just listened to a message from the 2005 Children Desiring God Conference. one thing among many that really struck me was the following...

God chooses to reveal Himself in mighty ways only a few times in history. Events that come to mind are the Flood, Sodom/Gomorrah, freeing Israel from Egypt (10 plagues including Passover, crossing the Red Sea and Jordan River on dry land, through the wilderness), Elijah's showdown with the prophets of Baal, and most notably, Jesus Christ and His life and ministry.

Why does God exhibit His mighty, glorious powers so far and few between? Part of the reason is God's desire for the witnesses of these events to tell of His mighty deeds to the generations to come, even the ones that have yet to be born. People have been known to be story tellers from ancient times. The greatest stories we have to tell are about God and His mighty deeds. For the witnesses of these great acts of God, they (and not God Himself) are the ones responsible for declaring God's glory to the next generation. (Of course, God's Spirit must guide the correct transmission of it so it doesn't get distorted for our own glory.)

The majority of people throughout history will never have personally witnessed any miraculous deed from God's mighty hand. But that doesn't mean they aren't true. Part of our responsibility as believers is to continue the transmission of the glory of God to every generation, in order that this next generation will tell it to their next generation. All the saints that have come before us have left a testimony of the greatness of God to us today. In particular, the saints that wrote the words of Scripture have obviously contributed the most in this endeavor. So though God may no longer part seas and rivers or bring down plagues upon nations, because of the transmission of the God's great deeds by the saints of old, written for us in Scripture by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, we are able to know and develop a passion for God's glory.

We see this pattern throughout Scripture. God tells His people often to remember Him and His mighty deeds, which our fathers have told us (or are supposed to tell us); consider Deut 6. God, being ever-consistent, has not changed this pattern. It is true for us today as much as it was for Israel during the Exodus. But on this side of the cross, we have an even greater story to tell than the Exodus. We know of (and must develop a passion for) the works of Christ, particularly on Calvary on the cross. Our responsibility is to spread the glory of God in Christ Jesus to the next generations, first of all in our own families, then in our local churches, to the ends of the world (through the local church), which, by God's grace will also impact the future generations to come, to the ones we'll never meet on this side of heaven. Saints of old have done their job so we know of the greatness of God. We look to the biblical saints, to the early church fathers, the Reformers, and the Puritans. Let's continue their work, as commissioned by God Himself, by the power of His Spirit.

Mark 14:51
I wonder who this young man was. MacArthur suggests it might have been Mark himself. Poor guy. Ran away naked. How embarrassing. And recorded for all time in the Scriptures. =T  Why would you even write that about yourself? We are truly humbled and shown our weaknesses when rightly compared to our Lord (sovereign name) Jesus (saving name) Christ (supernaturally-empowered name).

Matthew 26:60b-61, 27:40
Interesting how what the crowd used to mock Jesus (building the temple up again in 3 days) will actually happen. Their other mockings (i.e., King of the Jews, Son of God) were actually true statements as well.

Matthew 28:11-15
Notice how the chief priests couldn't deny the empty tomb. So apparently this ragtag bunch of disciples, most of whom were fishermen and other commonfolk, somehow got through armed, trained temple guards, who were placed in front of the tomb with the big stone with the seal specifically for this very purpose (Mt 27:62-66). The chief priests knew the disciples didn't take the body. They instructed the soldiers to "Tell people..." (v13), as if their story was actually believable when they fully knew it wasn't likely. Based on the evidence, the most likely result was that what Jesus predicted about Himself (and what they said to mock him regarding the temple) actually happened. BUT THEIR INCREDULOUS UNBELIEF! They would rather fabricate this story, that was still being spread by the time Matthew wrote his gospel account, than to believe the greatest miracle in the history of mankind, the resurrection from the dead of Jesus of Nazareth! They desired so much to maintain their own followings that they sought to cover up the greatest news that has ever been heard, that Jesus, the Christ, is victorious over death and sin and that those in Him have this same victory!

I wonder how the crowd who was mocking Jesus on the cross responded when they heard the rumors of the resurrection that first Easter morning. The ones that shouted that if Jesus was the Son of God that He should bring Himself down from the cross. Even if He did bring Himself down from the cross, which He could have, they would not have believed (though aren't we glad He didn't? He stayed on that cross so that we wouldn't have to). So even after being raised from the dead, I doubt they would believe, and would much rather desire to believe the chief priests' explanation for the empty tomb. (By the way, no one denied that the tomb was empty that first Easter Sunday.)

To be confronted with the evidence of the resurrection and still not believe. How amazing. Yet is that not us? If not for the illumination by the Holy Spirit to the truth of Scripture, would I also not be among those still in disbelief, despite the evidence of the resurrection?

Luke 23:44-45 "the sun's light failed." (cf. Mt 27:45)
When the darkness beset the land (and likely the entire world) at high noon, all creation realized what happened. For the first and only time in history, there was an indescribable chasm in the Trinity. The Son had drank the full cup of wrath the Father poured out. "It is finished" was the cry of the damned. All creation had to mourn. The sun mourned by failing its duties to shine radiant light. Its maker had tasted death. He was on His way to Sheol. How could this be? But oh what brilliance it awaited to shine that Easter morn...

John 19:39 "Nicodemus... came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight."
Dude, Nicodemus was pretty buff.

Luke 24:47 "...beginning from Jerusalem."
The great mission movement began in the chosen city, the blessed Zion, Jerusalem.

other general observations...
- these chapters are loooong
- it's astounding to me that the crucifixion was so common in those days that all the gospel writers wrote regarding the actual event of the torture/death sentence was a simple fact to that effect. not that you necessarily want every tiny gruesome detail peppering your gospel account. but i mean you would suspect at least luke, the physician, to add some details about it. there's so much detail about other things, including what Jesus says while hanging on the cross; every breath must've been hard enough but He still seeks to offer forgiveness and instructions and prophesies and grace while on the cross. but i guess crucifixions were so common there was no need to be so descriptive.
- Christ made it a point to appear to people and to see and feel Him, and even watch Him eat