Matthew 28:1-20
Well, after today, we will have gleaned our way through the first book of the New Testament. I hope that you have enjoyed this first leg of our journey half as much as I have. This last chapter of Mathew starts with great news, goes on to more mind boggling moves by the religious leaders and then ends with a great responsibility that ought to be he focus of each of our lives until the return of Christ.
HE LIVES: This is another one of those moments that I hope we get to see when we get to heaven. The earth shaking, the angel descending like a flash of lightning, the stone rolling away to reveal an empty tomb, the guards shaking and looking like dead men and the look on the Mary's faces when they see Jesus; are all sights that I would love to see. Can you imagine the joy that filled the hears of these dear ladies? Suddenly, the memories of wiping His wounds from only a few days earlier are wiped from their minds as they see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears that Christ LIVES!!! They fall at His feet and worship. The resurrection is so central to our faith, for it proves that God was satisfied with Christ's payment on the cross. He who had all our sin placed on Him, had all the wrath of God for our sin poured out on Him and died as payment for our sin; is alive. Sin's price has been satisfied!!! Because He lives we too have hope for eternal life. This truth should be rehearsed in our minds on a daily if not hourly basis, and when we reflect on this glorious gift we should do as the Marys in the garden: worship!
THEY LIED: The guards were hired to prevent the resurrection from happening. Not and easy job! I can only imagine what they were talking about as they ran to the elders to report what they had witnessed. They had front row seats to the resurrection of Christ. Now they have to go tell the men who hired them. "Well, boss, you know how you said that the disciples might try to fake a resurrection?" "Yes." "Well, guess what? It really happened! The ground shook, an angel zapped down out of the sky like lightning and we were caught in some freeze ray, and the angel rolled the stone away, and the tomb was empty!" "Jesus rose from the dead!" You would think that at this the elders would have recognized their sin, fallen on their faces and begged God for mercy. No, their hearts were hard as stone and cold as ice. They had no fear of God. They wanted their power and to admit to their guilt would have cost them everything, or so they thought. What they fail to realize is that their love of fame and fortune cost them everything -eternal life. They knew the truth but preferred the lie because it saved them the embarrassment of admitting their sin and allowed them to continue living in the comfort that they loved more than God. This lie continues to penetrate the hearts of unbelievers to this day. Unfortunately, I have this same tendency to cover my sin rather than suffer the embarrassment of admitting to it. How often to I know the truth of what God wants me to do; but love my comfort more than I love Him so I rationalize (lie to myself) and keep plodding down the path of sin?
WE LOVE: When Jesus meets His disciples there is a wonderful reunion and they too worship Him. Jesus gives them their life-long marching orders. He tells them that He has "all authority," that means two things. First, it means that the following words are not suggestions, they are orders from headquarters. Second, it means that He is responsible. Heaven and earth are at His fingertips and He will provide all that is needed for the mission at hand. Then He gives them the mission: "make disciples of all nations." It is a two part task, first discipleship; second, in all nations. Fulfilling this mission will require three activities: going to all nations, baptising in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all that Christ commands. This mission is not a solo mission, for He promised to always be with them. The death and resurrection of Christ is GREAT NEWS!!! The fact that we have heard and believed this messaged is GREAT GRACE. This should inspire us to respond with GREAT LOVE. The great commission was given in the context of worship. If we love Christ and are living our lives as an act of worship to Him, we will LOVE the nations as He loves them. We will give of our lives and the lives of our sons and daughters that the nations might know, love and worship Him with us. This is the desire of God's heart, so it must be the desire of our hearts. We love Him because He first loved us. We love the nations because He first loved us and because He still loves them.
HE LIVES: This is another one of those moments that I hope we get to see when we get to heaven. The earth shaking, the angel descending like a flash of lightning, the stone rolling away to reveal an empty tomb, the guards shaking and looking like dead men and the look on the Mary's faces when they see Jesus; are all sights that I would love to see. Can you imagine the joy that filled the hears of these dear ladies? Suddenly, the memories of wiping His wounds from only a few days earlier are wiped from their minds as they see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears that Christ LIVES!!! They fall at His feet and worship. The resurrection is so central to our faith, for it proves that God was satisfied with Christ's payment on the cross. He who had all our sin placed on Him, had all the wrath of God for our sin poured out on Him and died as payment for our sin; is alive. Sin's price has been satisfied!!! Because He lives we too have hope for eternal life. This truth should be rehearsed in our minds on a daily if not hourly basis, and when we reflect on this glorious gift we should do as the Marys in the garden: worship!
THEY LIED: The guards were hired to prevent the resurrection from happening. Not and easy job! I can only imagine what they were talking about as they ran to the elders to report what they had witnessed. They had front row seats to the resurrection of Christ. Now they have to go tell the men who hired them. "Well, boss, you know how you said that the disciples might try to fake a resurrection?" "Yes." "Well, guess what? It really happened! The ground shook, an angel zapped down out of the sky like lightning and we were caught in some freeze ray, and the angel rolled the stone away, and the tomb was empty!" "Jesus rose from the dead!" You would think that at this the elders would have recognized their sin, fallen on their faces and begged God for mercy. No, their hearts were hard as stone and cold as ice. They had no fear of God. They wanted their power and to admit to their guilt would have cost them everything, or so they thought. What they fail to realize is that their love of fame and fortune cost them everything -eternal life. They knew the truth but preferred the lie because it saved them the embarrassment of admitting their sin and allowed them to continue living in the comfort that they loved more than God. This lie continues to penetrate the hearts of unbelievers to this day. Unfortunately, I have this same tendency to cover my sin rather than suffer the embarrassment of admitting to it. How often to I know the truth of what God wants me to do; but love my comfort more than I love Him so I rationalize (lie to myself) and keep plodding down the path of sin?
WE LOVE: When Jesus meets His disciples there is a wonderful reunion and they too worship Him. Jesus gives them their life-long marching orders. He tells them that He has "all authority," that means two things. First, it means that the following words are not suggestions, they are orders from headquarters. Second, it means that He is responsible. Heaven and earth are at His fingertips and He will provide all that is needed for the mission at hand. Then He gives them the mission: "make disciples of all nations." It is a two part task, first discipleship; second, in all nations. Fulfilling this mission will require three activities: going to all nations, baptising in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all that Christ commands. This mission is not a solo mission, for He promised to always be with them. The death and resurrection of Christ is GREAT NEWS!!! The fact that we have heard and believed this messaged is GREAT GRACE. This should inspire us to respond with GREAT LOVE. The great commission was given in the context of worship. If we love Christ and are living our lives as an act of worship to Him, we will LOVE the nations as He loves them. We will give of our lives and the lives of our sons and daughters that the nations might know, love and worship Him with us. This is the desire of God's heart, so it must be the desire of our hearts. We love Him because He first loved us. We love the nations because He first loved us and because He still loves them.
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