Matt 28:1-17
SS Lesson for 04/24/2011
Devotional Scripture: 1 Cor 15:12-31
OUTLINE
The lesson outline and detail came from a previous SS Lesson dated 04/11/2004. This week's lesson examines how Jesus Chist has Risen. It studies how the resurrection of Jesus affected different people and what I should learn from these experiences. The study's aim is to show that because of Jesus' resurrection, the world can praise our Lord. The study's application is to praise God because His Son is our risen Saviour.
False Reporting
Not long ago, we received a disturbing letter from the gas company. They had determined that several thousand houses, including ours, were equipped with gas meters that were calibrated incorrectly at the factory. The result was that the meters had been giving false readings for years. The utility’s claim was that they had lost millions of dollars over an estimated six years of false data. The company’s solution was to add a small surcharge on our bill to be paid out over two years. Many people had been affected by this inaccuracy. It had gone uncorrected for years. When it was discovered, those informed were incredulous (like us) and chose not to believe the truth at first. I would guess that some of our more stubborn neighbors still refuse to accept this claim, choosing to fight a losing battle against the gas company even though the evidence is clear. The existence of solid evidence should cause us to think certain ways, but that doesn’t always happen. For example, there was no denying the emptiness of Jesus’ tomb, so some made up a lie that his body had been stolen by his disciples. Their lie is still circulated today. It has contributed to the disbelief of uncounted millions. We are blessed to know that the Christian faith is not based on a false report. We have a faith based on truth confirmed by witnesses who did not lie (Proverbs 14:5). They reported an incredible yet true event, and no amount of lying can change their testimony.
Lesson Background
All four Gospels tell the story of the empty tomb. Each account has unique details. For example, Matthew is our only source of information concerning the action by the Jewish leaders to seal and guard the tomb (Matthew 27:62–66). But the fact of the empty tomb is attested by all four Gospel authors. It is a fact assumed by the other books of the New Testament (example: Acts 13:29–31). Skeptics through the centuries have put forth many theories to explain (or, rather, explain away) the tomb’s emptiness. But there is no credible alternative explanation to that of resurrection: a dead body came back to life and exited the tomb, leaving it empty. There is no scientific explanation for this. It cannot be reproduced in a laboratory. But it is a fact. Jesus’ resurrection holds the promise that we too will be raised to dwell with him forever (1 Corinthians 15:23).
A single spectacular event can bring widely different and even opposite reactions. The terrorist destruction of the two World Trade Center towers in New York and part of the Pentagon in Washington in 2001 illustrates this phenomenon. Overseas, the reaction was mixed. Many expressed sympathy and support. But others showed exhilaration and joy that the terrorists had succeeded and the great nation had been humbled. The greatest event in history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, also brought differing reactions. For Jesus' followers, mired in discouragement, it was scarcely believable. Those who heard of it were unconvinced at first. On the other hand, Jesus' enemies, faced with irrefutable evidence, were placed in a most uncomfortable position. Rather than admit their sin and embrace the Saviour, they chose to bribe the guards and perpetrate a lie. Easter is always a time of great celebration, for it is at this time that we especially remember the resurrection of our Lord from the dead. In our lesson this week we learn that we can praise Him because He is the risen Saviour. We often look at springtime as the time when dead things come to life. The snow melts away slowly and soon gives way to new life as the green grass shows its color beneath our feet. The branches of the trees come to life with new leaves. We watch as the rest of nature shows signs of new life. In the Christian calendar, Easter is something of a time like that. Sorrow and sadness at the death of Jesus were replaced with hope as the disciples slowly realized that their Master was indeed risen from the dead. What He had said really did come to pass. It was a day of celebration and praise for them. It should be so for us as well as we recognize that our Saviour and Lord is alive and victorious.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came 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 from the door, and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
There are several women named Mary mentioned in the New Testament, and we find two of them here. The word Magdalene simply means “from Magdala,” a fishing village on the southwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Luke 8:2 tells us that this Mary was one “from whom seven demons had come out”, demons cast out by Jesus. She is privileged to be the first to learn of Jesus’ resurrection. Matthew 27:56 helps us discover that “the other Mary” is “the mother of James and Joses.” She may also be “the wife of Clopas” (John 19:25), but this is not certain. What is certain is that these two Marys know exactly where Jesus had been buried (see Mark 15:47).
For seventy-seven hours in July, 2002, fear held the town of Quecreek, Pennsylvania, in its grasp: nine coal miners were trapped two hundred forty feet below ground in a flooded mine shaft. They managed to find an air pocket, but then had to wait and wonder in cold, wet, depressing darkness. Workers above drilled an airshaft, and the miners’ hopes rose. Hope was strengthened again as they heard the rescue shaft being bored toward them. But then despair came as the noise stopped for eighteen hours, the drill bit had broken, halting the rescue effort. The men vowed to live or die together and wrote out their wills, putting them into a lunch box. But drilling resumed, and when the new drill broke through, despair turned to hope. Then, as the miners were brought to the surface one by one, hope turned to joy for the miners, their families, their rescuers, and literally an entire nation that had been watching on TV. On the morning Jesus arose from where he had been entombed, there was a similar mixture of fear, despair, and joy. The guards were “frightened to death”, as the saying goes, by the sight of the angel. The women’s own fear was mixed with despair that someone had stolen his body. But that despair would soon give way to joy when they heard that Jesus was alive. How blessed we are: because of their testimony we have no cause for fear or despair, only unmitigated joy!
27 I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."
2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." 7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."
6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah
13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.
5 But the angel answered and 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 is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
12 The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?"
37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
25 It was the third hour when they crucified him.
36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;
32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.
14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
34 and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon."
29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you.
11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'
14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."
15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men'-we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
4[This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.
18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head
2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
The Joshua Project tracks the progress of the gospel among the known people groups of the world (see www.joshuaproject.net). This project estimates that about 40 percent of the world’s population exists in people groups that do not have a viable Christian witness. What this means is that the need for cross-cultural missionaries has not diminished. Unreached people cannot come to faith in Jesus unless someone strategically and intentionally goes to them and teaches them about the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Our task is clear!
Carnival rides can be a thrill, especially the roller coasters. On the other hand, no one likes an emotional roller coaster. The women who were closest to Jesus must have suffered emotional whiplash with the changes in feelings they had over a period of several days. They had witnessed the triumphal entry and the excitement that electrified the crowds when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Perhaps they had helped the disciples through the depression and fear that ensued after the crucifixion. Maybe the disciples helped them. Going to the grave that Sunday morning may have been intended to bring closure, but the women never expected to be greeted by the angelic messengers who informed them that Jesus had risen. With heads spinning and emotions in high gear, they raced back to town only to be greeted by Jesus Himself. The Lord's words sound so simple and straightforward in our text, but this must have been an emotional moment that could only be described as ecstatic. How can someone handle such emotional changes of direction in such a short time? After nearly two thousand years, it is possible that the message of that first resurrection Sunday may be so neatly arranged in your mind that it no longer arouses the exuberance that it once did. But it should. Let me describe the feeling in a more contemporary setting. See whether you understand what they must have felt. It was early morning when a middle-aged man and his wife were awakened by the phone. Their son, who had just started his freshman year at the university in the next state, had been killed in a car accident. Officers had identified his badly burned body by the wallet that was on the front seat. In deep despair, each holding on to the other for support, they drove to the university to take care of the details. They stopped by the morgue and picked up their son's wallet; then they made their way to his dorm room to gather his personal belongings. It was early in the morning, but the supervisor gave them a key to the room. Since their son had no roommate, they were not afraid of disturbing anyone as they put the key into the lock and tried to open the door. It did not open easily; so they wiggled it back and forth and pulled at the door. Suddenly, there was a pull from the other side as the door opened. There stood their son—very much alive! "Dad. Mom. What are you doing here? I have been trying to reach you. Someone stole my car, and my wallet was on the front seat!" That is the feeling of resurrection reality. A loved one was dead. Despair had settled in. Life seemed worthless. Then suddenly everything became new again. Two thousand years of church history should never diminish the joy of repeating the message again: "Jesus Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!"
1. The dawning of each new day should remind us of Christ's resurrection (Matt. 28:1)
2. Angels are awesome and powerful, but they are servants to believers (Matt. 28:2-4; cf. Heb. 1:14)
3. The angels of heaven rejoice in our salvation; how much more should we (Matt. 28:5-6)
4. The only proper action in response to Christ's resurrection is to proclaim it (vs. 7-8)
5. The Lord often confronts us in our daily lives when we least expect Him (vs. 9-10)
6. We can expect Christ's enemies to spread lies, but the truth will always triumph (vs. 11-17)
As Christians, we all know that Jesus lived, died, and rose again on the third day. Those facts are essential to Christianity (I Cor. 15:3-4). This week we will once again look at what happened on Easter and see how it impacts our lives.
The women mentioned here loved Jesus dearly. And He loved them. They were heartbroken that their Master had been executed. To show their devotion to Him even in His death, they went to "see the sepulchre." Do we have such devotion to our Lord? We cannot go to His tomb. But do we show love for Him that is tangible? Do we read our Bibles and tell others about Him?
Here Matthew tells us of the events that happened at the resurrection. There was an earthquake, just as there was when Jesus was crucified (27:51). It is interesting that God used such an event both at Jesus' death and at His resurrection. An angel came to the tomb. The Roman guards placed there were so terrified that they "became as dead men" (Matt. 28:4). But the angel assured the women that there was nothing to be afraid of, for Jesus had risen from the dead "as he said" (vs. 6). This was incredible news. Jesus had told His disciples many times that He was going to die but rise from the dead. We do not know whether He told any women, but the angel wanted these women to know that Jesus had kept His word. We may not have a visit from an angel, but we can still be confident that Jesus will always keep His word. That is terrific news!
The women immediately obeyed the angel's command to tell the disciples (vs. 7-8). Yet as they were on their way, another meeting took place. They met Jesus. It is interesting that although these women were doing as they were told, Jesus met them to tell them Himself that He was alive. We might think Jesus would do this only if they were not obeying. But the meeting was a great blessing. Although we will not run into Jesus physically in our lives today, we can be assured that He is alive. He wants us to go forth and spread the news that He is alive. It has been said that a Christian is the only Bible some people will ever read. That is true. And that is why each of us needs to take the gospel to those we know. They may not hear it anywhere else.
This section is the only part of the lesson text with any bad news. The Jewish leaders got wind that Jesus' tomb was empty. Since their hearts were hard and they would not believe in His resurrection, they fabricated a tale and even paid off the Roman officials to spread their lie. That lie was still being told at the time Matthew wrote his Gospel (sometime around A.D. 60 to 65). The Jewish leaders could not change the facts. The empty tomb spoke volumes. Yes, the disciples could have stolen the body. But they would have had to overcome four highly trained Roman guards and move an incredibly heavy stone! Jesus is alive! That is the truth, and that is what God wants us to tell others. May we seek to do so each day.