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Matthew 28, we have spent a long 
time going through the passion narrative, and we last saw that 
Jesus died and was buried, but the text does not end there. 
So tonight we'll look at the empty tomb and the risen Lord. 
Matthew chapter 28, verses one to 10, but I'll read the entirety 
of the chapter. So beginning in verse one. 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. His countenance was like lightning 
and his clothing as white as snow. and the guards shook for 
fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel answered and 
said to the women, do not be afraid, for I know that you seek 
Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, 
as he said. And 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. Behold, 
I have told you. So they went out quickly from 
the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples 
word. And as they went to tell his 
disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, Rejoice! So they 
came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus 
said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go 
to Galilee, and there they will see me. Now while they were going, 
behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to 
the chief priests, all the things that had happened. When they 
had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they 
gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying, tell them 
his disciples came at night and stole him away while we slept. 
And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and 
make you secure. So they took the money and did 
as they were instructed. And this saying is commonly reported 
among the Jews until this day. Then the 11 disciples went away 
into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for 
them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 
And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority has been 
given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make 
disciples of all the 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. And lo, 
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Well, 
let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for 
the written word of the living and true God. As the apostle 
says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it's 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and 
for instruction in righteousness. And we pray that you would thoroughly 
furnish each of us unto every good work. And tonight, God, 
as we consider this empty tomb and risen Lord, may we stand 
in awe at what Jesus did on our behalf. He lived a life of perfect 
obedience to the law of God. He died as a sacrifice and a 
substitute on Calvary. And he was raised again that 
third day and now ascended on high. He has led captivity captive. He gives gifts to men. and we 
look forward to His second coming in glory to judge the living 
and the dead. And may it be the case, Most 
High God, that all of us would be prepared for that day, that 
we would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that we would receive 
that forgiveness of sins that You promise in the Gospel, that 
we would receive that righteousness that You give in terms of an 
ability to stand before you clothed in the righteousness of another. 
God, be glorified now and cause us to worship and praise you, 
and we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, 
we look at this particular account, we have looked in detail at the 
passion narrative concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. It begins 
in chapter 26, and here it ends or culminates at the resurrection 
of our Lord in chapter 28. It's probably a very familiar 
passage. In some sense, Easter has come a bit early this year 
as we survey this particular scene. So I want to look first 
at the discovery of the empty tomb in verses 1 to 8, and then 
secondly, the appearance of the risen Lord. in verses 9 to 10. In the first place, with reference 
to the discovery of the empty tomb, there's three things to 
note here. First, the arrival at the tomb in verse 1. Second, 
the descent of the angel in verses 2 to 4. And then thirdly, the 
commission given to the women. Intriguing that women are the 
first witnesses of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The 
Jewish historian Josephus made this statement. Let not the testimony 
of women be admitted on account of the levity and boldness of 
their sex. That was quite common in the 
first century, that it was not the case that you would receive 
testimony from a woman. And so what does this indicate 
to us? The gospel writers are not hiding 
anything. The gospel writers aren't trying 
to make it look a little bit more believable. The gospel writers 
indicate, for instance, what we see, in Matthew 28 at verse 
17. When they saw him, they worshipped 
him, but some doubted. They're not reticent to indicate 
the reality that there were doubters. They're not hesitant to indicate 
that it was women that first served as witnesses to the resurrection 
of our Lord. Truth has nothing to hide. Truth 
doesn't need to shave off any edges with the thought that it 
will be more palatable to the audience. Truth is truth, and 
it is what God uses and what God blesses for the advancement 
of His church on earth. So notice the arrival at the 
tomb. The time is indicated in 28.1. 
It says, now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week 
began to dawn. We are studying this Sabbath 
commandment on our Wednesday night Bible study. We're in Exodus 
chapter 20, and of course the Sabbath is addressed there, given 
by God to Sinai. But at Sinai, God says, remember 
the Sabbath day to keep it holy. This wasn't the first giving 
of the commandment. The giving of the commandment 
or the precedent established was in Genesis chapter 2 verses 
1 to 3. God's Sabbath after he created 
the world and everything in it in the space of six days and 
all very good. We see Cain and Abel bring sacrifice 
to God at the end of days, the end of the days of the week. 
We see Sabbath observance in Exodus 16. Again, all of this 
prior to the giving of the law at Sinai. So Sinai comes and 
then it's rehearsed at Moab or the plains of Moab in Deuteronomy 
chapter five, that Sabbath is celebrated in the prophets. It 
is promised as a blessed element or feature in new covenant religion. And when we turn to the new covenant, 
we do not see the Sabbath abolished. We see the day changed to reflect 
the new creation wrought out by the son of God. So the father 
creates in Genesis chapter one, the father Sabbaths in Genesis 
chapter two, one to three. According to the book of Hebrews 
in chapter 4, it tells us that Jesus as well rested after having 
completed salvation. And he sets apart this day, this 
first day of the week, that will be for the church to meet, to 
gather, and to worship the living and true God. Davies and Allison 
comment, the literal dawning of a new day signals a new period 
of history. And then notice what they go 
there for. It doesn't say it here, but in 
the parallel accounts, they went to anoint the body of Jesus according 
to Mark 16 at verse 1 and Luke 23, 56 and 24, 1. So these women 
went to anoint the body of our Lord Jesus. Notice that the women 
are identified. Verse 1b, Mary Magdalene and 
the other Mary came to see the tomb. The two Marys identified 
at the crucifixion in chapter 26, 56, they're identified at 
the burial in chapter 26 at verse 61, and here at the empty tomb. 
The parallel accounts indicate that Salome was also present 
and possibly other women. So the women express a fidelity 
to the Lord in this particular time of grief. If you go back 
to chapter 26, I'm not picking on the men, I'm not being an 
anti-chauvinist here, but I'm just trying to indicate something 
that Matthew wants us to take notice of. In Matthew chapter 
26, at verse 56, after Jesus says, all this was done, the 
scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled, We have then all 
the disciples forsook him and fled. Now, John is at the foot 
of the cross later, such that Jesus can say, behold your mother 
and behold your son. Perhaps he went away for a time 
and then came back, but the rest of the disciples fled. But as 
I said, at the crucifixion, at the burial, and at the resurrection, 
you have these faithful women. And so God tells us this to encourage 
us in terms of faithfulness and perseverance, even in the midst 
of great calamity. At the crucifixion of our Lord, 
they were there. At the burial, those times that 
would be a particularly grievous situation, they stood by and 
they watched, they witnessed, and the same thing is true here 
with reference to the resurrection. Now notice the descent of the 
angel in verses two to four. And again, when we compare the 
parallels in Luke's gospel and in Mark's gospel, we see all 
of it together. But notice in the first place 
this earthquake. There was an earthquake that 
accompanied the crucifixion. Look at chapter 27 at verse 51. 
Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top 
to bottom, and the earthquake and the rocks were split, and 
the graves were opened. And then again in verse 54, So 
when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus 
saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared 
greatly, saying, Truly, this was the Son of God. So we go 
back over to chapter 28 in verse 2, and behold, there was a great 
earthquake. So earthquakes attend both the 
crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. John Dill 
says, and it was a symbol and token of the presence and majesty 
of Christ at whose rising, as at his death, the earth shook 
and trembled. C. H. Spurgeon puts it in his 
particularly pithy way. He says, when the king awoke 
from the sleep of death, he shook the world. The bedchamber in 
which he rested for a little while trembled as the heavenly 
hero arose from his couch. The heavenly hero arose from 
his couch and this earthquake was the attendant, sign and wonder. Now notice the descent of the 
angel. The descent of the angel in 2B 
underscores for us, this wasn't just a seismic shift. It wasn't just sort of a haphazard 
event wherein there was an earthquake. If you live in Southern California, 
you get used to earthquakes. If you live especially in Palmdale, 
California, right there near the the San Andreas fault line. So there's lots of earthquakes, 
and it's pretty common and pretty typical. I mean, even here near 
the Vancouver greater lower mainland area, we feel earthquakes from 
time to time. To be indicates this wasn't just 
some sort of natural phenomena. It underscores that it was a 
supernatural phenomena because we see the attendance of the 
angelic being. So in 2A, behold, there was a 
great earthquake. And then there's this explanatory 
4. For an angel of the Lord descended 
from heaven. Now this angel from the Lord 
that descends from heaven and sits on the rock is the same 
as the young man identified in Mark 16 5. There he's clothed 
in a long white robe. This is likely the same instance 
as we see in Luke's gospel. There were two men in shining 
garments, and I would suggest those were angelic beings. Now, 
persons show their ignorance when they say things like, well, 
Luke has two and Matthew and Mark has one. Well, let me just 
tell you, if there were two, there was certainly one. There's 
not a contradiction. If you said there were two and 
it was not the case that there were two, that's a contradiction. But to have two apples certainly 
means that you have one apple. No doubt, the one that is here, 
the one that is described by Matthew and Mark is the vocal 
one of the two. He is the one that speaks to 
the particular women. Now notice as well that there 
are rather the presence of angels in the incarnation. In the early 
chapters of Matthew, chapter 1 at verse 20, chapter 1 at verse 
24, And then again in chapter two at verses 13 and 19, you 
see that the incarnation is attended by the angels. And the same is 
true here. The resurrection is attended 
by and heralded by the angels. Those glorious works of God in 
terms of the life and the death and the resurrection of our Savior 
are heralded by the angels themselves. Now notice as we continue in 
verse 2, the removal of the stone. If you look at the passage, technically 
it doesn't describe the rising of Jesus. It rather describes 
the discovery of the empty tomb. Jesus had already risen. Jesus 
was already not there. Jesus was already vacant from 
the tomb at this particular point. So notice at 2C. So the angel 
of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the 
stone from the door and sat on it. So the angel doesn't roll 
back the stone in order to let Jesus out. The angel rolls back 
the stone in order to let the women in. The angel is about 
following the science. The angel doesn't just say, take 
my word for it. Trust me, the tomb is empty. You don't need to go in there. 
You don't need to verify it. I speak the voice of authority. No, the angel rolls back the 
tomb. When the women happen along, 
he invites them in to investigate the tomb. In the parallel, we 
see Peter and John investigate the tomb. While they investigate 
the tomb, they see the handkerchief that was wrapped around the face 
of our Lord folded and on the bench in the tomb. Why these 
details? To indicate or underscore that 
this wasn't the work of grave robbers. Grave robbers wouldn't 
go in and steal everything of value and then fold up things 
and lay them on the bench. If you've ever had your house 
burglarized, you know they don't operate that way. They pull drawers 
out. They dump things on the floor. 
They pull things out of the closet. They don't typically tidy up 
when they're done. They're grave robbers. And that's 
what we see in terms of the various details given or furnished to 
us by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This is history, this is 
reality, this isn't myth, this isn't fable, this is fact. And then the fact that the angel 
is sitting on the stone is an indicator of triumph. Matthew 
Henry said, there he sat, defying all the powers of hell to roll 
the stone to the grave again. I love these old commentators 
and the way that they wax in terms of the significance of 
the various details and events that we have. And then notice 
the description of the angel given in chapter 28.3. His countenance 
was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. Remember that 
instance back in Matthew chapter 17, when Jesus goes up onto the 
mountain with his disciples and there he is transfigured before 
them. and his garments are shining 
whiter than any launderer could ever make. And we have the same 
sort of thing here. These angels are radiant beings. 
They are shining beings. They are clothed as white as 
snow. This has tap roots back into 
the Old Testament, specifically in the prophet Daniel. And then 
notice finally, before we leave this particular point, the fear 
of the guards. Look at verse four, which by 
the way, shows the lie of verse 13. Look over at verse 13 first 
of all. Well, verse 11. Now while they 
were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and 
reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 
When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, 
they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying, tell 
them his disciples came at night and stole him away while we slept. 
That's a problematic statement for a whole lot of reasons. If 
I was questioning these soldiers and they said to me that we were 
sleeping, I'd say, how in the world did you know that his disciples 
came, rolled back the stone, and stole his body? You expect 
me to believe that? The wicked aren't particularly 
bright, and when we look at this particular passage, it is parallel 
to what you find with reference to the Great Commission. It's 
the diabolical. It's the anti-Great Commission. 
In the Great Commission, Jesus tells his church, his disciples, 
to go make disciples of all the nations, to baptize them, to 
teach them all things that he had commanded. Parallel to that 
is this lie, this deceit, this subterfuge by the Jews to try 
to cover up one of the greatest acts that ever occurred, namely 
the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So at verse 13, 
tell them, his disciples came at night and stole him away while 
we slept. The guards didn't sleep. The 
guards were terrified. The guards that were now guarding 
a dead man, the guards who no doubt had seen military action 
in their lives, now see this angel sitting atop this particular 
stone and the guards are fearful. They're terrified. This is not 
something they have seen. It's not something that they 
desire to see. Verse four, the guards shook 
for fear of him and they became like dead men. Calvin said the 
soldiers who were accustomed to tumults were terrified and 
were so completely overwhelmed by alarm that they fell down 
like men who were almost dead, but no power was exerted to raise 
them from that condition. The angel deals differently with 
these fearful guards than he does with the fearful women. 
And that's to who we look now in verses five to eight. Notice 
the commission given to the women. There is first a word of encouragement 
and then a word of instruction. Notice in verses five and six, 
the angel answered and said to the women, do not be afraid for 
I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here 
for he is risen as he said, come see the place where the Lord 
lay. Do not fear. So they, like the angels, fear. They, like the angels, are scared. They, like the angels, have witnessed 
something they've never seen before. That's pretty common, 
brethren. When we meet up with a new event 
that we've never experienced before, it's not outside the 
realm of possibility that fear might flood our hearts. But notice 
the angelic exhortation to the women. The angel answered and 
said to the women, Do not be afraid. He doesn't say that to 
the guards. The implication, go ahead and 
be afraid. You should, because you're a 
wretch. But in this instance, do not be afraid. C.H. Spurgeon again says, let the 
soldiers tremble. Let them lie as if dead through 
fright. But fear not ye, for I know that 
ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. And then he says, those who seek 
Jesus need not fear. Those who seek Jesus need not 
fear. In light of that, turn to a passage 
we looked at this morning, Revelation chapter 1. Those who seek Jesus 
need not fear. John is on the island of Patmos 
on the Lord's Day for the word of God and for the testimony 
of Jesus Christ. And he gets a vision of the glorified 
Christ. And if you look at 1.12, then 
I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned, 
I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven 
lampstands, one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment, 
down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, 
and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine 
brass, as if refined in a furnace, and his voice is the sound of 
many waters. Now that's a composite picture. 
That's not like a photograph. That's not a Polaroid. We're 
not supposed to try to, you know, get a profile here of Jesus in 
terms of dimension. It pulls from the Old Testament 
to put together this picture of the divine King. And then 
in verse 16 it says, he had in his right hand seven stars, out 
of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. That's how Christ wages 
and makes war against his enemies. It is the sword, according to 
this passage and Revelation 19, that proceeds from his mouth. It's the word of God by which 
he strikes the nations. He had in his right hand seven 
stars, out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And 
his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 
And when I saw him, notice the response, I fell at his feet 
as dead. Again, any one of us would have 
done that. Any one of us would have said, wow, this is an amazing 
scene. I'm gonna fall at his feet like 
a dead man. When the prophet Ezekiel is confronted with the 
glory of God, guess what he does? He falls like a dead man. When 
Isaiah the prophet sees the Lord exalted, lifted up in the train 
of his robe, filling the temple, The prophet cries out, woe is 
me for I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips and 
I live or dwell amongst a people of unclean lips. Why? My eyes 
have seen the glory of the Lord of hosts. That's what happens 
when we are confronted by the divinity, by deity. So verse 
17, when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. Now notice 
this response. But he laid his right hand on 
me saying to me, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. 
In other words, do not fear. Those who seek Jesus are not 
supposed to fear. If you're a God-hating wretch 
and you guard a tomb, then go ahead and fear and quake and 
be still as a dead man. But for those women coming to 
seek out their Lord, The angel calms them by saying, do not 
fear. And notice how Jesus encourages 
John. Do not be afraid. I am the first 
and the last. Don't be afraid. I'm God. I am Alpha and Omega. I am he 
who lives and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. 
Amen. I have the keys of Hades and 
of death. Write the things which you have 
seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take 
place after this. The mystery of the seven stars 
which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands. 
The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the 
seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. Just 
to encourage you to read the book of Revelation, this happens 
a lot in Revelation, where whatever things are given in symbolic 
form, they're explained for you. They're given theological emphasis 
for you. The book of Revelation is a revealing 
of Jesus Christ. And so often people treat it 
as a book filled with gloom, and doom, and woe, and horror, 
and they don't read it. It's about the glory of King 
Jesus. The church not only needs to 
read it, they need to internalize it, and they need to rejoice 
in the reality of what John says in his greeting to the seven 
churches in Asia Minor with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice 
in 1.4, John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace to you 
and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come. That's 
a reference to the father. and from the seven spirits who 
are before his throne." That's a reference to the spirit. That 
doesn't mean there are seven of them. That is the number of 
completion. And then in verse 5, he refers 
to Jesus, the prophet, priest, and king. And from Jesus Christ, 
the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler 
over the kings of the earth. If ever the church needed that 
emphasis today, it is today. And then notice what we find 
at verse 9. I, John, both your brother and 
companion, in the tribulation, and kingdom and patience of Jesus 
Christ. You see, the kingdom of Christ 
is established. The kingdom of Christ is growing. But that doesn't mean there isn't 
tribulation. Jesus teaches that. It is promised 
to build the church in Matthew 16. I will build my church and 
the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. He's going 
to build it. The gates of Hades will not prevail 
against it, but the gates of Hades will try to prevail against 
it. And so John is a companion with 
the brothers and sisters that he's writing to in tribulation, 
in kingdom, and in patience. And all through the book, he 
is exhorting them to patience, or to perseverance, or to endurance 
and faithfulness to the very end. So back to Matthew chapter 
28. I think that reference in Revelation 
1 does substantiate Spurgeon's words, those who seek Jesus need 
not fear. So the angel exhorts, and now 
the angel explains. The reason for his exhortation. So in verse 5, do not be afraid. And then he says to them, I know 
that you seek Jesus. I know why you are here. I know what you are looking for. 
In the parallel, in Luke 24 5, it comes this way. Why do you 
seek the living among the dead? In other words, Christ had promised 
that he would be raised from the dead. And so in Luke's gospel, 
and again, they're not different. Theology drives the perspective. But here specifically, the angel 
comforts the women by saying, I know that you seek Jesus. And 
then notice he confirms that Christ was crucified. who was 
crucified. And again, it's a small detail, 
one among many in the passion narrative, but one among many 
that is needful. Muslims teach the swoon theory. Muslims teach that Jesus really 
didn't die on the cross. He was mostly dead. So they dragged 
him off of the cross, put him into the tomb. His disciples 
came along, nursed him back to health. Once he left the tomb, 
that's when they said, he's been risen from the dead. So each 
and every time the gospel writers indicate that he was dead, from 
the mouth of Pontius Pilate, to the guards who were supposed 
to break his legs, to the angelic being who announces this at the 
empty tomb, those are details needful for the people of God 
to launch a faithful apologetic with reference to an unbelieving 
world. Peter in his epistle says, we 
did not follow cunningly devised fables. This isn't something 
that happened in a galaxy far, far away. This didn't happen 
in some fairytale land of make-believe. This is historical reality. This is truth. And this is why 
the details are important for the people of God. So the angel 
as well announces the resurrection. I know that you seek Jesus who 
was crucified. He is not here for he is risen. Some of the most blessed words 
in the entirety of the Bible, for he is risen. Those are encouraging 
words. I have seen the case on, we call 
it Easter Sunday. I call it the Lord's day. Did 
you know we actually have 52 Easter's? There are actually 
52 Easters. Each and every Sunday that the 
church gathers together on the Lord's Day, it is to celebrate 
the blessedness of our Savior. Every Sunday we could greet one 
another with a, He is risen. The Lord's Day marks that grand 
event wherein the tomb is empty and the Savior is risen. But notice, he not only announces 
he is not here, for he is risen, the angel reminds them of Jesus' 
oft-stated prophecy or promise that he would rise again. Notice 
what the angel said. He is not here for he is risen 
as he said. He said it in Matthew chapter 
16. He says it in Matthew chapter 17. He says it in Matthew chapter 
20. He says it to his disciples over 
and over and over again. And so what the angel is saying 
is that this is one more proof of the veracity of the son of 
God. He promised that he would be 
raised again. He's raised again. In other words, everything that 
we call upon sinners to believe in the Bible is true. Or we wouldn't 
call upon sinners to believe it. We're not leftists. We're 
not the media. We're not the government. We 
don't want you to take a blind leap of faith. We want you to 
hear the data of Holy Scripture and by God's grace believe on 
Him. And when you do, the most blessed 
thing occurs. Your sins are forgiven. And not only are your sins forgiven, 
but you receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ, such that on 
that day of judgment, you will pass into glory. You will hear, 
well done, good and faithful servant. You will hear, come, 
enter into your rest. Why? Because the doing and the 
dying and the rising of the Savior. as he said, and with reference 
to the resurrection of our Lord. Notice in verse 7, and go quickly 
and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. And then here in verse 6, he 
is not here, he is risen. This is what we call a passive 
verb. That means that the subject is 
acted upon. And in this particular instance, 
theologians, commentators call it a theological passive or a 
divine passive. That means he is risen by the 
power of God Most High. I won't rehearse the doctrine 
of inseparable operations and appropriations here, but it might 
not be bad for you to remember that. But with reference to the 
appropriation here, it's the father in view as having raised 
his son from the dead. And the significance, I think, 
is well explained by Francis Turretin. He says, there is a 
peculiar reason why it, resurrection, is ascribed to the Father on 
account of the obligation which Christ took upon Himself, from 
which He ought to be released by the Father as judge, who, 
as He had delivered up Christ to death for our sins, so He 
ought to raise Him up again for our justification, in order to 
testify that a full satisfaction had been made by Him. There are 
times or instances where the Lord Jesus promises to raise 
Himself from the dead. Again, the doctrine of appropriations. 
But here specifically, it's the Father in view that has raised 
His Son from the dead. I think it's well captured by 
Paul in Romans 4.25. Jesus was delivered up because 
of our offenses, and He was raised for our justification. And I 
think what Turretin says here speaks well concerning this transaction. And then as I said, the angel 
invites them to engage in the scientific method. The end of 
verse six. Come, see the place where the 
Lord lay. Investigate it for yourself. Confirm it by two or three witnesses. Engage in what Deuteronomy 17 
and 19 specified with reference to the rules of witnesses and 
evidence. This is a wonderful thing. The 
gospel writers aren't trying to cover anything. They're not 
trying to articulate a story in such a way that they're gonna 
bring the wool over everybody's eyes. The differences that are 
there between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can be harmonized. It can be reconciled. It takes 
a little bit of effort and work, but a surface reading might indicate 
these guys are operating on four different planes. No, they're 
not. Again, they're four different theologians looking at the same 
event from four vantage points. And their theology drives the 
inclusion of their material. But it has led some to speculate, 
well, they couldn't even get their story right. That's what 
deceivers do. Deceivers go away, they hide 
themselves in a room, they compare notes, and then they construct 
their story. That's not what happens in Matthew, 
Mark, Luke, and John. They are not deceivers. They 
are speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit, or writing by 
the power of the Holy Spirit, and they are not afraid to tell 
us all things. Now, notice the word of instruction. 
So there is a word of exhortation, verses 5 and 6, and now a word 
of instruction in verse 7. and 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. Behold, 
I have told you." The women functionally become apostles to go tell the 
apostles about the resurrection. Now, please don't take that statement 
and say we ought to have women preachers. That's not what I 
mean. 1 Timothy 2 prohibits that. It denies that reality in the 
context of the church. I'm being a little bit Cheeky 
here the women become angel apostles in order to witness to the apostles 
the truth of the resurrection But notice they're supposed to 
go tell the disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee look back at 
chapter 26 Chapter 26 at verse 31. Then Jesus said to them, 
all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. For 
it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of 
the flock will be scattered. But after I have been raised, 
I will go before you to Galilee. After I have been raised, I will 
go before you to Galilee." So he is telling them this is the 
place eventually that we will meet. And it's in Galilee at 
that meeting place that he gives the Great Commission. Intriguingly, 
he starts his ministry in Matthew chapter 4 in Galilee. Now what's 
unique about Galilee? Certainly it was within the confines 
of Israel. It was part of the Northern Kingdom 
back when, but at that particular time it wasn't a divided kingdom. 
But Galilee had a lot of Gentiles in its confines. And that's what 
it's referred to as in Matthew chapter 4, Galilee of the Gentiles. So when we get to the Great Commission, 
and Christ asserts that He has all authority, and then He tells 
His church to go and make disciples of all nations, it makes perfect 
sense. Galilee of the Gentiles, the 
Jews of Judea, the Africans in Africa, the Canadians in Canada, 
the Americans in America, wherever there are sinners, Jesus dispatches 
His church to go and preach the gospel to them. to make disciples 
of them, to baptize them, and then teach them. And then notice, 
the angel underscores his message with his authority. Behold, I 
have told you. France says, now the corollary 
of his going ahead is spelled out. When they get to Galilee, 
they will see him, not just an empty tomb, but a living Jesus. Now notice that the women comply. 
They don't say, well, no, we're not going to do, they do what 
they're told. Notice in verse 8, so they went 
out quickly from the tomb, look it, with fear and great joy, 
and ran to bring his disciples word. Fear and joy are not inconsistent 
in the Christian faith. Fear and joy go hand in hand. 
If we actually understand who our God is, our hearts should 
be flooded with fear. There ought to be reverence, 
there ought to be respect, there ought to be esteem. God, through 
Malachi, the prophet, upbraids the children of Israel in his 
day by saying, if I am a king, where is my honor? If you honor 
your earthly fathers and you pay taxes to your earthly governor, 
where is the honor due to the great gain? Fear is consistent 
in biblical religion, but that fear is mingled with joy. And 
notice in the text, it's not great fear and a little bit of 
joy, it's fear and great joy. Those are consistent. Those are 
bedfellows in the Christian heart. And then notice as well, they 
are to bring his disciples word. So that's the discovery of the 
tomb. Let's look at the appearance 
of the risen Lord, verses nine and 10. Notice the appearance 
of Jesus, verse nine, and then the message of Jesus in verse 
10. The appearance. This is an extraordinary thing, 
and it's pretty sublime in the passage. It's just a couple of 
verses here, but when you stop and think about it, wow, this 
is an amazing thing that is happening. Verse nine, and as they went 
to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, rejoice. Now, they had been at the crucifixion. They had seen the mistreatment 
of the Savior. They had seen the mockery. They 
had obviously seen as well that the disciples were not attending. 
They had seen that he actually died. He yielded up his spirit. They heard the guards say, truly, 
this was the Son of God. They had witnessed the earthquake. 
They had then gone to the burial site and watched Joseph of Arimathea 
and Nicodemus attend to the body of Jesus. They had witnessed 
these things. When they come back to the tomb 
in Matthew 28, as we read it, it's not to discover it empty. 
They're going there to anoint the body of Jesus. The last they 
knew, Jesus died on the cross. The last they knew that Jesus 
was buried. And so they're coming to attend 
to his body in a very expression of way of courtesy to his body. And when they come or they go 
to tell the disciples, Jesus meets them and he says, rejoice. So it's an extraordinary sight. 
They've now laid eyes on a resurrected man with a very ordinary greeting. Rejoice, in that context, was 
similar. It was not only the word rejoice, 
but it was a word for greeting. Kind of like, you know, in Hawaii, 
I think you can say aloha for everything. Here it might be 
akin to hello. Kind of interesting, right? You 
see a resurrected man and he says, hello. I just can't even 
imagine the scene. Hello? I've got about a billion 
questions here, but first I just want to bow and worship and glorify 
your great name. France again says, to say simply 
that Jesus met them, when the last we saw of his was as a corpse 
sealed in a tomb, is a masterly understatement. And his greeting 
hello is almost banal in its everyday familiarity. And so 
this is a glorious scene. Now notice the response of the 
women. After Jesus meets them, and Jesus says, rejoice, it says, 
they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him. This 
is the correct response. John on the island of Patmos, 
when he sees the glorified Christ, He falls as a dead man. He responds to the vision. These women respond to the resurrected 
Lord in the only way conceivable. You worship Him. That a man that 
fit what the Old Testament said, that a man who claimed, and not 
only claimed, but demonstrated that he was equal with God, was 
crucified, was buried, and was raised again, elicits the response 
from people of worship and praise and adoration. And it's intriguing. Notice. So they came and held 
him by the feet and worshipped him. Now, I don't want to confuse 
anybody, but this is a great illustration of or an analogy 
of what we call the hypostatic union. Now, it is not the case 
to be a human that you have feet. You could have your feet cut 
off and still be a human. So, this is an analogy. We don't 
want to press it all the way. But that they hold him by the 
feet and worship him. They do so by virtue of the union 
of the two natures in the one person. That they can hold him 
by the feet and worship him argues for the truth of the hypostatic 
union. One person, two natures, humanity 
and divinity, the unity of the natures in the person of the 
Savior. It is demonstrated here. Again, 
it's an analogy. If we press it too hard, it'll 
probably crumble. But it illustrates the point 
that Christ is both man and both God in the one person. And so these women grab him by 
the feet and they worship him. And then finally notice the message 
of Jesus. The repeated encouragement, what 
the angel said at the discovery of the empty tomb, do not fear. 
Jesus rehearses that. He says the same thing. Jesus 
said to them, do not be afraid. Those who seek Jesus need not 
fear. Those who seek Jesus are in the 
best place possible. And brethren, we ought to extrapolate 
that into our current situation. into the current situation facing 
Christianity in the world today. There is oppression, there is 
persecution. Come to our Sunday morning prayer 
meeting sometime when we read Voice of the Martyrs. As our 
brother says, it's like we're going around the world praying 
for various people. The people of God suffer for 
the cause of God all over the earth. But even in that disposition, 
or rather in that condition, even when there is affliction 
and hardship and woe, the admonition stands firm. We're not to fear. Now, brethren, there is a reason 
that that particular admonition is repeated so many times in 
the Bible, because it does seem to be our default response. But 
when we understand who Jesus is, when we understand where 
Jesus is, and when we know that Jesus will come again in glory 
to judge the living and the dead, hopefully that'll banish the 
fear from our hearts. Hopefully we'll have that Psalm 
46.10 call, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted 
among the nations and in the earth. is great counsel, do not 
fear. And then notice the word of instruction 
that he gives. Again, it's similar to the angel's 
instruction in verse 10. Go and tell my brethren to go 
to Galilee and there they will see me. So it's similar as Jesus 
says, like the angel, go to Galilee. It's dissimilar because Jesus 
refers to the disciples as my brethren. The angel doesn't do 
that. Go tell his disciples. Go tell 
the disciples. But Jesus says, go tell my brethren. This reiterates an emphasis in 
Matthew's gospel. In chapter 12, verses 45 to 50, 
Jesus says, those who do the will of my Father in heaven are 
my mothers, they're my brothers, they're my sisters. as well in 
chapter 25. We looked at that last Sunday 
night. Because you did this to the least 
of these, my brethren, you did it unto me. The same thing is 
rehearsed in Hebrews chapter two. He's not ashamed to call 
us brethren. And in this particular context, 
brethren, there is something remarkable. I've already reminded 
you, the women didn't abandon him. The disciples abandoned 
him. The disciples fled and forsook 
him. And one of those disciples actually 
denied him. Remember Peter? Oh Lord, I'm 
willing to die for you. Jesus says, before the cock crows 
twice, you're gonna deny me. And Peter rather does that very 
thing. So if you look at the text, do 
not be afraid, go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee and 
there they will see me. Then notice in verse 16, then 
the 11 disciples, Peter's amongst them. The lesson isn't go out 
and deny the Savior because he'll forgive you. The lesson is, is 
that if you have a lapse, if you have remaining corruption, 
if you sin against God Most High, remember the Psalter. If thou, 
Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But 
there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. He 
forgave Peter for denying him. Look at the parallel in Mark 
16. Now most Bible commentators, 
scholars, guys who know a lot will tell us that Mark wrote 
his gospel as a result of Peter's preaching. So Peter preaches 
the gospel and Mark is his scribe. So Mark writes down these notes 
and then Mark composes the gospel of Mark. Actually, that's not 
most, I'm sorry. It used to be most. Most is different 
now. Most people think Mark wrote first and everybody else copied 
him. I don't believe that. I think Matthew wrote first, 
I think Luke then wrote, and then I think Mark wrote. Actually, 
Matthew, Mark, and then Luke, in that order. But if you look 
specifically here, so Mark is listening to Peter, Mark is the 
scribe. So when Peter rehearses this 
same thing, remember the story is, is that Peter's preaching, 
Mark's writing down. Or if that wasn't the case, Peter's 
preaching and Mark's writing down, Peter is the go-to source 
for Mark. So when Mark composes his gospel, 
he's got access to Peter. Now, when he rehearses this, 
look at 16.6, but he said to them, do not be alarmed. You 
seek Jesus of Nazareth who is crucified. He is risen, he is 
not here. See the place where they laid 
him, but go, tell his disciples, and Peter, that he is going before 
you into Galilee. There you will see him as he 
said to you." Peter wants to make sure that we know that he 
was forgiven by his Savior. What he did was horrible, what 
he did was wretched, what he did was wrong, but what he did 
was forgiven by the powerful blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. So back to Matthew chapter 28, 
do not be afraid, go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee 
and there they will see me. Calvin says, it is proper to 
remark the astonishing kindness of Christ in designing, ordaining 
rather, to bestow the name of brethren on deserters who had 
basely forsaken Him. And this clause, and there they 
will see me, underscores the chief boon of our religion. the 
reality that we have communion with the living and true God. 
When you trace covenant in scripture, one of the elements that comes 
in each and every one is God says, I will be their God and 
they shall be my people. We are heading, we have it now, 
in our Lord's Day worship. Revelation 1, Christ is in the 
midst of the lampstand. We have communion with Him here 
and now. We have the blessed reality, 
the presence of our Savior by His Spirit. But we are heading 
to glory. We are heading to that place 
where we will see Him, that place where we will dwell with Him, 
that place where we will reign with Him, that place where we 
will commune with Him. And I think that last statement 
captures that well. There they will see me. Well, in conclusion, we see the 
glory of the resurrection. J.C. Ryle says, it is the crowning 
proof that he has paid the debt which he undertook to pay on 
our behalf, won the battle which he fought to deliver us from 
hell, and is accepted as our surety and substitute by our 
Father in heaven. That's a beautiful expression 
of what the resurrection signifies. Davies and Allison say, Matthew 
28, 1 and following is the necessary ending to Matthew's story. Without 
the resurrection, Jesus' words are vacant and his opponents 
exonerated. With it, Jesus is vindicated, 
his cause and authority confirmed, and his opponents disgraced. It is the note of triumph, it 
is the note of victory, it is the blessedness of the empty 
tomb and the risen Lord that is the crowning proof that all 
that he undertook on our behalf is completed. Secondly, the theology 
of the resurrection, there's a whole lot that could be said 
here. First, it is the fulfillment of all the promises of God that 
are yea and amen in Him. I read Psalm 16 tonight. Psalm 
16 is what Peter appeals to when he's preaching the resurrection 
of Jesus in Acts chapter 2. He says, David died and was buried 
and his tomb is with us to this day. David was not writing about 
David in Psalm 16. David was writing about his greater 
son, Jesus. He will not allow his soul to 
undergo decay in Hades. He will raise him from the dead. It is secondly the means by which, 
or a means by which, glory is given to the Father and to the 
Son. He is declared to be the Son 
of God with power by the Spirit of holiness at the resurrection 
of the dead, according to Paul in Romans 1.4. Not declared to 
be the Son of God for the first time. The emphasis falls on vindication. He is what he said he was. And then the crowning proof that 
he has accomplished the mission that the father gave him. And 
of course, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. If you take the resurrection 
out of gospel preaching, there's no gospel preaching. We celebrate 
the life of the savior. We need his obedience. We celebrate 
the death of the savior. By this particular means tonight, 
we need atonement. We need the blood of Jesus to 
wash us from our sins, but we need that resurrection as well. We need all of those components 
involved in the gospel of our salvation, or as the Apostle 
says, we are of all men most to be pitied. So praise God Almighty 
that He has blessed us richly with an empty tomb and a risen 
Lord. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the clarity 
of this account We thank you for the veracity of it, that 
that tomb is in fact empty and that our Lord is now ascended 
to the right hand of the Father on high. And we know that he 
rules and reigns over all things for the good of his church. May 
this encourage us and may you vanquish fear from our hearts 
as the blood-bought children of our living God. We thank you 
for this time to remember his death as we eat this bread and 
drink this cup. And in this, we pray that you 
would be glorified and honored. And we ask through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord, amen.