Matthew
28:1-10 NIV
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.”
Now I Have Told You
You know
what? As many disciples and witnesses that have seen the risen Jesus, and as
the disciples have been commanded to proclaim the Gospel and to testify that
Jesus is the one who God appointed as judge of the living and the dead, and as
the prophets told about everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of
sins through Jesus; we too, today are likewise commanded, by extension, to
witness to Jesus resurrection and gift of life, in and through all that He has
done. And that’s for, and to, ALL people. No favoritism or privilege… ALL means
ALL.
May I
always keep my eyes on Jesus, my Lord, my Savior.
And
there it is. What Jesus has been teaching all along. Set your minds on above.
Don’t get caught up in the desires of the flesh and this world. Set your minds
on things that are above, not earthly things.
These
women, Mary Magdelene, and likely Mary the mother of James and John, were
without a doubt faithful disciples of Jesus. They got up first thing on Sunday
and went to the tomb of Jesus. This shows deep love and devotion. They came to
seek Jesus, after the Sabbath rest, and now the Sunday that would from here on
out be called the “Lord’s Day.” This is the day of the firstfruits of those who
have died.
1
Corinthians 15:20 NIV
20 But Christ has indeed been
raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen
asleep.
We now witness the
morning of a New Creation. We witness the Resurrection. We witness a hope that
God has given to ALL people. Something BIG, something NEW is here and now, even
to this day.
An
earthquake here is a significant event. God is active in the physical realm
with spiritual action. Just look. An angel, a messenger is sent to the tomb,
doing a physical activity like rolling the stone away from the tomb. It’s kind
of like when the Temple Curtain was torn at Jesus crucifixion, that is this
rolling of the stone. At the tearing of the curtain, God opened the Holy of
Holies to Himself and all humankind. Jesus had defeated sin on that cross.
Where here too, God rolls away the stone through the action of the angel and
the tomb is now open. Now death is defeated by the resurrection of God and new
life is open to all people who believe what God has done. God reveals His love
on the cross and opens the Holy of Holies to His creation, and God reveals His
love at the tomb and opens death to new life in Him.
And the
action of this angel of God makes him appear bright as lightning. Does this
remind you of the Transfiguration Story?
When we
had a solar eclipse a couple of years ago, I remember having to use special
glasses to watch it because of the brightness of the sun. I suspect this light
was much brighter. I suspect this was possibly an example of the Light of
Christ. Light so bright that we can’t stand to look at it with our human eyes.
So, the
guards who were sent to secure and guard Jesus’ tomb, fell in fear. This is
something that obviously reveals an action of God. Yet this was just the
angels! Think of how bright the Light of God in Jesus would be! It’s no wonder
that these guards became like dead men. The contrast between light and Light
was too great to behold. This IS the power of God!
The
angel knows what’s going on here. The angel knows that the women are looking
for Jesus. So what? Well, He’s not there. It happened! It happened just like
Jesus said it would.
Come and
take a peek at where Jesus was laid in the tomb. See? He’s gone!
See, I
have told you! Jesus has risen from the dead. Now run and go and tell. Tell the
world. Yep, that’s a running and telling for all the disciples throughout all
time. Run and tell the world, from your friends, family and all people, run and
tell that Jesus has risen from the dead!
Now in
these women the Kingdom of God is evident. In the physical fear and in the
spiritual fear. Something is new here. A physical fear must be evident, in my
way of thinking, when we see the power of God in the beauty and brightness of
the Angel Messenger. And also, the spiritual fear, this is something a bit
different. It’s a fear of seeing something beyond this physical world, or this
physical kingdom that permits humans to peer into the Kingdom of God, here
physically and eternally with God.
Even in
the face of physical fear, these women bear the fruit of spiritual faith to run
and tell of the message of the empty tomb, the message of the angel, the
message of God’s power over death.
And
that’s when it happens! Jesus comes to the women! Jesus comes to us, in His
resurrected body to prove, without a doubt, that He IS the Savior, of not only
the physical but the spiritual as well. Jesus is the Kingdom of God. It’s
through what God has done in and through the flesh and blood of Jesus that the
Kingdom of God comes to us, forgives us, saves us, and leads us into a
resurrection of New life in Him forever and ever.
God has
come to us. Yes, God comes to us, in the flesh and blood of a baby. And God
comes to us as a risen Saviour, even as we are running to tell the world what
we have witnessed. God comes to us and we run to witness what God has done in
our lives.
What’s
the response? To fall at the feet of our Savior and worship Him. To fall at the
feet of Jesus and seek union with him in time now and eternity forever. We owe
all to God, and respond to His love with love for Him.
And
Jesus gives us something to do next. We want, so badly to do something,
anything, for what God has done for us, and Jesus gives us that something to
do. Jesus gives us a way to be obedient to Him and to God throughout time. Go
and tell what you see! Go and tell what you feel! Witness to Jesus resurrection
to all people. Go and tell, what the angel told you, Jesus has risen! Death no
longer holds power over flesh and blood.
It’s
time we put behind us all of our attempts to fulfill our salvation, through
earthly kingdoms, power, riches, military might and strength. We can’t save
ourselves. Look at what has happened throughout history, powers and kingdoms
come and go. When a mighty kingdom does rise to power, greed, and might, always
lose out and is replaced by more of the same. That’s that physical realm that
Jesus has been teaching us about. Our physical realm leads to death. Our
physical realm of life leads to defeat. We can’t beat this stuff on our own.
And when we think we can, by using riches, power, and strength, it always
fails. So, what’s all of this to do with the Resurrection of our Lord?
Jesus
came into our physical realm of being. He didn’t come in as the rich, powerful,
almighty person that this physical world was seeking. He didn’t come into this
world to confirm the rich, the powerful and the mighty.
Jesus
came into this physical realm meek, hungry, and hard working. Jesus came into
this world to the persecuted, the homeless, the poor, the hungry, the ill, the
powerless. Jesus also came to boldly tell the rich, the powerful, the mighty
and the nations that lord over all others their might; that this world is not
what you think it is. This world is a stopping place, a place to learn to love
one another, especially the poor, the hungry, the migrant, the ill. This
physical world is an in-between place where the REAL thing is the spiritual
world of the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to fulfill all of this for us, so that
we, who believe and depend on Him can live with Him into eternity. Jesus
defeated sin at the cross and forgave. Jesus defeated death in the tomb and
rose again. Why?
To lead
us into His Kingdom into eternity, so that in His New World to come He might
raise us to life in Him, with Him in eternity.
Nope! We
can’t save ourself. We can’t defeat sin ourself. We can’t come to a
resurrection on our own, not by wealth, not by power, not through earthly
kingdoms that come and go. Rather only through the gift God gave to us through
the forgiveness of sin from the cross of Jesus. Through Jesus releasing us from
the power of sin, here and now and then forever. Through Jesus defeat of death,
as we recall this glorious day when He rose from death. Death has lost its
sting. Lost its sting because of what God has done for His children through
Jesus’ actions.
Now I
Have Told You…
It’s
time we go and tell the world!
The time
is now, to get it straight. We only live through the Actions of Jesus… today…
tomorrow… and forever… Amen
Enjoy
this YouTube Music Video that Celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ
the Lord Is Risen Today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNrV2fX5Qb4&list=RDxNrV2fX5Qb4&start_radio=1
