Risen Indeed
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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.”
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
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Resurrection
Personal
Introduction
In 2010, my wife and I went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and I had the privilege of leading a service of Holy Communion for our group at the empty tomb of Jesus [picture above]. The following day we went to the Holy Sepulchre, to a different empty tomb of Jesus.
I thought, ‘wait a minute, how can you NOT be sure where he was buried?’
I spoke to our guide and he confirmed that there are a few possible locations of the empty tomb.
The most famous person in history, and we’re not sure where he was buried. How can that be we have the 2500BC tomb of a Pharaoh (Khufu) in the Great Pyramid in Egypt, the tomb of Chinese Emperor (Qin Shi Huang) 208BC, Hadrian is in Rome, these are places where tourists and pilgrims can visit, but not Christians, we can’t be sure where the tomb of Jesus is!!
But why does it matter? It matters because it is another factor that proves what really happened on the first Easter really happened.
The reason the Christians have lost the empty tomb is because it was empty and once it was empty it was not important to the first Christians because they had the risen Jesus with them. The two Marys and Peter and John went to the empty tomb, but no other disciples ran to the tomb to check it out. Presumably, they believed them but more importantly, Jesus was with them [he came to them on that first day (except Thomas)].
None of the stories of the body being stolen or his ghost or spirit rising can be true because the risen Jesus was present with them he ate with them, they touched him, talked and walked with him.
Jesus really rose in bodily form; the tomb was so redundant that they forgot to remember where it was!
It was unimportant because they had the risen Jesus with them - it really happened. Hallelujah! He is risen indeed.
As we look again at Matthew’s record of this event that changed the world, I hope we can come with a freshness to the living word and reflect on the three messages we find in Matt 28:1-15. The Message of the Angel, The Message of Jesus and lastly the Message of the Guards.
[1] The Message of the Guards
I say lastly the guards, but that is where I want to begin, mainly because I do not want to end with them but also because they were the first ones to report the breaking news, to the religious authorities. The Good News that Jesus of Nazareth had indeed risen as he said he would.
We are introduced to them in Matt 28:3[The Angel’s] 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.’
That’s what we know about them at first. presumably, they came round because in Matt 28:11 ‘…. some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money 13 telling them, “You are to say ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep. 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.’
The Chief Priests and religious authorities first heard the Good News of the resurrection from the soldiers who guarded the tomb.
‘They reported everything that had happened v12.’ The Elders came up with a plan, they gave the guards a large sum of money to say the disciples came in the night and stole the body. They took the money and ‘the story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this day.’
The Religious authorities were not interested in the truth; they paid the guards to ‘bear false witness.’ What were they thinking, the priests paid the gentiles to break the 9th Commandment!
Imagine the guards going for a beer at the Soldier’s Arms that night and telling the story, ‘The disciples came and stole a body as we slept.’ They get another beer and someone asks, so 11 men moved a stone and you all slept right through. ‘Yep.’ They dragged the dead man out and only after they had gone you all awoke and realised the tomb had been raided. Yes that’s right. Wow, that is some sleep. ‘What were you drinking?’
They get another pint and one of their drinking pals says, ‘That was quite a night.’ Just one more thing, if you were fast asleep – how did you know the disciples were the ones who took the dead man from under your noses? Look says the guard, we have been paid to say what we said, so no further comment. By the 4th pint the drinkers agree perhaps Jesus has risen, just like he said. It makes more sense!
Yes it still makes more sense today than the lies and myth that informs unbelief today. The guards reported the truth as it happened at first. The earth shook, an angel came and rolled the stone away and when the two women looked in the tomb was empty. Hallelujah, he is risen indeed.
Matt 28:11 ‘some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.’
[2] The Message of the Angel
Secondly, let us reflect on the Message of the Angel. Matt 28:2 ‘An Angel..came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.’
NB the Angel didn't move the stone to open it for Jesus to get out - that is a myth. Jesus was risen already - he didn't need a stone to be moved. The stone was moved to let M and M see inside. But the first thing they saw was the Angel sitting on the stone. The appearance like lightning - clothing white as snow. They saw that the guards had passed out ‘for fear of the Angel.’ The Angel’s message to the women was ‘fear not! [v5] ….do not be afraid, I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.’ NB The Angel doesn't rebuke them but gently reminds them that in Matt 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Jesus told them he would be killed but would rise again in 3 days. Have you come here today looking for Jesus who was crucified? A good man, convicted unjustly and killed in his prime. Another good one bites the dust. Is that what you really believe? The Angel’s message to us today is ‘He is risen indeed.’
Then the Angel says ‘Come and see the place where he lay. Then Go quickly and tell his disciples he has risen from the dead.’
If Easter ended with come and see, we could enjoy our easter service and go home after to our Sunday Roast and say the service was good, ‘a lot of people out.’ Tea and coffee after was nice, chatted to Mrs Smith about her Chihuahua. If Easter ended with come and see, then our religion and our belief ends there too. We look in to the empty tomb. Great. But the angel said ‘Go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and he is going ahead of you to Galilee where you will see him. BTW that is a 42 hour walk – 200 Km.
The challenge for every one of us today is don’t be content with come and see he requires our witness. Let us take the angels message and ‘Go and tell our FRANC – Jesus Christ is risen today – Hallelujah.
[2] The Message of Jesus
Thirdly, let us reflect on the Message of Jesus. Matthew 28:9 ‘Suddenly, Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped 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.”
Greetings would better be translated as ‘Rejoice.’ Χαίρετε – chairete. Indeed it was joy unspeakable, I’d say. They did not respond with ‘hooray, our friend is back.’
They worshipped him, joy and awe intertwined so that they bowed low and clasped his feet.
[Illustration] I did my ordination training in Durham in the 1990’s. Around that time the Bishop of Durham was getting the headlines because he said he didn’t believe Jesus physically rose from the dead. He believed Jesus’ spirit rose and that his spirit lives on through his teachings. The response of these two women answers the Bishop. ‘They clasped his feet.’ This is no ghost; he rose in bodily form. The women’s response was an instinctive expression of love, adoration and devotion. And as they clasped his feet, Jesus’s message was this, ‘Fear not, go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, there they will see me.’
Jesus’s message is almost identical to the Angels, ‘Go and tell.’ But Jesus called them brothers rather than disciples, ‘Go and tell my brothers.’ They who doubted, deserted, failed him. Such ‘loving kindness, better than life.’ Ps 63:3
Have you ever deserted the Saviour in an hour of testing? Do not despair. If you will meet him in Galilee, here in Shanklin, he will forgive you, restore you, and call you brother or sister, friend forever. If you will in your heart repent, he will meet you with the words, "Rejoice! Do not be afraid!"
I pray that your response is to worship and adore him today and ‘go quickly and tell,’ He is risen indeed. And as if that were not encouragement enough Matthew ends his gospel with Jesus’s reassuring words about his ever-presence.
When I was a young boy I invited Jesus into my life and about a dozen years later at the age of 23, I was in a car accident and lying paralysed on a grassy bank on Honister Pass in Lake District I was fighting for my life. I distinctly heard a voice which I believe to be the Lord’s saying these comforting words
‘I am with you always’ — Matthew 28:20
Those words are the words Matthew finished his Gospel with, the end of the chapter our lesson is taken from today, ‘I am with you always.’ Words of comfort, words of his ever-present help and words of forgiveness when we have failed. He is Risen Indeed - Hallelujah!
Thank You Jesus
You took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin
You were buried for three days but You walked right out again
And now death has no sting and life has no end
For I have been transformed by the blood of the Lamb
Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light
