TITLE

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Matthew: Jesus As Israel's Messiah And His Kingdom

Part XXXVIII: Christ As Israel's Messiah Seen In His Resurrection

(Matthew 28:1-10)

I. Introduction

A. Matthew's Gospel was written to explain to Jews how Jesus was Israel's Old Testament Biblical God's Messiah even if He did not set up His Messianic Kingdom in His first advent, Ryrie S. B., KJV, 1978, p. 1337.

B. A part of that explanation is Matthew's record of the resurrection of Christ in Matthew 28:1-10, and we view that highly significant event for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. Christ As Israel's Messiah Seen In His Resurrection, Matthew 28:1-10.

A. To clarify to Jewish readers that Jesus rose from the dead in the power of Israel's Biblical God, Matthew recorded testimony of Christ's resurrection with a focus on the power of Israel's Biblical God, Matt. 28:1-6:

1. Matthew's Gospel alone testifies of the great earthquake from Israel's God, CREATOR of heaven and earth, that occurred at Christ's resurrection, Matt. 28:1-2a with Mark 16:1-4, Luke 24:1-2 and John 20:1-2.

2. Matthew's Gospel alone testifies how the angel of God descended from heaven and rolled back the 1 1/2 to 2 ton stone from the tomb doorway, Matthew 28:2b; Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, 1991, p. 226.

3. Matthew's Gospel alone testifies how the angel rolled back the stone and sat on it in triumph and challenge of the power of Rome that had sealed the stone over the tomb doorway, Matthew 28:2c with 27:62-66.

4. Matthew's Gospel alone testifies how the angel's face shone like lightening and his clothing as snow like the angel the Old Testament prophet Daniel met in Daniel 10:5-6, whose presence so terrified Daniel's friends they shook and fled, and Daniel was put in a deep sleep with his face to the ground, Dan. 10:7-9.

5. Matthew's Gospel alone testifies how the Roman guards with their lives at stake if they did not protect the tomb (Ibid., McDowell, p. 234) so feared the angel, they shook and fell down as dead men, Matt. 28:3-4.

6. Matthew's Gospel alone testifies how that same, terrifying angel, told the women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matt. 28:1) to stop being afraid for their own benefit (phobeisthe = present middle imperative of phobeo, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 115; The Analytical Grk. Lex. (Zon.), 1972, p. 427) of his presence and the situation of the stone, that he knew they sought Jesus Who was crucified, but that He was not there as He had risen, that they should come and see the place where the Lord lay, Matt. 28:5-6. This encouragement was the same kind of encouragement that the Old Testament prophet Daniel had received in Daniel 10:10-12 from a similar very powerful angel from the Lord.

7. Matthew's Gospel alone testifies how Jesus arose as He had predicted that He would, which prediction Jesus' religious foes had tried hard to keep not only from occurring, but even from being claimed to have occurred by their obtaining a Roman guard and sealing the tomb, Matthew 28:6 with 27:63-64, 65-66.

B. To clarify to Jewish readers that the program of God following Christ's resurrection by the power of Israel's Biblical God was NOT to establish the Messianic Kingdom, but the Church, Matthew's Gospel records the testimony both of the powerful angel of the Lord and of the risen Lord Himself to that effect, Matt. 28:7-10:

1. The powerful angel of the Lord from heaven directed the women to go quickly to tell Jesus' disciples that He had risen from the dead, and that He was going ahead of them into Galilee, Matthew 28:7.

2. As the women quickly left with fear and great joy, running to bring the disciples this news, Jesus Himself met them and greeted them, and they came and held Him by the feet, worshiping Him, Matthew 28:8-9.

3. Jesus gave them the same news the angel at the tomb had given, that they were not to fear, but tell His disciples to go up into Galilee where they would meet Him, Matthew 28:10.

4. We know that later encounter in Galilee saw Jesus commission His followers to disciple the nations in the formation of the Church, Matt. 28:18-20. Thus, Matthew's readers were to understand that the absence of the Messianic Kingdom after Christ's resurrection did NOT signal that Jesus was a false messiah, but that He as Messiah was fulfilling God's plan to establish the Church in the present age.

Lesson: Jesus arose from the dead by the power of Israel's Old Testament, Biblical God as the true Messiah, and in rising, He did not then establish Israel's Messianic Kingdom, but He established the Church in God's will.

Application: (1) May we believe on the risen Lord to be saved, John 3:16. (2) May we realize that Israel's Old Testament, Biblical God powerfully raised Jesus from the dead and is now intent on establishing the Church as His plan for this era, that we might give ourselves to fulfill God's assignment for us in this current era.