Matthew 28

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the beginning of a whole new era. In His rising from the dead, our Lord has very deliberately granted to us the greatest sign of the blessing that is coming for all who are in Him. This is one event in a series of events that marked the end of the Old Covenant era of the Law and the beginning of the New Covenant. These included the birth, baptism, transfiguration, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, as well as the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the church, and the eventual destruction of the Old Testament temple. It was very fitting that our Lord rose from the dead on Sunday, the day that would become the gathering day of worship for all who believe in Him. One Sabbath was over, the one associated with the Law, and a new Sabbath had begun, now associated with the gospel and resurrection. It was early in the morning on this first day of the week when the women who had been witnesses of the death and burial of Christ, would now become witnesses of the fact of the risen King.

Matthew reports that an earthquake took place and that an angelic messenger from heaven had descended and had rolled back the stone, revealing the empty tomb that would be such a powerful point of evidence concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Throughout this gospel of the King, Jesus has been proclaiming something He called "the kingdom of heaven." Now someone from heaven was there to speak to these women. The angel brought a message of peace to them, and announced to them the fact of the resurrection. He was aware of what they had come to do that morning, and he invited them to examine the empty tomb. There is no good explanation for the empty tomb if one insists that there can be no resurrection from the dead. The angel sent them on their way, on the path that would quickly lead to the next piece of important evidence.

They had already seen the tomb, and had heard the angelic declaration, but now they saw and heard Him, and He was most definitely alive. They came there expecting only the dead body of the man that they loved, but now they saw Him, they heard His voice, they touched Him, and they knew that He knew them. He spoke to them of peace and gave instructions concerning a meeting that would take place in Galilee with those He calls His brothers.

The guards who had been sent to secure this grave were also there, and they were overwhelmed by what they saw. How much they actually witnessed that day is hard to ascertain. They were said to be like dead men, presumably in shock or passed out from the fear of the moment. Soon they had recovered enough to make their way back into the city, where they would have to deliver what would be seen as awful news, the news of an empty tomb, a tomb that they were supposed to have guarded with their lives. A meeting was held in order to come up with a plausible reason for the empty tomb. They would say that his disciples came by night and stole away His body while they were sleeping. It is amazing that men who claimed to be sleeping would also claim to know who had stolen the body. Despite the obvious problems with this story, there were apparently many people who were willing to believe it for some reason. Though the guards reported about the earthquake, the stone-moving angel, and the empty tomb, those who heard this report felt the freedom to come up with a lie rather than investigate the truth. What happened in the resurrection assured to us the victory of the cross, and the certainty of the promises of God. How sad it is when that is received as bad news, rather than good news.

Eventually the disciples did meet with Jesus in Galilee according to His instruction. The power of unbelief even among these men was displayed in the fact that while some worshiped Him, others among them doubted. This meeting was the beginning of the commissioning of the church by her risen King.

The time had now come for the message of that King and His kingdom to be taken to the entire world. The world and the powers of the world are not always receptive to the preaching of Jesus and the resurrection. Some have even taken it upon themselves to prohibit the spreading of this Word. For those who must press forward with the Lord's command, it is helpful to remember that we serve One who has all authority in heaven and on earth. He is the King of a kingdom that cannot ultimately be stopped.

Our Lord has given to us the task of making disciples, those who would hear the Word of the cross and the resurrection, and would surrender to the promises of God in Christ. These would be marked with the sign of covenantal union with Jesus, and would be taught to be His followers. This would not be something merely for the city of Jerusalem or the region Judea. This message would go to all nations, and the Lord Himself promised His presence among the people of this Word. Just as He had filled the temple in Jerusalem in the time of the Law, His worshiping people called by His Name, the one Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, would now have the presence of Jesus Christ with them throughout the entire gospel age. At the end of that age the Lord will bring the complete fulfillment of the kingdom that He had preached about in their hearing, the resurrection kingdom for which He shed His blood.

This is the King that we must follow now above all other kings, for His is the eternal kingdom that is above all the kingdoms of this world. We bow before Him who died the death that we deserved, and who rose from the dead as the firstfruits of the coming Resurrection Age.