He is Risen!
Moving Through Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
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We began this journey through Matthew in 2021. But since that time we have stopped and started, when I have traveled and come back. But today we finish the Gospel of Matthew, and we see the greatest event to ever happen in human history. Al of the other events in history in the past and all those that will come will never be greater that what Matthew recorded here in chapter 28.
This morning I want to divide Chapter 28 into two sections. The fist is seen in verses 1-17.
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” 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 tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” 11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
In Chapter 27, they crucified Jesus, he died on the cross, and they put him in the tomb. Now it’s three days later, and the two Mary’s had come to anoint his body with perfume one last time. They came to the tomb, and he was not there. The stone was rolled away and there was an angel there saying that he had risen.
Now I believe the Bible. I believe that the Words of Scripture are true and that this is truly a historical account. But many people do not. Many people have different answers to why he did not awaken from the dead. So the question is DID JESUS RISE FROM THE DEAD?
How would you answer that question is asked?
You might say, well the Bible says it is true. But what if the person asking doesn’t believe in the Bible? How can you give a possible explanation?
There are different beliefs out there that Jesus was not resurrected. And when I mean resurrected, I mean he was dead for three days, then came back to life.
The first belief is that when Jesus was on the cross, he didn’t die.
The Muslim faith believe that the person that went to the cross was only a man who looked like Jesus. Muhammad taught this and it was written down in the Quran. So the best way to answer this teaching from Islam is to see the eye witnesses from the Bible opposed to a man that lived 600 years after the resurrection.
Some people believe that he did not die, but fainted and they thought he was dead, they took him down, put him in the tomb. And at some point in those three days, he woke up from his fainting and left he tomb. But think about his physical condition at the time: beaten, scourged, nailed to a cross, no food, no water, and three days later he is to wake from his fainting move the stone and sneak past the guards? TO believe that is ridicules.
2. The disciples stole the body of Jesus.
This was the fear that is seen in Chapter 27. But think about it… how could a group of common Galilean men be smarter that the soldiers of the Roman Army. How could they overpower them or even out smart them. The Roman Guard were highly trained warriors for Caesar. It simply was not possible.
3. The disciples who said that they saw the risen Lord were mad.
They were out of their minds. They wanted something so bad that they told themselves he was alive. But the Scriptures do say that over 500 people witnessed the risen Lord between the time of his resurrection and his ascension. Are they all mad too? Physically he came back to life…eating, walking, drinking, talking. But think about this … how could anyone explain what happened in the years that followed Christs ascension into heaven. How those 11 disciple plus Judas’ replacement began to spread the gospel and today 1/3 of the world has called on the name of Jesus Christ.
But also, the biggest opponent of Jesus, Saul, turned from being a persecutor to an proclaimer of this Jesus who died, was resurrected, and sits beside the Lord God on the throne in heaven.
So what does this event of the resurrection mean to you personally?
Paul wrote in Romans 10:9
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
This is what it means. The resurrection matters. Without the resurrection, the crucifixion doesn’t matter. Without the empty tomb, the cross doesn’t matter. The resurrection is what defines the way of salvation.
Let’s split this verse into two sections:
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord...
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead
YOU WILL BE SAVED
Over the last two weeks we have seen 12 people come to the front of the church and trust Christ as their Savior. For those I talked to, I told them this verse....YOU have to confess with your mouth and YOU have to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
Now it’s easy to do the first, but it is more difficult to continue with the second. It’s easy to come forward and say that Jesus is Lord and I want to accept him, but the second part… BELEIVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD is more than just understanding an event that occured, it is a daily laying down your life, following him, and striving to do his will according to the Scriptures. Being saved is not a one time prayer that covers you so you don’t go to hell. That’s not how this works. I could ask Small Peter, do you want to go to hell? No, then say this prayer. BELIEVING IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD means that a life change has begun in you. The Bible says that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. When we come to Christ with a repentant heart, he saves us, but everyday we grow and continue to walk with him and help others to hear about this Jesus us saved us from a seperation from God.
And telling others about this resurrected Jesus, is what he wants us to do. And it is part of his final words to his disciples then and now.
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This is what is known as the Great Commission. A commission is an order. A directive to accomplish something.
Jesus made a way for salvation. He came, he talked about a coming kingdom where those who believed, confessed, and followed would be returned back to God as his chosen ones. She showed that he was the only way. And now he showed God’s plan how every person or every generation, until the time he returns will hear and find out abut what he did 2000 years ago. The way they would know is by those who had begun to follow him, would tell about him. They would tell of his death and resurrection (also known as the gospel) and by the leading of the Holy Spirit some would respond and some would not. Only God knows those who would chose him or not chose him, but commission was specific first to the disciples and then to ever believer since that time. Look at what should happen...
Go
make disciples
baptizing them
teaching them
PROMISE: I will be with you always.
So what do we do? WE TELL. We tell. We tell of the hope we have, and that hope is what Jesus did on the cross. Why he did it, and they changed life that a person can have when they realize the person of that hope. We tell. We tell our friends. Our family. Those in our school. We tell. And when we have done that, we allow the Holy Spirit to do his job.
If you think that a person did not receive Christ because you didn’t explain it well. That’s wrong. They Bible say that it is the Father who draws men to him.
If you are following the Great Commission to go and tell, remember this:
It’s not your job to convert people.
it’s not your job to save people.
it’s not your job to convict people.
it’s not yoru job to convince people.
It is our job to TELL people
The convincing, convicting, converting, and saving work is the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has a job....and he is really good at it. But we also have a job…and we need to get better at it.
Does teh resurrection of Jesus Christ matter to you? Do you believe that he is the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, and teh ONLY life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him?
If you believe this…if you really believe this…are you telling? Are you going and telling?
Bow your heads....