Connections: Chronicles and Matthew

Although I have read straight through the Bible through many times, I never caught this connection between 2 Chronicles and Matthew. In preparing to preach, however, my ears were attuned to pick it up this morning. In Matthew 22, the Sunday Gospel in two weeks, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who sends out his messengers to announce the Feast is ready. The invited guests make light of the invitation and went about their lives. However, that story takes an uglier turn as they proceed then to abuse and kill the messengers. It was the mocking, though, which I heard echoed.

In 2 Chronicles 29-30 we read of the emergence the new king, Hezekiah. Hezekiah pleases God because he is a good king like David. His first order of business is to purify the Temple and its priests, after years of syncretism (mixing the true faith with other elements) and outright paganism (worship of other gods). Scholars discern a priestly authorship behind the Chronicles (Ezra and Nehemiah also). Concern with ritual purity, Temple worship and priesthood are, therefore, not unexpected. Hezekiah wants to celebrate the Passover, though surprisingly at an irregular time, a month late. The connection, however, which caught my eye had to do with the invitation. Hezekiah's message (30:6) "Return to the Lord" (repent). Repentance will lead to blessing, he declares, they will be delivered from their captors, this is also called redemption. The Lord is gracious and merciful. Return to be saved by the grace of God is also the central message of Jesus. Indeed, the response to Jesus, alluded to in the parable, was generally negative, "they were laughed at and mocked."

Did Jesus have this story in mind as He told His parable? Would His listeners see connections between the Passover celebration in Chronicles and the wedding feast? Was laughter and derision, which sealed the fate of the exiles, not going to have the same impact on Jesus' audience (the Second Temple to be leveled, the city destroyed)? If so, then the vicarious slaughter of lambs (30:17) by Levites on behalf of those who were not clean may be hinting at Jesus, the Lamb of God, Who is slaughtered on behalf of unclean humanity. As regards the sinful masses, the king (a type of the Messiah Jesus), declares that (30:18-19) "The good Lord will provide atonement for everyone who set his mind on worshipping God, the Lord God of the fathers, even if he is not purified for the sanctuary." This seems consistent with the Gospel this past Sunday (Matthew 21:31) where Jesus said that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom Heaven. Jesus, we will hear at the Passover celebration in Matthew 26 will identify the bread and wine of the meal as His Body and Blood. He is the new Passover meal and He is the sacrifice for atonement.

The connection of scripture, many different books yet one Grand Story, is behind the idea that Jesus fills-up (fulfillment) Scripture. I suggest you read both and find your own connections. I hope this brief illustration is on value in your own prayer and in a deeper understanding of the Gospel in two weeks.