Culver Community Church
Pastor Chris Sweeney
Sermon Notes
June 23, 2019
Matthew 28:7-10 After the End! (Part 2)
{vs. 7} So the women have been told, given their assignment and the angel says with some satisfaction (and possibly attitude), Now I have told you. It was an interesting choice, from a human perspective that God should chose women to be the first evangelists. Women, who would not be believed, would be called crazy - - - but who loved Jesus with all their hearts and even though their messianic hopes had been crushed they were the ones who showed up! If you have any doubts about whether God uses women in ministry - just remember these wonderful women were the first apostles or messengers (little a,) to the men who would become the Apostles (capital A)! Their love and passion fueled their service these emotions have to be expressed in some tangible way! Now the question that I have for all of us today is Do we find it hard to serve or to obey the Lord? If/whenever our answer is Yes I want to tell you that there is a problem with our love and devotion! So many of us look at everything from temptations, outside influences (human and otherwise) to self-control (which is an awesome Fruit of the Spirit to have in your life) but even self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit which is LOVE! If our love for Christ, for God is strong then no temptation will draw us away; if our love is strong then we will not look to or be affected by outside influences (because we are enraptured with Christ!). So instead of trying to bolster your will power or trying to avoid temptations - - - work on strengthening your relationship! Seek God early and often when we are walking consistently with God (not devoting five minutes a day) it is next to impossible to be tripped up by trials, temptations or other distractions! When we are in His presence (not wandering off) it is He, Himself who surrounds us guarding and keeping us even when the road gets rough! When we focus on God and His Kingdom (first), Jesus promises to take care of all the other things we spend so much time working for and worrying about (remember that was from chapter six, so long ago)! Anytime that we have this right that our eyes are fixed upon Jesus, then we know that all will be right with the world because He still sits upon the throne. Everything that He has said has and will come true and as a beloved child, He will take care of me (even if I must go through some rough times).
The angel tells them to go quickly, otherwise they might have lingered there all day trying to make sense of what has happened. He gives them the message which includes Jesus has risen and He will see you at Galilee just as He said. While the He will see you at Galilee was part of the message for the disciples, I think you and I can assume that they planned to stay so close to the disciples that it would apply to these women too! The angel could have said He has risen and gone to the Father in Heaven but that would be bittersweet. This youll see Him again! - would give them the hope needed to go and deliver the message. It is also important to note the inclusion of as He said because this is not some random accident or happenstance this is Gods power causing His plan to be fulfilled its prophesy fulfilled (those from the Old Testament and given by Jesus Himself).
He will see you at Galilee - now that doesn't mean that He didn't appear to anybody in Jerusalem first, because He did. It simply means that the disciples have an appointment, Jesus will be teaching them and giving them the great commission in the days to come and that would take place in Galilee. In the meantime however, Jesus will appear to Mary M (remember she ran off to get the disciples before seeing the angel or hearing this message), but she will come back and linger at the tomb where shell have a personal encounter. Jesus will also appear to Simon Peter if anyone was in need of one-on-one time with the gracious Savior it was Peter, the one who fell the farthest (except for Judas), denying Jesus three times! Jesus will also appear to the two disciples headed out of town to Emmaus teaching them from the Old Testament everything that was predicted about Himself. And then to top off this amazing day Jesus will appear to all of the disciples (except Thomas) in the upper room. This appearance was of course in the locked room reminding us that this Resurrected Jesus can slip right through solid objects (just as He did with the grave clothes and the tomb!) We also know from Johns gospel that Jesus appeared a week later in the same upper room, this time with Thomas present. For forty days, in various places and to different individuals and groups Jesus appeared to them (all believers) we dont have a record of them all but, each of these led up to His appearance to more than 500 disciples at one time! I believe this was in Galilee and it must have reminded them of the days prior to His crucifixion sitting on the mountainside being taught by Jesus.
{vs. 8} The angel said go quickly and so they did! They took off down the path, running into the city to find the disciples, to tell them the message. Dont miss that we have great obedience recorded here they hurried (left speedily) and they ran! This day started with love and devotion and now it has been changed into fear, mingled now with great joy (the NIV translation forgets to include great). It is far better to have a lot of joy with some fear - its easier for God to work with this, than the opposite! What wonder, what questions must have been going through their heads! They were filled with great joy and fear the joy we understand, their darkest night has just been turned into dawn! But fear (Phobos the word we get phobia from, which means dread or terror) - fear is the opposite of faith! The women are a good example of what we go through we dont have to understand in order to obey. We dont have to banish every bit of fear in order to have faith and joy! Its a work in progress the more we focus on the faith, the love and the joy as John wrote in 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love [complete, full or mature love] drives out fear. They dared to believe what the evidence and the angel tells them happened in great joy but have a clouded understanding - a fear for what this could all mean. We must be like these women and like the father in Mark 9 who cried out I believe; help my unbelief! Fear and lack of faith creep up when things seem to good to be true, when the situation is too scary to face and when our own human nature looks to the natural ways that things are done instead of putting our trust in the amazing works of God!
{vs. 9-10} The best place to meet Jesus is in obedience as these women did wherever He wants you to be, doing whatever He has asked you to do! Yes, He can meet us at the crossroads, in the prisons of doubt or despair and even covered in the filth of our sins - - - but to be on the Lords business (faithful, joyful and efficient) that is when we can say as the English used to, well met! Jesus literally tells them rejoice! a common greeting of the day, like hello.
Upon seeing Him, they come (with speed Im sure) and grab hold of Him; worshipping Him! That fear of what could have been lost, no doubt prompted such clingy behavior! Jesus gently rebukes the fear and giving them a sense of peace, He reaffirms their mission to tell the disciples. However, Jesus uses an awesome term here My brothers a tender term; this is how believers would be know from now on! Jesus has called them disciples, The Twelve, friends, given some nicknames and even used their proper names. However, this is the first time we see My brothers! This was so reassuring Jesus was not coming to dole out punishment for those who abandoned or denied Him no, He was coming to see beloved brothers! It is not just the women who Jesus is comforting if only the men would have received what the women came to tell them! If only the men would have obeyed as quickly as the women! From the various accounts, we see that they did not head to Galilee as instructed; two set out for Emmaus with no hope that Jesus was alive and the majority were in a Jerusalem meeting room, behind locked doors hoping to avoid the Jewish leaders and Romans.
There is another subtle message here Jesus received their worship! The women knew who He was - they knew He was the risen Christ and this was their response. This is a recognition of His deity, that He was to be adored and praised and glorified and worshiped and honored. In all of Old Testament scripture, it is very clear that only God is to receive worship!
This time of visitations is only temporary however, Jesus would tell Mary not to cling to Him because having lost Him, she was prepared to never let Him go again! However, that is not the plan of God! Jesus would stay, for a time. He would comfort and prepare His followers for the work they were about to undertake but, He would ascend to Heaven so that He could do a work of His own. Jesus is our Great High Priest sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession (prayers of mediation, on our behalf) prayers for us! Jesus could not be with them in the same way as He was before one place at one time. He would ascend to Heaven so that the Holy Spirit could be within us as believers in each and every one of us simultaneously! Giving us gifts and power, developing fruit within us and forming us together into the Body, the Bride of Christ until that great day when He will come again to get His Bride! It is because He went to the Father, that the Spirit was sent and that He, the Holy Spirit remains with us until the Father sends Christ to Earth a second time (not humbly but in power and victory!) to set all things right!