Matthew 28:1-10 Form Hopelessness to Hope
Notes
Transcript
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
From hopelessness to hope
The empty tomb is the GREATEST symbol of hope EVER!
There are 4200 religions in the world, BUT ONLY 1 EMPTY TOMB
Every religion is based upon what we must DO to get to God - but Christianity is based upon what GOD has ALREADY DONE for us!
And, this brings us HOPE
Sin and death are defeated.
Sin dealt with Friday while Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross
Death dealt with in the tomb where Jesus render death ineffective and destroyed it’s power
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin is dealt with and Sin’s Consequences have been dealt with
With sin and death out of the picture what can TEMPORARY circumstances do to us?!
Back to the Story that Resurrection Morning...
The women went to the tomb hopeless
They expected to find a dead lifeless body
They expected to encounter the overpowering consequences of the cross
But, hope began to burst through while they were on their way...
Just after dawn, the sun is beginning to shone on a new day
The earth responds to what we later will realize is the results of the deconstruction of death itself
Those who guarded death fall in the presence of resurrection like dead men themselves...
Something happened before the women arrived at the tomb, and it changed history, life, and death FOREVER!
So the Women could leave with hope!
Hopelessness was changed to Hope in a place where death was thought to reign
They received good news
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
They received a purpose
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
Tell the others this earth shaking, death defeating news. Tell the others that the Jesus they saw crucified and buried, is the Jesus they will see again!
They received HOPE
Hope of new life
Hope of purpose
Hope of resurrection
They went and told others!
The guards, they were paid to make up a story about what happened
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
But, what do YOU do with this?
Some dismiss it - it's a hoax (the biggest hoax in history. A hoax that those who believed this message have been willing to die for for CENTURIES)
Some downplay it - it's just a story about a good man. His disciples stole the body. Yada Yada Yada
Some accept it, come to terms with it, welcome it, and take on the power of the cross and Resurrection to give them Hope, purpose, meaning and transformation.
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
We have been at the garden and have encountered GOOD NEWS, but we must do something with this...
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
The message of the cross and resurrection can be a foolish stumbling block to our world. But, we HAVE to do something with this message.
You either hear this message and dismiss it, downplay it, and distort it, or you hear this message and accept it and the power of the cross and Resurrection over your life.
But, you cannot simply ignore it. Everyone MUST do something with this message!
What is your choice?
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This morning, TODAY, accept the message that gives hope! Allow it to guide you, empower you, give you a purpose AND TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE!
May the message of the cross display the wisdom and power of God in your life.
May the message of the empty tomb provide hope when you are faced with great hopelessness
May the message of the cross and resurrection TOGETHER display new life and a new destiny!
COMMUNION
COMMUNION
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
Instructions
Come down the center aisle
Take a piece of bread and dip it in the juice
But, come responding to the message of the cross and Resurrection. This is prepared for those who follow Christ, and for those who desire to receive more from Christ. You DO NOT have to be a member, or regular attender, at our church to receive...
But, please, examine yourself before coming this morning. What does the message of the cross and resurrection mean for you and for your life? If it is the POWER of God to provide salvation for everyone YOU ARE WELCOME to come. But, if you are unsure about this message, I would LOVE for you to be sure before you participate in this act of worship. It’s NOT because I do not want you to participate, but I want you to accept the message of Jesus, the cross and resurrection, before you do. I do not want to caused judgment to fall upon you if you receive in an unworthy way.
However, I also recognize that this sacrament may be a means of grace. That in this time we are reminded again of the cross and resurrection. And, possibly, today, you have never responded positively to that message. But, today, you would like to. May you receive the grace from the LORD today as you respond by receiving the bread and juice - reminders of the message of the cross and resurrection.
In fact, may we ALL receive grace this morning. May we continually be transformed. May we continually be filled with Hope in the face of Hopelessness. May we continually declare with our mouths, lives, and hearts the message of the Cross and Resurrection. May these elements be for us an extraordinary reminder of God’s extraordinary goodness to us. May they be conduits of God’s mercy and grace for us today!
Prayer...
Benediction
Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.