only upon is salvation for me and miss the emotion, the pain, the distress, and the consequences it had on real people all those years ago and thus every generation that has followed. This morning, I want us to look at how God’s plan works through all people (headline) for the church’s good and for his glory.

The Plan of God Uses the “Weak” for the Wonderful.

v. 55 “There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him...” First, we’ll see that the plan of God uses the “weak” for the wonderful. There’s a bit of a strange occurrence that keeps coming up here in Matthew. You’ll notice in verses 55-56, then again in verse 61, that Matthew mentions a group of ladies that are remaining with Jesus. In fact, in chapter 28, Matthew’s going to make sure that we know that it’s these ladies that are first to the tomb and first to realize that Jesus has been resurrected. He’s trying to tell us something here.

In the ancient near east, women were viewed as vessels of weakness. They walked behind their husbands in public, were concealed in the presence of guests, and were not to speak publicly to a man that wasn’t their husband. Women did not have opportunities for formal education or to own land. In court, a woman was not considered a worthy or credible witness. Rabbis didn’t accept women as disciples. Their role was considered vitally important as a childbearer and a homemaker, but it is clear, nonetheless, that they were considered to be, as Peter puts it, ‘the weaker vessel.’

The Weak Shame the Strong

And, think of the picture that Matthew is painting for us here. Peter, the bold and brazen leader, has denied Jesus in the presence of a servant girl. He’s gone. Matthew, the very author of this gospel account, wishing he could write this part of the story far different than he actually had to, is in the wind, running for his life. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, the very men that had asked Jesus for seats of greatness are nowhere here to be found. But, their mother was there. In fact, ‘there were also many women there.’ The only way that Matthew can even tell this part of the story, and I think this is a significant reason why he keeps bringing it up, is for these women to give him the account. These women had to tell him what had happened while Matthew was on the lamb. Paul says that ‘God chose what is weak to shame the strong.’ And, perhaps, there is no greater picture in all of the Bible than right here. The very men that God was going to use to build up his church had to depend upon the testimony of their mothers. Peter believed that he was strong enough to fight for Jesus to the death, but while he is running away from little girls and their questions, these women are there with Jesus, ministering to Jesus, being who Peter believed that he was.

v. 61 “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.” And, remember how I said that women weren’t viewed as credible, worthy witnesses. If your cases was built upon the testimony of a woman, your case was apparently doomed. Yea, God totally ignores that here. One of the thoughts that has come into the minds of people, and maybe it would come into your mind too, is that perhaps on that first easter Sunday they went to the wrong tomb. The ladies went to care for Jesus’ body, but they went to the wrong place. And, Peter and John, not knowing any better, just followed them to the wrong tomb. Or, maybe you would think that Pilate or the Jews took Jesus’ body down from the cross and never took it to the tomb. They just told them it was there, and the disciples were tricked into believing that Jesus rose. First of all, Pilate and the Jews stood only to lose from the disappearance of Jesus’ body. They certainly wouldn’t fake it. But, to Matthew’s point, these ladies never left. They are with Jesus at every point. They are there when He is crucified. They are there when He cries out. They are there when He dies. And, they are there when He was buried. In the providence of God, He provided the witnesses the world wouldn’t accept to validate that He had really put his Son to death and that his Son was really buried in the earth, and He would use those very first ladies, those who had been with Jesus throughout, to have the first honor of realizing that Jesus had been raised.

Weakness Qualifies, not Disqualifies

APPLICATION: These ladies didn’t go to the cross intending to be used by God. They went to the cross because they loved Jesus. They cared for him. They wanted to be near him in his most desperate moment. They wanted to minister to him. But, all along, behind the curtain of pain, the providence of God was at work through them. If you’d have asked them that day if they’d be willing to serve as the star witnesses in Jesus’ case, they’d have told you that they were too weak. But, the glory of God’s plan, the beauty of God’s design is that the plan of God uses the weak for the wonderful. I hope that you’re too weak. I hope that you consider yourself too weak to do what God has called you to do. I hope that you’re too weak for the calling that God has placed on your life, too weak for what He’s leading your family to do, too weak to go where He’s sending you, too weak to have the kind of marriage He’s calling you to. Weakness “qualifies” you for “service” in the Kingdom of God. It doesn’t disqualify you. You can be too strong in your own eyes, but you’ll never be too weak for the hand of God. He uses the weak to shame the strong. He uses the weak to accomplish the wonderful.

The Plan of God Uses the “Willing” for the Wonderful.

v. 57 “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.” Not only does God use the weak, but the plan of God uses the “willing” for the wonderful. In verse 57, we’re introduced to an extraordinary man that we find nowhere else in Scripture, Joseph of Arimathea. We learn by reading all of the Gospel accounts that Joseph was a member of the council, likely the Sanhedrin, wealthy, prominent, and a secret disciple of Jesus. This man is likely a Pharisee. He’s a member of the very institutes of Israel that Jesus has been cursing. Yet, in the den of snakes, there was a remnant. Joseph is the proof that any Pharisee, any priest, any person could repent of their sins and follow Jesus at any time. Typically, in the Roman empire, the Romans would leave the crucified man on the cross until his body rotted and decomposed, especially if he was convicted of high treason like Jesus. But, Joseph decides to use his considerable influence to get audience with governor and to request Jesus’ body now so that he could bury him, a request which Pilate grants.

John tells us that up until this point, Joseph had kept his conversion to Jesus secret, for fear of the Jews. He knew how they felt about Jesus. He knew what they intended to do to Jesus, and he knew how they would feel and what they would do if he followed Jesus. But, you can’t keep following Jesus a secret very long. Following Jesus stands out. Following Jesus causes you to make decisions nobody else would make. This would be akin to a Muslim man living in a country under Sharia law declaring himself the fulfillment of Mecca, the greater Mohommed, and essential equal to Allah. And, he had a lot to lose. He’d lose his wealth, his reputation, his family, and his standing in the community. Jesus had said that brother would turn on brother in and that was the decision that faced Joseph. Joseph was making a decision that would affect his wife, his children, and his family forever. He was a real person. If Jesus was a hoax, they would lose everything. But, if Jesus was the true Messiah, his wife wouldn’t have a pension, and his children wouldn’t have a smooth life with a nice inheritance, but they would have the opportunity to have a treasure that would never spoil forever. The stakes are big.

Is Obeying Jesus Loss or Gain?

APPLICATION: Joseph shows us the path of a disciple of Jesus. It’s a path that looks just like Jesus’ path. For the true disciple of Jesus, there is no price too high for following him. As our lives become of more apparent value, we learn how much or how little we value Jesus. Often, the more we believe we have to “lose” the more “conservative” we become in following Jesus. As we marry, have children, gain career, mortgages, payments for everything, and an increased network, for many, it’s common for us to pull back from following Jesus so closely, because following Jesus closely is costly. What if Jesus asks you to take a step of faith that causes your children to have to change schools or leave their grandparents? Are you willing to go? What if Jesus calls you to leave your dream job to work on the wrong side of town for barely enough to scrape by? Are you willing? What if God calls you to give away half your net-worth, or your kids have to wear last year’s shoes and not go on vacation so that an orphan can be adopted? The question of discipleship is whether obedience is a loss or a gain for you. If we believe that it’s safe and embraced to live as a true Christian in the Bible belt, it’s likely because we’ve never lived the life to which Christ has called us. Following the true Christ and obeying the actual scriptures will cause you to stand out in the Bible belt. Following the true Christ will cause people to resent you here. Obeying the scriptures will cause people to question your parenting and judge your kids here. Following Christ will cost you business deals and networking opportunities. Obeying the Scriptures will cost you friends. Following Jesus may mean that you stay single longer than your friends or that you can’t celebrate prom and formals like your classmates. And, the truth is that church attenders all across our area, our region, and our country have decided that Jesus just isn’t worth that price.

From Humiliation to Exaltation

v. 57, 60 “there came a rich man…and laid it in his own tomb, which he had cut in the rock.” You see, Joseph was a part of something much bigger than he even realized. He was a part of a plan that was far more wonderful than he could ever imagine. Do you know what God said in , more than 600 years before this day took place? “9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” Joseph wanted to honor his love. He wanted to demonstrate his love, even at a high cost. And, God used him to bring to bear a plan so wonderful that we’re still talking about it today. God used him to remove Jesus from his humiliation and inaugurate his exaltation.

and with a rich man in his death,

Small Faithfulness to Big Glory

APPLICATION: Joseph was willing to honor Jesus at all cost, and God used his act of obedience and kindness to reverberate for the generations. Oh don’t you see! The plan of God turns “small faithfulness” to “big glory”. Are you willing? Are you willing to be faithful? Are you willing to follow Jesus at all costs? Are you willing to surrender to him everything that you’re holding on to? Because God will use you to bring glory to be! The plan of God uses the willing to accomplish the wonderful!

The Plan of God Uses the “Wicked” for the Wonderful.

although he had done no violence,

v. 62 “The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate.” Lastly, I want you to see that the plan of God uses the “wicked” for the wonderful. It didn’t take long for word to get out that Pilate had broken protocol, releasing Jesus’ body to Joseph. Now, interestingly enough, the priests and Pharisees had previously told Pilate that Jesus meant that He would tear down the physical temple and rebuild it in three days, but here they show that they understood that Jesus meant his own body instead. Further, Matthew is sure to show us that these Jewish leaders are in the home of a Gentile on the Sabbath, which would render them unclean. So, hypocrisy is abounding.

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

v. 64 “Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away” Their reason for going to Pilate is clear. They want to fortify Jesus’ tomb because they were afraid that Jesus’ disciples might come and steal away Jesus’ body and pretend as though He had resurrected. Because they knew that if word gets out that Jesus has raised from the dead with his reputation and his teaching, this is a fire that’s never going to be put out. Obviously, they must not have realized that Jesus’ disciples didn’t believe Jesus was going to raise themselves, and they were in witness protection. Nonetheless, they secure the tomb with what is likely temple guards and seal it shut to verify that nobody has went in or out.

Christ’s enemies live in fear. Christ’s disciples live by faith.This is the great contrast that we see, isn’t it? The women that remain steadfast with Christ live by faith. Joseph of Arimathea risks it all for Jesus by faith. But, the chief priests and Pharisees are scrambling to fortify a dead man because they live in fear. The priests’ influence was based upon approval ratings. Jesus’ disciples was based upon what Christ had done and would do.The priests’ position was always in question. The disciples position was secure.The priests’ were in fear of losing their wealth, their reputation, and their standing. Jesus’ disciples treasure and standing were already secured forever by Christ.

he has put him to grief;

Fear vs. Faith

APPLICATION: Christ’s enemies live in “fear”. Christ’s disciples live by faith. This is the great contrast that we see, isn’t it? The women that remain steadfast with Christ live by faith. Joseph of Arimathea risks it all for Jesus by faith. But, the chief priests and Pharisees are scrambling to fortify a dead man because they live in fear. The priests’ influence was based upon approval ratings. Jesus’ disciples was based upon what Christ had done and would do. The priests’ position was always in question. The disciples position was secure. The priests’ were in fear of losing their wealth, their reputation, and their standing. Jesus’ disciples treasure and standing were already secured forever by Christ. You see, the only way to live in “peace” now is to live by “faith” for eternity. Fear of temporary circumstances can only be undone by an eternal perspective.

From Conspirators to Apologists

v. 65 “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” And, here’s what’s awesome. Here’s where we see the power of providence in the background of grotesque wickedness. Their worst fear was that people might believe it true that Jesus was raised from the dead. And, do you know what God does with them? The plan of God used the “conspirators” of Christ as the “apologists” of the resurrection! Think of it! They seal the tomb, verifying that Jesus is in there and that no one has interfered. They place guards surrounding the corpse to insure that said corpse doesn’t walk out one way or the other. They place witnesses at the scene whose lives depend on their ability to prevent Jesus from being stolen or from escaping. Their only hope is for us to believe that a group of scared fishermen overcame a fortified tomb, rolled back a multi-hundred pound stone door uphill, and convinced the world that Jesus was actually alive as a result. In other words, God uses these wicked men to give us the clearest evidence that Jesus is risen, Jesus is the Lord!

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, the entire world is moving according to the will of God whether they know it or not, whether they want to or not, whether they are wicked or not. Whether you are the weak or the willing or the wicked, you will be used for the advancement of God’s glory and the unfolding of God’s plan. Oh Christian, see Jesus buried in the tomb, see Jesus oppressed from every side, see Jesus despised by anybody who was somebody, and see that from this side of the resurrection that we can know that In “retrospect”, God’s plan is always “wonderful”. God’s plan for God’s people will always lead us to worship, even in light of the agonies we may face.

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Questions:

Why does God use the weak to shame the strong ()? What are some examples of God using the weak that you’ve seen?

How does weakness qualify you for service in the Kingdom of God? How does strength disqualify you? How is God’s qualifications for service different than the world’s qualifications?

Why do we become more conservative in following Jesus as we increase our treasure on earth? What does that say about what we value most?

How does living in the Bible belt make it more difficult to live as a biblical Christian?

Have you ever seen God turn small faithfulness into big glory? What does this say about the times in which we’re tempted to not sweat the small stuff? Have you ever met a person that was fully willing to offer every part of their life, big and small, to the Lord? How did their life look?

How does fear lead to hypocrisy?

What are some of the ways that God uses the wicked to accomplish what is wonderful? Have you ever seen God’s plan as beautiful in retrospect though you resented it in the moment? How does that help us today?

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