Lesson 12 - Matt. 28:1-15 - JESUS IS RISEN!
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in Matt. 27:41-52, we covered the final stages of Jesus' crucifixion and His death. After Jesus was nailed to the cross, the soldiers gambled for His clothes. A mocking sign above Him read "the King of the Jews." Observers, including Jewish religious leaders, ridicule Jesus for not being able to save Himself. Even the criminals being executed on either side of Jesus insult Him. The verses described the climactic moment when Jesus died on the cross. Darkness fell over Israel as Jesus hung near death, then Jesus cried out the words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some nearby thought He was calling for Elijah the prophet to come and save Him. Finally, Jesus dies. Immediately, the massive temple curtain was torn in two, top to bottom. Earthquakes open the tombs of some of the saints of Israel, who are later resurrected. A Roman centurion is shocked enough to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. Three women, Jesus' friends, watch from a distance. The main truth we learned from this account was that no one took Jesus' life from Him. Jesus, in a way unlike any other person in the world, either before or since, voluntarily gave up His spirit. Death had no righteous hold over the sinless Son of God. Rather, He stood in the place of sinners, but never was or became a sinner Himself; therefore, He could not die unless He chose to yield up his spirit.
This week, in Matt. 28:1-15, we will cover the resurrection of Christ from Matthew's perspective. All four of the gospels include an account of the resurrection, and there are differences between the accounts. These differences do not discredit the Scriptures in any way, but simply inform us that the four accounts were written independently by an individual writer, rather than in collaboration with the other writers. None of the gospel accounts describe the resurrection itself-i.e., Jesus opening His, getting up, and leaving the tomb. We might remember that the first resurrection account written appeared first in 1 Cor. 15:3-8, before the gospel accounts were published. In Matthew's day, the Jewish opposition spread false rumors and gossip alleging that the disciples had stolen Jesus' body. Therefore, Matthew's report emphasizes the tight security measures surrounding the tomb, the divine intervention by angels, the role of the women as the first witnesses, and the deceit of the chief priest and elders who tried to fabricate a cover-up.
Read Matthew 28:1 - AS IT BEGAN TO DAWN TOWARD THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
v. 1: The resurrection took place, not on the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) but on the first day, which is Sunday on our calendar. The two women departed for the tomb the next day in order to reach the tomb at first light. The "other Mary" was Mary the mother of James and Joseph. Mark includes Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebbedee, in this group and mentions that they were bringing burial spices to anoint Jesus' body (Mark 16:1). It's evident that these women weren't aware that the Sanhedrin had posted guards at the tomb or that a large stone had been rolled into place to seal it.
Read Matt. 28:2-4 - AN ANGEL ROLLED AWAY THE STONE
2 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. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
v. 2a: "And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred," - The earthquake apparently occurred at the same time the angel appeared. Before this, an earthquake had also occurred to announce Jesus' death in 27:51.
v. 2b: "for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it." - This event had also preceded the women's' arrival. By the time they arrived at the tomb, the angel was already sitting on the stone that had been rolled aside. What we need to see here is that the angel did not remove the stone to let Jesus out, for he had already been resurrected. He removed the stone so people could see that the tomb was empty.
v. 3: "And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. - The angel's appearance made it clear that he was no ordinary being and this was no ordinary event in history-for Jesus had risen to inaugurate a new era in human history. The angel's luminous appearance was reminiscent of Moses' shining face after his encounter with God at Sinai (Ex. 34:29) and Jesus' shining face and radiant clothes at His Transfiguration (17:2). The Angel's appearance not only reflected God's glory, but also authenticated his heavenly origins.
v. 4: "The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men." - This was more than ordinary fear, but a paralyzing level of fright that left them unable to move or speak, as if they were dead. These guards were prepared to deal with Jesus' disciples but not with a glowing angelic being.
Read Matt. 28:5-6 - HE IS NOT HERE, FOR HE HAS RISEN
5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
v. 5a: "The angel said to the women," - The women most likely feared harassment by the Roman guards, but they went to the tomb anyway. But as they reached the tomb, they must have been completely taken aback by the sudden onset of an earthquake and the dazzling appearance of the angel sitting on the stone next to the tomb's entrance! It certainly wasn't what they were expecting.
v. 5b: "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified." - These are the same words the angel said to Joseph when told him to marry his pregnant fiancée (Matt. 1:20) and to Mary when he informed her that she would have a baby conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke. 1:26-38). These same women witnessed Jesus death and burial, but now, they witness that in spite of Rome's best efforts, Jesus is gone, the tomb is empty.
v. 6a: "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." - The good news is that not only Jesus' Spirit still lives, but that He has been raised bodily to a new life. Paul later tells us that Jesus is the "first fruits of those who have died" (1 Cor. 15:20)-and that the Good News of the first resurrection leads to the Good News of our own resurrection, meaning that our resurrected bodies will be transformed into glorified spiritual bodies that last forever (1 Cor. 15:44).
v. 6b: "Come, see the place where He was lying." - Notice that the angel invites the woman to see not the risen Christ but the empty tomb. John' version reported that upon hearing the news from Mary Magdalene, Peter and John both ran to the tomb, went inside and saw the empty grave clothes lying where Jesus had been (John 20:5-8).
Read Matt. 28:7 - GO QUICKLY AND TELL HIS DISCIPLES
7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."
v. 7a: "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead;" - The angel commissions the women tell the disciples, making them first to proclaim the Good News of Jesus' resurrection. If Matthew had been attempting to fabricate a credible story, Jesus would have appeared first to Peter or one of the other disciples. But just as Jesus had selected woman to be the first witnesses to the empty tomb, he goes against convention again by choosing them to be the first to proclaim the risen Christ.
v. 7b: "He is going ahead of you into Galilee," - Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus informed His disciples that He would meet them in Galilee (26:32). For Matthew, Galilee is not only a geographical area, but also theology, as the "Galilee of the Gentiles" (4:12-17), which would be the appropriate setting where Jesus will issue the Great Commission to all nations (28:16-29). Galilee is also Jesus home and the place where He has done most of His work.
v. 7c: "there you will see Him;" - The promise is that the disciples will not just see an empty tomb, but will see the risen Christ Himself!
Read Matt. 28:8-10 - BEHOLD, JESUS MET THEM
8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus *said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."
v. 8: "And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples." - With a combination of "fear and great Joy," the women literally run as fast as their legs will carry them to share this incredible news with Jesus' disciples. They are not only obeying a direct order from an angel, but are also following their human desire to share the mind-boggling Good News the angel gave them. They are filled with joy because the angel promised them that Jesus is alive!
v. 9a: "And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them." - Jesus' sudden and unexpected appearance in their mist must have given these women the shock of their lives.
v. 9b: "And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him." - This proved that Jesus was no mere hallucination or vision but a real flesh and blood living person. Kneeing and taking hold of a person's feet was a physical expression of worship. And the fact that Jesus accepted it was an acknowledgement of His deity, as only God can be worshipped.
v. 10: "Then Jesus *said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.'" - Jesus calmed the women's fears as the angel had done. Then he repeated the angel's command to go and take the new of His resurrection to the disciples, whom he names as "My brethren." Some expositors suggest the term could also apply to a larger group of believers in addition to the eleven disciples.
POSTSCRIPT-vv. 11-15: Some of the guards left the tomb and reported the earthquake, the angel, and the empty tomb to the chief priests and the elders. This strongly suggests that the guards were members of the Temple Police rather than Roman soldiers. After hearing this, the Sanhedrin paid a bribe to the guards to spread a falsified story claiming that Jesus' disciples had stolen His body from the tomb. Under Jewish law molesting graves was a crime punishable by death. The irony was that if the Sanhedrin had had any credible evidence against the disciples, they surely would have been prosecuted, but they were not.
APPLICATION-The Importance of the Resurrection.
1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith. Without this reversal of the humiliation Jesus suffered on the cross, His death would have atoned for nothing.
2. Because Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected, all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Just as we will one day be resurrected, so this world will one day be restored. But those who do not trust in Christ will be raised to everlasting death.
3. The resurrection serves as God's vindication of the truth of Jesus' claims about Himself. By this act, the Father universally vindicated the authenticity of His Son. In this sense, Christ is justified before the whole world by His resurrection.
