Matthew

Lesson 14 w/AnswersMatthew Chapter 28

In this lesson, we conclude our sequential study of the book of Matthew by taking a close look at the resurrection and Jesus’ last days walking on the earth (until he ascended into heaven while assuring us that he’ll return someday). Today we are closer to that return than ever in human history.

Matthew

While the closing chapter in Matthew focuses on Jesus’ resurrection and the Great Commission, our study will also examine some of the many things that occurred between His resurrection and forty days later, when He gave the Great Commission. I pray that we will dig deeper into this very important and life–changing event; it is the foundation of our faith, i.e., that we serve a resurrected Savior; and that Savior is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.

Read Matthew 28:1-20 and consider the following questions:

  1. Our study begins in the early morning hours of the "first day of the week;" for us today, that day is Sunday. We can readily see how the Christian tradition of gathering for a "Sunrise Service" on Easter Sunday came about. It was early on that first Easter Sunday when we see Mary Magdalene, Salome, and "the other Mary" headed for the tomb. Unlike today, where we come together to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, these women were headed there to finish burying their beloved son and friend. We can easily imagine their heavy hearts, and we can see their dedication—they left as soon as the sun was up and the Sabbath had ended. They loved Jesus so much that they wanted to make sure he received a proper burial. We can only imagine how sad and despondent they must have been as they approached the area where the tomb was located. What happened as they approached the tomb? (see Matt. 28:1-4 and Mark 16:1)
    1. ANSWER: There was a "violent" earthquake, after which an angel of the Lord appeared; the angel rolled back the stone and then sat on the stone. The angel’s very appearance frightened the trained Roman Guards, and they fainted!
  2. Have you ever been in an earthquake, especially a violent one? I can tell you from firsthand experience that it’s frightening almost beyond words. The ground produces an almost liquid feeling sensation, and nothing is stable; everything is shifting wildly, and you have no idea if something will fall on you and crush you, or if you will simply get sucked down into a large gap in the earth. And if that wasn’t enough to frighten the women, an angel appeared. The composite event was so awesome that it caused the trained Roman Guards to faint, and it physically moved a large stone away from the tomb! The three ladies must have been terrified not understanding all that was happening. What happened next? (see Matt 28:5-8)
    1. ANSWER 1: The angel reassures the women and makes an announcement that echoes through all of eternity: Jesus has risen! Just as an angel announced the birth of the baby Jesus, so now an angel announces that he has risen!
    2. ANSWER 2: To prove it, the angel invites them in to see for themselves, and then instructs them to go and tell the others. And he tells them that Jesus has gone ahead of them to Galilee and that they will "see" him there. Can you imagine how excited they must have been, once they saw the angel, experienced the earthquake, saw the Roman Guards who had fainted, and then the empty tomb? Plus, they could go to Galilee and see the resurrected Jesus for themselves! No wonder they "hurried away" and "ran" to tell the disciples.
  3. What happened as the women were hurrying to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen from the grave? (see Matt. 28:9-10)
    1. ANSWER: Jesus appears suddenly as the women are hurrying along. They recognize him immediately and worship him. Since they are still trying to process everything that has happened, Jesus tells them not to be afraid and to go and tell the disciples to meet him in Galilee.
  4. After the women have left the area of the tomb, the Roman guards regain their consciousness. Who do they report to and convey all that had happened up until the time that they fainted? What happens to these guards? Are they executed for failing to keep the tomb secure? (see Matt. 28:11-15)
    1. ANSWER: Interestingly, the guards don’t go to either Pilate or their captain; instead, they go and tell the chief priests. Not wanting any of this to be made public—something that would have happened had the guards been reported to Pilate and then been executed— the priests paid off the guards and told them to lie; to say that while they were sleeping, Jesus’ disciples came and stole the body. Isn’t that ironic?! Their lie is as bad as the truth from a Roman guard’s point-of-view, i.e., they "fell asleep" while on guard duty, and unarmed citizens took what the guards where supposed to keep secure. Amazing.
  5. Matthew now jumps to the end of the story; forty days have passed since Christ’s resurrection. The scene now shifts to a mountain in Galilee that Jesus had instructed the disciples to go to. Note that only eleven make the trip; Judas is dead from suicide. Jesus then tells them that something has happened, and based on this event, he has one set of final instructions. Read Matthew 28:16-20, and identify what has changed and what his final instructions are to his disciples.
    1. ANSWER 1: What has changed is that now Jesus has been given "all authority in heaven and on earth." This is huge, and it is often overlooked as we hurry through the chapter to arrive at the "Great Commission." However, we need to understand the implications of Jesus as the Christ having all authority over everything in heaven and on earth. You see, we serve a Savior who has complete authority over all of God’s creation—something that we often forget or downplay. What problem, what struggle, what obstacle could we ever face that Christ does not have the power over? None! What a glorious Savior!
    2. ANSWER 2: These closing verses are often referred to as the "Great Commission," and they represent Christ’s final instructions to his disciples, and to us. It is life–changing for the church, in that the Gospel, the "Good News," is to be taken to everyone in every nation; no one is excluded. We can summarize his instructions by saying that we are to tell everyone about Jesus, baptize them, and then teach them to obey everything that Jesus has taught us. When we tell someone about Jesus, we are making a disciple. By baptism, we teach them to publicly follow that example of Jesus’ death and resurrection, by being buried in the water then raised to "newness of life," just as Jesus was. Once we have made a disciple, it is our job to teach them what Jesus has taught us; and in turn, for them to go disciple someone else. This is the pattern for building Christ’s Church, just as he instructed the disciples on that day in Galilee before he was taken up into Heaven. Today, that commission applies to us just as much as it did to the disciples some two thousand years ago.
  6. As we end our study of Matthew, let’s take a moment to look briefly at the forty days from Jesus’ resurrection to his ascension into Heaven. In the space below fill in what took place on the identified periods within those forty days:
    1. Sunday Morning: Matthew Chapter 28
      1. ANSWER: We know from our current study that Jesus was resurrected that morning; the angel came to the tomb and rolled the stone away; and the women came and found the tomb empty. On their way to tell the disciples, they meet Jesus and worshipped him. The guards meanwhile reported events to the chief priests, who give the guards a bribe to lie about the empty grave. Bribes were also likely paid to the Roman guards’ superiors, as well as to Pilate, in order to keep the whole thing secret.
    2. Sunday Afternoon: Mark 16:12-13 and Luke 24:13-32
      1. ANSWER: Jesus appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus.
    3. Sunday Evening: Luke 24:33-35, Luke 24:36-43, and John20:19-25
      1. ANSWER: The two disciples from Emmaus tell others that they saw Jesus, and Jesus appears to ten of the Apostles; Thomas is not present at the time.
    4. A Week from Sunday: John 20:26-28
      1. ANSWER: Jesus meets with the Apostles, and this time Thomas is present. Jesus takes away all of Thomas’ doubts at this meeting.
    5. The next 32 days: John 21:1-14, 1 Cor. 15:6, 1 Cor. 15:7, Acts 1:3-8, Luke 24:44-49, and Acts 1:9-12
      1. ANSWER: Jesus appears to the Apostles several times, as well as appearing in various places, so that over 500 people witness him in his resurrected form. He performs miracles and spends the majority of the time teaching the Apostles all that they will need to know. In doing so, he builds their faith in him as the Messiah and their understanding regarding how His Church is to be built through spreading the Gospel.

In summary, over the forty days from his resurrection to his ascension, Christ spends his effort on demonstrating to everyone that he has indeed risen and is now in his resurrected body. He performs many miracles and spends the majority of his time teaching the Apostles and preparing them for the work ahead, spreading the Gospel message.

It has been a great study, and I pray you have grown as I have. We serve a risen Savior! He has power and authority over everything! As Romans 8:31 states, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" We are freed from being a slave to sin, freed to follow Christ in love and service, and freed to live a life in eternity with Jesus. How indescribable is that?!

Have a greet week everyone!

In Christ,

Wes

[2017]