The significance of Easter from Mathew 28:1-10

1. CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH, SOUTHERN DCC HQ
EASTER & RESURRECTION SUNDAY CELEBRATIONS 1 OF 7.
9TH
February 2023.
THE EMPTY TOMB – MT.28:1-8; Jn.20:1-7
Let’s worship this our God who Jesus raised up from the grave. Behold our Lord is
risen. The proof is in the empty tomb, the proof is in the life of every child of God
truly washed and cleansed by His precious blood, empowered to walk in the newness of
life. Because He is alive for ever more the power of the grave will never hold you down
again . Sin, Satan, Sickness, poverty, lack, failure, disappointment can never stand in
your way again. People of God rejoice our Lord is alive forever more.
Happy Easter celebration people of God. I greet you all on behalf of the church as you
celebrate the greatest event and miracle of all times. You celebrate not only your
complete emancipation from the power of sin, Satan, suffering of his world but you are
also celebrating in anticipation of the greater joy, greater glory reserved for us all who
are in Christ Jesus.
This morning we take a look at the greatest event in the history of the world. The
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the cornerstone of our
faith. Without the resurrection, there won’t be any Christians. Conversely, with the
resurrection, our faith is affirmed as true.
In Matt. 28 we come to this greatest of all events. It was the substance of the first
sermon ever preached in the church by Peter in Acts 2, and it’s the substance of which
all sermons should be preached. it became the theme of all apostolic preaching. Peter
preached it again in chapter 4 and again in chapter 10. Stephen preached the
resurrection in chapter Acts 7. Philip preached the resurrection in chapter 8. Paul
preached the resurrection in chapter 9 and chapter 13 and all the way on to chapter 28
of Acts. This resurrection theme run through the epistles In Romans it says Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. And in 1 Corinthians 15 it says He
rose again the third day according to the Scripture. in 2 Corinthians, He who raised up
the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also. Galatians says by Jesus Christ and God the Father
who raised Him from the dead. Paul says in Philippians that I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection. 1 Thessalonians says, His Son whom He raised from the
dead. even when you come to the book of Revelation it begins by saying that Christ has
the right to take the earth because it is He who was dead and is alive forever more.

2. Mt.28:1-20 - Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
The 2 Mary’s.
Mary Magdalene – the sinner who poured expensive ointment in Lk.7:37, and the other
Mary, possibly Mary the mother of James and John (Mathew 27:56), or Mary the
mother of Clopas (John 19:25)
We as God’s people today should learn lessons from the lives of the courageous faithful
women. How did they intend to breakthrough into the tomb to anoint the body of
Jesus? They knew there was stone and guards…high level security….
Now why did they come? they came out of sympathy. Did they come to see the
resurrection? No, they didn’t come to see the resurrection. It says in verse 1 they
came to see the grave, not to see the risen Lord. They came to see the grave. Their
purpose was not to see a resurrection. Their purpose was to anoint a corpse. They just
had devotion, love, and sympathy and compassion. What drives you to Jesus?
2
Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from
heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3
His face shone like lightning, and his
clothing was as white as snow.
Instantly, an earthquake occurs at the moment that Jesus breathes his last, splitting
open rocks and releasing the bodies of saints from their tombs (27:51-53) So great was
that earthquake that the veil of the temple, (4 inches thick) was ripped in half from
the top to expose the Holy of Holies. . So also, an earthquake accompanies the descent
of the angel from heaven to roll away the stone, witnessed by Mary Magdalene and “the
other Mary,” mother of James and Joseph (Matthew 28:1; 27:55-56; 27:61).
When God shows up the unexpected happens
In Jesus, the reign of God breaks open everything that seemed fixed and immovable —
even death and stone-cold tombs.
No wall of stone is large enough to keep Jesus in the tomb. So it is with the life-giving
power and love of God. No show of force, no contingent of guards or security police can
stop it. The resurrection is an earth-shaking, unsettling event. But as Jesus himself
tells us, we need not be afraid. The One who shakes the earth with the resurrection is
the One who holds our future, who promises to meet us and to be with us, even to the
end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
4
The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

3. When God shows up to intervene in our situation, your enemy will be terrified and will
be as good as dead.
5
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking
for Jesus, who was crucified. 6
He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said
would happen.
Come, see where his body was lying. 7
And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he
has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.
Remember what I have told you.”
Let’s take a look at the four things the angel told the women:
1. “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is
not here; for he has been raised as he said – Just as he has said.
What does the resurrection mean?
FOR THE UNBELIEVER
A. IT VERIFIES THE DEITY OF JESUS...
1.The resurrection proves that Jesus truly is the Son of God - Ro 1:4 - 4
and he
was shown to be[a]
the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the
power of the Holy Spirit.[b]
He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
2.It also demonstrates that He truly has all authority in heaven and on earth - Mt
28:18; Ac 2:36 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has
made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
B. IT VERIFIES THE TRUTHFULNESS OF JESUS...
1.Jesus foretold His resurrection on three occasions - Mt 16:21; 17:22-
23; 20:17-19
a. If Jesus was telling the truth in describing His suffering and
resurrection...
b. ...then He was telling the truth in everything else He said
1. Therefore the following teachings of Jesus are true:
a. He was from the Father above, and spoke the words of the Father - Jn
8:28-29
b. No one can come to the Father but through Him - Jn 14:6
c. His blood was shed for the remission of sins - Mt 26:28
d. He came to offer abundant life - Jn 10:10
e. He went to prepare a place for us - Jn 14:2
f. He shall come again - Jn 14:3
g. There will be a resurrection of the dead and ensuing judgment - Jn
5:28-29; 12:48; Ac 17:30-31

4. C. it proves that salvation is complete, on the cross He conquered sin, death
and hell and rose victorious.
When we thought it was the end of our health, Jesus yet showed Himself alive. When
we thought it was the end of our financial lifeline, because of the effects of this
pandemic on our economy, Jesus yet showed Himself alive. When we thought that we
didn’t have a friend in this world who understands, Jesus yet showed Himself alive.
When we thought that our enemies were about to get the best of us, Jesus yet showed
Himself alive.
The Resurrection is God’s infallible, undeniable truth to remind us that Jesus, can and
will accomplish all that He has promised. It reminds us, that in Christ we have the
victory over any and all of life’s enemies and trials. It reminds us that Jesus has all
Dominion, Power and Authority in His hands
The resurrection of Jesus marked the ultimate end of Satan’s dominance in the world.
It sealed his fate even though finalizing that defeat would take thousands of years. If
Jesus had not been resurrected from the dead, all hope for humanity would be lost.
The resurrection validated the Father’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice for sin. It
opened the way of salvation for you and me and for all who will receive it. It made a way
of escape from the cruel bondage of Satan. It reversed the defeat of the first Adam
and replaced it with the victory of the last Adam. “Now thanks be to God who always
leads us in triumph in Christ” (2 Cor. 2:14). In 1 Corinthians 15:14 Paul wrote, “. . . if
Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (1 Cor. 15:14).i
But he knew Christ is risen. He saw him on the road to Damascus. Paul was not
preaching a theory. He was preaching a reality that he knew by personal experience.
The resurrection of Jesus manifests that the Heavenly Father has accepted Jesus’
sacrifice. Jesus’ death was a sacrifice on our behalf, for as he stated, “I lay down my
life in order to take it up again no one takes it from me but I lay it down on my own. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again” (Jn 10:17-18).
Again, Jesus, referring to his sacrifice, stated that the Son of Man had come to give
his life for the redemption of many (cf. Mk 10:45). By his cross and resurrection, Jesus
has gained for us the forgiveness of our sins. Sins being forgiven, death is overcome,
for the “wage of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Sin causes death within us by decaying the
image of the Word, through whom we were created (cf. Gn 1:26-27). Sin and death
being defeated, we are now able to live a new life, sharing in the life of the Word.
We had become partakers of sin and death due to the deception of Satan. Satan had
promised Adam and Eve, and we their children, to be like God. We were put under his
dominion when our first parents ate the fruit. By conquering sin and death, Jesus frees

5. us from Satan, allowing us to live now as sons and daughters of God. Sharing now in the
Sonship of Christ, we are strengthened to say “Yes” to the will of our Heavenly Father.
The resurrection of Jesus is the cause of our resurrection on the last day. The hope of
resurrection ought to inspire us to do great things for the glory of God. It is the hope
of the resurrection that allows us to suffer anything here on earth with patience,
especially when we are persecuted for our faith in Jesus. It is the hope of the
resurrection that motivates us to go beyond our own self-interests and so love our
neighbor. The hope of the resurrection allows us to let go of our own judgements, living
life as intended by God; doing his will, not our own.
Reflecting upon the significance of the empty tomb, it is important to call to mind
chapter 15 of Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Here is found a profession of
faith, which has been handed on to us: “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with
the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day, in accord with
the scriptures; that he was seen by Cephas and then by the Twelve” (1 Cor 15:3-5).
It is the resurrection that is key to our faith and hope, for “if Christ be not risen, in
vain is our preaching and in vain too is your faith” (1 Cors 15:14).
The tomb being empty points to our now being full of the new life in Christ. For the
resurrection reveals to us that the tomb cannot hold us from the glory to which God
has called us. We share in this glory even now by the grace Jesus has won for us. May
the resurrection inspire us to live the new life in Christ, bearing witness to the
resurrection of Jesus, manifesting the glory of God in our bodies by everything that we
do.
2. Come see the place where he lay. Come see for yourselves – this way, his story
can become your story.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew
11:28
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and
purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”Matthew 19:14
Isaiah 55:1-13 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no
money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that
which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight
yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

6. 3. Then go quickly and tell his disciples ‘He has been raised from the dead. Go tell
others what you have seen for yourselves.
When you come you will see…Only when you have encountered the risen Christ can you
indeed go and tell. 1 Jn.1:1-3 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the
beginning,[a] whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched
him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was
revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is
the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3
We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may
have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus
Christ.
8
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with
great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9
And as they
went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and
worshiped him. 10
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to
leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
As they went. He bids them come, and they obeyed they had a personal encounter with
Jesus. First response when you encounter the Risen Christ is WORSHIP. Worship is
about all of your Christian life. You daily living for him, your daily walk with him in
prayers, fellowship, service, Godly living, singing, praising…is worship. He bids us
worship Him with our all because He gave us His all.
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his
disciples. Afraid yet filled with joy. How many times have we heard the Easter story?
Does this feeling of terror shake us out of our complacency and compel us, like the
women, to fall and worship the living Christ? Or are we here because it’s something we
are supposed to do once or twice a year?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah, died on a cross for you and for me. He was
forsaken by God, his Father. He who was without sin became sin for you and for me.
My friends, God came to earth to die for us. Do we know why he died for us? Because
we are nice folks? Because we deserve it? Because it makes for good drama?
My brothers and sisters, God died for us, and was raised by his Father so we can
receive eternal life. It was necessary for God to die for us, because we can’t get to
heaven any other way, my friends. I find that absolutely terrifying – how about you?
What is more terrifying than God being raised from the dead??
And yet, we are filled with joy at the thought that God himself would die and be raised.
For whom?

7. For the likes of me and you….
Are you ready to accept the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead?
Are you ready to accept the reason it needed to happen?
Are you ready to give your life to Christ, in response of this awesome, terrifying act of
supreme mercy?
Terrified, yet filled with joy – how about it?
Have you experienced the power of the resurrection? Are you living in triumph or
defeat? Jesus conquered the grave, and you also can conquer eternal death—but only
by placing your faith in Him. He sacrificially died on the cross for your sins and rose
again that you might spend eternity with Him.
Hymn 680