The Son Risen!

Matthew 28:1-15

October 23, 2005

 

"He saved others; He cannot save Himself," crowed the chief priests, scribes, and elders of Israel as they gleefully gawked at the crucifixion of Christ. "He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross," and then they added, "and we will believe in Him" (27:42). Would they have believed if Jesus had come down from the cross? Of course, that is a preposterous question since Jesus Christ deferred any idea of coming down from the cross. The Father's eternal purpose and plan nailed Him to the cross until the very end, when He would breathe His last breath and declare the work of redemption completed. But the religious leaders were not serious anyway. Jesus came down from the cross, not by His own power but as a limp, bloodied, lifeless body that was cleaned and wrapped in linen by the gentle hands of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, and laid in a tomb. He came down from the cross a dead man. He was buried as a dead man. But three days later, the dead man came to life! Death, sin, and Satan forever defeated, the resurrected Christ came forth in power and majesty!

 

But did the religious leaders believe? They listened to the story of the guards from the garden tomb: "Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened." They heard the whole story: 'the sealed tomb, all quiet, the sudden earthquake and appearance of an angelic being as he rolled away the heavy stone. And the tomb was empty! Yes, the body gone but the grave clothes and even the head wrapping lay in their place as though the body vanished from the clothes! The angel paid no attention to us but spoke words of comfort to a few ladies that had come early to the tomb. Did we tell you that the grave was empty?'

 

Religious leaders had the responsibility of investigating and understanding this most amazingly supernatural story. Yet that would not happen. Instead of believing, they schemed to concoct a false story to cover their unbelief. "And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep'." How would they know the disciples stole His body if they were asleep? If indeed they saw the disciples, then why did these trained soldiers who were accustomed to battles and warfare not overtake the scarcely armed and militarily deficient disciples when they saw them lumbering away with a body? Facts meant nothing to them. So bent on stubbornly remaining in their sin and rebellious ways, they stood by a story that they had created and paid a handsome sum to keep it repeated instead of believing in the risen Son of God. As John Broadus put it, "He has done something still more wonderful [than coming down from the cross], yet they do not believe, no, nor make further inquiry, but simply bribe the witnesses to report a stupid falsehood" [Selected Works, III, 588]. The story continued even at the time some 30 years later when Matthew wrote his Gospel. "And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day." The church father, Justin Martyr, claims that the same story was spread in his day in the 2nd century as well.

 

Foolish people, we would agree, but no more foolish than the multitudes of religious people in our day that concoct their own view and version of Jesus Christ and stand by it in spite of the facts of God's Word. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, calls for our believing response. The gospel is not left to our imagination or literary creativity. It is based on an actual person and actual events that purchased an actual salvation for all that believe. Do you believe in the risen Christ?

 

I. Testimonies to consider

 

We must rely on the testimonies of those who witnessed the resurrected Christ. For those scoffing at such testimony, we must not forget that all of the great events of human history that we study and reflect upon, we have by virtue of others' testimony. The conquering mastery of Alexander the Great and Charlemagne, Columbus' discovery of the New World, Guttenberg's invention of the printing press, Washington's nighttime crossing of the Potomac, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address rely upon verifiable testimony of different witnesses. We have no trouble believing witnesses to other historical figures and events. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead appears to be a different story with many people. And why? To truly believe His resurrection is to confess faith in His atoning death and saving life. For, "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9). We can believe in Washington's crossing of the Potomac and be inspired, but not inwardly transformed. We can believe that Guttenberg invented the printing press and find motivation to pursue our dreams but still be left in our sins and without hope in this world. But to believe in the crucified and risen Christ affects the whole person for all eternity.

 

1. From the angel

 

Consider the angel that calmly bore testimony to the risen Christ. I personally think that the text gives some indication that the angel's descent from heaven to roll away the stone in front of the tomb may have touched off the earthquake. Matthew is the only Gospel writer to mention the earthquake and does so in such a way that the angel's descent is linked to it. "And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it." He spoke up in giving testimony to the ladies of the risen Christ. "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified." He was right on all accounts! They were afraid; they were looking for Jesus; and Jesus had indeed been crucified. The last phrase is literally translated, "For I know that Jesus the one crucified you are seeking." The language pictures the ongoing effects of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (a perfect passive participle). It further highlights that the crucifixion of Jesus was no mistake or tragedy but divinely orchestrated for our redemption. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." Jesus had been telling His followers that the day would come when He would be accused and mocked by the religious leaders and people of Israel, and then be crucified. He expected it because He came for that purpose. Jesus also bore witness to His own resurrection, predicting that three days after His crucifixion His resurrection from the dead would happen. And so the angel tells the women that it was "just as He said." Not one thing different has happened; no variations have taken place. Everything is right on schedule according to God's eternal plan! He further instructs them in case they think that what they heard was not real. "Come, see the place where He was lying." The verb expresses that Jesus had been lying there the whole time until the resurrection (imperfect middle indicative).

 

'Well,' someone might assert, 'how do I know that there really was an angel and that the angel testified of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?' We see that in the quick response of the women to the angel's instructions as well as in the deathly fear that fell upon the hardened soldiers guarding the tomb.

 

2. From the women

 

It was not the eleven apostles that first received the testimony of Christ's resurrection but it was the women that followed Him. They were the last to leave Him at the cross and the first to hear the good news of the resurrection [J.C. Ryle, Crossway Classic Commentaries: Matthew, 292]. Though a woman's testimony lacked weight in the ancient world, the Lord chose to reveal the glory of His resurrection to these women so that they might be the first to know the hope of the resurrection, and that they might be instruments of the gospel as fellow heirs of the grace of life through Christ. Surely, the fearful apostles met with both humility and joy as the Lord delivered the good news of His resurrection through these steady-hearted female disciples. The angel told them to "go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead." Matthew tells us, "And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples." What a sight that must have been in days when jogging was not the norm, as these ladies ran back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead! Luke tells us that they "returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest" (24:9). Their testimony sent the other disciples whirling toward the empty tomb.

 

3. From the guards

 

The guards "reported to the chief priests all that had happened." So fearful, so amazed by what happened, the religious leaders knew that they had to silence them. And the quickest way to silence their remarkable testimony was with "a large sum of money" given "to the soldiers." But as we've already noted, their false testimony was so ridiculous that it gives testimony to the truth that Jesus was raised from the dead!

 

Jesus Christ appeared to the women, His absence from the tomb witnessed by the guards, later He appeared to the disciples who regularly testified of the resurrection of Christ, and to over five hundred brethren at one time, according to Paul's account in 1 Corinthians 15:6. The Scripture foretells the death and resurrection of Christ, and bears testimony to the fact of His death and resurrection. Now the question that each of us faces is this: do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified in a sin-atoning death and raised from the dead by the glory of the Father? Are you presently trusting in Him?

 

II. Message to proclaim

 

The church exists as a people who proclaim the resurrection of Christ. We live by the power of the resurrection at work within us. Our hope for eternity hinges on the resurrection of Christ. So we do not take lightly the details unfolded in the resurrection story, especially as it relates to our proclamation of the resurrection of Christ.

 

1. Empty tomb

 

The angel got the first chance to proclaim the resurrection. "Come, see the place where He was lying." He did not say, see the place where He is lying, as though Jesus was still in the grave. The best proof could be found in what was not in the tomb-the body of Christ! An empty tomb alerts us to three possibilities. First, Jesus did not really die but only swooned on the cross and managed to escape on His own from the grave. Of course, the definitive spear in His side on the cross, with the blood and pericardial fluid flowing out, demonstrated that the heart of Christ had burst on the cross. Suppose that He did just swoon; then how could one that had experienced such loss of blood by the scourging and the spear in His side manage to survive in the tomb? How could He move the sealed stone and escape? No reasonable person could hold this position.

 

Second, someone took His body and hid it so that no one could ever find Him. It couldn't be grave robbers since the only real thing of value to them would have been the linen wrapping, which remained in place in the tomb. His disciples were fearful, so much so that only John was on hand at the crucifixion. They lacked the military strength to overcome trained soldiers. Besides, what good would a body do them? They had no grasp of the resurrection at this point, which was demonstrated by the shock at every report of the risen Christ. Theologically, it took several weeks after the resurrection for all of this to sink in so that they understood the necessity of the death and resurrection of Christ. This option just does not appear sensible to any thinking person.

 

Third, Jesus Christ rose from the grave, just as the angel told the women: "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said... He has risen from the dead." That's the testimony of over 500 witnesses and the testimony of Holy Scripture. As Peter preached at Pentecost, David's tomb was still among them; his bones still in the grave. But not the tomb of Jesus Christ! He has risen from the dead.

 

2. Risen Savior

 

The message is of such importance that the angel told the women, "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead." Here was nothing to wait on until one could figure out all that it meant. Just go tell it! Be quick about it! Jesus has risen from the dead! What does that mean for those who believe?

(1) It declares to us that Jesus Christ finished the redemptive work the Father sent Him to do. God's seal of authentication in Christ's death rests upon the resurrection. Without belief in the resurrection of Christ one cannot be saved.

(2) It is the ground of certainty for our own spiritual resurrection to new life in Christ. As we are in union with Jesus Christ by faith, we are joined in His death and resurrection. That is the basis for considering ourselves "to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 6:11). It is the reason that we can present ourselves "to God as those alive from the dead," and the varied aspects of our bodies "as instruments of righteousness to God" (Rom. 6:13).

(3) It is the foundation for our eternal hope of our bodily resurrection. Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 15 bears this out so clearly, picturing Christ's resurrection as "the first fruits of those who are asleep" (15:20). The resurrection of Christ assures all who have faith in Him of their own bodily resurrection.

(4) It is the assurance that eternal life is eternal, that death has lost its sting and power over all that are in Christ.

(5) It is the reason we represent the resurrection in baptism of believers, and celebrate the Lord's death for us in the Lord's Supper, and worship each Lord's Day [Broadus, 589].


That's why the angel told the women to be quick about proclaiming this message! And I think it is wise that we be quick about proclaiming the same message in our day!

 

3. Certain encounter

 

The angel told the women that they would certainly encounter Jesus Christ alive from the dead. "Behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." After encountering Jesus in the early moments of their obedience to the angel's instructions, He assured them, "Go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me." Don't you know that their hearts were beating fast at the thought of truly seeing Jesus! That certainty carried them along in those fearful days with resolute hope and joy. Knowing that they would see Jesus must have affected their attitudes and ambitions.

 

The same certainty belongs to us. John put it like this: "We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." And then he adds the effect upon our lives when this certainty dawns upon us. "And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3).

 

III. Christ to worship

 

We see only two responses to the resurrection in this text. Either we worship Jesus Christ as the risen Lord or we deny the resurrection in some fashion so that we excuse ourselves from submitting to Him as Lord. The guards and religious leaders did the latter. The women encountering Christ worshiped.

 

1. Fear and joy

 

Worship rightly combines fear and joy, just as "they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples." Fear takes place when we don't fully understand what is happening about us. We like to be in control of every detail of life. But the resurrection of Christ defies our complete understanding. We fear because we recognize that we are in the presence of the living God. Recognizing our weakness and frailty, we are fearful when we encounter the omnipotence of God.

 

But we also have "great joy" at the news that we have a Savior who is raised from the dead! Knowing the deepest satisfaction in His death and resurrection, we rejoice in worship. We find our fulfillment in Him alone. Our joy rises in anticipation of one day seeing Him face to face. And so we worship.

 

2. Real person

 

The Christ the women worshiped was not a spirit. "And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him." To worship anyone but God alone is blasphemy. But this One is God in the flesh. They grabbed hold of His feet in acknowledgement of His worthiness and their unworthiness, and they worshiped. We join them in worshiping a real person and not a figment of the imagination.

 

3. Comfort and hope

 

The whole story of the resurrection gives comfort and hope to the believer. The angel's announcement that the tomb was empty gave hope, and that they would see Jesus Christ gave them comfort in their sorrow. Thinking they would never see their wonderful Lord again, they found comfort in knowing that He was alive and would meet them. Jesus gave special comfort too. He calmed their fears: "Do not be afraid." Why should the child of God be fearful when he or she belongs to the resurrected Lord of Glory? That being the case, we still struggle, thinking that He might reject us because of our many failures. Perhaps part of the women's fear was that the risen Christ would reject the disciples that had failed to stay with Him in His arrest and crucifixion, as J.C. Ryle suggests. "Weak, frail, erring as the disciples were, Jesus still calls them his "brothers" [292]. He allayed their fears and gave them the most comforting word. "Go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me." In spite of their failure, He still called them "brethren!" It is by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that the Lord calls us "brethren." My friend, the source of our comfort and hope is not in our level of performance but in the reality that we have a risen Lord. The writer of Hebrews tells us that due to the suffering of Christ on our behalf, "He is not ashamed to call them brethren" whom He sanctifies (2:11).

 

Conclusion

 

While the religious leaders scrambled to come up with another story about the resurrected Christ, the disciples worshiped! That's really what it boils down to for each of us this day as we've taken a look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Either you worship Him or you scramble to concoct your own reason why the resurrection is not true or why it is meaningless or why it doesn't apply to you.

 

The testimonies are clear. Jesus Christ is raised from the dead. Do you believe in Him?

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