If Empty Tombs Could Talk

Over the last several weeks on Wednesday nights we have looked at what historians and skeptics say about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and have made a compelling case that A Man from Nazareth named Jesus died by crucifixion and was seen three days later for an extended period by multiple eye-witnesses. Early accounts report it, multiple sources corroborate it, historical analysis supports it, and supernatural explanations are best prepared to satisfy it. However, what connects the dots between this miracle and the implications thereof is the Word of God—the authoritative account of what took place early that first Easter morning. This is the account I am pleased to celebrate with you today from Matthew 28:5-7.

However, aside from the apologetic value of the resurrection, what I want to focus on today is the personal value it holds for today’s believer. Many times, even seasoned believers can find themselves in some sort of stupor or state of discouragement that they cannot seem to shake—the loss of a loved one or opportunity, the stress of a job or lack thereof, the strife between someone you have a relationship with, etc. When I experience these humble moments, I realize that the cause of my fatigue is often failing to remember the promises of God and His presence in my life. My failure is a result of me forgetting to trust God at His Word. In a far more difficult scenario than I have ever run across, Jesus’ mother and friends had run into the same problem. Failing to remember what God had said left these women sad and grieving. However, God through one of His glowing messengers would soon shake them from their own spiritual stupor in the wake of the greatest miracle ever—the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. The angel of the Lord provides supernatural encouragement and comfort to these morose matrons by means of four proclamations that I believe will also encourage us this Resurrection Sunday. These statements kill worry and annihilate fear in the lives of those who will head them as the event they are attached to—Jesus rising from the dead—is in and of itself, God greatest promise and proof of eternal life with Him.

I. PROCLAMATION #1: FEAR NOT!-28:5b

At the outset of this passage, an angel confronts the most obvious problem that the women probably had at this point. Not only had they watched their King be slaughtered and buried in the ground, but now they could not even visit the body of their beloved Savior. All things point to despair and their lack of faith seems to begin obtaining justification. Anyone brought to this point would suffer great alarm and questions. Not to mention, the presence of an angel whose appearance “was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow,” would not do much to help calm things down. However, against all natural impulses and urges, the angel boldly proclaims, “Do not be afraid!”(28:5). One might assume from this clear call that the angel believes there is no good reason for fearing at this point and yet, the situation as far as the women could observe was undeniably bleak. It is to this situation that the angels then references.

The angel knew full well why the women were upset and now stricken with overwhelming grief—Jesus had been crucified. That was the simple fact. No one could deny the horror that must have taken place before these women who loved Jesus and devoted themselves to Him throughout His ministry on earth. It was this teacher, this Healer, this Leader, this King, who had been brutally executed. Watching a crucifixion went way beyond even some of the most gory movies or video games many are familiar with today. It was a spectacle of blood, excruciating pain, and unbelievable carnage that would have been forever imprinted on the mind of any witness. Such an act coupled with a weak faith would have driven anyone to fear. This would have been especially true of those who followed the victim, prescribed to His teachings, and believed in His saving power. However, it is in the midst of this despondency that the angel proclaims “FEAR NOT!” waking these women from their discouragement, readying them to receive the remainder of his message.

I’m not sure what you thought you would hear when you came in the door. I’m not sure what pain or trouble or confusion you are going through today. I’m not sure how bad things have become or how bleak the horizon is on your life, but I am confident that what you are traveling through now could not have been any worse than what these women at Jesus’ grave had witnessed. FEAR NOT! Allow these two simple words to awaken you to the message of hope that will follow.

The angel could prohibit the fear of these women, in part, because he was glowing and really cool-looking, but also because he recognized what they had failed to realize. This leads him to his second proclamation.

II. PROCLAMATION #2: WONDER NOT!-28:6

After describing the passion these women had witnessed and the death they had grieved, the angel calls their attention to the empty grave, stating the arrestingly obvious detail that Jesus was no longer in His assigned burial plot. However, was this not also a cause for their concern? Was this not one of the contributing factors of their fear and discouragement? Didn’t the lack of Jesus’ body cause their alarm that fateful morning?

What these women had grown accustomed to following Jesus’ death, due to their lack of faith, was a bad case of assuming the worst. Lack of faith in a job can cause a manager to assume the worst when the boss calls for a private meeting. Lack of faith in a loved one’s health can cause a son or a daughter to panic when they get a call late at night. In the same way, the lack of faith in what Jesus said of Himself caused these women to assume the worst when His body went missing. Maybe the body was stolen, or secretly disposed of, etc. However, instead of the worst possible scenario, the most wonderful miracle took place.

Jesus had been resurrected in the proper sense of the word. He was the first to be brought back to life in an eternal and glorified sense. While people like Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, had been resuscitated, only Jesus had received His eternal and glorified body upon being brought back to life. The verbal sense of the words “has risen” suggests the completion of an activity. The resurrection validated the entirety of Jesus’ ministry, completed His redemptive office, and finished the work He had come to perform as Savior. Through His resurrection, Jesus defeated death, sin, and the world system. This act implies that those who belong to Him can necessarily conquer these elements as well. Death no longer has sting, Hell has been defeated, sin no longer is binding, Jesus had been risen! However, this should not have come as a surprise to anyone, especially the women standing speechless.

Jesus had indeed made no secret that He would die. Similarly, He dropped plenty of hints that He would also be raised.

When did He say that?

Matt. 16:21-“From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”

 Matt. 17:23-“and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day, and they were deeply grieved.”

Matt. 20:19-“and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up”

Matt. 26:32-“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee”

Jesus time and time again desired to be taken at His Word. However, the fear and confusion of the women was constructed on weak faith—faith that believed the worst and forgot the best, faith that dwelt on the present situation and neglected to remember the hope they had for the future, faith that failed to take Jesus at His word and anticipate His resurrection.

Unfortunately, observing these women is a lot like looking in the mirror. When God does something we are astonished by or when things look bad around us we fear in large part because like these women we have failed to believe Jesus at His Word. However, in everything he said and did, in everything recorded for us in His word He gives evidence of His power over death, his love as witnessed in His death for humanity; and his saving ability as alluded to in His life and ministry. How can we trust His greatness? He IS ALIVE! The tomb is empty!!!! When the world scoffed at Jesus while on the earth and in the face of his claims yelled, like a child, PROVE IT! Jesus left a tomb empty and ignited a global movement!

When Jesus’ word was not enough for these women to believe ahead of time that Jesus would only remain in the tomb a few short days, the Angel aids their faith with a call to examine the evidence. He was not there! A guarded tomb with encased by a massive stone was unable to keep Jesus from leaving. Truly, while all should take Jesus at His Word concerning His life and ministry, Jesus left the tomb with plenty of evidence behind in order to prove that this crucial event actually took place.

 “There is no historic incident better or more variously supported than the resurrection of Christ.”-Brooke Foss Wescott.

“No shred of evidence has yet been discovered in literary sources, epigraphy or archaeology that would disprove that the tomb in which Jesus was buried was actually empty on the morning of the 1^st Easter.”-Dr. Paul L. Maier.

“According to the law of legal evidence used in courts of law, there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for just about any other event in history.”-Dr. Simon Greenleaf, Harvard law professor.

The call of these women concerning the resurrection is the same call given to us. FEAR NOT! Why? Because we do not have to wonder where our Savior is? He is risen as He said and as can be proven without question! WONDER NOT! He has made good on what He said and proven to be the Savior He claimed of Himself. What now? What does one do with this knowledge.

III. PROCLAMATION #3: TARRY NOT!-28:7a-c

The angel assumed that these women would, having learned of Jesus’ resurrection, leave that place and head elsewhere with this new information. He assumes swift movement in response to such information. No doubt these women would have had quite a spring in their step after leaving the gravesite.

The theme of “going” is carried on throughout the rest of the final chapter in Matthew. The angel speaks of the going of these women to the disciples here in verse 7. Jesus speaks of “going” to the brethren in verse 10, “Do not be afraid; go…”. Finally, in the last verses of Scripture, Jesus assumes that His disciples would “go” into all of the world, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,…” (28:19).

It would appear that the natural and assumed response to Jesus’ completed work of redemption involves movement, not complacency, intentionality, not laziness, action, not inaction. 

Throughout this series we have learned the value of true, persistent prayer, and real brokenness for the world. However, these don’t mean a thing if as a result we are not going into the world for Christ as He has commanded of us in light of His resurrection.

In their going, the angel desired that they would accompany their steps with a message, “Jesus has risen from the dead!”  This was the very best part of the “good news.” Such a message would have brought comfort to the disciples mourning the loss of their Savior. This message continues to spread and bring similar comfort to believers today.

Going accompanies proclamation in all of the cases we perused throughout the remainder of Matthew’s book. Here, the women are charged to god and tell the disciples. In verse 10, Jesus calls them to go and take word to the brethren. In verse 19, Jesus calls His disciples to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you,…” In each of these cases, the scope grows larger and larger.

 FEAR NOT! Why? God is not dead! WONDER NOT! He has made good on His word and there are plenty of reasons to believe Him. TARRY NOT! There is message that needs to be taken to the world and unfortunately the church is treating the greatest news of all like it is old news.

IV. PROCLAMATION #4: WORRY NOT! -28:7c-e

In an effort to encourage these women further, the angel brings their attention to Jesus’ movement. Already, as they were encouraged to go and tell, Jesus was running ahead of them into Galilee where the disciples were. Suggesting that Jesus’ presence would precede their arrival would have brought much peace and excitement to these women as they made their way. This is the first time that Jesus’ present location is disclosed following the resurrection.

The angel then assures them that they will indeed look upon their Savior once again. Oh what a joy this would have been for Mary and her friends, who at the beginning of the day anticipated a corpse and now had learned that they would see their Savior and King alive and glorified!

Later in Matthew’s gospel Going and telling is shown to involve Jesus’ presence in much the same way. 28:10 says, “Go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see me.” Likewise, in the Great Commission, after calling them to Go and make disciples, Jesus comforts them with a promise of His presence.

Obedience to the call to go and proclaim assures God’s presence in one’s life in a special way. This is what the angel promises these women and what Jesus later promises to His disciples. In this way, neither had any cause for worry, He would be with them every step of the journey. 

The angel ends his proclamations with an appeal to his own authority. He, no doubt, was a glowing messenger from heaven charged by God himself to give this message and because of that, the women should take him at His word (although earlier we learned they had failed to extend Jesus that same courtesy). However, this time they had learned their lesson and would obey whole heartedly.

So What?

Fear Not! Wonder Not! Tarry Not! Worry Not! This is the message of the resurrection: Because Jesus is alive and not dead, those who place their trust in Him can know a life free of fear, that no longer has to wonder about God, that  is no longer stuck or immovable in sin, and is anxiety-free. I’m not sure about you, but that is the kind of life I would like to live. For those without Christ, the proclamations sound a lot different: “Fear everything because you are still of the world, keep wondering because you are still without any answers to the most difficult questions of life, tarry all you want because you are stuck in sin, and keep worrying things are very grim.” If you are living in fear, wonder, and worry, know that Jesus came, He died, and He rose, to save you from these.

However, if you are already a believer today, how well are you doing at the going and telling part of the Christian life? How great a gift we have been given through the cross! How great a Savior we have living within us because of His resurrection! What a message to proclaim and share with the whole world! If you and I want to experience God’s presence in a unique way today we need to be obedient to go and tell of Him. If we really believe our God was killed and then raised from the dead the way the Bible reveals, what are we doing sitting around quietly twiddling our fingers? Many believers do a satisfactory job at the faith, prayer and maybe even the brokenness part of the Christian life. However, it does the world no good if we are not going and telling others.

Allow this resurrection message to thrust you into the roads less traveled in your life and in the life of this church as we take what we have learned to this neighborhood, city and world. We have the resurrection power of God within us! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead! That alone is enough to do wonders we could never imagine. Be encouraged believer FEAR NOT! WONDER NOT! TARRY NOT! WORRY NOT! Do not be like those who forget the promises and God as witnessed in Jesus and become more impressed with the problems of this world than you are with Jesus’ greatest miracle. He is risen. He is risen indeed!