Matthew 28

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 53-58

Introduction

Happy New Year’s Eve!

New Year’s Eve is Always a Little Bittersweet

But Today is Especially Bittersweet for Me

I Started a Sermon Series on the Gospel of Matthew…

On May 5th, 2021

2.5 Years & 101 Lessons Later…

I’ve Finally Reached the End

As this Year Comes to a Close…

Our Study of Matthew’s Gospel Comes to a Close

I have Learned So Much about Jesus…

And Have Fallen So Much More in Love with Him…

Through this Study

I’ve Been Immeasurably Blessed By Matthew’s Gospel…

And I Hope You have Too

Today, as We Look to the Beginning of a New Year…

We’re Going to See the Beginning of New Life…

That was Made Possible…

In & Through the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus the Christ

This Morning, We’re Going to See…

What the Gospel Accounts Tell Us about the Resurrection of Jesus…

And What that Resurrection Means for Us

Then Tonight, We’re Going to Look at Jesus’ Ascension…

And What that Means for Us as Well

This Morning, the Lesson will Span the Text of:

Matthew 28

I’ve Tried My Best…

To Harmonize the 4 Gospel Accounts of the Resurrection

It can Be a Little Tricky on Account of Some Minor Differences

The Hardest Part for Me…

Was Figuring Out the Chronology of the Events…

That Surround the Resurrection

But, I’ve Come to the Conclusion (And I could Be Wrong)…

That John’s Gospel is the Most Chronologically Accurate of the 4 Accounts

So, We’ll Be Basing the Details of the Resurrection Accounts…

Off of the Chronology of John’s Account

Last Week, We Ended with Some of Jesus’ Female Disciples…

Watching Joseph & Nicodemus Bury Him in the Tomb

And We Also Saw the Jewish Leaders Place Guards By the Tomb…

To Keep the Disciples from Stealing Jesus’ Body

Chronologically, the Next Thing that Happened is Found in Matthew 28:2-4:

Matthew 28:2–4 (NASB95)

2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

Sometime Early Sunday Morning…

An Angel Came & Opened the Tomb…

And Scared the Guards to Death in the Process

These Soldiers had Likely Seen Things During War…

That would Make Our Blood Run Cold

But They’d Never Seen Anything like this

These Rough & Tough Men Fainted at the Sight of the Heavenly Beings

But They Eventually Wake Up & Go into the City…

To Tell the Chief Priests What had Happened

Next, We’ll Go to Mark’s Account:

Mark 16:1–4 (NASB95)

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.

Mary Magdalene & Some of the Other Female Disciples…

Who were Watching as Jesus was Buried…

Came to the Tomb Around Sunrise on Sunday Morning…

And They Found the Stone Rolled Away

Now Let’s Pick Up in John’s Account:

John 20:1–18 (NASB95)

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.

John Only Mentions Mary Magdalene

2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.

Luke Tells Us that the Apostles Didn’t Believe the Women…

But Peter & John Wanted to See for Themselves

4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Isn’t it Amazing How None of Jesus’ Disciples Believed Him…

When He Said He would Die & Resurrect on the 3rd Day?

Mary Thinks Someone has Stolen the Body…

And the Rest are at a Total at a Loss on What’s Going on

John Only Mentions Mary Staying at the Tomb…

But the Other Accounts Tell Us…

That Several of the Other Female Disciples were There as Well

When the Women See the Angels:

Mark Says They were Amazed

Luke Says They were Terrified & Bowed Down

And Luke has the Angels Saying:

Luke 24:5b–7 (NASB95)

5 “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

Jesus hasn’t Been Stolen Away

His Body hasn’t Mysteriously Disappeared

He’s Come Back to Life

He’s Resurrected from the Dead

14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

Matthew Agrees with John…

That Jesus Appeared 1st to His Female Disciples

Matthew 28:9–10 (NASB95)

9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Jesus 1st Appeared to His Female Disciples

They were the Ones Who Didn’t Run Away in Fear

They were the Ones Who Stayed Nearby While He Suffered & Died

They were the Ones Who Attended His Funeral

They were the Ones Whom Nobody Else would Believe

A Woman’s Testimony wasn’t Considered Valid in Court

It would Be Foolish to Make Women…

The First Eye-Witnesses of the Resurrected Jesus

A Woman’s Testimony would Be Considered Worthless

But God Loves to Use the Foolish & Worthless…

To Be the Instruments of His Power

Through Matthew & John, We Know that Jesus Told the Women to Tell the Apostles:

To Meet Him in Galilee

That He’s Going to Ascend to His Heavenly Throne

But Mark Tells Us that the Apostles Refused to Believe Them

While the Women were Going to the Apostles…

Matthew Tells Us that the Tomb Guards were Going to the Chief Priests

They Told Them about the Earthquake & the Angels

Then the Jewish Leaders Held an Assembly…

And Decided to Pay the Soldiers a Bunch of Money…

To Say that the Disciples Stole the Body While the Soldiers Slept

They Even Promised that They would Protect the Soldiers from Pilate…

If He Caught Wind of Their Failure to Guard the Tomb

Mark Goes on to Tell Us that Jesus Appeared to 2 Other Disciples…

While They were Making Their Way Out of Jerusalem to a Nearby Village

These are the 2 Disciples on the Road to Emmaus in Luke’s Account

Luke Devotes Over 20 Verses to that Appearance

After Their Encounter with the Resurrected Jesus…

They Went Back to Jerusalem to Tell the Apostles

That’s When They Reveal that Jesus had Appeared to Peter at as Well

Luke 24:36–43 (NASB95)

36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them.

They’re Still having a Hard Time Believing that Jesus is Actually Alive Again

They are Shocked & Overjoyed

Even Though Jesus had Told His Disciples that He would Die & Rise Again…

None of Them Believed it

He Invites Them to See & Touch the Holes in His Hands & Feet

He’s Not a Spirit

He’s a Physical Being Just Like Before

John 20:24–29 (NASB95)

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

For Some Reason, Thomas wasn’t with the Other Apostles on the Day of Jesus’ Resurrection

When They Tried to Tell Him that They Saw Him Alive…

Thomas wasn’t Buying it

He Wanted the Same Proof that They Received

And that’s Exactly What He Got the Very Next Sunday:

26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

After Seeing Jesus Alive & in the Flesh…

He Made the Confession that All Disciples Must Believe & Make:

“Jesus is Lord & God”

Sometime After this 2nd Appearance to the Apostles…

They Make Their Way to Galilee for a Special Meeting with Jesus

1st, Jesus Meets, Eats, & Talks with a Few of the Apostles…

At the Sea of Galilee

The Last Thing We See in the Gospel Accounts…

Is the Official Meeting that Jesus Set Up with His Disciples in Galilee

It’s Possible that this is Where Jesus Appeared to Over 500 Disciples at One Time (1 Cor. 15:6)

Matthew 28:16–20 (NASB95)

16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Now that Jesus is Raised from the Dead…

He has Become King Over All

This was the Main Message of Matthew’s Gospel Account:

“Jesus is King/Messiah/Christ”

King Jesus’ Royal Command to His Subjects is:

“Disciple All the World”

“Be Disciples & Make Disciples”

“Reproduce My Kingdom”

How is that Done?

They’re to Take the Gospel Message to All the World:

What God has Done, is Doing, & Will Do Through Jesus:

Jesus Died as a Sacrificial Offering for the Sins of the World

He Raised from the Dead & Now Reigns in Heaven as King

He will Return to Save/Reward His Disciples & Destroy the Unfaithful

Those Who Accept that Message are to Be Baptized

Baptism is the Moment of Conversion

When a Person Receives Their Kingdom Citizenship

When a Person Enters a Relationship with:

The Father

The Son

The Holy Spirit

Those Who are Baptized…

Are to Be Taught to Obey All that Jesus has Commanded of His Citizens

What has Jesus Commanded of His Citizens?

Matthew has Conveniently Summarized Jesus’ Teachings…

In 5 Major Teaching Discourses Throughout this Book

At the Very Beginning of Matthew’s Gospel…

He Introduced Jesus to Us with the Name “Immanuel”

“God With Us”

And Matthew Ends His Account By Telling Us:

“Jesus - God Made Human…”

“Will Always Be With Us”

“All the Way Up Until the End of the Age…”

“When He will Return to Rescue His People…”

“From Evil, Sin, & Death…”

“Forever”