The Resurrection

Morning again. We are in Matthew chapter 28. We are wrapping up our sermon series The Greatest commandment to the Great Commission when looking at for the last seven weeks or so the passion week teachings of Jesus and this is just the the end of The Book of Matthew. It's just before all the really fun and amazing things begin to happen in the book of Acts starts taking place. There's there's just this. Wonder now, we get to Matthew chapter 28, and I'm sure this anticipation in the lives of the Apostles in the Disciples of its next because I'm sure since Friday It's been a watch now and then Sunday morning and in the Mary's come back from the tombs and he's a rose. He's risen, then it's got to go from what now to text. So there's there's this anticipation as we read through the scripture today.

Go ahead and join me Matthew chapter 28 starting with verse 1. We're going to read through the whole chapter. Starting with the first one not after the Sabbath toward the dawn of the first day Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb and behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it is appearance was like lightning in his clothing white as snow and for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the woman or the women do not be afraid.

I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for he is risen. As he said come see the place where you lay?

Then go quickly and tell us disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold he is going before you to Galilee there. You will see him. See I have told you. So they Departed.

Quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and they ran to tell us disciples and behold Jesus met them and said greetings and they came up and took hold of his feet and worship him. Then Jesus said to them not be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me. While they were going to hold some of the Guard went into the City and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they get a symbol with the elders in and taken counsel, they gave us sufficient sum of money to the soldiers. And said tell people as disciples came by night and stole them away while it while we were asleep. And if this comes to the governor's here's we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So they took the money and did as they were directed and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted and Jesus came and said to them. All authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold. I Am With You Always to the end of the age.

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please come to you.

Seeking that empty tomb.

Thank you for it. Thank you for your word. We thank you for the sacrifice made on that Friday afternoon. And we thank you for the love. Are open that tomb on a Sunday morning? Father we thank you for the Salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ through his death burial and resurrection of our faith in him.

We thank you that he paid the price for the sin that we could not pay. Father I pray this week we going to this time of of of worship through the hearing of the word and in through the presentation word that you'd put me aside.

But you let this be all about you. About the work you have done and the work you will continue to do in the Life lives of those who believe. father speaks our hearts Kalen dress Invictus Jesus name I pray

so it's Sunday morning and I think about this Sunday morning some two thousand years ago and in what it must have been like. Jesus died and been buried on Friday people were still in shock people were in despair. You know, we know the story we know what happens they didn't. It wasn't supposed to end their minds work this way right that that it's Friday, but Sunday's coming. Right? We we always seem to have that kind of mindset around this time of year, but the apostles and disciples in in the followers of Jesus. It was silent on Saturday. deathly silent on Saturday peterhead denied Christ 3 times just the day before imagine what was running through his heart at this time as he's back the other Apostles begging them for forgiveness because he can't beg Christ for forgiveness yet.

The loneliness in the despair that they must have been feeling. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary they get up and they go to the tumen and Luke tells us that the ladies are taking spices to the tomb.

We don't think about this very often. Modern embalming allows us to not think about this very often. But a deceased body after about 3 days begins to smell. Little sooner than three days typically and they would take these spices to the grave and put them in there to keep the smell of Rotting Flesh from overwhelming communities. There be lots of bodies in these tombs in there. You don't know how often you're burying people. You may have to open a tomb every month or so depending upon how old your family is. They would take those spices. 30 keep that smell down

In Mark's gospel tells us that that along the way these women are having this conversation, and I'm just trying to picture these these ladies. I don't know how big they were but Ladies are trying to figure out how are we going to get that rock rolled off that tomb so we can put the spices in? I don't know. We'll figure it out when we get there Mary. Are you sure about this? You're having a conversation in Mark's gospel about how are we going to get this rock rolled away? What will we do? When they approached the tomb and there's an earthquake and an angel. and I'm just All of a sudden these ladies got to be like this is Old Testament stuff earthquakes and Angels. This this isn't just happened what's going on?

And he's blindingly bright. He's frightening. You don't know we're nowhere in Scripture. It seems to be fine angels that are cute and cuddly like the Hallmark cards. I'm sorry Hallmark. That's that maybe your money maker of the song with the word of God says they're frightening right almost any time. We see an angel up here. The first thing the angel say is beer not or do not be afraid and then Roman soldiers, he's trained guards there shock to the point of just their stiff. I don't know if they passed out. I don't know if they fainted but it says that they're like dead men. They there they can't function anymore in the sphere. And they tremble and they faint and the angel tells him and do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus was crucified. He is not here. He is risen. Any leads the ladies into the tomb c4yourself? Not here anymore. Is gone.

But he tells him to go tell us disciples that he is risen and I and I love the story and John when is is John is telling this this part of the story in his gospel. Did the ladies come back and John and Peter? Sprint to the tomb and John is so excited about this the heat literally outruns Peter like Peter stops, and I don't know if Peters like can't make it or what I don't know but it says that Peter stops before he gets to the tomb. I don't know if he's catching his breath or if he's just that realization of what he'd done Friday night has hit him. But he stops John goes all the way in and John goes all the way in and he sees the Jesus is not just left the tomb he's gotten up and actually made his bed. Is folded the burial Linens that were around his face and head and he folded them. Neatly and he's left them sitting there on the on the Shelf of the Tomb. Computer finally goes in and he sees it. And in the women tell the disciples in the disciples all go back. I just love this part of the store here in Matthews. Oh, where is the ladies are going to tell the disciples Jesus approaches them, right? So exciting thinking and he says Don't Be Afraid cuz I'm going to lie to you. I see somebody that I watched I come up and talk to me. I'm going to be afraid. Going to be afraid to take no, it's okay girls. Don't be afraid. It's true what I told you. is true and I loved it that they fall to his feet and I grab his feet. It's almost like there is this real? I grabbed his feet. Is this real? Are you dreaming this it's early in the morning. Are we awake yet? Is this real? They grabbed his feet and I begin to worship do not be afraid. He tells him to go on to the Galilee in Jesus will meet them there and Financing. Did he start some he take some back to Galilee where his ministry started? Here is his Earthly Ministry is wrapping up. I'm going to go back full circle where it's going to start here in Galilee and he takes them back there. And they tell the apostles and while they're telling the apostles this than the bribe start happening at those Chief priest role as Chief priests. I don't get them with their bribes a bribe Judas and when he said I don't want your bride money, and I said man. We don't want your bride money back, right so. The deception there among them and in the lies spread among them is is horrible and they bribed the soldiers to spread the light of the Apostles and stolen the body of Jesus when the guards fell asleep. Now, you got a bribe a Roman guard with a lot of cash. For him to be willing to say I fell asleep on guard Duty. That was instantaneous. Decapitation like they were done that that was executable that that was treason on the highest level to fall asleep on guard Duty and it's finally talk about the dispatching a guard. This would have been a squadron. This would have been about 15 guys. So they got to bribe enough guys to all of them say I fell asleep on guard Duty.

Bruce you served and he spent some late nights in some crummy places. You got a squadron 15 or more guys, right typically. What are to fall asleep doll 15th? Okay, I didn't think so. But I knew I would double check my math on that. Yeah, and the same what happened 2000 years ago those Roman guards. That's a lot of money be bribing out folks with And it's funny to think that. And in this particular culture at this particular time that if you wanted a lie of Jesus being raised from the dead to be believed. You wouldn't tell it to women first. They couldn't testify in court.

It's got to be true. It's just got to be true the women why would the women lie to us about this? And we know that that Peter and John run to see and they see it all and we also know that the number of people. The Jesus speaks to after his resurrection is round 500.

face-to-face conversation it's hard to deny the resurrection here. banana verse 11 I'm sorry, you got to come to head.

Turn up verse 11. Jesus than meets with the 11 who are in Galilee as you told him to do in in Jesus while meeting with the them gives him the Great Commission. He says his all authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to me go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I Am With You Always to the end of the age.

this Commission this this directive from Jesus Christ this command and summer guards. Is so important to the followers of Jesus. Is it says so much to us as it's his followers the first chunk. Here's the phrase all authority. All authority in Jesus risen State he has absolute authority over both Heaven and Earth. Absolute authority over that. Any showing us his deity in being a risen savior? It is so he says this but then he says he falls it up with has been given me.

All authority. So Jesus has all authority in heaven and on Earth, but he says has been given me. Is it comes from the father?

Have the father. So all of this Authority that he has comes from God the Father this this means that Jesus even in his resurrected state is still subject to the father and he submits to him willingly. By the way. This is a willing submission. But he still submits to the father it and I think about them. I think when we surrender everything over to Jesus Christ when we say Lord Make Me Yours. I'm your slave. I'm your bond servant do Lowe's in the Greek when I say that ultimately then through Christ. We have submitted ourselves to the father just as Christ has done.

Jesus sets for us the example in biblical submission in this he had all this Authority. Gave it up. You know that bats and you can have it. I'm only want to do with it what you want me to do with it.

Go therefore and make disciples. We sometimes forget this here that in this is Jesus is saying all authority has been given me and when he comes back then he says go. Therefore make disciples that at this moment. Jesus is giving us Authority. Brighten this committee saying to you now have the authority to do this in the name of Jesus Christ. You have authority to do this task. He's giving us the authority to take the gospel message that we have been given out to others. See we have been entrusted. With a message for the broken world of redemption and salvation. We've been entrusted with that and now he's telling us you have the authority to share it. I think when I read through specially the gospel of Mark all the times that Jesus did something in the authority of God and then he would look at the disciples. Maybe like don't tell right. Now we said no. The Authority Go Tell it was my story while I was here now, it's your story from me while I'm gone. Go tell you have the authority to do this. Please use that Authority appropriately use it rightly use it frequently and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 we've been at rest with this message of a broken World being Redeemed by a holy God. We are expected to give that message to others making this stop cuz

we like things to hurry up and happen. Jesus says

make disciples first.

18 disciples

Is sometimes a long hard process?

It's not this one and done situation. I took a friend through a track and then I showed him Billy Graham's peace with God. And and now that why aren't they saved? I don't get it by why don't why don't they know Jesus the way? I know Jesus Will how many years is it taking you to get to know Jesus the way, you know, Jesus believer.

How many?

It's a long process. It shouldn't be considered a one-and-done scenario. We can expect to see salvation every time we share the gospel. People had one-on-one face-to-face Encounters of Jesus Christ. He shared with him exactly what they needed to do to have eternal life. And I think of that Rich Young Ruler went away sad. Not having eternal life. And we don't know if he turned later when he saw the Miracles that happened Good Friday through through Easter Sunday morning for the Resurrection Day. We don't know what he did. But we know at that moment in scripture. He went away sad, even though he had heard the message of Jesus Christ Judas one of the twelve who lived with Jesus for 3 years administered side by side or the gospel, probably more than any of us have ever thought of hearing the gospel. He's the one who betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

Making disciples is a long hard process church. It's not going to happen overnight. It's going to take some perseverance on our part and that's why that Authority from crisis important in our lives because if it through Christ, it'll happen if it's the wrong power. Forget it. Never one make a disciple of Jesus Christ in your own power.

If we are consistently investing in the lives of those that we know need Jesus Christ. You're that consistently investing in their lives. We will see disciples me. What is that consistency? That's important? He continues on saying teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Disciples of Jesus Christ are continually being transformed to be more like Jesus the word observe. Here's the same as the word. Obey. Observance obedience the kind of go hand-in-hand here and there and they're from the same same routes to we are transformed through obedience. Right, we we learn this that that obedience transforms us I have you know. I was a punk kid there people on this Churchill to testify that I'm not going to let him right now, but they would all right. I had to learn to be obedient. Sometimes my seat got warm. Sometimes my hands got stung whatever it needed for me to be an obedient person that transform to me with this. Isn't that kind of obedience, right? This is a teaching obedience the word disciple discipline means teaching

So in this this Great Commission that Jesus has given his followers here. He said teach them disciple him walk with him a train them to be obedient.

2 or transform constantly through obedience to Jesus Christ we spend time in his where we spend time with other believers. We hash things out. We we try to figure out what does it mean to be more more like Jesus every moment. We pray asking make me more like you make me less like me also isn't in his writings. I'm trying to put away the old man.

This process is called sanctification and it doesn't happen instantly. It's a process to a long process. From the time that you all on your face and you cry out. I need you Lord. Jesus cleanse me, forgive me until he calls you home you are being sanctified. It is that long a process.

Some of us handful years some of us a lot of years. God is going to use you in that sanctification process for his glory and for his good and for his honor. But as we are in Christ Jesus, we are continually changing continually growing continually being more like him. It comes back to I Am With You Always to the end of the age.

this This phrase to these disciples can't even imagine the joy.

That must have brought to their hearts that Sunday. They had watched a man that they had sacrificed everything for the last three and a half years or so for. I am and that they'd heard safe. I'm building a kingdom. Then he was gone.

He says to them I Am With You Always to the end of the age to Jesus is letting us know that he has not. And he will not leave us alone. God is with us. Can you imagine watch Saturday must have felt like for those 11 there were still left those ladies that followed Jesus for his mother. He was there the cross and watched him die. How old is loan? They must have felt.

As I pondered that this week cuz I'm prepping this and I'm I'm looking at the script and I'm reading the other accounts of the Resurrection to the other gospels. And I and I see this I am with you always to the end of the age. I started welling up in tears of joy. Knowing that my Jesus will not forsake me. You will not leave me. I am not alone. I am his bought paid for sealed and done.

And that gave me great comfort. Ray comfort

because I think often we are alone. We feel alone. We feel lonely.

And I think of how the apostles disciples lose followers of Christ must have felt a Joseph of Arimathea must have felt when I'm going to bury him appropriately. I had

Can't go back to being on the on the High Council II. I've given all that up. Now. What do I do? Jesus has with Joseph Peter denied me. Ikea gotcha. It's okay that Comfort the joy that must be there. as we look at this scripture we see that Jesus has Authority. And if we see Jesus Authority we should that should stir us up to believe in his authority. I should stir us to know who he is and he is God and in that Authority we should also noticed that he's not just your personal Savior and Lord, but he is universal Lord and Savior doll. But this isn't just covering me and you it's covering all of us and and he has authority over all the nations as authority over all nature as a thority over disease has authority over demons. Jesus has Authority here over sin and death. And he conquered both.

And because of that sent that authority over sin and death Jesus also has the authority over our lives and over every life we encounter.

Jesus has Authority should compel us. You should move in US it should stir us up. It should really get us going we should see is worth only see the worth of Jesus that should fuel our mission here on Earth.

And worshipping him in all that we do in an aam headers of life. That should be our missions goal.

When we see Jesus Authority and because of his authority we want to obey his commands.

We said that his authority should compel us so she can tell us to obedience. It should compel us to to desire to be closer and closer to him. But when I see this when he says go therefore is not inviting us to come get baptized and sit comfortably in one spot. I don't I don't see that.

He's calling us to go all of us to go. He's calling us to make disciples and he's calling us to baptize those disciples and this is a costly. Call he's giving us.

Not just financially costly. I can be personally costly. I think about what these these 11 are about to give up. These 11 Apostles of them John the other Apostle in in the Book of John sometimes referred to as the Apostle Jesus loved he is the only one who dies a natural death. Every other one of those eleven is murdered. every other one and they die at a young age most of them.

Cuz it's costly. We were bought and paid for by Jesus Christ at a very high price. When we serve him with going to pay a high price back, it'll cost us friends. It'll cost us relationships. It'll cost us possibly our lives here on Earth. To die is to gain Christ. amen die is to gain Christ. As followers of Jesus. We are all called to share the word. right Share the word take this word the word of God. Take it to others where does share it? Where does show it? Live it out and to teach it.

And in doing so we are to serve the world. That's the tough part that serve in the world the world Dead Like Us. And I will take our services they don't like us they don't they don't they don't want to hear the gospel side of it. They don't want to I don't want to be part of that the world just like they despised. Jesus is going to despise us. We are to still serve them and love them.

I'm doing this this is the pathway. This is the step to making those disciples. And making disciples. We then multiply churches and in multiplying churches within grow the kingdom. That is Jesus's Kingdom.

That last little chunk. Because of Jesus has Authority that he talks about we can depend on his presents. Nothing, we are called to through Christ is based on who we are or what we can do.

I'm nothing. you know, I'm literally out. I'm a cog in a wheel and if I break down tonight and I get replaced I get replaced. I've witnessed this personally of a dear friend of mine who is a co-worker. Castaway On my lunch buddies two weeks later, her job was posted. Just how the world works. I'm replaceable at any moment at any given time as much as that hurts as much as I don't like to think about that. That's the reality of it. And nothing made my heart flutter and just feel like you're more than seeing that job posting come up, but it made me stop and realize a job postings me-too.

It's me to I'm nothing without Jesus Christ. I am thankful that that co-worker had Jesus. I'm not going to lie about that blesses my heart to know that she's no longer pain that she is she is in heaven right now. He's celebrating a resurrected Lord whipping and that's awesome and part of he's a little jealous. National Life Death Astilbe animate but a part of me is a little jealous. But nothing that we are called to do in Christ is based on who we are what we can do. It is all based on who Jesus is and what he can do through me and in spite of me. What he pushes me out of the way. His power is amazing. And we can experience the power of His presence with us and we can hope on the promise of his return today. We should think about that his resurrection signals a time for us that he says I'm back.

Don't forget that. Come out of the Grave y'all wait. I'm coming home. I'm coming back. I'm going to redeem you. I'm bringing it back.

We need to be watching for that.

When I look at this and I see this story of of what we are called to do is as followers of Christ and I see that Jesus Takes the time you could have just allowed everybody to sit in Marvel at the fact that he was a resurrected Lord.

He tells them this go therefore into all the nations.

Making disciples baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit teaching to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I Am With You Always to the End of the Age church. That's the message. We got to take.

We got to take that out if we're not taking that out. We're not doing our job. Not living up to the call that Jesus has given us. That's what it's about today. That is it is we look at that we go. Look, this is what I know. I am a sinner.

I have seen in my life. I have turned my back. I have rebelled against the holy just got who created me that's there in my life, but I surrendered that to Jesus. What that now makes me is saved by grace.

No longer in the eyes of a holy and just got a sinner. I've been bought and paid for by his son. I am now an adopted heir to the throne. I'm a son of God. And all I had to do was admit it cry out. I am a sinner. Confess that Jesus forgive me. I need your forgiveness to clean my life up. Nothing. I can do can clean it up for me.

And then tell others that I have made that decision.

And follow believe and follow tell recalled to do and tell that to people and share that message. Today if you're believing you're a follower of Jesus Christ and you're saying yep boy, that's there. I got to do that more often. Some of this time of call the action invitation is for you time for you to just say I'm going to I'm going to get on my face before holding just got and I'm going to I'm going to make it right with him. I'm going to do business. I'm going to I'm going to ask him to show me who it is, and I need to be sharing his gospel message with how does that work? And who is that? maybe you're somebody's like have been with God and I know God but have stepped away a little bit. I'm not where I should be. I'm not where I want to be with God thinks he feels like he's a Million Miles Away. laser day 2 What is it if you just say I want to draw closer to God? I want to come back to you Lord, and he's going to grab ahold he's going to pull you in. How it works.

He's going to do that and maybe say you're thinking. I know I need Jesus for the first time. That I I need to surrender my life to him.

Going to give you that opportunity. It just take the time to do business with God. Whatever that businesses you need to do with God. Today's to say Now's the Time.

Jesus can we just thank you so much.

Thank you so much for being so willing. Sacrifice what you did on our behalf to pay for the sin that I should be paying for. Father's a Believer. I don't ever want to take that for granted. I don't ever want to not know a generous and gracious you were in that.

Others were here and we're praying and we're we're doing business with you were responding. to your word through scripture We asked Lord that you would move in our hearts.

Maybe there's somebody that we know it work as a follower of Christ it that we need to share the gospel with because we love them and we know you love them and they need to hear this message.

Put them on our hearts. Let us not be able to escape that and be able to share that message Father Maybe. Maybe we just stepped away. We're not as close as we want to be. Dross in Bring Us close to you. moving us that way father Maybe I'm here for the first time.

I need Jesus.

I want to I want to respond to that.

All we ask that you would move in our hearts all of our hearts in here and one of these three ways today.

Jesus name I pray