Matthew 28:1-10 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Has Risen
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook 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 was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Address
Introduction
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 If the resurrection is false, “we are of all people to be most pitied”
v 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
useless – empty, vain, devoid of truth. being vessels, etc. which contain nothing, people empty handed without a gift and nothing to offer
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Futile – devoid of force, truth, success, result useless, of no purpose
Pitied – miserable Rev 3 same word to describe the church at laodicea – when Jesus calls them TEPID the ones spat out of His mouth
I think he has laboured the point enough to prove that the fact Christ is risen from the dead is central to the christian faith. The world may see Christmas as the preeminent season but it is Easter that is the defining moment in the history of humankind and the church. It is at the very core of our belief as Christians. We may have disagreements about many things, but this is at the heart of our common faith. It is the faith of Christians of every denomination around the globe, whether we are Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestants.
But if it is that important, then so WHAT?
It is important
So without the resurrection we are lost and our faith is meaningless.
It was important at the time. That first Easter Sunday. It was important to the Women at the tomb, those that met the Angel and then Jesus himself. Clasped his feet and worshipped him. As they continued on their way they were filled with a mixture of fear and joy at what they had just witnessed.
It was important to the disciples as they waited, hidden from the world, fearful and without hope. The truth of what they had missed or misunderstood about Jesus had not yet revealed to them. Ultimately the effect of the resurrection on them would be life changing.
It was important to the authorities as they attempted to suppress the truth through deceit, lies and intimidation. Fearful of the consequences. Desperate to hold on to power, position and their influence on others.
Has the resurrection made that difference to your life?
Does it still inform your faith?
Does it still fill you with a mixture of worship and fear?
For the women and disciples
The faith of the women was confirmed in this experience. The women had seen the risen Christ and they were changed forever. Their faith in a God who has overcome the ultimate destination for all of us, just as two things are certain death and taxes, death no longer applies, and in that very moment, they knew that the power of SIN was done for, removed. Their faith in a God that had removed the barrier between us all and Himself forever. A faith renewed in worship, because what else can you do once you have seen the risen Lord, and the awe and wonder of seeing the almighty at work. Seeing what He is capable of. Both the Angel and Jesus confirm the truth of the resurrection and reassure the women in their fear with those simple oft said words “do not be afraid”. The same words spoken to Mary the mother of Jesus at His conception and now spoken at His resurrection from the dead. Do Not be afraid, words that point the women towards their commission.
And they are told to “Go and tell the disciples” From the depths of despair they see Christ and the women receive a commission – and told not to be afraid as they execute that commission – Go and tell others about what you have seen. What you have witnessed here. Give testimony to what God has done and share the joy, the fear and the worship with them. Tell them Jesus is alive.
And tell them to go to Galilee and I will meet them there.- Give them a hope
For the disciples Galilee is important. At Galilee the disciples are given their commissioning “to go to all nations”. Jesus makes them fishers of men. Out of their experience Jesus also gives them a commission not to keep it to themselves but to witness the saving grace of God who has resurrected Jesus from the dead.
What makes you afraid of sharing what Jesus has done for you and others?
Can you be reassured by both the angel’s and Jesus’ call “Do not be afraid”?
Are you able to give testimony about what you’ve seen God do, to give others hope?
For us it is important
Is our faith confirmed today? Are we strengthened by this same truth for the present? Our Lord is alive today. He is no longer in the grave. He is with us now. All those thoughts the women felt have echoes in our own lives at one point or another. We saw the resurrected Lord and we were filled with joy at being loved so much. That God was willing to die for us. We were consumed with worship for the one who has given himself for us and removed the stain of sin from our lives. And we also felt fear at the power of God in our lives and seeing what He is able to do in and through us.
Can we hear the same words spoken to the women “Do not be afraid” Jesus is alive “don’t be afraid” God is with you. Although fear can be a major stumbling block in our lives of faith, the truth is we need not be afraid and that in itself is hard and can fill us with doubt and guilt. Aren’t we just strange creatures, afraid when we are told not to be.
However in this case, the premise for the angel’s and Jesus’ message is to encourage us to not be afraid as we witness to others. We need not be afraid in our daily lives but at Easter, faced with the resurrected Lord, we need not be afraid to share that with others…
And we are given the same commission to go. It is not a new commission, not a different commission to the one given to the women and the disciples. It is the same one that has resonated across the centuries, from one person to the next. Each one of us has someone who shared the resurrected Jesus with us and the holy spirit worked in them and us to make that a reality. That was the hope for us. Why not share that hope with others?
To Others it is important
Galilee has special meaning for Matthew. In Matthew 4:15-16 (quoting from Isaiah 9:1-2) it is called “Galilee of the Gentiles.” Galilee is, we might say, the “doorway to the world.” In both Isaiah and Matthew the light of divine revelation is to extend to the Gentiles. The gospel is for the nations, not just Israel.
And so I repeat, the commissioning and promise of the angel in v7 and of Jesus in v10 that his disciples are to go to Galilee, and that there they will find the risen Christ, is important. It is important in the story; it has been important in the history of the church; and it is important yet today. Since Galilee is the “doorway to the world” in the thinking of Isaiah, Jesus, and the Gospel of Matthew, the light of the gospel is then for the whole world, not just the Jewish people, not just the original disciples, and not just for us. It is to be taken to the world. God seeks to have fellowship with all people, not just us.
We have a Galilee, connections and doorways, into people’s lives. Be they friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues, whoever, they are doorways where we may speak of the resurrection and the love of God to each and everyone.
And the real startling hope for each one of us and for them is, Jesus makes use of flawed people in his mission. He wants the disciples to know that they will meet him in Galilee. What is so amazing about that is that Jesus forgives them for their failures. He even calls them his “brothers” v10. They betrayed him and deserted him at the time of his trial and death. But now he restores them as his co workers with the Holy Spirit and trusts them once again to represent him. And so it is with us. We are like the disciples. We are flawed people and have failed him often as individuals and as a church. But Jesus continues to call his disciples to follow him to Galilee, into then into the world.
The women “went to look” at the tomb but were sent by Jesus to share His life and serve. Today, nothing has changed.
Let’s take a few moments before we share communion together….
I wonder what God is saying to you right now?
I wonder if you can see people or opportunities in your Galilee?
I wonder what you need to ask of Jesus to help you share in those places?