Matthew 28 | A Quaking Announcement

This sermon was recorded at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

If I wasn't so ready to preach, I might say we should just be done with that.

That's a great way to finish a service.

Invite you to make your way in a Bible or a device to Matthew chapter 28, where we're going to spend a few moments considering the gospel account of Resurrection Sunday.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

This is a familiar text for the celebration of the Lord's resurrection, but I chose to revisit this passage because it is the only resurrection account to mention an earthquake.

That leads us to the question: what does Matthew want us to hear about the resurrection of Jesus through an earthquake?

I'd like to begin then by reading Matthew 28.

Since you've been sitting and will sit a while, why don't you stand with me in the reading of the Word of God?

I'll read Matthew chapter 28, beginning in verse 1.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

Matthew records, now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

And behold, there was a great earthquake.

For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning, his clothing white as snow.

And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.

Come, see the place where he lay.

Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee.

There you will see him.

See, I have told you.

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples, and behold, Jesus met them and said, Good morning.

And they came and took hold of his feet and worshipped him.

Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid.

Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.

Amen.

Paying attention to the very words of Scripture is essential if you happen to be joining us this morning because of some inner sense of just needing to be in a church on Easter Sunday.

Especially if you've never made the decision to believe in Jesus and wholeheartedly trust him as your Lord and Savior.

Paying attention to the very words of Scripture is significant for your life of faith if you have already made that decision and are walking a life of faithful obedience with Him and have come to worship Him with all of the saints this morning.

Paying attention to the very words of Scripture is important, so let's look at the words that describe the setting of that first resurrection Sunday.

These words are transformative for shaping our lives by the Spirits of God.

You see, Matthew wrote with great care.

And his biography of the Lord's life contains just what the Holy Spirit intended to communicate from Matthew's pen.

Therefore, as we reflect on the earthquake on Resurrection Sunday, the earthquake report must arrest our attention.

The earthquake results must advance our faith.

And reflecting on another earthquake must amplify our praise.

Look with me then on how the report of the earthquake must arrest our attention.

It must arrest our attention because that's what Matthew says.

Just like on Friday night in Matthew chapter 27, he says, Behold, there was an earthquake.

Matthew 27 · chapter mention

Verse 2, and behold, there was not just an earthquake, there was a mega earthquake.

There was a great earthquake.

Matthew takes pains to not only draw our attention to the fact that there was an earthquake, he takes pains to draw our attention to the fact that it's a different kind of earthquake from Friday night, because Friday night wasn't a great earthquake.

This one is.

Uncertainty?

We can only guess as we put ourselves in their shoes.

But one thing we can say for sure is that Matthew wrote in a way that arrests our attention.

Pay attention to the earthquake.

Whatever the state of your soul, let the simple words of Scripture grab your heart and soul.

Perhaps you are skeptical and doubtful about the truth and accuracy of the words of your Bible.

Set that aside for a moment.

Set aside that skepticism and that doubt and just let Matthew's narrative grab hold of you.

Through his ancient record, let Matthew reach through time and shake you to attention.

On the other hand, if you followed Jesus for decades, maybe just for a few years, like these women, let the Spirit of God arrest your attention through these words.

Sit up straighter, focus more intently, and prayerfully seek what Matthew and the Spirit of God would have you hear through this account.

Because he chooses his words carefully, leading us to ask about the reason for the earthquake.

And when we think about why this earthquake occurred, it naturally should arouse our curiosity.

So we look back at Matthew chapter 27 and the earthquake at the cross.

Matthew 27 · chapter mention

Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Cried out again with a loud voice, yielding up his spirit.

Behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, and the rocks split.

Matthew didn't record a direct reason for the earthquake on Friday.

The implied reason is the death of the Creator on the tree that held him.

It's implied, not stated.

And so that makes the for F-O-R word in Matthew 28, verse 2 stand out all the more.

Matthew 28:2

Matthew intends for us to hear and to know the reason for the earthquake in the darkness early on Sunday morning.

And the reason, if we look carefully, might surprise us.

Since an earthquake signaled Jesus' death on the cross, we might naturally think that the earthquake on Sunday morning signals his resurrection.

But that's not what Matthew recorded.

Look carefully.

And behold, Matthew 28, 2, there was a great earthquake, for, here's the reason, an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

The earthquake occurred because a holy angel came to the tomb.

Only twice in your Bible is an angel ever connected to an earthquake.

Here and in Revelation chapter 8 and verse 5, but only here is an angel's presence said to be the direct reason for an earthquake.

Revelation 8 · chapter mention

The quaking wasn't for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The quaking wasn't for the angel unsealing the tomb, because Matthew says the earth quaked when he descended, when he came down, and then he rolled the stone back.

So why was there an earthquake at the appearance of an angel at that place, at that moment in earth history?

That ought to arouse our curiosity.

There are at least two reasons.

The first reason is that the earthquaked to generate fear in hardened soldiers.

Matthew doesn't merely say an angel descended.

He connects this angel to an Old Testament phrase signaling that this is the direct messenger of Yahweh, Jehovah Himself.

Matthew announced that an angel of the Lord has descended.

That's his way of announcing that the hand of God is in this.

This is part of God's purpose and part of God's plan.

It is part of his intent to communicate his work to his people.

The Lord's angel was sent for a purpose.

Now, a few weeks ago in Nahum chapter one, we noted how God's presence generates fear, especially among his enemies.

God is so immense, so powerful, so terrifying, so fearful that Nahum says even mountains quake before him.

And if mountains quake before him, what hope then do human enemies of God have in his presence?

They have no hope.

And so, in a play on words, Matthew connects the earthquake with the soldiers' fear.

Look in verse four.

And for fear of him the guards quaked.

Same word.

They quaked.

As the angel descended, the earth quaked.

As the earth quaked, and the guards felt the shaking and saw the angel, they quaked.

And they became like dead men.

The presence of God's holy angels quakes the earth and the battle-hardened men stationed to guard the tomb.

But that's not the only reason that the earth quaked.

The earth also quaked to generate peace and hope in these two women.

They seem to be approaching the tomb as the soldiers are passing out from fear.

But the angel immediately tells them, Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

The earthquaked as the angel appeared.

Those actions cause extreme fear in those who do not seek God and do not believe in his promises.

My friends, you do not want to be found opposing God.

But for those who do seek him.

For those who seek after the risen one, the quaking of the ground and the intimidating presence of God's holy angels brings peace and hope.

You know that this is a divine work, for they had every reason to be fearful.

They had every reason to turn and run away.

But it is the battle-hardened Roman soldiers who are lying on the ground as though dead, while the women are invited to come on in and view the empty tomb.

All because they seek Jesus who was crucified.

Peace and hope are found in seeking the crucified one.

You may seek peace and hope and even some kind of healing, whether that's outward healing or inner healing.

You might seek that from all that entraps you from the world's empty promises.

You might seek hope and peace in what your strength or your abilities can accomplish.

You might seek those things in your own confidence and your own financial resources and your family and your job or anything else that you can conjure up, but they will all fail you.

In the end, if you do not seek him who was crucified, you will be no better off than the hardened Roman soldiers lying dead on the ground.

The only place, my friends, the only place of no fear, of full peace and hope in life and death, comes by seeking the crucified Lord.

The earthquaked at the cross to generate faith in those with eyes to see and ears to hear the truth.

The earthquaked at the tomb to create peace and hope in those who would seek the crucified one.

So this earthquake is a call to arouse your curiosity so that you might begin to seek Him who was crucified, and in seeking Him, find Him, for He is your peace.

Why should the earthquake arouse your curiosity to seek Jesus who was crucified and to find your peace and hope in him?

It should arouse your curiosity because the tomb was empty.

Arriving at the tomb with soldiers' presence and even then somehow being able to gain access to the tomb when a stone was rolled over it, all of that would only raise more questions for those two women.

Because the tomb was empty.

We should have our curiosity aroused because the earthquake and the angel confirm that the empty tomb was God's work.

You see, every other crucifixion that ever took place would have a body remaining three days later.

But an earthquake at the cross and an earthquake at the tomb tell you that this is no ordinary crucifixion, for the crucified one is no ordinary man.

And if the earthquake doesn't convince you, the angel will.

Then there's the reinforcement from the angelic messenger.

If you don't believe me, come and see.

The tomb is open.

Come and see.

There's the command from the angelic messenger.

Once you've come and seen, you go and tell.

Go and tell his disciples.

And if that's not enough, as they go to tell, Jesus meets them and says, Hey, good morning.

What?

And Jesus says the same things.

Do not fear.

Go and tell, because just as you see me, they will see me.

These events following the earthquake naturally strengthen faith and cause it to advance.

We've all driven down the highway when the other side of the interstate's being worked on, and all of the concrete stripped away, and they've done all of the leveling, and they have all of those strips of rebar laying down on the ground before they pour the concrete.

That rebar is there because it strengthens the concrete.

That's what's happening here.

Everything in this account is designed to reassure you that you have no reason to doubt the authenticity of the resurrection and no reason to fear that you are in error.

It advances your faith by reinforcing it.

Everything that flows from the earthquake is designed to show.

You that you are right to believe in the risen Lord, and if you do not, you are wrong.

That's a purposefully dogmatic statement.

If you believe in the risen Lord, you are like the women who cannot, who should not have fear and are invited to come and see.

If you refuse to believe in the risen Lord, you will be like the hardened soldiers lying on the ground.

You are wrong.

For he is risen, as he said.

So we are left then with the challenge of responding to these elements.

Will we listen to Matthew?

Will we believe his words?

Will we hear these inspired words and have our faith confirmed?

Will we hear them and relinquish our fear of speaking about the resurrection?

Will we take on the commands ourselves to go and tell?

Will we do that joyfully?

Jonathan Edwards is sometimes called America's greatest theologian.

Jonathan Edwards once said, the resurrection of Christ is the most joyful event that ever came to pass.

Will we live in that joy?

Will we be emboldened to speak of Jesus and of his resurrection?

Will we be challenged by that?

Now that we've heard of the earthquake on resurrection Sunday morning, let's reflect upon another earthquake, an ancient earthquake that must amplify our praise.

If you have your Bible, I would encourage you to look at Psalm 68 with me.

Psalm 68.

If you don't, I'll have some verses up on the screen for you here in a moment.

Psalm 68 is a psalm of David that was composed to help Israel remember God's work in the Exodus.

God powerfully brought his people out of Egypt.

He rescued them.

He redeemed them for himself.

And David is writing here poetically about God's ancient work.

And sometimes the New Testament reflects Old Testament passages in ways that help us see the divine intent.

What do I mean by that?

Well, we've already seen Matthew's intent, right?

He wants us to know the reality and the truth of the resurrection so that we would not be afraid to believe in it, but that we would go and tell.

But there's also a divine intent that the human writer may not fully understand.

You see, God plans and sees all of human history.

And from that vantage point, he may use scripture to point to something beyond what the human writer can see or comprehend.

And only later will we be able to point out the parallels.

And there are some astonishing parallels between the resurrection account in Matthew 28 and what David wrote a thousand years before that in Psalm 68.

David says, This is for the choir master.

This is a song to be sung by the choir.

Psalm of David.

A song.

And how does it begin?

It begins with God will arise.

And when God arises, his enemies scatter.

Those who hate him shall flee before him.

Maybe not a direct parallel to Matthew 28, but the language is similar.

God will rise up.

And those who do not believe in him, those who are his enemies, will scatter.

Then in verse 8, it talks about God leading his people out of Egypt.

And it says, When you went out before your people, the earth quaked.

Here's an ancient earthquake.

We don't know if David is writing literally here or if he's writing poetically.

Nevertheless, he refers to an earthquake.

When God goes forth before his people, the earth quakes.

Verse 11.

The Lord gives the word, the women who announce the news are a great host.

Why are they a great host?

It's not because of who they are, it's because of the words that they're announcing.

It's the message that they have to announce.

We keep going.

In verse 18, it says, God ascended on high.

Again, another reference in some ways to God going up, ascending.

Verse 19.

Blessed be the Lord who daily bears us up, for God is our salvation.

Who was the one in the tomb?

Not a trick question.

Jesus.

Why was Jesus given the name Jesus?

Because he will save his people from their sins.

Blessed be Jesus, who daily bears us up, for he is our salvation.

I hope you're with me and following me, because it only gets better in verse 20.

Our God is a God of salvation, and to Yahweh the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

Matthew has told us from beginning to end, this is a work of God.

Why is it a work of God?

David has already told us.

Because only from God come deliverances from death.

And then at the end of the Psalm, verse 32, it says, O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.

Sing praises to the Lord.

It's what our choir did for us.

Sing praises to the Lord, to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens.

Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel and whose power is in the skies.

Awesome is God from his sanctuary.

You don't get more awesome than an empty tomb.

Blessed be God.

Think about this for a moment from the perspective of ancient David, king over Israel.

The God before whom the earth quakes, the God who saves, the God who causes women to announce good news and who delivers from death, fulfills his word in most awesome kinds of ways.

If not directly, at least indirectly, Matthew says, Oh David, you have no idea.

Let me tell you what God did.

God came himself.

And he died, and he was buried.

And because from God come deliverances from death, God raised him from the dead.

Identifying it in his presence by earthquakes and the calming of fear and the bringing of joy through the announcement of good news through two women.

And so we are asked, how will we respond?

In faith and trust in the risen one?

In trust that strengthens our faith with hope?

Will we respond with praise to God?

The only God who can fulfill his word with such clarity and power?

And will we join the two women and go and tell?

My friends, the great quaking is a sign to all who hear that God is at work fulfilling his promise to save his people from their sins.

Will you believe in the quaking and the empty tomb?

C.S.

Lewis once wrote, Christ has forced open a door that was locked since the death of the first man.

Christ has met, he has fought, and he has beaten the king of death.

Everything is different because he has done so.

And this is the beginning of a new creation.

A new chapter in cosmic history has opened.

And the angel invites you, commands you, have no fear.

Come and see.

And go and tell.

Lord Jesus, may you strengthen us by your spirit this morning to do just that.

To, with eyes of faith, to see in our own imaginations that empty tomb, to feel fearfully the shaking of the earth and to be astounded by the glorious angel.

But to be transformed by the hope that comes from the risen Lord.

Inspire our faith, advance our faith to go and tell.

Amen.

That concludes this sermon from Faith Evangelical Free Church.

Our mission is to declare the Word of God and disciple believers into mature, devoted followers of Jesus.

You can learn more by visiting our website at faithfree.com.