The News Delivered By An Angel
Matthew 28:1-8
Intoduction:
Adrian Rogers and his wife, Joyce were in Russia before Lenin’s tomb was torn down. It was an attraction for tourists to go through the mausoleum where Lenin’s body was on display. You probably remember that his body was in an enclosed casket that was open for viewing and they had kept it this way for many years.
Now you know that when Lenin was still in that encryptment, they would take him out every so often and they would wash him with a chemical. Of course, they never did this in public because as you know, you’re not supposed to wash your dirty Lenin in public.
People were given strict instructions that as they walked through this mausoleum they were not to speak a word. Doctor Rogers said about his wife, "she normal follows all kinds of rules, but as they got to every guard, Joyce Rogers said, "My Jesus is alive." Every guard she said, "My Jesus is alive. My Jesus is alive." And not one of the guards made any remark back to her.
That this morning is the news that we need to hear. It is news that we need to rejoice in. It is the hope that brings us all here this morning, and should fill our hearts with joy ! Our Jesus is alive ! Amen ?
This morning I want us to hear the message of the resurrection as shared by the angel of the Lord that sat at his tomb.
At dawn on the first day of the week, three days following the crucifixion of the Lord, the ladies who had trusted him, had followed him, and supported him, and had been faithful to him all the way to the cross, approach his grave to finish preparing his body. They came there that morning with spices expecting to find the body of Christ still lying in a tomb with a stone rolled over its mouth, and being guarded by Roman soldiers who had been put in charge over it ! They were in for the surprise, and shock of their lives. Because rather than finding the dead body of Jesus, they heard the news that energized, and encouraged their hearts, and that shook the foundations of the earth.
As they approached the tomb, the earth shook, and an angel appeared and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the tomb. It has been said that the angel did not roll the stone away so that Christ could come out, but so they could go in ! The anel whose countenance was like lightening, and whose clothes were as white as snow then sat upon the stone which he had rolled away ! The soldiers who were there to guard the tomb were so shaken by what had happened and by the appearance of the angel that they became as dead men !
The women approached, and the angels answered the questions that filled their hearts before they had a chance to say anything. Listen to the message of the resurrection as told by the angel of the Lord.
I. It Was An Instructive Message !
V6. .........Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
What is the instruction that he gives to those women who came ? It is a message that we all need to hear, and heed. It is the message of the resurrection !
To fear not means.........
a. to be calm.
These ladies having already experienced the events of the previous days were filled with fear, and anxiety. Their hearts were troubled over the death of their Lord. They became even more troubled at the sight that they saw as they approached the tomb early on that morning.
The message of the resurrection is stay calm.......have faith........don’t be troubled or anxious ! We can experience calm, peace, rest through any situations, and circumstances that we face in life because of the resurrection !
Story: Little girl looking in the window of the art gallery !
b. to be courageous.
The message of the resurrection should give us courage ! It should instill courage in our hearts because death was defeated. It is no longer our enemy, but a friend to the child of God ! It should give us courage because he lives, and is seated at the right hand of God praying on our behalf !
c. to be confident.
The message of the resurrection "fear not" should fill our hearts with confidence because Jesus can do what he says ! His promises are real, and certain. His words are true ! We can count on him. He will do what he says !
II. It Was An Inviting Message.
V6. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
a. Invitation to examine.
Come and see the place where the Lord lay ! It is an invitation to examine for themselves the claim of the resurrected Lord. His body which had been previously placed inside the tomb by Joseph, and Nicodemus no longer lies where they had placed it. It could not have been stolen away because Roman guards sealed the tomb.
It is interesting to know that no search was ever made of his body though the officials would claim that it had been stolen. There were never any arrests made of any of the disciples though one would think that they would have been the likely suspects.
If we examine the claims of the resurrection, and it has been for ages, there is no other explanation other than the fact that Jesus had done just as he had promised !
John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
Story:
You may have never heard of Sir Lionel Luckhoo. But if you open the Guinness Book of Records you’ll discover he is listed as the most successful trial lawyer ever - he had 245 successful murder defences in a row! To give you an idea how good that is, Perry Mason was a TV show about an unbelievably good lawyer. The producers had him lose a case after 70 successful ones, because they didn’t think anyone would find him credible.
Yet despite his fame, success, and wealth he felt empty inside. The older he got the more meaningless life appeared. Then at 63 he turned his analytical skills to the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. He found that the message of Jesus’ resurrection satisfied his personal needs and his intellectual questioning. "I have spent more than forty-two years as a defence trial lawyer in many parts of the world." he later wrote. "I say unequivocally the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt!"
b. Invitation to experience.
The message of the angel who rolled the stone away is also an invitation to experience. The word "see" means "to know". Jesus not only wants you to believe in the resurrection of Christ, but he wants you to know him, to experience him in a personal way !
A just completed survey shows that nearly 80 % of Americans say that they believe in the resurrection of Christ, but that does not mean that 80% know him. The resurrected Christ wants you to know him !
Have you met the risen Lord ? Have you invited the risen Lord to live inside you, and to deliver you from spiritual death ?
III. It was an imperative message !
V7. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Hear the message of Easter ! It is an imperative message ! Once we have experienced the resurrection ! Once we have come, and seen...we need to go and tell.
Story:
British minister W.E. Sangster contracted an incurable disease that slowly caused his muscles to waste away, his voice to fail and his throat to become unable to swallow. He continued in ministry, right up until the point where his voice had gone and he could barely hold a pen. On Easter morning, just a few weeks before he died, he wrote in a letter to his daughter: "It is terrible to wake up Easter morning and have no voice with which to shout "He is risen!" - but it would be still more terrible to have a voice and not want to shout."
a. The imperative to depart !
The angelic message is an imperative message. It calls for action, for engagement on our part. The angel says to the ladies......"Go !"
Are we living as though our Lord is risen ? Are we sharing the message that "he lives" with others ?
Pastor Ed Young once shared a story about the greatest sermon he had ever heard, and it came from an unlikely source. The greatest sermon that Ed ever heard was preached to him by an atheist. The atheist was a friend of Pastor Young’s........his name was Walter Carroll. One Sunday afternoon as they were talking. Walter said to Ed. Eddie do you believe in God ? Ed answered, Walter, you know that I believe in God. Walter, said....You don’t live like it ! What do you mean Ed asked ? The atheist responded....You live just like I do. I’m an atheist. I don’t believe there’s a God, and I live like there’s no God. You do everything I do the atheist continued. You say there is a God, and yet you don’t live like there’s a God. Don’t you have enough sense to know that, if there is a God, if you can get to know him and live the way he wants you to live.......that’s the most important thing in life ? That was the turning point in the life of Ed Young. God used the mouth of an atheist to get his attention. From that moment on Ed Young determined to live like he believed in God, that he trusted in him !
The message of the resurrection calls us to action ! It calls us to engage in the work of the risen Lord !
b. The imperative to deliver.
V "go quickly" The word "quickly" means "without delay" !
It is an urgent message because........
1. people are dying.
Thousands die daily without knowing the risen Lord. It is imperative. It is urgent that we reach them with the news of the resurrection ! It is urgent that they know that he lives so that they may live also !
2. people are deceived.
Many are deceived, and worship a god or person who is dead. We as Christians know that our Lord lives. We must take the message of the gospel to those without the living God.
3. people are despondent.
The disciples were despondent after the days of Christ. They hid behind locked doors in fear ! It was imperative that the message be shared with them so that they might be stirred from their despondency ! The Lord lives ! He promised it ! He fulfilled it ! It has happened just as he said !
IV. It Is An Inspirational Message !
The need to go, and to tell is inspired by the fact that......
a. The Lord Precedes Them.
V7. ......he goeth before you
We can accomplish great things for the Lord ! We can spread the news of the risen Lord because he precedes us ! He walks before us, and guides us, and instructs us ! He is with us no matter the circumstance !
b. The Lord Presents Himself To Them.
V7. .......there shall ye see him:
V8. ..........they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
Oh they ran to spread the news, but they also ran to see him !
One day we shall see the risen Lord face to face !
Are you ready to meet him ? Does the risen Lord live in your heart ?
Are you living like you believe in the resurrection ?
