Come & See
Notes
Transcript
The few the proud…the sunrise service crowd.
He is Risen…
Prayer
Read: Matthew 28:1-7
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.”
Matthew 28:1- What are we expecting to happen?
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.
Matthew records for us that early on Sunday morning, the women Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, went out to visit the tomb.
In Mark’s gospel we are informed that on Saturday night, these ladies went out to buy burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body.
So they got up early in the morning to go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. They got up early and expected to get to the tomb, wondering how they were going to get the heavy stone moved so they could go inside and anoint his dead body.
The first thing we can apply to our own selves here in this text is the question…what are you expecting to happen this morning.
You have come early to church. To hopefully meet with Jesus. Like Mary and Mary, what are your expectations?
The Mary’s fully expected to encounter a dead body, and anoint it with burial spices. They were the ones who were with him until the end. They witnessed him inhale for the last time. They were there when He said those final words, “Lord, into your hands I commit my spirit.” They were there when the soldier stabbed his side. They were there when he was lowered to the ground. They I don’t think they every could have expected to happen what transpires next.
Matthew 28:2-4- When God moves. Expectation without agenda.
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.
Something happens that they cannot explain. An earthquake, and an angel of the Lord came down and moved the stone, then he sits on it. He was so brilliant, and in the mix of everything, the Roman guards are so shaken with fear they faint.
God moved in an unexplained and extremely powerful way.
They came with the expectation to meet Jesus’ dead body, but instead, an angel of the Lord came, and God moved in an earthquake.
So what expectations do you carry into church this morning? Do you expect to God to be silent, dead? Or do you expect him to move in power?
Others might be expecting a mighty move of God, and unexplainable and supernatural move of God, an earthquake encounter, but instead, God wants to meet you in simplicity. In the still small voice like he did with Elijah when he went into hiding.
The fact of the matter is, we can come to church with all these different expectations, all these different agendas. God I need you to show up in power. And when we come to God with an agenda of expectations, rarely do we see him move. Instead we simply should come…with expectation to meet with him, but no agenda.
We expect as we gather together that God’s presence will be here. We expect to meet with him, We expect to encounter him. But we should not put an agenda on that expectations. Maybe he wants to blow your socks off with an earthquake encounter. Maybe this is the day you encounter him for the first time and begin your relationships with an almighty God. That would be a foundational move. Maybe today is the day you surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life for holy living and power. That would be a foundational move of God. Maybe, God wants to resurrect an old memory this morning that he wants to heal you from. Maybe God wants to simply tell you that He loves you and remind you that you are raised to a new life. Maybe he wants to you to experience his forgiveness in a deeper level.
Our goal should be that we come to encounter Him, however he wants to manifest his presence. God we just want you. We want to see your face. We want to encounter an almighty and extraordinary God this morning.
Matthew 28:5-6 Come and See
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.
I know you are looking for Jesus.
Are you looking for Jesus?
These women were. I know you’re looking for Jesus, said the angel. The same Jesus who was crucified, but he isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.
Are we looking to encounter Christ? Are we searching for Jesus.
- He isn’t among the dead!
- He is risen!
- He is alive.
He was crucified. He was buried. He was sealed in the tomb, but you saw the tomb open up and I gave you the invitation to come and see…he isn’t in there!
You came with the expectation to meet with a dead guy and I’m here to tell you that the grave couldn’t hold him. Death couldn’t stop him. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus the righteous one, gave himself on that cross for the forgiveness of our sin. “But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
And now he is alive. He was raised to new life, just as he said would happen!
Just as He said would happen.
Luke 9:21-22 New Living Translation
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. 22 “The Son of Man[a] must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
Mark 10:32-34 New Living Translation
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
32 They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him. 33 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man[a] will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans.[b] 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”
Matthew 20:17-19 New Living Translation
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man[a] will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans[b] to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
Let’s not overlook this. Jesus predicted his death, and while that is impressive. He also predicted his resurrection, and that is unfathomable.
And so the angel offered an invitation…come and see.
It’s the same invitation that Jesus offered his followers when he first met them.
Come and see is the invitation that Christ offers each of us.
It was the invitation that he offered to his disciples
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
Come and see. His invitation is for you, it’s for me. Its for a life of adventure in following Jesus. Come and see that He is who He said he is. That He did what He said he would do, and he will do what He said he will do.
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
John 20:30-31
The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
Prayer for salvation and following Jesus.
And an invitation to stick around for Part 2 of today’s message…Go & Tell.