Last week my wife and I had the incredible privilege of joining my family on
a cruise to Mexico for our summer vacation. After a busy semester in seminary and
church work for me and an equally busy semester of teaching and ministering for
my wife, this vacation could not have come at a better time for the two of us.
Somewhere between the plane ride home and being given my room key on board the
massive vessel I found myself in awe of the incredible grace of God which had
bestowed this break that I did not deserve. However, my euphoria grew into
disappointment when I noticed that my grateful expression was not replicated on
the faces of the strangers that boarded nearby.
The beautiful thing about cruises is that for an extended period of days,
you get to escape the world (quite literally) and trade your normal routine for
an exciting time of pampering, entertainment, fun, and food. Some escape in the
sun, others escape in a bottle of cheap beer, others escape somewhere in the
buffet line, and still other escape in the pages of the latest romance novel.
For all onboard, the cruise offers an escape from a world of pain, economic
depression, political turmoil, and personal stress to a world of sun, sorbet,
sand, and shows.
Sadly, for many this escape is short-lived after the ship has docked and
reality takes over once the luggage is returned and the drive home is complete.
Many return to their routine believing that what they have just experienced is
all they could ever hope to enjoy. Now they must return to the cruel world they
temporarily forgot.
God? Sure….yeah right! How could God allow all of this stress and heartache?
Why would a good God allow me to experience what I believe is happiness only
one week out of the year in the summer? If there is a God, why does my life
look like something out of the Titanic
and not more like the Love Boat?
Interestingly enough, the answer is grace. Yes, grace!
Although most often used in discussions surrounding the salvation of the
sinner, grace permeates the world at all times and in all places in a more
general kind of way. Grace explains the sunlight, adequate temperatures,
breathable atmosphere, and livable topography. Grace is to blame for the
beautiful sunsets, seasonal fluctuations, provision of food, and ability to
work and receive the fruits of that labor. Grace is the reason a family
protects their child, strangers go to the aid of other strangers, and children
share. Grace is God’s way of holding a fallen world together.
Romans 1 calls this grace the “invisible attributes” and “eternal power” of
God that is “clearly seen” and “understood through what has been made” (Rom.
1:20). Experienced by all, this grace goes unrecognized by the majority in those
currently populating the world. Instead, what does go noticed is the pain and
agony of countless children starving in Africa and the power outages that go on
for days following a rare windstorm. However, don’t these disasters actually
prove the grace of God in an indirect way?
Does not the anger over a starving child support the notion that children
should not starve and remind many that their own child has plenty of food? Does
not the frustration over power outages prove that power is a luxury that many
take for granted and yet desperately depend on? More often than not, men and
women in the developed country of America enjoy power, and do not see huge
populations of starving children. More often than not, men and women live in
the common grace of God’s provision, enjoying His gifts without even realizing
it. However, when this grace is interrupted for a brief second due to a rare
windstorm, people are quick to voice their disapproval of any notion that a God
could ever exist.
Ultimately, the same grace that believers appreciate everyday is the grace
that nonbelievers curse when it is interrupted. It is the reason why I
acknowledge that my vacation is a gift from a God who gives every good thing
(James 1:17), while others riding the vessel complain when their perfect
vacation is interrupted by a rainstorm or sunburn. Grace is the reason
believers give thanks in everything and the reason the unbelievers snarl when
things get out of whack. The very fact that people complain when things go
wrong suggests that there is a correct way to behave and live (a norm that is
enjoyed because of the grace of God).
In the same way light is more easily distinguished in the darkness, grace is
evident and even proven in an ungracious world. Rather than marvel at the unrest
and destruction people see, everyone should marvel at the common grace that more
often than not holds the world together and keeps it from ripping itself apart
completely.
Just as a ship journeys from port-to-port people in life journey from
stage-to-stage either toward or away from a loving relationship with God.
Either they fascinate themselves with the world’s problems and blame God until
they meet Him in judgment or they recognize the grace of God and enter into a
relationship with Him that prevails for all eternity. In the former situation,
God inevitably hands individuals over to their sins and allows them to
experience the full effects of their binge drinking, gambling habit,
destructive tendencies, etc. (Rom. 1:24-25). In the latter, God extends His
special saving grace and leads individuals to true paradise (Acts 16:31). Where
are you headed? What is your next port of call?
If the greatest possible experience for an unbeliever to enjoy is an
extended vacation and temporary escape from their routine, Heaven represents
the greatest possible experience for a believer to enjoy. Heaven is greater
than any cruise. It is all inclusive, perfect, and eternal. Even more than
that, it is freely offered through Jesus Christ!
Choose today to escape in the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. Don’t
settle for what is common.
Matthew 28:5-7
Often times, even seasoned believers can find themselves in some sort of
stupor or state of discouragement that they cannot seem to shake. Failing to
remember the promises of God and His enduring presence are two carcinogens that
inevitably contribute to the spiritual cancers of confusion and loss of hope.
In these moments, God alone is capable of shaking His people free from despair
and jarring them loose from their complacency. Failure to remember Jesus'
promises and God's enduring presence is what contributed to the women's grief
as they approached the tomb early Easter morning. With sunken heads and sullen
expressions, their despondency would soon be annihilated by a glowing
messenger. In their darkest moment, the angel of the Lord provides supernatural
encouragement and comfort to these morose matrons through four proclamations
that continue to bring encouragement to believers today in the midst of their
bleak hours of testing.
FEAR NOT!-Matthew 28:5
As the grieving women approach the tomb, the angel shocks them with the first
proclamation, "Do not be afraid!..." (28:5). However, when one
considers what they had just experienced and what they now witnessed, one
cannot help but believe that this is an unfair request.
Everything pointed to disparity for these women. Not only had they witnessed
the most gruesome form of torture invented by the Roman Empire, reserved for
the most heinous crimes, but it was their Friend, Son, Teacher, Healer, Savior,
and Messiah that had been nailed to the cross just a few days ago. On top of
this experience, the women now beheld an angel whose "appearance was like
lightning and his clothing as white as snow..." (28:3). Against all
natural responses to these events, the angel prohibits their fear with this
initial proclamation. Although it may seem unfair, this glowing messenger's
command reveals that he recognized what the women failed to realize about what
had taken place earlier that morning.
WONDER NOT!-Matthew 28:6
After describing the passion these women had witnessed (28:5) and the death
that 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. While a cause of concern for these faithless women (who probably
speculated that His body had been stolen or discarded in some way), the angel
quickly reveals that "He had risen!" (28:6).
The nature of this verb suggests the culmination of an event or process.
Indeed, Jesus' resurrection had validated His ministry, fulfilled His redemptive
work, and ushered in a new era altogether. Through His resurrection, Jesus
defeated death, sin, and the world system. This act implies that those who
belong to Him through faith can necessarily conquer these elements as well.
Death no longer has sting! Hell has been defeated! Sin is no longer binding!
However, this whole miracle should not have come as a surprise to these
women. In fact, Jesus resurrection happened exactly "as He said" in
Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 26:32. All throughout the gospel, Jesus desires to
be taken at His word, Jesus accompanied His resurrection with plenty of
evidence lying behind, "see the place where he was lying" (28:6). So
much evidence is given that even Harvard Law professor Dr. Simon Greenleaf states,
"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." FEAR NOT! WONDER NOT!
TARRY NOT!-Matthew 28:7a-c
Instead of calling the speechless women at the graveside to worship in light
of this miracle or stand in awe of the situation that had transpired, the angel
tells them to leave and tell other the best part of the good news of the
gospel, Jesus had risen. Interestingly, the theme of "going" and
"telling" is carried on throughout the rest of the final chapter of
Matthew. The angel in verse 7 calls them to go and tell, Jesus speaks of
"going" to the brethren and in order to "take word" in
verse 10. And finally, in the commission given in 19-20, Jesus commands his
disciples to "go into all the world" and "make disciples."
It would seem that the natural and assumed response to Jesus' completed work
of redemption involves movement, not complacency, communication, not silence,
and intentionality, not laziness. This message of the resurrection would have
brought comfort to the disciples these women were called to engage and in much
the same way, this message continues to bring similar comfort to the world.
FEAR NOT! WONDER NOT! TARRY NOT!
WORRY NOT!-Matthew 28:7d-f
Much trepidation may have come upon these humble women at the empty tomb at
this point. In first century Israel, women were not seen as credible witnesses,
and yet, these were God's chosen messengers. Hesitation is what makes the
fourth and final proclamation of the angel so important.
In an effort to encourage these women, 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 waited. The messenger's
suggestion that Jesus' presence would precede their arrival would have brought
much peace and excitement to these women as they made their way. Oh what a joy
it would have been for Mary and her friends, who at the beginning of the day anticipated
attending to a corpse and now anticipated a lively and glorified body (28:7).
For these women, the call to go and tell would lead to an unprecedented
experience with the presence of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus' presence is promised
to anyone who goes and tells later in Matthew's gospel (28:20).
Conclusion
If you do not know this Jesus, will you trust Him at His Word? He has
disclosed to the world all that it needs to know of Himself in order to receive
His resurrection power over sin and death. Will you believe in Him today?
Christian, will you be faithful to go and tell
other about Him? 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 we really believe our God was killed and then raised from the dead the
way the Bible reveals, what are we doing sitting quietly on our hands? Perhaps
we are worried. Perhaps we are discouraged. Perhaps we are confused. Perhaps we
are run down in life. However, the same message that should be proclaimed to
unbelievers is the message that brings hope to believers in the
midst of any stupor or struggle. No longer are we playing a man down. No longer
are you and I working while wounded. No longer is failure an option! We have
the resurrection power of God within us! The same power that raised Jesus from
the dead is active in your life! That alone is enough to do wonders we could never
imagine.
Be encouraged believer--FEAR NOT! WONDER NOT! TARRY NOT! WORRY NOT! Jesus is
risen ! He is risen indeed!
