Sermon notes

INTRODUCTION

Two Marys, Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary,” the mother of Jesus, have stayed with Jesus through His death and burial.  They are back after the Sabbath, and become the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.

THE TEXT

“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. 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 . . . .” (Matthew 28:1-10).

NEW WEEK

Matthew has carefully traced the evenings and mornings from the night of the Last Supper through the death of Jesus (cf. 26:17, 20; 27:1, 57, 62).  It is now the day after the Sabbath (28:1), the dawning of a new week (28:1).  But this is no ordinary new week.  This eighth day is the first day of a new age of human history, marked by Jesus’ triumph over death.

ANGELS AND GUARDS

Early in Matthew’s gospel, angels spoke to Joseph to identify the baby Mary bore and to direct Joseph to escape from Herod (1:20, 24; 2:13).  Angels appeared in the birth narratives to preserve the infant Jesus’ life.  After Jesus overcame Satan in the wilderness, angels ministered to Him (4:11).  Another angel now appears to open the tomb and announce not just Jesus’ preservation from death but His victory over it (28:2-7).  Joseph does what he can as a man, rolling a stone in front of the tomb; but the angel from heaven comes with power from God, the power to break open tombs.  There was an earthquake at Jesus’ death, and the world began to be shaken down and built back up, and there is an echoing earthquake at His resurrection, as heaven invades earth to renew it (28:2).  The angel resembles Jesus in His transfiguration (17:2), bright like the sun or like lightning, garments as white as snow (28:3).  Mighty Roman guards are so frightened that they fall to the dust all but dead (v. 4).  When heaven comes to earth, even the greatest earthly powers cower.

NO FEAR

The angel’s first word is “Do not be afraid” (28:5), which will also be the Risen Jesus’ first word (v. 10).  The women need the reassurance, beause they are filled with fear as well as joy when they hear the report of the angel (v. 8).  Yet, they don’t react like the Roman soldiers.  The soldiers fall to the ground as dead men; the women fear, and draw near, falling down to worship at the feet of Jesus (v. 9).  They can’t wait to take the message, leaving the emptuy tomb “quickly” at a run (v. 8).  When heaven comes to shake the earth, faithful women are braver and swifter than well-armed soldiers.

TO GALILEE

The angel sends the women out to gather the disciples to Galilee (v. 7), and Jesus later appears to reiterate the mission (v. 10).  Galilee of the Gentiles lay in darkness (4:15-16), but Jesus had brought light by His ministry of teaching, healing, and exorcism.  Now He was going to bring even brighter light by making Galilee the launching point for the mission of His disciples.