Transcript

To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, a sailing ship signaled to a man on shore, who relayed the word to another on a hill, and so on across Britain.

The first word, “Wellington,” was signaled. The next word was “defeated.” Then a fog closed in, and the message halted. Across England people wept over the message. “Wellington defeated.”

But then the fog lifted. The communication continued with two additional words: “the enemy.” And Englishmen celebrated the victory that “Wellington defeated the enemy.”

There was great sorrow when the body of Jesus Christ was carried from the cross to the tomb. The signal seemed to say, “Jesus Christ defeated.”

But three days later the fog lifted and it was announced, “Jesus Christ defeated THE ENEMY.” He conquered our enemies of sin, death, and Satan.

Christ’s resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. It is the foundation of our salvation.

It is the essence of our hope. It is because Christ lives that we live. It is because He was victorious over death that we have victory over death. It is because He went through the grave and out the other side that we shall do the same.

And thus as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:57: “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In this episode, we’ll begin a series in which we will examine and analyze the resurrection of Christ from all the different vantage points and accounts of the Gospel records.

Matthew 28:1-2: “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

“And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”

Three days and three nights had passed since our Lord’s death on the Cross. And on the third day, Christ did exactly as He said He would do.

He had told His disciples: “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again” (Matt. 20:18-19).

No human eyes saw the resurrection of the Lord, nor is the exact moment of His resurrection revealed to us. We do know that He arose sometime between midnight and sunrise on Sunday morning, in the early hours of Sunday.

Verse 1 says that it is “the end of the Sabbath,” or after the regular Sabbath on Saturday which ended at 6pm the night before. It is perhaps 12 hours after that Sabbath has ended, around 6 am. It’s now the first day of the week, “as it began to dawn.”

At this point, we are introduced to women who are making their way to the tomb. Verse 1 tells us Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulchre. According to Matthew 27:56, the other Mary was the mother of James and Joses.”

We learn from the other Gospel records that there were additional women there, such as Salome, who was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John.

There was also a woman by the name of Joanna, as well as more unnamed women beyond these four (Luke 24:10).

So Mary Magdalene, another Mary, Salome, Joanna, and other women all converge on the tomb of Christ on Resurrection morning.

Their purpose for coming was to complete the burial process with spices they had prepared and brought. They had to wait for the Sabbath to end to be able to come and do this.

When Christ was buried, Matthew 27:59-61 records, “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher.”

We learn from this passage how Mary Magdalene and the other Mary in grieving love and care were sitting opposite the tomb when the body of the Lord was being placed there.

They saw and knew the place where the Lord was laid. Thus, they knew where to go and how to get there in the early morning hours as it was still dark and beginning to dawn.

As they were coming that morning, they came to “see the sepulcher” verse 1 says, but little did they know that they weren’t going to see death, they were going to see life.

They brought spices with them to anoint and refresh the body of the Lord, to help with the odor of decaying flesh as an act of sympathy, but they would end up having to use those spices around the house, because the body wasn’t there anymore.

Not knowing a Roman guard had been set there, the other Gospels record them wondering amongst themselves on the way, how they would remove the heavy stone in front of the tomb, but God would take care of that problem for them.

As the women were approaching as it was dawning, and the Roman security squad was stationed in front of the tomb, the ground suddenly started shaking violently and a severe earthquake occurs.

The word “behold” in verse 2 indicates the surprise, the startling nature of the earthquake. The women, the soldiers, and all of Jerusalem and around it, felt the seismic waves rumbling through the earth, as they radiated from the epicenter, which was at the tomb.

This was the second earthquake in three days, the first happening at the moment of Christ’s death and now the second at the moment His tomb opened. This wasn’t random seismic activity. It was a message. God was sending the message.

When Christ died there was a great earthquake, as His death was of such magnitude in the payment for sin that it shook the world.

After He rose again in victory over death, with death upheaved, and the bars of death broken and carried away forever, this too was of such magnitude that it shook the world.

His death shook the world, and His resurrection shook the world. These two events were and are and always will be the greatest events in all of history.

It was a supernatural earthquake, and a severe one. Verse 2 says it was a “GREAT earthquake.” The word “great is “megas” in the Greek. It was a mega quake.

It wasn’t caused by shifting of the plates in the ground. It was not a physical phenomenon at all. It was caused by the arrival of the angel of the Lord descending from heaven who came, rolled the stone away, and then sat on it.

The earthquake was not caused by Christ leaving the tomb. It was caused by the arrival of the angel coming to the already empty tomb. He did not come to let Christ out.

By the time the angel arrived, by the time the earthquake hit, by the time he rolled the stone away, Christ was already gone. He had already risen.

In His resurrected, glorified body, He could simply move right through the rock, which He did in the early morning hours when He quietly left the tomb.

The angel didn’t move the stone to let Christ out. He moved the stone to let the world in, so all could see that He was gone. He moved the stone so that the women and the apostles could come in and give testimony to the fact that Christ wasn’t there and was risen.

He moved the stone, so that anyone not believing it or trying to disprove it could see for themselves.

In a park in California, and other places, there is a rock hanging on a rope with a large sign next to it, which reads, Weather Forecasting Stone: “Check the rock: if it’s wet it’s raining, if the rock is white it is snowing, if the rock is swinging it’s windy, if the rock casts a shadow the sun is shining, if the rock does not cast a shadow it’s cloudy, if you cannot see the rock it’s foggy, if the rock is bouncing it’s an earthquake, if the rock is under water it’s a flood, if the rock is missing it’s a tornado.”

If you are wondering how to receive eternal life, how to be set free from your sins, how to be released from the fear of death, check the rock!

If you are wondering why Christianity is different than other religions, if Jesus Christ is God, if Christ really conquered death and is alive today, if you are wondering if He keeps all His promises, check the rock. Check the rock and see it rolled away to reveal the empty tomb.

Now I love this angel. When he comes, there’s a great earthquake which scares the soldiers guarding the tomb to death. He then launches that stone far from the entrance of the tomb, and then he sits on it.

And he’s sitting on it in defiance. That angel sat on that stone defying anyone to ever roll that stone back over the door of the tomb again.

That stone being removed far from that entrance showed death had been conquered forever, that we are FREE forever from the bondage of the fear of death.

That stone was a symbol of the sin that shut man up in prison and condemned him to death. But now Christ has conquered sin and the grave. And NOTHING was going to change this fact because Christ was alive and alive forevermore.

Thus in exultation at Christ’s victory, this tenacious angel comes from glory and for the glory of God to sit on that stone and dare anyone to just try and move it back.

He sat on that stone as a divine testimony to Christ’s once-for-all, all-sufficient sacrifice for sin and His triumphant resurrection over death.

Matthew 28:3-6: “His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

As the women arrive they see this angel, as did the Roman soldiers. Verse 3 says he was like lightning, bright and shining.

Matthew records how the blinding brilliance of lightning is the only thing that could compare in brilliance to the angel at the tomb that day.

He had supernatural brilliance because he had come as a supernatural being from a supernatural place. This angel takes on the character of shining glory, the glory of God in whose presence he dwells.

His raiment being white as snow indicates the purity, the holiness of this holy angel who came from the presence of God.

When he appeared and the earthquake occurred and he moved the stone and sat on it, at the sight of him, verse 4 says, the guards shook literally, physically shook.

The word “shake” is the same root Greek word as the word for “earthquake.” And the root is “seisma.” These guards had their own seismic experience. And as the ground quaked, THEY quaked and shook out of sheer terror of seeing this heavenly angel.

Roman soldiers were acquainted with the terrors of battle. They were hardened, tough men. They were not easily shaken emotionally. But the angel’s shining countenance coupled with the earthquake paralyzed the “keepers,” the Roman guard.

They were scared to death. And they were struck with such fear here that they went into a comatose state, and they fainted and “became as dead men.” No comfort was offered to these unbelieving soldiers.

The angel never speaks to these guards; it was just his powerful presence that overwhelmed these rough, tough Roman legionnaires. It reminds us how in the torments and terrors of eternal judgment there is no comfort for unbelievers, only fear.

At the same time the guards were passed out, the women were there. In contrast to the soldiers, in verse 5, the angel DOES QUICKLY COMFORT the believing women and says, “Fear not ye” or “Do not be afraid.” And this is a reminder how in the blessings of God’s presence, there is comfort for believers, and no need to fear.

The scene was unlike anything these women had ever experienced in their entire life: an earthquake, unconscious Roman soldiers laying to one side, a giant stone far away from the tomb over here with a shining angel sitting on it.

But the angel says that there was no reason to be terrified. None at all. Everything is fine and under control. Easy for him to say. The soldiers had reason to fear when Christ arose, but not those who belonged to the risen Lord. Because this day was a day for rejoicing.

The angel knew who these women were, and what they were doing. He identified them, spoke to them, and said, “for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.” He knew they were looking for the Lord, coming to find His body to put some spices on it.

With broken hearts, they thought of Christ only as crucified, dead, buried, and gone. But they forgot His promise. The angel reminds them of it here.

“He is not here: for He is risen, as He said,” or just as He promised. There’s gentle reminder here of their weak faith. “He said He would rise again. You heard it, but you forgot, and you did not believe it.”

The Lord keeps ALL His promises both to Israel and to us the Church, the Body of Christ. The surest thing in this universe is the Word of God, and one day every single thing, every truth, every promise, every prophecy will come to pass, “as He said.”

Luke 24:1 tells us that the light went on for the women, “And they remembered His [or Christ’s] words.” And then the angel wanted them to see the evidence.

This angel was there to give divine and heavenly confirmation of the miracle of all miracles and to assist the women in being able to go in and see the empty tomb.

So he hit that Roman guard with a powerful jolt so they wouldn’t be any barrier after they passed out. He then chucked the stone out of the way, so it wouldn’t be a barrier, and then he invited them in to see the evidence, just like all still are invited to see.

He says, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay,” or where He had been lying. And in they went. And there it was, empty.

Matthew 28:7-10: “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 they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

“And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

“Come, see” the angel said. Even today the invitation for the resurrection is the same,

“Come and see,” with spiritual eyes, by faith. Like we will be doing with this series, examine all the accounts fully, and you will see that that tomb was empty. Come and see the miracle, power, and truth of His resurrection.

And the command is also the same as in verse 7, now, “Go and tell.” Tell others, don’t keep the truth a secret. Go and tell others about the Savior that He lives, that He saves. Come and see, and go and tell are still God’s instructions for Christ’s resurrection.

The women at the tomb were shown where the Lord’s body had been, they saw He was risen and believed it, and were then sent “quickly,” with urgency, to carry the glorious message to others.

Likewise, there is an urgency with which we need to tell the world the good about our risen Savior and completed salvation.

The women were told by the angel to tell the disciples that Christ was risen from the dead. And they were to tell them that He was going before them into Galilee.

There they would see Him. And then angel adds, “lo, I have told you.” And here is another reminder of how Christ keeps His promises.

The Lord had told the disciples about going to Galilee after He arose from the dead. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord told His disciples in Matthew 26:31,32:

“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.”

Thus, the angel tells the women to go remind the disciples that He had promised to meet them in Galilee. Christ had not only risen again as He had said, but now they were to meet Him in Galilee just as He had said and had promised to them before His death.

Those women then took off “quickly,” as the angel said to do. A few moments before they had walked slowly, sorrowing, to the place where the Lord’s dead body had lain.

Sorrow turned to surprise, and surprise turned to shock, and shock turned to speed, and with speed they took off “quickly” and ran to share the good news.

They ran with “fear and great joy” intermingled in their hearts. The fear included the fear at the sights they’d seen, but it was primarily the fear of respect and submission to God’s will due to the importance of their mission. The joy was the awe, delight, and assurance in their hearts that has sunk in, of the truth that Christ was alive.

And reverence, respect for God’s will and submission to it, mixed with joy and wonder in our hearts because of Christ, is a good way to carry out our service to God.

The women do exactly as the angel told them to do. And they run to reach the disciples with this all-important message, with this word from the angel that Christ is alive.

But then another unexpected thing happens. As they were running at full tilt to report the news to His disciples, verse 9 says “behold,” or suddenly, Christ met them on the way and greeted them through a plain, common, everyday greeting, “All hail.”

“All hail,” was a familiar term of salutation, and was used frequently in the Lord’s time. It has the idea, of our “Hello, it’s great to see you!” or “I’m happy to see you.”

It’s also been translated “Rejoice,” because it carried with it the implication of joy being brought about by the meeting of two friends or loved ones.

It was an appropriate salutation for these women who were already joyful at the news of the Lord’s resurrection that they accepted by faith. And now their faith was sight!

It should strike us that the salutation of the risen Lord is just a common normal marketplace, business place, highway/byway, everyday salutation.

There’s no wow factor; it doesn’t say the earth shook, and the sky rent, and the stars fell, and angels blew trumpets.

The lack of trying to embellish this and make it somehow more believable, is testimony to its simple and powerful truth. Christ met them and simply said, “Hello, Rejoice. I’m happy to see you.”

It makes me wonder if that’s the kind of simple, kind, greeting we’ll receive from the Lord when we meet Him the first time in heaven.

The women came straight up to Him, dropped to the ground, and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Taking hold of His feet reminds us that this was a PHYSICAL, BODILY resurrection. He was not a spirit. Because you can’t grab the feet of a spirit!

He was not an illusion, a figment of their imagination, or a dream. He rose again physically. They fell down, and because they could, they took hold of His feet, overwhelmed with thanks and wonder that He was alive, and they worshipped Him.

His resurrection proved beyond all doubt that He was Lord and God, and they worshipped Him as God, giving Him the worship and honor which was due to God alone. And Christ accepted their worship because He is God.

To the women the Lord repeated what the angel had told them moments earlier, “Be not afraid.” The comfort continues for the believing.

And “Be not afraid” was an appropriate comfort because there was now no longer any need or reason to fear death because He lives.

The Lord also repeated the instruction of the angel for them to proceed on and to go tell the disciples that they would meet Him in Galilee.

But notice the phrase: “Go tell my brethren.” This was an expression of grace and kindness. No matter that they had forsaken Him, denied Him, and fled when He went to the Cross. No matter that they had not understood or believed that He would rise again.

He loved them completely and unconditionally and thus He called them “my brethren.”

It reminds us that no matter how much we stumble, make mistakes, don’t trust the Lord or His Word, forget His promises, we are loved unconditionally by Christ and we are His and He calls us “Mine.” No matter what, we belong to Him forever.

Because He lives, we live with hope. The resurrection seals our salvation. Romans 4:25 says Christ “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

The resurrection is the divine vindication of the work that Christ did on the cross for us. When God raised Christ from the dead, He was affirming and validating, the fact that Christ had indeed bore our sins on the cross and had satisfied the justice of God.

Without the resurrection, the cross is just another death. The resurrection is the divine interpretation of the death of Christ. It proves that His sacrifice for sin has been accepted and that the work of salvation is complete.

Christ was raised to show that He paid a sacrificial price for our sins that satisfied God. He was raised to show that God accepted His sacrifice which provided our justification.

The resurrection proves that the work of redemption is finished. It proves our sins are paid in full. The resurrection proves we find life eternal in Christ.

And God will impute His righteousness to any person who responds by faith to God’s perfect provision of salvation in Christ.

Have you believed?