RESURRECTION RESPONSES – Matthew 28:1-15 – Bible study
RESURRECTION RESPONSES
Matthew 28:1-15
Cooper P Abrams III
INTRO: At the end of the gospels we read the story of the greatest miracle in the life of Jesus.
It was the greatest and most important miracle in the life of Jesus. The miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most extraordinary event all in history.
It is interesting that the movie the Passion of Christ, which isprobably 60% unbiblical and not according to the biblical account,gave only one minute to the resurrection. Even that it not biblical. Yes, the Bible tells of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and of Hissuffering, but it does not dwell on the beatings and suffering of theLord. The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus suffered on the cross forour sins….each of us. It was my sins and yours that caused Him tosuffer.
But movie emphasizes the physical torture of the beating ofChrist, but it misses the truth. Jesus was not only just enduring thepain of being beaten, but was enduring the penalty for all the sins ofmankind from Adam unto the last person born on this earth.
2 Cor. 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knewno sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
We cannot fathom the depths of the suffering of Jesus that tookplace on that hour when Jesus, our Savior and God, took uponHimself the penalty for the sins of the world. People are shockedand horrified by the brutality of depicted by the Gibson movie, but it in no way shows the real suffering He bore for us.
His suffering and resurrection brings hope to an otherwisehopeless world. Amazingly, people responded to it differently. Though all of them experienced fear, but responded in differentways. Some responded with: Fainted, some a Fabrication, andothers with Belief and Faith.
I. FEAR AND FAINTING – Matt. 28:2-4
A. Verse 2: And, behold, there was a great earthquake: The Bible records that the shaking of the ground was a supernaturaloccurrence.
1. An angel came and rolled back the great stonefrom the door, and sat upon it: A large stone weighing tonssealed the front of the tomb. Often these stones were rolled downan inclined track. These stones were large and difficult to move inorder to protect the grave.
2. Verse 4: And for fear of him (the angel) thekeepers did shake, and became as dead men. In other wordsthey began to tremble and the fear overcame them and the fainted. The soldiers were surely carefully trained not to show fear or eventhink about running in the face of danger. But as they tried to standat their post they were knocked to the ground and watched as theimmense stone rolled away from the door.
3. We know from the report that they later gave to thechief priests that they looked inside and saw the empty tomb.
a. How did these fearless, well-trained soldiers respond? They began to shake with fear and then they fainted!
b. All of their training and conditioning did notprepare them for the greatest miracle in history.
4. It is not likely that people will faint today becauseof the miracle that took place 2000 years ago. The NewTestament does not record that people where shocked and upsetby seeing Jesus hanging and suffering on the Cross. The Biblesays that as He hung their the religious leaders of Israel came byand spat on Him, railed and mocked Him. They wereindifferent to His suffering. The soldiers beneath the crossgambled for His clothes.
But many still “become as dead men” in a spiritualsense. THOUGH they go through the motions of normal life, theyare dead to spiritual things.
ILLUS: Across the world today people are celebrating Easter. There will be much more interest in ham and yams and the Easterbunny than there will be in the resurrection and salvation.
Easter is a holiday for most people rather than a holy day.
II. FEAR AND FABRICATION. V11-15
A. Verse 11: behold, some of the watch came into the city:The fearful guards recovered from their fainting spell and ran fromthe graveyard back into the city.
1. Shewed unto the chief priests all the things thatwere done: They had to share their fear with someone so they toldthe enemies of Jesus of the miraculous earthquake and the movingof the massive stone door. They told of the empty tomb and perhapsthey even told of the appearance of the angels.
[These men were the religious leaders who lead the people insupposedly worshiping God, . . . yet they despised God’s Son….Theyknew he arose, yet tried to hide the fact! Why? They did notknow the God. They held their religious posts because it gave thegreat prestige and honor, and also they greatly benefited financiallyfrom their position. ]
2. Verse 12: and had taken counsel, they gave largemoney unto the soldiers: This was the way these false teachers dealt with problems. They had great wealth and they used themoney. . .they had robbed from God to bribe these soldiers intolying.
3. The same men conspired with Judas and agreed topay thirty pieces of silver for him to betray Christ. Now they findthemselves paying out an even greater sum as “hush money.”
B. Verse 13: The Lie…..Say ye, His disciples came…stole himaway while we slept: Why the fabrication? Why did they lie? Theywere afraid of what the news of the resurrection would mean to theirleadership and position. But their lie did not cover the resurrection, but instead offered convincing proof of the resurrection.
C. Verse 14: “we will persuade him, and secure you”: Therewas a promise of a continued conspiracy that would stop at nothingto see that their plan succeeded.
1. Verse 15: The soldiers, took the money…did as theywere told. The money they received bought their silence. Theywere willing to say whatever the Jewish leaders wanted.
2. This saying is commonly reported among the Jewsuntil this day: Luke penned these words years after theresurrection. But he reported that even then the lie that Jesus’ bodywas stolen was being circulated. That same lie is still being toldtoday….
[How sad for them and their souls that they rejected what theyknew to be true. Many today do the same. Many ignore the truth,the willingly believe all the lies, the false teaching…reject the onlyone who can save them.]
ILLUS: Some years ago during the week of Easter the newsreported “they” (did not say who “they” was) had found a greatdiscovery in Jerusalem. They found the coffins of three people. The names on the coffins were Jesus, Joseph and Mary. It is notinteresting that they chose to announce it just in time for Easter?! Folks, Christ was not buried in a coffin! That was not the way Jewsburied in New Testament times.
For decades people were all excited about the Shroud of Triune. In 1978 or 1979 I heard James Dobson the radio “Christian”psychologist devote a hold program to praising the shroud as beingthe actual garment of Christ. Folks again, Christ was not a Gentile,but a Jew and we know as the Bible says, that Jews did not burytheir dead in shrouds, but wrapped them in linen strips. Theylearned that while they were in Egypt for 400 years. Now yearslater the Shroud is finally proved to be a fake, dating hundreds ofyears after Christ. It was a hoax done during the time the Catholicchurch was taken with relic hunting.
Those who have been saved by the marvelous grace of God donot have to base their faith on relics or are they caused to doubtbecause of the false rumors and scheming of men who try todiscredit the Bible and cloud what really happened.
What joy and hope those who are saved have in knowing Christarose and conquered death, and that those are trust in Christ areforgiven of sin and know we will arise one too.
BUT LET US TURN OUR ATTENTION TO MOREPOSITIVE THINGS….
III. FEAR AND FAITH. V1, 5-10
A. V1: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary: What do weknow about the two Mary’s that came to the tomb?
1. Mary Magdalene was the woman that Luke (8:2) reports hadseven devils cast from her. She is called Magdalene because herhome was in Magdala on the north west side of the Sea of Galilee.
2. The “other Mary” is the mother of James and Joseph (Matt.27:56).
B. Verse 5: angel answered…: Fear not ye: for I know thatye seek Jesus: The women were terrified at the appearance of theopen tomb.
1. They were prepared for the possibility of rude soldierswho would make their mission to anoint the body of the Lorddifficult.
2. They were expecting to have difficulty getting helpmoving the mammoth stone from the door. They anticipatedeverything except an empty, unguarded tomb.
C. V6: He is not here: The heart of the Easter message isthe empty tomb.
ILLUS: There are many today who want to think of Jesus as agreat teacher in the same vein that they consider Mohammed or theway they consider Confucius to the great teachers. But theseteachers, whether we would consider them great or not, died andtoday they remain dead.
Every religion on earth had a founder and most religions canpoint the finger at a tomb where their founder body was laid. Yetnot so with Christ. We have an empty tomb because only He rosefrom the grave and is alive today.
1. for he is risen, as he said: But Jesus did not remainin the grave. He rose after being three days and nights in the gravejust as He said He would.
In Matthew 12:40, Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three daysand three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be threedays and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
2. Come, see the place where the Lord lay: The proofof the resurrection was more than just an empty tomb. (Their otherproof: the miraculous moving of the great stone and the appearanceof the angel, and then for fifty day the Lord appeared many times tomany people…at one time to over 500 people.)
3. But the sight of the empty tomb that first Eastermorning was the evidence that they needed to convince them thatChrist had risen from the grave.
4. In Luke 24:12 we read of Peter coming to the emptytomb and looking inside. It says, “he beheld the linen clothes laidby themselves.”
a. From the language used it is evident that thespiral-wound grave clothes were left intact.
b. Christ’s resurrected body passed through the graveclothes and then through the stone walls of His tomb. Later, thestone door was moved, not to allow Jesus to get out (He had alreadyrisen) but to allow the witnesses to see the empty tomb.
D. V7: and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee: Thesewere intended to be words of comfort to the disciples. They couldgo into Galilee and expect to find that Jesus had already gone therebefore them and was waiting for them.
E. V8: they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fearand great joy: There was fear because of the shock of seeing theempty tomb and the angel. But there was great joy because Christwas alive!
1. Evidence for the resurrection? Yes.
a. Hundreds saw Christ during the fifty days heremained on earth. At one time 500 people saw him as once.
b. History: The whole world dates time from Hislife! Every time you write the date you testify of His coming. There are hundreds of extra Biblical writings which tell about JesusChrist.
c. Biblical account: Proved to be the Word of God(our Bible study on how we got the Bible)
2. The greatest proof that we have that Christ rose fromthe grave is our own experience with Him. Because of Hisresurrection we can place our faith in Him and receive the new lifethat He offers. Of seeing the changed lives of those who believedand received Him as their Savior.
3. How will we respond to the resurrection? Will werespond with fear? Fainting? Or will you respond with faith?
CONCLUSION: Some respond in faith. Luke 24:32-35.
A. Jesus shortly after His resurrection appeared to men whowere walking on the Emmaus Road. After talking with theresurrected Savior they said,
“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn withinus, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us thescriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned toJerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them thatwere with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hathappeared to Simon.”
1. Down through the centuries, men have heard the message ofGod’s word. They and read of the resurrection of Jesus the Christand have believed. This very hour, those that have died are inheaven with the Lord and they are waiting for the Second Comingof the Lord Jesus, of the rapture of all believers both dead and alive.
You see…they believe and God kept His promise….that was thereason Christ’s suffering and for His resurrection…that you and Imight through simple faith….believe in Him and receive eternal life.
2. The fact of the resurrection will probably not bring youfear but it should bring you great joy.
That joy comes not just from the knowledge that theresurrection really did occur, but because you place your faith in theOne who rose from the dead and offers you new life.
New life can be yours today. Salvation waits for all who willrepent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus Christ. Will yourespond to Him as your Savior today?…
3. Again I want to remind you of the words of Romans 10:9-10,
”If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shaltbelieve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thoushalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth untorighteousness; and with the mouth confession is made untosalvation.”
4. This Easter Sunday, if you have not already done so, will youpublicly confess that you believe that Christ rose from the dead foryou and place your faith in Him? This is the day of salvation foryou….
How will you respond?
1. Some see the truth, know in their hearts it is true, yet formany reasons, turn away and go along with the world’s rejection ofChrist. They see with their hearts, yet do not accept the truth.
2. Some fabricate false teachings and they persuade other mento believe the untruth. False religion is abundant, and they awayturn men away from accepting the real truth and the real Savior.
3. Yet, thank God…….Some believe, and rejoiced that Christhad arose. Those folks will eternally rejoice in that in believingGod, has forgiven their sins, and given them eternal life.
What will be your response to your God and Creator thismorning who beckons you in love to believe and receive Him as yourSavior….
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