Good morning! What a nice one we are being blessed with!
Joseph is much better and Sherri is getting there. She is working form home today, so she can rest when she needs to. This has really knocked her down! Thanks for your thoughts and concerns.
Today is our final chapter of Matthew and we begin 1 Corinthians tomorrow. This final chapter does give us hope and faith!
One of the points I was making in my last message in our miracles series was that the women (or others) didn't believe that Jesus would rise form the dead as He said He would. If they did believe, they wouldn't have gone to prepare the body for burial! We begin in the darkness of morning...Matthew's idea of the darkness of humanity at the death of Christ. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (possibly Jesus' mother) come to embalm the body and make final preparations for burial. The earthquake (noted only in Matthew, v 2) happens before the women arrive- was it the angel moving the stone away? Did there need to be an angel to move the stone or could the resurrected Jesus have done it? The women arrive and the angel is sitting on top of the large stone.
The guards shook with fear (v 4). Were they afraid of the angels? Aren't angels friendly beings? How would we react if we saw an angel?
For the first time, the women- devout followers of Jesus, heard words they didn't expect to hear, "Jesus is not here, He is risen!" (v 6). Imagine their shock! And then the angles continue with, "He told you so!" Why didn't they believe? Do we believe? They are invited to look into the tomb- is that why the stone was rolled away? The stone would have prevented the women from seeing the empty tomb. What prevents us from seeing the empty tomb? Is there a stone that needs to be rolled away?
Following the angel's instructions, the women run quickly away and are the first to publicly proclaim the resurrected Jesus. Women have always had an integral role in the ministry of Jesus and this is just one of the great examples of that. These women were the first evangelists of the Risen Christ...not the disciples, not the religious authority, not the Romans- it was the women!
As they leave to tell the others, they happen to run into Jesus. His words, "Rejoice!" What else could he say to them?! The women fall to worship- an hour or so before, their world was all but over. They were going to embalm and bury their closest friend. Now He is alive! Imagine their joy! Jesus reiterates what the angles said (v 10)- "I'm on my way to Galilee- I will meet you there. Tell they guys!"
The guards back at the tomb finally awaken from their fainting spell. Imagine their shock! Wait? What? He's gone? Oh man, now what are we going to do? We gotta' go tell someone! (v 11). They do- and the cover-up begins. Imagine what the Romans and the religious authority are thinking now?! Oh man, He is gone! We have to stop this story before all heck breaks loose! The cover-up shows the truth of the resurrection and their denial of it at the same time. The disciples get the blame for stealing the body. "And that story is still spread among the Jewish people even to this day" (v 15). Some people do not believe in the crucifixion and resurrection. Their thought is that Jesus fainted on the cross, was removed, and then revived later in the night. Others say he did die, but his body was stolen. Like I said in my last Miracles message, "Dead is dead...right?" and I also followed up with the line, "Yah...but..." It is almost impossible believing in resurrection. Dead is dead. I am a biologist by training. Dead is dead. When things die, they die. End of story. No questions. Dead is dead. So there had to be another reason why the body wasn't there! "Yah...but...!"
Post-resurrection visions of Jesus vary between the Gospels. In Matthew's interpretation, Jesus meets the followers in Galilee at their pre-determined meeting place. It must have been a secret place, since there is no indication other than "the mountain" (v 16). All worshiped- some believed, some struggled with their belief (like people today in our churches). They then receive the apostolic commission, "Go!" (v 19). Think of the people Jesus told this to, their imperfections, their doubts, their fears, the sordid past, the pre-Jesus life. And yet, Jesus says "Go!". Now look at us....our imperfections, our doubts, our fears, our sordid past, our pre-Jesus life. And yet Jesus says to us, "Go!"
The caveat being, "I will be with you always" (v 20). Always!
Are we prepared to Go!? Are we cognizant of Jesus with us...always?!
Always!
Go!
I love that final command from Jesus...Go!
What a great ending!
Remember- tomorrow we begin 1 Corinthians. I will hopefully post an introduction later today during nap time!
Shalom+
Pastor Paul
Oh my goodness I am having an issue with my comments disappearing again!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that your family has not been feeling well.
this reading is such an important part of our faith and how we believe. I believe I told you that I was part of the Living Stations of the Cross at St. Margaret Marys. I loved being part of it and was always moved to tears when the youth preformed it. I am also sad when I remember this time. The youth group leaders we had were a wonderful young couple that I believe did a great job and kept our youth engaged in positive activities. There was a group of women who I believe we're jealous of them because they were younger and good looking. They got together and had them removed as the leaders. I was told I could continue on but I was devastated and did not feel the new leaders had the values I wanted for my children. This time really rocked my faith for a few years. This is something that two people being involved could have two entirely different opinions but for me it was a time when I saw really good and bad in my church and it still makes me sad.
On a positive note Jesus has risen and Easter is such a joyous day in our faith!
We had often mentioned how would we react if Jesus appeared to us? I can only pray that I would pass the test.
JESUS HAS RISEN! The stone has been rolled away and an angel awaits the women. He tells them not to be afraid, He isn't here, come and see, and go quickly and tell. They are afraid and leave to tell the others and encounter Jesus on the way They fall and grasp His feet. this is different than from Luke as He said not to touch Him as he had not yet ascended to His Father.?
ReplyDeleteThe guard tell the religious leaders what has happened and they bribe the guards to say His body was stolen.. More deceit by the leaders!
The disciples go to meet Jesus in Galilee and Jesus sends them out to all nations to spread the good news . To me the best is the last part of the last verse "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
I have enjoyed reading Matthew and learned some things I had not known before. Looking for to Corinthians and learning more.
Glad to hear that Sherri and joseph and doing better and continue to improve.
Maybe the women did believe but didn't know when, or how, and being Jewish went to follow the traditions of their faith. But I do think if it weren't for the women following Jesus after He was taken down from the cross they would not know exactly what tomb He was taken to! In my translation it does equate the earthquake with the angel rolling back the stone. When in Israel, I saw the stones used and they are very large and heavy - one could not roll it back alone. In my translation Jesus says (upon greeting the women) "All Hail." which, I think, means different then "Rejoice" and maybe a little cooler? I actually don't remember reading vs 11-15 before - I'm not sure why. It was very interesting and MAYBE why there is little history that supports the Bible - it has been erased or changed. I loved vs. 18-20. I even have it marked and highlighted in my Bible because it brings so much direction and comfort! Looking forward to reading Corinthians.
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea of angels is intriguing. Can you imagine an angel appearing before you- coming like lightning? If it wasn't too close, it might be kind of nice. And angels always bring news or directions. The angel, just like the one in the birth story, says "do not be afraid".
ReplyDeleteIn my Bible, when Jesus met the women he just says "Greetings". It seems like he would have been a little more glad to see his mother. I'm glad these women were mentioned in this chapter. I'm sure there were a lot more women involved in Jesus' ministry that we will never know about.
Anyway, the chapter ends with comforting words; Jesus is with us always, to the very end of the age.
I stayed up late last night and watched "The Da Vinci Code" on Netflix. It was a little different than what I remember from the book, but still it was enough to make one think about his or her beliefs. I would love to do a Bible study on "The Da Vinci Code."
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Donna. It has been my experience that some older folks I have known who are experiencing dementia can remember what happened 50 years ago, but cannot remember yesterday or last week. It is kind of sobering since I am now 76. I believe I still have use of my mental faculties, but my body is showing problems that can only be due to aging - I am having issues with my balance.
In reading Chapter 28, I have come to realize how limited my knowledge of the resurrection is. I always thought that Jesus was met by some of His disciples, but they didn't recognize Him. Perhaps this is in a different gospel. I never knew that there was an earthquake associated with the moving of the rock. Isn't the angel inside the tomb in a different gospel? (Mark, maybe?) I had the feeling that the angel was sitting in the tomb and was dressed such as to disguise the fact that he was an angel.
When I was a child, I swallowed the Christmas and Easter stories with no questions. As I approached my "dark" years, in which I was very ill, I started to question what I had accepted years before. Now, I find that I am believing the Christmas and Easter stories again and I feel much happier for it. These Bible Studies, this one and the ones I was involved in at Little Meadows, have helped make my spiritual life what it is today.