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2020 Special Lecture Easter
Verses | Matthew 28:1-20
Main Verse | Matthew 28:6

He Has Risen

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."

Christianity is the religion of the cross and resurrection. In particular, the term resurrection is not in any religion in the world, but only in Christianity. The resurrection of Jesus is a historic event and the greatest event of mankind. Today is a happy and touching day for Easter, but it is too bad that we can't get together to celebrate and enjoy it as much as we want because of Covid 19. However, Lord has risen and is seated on the right side of God, and He is with us. We experience this fact every day. The Lord answers our prayers and guides our way through life. At this time, I pray that we will look at the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection and strive for God’s work.

First, an empty tomb (1-8)
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it, and his appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. Jesus told his disciples several times that he would be resurrected three days after his death. But neither the disciples nor the women who followed him knew or believed what it meant. This is because it never happened in history. But the priests and Pharisees who killed Jesus believed in the word of Jesus and asked Pilate to mobilize the army to guard the tomb for three days. If Jesus will rise in three days, they predicted that a bigger problem will happen than before. They crucified Jesus and killed Him, but could not stop the resurrection.

Look at verse 5 and 6. "5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." The angel said to the women who were looking for crucified Jesus: "He is not here and has risen as he says. Come and see where he lay." When the women went in, Jesus’ tomb was empty.

Most ancient ruins are tombs. There are pyramids, tombs of Egyptian kings, Mahomet’s tombs in Mecca, tombs of Emperor Qin Shi, tombs of Joseon Dynasty kings, and Lenin tombs in Moscow's Red Square. The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre(Church of Resurrection) in Jerusalem is said to be the place where Jesus' tomb was located. There is a red, spacious stone and a tomb where Jesus was buried and of course is empty. It is said that Emperor Constantine ordered his mother, Helena, to build this church. Many pilgrims gather here, too.

After the resurrection of Jesus, a church was formed. Today, the church is proof of His resurrection. The church did not create the resurrection of Jesus, but the resurrection of Jesus made the church. If Jesus had not been resurrected, the church would never be created. The very fact that we gather on Sunday and worship God proves the resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus was risen, high priests and Pharisees were alive with their eyes open, and it was an act of risking their lives to tell the news of resurrection. They hated the disciples who delivered the news of Jesus' cross and resurrection. James was the first Apostle to die a martyr's death. The disciples were people in fear. They all ran away when Jesus was crucified and died. But what happened next? The disciples heard from the women that Jesus had come to life. Upon hearing the news, Peter and John went to the tomb and saw no body, but a linen cloth. After looking at the linen cloth, which was wrapped around the head, they found out that Jesus was resurrected. They couldn't stand it without sharing Jesus they witnessed and experienced. The disciples preached the gospel of the cross and resurrection until martyrdom.

As Jesus said before, He died and was buried on the cross, and came back to life three days later. God raised him from death. He could not keep the innocent man in death because Jesus has committed a redemptive death. Through resurrection, He proved that His death was a redemptive death. He overcame death, the wages of sin, and resurrected and became a savior. He can save lives, which suffer and die due to his or her sin, from sin and power of death. He has not only won death, but also given eternal life to those who believe in him, and has become the Lord of Life.

What mission did the angel give to the women? Look at verse 7. " Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”"  The women have not yet met Jesus who was resurrected. They just heard the news from the angel that He was alive. Women listen to words of angel and went quickly to tell the disciples about Jesus' resurrection.

Why did God choose women as first witnesses? Women’s words are strong today, but in the old days, women were not chosen as witnesses. At that time, women's testimony was not adopted in Jewish courts. Even more so, Mary Magdalene was a woman who had been demonized before. Nevertheless, the Gospel of Matthew has these women as witnesses to Jesus' resurrection. If it was a story made up by Jesus' resurrection, He would not have put women as witnesses. He would have taken a person who is respected and famous in society as a witness. Ironically, presenting women as witnesses of resurrection tells us that Jesus' resurrection is true. The witness of resurrection does not need to be a great person. It is enough for a person who has changed after meeting Jesus.

Second, Jesus asked His disciples to meet in Galilee (9-15). So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. Jesus gave peace as gifts to women who were afraid. Women heard through angels that Jesus had been resurrected, but how did it feel when they actually met Him? They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Holding someone’s feet is a sign of respect and obedience to high people. After grieving and crying over Jesus’ death, women were so surprised when they met Him, who was risen from death. All the sorrow, darkness, and power of death that remained in their heart disappeared at once. Joy, emotion, and awe sprang up. In fact, when we heard the news of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, we experienced the joy and emotion that we could not say when we had faith in the history of the Holy Spirit. We felt the fullness of life, and this grace is deepening even now. That's why we're continuing our religious life.

Look at verse 10. "Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”" Jesus says to the women not to be afraid. He calls his disciples ‘my brothers’. He says to go to a place where they are hiding in fear and go to Galilee, where they will see Jesus. Galilee is their hometown and where they first met Jesus. This is where they were called as disciples. Jesus wants to meet them in Galilee, love them, restore their broken relationships and talk to them. He wants to rebuild them.

When the women went to the disciples, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. They gathered with the elders to discuss and gave soldiers large sum of money in order to make them lie. In verses 13-15, the chief priests tried to cover up the resurrection with the bribery of the guards. What if the soldiers were told that the disciples came and stole the body at night? They take responsibility for not able to fulfill their duties, receive censure, and lose honor as a soldier. Roman soldiers were the most powerful elite of the time. The soldiers that were also sent by the chief priest thoroughly guarded the tomb in order to prevent disciples from stealing the body. However, they could not prevent the resurrection of Jesus with their strength. This is because the resurrected body of Jesus goes beyond the three-dimensional limit of time, space, and matter. The disciples were fleeing and hiding in fear, but how dare they have the courage to steal Jesus' body? The word spread throughout the Jews as soldiers paid for what they were instructed, but if we think about it, we soon realize that it is a lie. Even if lies and injustices prevail for a while, the truth will surely win. The news of Jesus' resurrection has spread to the whole world by many witnesses and has now been passed on to us.
Third, Jesus' command on Earth (16-20). In verses 16 and 17, Jesus and eleven disciples met in Galilee. Hey saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. What command did Jesus give to these weak disciples? See verses 18-20. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus, who resurrected, looked different from before. It was a glorious figure with all authority of heaven and earth. He has power and authority as king of all kings who rule the universe. Everything in heaven and on earth is in Jesus' reign. Jesus, the king of kings who rules the whole universe, commands his disciples. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” The main verb here is 'make disciples'. To do this, it tells us to ‘go’, ‘baptize others’, and ‘teach them to obey’. A disciple of Jesus is one who learns and resembles Him. Jesus told the eleven disciples to make every nation a disciple who resembled Him. This is not just command for the eleven disciples. This is the supreme order given to all the witnesses of the resurrection, who were forgiven from their sins and became the people of heaven through the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
  So how can we make disciples of all nations? First you have to go. We must go to the people of the world. We cannot make disciples by sitting still and praying and studying the Word. We must go to preach the Gospel to people who live in the dark without knowing the Gospel. With this specific action, the dead soul can be raised and become disciples of following and learning Jesus. Next, we must baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism means unity with Jesus. Galatians 2:20 says. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” We must help us be baptized with this faith. Finally, we must teach and obey all the words Jesus taught to His disciples. When we obey, we experience the truth of the Word. Through this process, the history of the gospel is successively developed and spread to all peoples. Jesus had a vision to spread the gospel of God to the whole world through discipleship. This must be a clear direction and purpose for us.
Look at the second half of verse 20. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The Gospel of Matthew begins with Immanuel and ends with Immanuel. Jesus who rose from death is always with us. Join us to enrich life. He awakens and leads the word of truth. He provides the strength, wisdom, and all that is needed to fulfill the mission. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, the gospel was preached to Jerusalem and all Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Even today, the gospel of Jesus' death and resurrection is working in believers, and the work of making disciples of all nations is taking place.
Corona 19 has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide. Death always scares us. But rather than death, disbelief is more fearful. Corona 19 exerts even greater power due to distrust with each other. Economic activity has shrunk due to suspicion of asymptomatic infections, fatal spreading power, and sudden exacerbations of illness. Aviation workers, self-employed and small business owners are suffering a lot. It has been 7 weeks since we also had family worship. What does Jesus' resurrection mean to us? The resurrection of Jesus, who overcome death, brings a whole new life. When we hear the Gospel of the Resurrection and meet the risen Lord, our thoughts and lives will completely change. Life is no longer afraid. This is because there is no death in Jesus. Death is similar as sleep. Death is the path into the eternal world. So even if we live for a while, it’s not in vain. Because even if we die like Jesus, we will live again. There is eternal life. Also, all the hard work on earth is not in vain. If we live for the Lord and the gospel on this earth, there is an honor that God cannot recognize and speak. So no matter how hard and difficult things are, we do not despair. If you fall seven times, we can stand up eight times. Even if you lose your loved ones, there is the sadness of being separated for a moment, but we are comforted in the hope of meeting them again in Heaven.
Just as the disciples who betrayed Jesus because of disbelief and fear met the Lord who resurrected to restore failure and reinvent the faith of the Resurrection, we must believe in the Lord who resurrected and restore our first love. We need to restore the community that was weakened by Corona 19. Also, we need to work hard on the history of making disciples of all peoples. I find it difficult how to serve the history of the Gospel as classes are being taught on online. But the Lord, who resurrected and has all authority of heaven and earth, is with us. Through us, He continues to make disciples of all nations in the same way.