Sermon Tone Analysis

The Resurrection Response.

Introduction:

Introduction:

As Christians we love to be reminded of the glorious reality that our Saviour willingly went to the cross for our sin along with its punishment.

Then have the joyous celebration of how Jesus was raised from the dead as the victor over death.

We love to sing songs like “Up from the grave He arose” or “Because he lives”.

We should love these songs as they draw our hearts to worship the Son of God.

But if I was to ask the question of what the resurrection means to you, how would you respond?

I asked a few of you this question and the answers were great.

Such as hope, new life, eternal fellowship with Jesus, power, freedom, victory.

or some version of that.

For today, in light of those truths, I want to show that the resurrection has implications to our day to day living.

The main theme from our passage that I want to bring out is that action follows an empty tomb.

This happens first of all with the two Marys, followed by the guards and then the disciples.

Point #1 - Mary and Mary Magdalene tell the disciples.

What is evident from all accounts in the gospels is that everyone thought that when Jesus exhaled his last breath, the King was in fact dead.

Their idea that Jesus would rule the earth and expel the Roman empire didn’t happen according to their reasoning.

How often our human plans and common sense falls far short of God’s divine sovereign plan.

The disciples which included women like these two Marys had forgotten how Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection three times.

So as the Marys make their way in the dark to the tomb to prepare his body the ground they are walking on shakes like they were walking on jello because an angel of the Lord had descended to earth to roll away the stone that covered the tomb.

As they approach the tomb they see the angel sitting on top of the stone, dressed in garments white as snow with his appearance brilliant like lightning.

The guards were struck with fear and fainted.

However, the Marys were told by the angel to not be afraid “…for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.”

He spoke the truth.

They were indeed coming to see a dead Jesus that had been crucified.

Yet he was not condescending towards them.

He tells them that the One you seek is not in the grave.

He is alive!

He is risen just like he had said.

Then the angel invites them to look into the tomb where the body was laid 3 days earlier.

He then directs them to go to the disciples and tell them what they have seen.

Tell the disciples that Jesus is alive and to meet him in Galilee where they also will see him.

No faith was needed to believe what the eyes have seen.

Throughout this chapter the words see, seek and saw is found six times.

Eye witness accounts are supposed to be believed.

This is why court cases value them so highly.

The angel then directs them to go to the disciples and tell them what they have seen.

Tell the disciples that Jesus is alive and to meet him in Galilee where they also will see him.

No faith was needed to believe what the eyes have seen.

Throughout this chapter the words see, seek and saw is found six times.

Eye witness accounts are supposed to be believed.

This is why court cases value them so highly.

The Marys go quickly with fear and great joy and run to tell his disciples this great news!

But then they were met by the risen Lord (9).

“Greetings” “hello” a joyful welcome to someone you haven’t seen for a while.

Much like you could imagine someone who was on death’s door, but by a miracle they recover and when you see them next your eyes light up and you shake their hand exuberantly or hug them.

The Marys fall on the ground and worship the risen King.

He alone is worthy of worship and this is the right response toward our King.

The two Marys have not only seen the empty tomb, now they have laid eyes on the risen Lord.

Jesus then restates what the angel had told them.

Do not be afraid of this supernatural experience.

“Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me.”

So from Matthew’s account, as a result of the resurrection of the Lord, the two Marys are to go and tell the disciples what they have seen.

The resurrection has turned sorrow into joy.

It has turned hopelessness into being hope filled.

Evidence verified by sight of an empty tomb and beholding the glory of the risen Christ has led to action.

Going and telling about this reality to the disciples as a result of this truth.

The word “go” as instructed by the angel and Jesus is mentioned three times in this chapter.

You could say that this verb is about going as instructed or as you move along, tell the disciples about the risen Christ.

Wherever you go, talk about Jesus because the resurrection proves who he is.

Go to Galilee.

So what we have seen so far from Matthew’s account is that as a result of the resurrection of the Lord, the two Marys are to go and tell the disciples what they have seen which is an empty tomb.

The resurrection has turned sorrow into joy.

It has turned hopelessness into hope.

It has caused evidence verified by sight to believe that Jesus has been raised to life.

This now has led to acting upon this reality to go and tell the disciples what they have seen and what they are to do as a result of this truth.

Tell, told, teach or similar words like this are used seven times.

I think this gives evidence enough in that we use words to communicate what we see and what we believe.

So we could summarize this by stating that as a result of the resurrection, the Marys respond by going along and telling the disciples what they have witnessed.

Point #2 - The Guards tell a “story”.

Now we get to the guards who also saw evidence of the resurrection.

It would do well if we give a little background.

In the last 5 verses of the previous chapter, the chief priests and Pharisees gather on the Sabbath.

While the disciples had forgotten what Jesus said about him being resurrected on the 3rd day, the Jewish leaders had not forgotten.

They go to Pilate and tell him that this imposter Jesus had told everyone how he was going to come back to life.

To prevent a scandal bigger than what has already happened in the city, set up a guard that will protect the tomb until after the 3rd day.

This will ensure that the disciples don’t steal his body and tell the people that he has in fact risen from the dead.

Pilate gives them guards and his official seal to secure the tomb.

On the 1st day of the week, Sunday, the Lord’s Day of his magnificent resurrection, the world of these guards collapses like a dandelion when it is stepped upon.

Here they are, maybe sitting on the grass, backs resting against the rock of the tomb, anticipating the end of their shift when they can go home.

All of a sudden the ground beneath them shakes and an angel so bright they can hardly look at him appears before them and moves the rock that covered the tomb of the rich man Joseph of Arimathea.

At the sight of the glory of the heavenly host they tremble and faint like as if they were dead.

Now in (11-15) we move to a new scene in this narrative.

The Marys are on their way to the disciples and some of the guards recover enough from their terror to go into the city and report what happened to the chief priests.

The guards knew that failing to fulfill their duties could result in being executed so it is no wonder that not all dared to go into the city.

But some did gather their courage to give their account of what they saw.

The chief priests then gather to themselves the elders of the community.

They deliberate and reach a conclusion to buy off the guards to give a false report.

They say to the guards “Tell people, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were sleeping.

And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”

The guards take the money and go into the community telling people what they had been instructed to say.

Notice a similar theme playing out here?

What the guards saw was truth.

Jesus was alive.

An angel of the Lord of heaven had in fact moved the stone.

They saw with their own eyes this reality, obviously before they fainted.

They then report this reality to the chief priests.

The Jewish leaders take the truth and twist it.

They bribe the guards to go and tell the people a lie.

Satan uses human agents to deceive and bear false witness.