Matthew 28:1-10 Expectations Aren't Everything- Easter

Scripture reading: Isaiah 53:1-12.

Preaching this message to you all is not what I was expecting. I expected just to unwrap a message that was clearly laid out in scripture and could be easily dissected and relayed back to you through the insight of the Holy Spirit merely using my voice as a vessel of His will.

It turns out that it was much more invasive than I was prepared to experience.

I shouldn’t be amazed God’s word is always much more internal than external. Sharper than any two-edged sword and should impact the message giver as much as if not even more than the message receiver.

The message today made me experience what full and empty actually mean.

Let me start this morning with a borrowed story. Not mine but was impactful enough when I heard it last month, I felt I had to share it.

Sunday school Easter Mash-up illustration.

The Cross changed our history. Our eternal destination can be determined now. But the Resurrection IS THE Event of all history.

Our, faith, Christianity, stands or falls on the resurrection. Not only on the truth of it but on the perception of it. The emotion of it. And the response to the event. The Resurrection is the foundation of all our hope. Jesus states it in John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

This morning, I want to examine the effects of the emotions and how different they were on the various people who witnessed.

I want to point out those witnesses that would have emotionally been affected most and how we identify with them.

Those witnesses present would have been the women who followed Jesus (according to Luke 8), the disciples (present and absent), and through the writings of the New Testament writers- us.

What were the emotions that filled these witnesses?

Let’s start with reading Matthew 27:45-56 and see what emotions are elicited by our recount of the events of “good Friday”.

Emotions that fill us up?

· Gut wrenching grief.

· Shock.

· Sadness.

· Anger.

· Betrayal. Sold a boatload of false hope.

· Hearts overflowing with sympathy and compassion?

The 3 women mentioned by Matthew were nearby looking on from a distance. Not wanting to watch Him in His agony and suffering but on the other hand neither could they bear to be separated from Him in His hour of deepest pain and labor. The pain that filled their hearts and the anger of the atrocities they were witnessing must have been incredible to endure. But they swallowed all the emotion so that He might be comforted that they were near to bring comfort to His other and family present.

The witness of this event of His death filled their lives with darkness and despair that days earlier had been filled with triumph and glorious, eager hope.

These are replaced with a filling of hope destroyed and faith crumbling. As His death becomes very apparent.

As Jesus’ body is removed from the cross and prepared and transported to a tomb cut in the rock. The women followed along hope must have been erased with every step and fear increased. The truth of this day was settling in. Jesus, their Lord, was dead. Matthew 27:57-61.

A new emotion had begun in the witnesses of this burial event: A sense of undying loyalty to their friend. I sense of duty and care- to continue to minister to Him in death as they had chosen to do in life.

Sympathy with the fact of His death to perform the ritualistic duties of the death of a loved one.

Prepare to anoint the body with spices one last time before the fourth day.

Lazarus example. John 11. Lazarus dead 4 days. Jewish tradition says that the spirit and body will separate on the fourth day. Jesus states He is the resurrection and the life to Mary.

The Sabbath would have given all these witnesses time to worship God and reflect on the events of Friday.

Even the Romans prepared a guard to seal the tomb and position highly trained Roman soldiers to keep watch over the grave so that no one disturbed the spot.

The women would have been preparing their hearts for what they expected to find on the first day of the week.

Not entirely different than what we do today. On our first day of the week, we worship God and prepare our hearts for what we will encounter through the remainder of the week.

These women were filled with compassion about serving their Lord and the duty that was before them.

They were not moved by sacrifice to complete the task but compassion. Matthew earlier gives an example of the power of compassion over the duty of sacrifice.

Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

 10 Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

 13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This compassion for God is what motivates us to ministry as well. It is what moves us to worship, get wrapped up in the lives of those who need the gospel, and live our lives daily as a believer.

It’s compassion that calls us to worship and live like Christ. It drives us to want to serve the Risen Savior not out to duty but out of love and devotion.

Compassion also creates obedience. And obedience is better than any sacrifice I might come to the alter with. 1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices.

As in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

To obey God, you must know and love Him. 1 John 2:3-5 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.

Compassion leads us to want to show mercy. God’s redemptive history in His word points out that mercy comes before grace.

Matthew 20:29-34 gives us an example as he continues on His journey and near to the time of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus’ compassion for the 2 blind men moves Him to act. He mercifully heals, loves, and rescues the lost. His ministry on earth is the ultimate expression of compassion. We did NOT deserve Jesus’ atonement on the cross for our sins. His death should have been ours but because of God’s perfect love we received mercy! And mercy came before the work of the cross. In fact it instigated it!

We continue on to the last emotions the witnesses faced.

Matthew 28:1.

The first day dawned and they drew near to the spot He was buried. They are filled with sadness and anxiety. Today they knew was going to be a Hard day.

The expectation is that they will care for the body of their one final time. The last time they will see Him and the last time their hands will physically minister to Him.

Darkness is settled in their hearts. Firmly taken root and hope is shattered for good, or so they thought.

They had resolved to the fact and faced the truth. In fact, in John’s account of this morning they are visibly upset when they find the empty tomb and the spot where the body had been vacant.

Mark accounts also that the anxiety had been mounting the closer they drew near because of the heavy, over 2-ton boulder placed in front of the door that must be moved. They knew nothing of the seal or the guard that had been placed on the tomb the day before.

Now they stand before a open door and vacant tomb in despair that they will not be able to close the chapter on this overwhelming, grievous event.

They came to the tomb expecting to find death and decay and the daunting task of removing a gigantic boulder.

The conclusion of a chapter in their lives that ends in despair and hopelessness.

I believe this mirrors very close to the way we feel when we come to God to empty ourselves and plead forgiveness. Finally accepting that all my deeds will never be enough only the sacrifice of Jesus and the grace applied by Him will suffice. There is no way we can truly see how God can forgive us. How can a just God pardon me a sinner.

But I remind you: expectations aren’t everything!

Matthew 28:2-10.

And then it all changes. In the twinkling of an eye, a rolling of thunder, and a brilliant flash God shows up!

The witnesses expecting death found life waiting for them in that graveyard.

If you look at all the gospel accounts in that scene of the empty tomb. Mary hears the message and ran, bolted out of that place as her emotions switched from darkness and despair to the fear and joy. Joy to tell the news she heard not only form the angel, the messenger of God, but the Risen Lord Himself!

These women were the first deliverers of the gospel. The Good News.

Why? They had witnessed over the 3 days all the key components of the Gospel: Jesus’ death on the cross, Jesus’ burial in the tomb, and His resurrection on that marvelous morning!

When life trumped death and victory was secured by our Lord Jesus!

As I said in the beginning, I learned the true meaning of full and empty.

The fullness of emotions alters the perspective of any event. It changes your witness.

The women were filled with expectation of death and darkness entering the graveyard. Yet, with an empty tomb they were emptied of all the despair. It was replaced with life and hope reinstated.

2. The disciples who fled in fear and experienced what I can only imagine was shame and ultimate guilt, found the Lord Jesus risen as He said He would their lives laid out in compassion to their Savior. All except 1 would proclaim a martyr’s death defending the truth if the resurrection.

3. And lastly us. As you read and experience this story of arrest, fake prosecution, extreme punishment, humiliating treatment, and painful death on the cross.

Does not your heart burn in anger, sympathize and mourn with His mother and those who loved gathered nearby to comfort Him in His final suffering, and surrender of His spirit?

Did not the gravity of this event crush your spirit as the Father crushed His son for your sin and iniquity?

The depravity of man means the cross was necessary. God could not overlook your sin. A price had to be paid. A holy price. A worthy sacrifice. God could only be vindicated by pouring out His wrath on a suitable substitute.

Take heart beloved!

The fulness of those emotions that trouble your heart are relieved by the empty tomb and the words “He has Risen!”

The emptiness of the scene turns our mourning to dancing. Promises that Jesus has power over death and removes the sting from the lives of all who believe and trust in the work of the cross.

The emptiness of that grave shows us death is arrested and true life in Jesus begins.

We can now ask the question Paul asked in 1 Cor. 15:55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;

 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The emptiness of His tomb is a symbol of ultimate victory. It is our hope and our shield against the days ahead when death will come calling our name.

In closing, this Resurrection Sunday empty your heart of the darkness of sin that has passed, for death that has been defeated, and hopelessness has been remedied in Christ Jesus our Redeemer.

Fill it up again with the triumph we achieve we declare He is Risen.

And the hope that surpasses understanding.

The Hope that is based upon belief that God raised His Son from the dead just as He said He would.

Faith born on this fact. The fact that our faith is placed on nothing less that Jesus blood and righteousness!

Come experience the fullness of Christ today for nothing else will do.

Let’s Pray!