He is Risen - Matthew 28:1-10

©Copyright April 1, 2018 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche EASTER

This morning, we move into the last chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Until the Lord returns, this is the dramatic high point of History. Everything we have read and studied in the book of Matthew has built to this moment.

Anyone who sets out to disprove the claims of Jesus must start by proving the resurrection did not happen. The thing that sets Christianity apart from every other religion is every other founder of a faith is dead. Buddha is dead, Confucius is dead, Muhammad is dead. Jesus is not! There is a qualitative difference between these faiths.

Therefore, we say the Resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Author Lee Strobel, came to faith in Christ after he tried to disprove the resurrection. His book “The Case for Christ” chronicles his examination of the facts.

It is ironic the disciples did not seem to understand the many times Jesus talked about rising from the dead. His opponents, the Jewish leader and Teachers of the Law seemed to understand exactly what he was saying.

At the end of Matthew 27 we read,

62The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”

65Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

Everything possible was being done to make sure there were no claims of the resurrection of Jesus! However, the schemes of men cannot compare to the power of God! The seal likely would have been a long cord going across the stone sealed on either side by wax. If the stone was moved, the seal would break.

Easter Morning Chronology

One of the difficulties of the account of the Resurrection of Jesus is the differences in the accounts in the various gospels. It takes a little detective work to put the various accounts together. Some people see this as evidence the story is contrived. However, detectives will tell you that one of the sure signs of collusion between witnesses is that all the stories are the same. The differences in the accounts therefore argue FOR the trustworthiness of the account rather than against it. We will see shortly that the differences are NOT contradictions.

The first thing we learn is a group of women came to the tomb on that first Easter Sunday. If you put the various accounts together it appears they came as a group to give Jesus a proper burial. There were four women named and probably more with the group. We have already seen that Matthew mentions Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (perhaps his mother). Mark adds Salome. Luke writes of the two Mary’s, Joanna, and others.

They were understandably concerned about the big stone which sealed the tomb. Sometime in this journey there was an earthquake.. Did it happen before they left for the tomb, as they were headed to the tomb, or as they stood before the tomb? I think it is likely the earthquake had already taken place when they arrived at the tomb. Perhaps the guard had already left (in fear) to report what happened.

Let’s pick up Matthew’s account of Easter morning,

Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

2Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

5Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

8The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Matthew and Mark tell us about one angel. Luke and John tell us there were two angels present. Once again, people jump on this as a contradiction. It is not! Matthew and Mark relate the story of what the one angel said. Luke and John tell us there were two angels present. This is not a contradiction. It is evidence once again that the story is factual, not made up.

What happens next is a little confusing as you read the various accounts. It seems that a likely chronology would be this:

Mary Magdalene may have been sent by the women back to tell the disciples the body of Jesus was missing. It is possible the women stood back for a while gazing at the empty tomb trying to figure out what had happened

The women went and examined the tomb as it became lighter outside and they saw the angels.

Meanwhile Mary told Peter and John and they ran to the tomb. By this time the other women had left to return to Jerusalem.

Mary lagged behind (she had made the trip 3 times) when she arrived at the tomb, Peter and John had departed to tell the other disciples what had happened.

While Mary was standing alone in the Garden (she was not there for the angels). When Mary saw someone, she assumed it was the Gardener and asked if he had moved the body of Jesus. But it was Jesus and when He said her name she recognized Him instantly. She was overwhelmed with joy.

On the journey back to Jerusalem the other women encountered Jesus and bowed and grabbed his feet (making sure He was real).

Jesus sent them back to tell the disciples they had seen Him.

Meanwhile Jesus appeared to two men on the road to Emmaus.

Back at the meeting place of the disciples, the women shared their stories and the men from Emmaus shared their story in a locked room. Jesus appeared among them.

One more thing to notice about this account. The first eyewitnesses to the Resurrection were women. This is significant because the testimony of women was not valued highly in that Jewish society. Why is that significant? Two reasons. First, it shows God does not view women as second-class creatures. Though He may have created them with different gifts and functions from men, one is not more valuable than the other.

Second, IF the story was being made up . . . they would have had Jesus appear to men because it would have been the stronger and more accepted testimony to people.

Next week we will talk more about the ways people resist the Resurrection. Today, I give you the facts and draw your attention to the four exhortations in the text.

Exhortations

Four different exhortations are given to these followers of Christ. Some were from the angel, some were from Jesus himself. I believe these commands are also valid for us.

“Don’t Be Afraid!” In verse 5 the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid!” “I know you are looking for Jesus . . . He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead.” Then in verse 10 Jesus said to the women: “Don’t be afraid!”

Life can be frightening! Violent people seem to be everywhere. One normal visit to a Doctor can result in a death sentence. The financial markets are precarious. Life is uncertain. Death seems to loom over us wherever we turn.

The great message of the resurrection is this: death can no longer hurt the one who has placed their faith in Christ! We don’t have to fear death because it is only temporary! Death is no longer the end of life, it is simply the end of the beginning of life! We still may not like the prospect and process of death, no one does, but . . . we don’t have anything to fear from death itself.

When you lose someone you love, it is devastating. We fear we will forget or that others will forget. We wonder how we can make it without the person. However, the resurrection holds out the promise of reunion. We will see each other again. Death is no longer “Good Bye” it is, “I’ll see you later.”

Once you have come to peace with dying, everything else is less threatening. Paul wrote, “O death where is your victory? O grave where is your sting?” The resurrection of Jesus is a fact you can examine. But it is not JUST a fact. It is an event that alters our approach to life, the way we handle death, and it gives us a reason and hope for life.

“Come and see!” In verse 6 the angels told the women to come and see. The Angels invited them to examine the evidence, to see for themselves that He was not there.

I encourage you to do likewise. Take a good look at the evidence. You don’t have to, and you shouldn’t take my word for this. The Resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. You need to be SURE about this! Look at the evidence! Ask your questions. Though we come to Christ by faith we do not have to come gullible!

Personally, the thing that has helped me the most in the times when I doubt (and there are those times), is the fact that I have looked at the evidence for the resurrection and have become convinced beyond any doubt that Jesus truly rose from the dead. No matter what else is going on, or what has shaken my faith, my anchor is the fact that Jesus rose from the dead and proves for me that He was indeed who He claimed to be . . . the Son of God who came to save me and lead me to eternal life. That conviction changes the way I approach everything else. I am not merely following a religious leader, I am following the only man who has risen from the grave. I am following the Son of God who gave His life for me.

Not only are we to come and see . . . we should invite our family and friends to examine the evidence. Tell them to “Check it out!” There are some good books to help you start:

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (for those who don’t like to read, there is a movie about the true story of Lee Strobel, an investigative reporter). Strobel was an atheist trying to disprove the resurrection and became a Christ-follower.

Cold Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace is how one cold case detective looked at the resurrection of Jesus. He too started his investigation as an unbeliever and at the end of his investigation he became a follower of Christ.

The Movie “God’s Not Dead 2” examines the evidence for the reliability of the story of Christ.

“Evidence that Demands a Verdict” and “More than a Carpenter” by Josh McDowell are both filled with the evidence from wide-ranging sources.

Man, Myth, Messiah by Rice Brooks

It is good for you to be aware of the evidence so you can direct your friends in their own pursuit of truth.

Go and Tell! In verse 10 the women are told to go and tell the disciples. At the end of the gospel of Matthew Jesus tells the disciples to go into all the world and proclaim the message of the gospel.

If the message of Easter is true, and I believe with all my heart that it is, then it is the best and most important news there is to share.

God is Real

God Cares

Life is not meaningless

Forgiveness is possible

There is Life beyond the grave

Almost everyone you meet is longing to hear one of these messages of hope. We should be shouting the news from the housetop! You may assume that everyone understands the message of Easter. But they don’t! They are confused by Bunnies, Easter Eggs, candy, and family gatherings. Someone . . . we . . . need to tell people that Easter is not a holiday, it is a historical event that changed everything. It is not a celebration designed by chocolate manufacturers, it is God breaking through the walls of death and futility – giving us hope and new life.

Who can you tell today? Who needs the message of Easter tomorrow and months from now? Whenever we talk about our faith we should move the conversation to this moment, to this event, and to this Savior. This is the pivotal event which is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.

Remember what I told you (v.7). There is one more imperative. Jesus told them to remember what He told them. And this is vital for us as well. We need to remember the message of Easter today and every day. We need to recall it . . .

When we are overwhelmed with life and wonder what’s the use.

When we feel defeated and believe we have failed beyond recovery.

When we stare death in the face and feel the anxiety of an unknown future looking back at us.

When we stand at a freshly dug grave and wonder what the future will hold without one we love.

When we face a To Do list paralyzed by trying to figure out\ what is most important.

When we are talking to a friend who seems to have lost all hope.

We MUST remember the Resurrection of Jesus because it gives us a whole new starting point (and ending point) for life. This must not be a one day celebration; it must become the fuel for our daily living! Start each day with the reminder that because He lives . . . the future is certain, the present is in His hand, and we never, ever, walk alone.

Conclusions

My life is fueled by the reality of Easter. It is not because it is the day that everyone finds their way to church at the same time. The resurrection has been like an earthquake in my life. The truth of Jesus’ return from death has convinced me that He is the One worth following with all my life and being.

What about you? Have you ever looked carefully at the Resurrection of Jesus? Have you considered the evidence or have you merely accepted what someone else has said, either for or against the resurrection? This is too important to be lazy. If these things are true you know there is a God, there is life beyond the grave, Jesus is the way to this life, life does have a purpose, there is such a thing as absolute truth, and we should follow Him and listen to Him with all our strength.

Many people come to church. Though Church attendance can help you learn about Jesus and the Bible, going to church cannot get you to Heaven. What is needed is a relationship with this one who rose from the dead! Jesus is still alive and He wants to lead you to forgiveness and new life. He wants His sacrifice to apply to your rebellion, failures and sin The way this happens is for you to recognize the way you have ignored Him in your life and run to Him with a desire to be the person He created you to be. He invites you to come to Him and let Him lead you, cleanse you, remake you, and finally to resurrect you when you die. If you have never done so I encourage you to do so today.

I’m reaching that point in my life where I am prone to tell the same stories over and over (which is not a news flash to many of you). I tell them well, because I have rehearsed them often. Some of you can tell some of the stories as if they were your stories. I know Rick can do that.

If you are going to recount something again and again, why not make the recounting of the empty tomb one of those stories we repeat most often? Why not look for opportunities to share the great news of Easter morning? Let’s share the transforming nature of Easter. This is one of those stories that truly is sweeter every time we tell it. And every time we tell it, we find it is exactly the story we most need to hear.