Matthew 28:1-15

1  Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

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.

5  The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

6  “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

7  “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

8  And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

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.”

11  Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

12  And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

13  and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

14  “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

15  And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

I.       Jesus’ Appearance to Two Women (28:1–15)

A.   The action preceding this appearance (28:1–8)

1.     They arrived at the tomb (28:1)

2.     The women were devoted to Jesus even after death, they had lingered at the cross and came early to the tomb, bringing spices that they might anoint His body

3.     They thought He was dead

a)    In fact, they wondered how they would move the huge stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb

Mark 16:3

3     They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”      

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

4.     God rewarded their love by allowing them to see the empty tomb and hear the message of the Resurrection from the angel

a)    The stone was not rolled away to allow Christ to come out, he had already left

b)    It was rolled away to allow men to look in and see that He was gone

5.     The true Easter message is “Come and see. . . . Go and tell!”

a)    Every Sunday is resurrection day for the believer

b)    7 significant benefits of the Resurrection?

(1)  It proves that Jesus is God’s Son

(a)    Jesus stated that He had authority to lay down His life and to take it up again

John 10:17-18

17  “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.

18  “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

(2)  It verifies the truth of Scripture

(a)    Both in the Old Testament and in the teaching of Jesus, His resurrection is clearly taught

Psalm 16:10

10  For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.    

Psalm 110:1

1  The Lord says to my Lord:

“Sit at My right hand

Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”    

(b)   If Jesus had not come out of the tomb, then these Scriptures would not be true.

(3)  It assures our own future resurrection

(a)    Because Jesus died and rose again, we shall one day be raised to be like Him

!!!!!!  

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

18  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

(i)      In fact, the entire structure of the Christian faith rests on the foundation of the Resurrection

(b)   If we do away with His resurrection, we have no hope.

(4)  It is the proof of a future judgment

(a)    “Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man who He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead”

Acts 17:31

31  because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

(5)  It is the basis for Christ’s heavenly priesthood

(a)    Because He lives by the power of an endless life, He is able to save us “to the uttermost”

Hebrews 7:23-28

23  The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing,

24  but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.

25  Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

26  For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

27  who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

28  For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

(b)   He lives to intercede for us.

(6)  It gives power for Christian living

(a)    We cannot live for God by our own strength. It is only as His resurrection power works in and through us that we can do His will and glorify His name

Romans 6:4

4  Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.     

(7)  It assures our future inheritance

(a)    Because we have a living hope, we can experience hopeful living

(b)   A dead hope grows weaker and weaker before it eventually dies

(c)    But because Jesus Christ is alive, we have a glorious future

1 Peter 1:3-5

3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4  to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5  who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

(d)   We are blessed when we gather on the Lord’s Day

(e)   We bear witness that Jesus is alive in us

(f)     When the followers of the Lord gathered that first Lord’s Day, they were discouraged and defeated     

6.     There was an earth quake

a)    The world new something was up and happening 

7.     The angel beside the tomb (28:2–8)

a)    His radiance (28:2–4): His face shines like lightning, and his clothing is a brilliant white, causing the guards to become as dead men in their fear!

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.

8.     One of the angels spoke to the women and calmed their fears (28:5–6):

a)    Keep in mind that these women, as well as the disciples, did not expect Jesus to be alive

b)    He announces the resurrection of Christ from the dead!

5  The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

6  “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

9.     Christ’s Person demands that He be raised from the dead

10. As the Son of God, He could not be held by death

Acts 2:24

24  “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

a)    His request (28:7–8):

(1)  The women are to tell the disciples this glorious news, informing them the Savior will meet them in Galilee.

7  “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

8  And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

B.   The action during this appearance (28:9–10)

1.     The women meet Jesus personally, we need to meet the risen lord personally, not just the historical Jesus  (28:9a)

9  And behold, Jesus met them

2.     The women hear Jesus (28:9b)

and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet

3.     The women worship Jesus (28:9c)

a)    Worship of Jesus is the appropriate response   

And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

4.     The women obey Jesus (28:10)

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.”

5.     He immediately assured them with His typical, “Be not afraid!”

6.     Again they are to remind the disciples concerning the Galilean meeting

C.   The action following this appearance (28:11-15): The frightened guards tell the chief priests what happened at Jesus’ tomb

11  Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

12  And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

13  and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

14  “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

15  And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

1.     For a Roman soldier to fail in his duty was an offense punishable by death (Acts 12:19; Acts 16:27-28)

2.     But the soldiers were shrewd

a)    They did not report to Pilate or to their superior officers

b)    They reported to the Jewish chief priests

3.     First they tell the truth (28:11)

11  Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

a)    The soldiers give a factual account concerning what happened at the tomb.

4.     Then they sell the truth (28:12-15)

12  And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

13  and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

14  “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

15  And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

a)    They put money in their hands and a lie in their mouth

b)    For a sum of money they agree to lie, claiming the disciples of Jesus stole his body!

II.    Peter and john’s account of the resurrection

John 20:5-7

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.    

A.   There was no sign of struggle to get out of them, the grave clothes were not in disarray

B.   Even the napkin (which had been wrapped around His face) was folded carefully in a place by itself

C.   Peters bold sermon in Acts to the Jews and those gathered  

Acts 2:24

24  “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.    

Even the Apostle Paul, who was an enemy of the church, saw the risen Christ; that experience transformed his life Acts 9

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The resurrection of Jesus was the sign of Jonah

Matthew 12:39-40

39  But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;

40  for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The last public sign to the Jews that Jesus was who he claimed to be

Matthew 28:6

6  “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

The disciples were commanded to return to Galilee

Matthew 28:7

7  “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

Matthew 28:10

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.”

That command was delivered by an angel and by Jesus himself.

Jesus appeared five times on resurrection day:

(1) to Mary Magdalene (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:9–11; John 20:11–18),

(2) to the other women (Matt. 28:8–10),

(3) to Simon Peter (Luke 24:33–35; 1 Cor. 15:5),

(4) to the two disciples (Mark 16:12–13; Luke 24:13–32), and

(5) to the eleven apostles (Matt. 28:16–20; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36–49; John 20:19–25).

There was a great earthquake “The earth, which trembled with sorrow at the Death of Christ as it were leaped for joy at His Resurrection.”

Matthew 28:8

Matthew’s account of the Resurrection includes fewer details than the accounts of Luke and John. Yet to him alone we are indebted for the report of the soldiers (vv. 11-15) and for the full baptismal formula (v. 19). The substantial agreement of the four narratives, coupled with a wide variety of details and viewpoints, demonstrates their truthfulness and yet their independence of one another.