It’s RESURRECTION time!

Matthew 28: 1-10

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

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. His appearance was like lightening, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “DO NOT BE AFRAID, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; HE IS RISEN, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. 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.

So the woman hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “GREETINGS”, He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshipped Him.

Then Jesus said to them, “DO NOT BE AFRAID. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

NIV

The context here is that this passage directly follows the crucifixion of Christ.

*Jesus was arrested on Maunday Thursday, after celebrating the Passover meal with His friends.

*He was arrested in the middle of the night in a garden where He was peacefully praying.

*He was beaten unjustly by the “religious” men.

*He was illegally tried in the middle of the night by these same men.

*He was taken to Pilate, where these “religious” men convinced the crowd to choose to CRUCIFY Jesus and release a MURDERER instead.

*He was painfully flogged.

*He had a crown of thorns pushed down into His skull.

*He was humiliated in His nakedness.

*He was forced to carry his cross of execution up the hill to Golgotha.

*He laid down onto the cross of His crucifixion- a weapon of absolute torture and humiliation used by the Romans.

*His hands and feet were NAILED into the cross before it was stood up to fall into place in a hole.

*He hung there in agony, being ridiculed, for three hours while He gasped for every breath.

*He died there.

Because the next day was the Sabbath, the law forbade the Jews from doing any kind of work at all so they could not properly prepare His body for burial.

His friends had to wait.

Jesus’ friends and family had to wait for 24 agonizing hours before they could treat the body of their Savior with the respect and dignity we all desire for our loved ones in their death.

They had to wait in FEAR that those who KILLED their Lord would also be coming for them.

They had to wait in FEAR over the uncertainty of their future…after all, they had invested THREE YEARS into following Christ. They were considered His followers and could be “wanted men”…”outlaws”.

They had believed He was the Messiah. They had believe that He was the Son of God.

And He was dead.

Now that we remember the story of Jesus’ death, go read that passage again. Let yourself into their moment of grief…feel their fear, uncertainty, doubt.

What words or phrases stand out in this passage?

1. The angel said “Do not be afraid…He is risen JUST AS HE SAID”

Think about that for a minute.

Women come on the scene of a grave and see that the guards have been so scared they dropped as if they were dead by an earthquake, the appearance of an angel, and the stone rolling away..

This angel is sitting casually on the rock.

He says to “NOT BE AFRAID” (yeah, right -right?). “LOOK INSIDE” (the tomb??? Yup, go ahead and take a peek). “HE IS RISEN JUST LIKE HE SAID”.

It is one thing to be told “don’t be afraid”. It is a whole other deal be reminded WHY you shouldn’t be afraid. In this situation, the women are being reminded that Jesus had told them this was going to happen.

Jesus had been teaching His disciples and followers for three years. In those three years, He often spoke of His death and resurrection~ they just didn’t understand what He had meant.

How could they have??

Now, in this moment, what He had meant was revealed.

He is ALIVE. The tomb is EMPTY. He WILL see you again.

What an incredible reason to not be afraid!

What has Jesus also told us in advance as a way to tell US to not be afraid?

John 16:33

I have told you these things, so that in Me you will have peace.

In this world you WILL HAVE TROUBLE, but take heart!! I have overcome the world!

NIV

Jesus has told us that WE WILL HAVE difficult times…so why are we surprised by them?? Knowing in advance that in those times of trouble we will have peace is a reason to NOT BE AFRAID.

What else stands out to you in this passage?

2. The women were afraid yet filled with joy

I like this because their response is so paradoxical. They are both AFRAID and JOYFUL at the same time.

We are capable of massive ranges of emotions…it is possible to experience BOTH sides of life at the same time. You can be both grieving and relieved. You can be excited and apprehensive.

The mix up of emotions can feel confusing or chaotic but they are normal, natural feelings.

3. As the women worshipped at the feet of their RISEN SAVIOR, Jesus again reminds them to not be afraid.

Why did He do that?

I think it is because they needed to hear it from His lips before they could go do what it was He asked them to do next.

He needed them to not be afraid and then go and tell.

How many times do I have an experience that is SO wonderful and yet I am leary to tell anyone else about it??

I was just told of an amazing salvation story…a rededication of a life to Christ…a true God encounter.

He hesitated to tell anyone, even those who loved him most and would celebrate the most sincerely with him, out of fear.

Fear of what?

These are MY thoughts, not his:

Fear of rejection over this Good News

Fear of disbelief that his experience was not real

Fear of criticism that his transformation would not last

Hard to believe, isn’t it?

But aren’t those the LIES the enemy fills out heads with?

They won’t care. No one cares. You’re a liar. You’re a failure. You will never succeed.

The JOY of Jesus’ resurrection was incredible for the women in that moment… However, THE LASTING JOY CAME FROM THEIR SHARING THAT JOY WITH OTHERS.

What God does in our lives is incredible, isn’t it?

Sharing what it is He has done is even MORE incredible.

Revelation 12:11 tells us that the believers overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the words of their testimony.

NIV

We are to NOT BE AFRAID and to GO TELL THE GOOD NEWS of what God has done!

Psalm 96:3

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works and wonderful deeds among the peoples! For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!

AMP

Dear Lord,

Help us to REMEMBER Your promises that You will never leave us in our fears…that You will give us Your peace instead.

Help us to embrace the wide range of emotions that you have given to us. Help us to NOT BE AFRAID of how we feel.

Give us the courage to go and tell of wonderful deeds! Help us to encourage others by our testimony!

Thank You Lord for overcoming the world.

Amen.