This may
well be the strangest Easter we will ever experience as a congregation.
For
128 years, our church family has gathered together in person and celebrated the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in the same place. But this year, we have
to do it apart and in our own separate places. It won’t be the same this time, but the truth of the resurrection has not
changed! Jesus Christ has returned from the dead, and that is worth
celebrating no matter where we are.
We
have prepared another ten step guide for you to use in family worship on
Resurrection Sunday. I will be recording a Resurrection Sunday video message
and posting it to YouTube and Facebook. We’re also planning a special Family
Fellowship Meeting on Zoom, and you and your family are invited!
[NOTE:
I will be there on Zoom at 10:45am to help anyone who needs a little practice
to get set up. This technology is new to many of us.]
The
words for Worship in Unity this week will be very familiar to you if you’ve
ever been at LEFC on Resurrection Sunday. It is called the “Easter Acclamation”
and is used in many different Christian traditions throughout the world:
“Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”
Sing!
The truth of Jesus’ resurrection is well worth raising your voice in song. Some
of the most glorious worship songs in the history of the church are about the
resurrection. We’ve only picked a few for this guide, but there are many more.
You might want to find a playlist on your favorite music service and turn up
your speakers all day long. My current favorite is “His Heart Beats” by Andrew
Peterson [YouTube,
Spotify]. I’m sure there will be great music on
Christian radio and television this weekend, as well.
What
time are you going to gather your household this weekend to worship the risen
Lord Jesus Christ?
In His
Grip,
-
Pastor Matt
Home Worship Guide
1. Worship in Unity
Leader:Christ is Risen!
Family:He Is Risen Indeed!(Repeat 3x with
increasing confidence and joy.)
**Option:
If you have multiple children in the home, assign a different child as the
leader for each repetition. Point to each child when it is their term to lead.
Remind the family to get louder each time. Some younger families may want to
repeat the Easter Acclamation many more times. Make it fun!
2. Call to Worship
This
is Resurrection Sunday. Have someone read 1 Peter 1:3-12 with wonder in their
voice.
**Option:
Take some time this weekend to create a piece of art that expresses the meaning
of this great holiday and how it makes you feel. Draw, paint, sculpt, or
fashion together something about the Cross and/or the Empty Tomb. During the
Family Fellowship Meeting on Zoom, we will have a time for Show and Tell to share your piece of resurrection-themed art.
Have
someone pray and ask God to bless your time of worship at home.
3. Worship in Singing
As a
household sing “He Lives” by Alfred Ackley (1933).
**Option.
During our Family Fellowship Meeting on Zoom, we are going to attempt together
to sing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” by Charles Wesley
(1739) with all (except for our worship leader’s) mics on “mute.” You might
want to practice singing it as a family beforehand. We normally sing the first
4 verses on Resurrection Sunday (Wesley’s original had 11 verses!).
4. Worship in Praise and Testimony
Have
each family member share something they are praising God for today, maybe a
short story of something the Lord has done in their life recently.
**Option:
Have each family member finish this sentence: “Because Christ Is Risen Indeed,
___________________.” During
our Family Fellowship Meeting on Zoom, we’re going give everyone a chance to
share their completed sentences.
5. Worship in Bible Memorization
As a
family recite our “Hide the Word” verse for this Spring: Matthew 28:18-20.
“Then
Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 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, and teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age.”
**Option:
Write it out on a whiteboard, chalkboard, or big piece of paper. Erase or cover
key words and try to say it without them. How much can you do without looking?
6. Worship in Prayer
Take
prayer requests and pray for each other.
Read
the prayer guide together and pray for the rest of the church family and the
requests listed.
Some
families (especially with teens) may want to watch/read the message on their
own and then have a Bible study and discussion together during this time.
How do
you envision applying the truth of Matthew 28 to your life this week?
Have
someone pray a prayer of commissioning for your family as you end this time of
gathered worship and face a week of new opportunities and new challenges to
serve the Lord, the church, and the world in His Name.
10. Participate in LEFC Family Fellowship
Meeting on Zoom.
- See
one another’s faces and hear each other’s voices.
- Show
and Tell. Share your resurrection-themed art.
- Hear
your brothers and sisters complete this sentence: “Because Christ Is Risen Indeed,
___________________.”
- Sing
“Christ the Lord is Risen Today” together with our mics on “mute.”
“Afraid Yet Filled With Joy” Following Jesus - The Gospel of Matthew LEFC Message for Worship at Home Resurrection Sunday :: April 12, 2020 Matthew 28:1-15
We have reached the very last chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
This is the 79th message in our “Following Jesus” series through the Gospel of Matthew, and we have reached the very last chapter.
And I have good news to share with you from Matthew 28 today:
Jesus Christ has risen from the dead!
Let’s say it together:
Christ is Risen! _____________________
Christ is Risen! ______________________
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
That’s what we learn in Matthew chapter 28.
In chapter 27, Jesus was crucified. He died on Friday. He was buried. They rolled a big stone in front of His tomb. They posted a guard to make sure that His body wasn’t stolen. And for all of Saturday, on the Sabbath, things were silent.
But then on Sunday morning, everything changed.
Everything changed!
Where things had just gone from bad to worse....And it just got worse.
Now, everything begins to be made better. So much better that it was frightening!
This message is entitled, “Afraid Yet Filled With Joy” which is what it says the women were in verse 8 when they heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection.
“Afraid yet filled with joy.”
We’re going to see that both of those reactions were justified.
There was good reason for both the fright and the delight.
“Afraid yet filled with joy.”
Let’s see what happened.
Matthew 28, verse 1. Follow along with me.
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.”
Do you remember these ladies?
We said last week to pay attention to them.
They are often overlooked, but they were very important.
They were faithful disciples of our Lord, and they knew exactly where the tomb was. They had been there and watched on Friday when they buried Jesus.
They went to look at the tomb. The other gospels tell us that they had brought more spices to anoint His body early that Sunday morning. But here’s what happened! V.2
“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.”
Another earthquake! This one Matthew says was because there was an angel-landing.
An angel descends from heaven and it shakes the ground.
And this angel rolls the stone back and then sits on it.
And he looks like lightning!
I don’t know what that means?! Bright? Shining? Flashing? Electrical?!
And his clothes were as white as snow. Brilliant.
How would you feel if you encountered that?
Well, we know how the guards felt. Verse 4.
“The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”
Big tough guys. They’ve seen it all.
But they’ve never seen anything like this.
They faint away and pass out.
They are afraid, and NOT filled with joy.
And when they wake up, they decide to lie about it. We’ll see that in second.
How about these women? How did they feel?
They were afraid, too. I know I would be!
But the angel talks to them. (Not to the guards but to the women.) V.5
“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you.’”
What a message!
By the way, this just doesn’t happen.
Every time you and I go by the cemetery, the same people are still in their graves.
I’ve never seen an angel sitting on a tombstone and saying, “O, they are not here any more. They got up and walked out. Check it out.”
That never happens.
So, if it did happen this way, this is big news!
How would you feel if you got that news from a living lightning bolt?
Afraid, right?
And so they were. But more than that. They were filled with joy! V.8
“So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”
Yes, they were afraid, but even more than that, they were filled with joy.
The Greek word there is “Mega.” They had mega-joy.
Great joy.
The same thing the Magi felt back in Matthew chapter 2 when they were overjoyed to see the Christ child.
These eyewitness women had joy welling up inside of them and spilling out!
And they had every reason to rejoice.
I can think of least 3 from right here.
And they are just as true for us to day.
Rejoice!
#1. JESUS IS RISEN!
He is no longer dead.
“Death could not hold Him.
The grave could not keep Him from rising again.”
Everything bad that has happened has been reversed.
Christ is risen. He has risen indeed.
Jesus is alive.
And that changes everything.
Doesn’t it? There isn’t a thing that isn’t changed by the reality of the resurrection.
The resurrection brings hope, it brings joy, it brings peace.
It changes the ending of the story that we are living in.
It feels sometimes like we are living in a tragedy.
Right now with global pandemic, it feels like “This is not going to end well.”
And it might get worse.
And it might get even more worse.
But the resurrection says that everything bad is going to be reversed.
Jesus is going to reverse the curse.
And He has proven that He can do it by rising from the dead!
As Christians, we have every reason to rejoice.
Jesus is risen.
#2. JESUS IS RELIABLE.
Rejoice because Jesus is reliable. I love those four words in verse 6.
“He is not here; he has risen, JUST AS HE SAID.”
How many times has Jesus promised in the Gospel of Matthew that He would come back from the dead? He has said it again and again and again.
The disciples didn’t know what He was talking about, but He’s promised it over and over again.
And now the angel says that He’s done it!
Jesus is faithful. He keeps ALL of His promises.
Even the impossible ones!
You and I often make promises that we could fulfill, but we just don’t.
And sadly we also make promises that we cannot fulfill. We aren’t able.
But when Jesus makes a promise, even if it takes coming back from the dead, Jesus keeps His promise.
He is that reliable.
I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded of that often.
Whatever Jesus has said He will do, He will do. Even if it takes a miracle.
That’s a reason to rejoice!
And here’s a third one:
#3. JESUS IS REAL.
Jesus is not a myth.
And His resurrection is not just a story.
This really happened.
The angel said, “Come and see the place where he lay.”
Check it out for yourself. He is not here.
This is not just a story. These are eyewitnesses who saw it with their own eyes.
The tomb was empty!
No wonder the women ran away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy!
And look what happened next. V.9
“Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’”
I love that His first words are basically, “Hey there!”
He doesn’t say, “It is I! Bump Bah Bah!”
He just says, “Greetings.”
And the women knew what they were seeing. They were seeing Jesus.
And they were touching Him. V.9 says, “They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.”
I love that they were able to grab His feet.
Those are real feet.
Jesus is not a ghost.
Jesus is not a hallucination.
Jesus is not a vision.
Jesus is a real resurrected man.
They could grab His feet!
And they did. And they worshiped Him.
And notice that Jesus receives their worship.
He doesn’t say, “Stop that. I’m just a man.”
He takes their worship as due Him.
He is really risen. And He is really Son of God worthy of our worship.
Jesus says the same thing to them that the angel did, “Do not be afraid.”
That’s not a rebuke. That’s a comfort.
The natural thing here in the presence of a resurrected man is to be afraid.
It’s natural and justified.
But Jesus reassures them that it’s all good, and He tells them (v.10), “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Because He’s real.
Next week, Lord-willing, we’ll see what happens in Galilee.
But first, we have to see how the guards and the enemies of Jesus respond to what has happened that first Resurrection Sunday.
Verse 11.
“While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money [hush money], telling them, ‘You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him [with more money] and keep you out of trouble.’ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day” (vv.11-15).
Which story do you believe?
Jesus is real, but these guys are fakes.
They are desperate to try to damage control the situation.
So they concoct a crazy cover story which doesn’t add up.
They were all asleep?
Roman soldiers did not sleep on the job. And if they did, they did it in shifts.
And they would wake a moment’s notice if there was an attack.
Jesus’ disciples stole the body? How do they know that if they were all asleep?
Yeah, right!
What about that stone being rolled away. Did they sleep through that?
These guys could have been executed for failing to do their duty.
They couldn’t even guard a dead guy!
This cockamamy story would be funny if it weren’t so sad and so many people get taken in by it, even today.
Who do you believe?
I believe these women.
I believe the angel.
I believe the gospel of Matthew.
I believe that Jesus risen, reliable, and real.
And, therefore, we have every reason to rejoice!
I know that right now we have reasons to be afraid.
And the fears are real, not just imagined.
We live in a broken world, and things are not as they should be.
Because of a scary virus, we are not even gathering in this building right here and witnessing baptisms and singing together “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
But Christ the Lord IS Risen Today!
And that means that everything bad is going to be made good.
The curse will be reversed.
Jesus has kept His promises, and He will keep every one of His promises, even those that require a miracle.
This is not just a myth, or a symbol, or a story.
This is real. This is history, and this is the story we are living in today.
So we may have some justification for our fright, but we also have even more reason for our delight.
So let me assure you, as well:
Do not be afraid.
Be filled with great joy!
And go and tell others, “He is not here; he has risen, just as He said.”
In our home, Jeff Powell is known as "Super Jeff."
At our very first Allegheny District Pastors & Wives Retreat (one of Jeff & Kim’s brainchildren), EFCA President Bill Hamel said that the pastors’ kids in the district he had superintended called him “Super Bill.” Our kids were 4, 3, 1 and 4 months at the time, and I said, “That’s what we all will call him–Super Jeff.”
And Jeff has lived up to the name.
Jeff has SUPER at keeping us focused as a district on:
Disciplemaking
Jeff has been super consistent in keeping all of our pastors and churches on the Great Commission. Gospel-centered disciplemaking just bleeds out of him. He has crisscrossed the expanse of our district visiting churches and teaching seminars on a whole host of topics that all center on disciplemaking. Whenever faced with a decision, Jeff will always say, “We need to do what will help our churches make the most and best disciples.”
Sound Doctrine
Jeff has doggedly concentrated on ensuring that our pastors and churches are theologically healthy. He dreamed up Stay Sharp, the annual theology conference we offer in partnership with the EFCA National Office that draws leaders from across the district to focus 24 hours the biblical teaching expounded in our statement of faith. We are so much strong because he’s been super.
But more importantly to us. He has been SUPER as our pastor.
Shepherding
Both of the Powells, really. My grown daughter actually calls Kim, “Super Kim,” as well. Kim has befriended and then checked on her all of these years.
Jeff and Kim have been here for us, prayed for us, walked with us through hard times. I’ve shared many a hotel room with Jeff, and he’s listened to me complain and cry. He’s rejoiced with me over many a blessing.
This Sunday begins what
Christians often call “Holy Week,” and being separated from each other this
particular week as a family of families will be especially difficult for us. We
rightfully lament this loss of togetherness but also know that we have not
ultimately lost anything because all things are ours in Christ and His mercies
are new every
single day (1 Cor 3:21-23, Lamentations 3:22-23).
We have prepared another 10 step
Guide to Worship at Home for you to use in family worship, and I have recorded
a corresponding video message and posted it on YouTube and Facebook. We’re also
planning another Family Fellowship Meeting on Zoom,
and you are invited! Please let us
know if you need any help getting connected.
When we get together on Zoom,
I’m going to ask everyone (especially the children!) to share 1 thing that you
are missing right now and 1 thing for which you are thankful. We will “rejoice
with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
For Worship in Unity this week,
I have chosen the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism. Originally
published in Germany in 1563 as a part of the Protestant Reformation, the
answer to the Heidelberg’s first question is especially beautiful, profoundly
biblical, and deeply comforting. The modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn
Getty have recently created a new worship song “Christ
Our Hope in Life and Death” inspired by this historic creedal
statement. I have worded the translation into the first person plural so that
we declare it together as a community of faith with the communion of the
saints.
We are working on special plans
for celebrating Resurrection Sunday next week. If you have suggestions for
simple ways to enhance our worship and celebrate our Risen Lord, please us
know.
What time are you going to
gather your household this weekend to worship the Lord Jesus Christ?
In His Grip,
- Pastor Matt
P.S.Parents, you can download the Kids Worship Bulletin for this week and print it
out for your children. And make sure you
sing! Your kids are learning how to worship by watching you.
Home Worship Guide
1. Call to Worship
This is “Palm Sunday.” Have
someone read the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry in John 12:12-16.
**Option: Families with younger
children could make palm branches crafts to wave as part of family
worship, especially during the songs.
Have someone pray and ask God to
bless your time of worship at home.
2. Worship in Singing
As a household sing “Hosanna” by
Carl Tuttle (1985).
Answer together the first
question of the Heidelberg Catechism:
Q. What
is our only comfort in life and death?
A. That
we are not our own
but belong
with body and soul
both in
life and in death
to our
faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for
all our sins
with his
precious blood,
and has
set us free
from all
the power of the devil.
He also preserves us
in such a way
that
without the will of our heavenly Father
not a hair
can fall from our heads;
indeed,
all things must work together
for our
salvation.
Therefore, by his Holy
Spirit
he also
assures us
of eternal
life
and makes
us heartily willing and ready
from now
to live for him.
**Option: Listen to the new song
by Keith and Kristyn Getty based upon this catechism question: “Christ
Our Hope in Life and Death.”
4. Worship in Lament and Thanksgiving
The Bible tells us there is both
“a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Ecclessiastes 3:4).
Have each family member share at
least 1 good thing that they miss right now and 1 thing they are really
thankful for this week.
Remind each other that the
Lord’s mercies are new every morning.
**Option: Get ready to share
your lament and thanksgiving with the church family fellowship meeting on Zoom
at 11am. Pastor Matt will be asking the kids especially to share their one
thing they are missing and one thing for which they are thankful.
5. Worship in Bible Memorization
As a family recite our “Hide the
Word” verse for this Spring: Matthew
28:18-20.
“Then Jesus came to them and
said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
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, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age.”
**Option: Write this out on a
whiteboard, chalkboard or big piece of paper. Erase or cover key words and try
to say it without them. Try to do more missing words each week.
6. Worship in Prayer
Take prayer requests and pray
for each other.
Read the prayer guide together
and pray for the rest of the church family and the requests listed.
Some families (especially with
teens) will want to watch the message on their own and then have a Bible study
and discussion together during this time.
Have someone pray a prayer of
commissioning for your family as you end this time of gathered worship and face
a week of new opportunities and new challenges to serve the Lord, the church,
and the world in His Name.
10. Participate in LEFC Family Fellowship Meeting on Zoom.
Many of us are meeting through
video-conference online this Sunday at 11:00am:
“Surely He Was the Son of God!” Following Jesus - The Gospel of Matthew LEFC Message for Worship at Home April 5, 2020 :: Matthew 27:51-66
While you may be watching this video on Palm Sunday 2020, we have gotten pretty far past Palm Sunday in our study of the Gospel of Matthew.
In our study of the Gospel of Matthew, we are on Good Friday, and the Lord Jesus has just died on the Cross.
Matthew 27, verse 50 says, “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.”
Our regal King relinquished His life, though not His sovereignty, and died.
The rest of the chapter is about what happened next.
For the last several months as we’ve followed Jesus through the few chapters of Matthew, I’ve said again and again, “It just gets worse. It just worse.”
As Jesus was betrayed, arrested, bound, deserted, tried, denied, beaten, spitted upon, slapped, toyed with, condemned, shouted at, scourged, stripped, mocked, struck, crucified, and forsaken.
But then Jesus died.
And it no longer gets worse.
In fact, it immediately gets better!
Some amazingly spectacular things happened at that exact moment.
And not the least of them was what the Roman centurion who was there said about Who Jesus is.
How many times in the Gospel of Matthew have we said, “Keep your eye on the ball?!”
And the ball in the Gospel of Matthew is the identity of Jesus.
Who is Jesus?
Do you remember what the title of last week’s message was?
It was the question that Satan had thrown at Jesus in at His temptation in the wilderness.
It was the insult that Jesus’ enemies and the bystanders and even the criminals next to were hurling at Him as He died.
Well, here is the climax at the end of the book where the Roman centurion and the guards with Him, can’t help by give the right answer:
Look at what they say in verse 54.
“Surely He Was the Son of God!”
The Greek word translated “surely” is alaythos and it means “truly, certainly, must assuredly.”
Guaranteed, Jesus was the Son of God.
Now, let’s see what led them to this conclusion.
Everybody has been amazed that Jesus did not protest. He did not open His mouth.
He has such a regal bearing.
And we saw in verse 45 that a thick darkness covered the land as He was suffering.
But look what happened when Jesus died! Verse 51.
“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.”
Wow! Seismic upheaval.
The world can’t stay the same when the Son of God has died.
I have four things I want to show you that Jesus is doing as the Son of God even as He has died.
And for each of those things I have motion to give you to help you remember how to apply it to your life.
Here’s the first one.
Truly He Was the Son of God:
#1. OPENING ACCESS.
To God.
We don’t realize just how big that curtain was in the temple.
The Jewish Mishnah says that it was 60 feet long and 30 feet wide and as thick as a man’s palm.
And they say it took 300 men to put it in place.
Where was that place?
It hung in front of the Holy of Holies and it restricted access to the visible representation of the throne of God.
Only the high priest was allowed to go beyond that curtain and only once a year.
But when Jesus died, God ripped that curtain in two from top to bottom.
And that symbolized judgment, I’m sure.
The rending of Jesus’ flesh.
The coming destruction of the whole temple.
But I’m also sure it symbolized access to God.
Here’s the first motion of application:
- COME.
Because Jesus died we now have access to God.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
He is the fulfillment of the sacrificial system.
We don’t need the blood of bulls and goats any more because of His perfect sacrifice.
Come.
I’m sure that’s what the writer to the Hebrews meant when he wrote:
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19-22a).
Come!
You can now come to God.
You don’t have to wait.
Jesus has made a way in His death!
He’s dead here! And He’s still opening up access to God!
If you have never come to God, now you can.
And if you haven’t been coming to God, now you should.
Are you taking advantage of the access you have to God?
During these days of stress and strain in our world, are we praying?
Jesus has made a way to the Father. Are we using it?
Come.
Jesus’ death is an invitation to come to God and to keep coming to God.
But the Most Holy Place was not the only thing Jesus opened up. He also opened up some graves.
That was some earthquake! Look at verse 52.
“The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
Matthew is the only person in the Bible that tells us this part of the story.
And it raise so many questions!
That Matthew then doesn’t answer.
My sense is that the tombs opened during this earthquake, but it was when Jesus came back to life that these other believers came back to life. I don’t think they were waiting from the moment of His death to His resurrection to make their appearance.
And I have so many questions. Like were these few people like Lazarus who had to die again or were they like we will be when Jesus returns and we get our resurrected bodies and then were translated like Enoch or Elijah to go to glory?
Matthew doesn’t tell us!
What He is telling us is that Jesus surely was the Son of God because through His death and resurrection, He was:
#2. GIVING LIFE.
In His death, Jesus was canceling death!
I always get hung up on the unanswered questions of verses 52 and 53.
And what I miss that these people came back to life!
And they prove that Jesus is the firstborn from the dead.
And that’s true of everything that is wrong with our world right now.
So HOPE. Because there is a new world coming, right around the corner.
The centurion and the guards saw the darkness, saw how Jesus died, felt the earthquake, so bad the rocks were the splitting. V.54
“When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’”
Now, I’m sure they didn’t understand half of what that meant.
But, regardless, it’s amazing that they said what they said.
Here was a Gentile.
Here was a Roman oppressor.
Here was an executioner!
And He sees what chief priests and the elders and the teachers of the law had all missed.
“Surely he was the Son of God!”
That’s right.
This was no ordinary person.
This person was extraordinary.
This person was no mere mortal.
He was mortal! He just died.
But He was no mere mortal.
He was certainly the Son of God.
Look at verse 55.
“Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.”
Remember these women. They are faithful.
The followers of Jesus who are women in the Gospel of Matthew are nearly all exemplary.
These women had followed Jesus and were taking care of Him.
And apparently they didn’t run off.
Remember them, though ignored by many, they will be important in this story.
Verse 57. “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.”
Stop there for a second. Let’s make this the third point.
Most certainly, Jesus was the Son of God as He is here:
#3. REVEALING DISCIPLES.
The women are revealed as His faithful followers.
And so is Joseph.
The other gospels tell us that he was a member of the Sanhedrin but had not consented to Jesus’ conviction and condemnation.
In fact, Joseph was as secret follower of Jesus.
But now the secret is out!
Joseph gets bold and courageous and comes out a follower of Christ. V.58
“Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.”
This, too, is amazing. We don’t realize it.
But most crucified criminals would just hang there for the birds or their bodies thrown into ditch.
Joseph risks being associated with Jesus, asks for His body, and gets it.
Here’s our motion for this one.
- FOLLOW.
Follow Jesus as His disciple.
Don’t be afraid to be known as a disciple of Jesus.
That’s been our application of this book again and again and again.
What is Jesus calling you to do this week as His follower?
It might not be easy.
But He is the Son of God!
So we can do what He says.
Joseph gives Jesus what amounts to a royal burial. Verse 59.
“Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.”
Joseph was a rich man, and Jesus got a rich burial.
He had a new tomb that had a rectangular box cut out of it. Very expensive to have one of those.
And he buried Jesus in it.
Jesus, who was surely the Son of God, here:
#4. KEEPING PROMISES.
Fulfilling Scripture.
What scripture?
Remember Isaiah 53, verse 9?
After that part about being pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities it says, Isaiah predicted that “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.”
That was written more than 700 years before Jesus was born!
Buried with the rich in His death.
Jesus is keeping His promises.
And He’s made another promise, hasn’t He?
The Pharisees have not forgotten.
Verse 61
“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. [Remember that for next week. They know exactly where this is.] The next day, the one after Preparation Day [the Sabbath], the chief priests and the Pharisees went to [the Roman Governor] Pilate. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'
So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’
‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”
Years ago, I heard a dynamic preacher say, “A setback is a set-up for comeback.”
What could be a greater setback than being dead and buried?
Jesus is getting ready for the greatest comeback in history!
And He’s just keeping His promise.
Here’s our fourth and last motion of application.
- TRUST.
Because nothing is going to stop Jesus from keeping all of His promises.
Go on brothers lay Him down Go on brothers lay Him down Wrap His body with a clean white shroud Roll that stone leave Him in the ground Go on brothers lay Him down Go on sisters cry for Him Go on sisters cry for Him But wipe your eyes and dry your skin The crying will be done in three mornings Go on sisters cry for Him Hold on children wait and see Hold on children wait and see The death that’s come is a death too weak Can’t take my Jesus cannot take my King So hold on children wait and see Oh Glory Glory won’t you come for me Glory Glory won’t you come for me I know your slumber is a momentary sleep I feel you rising up from the deep Oh Glory Glory you will come for me Come.
Hope.
Follow.
Trust.
Artistically-speaking, nothing has been helpful to my heart the last few months as the music of Jesse and Leah Roberts, also known as Poor Bishop Hooper.
The Roberts have recently released the full live performance of their Golgotha Experience album with a companion devotional book--all for free!
This week, as so many are situated at home, might be the perfect time to sit down and take in the whole thing either on your own or with your family. I highly recommend it.
