Matthew 28:1-10
“Rejoice, He is Not Here.”
Vs. 1-4 Roll Away The Stone
Vs. 5-8 Come See
Vs. 9-10 Go Tell
Intro
In the last chapter, we finished off with a guarded tomb. In the 61st verse, we were told that near that guarded tomb sat at least two women. The tomb had been guarded because at least practically the religious leaders believed Jesus words that after three days He would arise. Yet the women are there not because they believed His words, for if they had believed Jesus’ words, they would not have come to the tomb at all. No, they were there because they did not believe His words, yet they were absolutely devoted to Him.
Maybe you can guess where I’m going with this. I have been at times in my life doctrinally correct but devotionally off. But rarely have I been devotional right and doctrinally off. At the start of our study this morning, allow me to make an early application point:
It is better to be devotionally right and doctrinally a bit off than to be doctrinally right and devotionaly off. Why? Well, when you deal with doctrine, you are dealing with your intellect, and you all know how easy it is to change your mind on something. Yet when you are dealing with your devotion, you are dealing with your heart, and that’s a far greater issue for the Lord to change. It is my prayer for myself and you that we will allow the Lord to cause us to be more like these gals and less like these religious leaders. Hey, I don’t have all the answers. but I’m devoted to the One that does!
Vs. 1-4 Roll Away The Stone
Vs. 1 In this verse we are told the day, approximate hour, and those that first discovered the empty tomb. It was early Sunday morning as these women made their way leaving as it was still dark and arriving at the tomb at dawn. These heartbroken women left the walls of Jerusalem toward where they had watched Joseph and Nicodemus lay His body a day earlier.
I can imagine the heavy hearts of these ladies. Hope lost, but love not severed. All of us will experience this feeling. Someone whom we love so deeply is gone, and a part of us is missing. There is a word that we use to describe this feeling, “loss.”. Someone that added to our lives will not be able to do so any longer, and so we say that we have suffered a loss! And in those early days of grieving, we cannot imagine ever getting over that “loss.”.
Back in England’s history, there was a time when the nation experienced this sense of loss. Napoleon had been on an island in exile, where he had rebuilt his army to over 75,000 men. They were fierce fighters, perhaps the best in the world at that time. The commander of the British force was the Duke of Wellington. He was ordered to stop Napoleon’s advance with only 67,000 men, and there they met at Waterloo. Napoleon was heavily favored to win, and if victorious, all of Europe would have been invaded and lost their freedom.
A ship was sent out into the British Channel; it was their job to signal the outcome of the battle as all of England waited to hear the news along the shores of Dover. Finally, the signal came from the ship as the thick fog came across the water. The message simply read, “Wellington Defeated.” The heart of England broke as the nation began to weep. The news spread rapidly, and despair hit the nation as they realized that their freedom had been lost.
After much time had lapsed, the ship fired a cannon shot towards the tower at Dover to get the attention of those who had read the original message. This time, the fog had cleared just a little, and they could make out the message, which read, “Wellington Defeated Napoleon!” Suddenly, with the addition of the last word, the hearts of the nation broke forth in rejoicing!
How about it? Do you have a fog in your life that is not clear? Perhaps you feel as if all is lost? You feel defeated, without hope. You’ve come here to church like these ladies to come and see a tomb. Hey, folks, you can be a follower of Jesus, devoted to Him, and still go through time like this. But I have a word for you today: “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said!”
Vs.2-3 These ladies did not come expecting to find what they did, so it was not their faith that gave them this honor. What brought them to the tomb? It was their devotion! Folks, the greatest part of our Christian life is to be found in our love for Him. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” It is when we realize His great love for us that we are devoted to Him.
So why was the 4-ton stone rolled back up the hill? Was it to let Jesus out? Of course not! Jesus did not need an angel’s help to get out of the tomb. Mark tells us that these ladies had been wondering how they were going to get in as they said, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” So why was this done? Well, it was not to let Jesus out but rather to let us in! I find that interesting; religion is about man trying to get into where God is, and we can never do enough. The stone is too heavy, but in Christianity, God is the One who rolls the stone away so you can come in and see!
In 1885, General Gorden discovered what many think is this very tomb, and the first thing he did was gather soil from the ground. He took it back with him to noted chemists with only one question: “Is there any trace of decomposition?” And in every case there was no sign of decay! Why? Because Jesus rose from the dead!
Vs. 4 This angel, we are told in Mark, looked like a young man. Now I’m picturing a 13-year-old boy here, and these buff battle-worn Roman soldiers there passed out with fear at the sight of him.
Was it because he had some sort of powerful weapon pointing at them that caused this reaction? I don’t think so. Judging by what we are told here that continence was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow, it would seem to indicate purity and holiness. If that is the case, then there is a great principle to glean here. Power is not in physical stature but rather it is measured in terms of inward character. The powerful man is not the one that has rippling muscles; rather, it is the person who is humble and holy. Folks, if you want to freeze the opposition at work, be humble and holy!
Vs. 5-8 Come See
Vs. 5-6 Notice the first words from this angel, “Do not be afraid.” Why? Because they were just that. I mean, what would your reaction be? You come up to the tomb of your lord, and when you get there, you see the 4-ton stone rolled away, a bunch of passed-out soldiers that had guarded the tomb, and this young man sitting on the stone. Something is absolutely wrong with this scene.
If we are honest, a lot of things scare us. We don’t like anything that is uncertain! Anything that gets us out of our comfort zones causes us to react in fear. I read this the other day: “I intend to live forever; so far it’s going well.” The reality is death is 100% 10 out of 10 people will die. A father had the horrible task of telling his young daughter that her mother was going to die as she had untreatable cancer.
The little girl asked Daddy when she was going to die. “Well, said Dad, when the leaves on the tree start to fall to the ground, she will be gone. As that time approached, the dad looked out the window of the house to see his little girl by the tree with scotch tape in her hand, sticking the leaves back on the tree. We all deal with fear, but I want to show you this morning the great “fear buster.”
Vs. 6, “He is not here, for He has risen, as He had said.” No matter what you are going through today, this phrase changes everything. Everything that may seem hopeless and lost was on that day changed. What do you mean? Well, Jesus conquered death, and if He can defeat the one thing that has a 100% success rate, then He can handle your job, marriage, finances, illness, or whatever.
Folks, nothing can beat Jesus. The resurrection is the great answer to whatever fear or doubt you may have. All you need to do is trust Him. If Jesus lives in you, then Rom 8:37–39 tells us that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“Well, how do I know what you are telling me is true?” Hey, come and see the place where the Lord lay! So what did they find? They saw the graves’ clothes lying on the stone shelf empty like a flattened cocoon. There was no sign of struggle with the grave clothes, for He had passed right through them.
Now you may say that you can’t go to that tomb. But let me tell you what you can do. You can check it out in the Bible. For we are told of many different appearances of Jesus:
Peter saw him the same day; the two disciples on the road talked to him. Then He appeared to the disciples in a closed room without Thomas. Then later, He again appeared to them with Thomas. Then seven of the disciples were met by Him by the lake. Over 500 folks in Galilee saw him. James saw him in two different locations. Many saw Him at His Ascension. Steven saw Him when he was being stoned; Paul, who had hated Him, met Him near Damascus; then again, years later, Paul saw Him again in a temple. Lastly, the apostle John saw him while he was on the island of Patmos.
Need more proof? How about all the changed lives over thousands of years?
Vs. 7-8 Notice that going and telling follows “coming and seeing.” If you want to grow in your ability to share Jesus first, you need to “come and see”! Folks, we all need daily a clear vision of Jesus working upon the cross and His resurrection from the dead. It is as we make that the center stone of our lives that we will become effective in our telling to others.
I just love the fact that Jesus chose two women to be his first witnesses. Did you know that a women’s report was not acceptable in a court of law in those days?
So why did the Lord choose these ladies? Well, I think that it is to show us that He chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. To remind us that devotion is greater than our intellect. That humility and brokenness are better tools than self-effort. And may I just say that the effectiveness of the truth of the gospel does not rest upon the strength of the messenger, but rather upon the truth that we are charged to share!
Vs. 9-10 Go Tell
Vs. 9-10 I just love what the first word out of Jesus’ mouth is to these two gals: “Rejoice.” Did you know that the word here is the same word that we translate in the word “grace”? And what was their response? They grabbed a hold of him and worshiped him. Folks, if you understand His work for you, then you know that it is by grace that you have been saved, and all you can ever do in your life is worship Him!
Lastly, as Jesus sends them to tell the rest of the disciples, Notice what He calls them, for it is the first time He calls them this, “My brethren.” Hey, are you a failure like me? Do you sometimes think that Jesus is ashamed of you? Well, read this verse in light of the fact that these disciples had totally blown it, and Jesus is sending these ladies to tell them that they are “His family.”
Is that not great? So no matter how many mistakes you have, He still calls you family! And you know what else He wants to meet up with you. But there is obedience involved; you got to go to where He is. And where is that? Well, it’s in His word and fellowship of prayer and the body!
Here it is then, folks. You have got no excuses to stay in death, defeat, and despair. You can ejoice, so let’s go and meet Him so that we may worship at His feet!
Matthew 28:11-20
“Between Two Worlds”
Vs. 16-20 Jesus’ Call To Reach The World
Intro
For three days this week, Tom Porter and I had the opportunity to glean insights in how to best communicate the gospel from some of the most gifted expositor teachers alive today. Now as I was taking in every drop of the Word offered to us, I realized more than ever the assumed privilege granted to me and you to share the truth of God’s word with the world. Yet with that said, another fear settled in upon my heart, and that is how woefully unqualified I am to do so.
All too often we are like the scientist and his colleagues who, with all of their advancements, decided that they no longer needed God. So they got together and decided to tell him so. “God, we the scientists of the world have come to the conclusion that we no longer need You.” “All those creating miracles that have been attributed to You, we can now do ourselves.” “In fact, we can even recreate ourselves through cloning!” “So you can just go somewhere else because the mystery is all gone!”
Now God heard the scientist and listened very patiently. Finally God spoke and said, “Well, let’s see, why don’t we do a sort of contest to see if you really don’t need me?” “We will both make a man just like I did originally, OK?” “Great!” said the scientist.
“So the scientist got a cell from his body and started to put it in a jar. Then God spoke up, “Wait a minute; you are breaking the rules here. I said you had to make a man JUST LIKE I DID ORIGINALLY, and I did not use a cell nor a glass dish.” “OK! said the scientist, “I’ll do it just like you did, so he bent down to pick up some dirt, when again God stopped him, “NO, no, no!” “You get your own dirt!”
Folks, the power is not in the person; it is in Christ, and it will only change lives through the working of His Spirit through His word.
. As I said last week, these big old burly guys had passed out at the sight of this young-looking angel, and they had a real big problem. They had been sent to secure the tomb, and now the tomb was open and empty, with the only explanation that some bright young man moved the 4-ton stone away while these tough guys fainted at his sight!
Now notice that these Romans did not go to Pilate or their superior officers at first with this story. No, they went to the Jewish religious community. Why?
Well, they understood both the desperate situation they were in as well as the fact that the religious leaders would want to cover this whole thing up. In an old book called “Justian’s Digest of Laws,” the author lists some 18 offenses by which a Roman soldier was liable to be executed. Deserting one’s post, leaving the night watch, and taking flight when it would influence others to do the same were all of which they might have been put to death for.
Vs. 12-13 1 Cor. 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Have you ever noticed that the lame explanations that non-believers use to excuse away the truth often take more faith to believe than do the facts? What we have here is the world’s attempt to give rational reasons for an empty tomb.
Now what we are not told is what other possible explanations they might have come up with and then ruled out. It says here that “they took counsel.” Now I’m certain that they investigated all the possible explanations, such as:
“Jesus did not really die; He just passed out.” Nah, that would not work. Too many saw Him die on the cross; the spear was shoved into His side.” “No one will buy that.”
“The tomb is not empty; you only think there is not a body.” I mean, is reality really reality, or are we all part of someone else’s dream? How do you know?
Folks, what you have here is the very best reasoning in the world at that time. I mean, these guys put their heads together, and this was the very best explanation they could come up with. And verse 15 tells us that at the time of Matthew’s writing of this gospel, it was the most accepted alternative to the truth!
May I just punch some holes in this theory this morning? If the guards were all asleep, how did they know it was the disciples that stole the body?
Assuming that all of the above were possible, what was the reason? Well, people would be duped into believing that Jesus rose from the dead, proving that He was God the Son. OK, but what did they get out of it? Did this incredible act gain them something?
Did it make them powerful, rich, and popular? No, everyone of them died a martyr’s death for what accordingly they would know was a lie! Some of them had watched their children murdered and wives raped, and every last one of them did so, never flinching at all on what they would have known was a lie!
Folks I believe this report takes far more faith than I have. It simply does not add up. In fact, it is ludicrous!
Now some of the early church fathers wrote that Pilate had written an account to the Roman government as he was required after any execution. And they allude to its existence in the early church. A thousand years passed without that letter showing up until one day an American came upon it in the Vatican library.
It is called the Actipalate, and it was first translated into German, then into English. Now I must tell you that this letter from Pilate to Caesar speaking of the events of the crucifixion and resurrection has not been 100% authenticated, but it is very interesting nonetheless. Here is a small sample of what Pilate reportedly writes to Caesar:
“I sent him to the captain of the royal guard, Malcus, to take him, the Jewish soldiers, and place as many around the sepulcher as were needed, and then if anything should happen, they would blame themselves and not the Romans. And when the great excitement arose about the sepulcher being found empty,
I felt deeper solitude than ever. I sent for Malcus, who told me he had placed his lieutenant Benishim with 100 soldiers around the sepulcher. He told me Ishim and the soldiers were very alarmed at what had occurred there that morning. I sent for this man, Ishim, who related to me as near as I can remember the following circumstances.
He said that about the beginning of the fourth watch, they saw His soft and beautiful light over the sepulcher. He had first thought that the woman had come to embalm the body of Jesus, as was their custom. They could not see how they got through the guards.
nd while this reflection was passing through his mind, behold the whole place lit up, and there seemed to be crowds of the dead clothed. All seemed to be shouting and filled with ecstasy while all around and above was the most beautiful music they had ever heard. And the whole air seemed to be filled with voices praising God.
Well, there you have it! Folks, any way you slice it, you have to come up with an answer for an empty tomb! The biblical evidence is overwhelming. Now with that said, the world stands today still just like the religious leaders of that time making up reasons to deny the facts. If it were Jesus, I would just say to the disciples, “Just forget it; don’t even bother talking to those folks. And I’m afraid that all too often that is just what the church has done. But let’s see what Jesus tells His disciples.
Vs. 16 Now this was not their first meeting with Jesus; the disciples had met with Him several times before, but we read here that this was the “appointed meeting.” Folks, I like this, for it tells me that most of us need a little more than help to get to the mountain. You know what I mean? These guys had to be encouraged several times about Jesus’ resurrection. At one time we are told in Luke’s gospel that He sat down with them and just went through the scriptures. Jesus had told the Pharisees, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
And so Jesus showed the disciples just the truth of that statement. Maybe you’ve been a Christian for a while and you are still not at a place where you are ready to hear Jesus say to you to go! May I encourage today that sometimes it takes a while for us to make the trip to the mountain? Furthermore, we will never be ready to go to men until we are first ready to go to God, and we won’t do that until we are convinced of who He is! I’m blessed by the patience of Jesus towards us; how about you?
Vs. 17 Folks, when you finally begin to grasp who Jesus really is, all that you can do is worship Him. If I may paint the picture here for you, the 11 disciples are worshiping Jesus and probably others are as well, but there were over 500 we are told in Cor. around this mountain, and some of them were still not sure of who Jesus was.
Vs. 18-20 Here is where we have recorded what is called the “Great Commission.” Before we get into the specifics of what Jesus said, may I state the obvious:
“The world is not called to come to the church; the church is called to go to the world.” Today in the church growth movement, the pet phrase is to be “seeker sensitive.” But as I look at this passage, we are to be seekers, just as God is the seeker in the parables about the lost lamb and the lost coin! The Church is not for unbelievers; it is for believers, and what we are to do is simply to “live” the culture that we are placed into. I fear today that what the Church has done to reach the world is to become like the world, and in so doing they have denied the very power that will reach the world.
Folks, there is a real sense that the most exciting time that we ought to have at church is when you walk out that door! Now, be careful here; I’m not talking about, “Thank God that’s over!” I’m saying all right, I get to go out and live in the world!
Did you notice that Jesus uses the word or a derivative of the word “all” four times?
1.) Vs. 18: “All authority has been given to Me on heaven and on earth”: This is the secret of our service. Folks, have you ever been afraid to talk to someone about Jesus? Well, guess what you don’t have to be. Why? Because Jesus is in charge of heaven and earth. The word “authority” means the right to use power. So wherever we go, we can go in confidence! Hey, did you notice the importance of the word “ALL” here? Jesus did not say I have most of the authority, or I have all authority in this area but not very much over here. Now, based upon the fact that Jesus has “all authority,” he gives you what you are to do.
“Make disciples”: The word here had a Greek slant. Socrates had built an education system based upon Plato’s ideology. It was these apprentices that identified with the teacher that impacted the whole of society. Folks, the goal of conversion is discipleship. Jesus did not say go and make converts. No, He said make pupils, people who will attach themselves to Me and Me to them. So that by listening and doing they will influence everyone with Me!
2.) “All nations”: Now literally this “make all nations learn.” The commission is not to a select group but to every nation. Wherever we go, we are to learn of Christ!
“Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”: When a person is baptized, they are having a change of address. The word comes from what a person did when they would dye a garment a certain color. If the cloth was white and it was dyed purple, then there would be a visible change in its characteristics. So what would the visible change be in the disciple? Well, it tells us that we are to be baptized in the Trinity. Our visible characteristics should be those of the Godhead. So right here we see that Jesus is speaking for more than just a superficial change.
3.) “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded”: Here we see the method employed to cause that change, obedience to the Word of God. Learners need to be instructed on how they are to outlive the world. Notice the word “observe”; information without practice is worthless! People, we need to know how to do it! This is why we here at Calvary Chapel go systematically through the text.
4.) “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” What a great fact this is! Jesus is with us everywhere we go. So Go!!!