Resurrection Sunday 4/4/21
“He is not here: for he is risen, just as he said …” Matthew 28:6 (KJV)
Introduction – Answers the questions when, who and why? (28:1)
– When? After the Sabbath early on the 1st day of the week—Sunday (v.1a)
– Who? Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (“mother of James”) (v.1b; Mk 16:1) – Why? They came to look at the grave (and anoint the body) (v.1c; cf. Mark 16:1)
I.
The angelic messenger’s appearance and message (28:2-7)
A. The arrival of the angelic messenger was accompanied by an earthquake (v.2a) B. The angelic messenger rolled away the stone– But NOT to let Jesus out! (v.2b)
C. The appearance of the angelic messenger- White like lightning (v.3; Matt.17:1-8) D. The reaction of the guards – Stark terror—they fainted (v.4)
E. The message to the women concerning the risen Christ (vv.5-7)
1. “Do not be afraid”- They were looking for Jesus who had been crucified (v5) 2. He is not here – “He is risen” (KJV) “just as He said” (v.6a)
3. “Come see” the place where He was lying (v.6b; cf. John 20:1-9)
4. “Go…tell” His disciples that He is risen (KJV) from the dead (v.7a)
5. He’ll meet them in Galilee (vv.7b, 10; cf. John 21:1-23) II. The women’s response – (28:8)
A. They left the tomb quickly with “fear and great joy” (v.8a)
B. They ran to tell Jesus’ disciples the good news (v.8b) III. A ‘chance’ encounter with the risen Christ (28:9-10)
A. The risen Jesus met and greeted them on the way (v.9a)
B. The women “took hold of His feet and worshipped Him”(v.9b; cf. John 20:11-18) C. The Lord’s message- NO FEAR! Tell the disciples He’ll meet them in Galilee (v.10)
Key Verse(s) *The Resurrection of Christ—The central truth of the Christian faith Matthew 28:1 (NASB) *The reason resurrection people usually worship on Sunday 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. [“Sabbath” = Saturday]
Matthew 28:6 (NASB) *Jesus actually rose from the dead on the 3rd day – past time “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” [grammatically correct but theologically inadequate to capture impact of resurrection]
Matthew 28:6 (KJV) *The resurrection happened in past but still effective in present He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matthew 28:7 (NASB) *KJV translation archaic but preferred (cf. Greek perfect tense) “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.”
Matthew 28:7 (KJV)*KJV translation captures the perfective essence of the resurrection “And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”
“And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things… And be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Mark 8:31 (NASB)
Matthew 28:1-10 “Come See…Go Tell!”
“….Come, see the place where He was lying.”
Matthew 28:6 (NASB)
Key x-References – Jesus’ resurrection is the proof our sins are forgiven forever! Job 19:25-27 (NASB) *Even Old Testament saints had hope of a physical resurrection “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see…” [cf. Romans 4:25]
Daniel 12:2 (NASB) *The OT also separated eternal life from eternal punishment “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”
John 11:21-27 (excerpts NASB) *Faith in Christ is key that unlocks the door to eternity “Martha then said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died’…Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and every- one who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.’”
1 Peter 1:3-7 (excerpts NASB) *Our hope of eternal life is grounded in His resurrection “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and unde- filed and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (NASB) *Comfort for those who die before Christ’s return “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Key Terms (most words have a ‘field of meaning’ —> various translations) “resurrection” (John 11:24) Greek #386 (42x), NASB anastasis, from 450; a standing up, i.e. a resurrection, a raising up, rising:– resurrection (41), rise (1)
cf. “rise again” (Luke 18:33) Greek #450 (123x), NASB anistêmi, verb, from 303 and 2476; to raise up, to rise:– arise* (10x); literally “stand again” “make to stand again”
“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead…”
Matthew 28:7 (NASB)