Speaker: Pr Michael Koh
Topic:
Easter Message – Jesus is Risen! (Matthew 28:1-17)
Date:
4 April 2021
Matthew 28:1-6
·
The day of Resurrection was the most
earth-shattering event that had taken place. The power of the devil had been
completely destroyed and broken.
·
Christ has gotten us this victory that is
seen in every person’s life living in the past, present and future. There is
nothing more devastating yet joyful and victorious that had taken place before
or after.
·
But there was a sense of sadness and
hopelessness as Mary Magdalene and the other Mary approached the tomb.
·
On
the day of His resurrection, Jesus was missing. The Jesus
that they had loved and lived with for the past three years was not there.
·
His resurrection seemed to have no effect on
the people closest to the tomb. The resurrection should make an impact on every
person’s life because it is the love of God triumphant over every evil. The resurrection
was an immediate event that had taken place but the effects of His resurrection
were not immediate and often delayed.
·
Perhaps you’re experiencing an Easter where
it feels like He is missing. His presence is not that strong in your life. The
miracles don’t seem to be there.
·
The place that you’re looking for hope is not
from here. The resurrection life of Jesus doesn’t come out of the life that is
here, and it is not a continuation of the life of the flesh.
·
That’s why the angel of the Lord said, “Do
not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been
crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the
place where He was lying.”
·
They would see nothing. And they were
supposed to see nothing. The angel, whose face was like lightning, was trying
to tell them that if you look for the place that is of this earth, you will
find nothing.
·
In order for us to experience the
resurrection by faith that would have an impact upon us, God allows all our
expectations, thoughts and plausible theories on things, to come to this place
where there is no hope there.
·
God
brings us to the end of ourselves so that we experience nothing, just
like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and the guards did.
·
Sometimes the way in which we see Jesus can
be in the flesh. We look to the majority and the safety in numbers and to
technology to tell us what is the true and logical conclusion to our rational
ideas.
·
Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. What’s needed is the
conviction of the Holy Spirit. God sends the Spirit of His Son into our hearts
and seals us.
·
The resurrection of Jesus Christ and His
power is received not by proofs and certainly not by using the logic of this
world.
Matthew 28:7-10
·
The women believed because fear and great joy
came upon them.
·
As they ran to report to His disciples, Jesus
met them and they worshiped Him because they knew that He was God.
·
Jesus was now having a supernatural body and
the dimension of His resurrection and reality was no longer earthly. He was no
longer bound by His body or time. Something more has to happen between
Jerusalem and the sea of Galilee.
·
In the Scriptures, hope is not sentiment or
optimism. Hope is not just hopefulness. Hope does not depend on being in the
majority opinion. Hope does not depend upon the flesh.
·
Hope has to do with substance that God has
eternally ordained and created in the future but which comes to the present
time before it happens, like an anchor for the soul.
·
What was needed was for the disciples to wait
upon God and set their hearts on Him and to seek Him in their hearts in the
midst of uncertainty.
·
In
order for Him to be seen, you have to use the eyes (lens) and hearing of faith.
·
By
His grace, God gives us good hope.
Matthew 28:11-15
·
The guards were frightened but at the same
time, they also denied the experience for money. What their eyes saw was so
awesome, powerful and frightening but it was not enough and it caused them to
sink back into corruption and bribery.
Matthew 28:16-17
·
What the eleven disciples had seen,
experienced, touched and came face to face with was the fact that Jesus clearly
died and was now in their midst and filled with glory. The proof of His
resurrection was right in front of them. But some still doubted.
·
Therein lies the mystery of why the
resurrection can be such a powerful, all comprehensive and pervasive event.
Yet, at the same time, people could actually doubt, take bribes and deny the
experience.
·
In the midst of uncertainty, some people can
experience nothing of the resurrection.
·
A lot of it has to do with how we see things.
Conclusion
·
The resurrection today is for you and me to
experience. The resurrection has to do with the fact that when Jesus died on
the cross, He carried upon Himself your old person and He cut you down so that
when you become a Christian, you don’t become an improved version of yourself
and you don’t live your Christian life by the old person. Jesus in person is alive in you and you are
dead.
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