RAISED IN TRIUMPH OVER THE GRAVE Matt 28

The feeble, religious authorities did all to prevent the greatest miracle the world has known. They approached Pilate, saying, ‘ Sir, we remember that while He was still alive, how that ‘deceiver’ said, ‘after three days I shall rise again.’ ( Matt 27: 63 ) ‘Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples should come by night, and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He is risen from the dead.’ So shall the last deception be worse than the first.’ How ineffective and childish is man who tries to hold back the mighty God as an incoming tide.

Pilate’s patience was exhausted, ‘You have a guard. Go your way. Make it secure as you know how. ( v65). ‘So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.’ Man’s philosophy and intelligence is puny.

‘Now after the Sabbath ( the Jewish era had closed ), as the first day of the week began to dawn ( a new age had opened ) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.’ (28:1 ) Notice how women, transformed by the Saviour in His ministry, were the first at the grave. And the first to believe, and the first to tell of the resurrection miracle. Christ emancipates men and women, a message the world must hear.

Nature reacted to the crucifixion of its wonderful Creator as the world cringed in total darkness during His last hours on that ghastly cross. No Richter scale recorded ‘the great earthquake, as the whole earth groaned in travail at the dastardly brutality shown to God’s Son. ‘An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.’ Maybe legions of angels ( 8000 in each) pleaded to come from heaven and wipe out the whole mob of religious hypocrites. If so, God stopped them.

‘His countenance ( facial appearance ) was like lightning ( streaked or forked ) and his clothing as white as snow. ‘ (v3) If a solitary angel commanded such awesome respect, how much more deserving our Lord when some of His Shekinah ( heavenly ) glory would shine through., ‘And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men,’ Arrogant Roman legionnaires trembled like a leaf in a storm, not an eye blinking or muscle stirring. Pulseless! Pale as a ghost. Probably snoring as in a deep coma.

Let mere mortal man humble himself in the dust as he prepares to meet his God.

The heavenly visitor brought a comforting word to the women, ‘ Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ‘ "v7) ‘He is not here: for He is risen, as He said, ‘Come see the place where the Lord lay.’ He spoke simply in their mother tongue; they must not fear; they were searching for the body of the crucified Jesus; the grave was defeated; He conquered death and was risen; search the grave and find it is empty. Yes, He lay there. Now, He is alive.

The scripture did not tell whether they searched frenetically for His body. I do not think so. Once the truth of the empty tomb had sunk in, these women were convinced. Amazing events followed.

The angel instructed the women to be missionaries, ‘ 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. Go, I have told you.’ ( v7) The angel expected the same immediate response He had given when he had been sent from the throne of God. Now the women were the messengers of the risen Lord to His frightened followers. Do we act speedily to God’s commands?

Matthew relates ‘ ‘So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear ( awe and reverence ) and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. ( v 8) Burning hearts, eyes flashing, pulses racing, robes flying ; no wonder they were excited.

‘Jesus met them, as they went to tell His disciples.’ Rejoice! ‘ Only one word was recorded for this supernatural meeting. ‘And they came and held Him by the feet ( once fixed to the beam of the cross ) and worshipped Him.’

Only in heaven will we know what it meant to feel the flesh of His risen body. I will ask the women. All doubts had dissolved as the dew before the warm sun.

Later he said, ‘ Do not be afraid.’ Fear paralyses. ‘ Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they shall see Me.’ (v10) The risen Son of the eternal One appointed a rendezvous with the followers, whom He called ‘brothers’.

The high priests despicably bribed the soldiers with a large sum of money, advising them to ‘Tell that His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept. ‘ They further promised ‘We will appease the governor and secure you.’ ‘This saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.’ (v15)

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed them. ( v16) And when they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted.’ Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘all authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. They would never forget how He kept His promise , nor the excitement of seeing and hearing the Son of God, risen from the dead. God had conferred all authority with its right and might on His beloved Son. What a privilege to follow the same glorified Lord.

As the Commander of God’s forces He said, ‘Go you therefore , and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ ‘Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.’ Every nation must hear the gospel; He will make disciples among them; they must be baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Our Lord gave that great promise, ‘Lo, I Am with you always , even to the end of the age. ( v20) During WW11, my first assignment from home was a hospital in the Sahara desert in Egypt. I was often lonely, and longing for letters from home. However, the Lord assured me of His Presence from this glorious verse.

Yes, I memorised it, and treasured the precious truth that He was ever with me.

Make this your prayer, ‘that I may know Him, and the Power of His resurrection.’