He Is Not Here, He Is Risen

We're going to go from Matthew chapter 27, verse 62, to chapter 28, verse 15.

Matthew 27:62

As you're turning there, if you haven't signed up for the retreat, please do sign up.

Jared Torrance is a friend of mine who's going to be preaching.

He's a force of nature.

His forearm is the size of my thighs.

He lifts weight like crazy.

His water bottle is like the size of a propane tank.

He preaches like that too, which is what you're really interested in.

So you're going to not want to miss that.

It's going to be a great time, so please come to the retreat.

As you find a way there, let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.

Heavenly Father, we stand in the line of this veritable heritage you've given us

of those who have borne witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Thank you that you have counted us among their number.

You have called us and saved us.

And as we read this account again, as you address us and speak to us from your Word in Matthew again,

embolden us as your witnesses.

And if there are those here who have not yet professed faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord,

give them this morning eyes to see, ears to hear.

In Jesus' holy name we pray.

Amen.

If you are able, please stand.

Let us honor God by standing as we read from His Word.

Matthew chapter 27, starting verse 62, and I will read it out loud for us.

Matthew 27 · chapter mention

The next day, that is, after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said,

Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive,

After three days I will rise.

Therefore, order the tomb to be made secure until the third day,

lest His disciples go and steal Him away and tell the people,

He has risen from the dead.

And the last fraud will be worse than the first.

Pilate said to them,

You have a guard of soldiers.

Go, make it as secure as you can.

So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

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 and his clothing white as snow.

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

But the angel said to the woman,

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 the 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,

Greetings.

And they came up 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.

While they were going,

behold,

some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.

And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel,

they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said,

Tell people,

His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.

And if this comes to the governor's ears,

we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.

So they took the money and did as they were directed.

And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

This is God's holy and authoritative word.

Please be seated.

By God's grace,

I've been walking with the Lord,

following Jesus for several decades now.

And now that I'm a Christian,

the world,

the surrounding world,

and the course of human history,

they all make sense to me.

I don't feel any longer like a loose leaf wandering and tossed to and fro by the wind.

Now I feel like a rooted tree,

grounded in reality.

Now that I'm a Christian,

when the heavy burden,

the weight of my own sins come crashing down on me

and crushes me down to the depths of despair,

I can shake off my guilt,

my shame,

and stand upon the rock of Christ,

my Savior who paid for all my sins.

Now that I'm a Christian,

when the worries caused by the dangers

and the uncertainties of life

tighten around me like a vice grip,

I can fly in prayer to my sovereign Lord

who is in control over every detail of my life

and who assures me that

all things,

he works out all things together for me.

Now that I'm a Christian,

when I feel my own weakness and neediness keenly,

I can rest in the power and provision of my Heavenly Father

who is higher than I

and who is mightier than I.

Now that I'm a Christian,

the friendship and companionship of the Lord Jesus

is ever with me.

And I'm never alone.

And the very Spirit of God comforts me

and guides me.

Now that I'm a Christian,

I can't imagine life apart from Christ.

The very thought of life apart from Christ

is gutting and devastating.

But what's incredible

is that that devastating scenario

very well could have been.

If my parents hadn't shared the gospel with me,

if they hadn't brought me to church,

if their pastor in a rural town in Korea

hadn't shared the gospel with them,

if that pastor hadn't become a Christian

because that foreign missionary

who went through that town

had never shared the gospel with him,

where would I be today?

Where would you be today

if no one invited you to church,

if no one shared the good news of Jesus Christ with you?

The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ,

his death and resurrection

for the salvation of sinners.

And this news must be published.

It must be proclaimed

or it does no good for anyone.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord

shall be saved,

but how can they call upon him

unless they believed him?

How can they believe him

unless someone has preached to them?

They've heard the gospel,

someone's preached to them,

and how can they preach

unless someone sends them?

It's Romans 10, paraphrase.

Our passage this morning

in the Holy Scriptures

is here for that purpose,

to recruit heralds for the king,

to raise up witnesses for Jesus.

And will you today answer the king's call?

Will you go and tell people

that Christ has risen,

that Christ the king has risen from the dead?

And that's the main point of my sermon.

Go and tell Christ has risen.

And there are two diametrically opposed ways

that we can respond to this call.

The first one we see

is the cover-up and the hush money

of the Jewish leaders,

the chief priests and the Pharisees.

And secondly, we see the worship

and witness of the two women,

Mary and Mary.

After Jesus' crucifixion and burial,

the chief priests and the Pharisees

gather before Pilate again.

And it says in verses 63 to 64,

Sir, we remember how that imposter said

while he was still alive,

after three days I will rise.

Therefore order the tomb

to be made secure until the third day,

lest his disciples go and steal him away

and tell the people he has risen from the dead

and the last fraud will be worse than the first.

These chief priests have already framed Jesus

and have killed him,

have gotten him killed, crucified,

but they are still afraid of him.

They have somehow caught wind of Jesus'

repeated predictions to his disciples

throughout the Gospel of Matthew

that he will be killed

and then be raised on the third day.

And now they want to make certain

that that never happens.

Jesus' resurrection would vindicate Jesus

and it would incriminate them.

It would prove once and for all

that Jesus is the real deal

and that they are the imposters.

So they're not taking any chances

and they don't want even a hint of a rumor

of Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

And so they ask Pilate,

they go to the Roman governor Pilate

to secure the tomb,

lest Jesus' disciples steal his body

and then claim that he has risen from the dead.

Pilate consents to their request in verse 65,

you have a guard of soldiers,

go make it as secure as you can.

It seems that the chief priests already had access

to some sort of guard of soldiers

that they can deploy,

perhaps the same band of soldiers and officers

that John 18, three mentions

that came at Jesus' arrest.

And so with the official permission

of the Roman governor,

the chief priests and the Pharisees

go and secure to seal the tomb.

It says that they seal the stone

and set a guard.

Joseph of Arimathea in the preceding passage

had already rolled a great big stone

at the entrance of the tomb.

But now, in addition to that,

they seal the tomb.

What does that mean to seal the tomb?

In that day and age,

it would involve taking ropes

and tightly wrapping it around the stone

and then sealing the ends of the rope

with an official seal,

perhaps of the Roman governor,

or the imprimatur that says basically

this is off limits.

No one can reverse this.

Don't dare enter,

otherwise you'd be punished.

Trespassers would be punished.

The seal would serve

as an additional physical barrier,

but also it would serve to scare people.

It would be a deterrent,

a political and legal deterrent.

The sealing is also reminiscent

of another famous ceiling,

a stone ceiling of a cave

from the Old Testament.

when King Darius threw Daniel,

the prophet,

into a den of lions

because he had proclaimed

that people should pray

only to him as the king,

but Daniel continued to pray

not to him but to the Lord God,

and because of that,

Darius threw Daniel

into the den of lions,

and then they sealed

the entrance of that cave

with the stone,

and then they sealed that

with the king's seal

so that nothing can be reversed.

The king sealed it

with his own signet

that nothing might be changed

concerning Daniel.

In essence,

Daniel's execution,

his grave,

had been sealed

by the highest authority

so that no one can reverse it,

so that his fate is sealed,

and that's exactly

what the pilot,

what pilot and the chief priests

are doing.

Nothing can reverse this.

Jesus' fate is sealed.

No one may enter

or exit from this tomb.

But just as the lions

then could not hold Daniel down,

death cannot hold Jesus down.

And what pilot

and the chief priests thought

was the end of Jesus

is instead a new beginning,

and Jesus is raised

from the dead.

We'll get back

to that amazing scene shortly,

but for now,

please skip ahead with me

to chapter 28, verse 11.

After Jesus' resurrection,

he says,

behold,

some of the guard

went into the city

and told the chief priests

all that had taken place.

The soldiers report back

to the chief priests

that they saw

an angel of the Lord

come down from heaven,

roll back the great stone

with ease

that was blocking Jesus' tomb,

that they saw the empty tomb,

and that they saw the angel

say to the woman,

Jesus is not here

for he has risen,

as he said.

So these chief priests

and the Pharisees

did everything they could

to suppress

the resurrection of Jesus.

They know Jesus has said,

after three days,

I will rise.

So they did everything

in their power

to make that not happen,

and yet Jesus did

just as he had said he would.

He was raised from the dead.

And imagine,

for a moment,

imagine yourself

in the shoes

of these chief priests.

you thought

that Jesus

was an imposter

and a fraud,

so you got him

crucified as a heretic.

But this Jesus

came back from the dead

just as he had said.

What do you do?

Well, now is the hour

of repentance.

Now is when you eat

some humble pie

and you eat your own words

and then you say,

well,

I was gravely wrong

about Jesus.

He is the prophesied Messiah.

He is the Son of God.

I must follow him.

We all must follow him.

But no.

They double down

and resort to cover up

and hush money.

It's ironic.

They had accused Jesus

of being an imposter

and a fraud,

but it turns out

that they are the real

imposters and frauds.

So many times

throughout Jesus' ministry,

these Jewish leaders

falsely accused Jesus

of violating the Sabbath,

of breaking the Sabbath.

But look at their hypocrisy.

Chapter 27, verse 62,

notes that it was

on the day

after the day

of preparation

that the chief priests

and the Pharisees,

one,

traveled to Pilate's court

and had a conference

with Pilate,

a Gentile governor,

which was considered

ceremonially defiling

for the Jews,

and then,

according to John 18, 28,

and two,

on that same day,

they also sealed

Jesus' tomb,

and three,

they set a guard

over Jesus' tomb

on that very day.

The day of preparation

is the day of preparation

for the Sabbath

and not any ordinary Sabbath

either.

It's the Sabbath of,

it's a high Sabbath.

It's a holy Sabbath

during the Passover feast.

These Jewish leaders

are quite busy at work

all during the Sabbath.

While Jesus is resting

on the Sabbath day

in his grave,

these Jewish leaders

are scheming and working.

They are the Sabbath breakers.

They are the frauds,

and they are the imposters.

They have shed innocent blood

by killing Jesus.

And 28, 12 says that

that after hearing

the soldiers' report,

they assembled

with the elders

and took counsel.

They were deliberate.

This wasn't

an impulse reaction,

a decision,

a resolution

was arrived

after making careful

deliberations

with the council

and the elders.

And yet,

they don't even try

to investigate

what happened

to Jesus

to check,

to confirm

whether or not

he was actually

raised from the dead.

doesn't that seem

like a sensible thing

to do in this situation?

Instead,

they gave a sufficient

sum of money

to the soldiers

and said,

tell people.

His disciples

came by night

and stole him away

while we were asleep.

I wonder

what that sufficient

sum of money

entailed,

what it took

to hush

all of those soldiers,

probably a substantial sum,

not only because

these soldiers

had witnessed

something truly spectacular,

it would be hard

to shut them up,

but also because

it's incriminating

for them.

It doesn't reflect well

on those soldiers

who were the guards

whose job it was

to guard the tomb

to tell people,

oh,

I was sleeping.

And his disciples

came and stole away

the body.

So these chief priests,

even though they tried

to prevent

and suppress

the resurrection,

now that Jesus

has risen

and now that the word

of his resurrection

has already gone out,

resort to cover up

and hush money.

And they assure

these soldiers,

don't worry about

the repercussions

of telling people

that you fell asleep

on the job.

We'll make sure

to keep you out of trouble

with the governor.

We'll make sure

you keep your

job.

Since they couldn't

stop it from happening,

now they resort

to suppressing

the media

and controlling

the narrative

so that no one

will believe

that Jesus

was really raised

from the dead.

Why does this

always happen?

Whether it's

the Nixon administration

with the Watergate

scandal when they

tried to cover up

the fact that

they infiltrated

the Democratic

Party's headquarters

to try to get

some kind of leverage

for their upcoming

re-election campaign,

or whether it's

Gorbachev

and the Soviet Union

who tried to cover up

the explosion

of a nuclear reactor

in Chernobyl,

which ended up

killing 16,000 people

in the long term

with radiation

and costing

$600 billion.

They tried to cover

that up.

Why do people in power

resort to lies

rather than admitting

that they did wrong,

tampering with evidence,

bribing officials,

and hushing witnesses?

The answer is obvious.

They want to preserve

the status quo.

They have too much

to lose.

They don't want

to lose their reputation,

their position,

their power.

But let's not be

too quick to point fingers

and cast blame

on others without

examining our own hearts.

Romans 1, 18-19

teaches us that

God has revealed

himself to us

in diverse ways,

but that the ungodly

and the unrighteous

suppress the truth

by their unrighteousness.

This is true

for all unbelievers

and this was true

at some point

for all of us.

If Jesus was really

raised from the dead,

you have to reform

your worldviews.

You must rethink

your priorities.

You must repent

of your sins.

If Jesus really was

raised from the dead,

if Jesus really is

who he said he is,

then you must believe

in him and follow him

as your Lord and King

and that means

surrendering

your will,

submitting

to his will.

Following Jesus

requires a radical

reorientation

of our lives

and what would

your family

and friends

and coworkers

say to that?

what would happen

to your reputation?

The unrighteous

don't want to give up

their sinful ways.

They want to be lords

over their own lives.

They want to do

what they want to do

in life.

They don't want to submit

to the lordship

of another.

So they suppress

the truth.

What about you?

Some of you

are not yet followers

of Jesus Christ

and this morning

you are confronted

with the same reality,

the same truth

that the characters

in this passage faced.

What will you do

with the resurrection

of Jesus Christ?

How will you respond?

If you are considering

whether or not

Jesus really rose

from the dead,

notice the fact

of the empty tomb.

Even the Jewish leaders

lie that Jesus' disciples

stole the body

confirm that the empty tomb

was an unquestioned

historical reality

in that first century.

That Jesus really lived

and died,

he was crucified

under Pontius Pilate,

is a historical claim,

it's a historical datum

that no serious historian

disputes.

It is also indisputable

that Jesus' followers

for the last 2,000 years

have been claiming

that Jesus was raised

physically from the dead.

If Jesus had not risen,

if Jesus' tomb

had not been empty,

the Jewish leaders

and the Roman rulers

very easily could have

quelled the Christian movement

by simply opening up

the tomb for a tour

and showcasing and presenting

the body of Jesus.

But they couldn't do that.

They didn't do that

because they couldn't.

Instead,

the alternative narrative

that they circulated

in its place

was that Jesus' disciples

stole the body.

And Matthew notes

in 28, 15,

that this story

has been spread

among the Jews

to this day.

So Matthew is writing

this gospel

and that verse,

that passage in particular,

to counter that

alternative narrative

that's been spreading

among the Jews.

I know you've heard this,

that Jesus' disciples

stole the body,

but I'm telling you

the real story,

that's not what actually happened.

And that alternative explanation

of the empty tomb

being a result

of Jesus' disciples

stealing the body

seems plausible

at first glance,

but when you think about it,

even for a moment longer,

it doesn't make much sense.

If the soldiers were asleep

while the disciples

came to roll away the stone

and steal the body away,

how could they know

that Jesus' disciples

stole the body?

They were sleeping.

At best,

it's a guess,

an inference,

an allegation

without any proof whatsoever.

They couldn't even know

that the body was stolen,

let alone they were stolen

by Jesus' disciples.

No, Jesus' tomb was empty

because Jesus had risen

from the dead.

How then should we respond

to the resurrection of Jesus?

For that, let's return

to the scene of the resurrection

in chapter 28, verse 1.

It says,

Now, after the Sabbath,

toward the dawn

of the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene

and Mary went to see the tomb.

All four gospel accounts,

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,

note that Jesus

was raised from the dead

at dawn of the first day

of the week.

And both dawn

and first day

strike a note

of new beginning

and hope.

Matthew 4, 13 to 16

described Jesus' birth

as fulfilling

Isaiah's prophecy

that the people

dwelling in darkness

have seen

a great light.

And for those

dwelling in the region

and shadow of death,

on them the light

has dawned.

Jesus is

the light of the world.

And it is fitting

that in chapter 27,

verse 45,

just before Jesus' death,

there was darkness

over all the land.

And now,

in chapter 28,

verse 1,

as the light

invades the darkness

at dawn,

Jesus is raised

from the dead

because he is

the light of the world.

And that reality

is tied to the expression

first day of the week.

The seven-day week

comes from

the seven days

of creation

in Genesis 1.

It's not a natural,

you know,

astronomical

kind of

unit of time,

seven days.

We only have

the seven-day week

because of the Bible,

because of Genesis 1.

And what does God

create on the first day?

Let there be light.

He creates light

on the first day.

And there was light.

This is the first day

of the new creation.

And once again,

God says,

let there be light.

And that light

of the world

is Jesus Christ

raised from the dead.

Therefore,

if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation.

The old has passed.

Behold,

the new has come.

Friends,

all those who live

apart from Christ

dwell in darkness

under the shadow

of death.

How would you like

to come out

of that darkness

and step into

the light of Christ

today?

Do you feel

the darkness

of this world?

All the hatred,

suffering,

evil?

Do you feel

the darkness

within?

The desires

of the flesh,

the lusts

of the eyes,

the pride of life

that lurk

within your own

sinful heart?

Do you feel

the shadow

of death

encroaching?

There is still

hope

because our God

is the God

who makes

all things new.

Those who are dead

in their trespasses

and sins

can be made alive

together with Christ

because Jesus died

for our sins

on the cross

and because he was

raised for our

justification.

We are no longer

in our sins,

we who have put

our faith

in Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus

was raised,

death no longer

has the median

over us

and we are promised

eternal spiritual life

and resurrection

life to come

because Jesus

was raised.

Because Jesus

was raised,

the same divine

power that raised

Jesus from the dead

now courses

through us

is at work

in us

who believe

in him.

And verse 1

tells us that

Mary Magdalene

and the other Mary

were the first

witnesses

of Jesus'

resurrection.

Imagine that,

isn't that amazing?

These were the

same women

who watched

Jesus' crucifixion

from a distance

in chapter 27

verses 55-56.

The same woman

who saw

where Jesus

was buried

in chapter 27

verse 61.

Mary Magdalene

and Mary

the mother

of James

and Joseph.

They are the ones

who according

to Mark 16

were now

looking for

Jesus' corpse

coming to his tomb

so that they

can anoint

his dead

body with

spices

so that his

decomposing

body doesn't

smell bad

as a last

gesture of love

and affection

and honor

toward Jesus

Christ.

And that

these women

are the first

witnesses of

Jesus'

resurrection

is remarkable

because Jewish

law stipulated

that woman's

testimony

cannot be

accepted

in the legal

courts.

People back

then didn't

give much

weight to

the testimony

of women.

In fact

Luke 24

11 records

that even

Jesus'

own

disciples

who had

repeatedly

heard Jesus'

prediction

of his

resurrection

did not

believe these

women when

they told

him Jesus

is risen

Christ is

risen

they dismissed

them and say

ah

idle tale of

woman.

In fact

this was a

point of

embarrassment

even among

even in the

Greco-Roman

world.

Second century

Greek philosopher

Kelsus who was a

fierce opponent of

Christianity mocked

Christians precisely

on this point

arguing that the

Christian doctrine

of the resurrection

of the son of

God was based on

the testimony of

quote half

frantic self

deceived woman.

But God

almighty

the Lord of

lords

is not ashamed

to make

these

devoted

women

the first

witnesses

of his

resurrection.

And none

of the gospel

writers try to

minimize that

fact.

All of them

note that

they're the

first.

Matthew,

Mark,

Luke,

John because

they're not

making this

up.

They're

reporting what

really happened.

And there's a

dramatic reversal

of fortunes here

at Jesus'

resurrection.

These small

in society

insignificant,

powerless women

are twice told

do not be

afraid.

Once by the

angel and once

by Jesus

himself.

These women

who are so

weak and frail

have no power

in society yet

they have nothing

to fear in the

presence of

almighty God.

But the

chief priest

soldiers,

the ones

carrying the

swords,

guarding the

tomb,

it says in

verse 4,

trembled and

became like

dead men

for fear of

the angel.

They,

unlike the

woman,

have something

to fear

and they're

never told

to do not

be afraid.

Oh,

you better

be afraid.

And the

word trembled

is a different

form of the

same word

that means

earthquake.

The word

tremble,

it's ironically,

these soldiers

are trembling

like the earth

that's trembling

as Jesus

is raised

from the

dead and

Jesus,

who was

formerly

dead,

is now

alive and

these soldiers

become like

dead men.

These

word plays

reveal the

hidden

spiritual

reality.

Those who

follow Christ,

no matter

how small

and weak

they might

seem,

have nothing

to fear.

But those

who persecute

them,

no matter

how big

and powerful

they might

be,

should be

shaking

in their

boots.

Those who

follow Christ,

though their

outward body

might be

wasting away,

they are

inwardly,

spiritually

being renewed,

day by

day.

They are

more alive

than ever

before.

But those

who do not

follow Christ,

though they

might be

strong and

robust,

physically

healthy and

strong,

they are

spiritually

dead and

destined for

the lake

of fire,

which is

the second

eternal

death.

The angel

of the Lord

instructs the

woman in

verse 7,

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.

Imagine the

excitement.

You are

about to

meet the

risen Lord,

go to

Galilee.

I don't

know how

long that

journey is,

but I can

assure you

that would

be the

fastest mile

I ever

run to

Galilee to

see Jesus,

the risen

Jesus.

And the

two Marys

don't lose

any time.

It says in

verse 8 that

they departed

quickly from

the tomb

with fear

and great

joy and

ran to

tell the

disciples

they're

running,

but as

they're

running

toward

Galilee,

behold,

it says in

verse 9,

Jesus met

them and

said,

greetings.

I love

this scene.

This wasn't

the plan.

What did

the angel

tell them?

Go to

Galilee.

Galilee.

He's gone

before you

there.

He will

meet you

there.

That was

the plan.

But Jesus

doesn't meet

them in

Galilee.

It's as if

Jesus can't

wait until

Galilee.

Here are the

women who

are devoted

to him,

who have

come to

anoint his

body.

On his

way, he

can't wait.

He stops

them.

He interrupts

them.

He intercepts

them as

they run

into Galilee

and says

greetings.

Here I

am.

I wanted

to see

you.

It's as if

he wanted

to surprise

them.

Why do

we like

throwing

surprise

parties?

I mean,

isn't there

a special

delight in

surprise?

Receiving

something that

you weren't

expecting.

How

gracious and

kind of

Jesus.

It's so

funny too,

right?

I could

imagine,

what should

be the first

thing I

say?

It's

greetings.

you see

our Savior's

love?

Can you

see a

glimpse into

his heart?

It's what

God promises

in the new

heavens and

the new

earth in

Isaiah 65,

24.

Before they

call, I

will answer.

While they

are yet

speaking, I

will hear.

Before they

even make

their way down

to Galilee,

he is there

to see

them, to

meet them

because he

loves them

and because

he cherishes

them.

And isn't

that God's

heart toward

you?

His precious

saints, his

beloved children?

You are not an

annoyance to

him.

You're not a

nuisance to

him.

You're not a

burden to

him.

You are his

delight.

You are his

treasured

possession.

God says to

his people,

Isaiah 43,

Isaiah 43:4

verse 4,

you are precious

in my eyes

and honored

and I love

you.

And the

response of

the two

Marys is a

model for

all of us.

It says in

verse 9,

and they

came up and

took hold of

his feet and

worshiped him.

That's the

right way to

approach Jesus,

our Lord.

To honor

him, it's

worship.

Taking hold

of Jesus'

feet,

in worship.

Feet are

dirty things.

Why else

would we

consider it

rude when

you're at

someone's

house and

they put

their foot

up on

the table?

It's

beggars that

take hold of

people's feet

because people

who still have

any dignity

left wouldn't

deign to do

such a thing.

in Mark

5,

22-23,

when Jairus

is imploring

Jesus earnestly

to come and

heal his

daughter who

is at the

point of

death,

he says he

fell at

Jesus' feet.

Beggars who

recognize that

they are

completely at

the mercy of

another,

they fall at

people's feet.

Friends,

we cannot

approach Jesus

as if he's

our equal,

shoulder to

shoulder and

extending our

arm for a

handshake.

No,

the only

right posture

with which we

approach the

risen Son of

God is that

of humble,

prostrate worship

at his feet.

We are sinners

in need of a

savior.

We are debtors

in need of

mercy.

We have no

merit or

righteousness or

qualification of

our own to

bring to Jesus,

so we must

fall on our

knees and take

hold of his

feet.

So come,

ye sinners,

poor and

needy,

weak and

wounded,

sick and

sore.

Jesus ready

stands to

save you,

full of

pity,

love,

and power.

It's beggars

who take

hold of

people's feet.

And it's

worshipers who

take hold of

Jesus' feet.

Mary of

Bethany in

John 12,

John 12:3

verse 3,

anointed the

feet of

Jesus and

wiped his

feet with

her hair.

It's an

expression of

extreme devotion

and submission

to someone.

Adoration,

worship.

It's shocking

that Matthew

uses the

word worship

here.

Remember when

Jesus was

tempted in

Matthew 4?

I know that

was a long

time ago,

but it's

famous enough

that you

guys all

remember.

What did

he tempt

Jesus to

do?

Fall down

before me

and worship

me and

I'll give

you all

these things.

And then

Jesus rebuked

the devil

saying,

Be gone,

Satan,

for it is

written,

you shall

worship the

Lord your

God and

him only

shall you

serve.

We should

worship God

alone.

And if

anyone tries

to worship

man rather

than the

one true

God,

we must

stop them,

we must

warn them.

So when

Cornelius,

the Gentile

centurion,

falls at

Peter's feet,

the apostle

Peter's feet,

and worships

him in

Acts 10,

24 to

26,

Peter doesn't

just stand

there and

bask in

his glory.

No,

he stops

Cornelius

immediately and

says,

Stand up,

I'm only a

man.

When John

falls and

worships at

the feet of

a glorious

angel in

Revelation 22,

8 to 9,

even the

angel stops

John immediately

saying,

You must

not do

that.

I am a

fellow servant

with you and

your brothers,

the prophets,

and with those

who keep the

words of his

book.

Worship God.

And look at

the magnificent

angel of the

Lord in our

passage.

In chapter 28,

verse 3,

his appearance

was like

lightning and

his clothing

white as

snow,

yet he does

not demand

the adoration

and worship

of these

women.

He does

not demand

their allegiance.

His focus

is entirely

on Jesus.

I know

that you

seek Jesus

who was

crucified.

He is not

here for

he has

risen.

I know

I'm not

the one

you want.

I know

who you're

seeking,

Jesus.

Go to

Galilee and

meet him

there.

Who is

this Jesus

who is as

much superior

to angels

as the name

he has

inherited is

more excellent

than theirs?

It's because

he's the only

begotten son of

God.

Jesus says

in Revelation

1, 17-18,

fear not.

I am

the first

and the last

and the living

one.

I died

and behold

I am alive

forevermore.

That's why

he is worthy

of our worship.

I'm a

naturally

sinful,

prideful

man.

Even though

God graciously

is chipping away

at my pride

year after year,

still to this

day,

the very

idea

of groveling

before

someone's

feet

is distasteful

to me.

But not

before Jesus'

feet.

I will

fall upon

his feet.

I will

kiss his

feet.

I'd

rather sit

at the

feet of

my Lord

Jesus

than

on the

right

hand

of the

kings

of

earth.

I'd

rather be

a doorkeeper

in the

house

of my

God

than

dwell

in the

tents

of the

wicked.

For

the

feet,

at the

feet

of the

Lord

Jesus

is

greater

honor.

It's

a place

of

greater

honor

than

all

the

palaces

and

the

thrones

of

earth.

Who

else

died

to

serve

a

wretched

sinner

like

me?

Who

else

defeated

death

and was

raised

on the

third

day?

Who

else

is the

exalted

son of

the

living

God

but

my

Lord

Jesus?

Mary

Magdalene

and the

other

Mary

understand

this

so very

naturally

and

immediately

they fall

upon

Jesus'

feet

and

worship

him.

And

see how

gracious

Jesus

is

in

verse

10.

He

says

do not

be

afraid

go

and

tell

my

brothers

to

go

to

Galilee

and

there

they

will

see

me.

How

does

this

glorious

death

defying

son

of

God

call

this

bumbling

bunch

of

his

disciples

my

brothers?

Jesus

taught

earlier

in

Matthew

Matthew 12:50

chapter

12

verse

50

whoever

does

the

will

of

my

father

in

heaven

is

my

brother

and

sister

and

mother

despite

the

fact

that

his

disciples

deserted

him

in

his

moment

of

greatest

weakness

and

need

even

Peter

who

denied