Day 7: Startling Implications of the Resurrection
Read Matthew 28:1-20
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men. 5 The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.” 8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9 Just then Jesus met them and said,“Greetings! ” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus told them,“Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
THE SOLDIERS BRIBED TO LIE
11 As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money 13 and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’ 14 If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 They took the money and did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them,“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men. 5 The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.” 8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9 Just then Jesus met them and said,“Greetings! ” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus told them,“Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
THE SOLDIERS BRIBED TO LIE
11 As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money 13 and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’ 14 If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 They took the money and did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them,“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Matthew records for us the events of chapter 28, he is, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, making claims that change the world. We’ll look at three implications concerning the authority of Christ based on the resurrection.
1. He has authority over life and death.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we don’t have to worry about a thing He said, because it was a lie. But if Jesus rose from the dead, then we must accept everything He said, for His authority is absolute. Jesus closes this chapter and the Gospel as a whole by claiming, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (v. 18). Jesus’ absolute authority based on the resurrection means that He has authority over life and death. Shortly before His own death, Jesus told His disciples the following:
No one takes it [My life] from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. (John 10:18)
That’s an astounding statement. None of us decides when we will come into this world, and when we die, none of us has the power to say, “I’m coming back to life.” But that’s precisely what Jesus did, and if He did rise from the dead, then He has absolute authority over life and death.
2. He has authority over sin and Satan
If Jesus rose from the dead, then we must also admit that He has authority over sin and Satan. All men die because they sin, for death is the payment for sin (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). However, Jesus is one man in all of history who died without sinning; so why did He die? Jesus died for our sins, in our place (1 Peter 2:24). After His death, Jesus rose from the grave, not only in victory over death, but in victory over sin. 1st Corinthians 15:55-57 teaches us that sin is the “sting of death”:
Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
3. He has authority over you and me
The fact that Jesus has authority over life and death, as well as over sin and Satan, leads to one unavoidable conclusion: He has authority over you and me. Paul speaks to this reality in Romans 10:9-13, what we might refer to as the foundational confession of Christianity:
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
So what does it mean for Jesus to have absolute authority over you and me? First, it means He reigns over us supremely. Many times Christians say, “I’ve decided to make Jesus the Lord of my life.” I hate to break it to you, but you didn’t have a choice in the matter. Jesus is Lord over your life. Scripture says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The question is not whether or not Jesus is Lord; the question is, “Will you submit to Him as Lord now or when it is too late?”
Second, He loves us deeply. Remember that the purpose of the resurrection is grounded in Christ’s love for us. God sent His Son to pay the price for our sin, and the resurrection lets us know that our hope of salvation is not some made-up story, some fanciful myth. The resurrection of Jesus validates everything He said, taught, and told us He came to do. In Galatians 2:20 Paul speaks of the Son of God who “loved me and gave Himself for me.” Believers should rejoice in Jesus’ love demonstrated in both His cross and His resurrection.
Third, Christ’s authority over us means that He will judge us eternally. Jesus speaks of His role as judge in John 5:21-23. For all who believe in Christ, the truth of Christ’s judgment is good news. It’s good news because you can be saved from eternal judgment if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Christ’s role as judge is also good news because the resurrection reminds us that this world is not all there is. If our only expectations are for this life, then we have no hope in the face of tragedy in this world. Furthermore, Christ’s judgment means our efforts for justice in this world become meaningful.
All of us have built-in longings and desires for meaning and purpose, and this tells us that this world is not the entire picture. Neither disease nor natural disasters have the last word in this world; because of the resurrection, Jesus does. And He will have the last word in the lives of each of us for all of eternity.
Devotional from https://csbible.com/holy-week/
Family Discussion Questions:
1. He has authority over life and death.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we don’t have to worry about a thing He said, because it was a lie. But if Jesus rose from the dead, then we must accept everything He said, for His authority is absolute. Jesus closes this chapter and the Gospel as a whole by claiming, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (v. 18). Jesus’ absolute authority based on the resurrection means that He has authority over life and death. Shortly before His own death, Jesus told His disciples the following:
No one takes it [My life] from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. (John 10:18)
That’s an astounding statement. None of us decides when we will come into this world, and when we die, none of us has the power to say, “I’m coming back to life.” But that’s precisely what Jesus did, and if He did rise from the dead, then He has absolute authority over life and death.
2. He has authority over sin and Satan
If Jesus rose from the dead, then we must also admit that He has authority over sin and Satan. All men die because they sin, for death is the payment for sin (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). However, Jesus is one man in all of history who died without sinning; so why did He die? Jesus died for our sins, in our place (1 Peter 2:24). After His death, Jesus rose from the grave, not only in victory over death, but in victory over sin. 1st Corinthians 15:55-57 teaches us that sin is the “sting of death”:
Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
3. He has authority over you and me
The fact that Jesus has authority over life and death, as well as over sin and Satan, leads to one unavoidable conclusion: He has authority over you and me. Paul speaks to this reality in Romans 10:9-13, what we might refer to as the foundational confession of Christianity:
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
So what does it mean for Jesus to have absolute authority over you and me? First, it means He reigns over us supremely. Many times Christians say, “I’ve decided to make Jesus the Lord of my life.” I hate to break it to you, but you didn’t have a choice in the matter. Jesus is Lord over your life. Scripture says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The question is not whether or not Jesus is Lord; the question is, “Will you submit to Him as Lord now or when it is too late?”
Second, He loves us deeply. Remember that the purpose of the resurrection is grounded in Christ’s love for us. God sent His Son to pay the price for our sin, and the resurrection lets us know that our hope of salvation is not some made-up story, some fanciful myth. The resurrection of Jesus validates everything He said, taught, and told us He came to do. In Galatians 2:20 Paul speaks of the Son of God who “loved me and gave Himself for me.” Believers should rejoice in Jesus’ love demonstrated in both His cross and His resurrection.
Third, Christ’s authority over us means that He will judge us eternally. Jesus speaks of His role as judge in John 5:21-23. For all who believe in Christ, the truth of Christ’s judgment is good news. It’s good news because you can be saved from eternal judgment if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Christ’s role as judge is also good news because the resurrection reminds us that this world is not all there is. If our only expectations are for this life, then we have no hope in the face of tragedy in this world. Furthermore, Christ’s judgment means our efforts for justice in this world become meaningful.
All of us have built-in longings and desires for meaning and purpose, and this tells us that this world is not the entire picture. Neither disease nor natural disasters have the last word in this world; because of the resurrection, Jesus does. And He will have the last word in the lives of each of us for all of eternity.
Devotional from https://csbible.com/holy-week/
Family Discussion Questions:
- The truth is Jesus is in charge of all of our lives. What does that mean to you?
- How should this affect how you live your life every day?
- Because Jesus conquered death and sin on the cross, He proved that everything He said and promised is true. So, with that in mind, what kind of hope does that give you for your life from this day on?