MATTHEW 28 COME AND SEE - GO AND TELL An earthquake in the dark must have awakened a sleeping city. The holiday weekend was over. The city- stirring events of recent days were past. The religious and government leaders must have breathed a sign of relief that the carpenter of Nazareth was dead and buried. Things could go back to normal. But now another great earthquake! And brilliant light in the darkness out by the tomb as the angel came! God wanted men to see the Lord had risen on the third day as He said. Men had to see - and believe. The powerful angel easily moved the stone back and sitting on it lit up the whole area. No wonder the soldiers trembled and fell as paralyzed dead men. Fear has a way of bringing people down before God. The Lord was gone - risen as He said! Now the way was opened for the eyes of faith to claim for themselves what the Lord Jesus Christ had said.
Early rising women had started for the tomb already. The great earthquake didn't stop them in their desire to anoint the body of the Lord. The Object of their heart's affection had a more powerful attraction than any obstacles that would normally stop their quest. Faith when it has free reign, does not see obstacles. It sees the Object of its attraction. Faith in Christ is not hindered by human limitations but has its trust in God alone. The women were able to take in the whole scene at the tomb very quickly. The stone was moved. The keepers were lying helpless on the ground. The light of God's messenger made it possible to see inside the open tomb. The words of the angel were easily understood. The tongue of the angel was the language they knew. The message he gave was clear, "Come and see - Go and tell." Proof of His resurrection is the empty tomb. The world needs to know Jesus is alive.
There is joy in unshakable faith that doubters and skeptics never experience. The catching of the breath when faith's object is revealed; the widening of the eyes at the realization of a fact; the physical response to the actions of faith isn't proof but it accompanies the reality of faith when it is done. Believing God opens vistas in life that changes everything. We can see positive results from negative experiences. We can see hope when despair is all around. We can see signs of life when all others see is death that makes them afraid of the future. The fear and great joy the women experienced as they went to spread the news of the resurrected Christ is understandable. There is a certain kind of fear that is linked with anticipation. It is the fear associated with excitement when great things are happening. Faith and joy have a way of being together because faith produces the joy before the event happens. Faith is sure of the blessing of the outcome of an event. It moves the person to act without hesitation in view of a positive assurance of the outcome.
As I watched through faith's eyes, I saw the Sabbaths were all past. A new day dawned bringing hope and looking forward not backward. The first day of the week, the Lord's Day, was the day of resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ was alive and was seen of many of His disciples in Jerusalem and all the way to a mountain in Galilee. The women met Jesus on the way to tell the disciples. Even though the keepers of the watch told the truth of the events at the tomb, the leaders tried to spin the whole thing and silence the soldiers with money. The vain attempts to deny the resurrection still go on today, but the testimony of people of faith who are members of His kingdom still is being sounded out around the world - and people are believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first day of the week is also a day of remembrance. The Lord Jesus told His disciples to hold the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Him and to make that supper a public proclamation of His death. They faithfully did that when they gathered on the first day of the week.
God also directed His servant John, to write the truths of the Revelation on the Lordly day. The first day of the week is therefore a day of revelation. The Risen Lord gave to John a powerful outline of events that are coming in the future. John saw Him today moving among the gathered companies of His people. He is in the midst of them as promised. We do not see Him visibly but in faith we unquestionably accept as fact that our risen Lord is with His people in Spirit.
That is why the first day of the week is also a day of responsibility. We give of our substance to him on that day of responsibility. The blessings He gives to us, promotes a response of proportionate giving to Him.
As I followed the writer, Matthew, concluding the book the Holy Spirit had used him to write, I saw a final gathering of the Lord Jesus with His disciples. In His final instructions to them before He ascended to heaven, we are again made aware of the Person and His authority, a little different than in Mark where the emphasis is on the preaching and its method. The fourfold message of Matthew's Gospel has to do with the King and His kingdom, the Master and His disciples, the Church and the cross and here at the end - the Gospel and the world. These people were sent under the highest possible authority to take the news of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to the world. They were to go, make disciples, baptize them and teach them to obey what they were taught. There was nothing obscure about this Great Commission. At their disposal was "all power" from the Lord Himself. They were to go to "all nations" with the Gospel. They were instructed to teach "all things" He commanded them. He had promised them He would be with them "al-ways."
The commission still is a valid mandate to His disciples today. We cannot excuse ourselves from the challenge of these plain instructions. The kingdom of heaven is still our responsibility. Fellow human beings still need the Gospel. Brothers and sisters in Christ still need to be taught to observe and do what He commanded us. This age of grace is not over yet. We have a charge to keep that was given to us by the Great King.
The Sabbaths were past but perhaps they didn't know it. A new day had dawned and they with joy, began to show it. In faith they went forward not knowing they would grow it - As a result of the resurrection of their Lord.
The women came first at the first glimmer of light. The angel was there on the stone with garments so bright. The stone rolled away was a glorious sight - As a fact of the resurrection of their Lord.
Others came too as the news began to spread. John and Peter ran - Peter went into the tomb ahead. It began to be noised abroad, "Jesus is risen from the dead." Fear and joy at the resurrection of their Lord.
It was hard to believe, but the soldiers on watch knew. The Pharisees and priests were aware if the resurrection was true They would not be heeded and their leadership was through - If it was true - the resurrection of the Lord.
The disciples gathered together and the risen Lord met with them. They knew by the nail prints and wounds it was really Him. Things changed forever as He commissioned them then - To tell the world of the resurrection of the Lord.
It is going on now here and right up to this very day. The message of the truth of the Gospel is here to permanently stay. People are trusting in Him no matter what opposers say We believe in the resurrection of our Lord.
I dare not be silent, others must know the truth. People need the Savior; they all need the new birth. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ is of greatest worth - We are justified by the resurrection of our Lord.
Let the nations rejoice there is great blessing in the future. Let every believer in Christ, their faith in Him still nurture. Let every repentant sinner come and be given a new nature - Because we believe in the resurrection of our Lord.
"Holy Father, how it gives me joy just to think these thoughts and write these words. What blessing it is to my soul to be assured of my salvation because of the risen Savior. How my heart is warmed in devotion to Thee for such grace as brought salvation, such power that raised Him from the dead, such hope that because He lives, we shall live also. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen."