Do Not Be Afraid!
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The Resurrection
The Resurrection
John 20:1 (NRSV)
1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark,
2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.
1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
This is how the resurrection begins in all four gospels. Early in the morning while it was still dark in John’s gospel brings back memories of John chapter 1 of the light that shines in the darkness. Thanks be to God the darkness could not overcome it.
Matthew’s account in similar fashion ends his Gospel with reminders of how it began. Matthew 1:20, the birth of Christ is announced by an angel with the words “Do not be afraid.” Here we are in the last chapter of Matthew and the angel shows up again and tells the women “Don’t be afraid.”
Brothers and Sisters we have no reason to be afraid, Christ is not here, he is risen just as he said.
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
What can we learn from Matthew’s account of the resurrection? 1 Do not be afraid! 2 The stone was rolled away to show the tomb was empty. 3 God sits triumphantly on grave stones. Even ours!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Do Not Be Afraid!
Do Not Be Afraid!
The Angels Message
-Don’t be afraid!
This message was relevant in more ways than 1. Angelic or heavenly encounters are usually met with fear. 2 We know the disciples feared for their life, they were so crippled by this fear they couldn’t even accompany the women to the tomb. We know of this fear because of John 20:19
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Before the resurrection it was a fearful thing to encounter the presence of God. Because of Christ death and resurrection we can come boldly into his presence.
The other reason to not be afraid was in the announcement the angel had for the women. You are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead.
Christ rising to life defeats death. Christ through his resurrection swallows up the fear of the disciples. Jesus died in the most excruciating way possible. He was laid in a tomb with a big stone covering it. It had a guard detail, and it had a seal from Pilate. In rising to life again Christ breaks the power of all these things. There’s no reason to fear the cross. No reason to fear any government seals or edicts. There’s no reason to fear any grave or grave stone. Why? Because not a single one of those things kept Christ from rising. There is nothing that can stand in the way of God’s action.
2 The stone was rolled
So the women could come see, not to let Jesus out.
Lazarus the stone was rolled to let Lazarus out.
Jesus rose to life everlasting, while Lazarus eventually would die again.
3. The Angel Sitting on the stone.
I’ve always loved the visual images that accompany Matthews resurrection account. The one that always stands out to me is the angel sitting on the stone after he had rolled it. The angel rolled the stone away and sat on it.
This was a heavily guarded stone. It was sealed, every earthly measure was taken to ensure Christ could not rise. None of this had any power over what God was going to do next.
The angel sitting on the stone adds an exclamation point to what Jesus told Pilate before he was crucified, John 19:11
11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
To be seated on something, shows power. Christ is seated at the right hand of the father. God is seated on the throne. The angel sitting on the stone is the exclamation point of God’s power.
Not just over death, but anything that may try to stop God’s plan from happening.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Death is Swallowed up in Victory!
Death is Swallowed up in Victory!
Brothers and sisters, shout your loud hosannas, ring your bells, shake your tamborines lift your voice in shouts of victory. Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
No cross could defeat him. No grave could hold him. No guarded tomb with a stone sealed by Pilate could forbid him rise. Christ is risen! Almighty God through Christ has blazed a path for us to follow Christ out of our graves.
The message for us today is the same as it was for the women. Do not be afraid! God has defeated one of life’s gurrantees. Nothing on this earth, can stand in God’s way. There’s no grave stone big enough, with enough seals to keep him back.
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
In Christ we share in the resurrection life, since we have been raised to new life in Christ.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!