Let me add my word of welcome. If you're a visitor here, if this is your first time here, you are very, very welcome indeed. Don't rush away, we'd love to get to know you.
If you've got a Bible near you, I'd love you to turn with me to page 835. Grab one of the Bibles, page 835, and in Matthew 28. Matthew chapter 28.
There are days which turn everything upside down. There are days which turn everything upside down, where nothing is the same ever again.
Your birth, for the people who were around, your parents, probably turned everything upside down.
Nothing was the same in your family ever again. You were born.
Marriages. Two people walk into a church. They walk in two single people. They leave joined together in marriage.
Their lives are turned upside down. Nothing is the same ever again.
A diagnosis from the doctor. I know life is turned upside down.
A death.
And a tragedy.
And life is turned upside down.
And Matthew's point in the last chapter of his gospel
is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ
turns everything upside down.
And when Jesus walked out of the grave
on that first Easter Sunday,
nothing is the same ever again.
It's a huge reversal
in the world.
Somebody walks back from death.
And Matthew shows us
that in this chapter
by showing us those reversals
in the life of everyone that the resurrection
touches.
The resurrection of Jesus
shatters for all time
people going back to normal.
Of business as usual.
And Matthew's interest
is not in the mechanics
of how it happened.
In fact, we're not told how it happened.
We are told that it's a miracle.
But we're told of the massive impact
it has on four different types of people.
And so what I want to do
is just walk you through this chapter
and see
the reversals,
the upheaval,
the wonderful change
that the resurrection brings.
First,
in
the women.
Look at verse 1
of Matthew chapter 28.
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.
They don't know that a guard
has been posted.
They don't know
how they're going to roll the stone away,
how they're going to get access to the body.
But they are in for a huge surprise.
When they discover the guards
lying on the ground,
trembling.
And the stone guarding the tomb
has been rolled away.
And even worse,
there's an angel
sitting on the stone.
And he's no ordinary messenger.
This is an angel
who has come from God.
Look at verse 5.
The angel said to the women,
Do not be afraid.
For I know that you seek Jesus
who was crucified.
He's not here,
for he is risen.
As he said,
come and see the place
where he lay.
And then go quickly
and tell his disciples
that he's risen from the dead.
And behold,
he's going before you to Galilee
and there you will see him.
The angel is clear
that the stone covering the tomb
has been rolled away
not to let Jesus out,
but to let the women see in.
And we are not left to guess
what it means.
The angel tells you
exactly what it means.
He says, doesn't he,
Jesus who was crucified,
who was killed,
is now risen.
He says it twice.
You're at the right tomb.
This was Jesus' tomb.
And he was dead.
But he's no longer dead.
And he's risen from the dead.
It's not reincarnation.
Jesus has risen from the dead.
And it is impossible
for you and I
in those simple words
to grasp the enormous transformation
that has taken place.
For the first time
in all of history,
the iron grip of death
has been broken
from the inside out.
Somebody has gone through death
and come out the other side
and shown that he's stronger.
The angel says
that Jesus
has defeated death.
Recently,
I read of a Muslim student,
a Muslim student in Africa
who had become a Christian.
And when his friends
asked him
why that is,
why he'd become a Christian,
this is what he said.
He said,
well, it's like this.
Suppose you're going down a road
and the road forks
in two different directions
and you do not know
which way to go.
And there at the fork
are two men.
One dead
and one alive.
Who would you ask
for directions?
There is a man
who has come back
from the dead
who has walked
out of the grave.
And as the women
race off
to tell the disciples,
their imaginations
are running
ahead of them.
You can imagine
they're completely
discombobulated
and they meet
the risen Lord Jesus.
Verse 9,
can you see it?
He met them.
Verse 9,
Jesus met them
and said,
greetings.
And they came up
and took hold
of his feet
and worshipped him.
And then Jesus said to them,
do not be afraid.
Again,
second time we're told it,
do not be afraid.
Go and tell my brothers
to go to Galilee
and there they will see me.
Jesus meets them,
this terrifying figure
who's come back
from the dead
and he greets them
in the most
ordinary way possible.
he says,
hi,
hello.
If he was Australian
he'd have said,
g'day.
If he was Welsh
he'd say,
shammai.
It's just the normal
greetings.
And they take hold
of his feet
and they worship him.
Why is that important?
This is not a ghost.
It's not a hallucination.
It's not an apparition.
It is real.
It is tangible.
It is bodily.
They grab hold
of his feet.
It is a physical resurrection.
resurrection.
He's not really,
merely resuscitated
back to life.
When Lazarus,
earlier on in the Gospels,
rose from the grave,
they didn't worship him,
did they?
But they worshiped Jesus.
No, this is a risen
Lord Jesus,
raised physically
from the dead
with feet you can
hold on to.
And Jesus encourages
the women,
don't fear.
And he gives them
the same job
that the angels
gave them.
Go and tell.
Because their world
has turned upside
down.
Two days ago,
those women
had been at the cross.
You see that
at the end of Matthew 27.
We're told about them.
They stand
observing the cross
and observing Jesus
being buried
and they are powerless
and they are weak
and they are helpless.
They are the most
powerless people
in the story.
And on that
resurrection morning,
they go to anoint
a dead body.
Their hopes
have been shattered.
The bottom
has fallen out
of their world
and now,
by verse 10
of chapter 28,
these women
are center stage.
Their hopes
that have been shattered
have been literally
raised to life.
Their fears
have been transformed
into confidence.
They are the first
witnesses
of the risen Lord Jesus.
It is a complete
reversal for the women.
Their lives
are turned upside down
and it is based
on the fact
that Jesus
has risen
from the dead.
Fearful,
grieving,
hopes dashed,
powerless.
Is that you
this morning?
You've come here
this morning.
Your world
is falling apart.
Outwardly,
everything might seem
great,
but you don't know
how you're going
to go on.
Your hopes
are dashed
and there's a message
to you from the
resurrection this morning.
Jesus says
your life
can be transformed.
Your world
can be turned
upside down.
The second group
are the guards.
The soldiers.
I think you've got
to have real sympathy
for these guards.
It's a routine exercise.
You can imagine it.
What have you got to do?
What's the job
for tonight?
You've got to go
and keep a dead body dead.
That's all you've got to do.
Just stand guard
outside the tomb.
There's a massive rock
outside the entrance.
They had sealed it
with whatever
they could find.
These guards,
they are the picture,
aren't they,
of authority
and power in the story.
They're the ones
in control.
They are the winners.
They've defeated
this kind of insurrectionist.
They are the ones
with the weapons.
They are the ones
with the capability.
They're the ones
in command.
These are the guys
in control.
Look at verse 2.
And behold,
there was a great earthquake
for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven
and came and rolled
back the stone
and he sat on it.
His appearance
was like lightning
and his clothing
as white as snow.
I don't know
what you think of
when you think of angels.
You might think of little kids
in a nativity concert,
you know,
wearing sheets
with little wings attached.
Angels are talked of
really positively,
aren't they,
in our culture.
Sophie Burnham wrote this
in a little book of angels.
Angels always bring us
a calm and peaceful serenity
that descends sweetly
over you.
Their message is
always don't worry,
things are working out perfectly,
you're going to like this.
It's nothing like
the Bible's angels.
Look at this angel.
This angel in verse 2,
he brings a splintering earthquake,
he tosses the stone
to one side
and then he comes
and he rests on it.
It's a lovely picture.
Here is a picture of death,
a symbol
of the closed door of death.
The security of the grave
and the only respect
that the angel pays to it
is to sit in it.
I grew up with two elder brothers.
Next elder brother
is eight years older than me
and occasionally we would fight
and we would wrestle
and how do you know
that you would won the wrestle?
How do you know
that you would won the wrestle
against your brother?
What does the victor do?
He sits on the loser,
doesn't he?
And so my brothers
would sit on me
until you say,
I give up,
I give up.
And here's this glorious picture,
isn't it?
It's like he's sitting on death.
The angel,
that's the respect
that he pays for it.
He's defeated death.
Can you see there's a little play
on the words
in verses 2 and 3?
The word tremble.
So what happens
in verse 2,
can you see
there's an earthquake,
there's a great earthquake.
And then in verse 4,
can you see what happens
to the guards?
They quake.
They tremble.
The guards experience
the same word for earthquake.
The guards have
their own private earthquake
as they see the angel
and the angel
comes to announce
that Jesus is risen
and the rocks
quake
before him.
And those
whose job it was
to keep Jesus
from rising,
they quake as well.
All they had to do
was to keep
a dead man dead
and with all their power
and all their skill,
they couldn't do it.
And instead,
Matthew says,
can you see the play
on words,
they became like,
what did they become like?
Dead men.
They became like dead men
because the one
who was dead
is now alive.
What's happened?
Their world has been
turned upside down.
And the living
and the powerful ones
become like dead men
because the dead one
has been raised
from the dead.
And the resurrection,
it brings about
a complete reversal.
It brings about
a complete reversal
in the values
of our world.
What we think of
as the great human powers
are ultimately
utterly powerless.
Death,
so powerful,
is now transformed
into life.
We don't have time
to look at it,
but if you look
at verses 11 to 15,
there's a remarkable
contrast between
the joy
and the thrill
and the obedience
of the women
and the way
that the guards
reluctantly go
to the chief priests
and tell them
what's happened.
And the response
of the priests,
the response
of the authorities
is to do whatever
they can to cover it up.
And I think
it's a wonderful
little story
because it shows
you and I
that the resurrection
faces us
with this fundamental
choice of
are you going
to be like the women
who fall at Jesus'
feet and worship him
or are you going
to be like the guards
and the authorities
who hold on
to the illusion
of their own power
and your own control
and kid yourself
that you're going
to keep in control.
And one is the way
of deception
and death
and the other
is the way of life.
The resurrection
of Jesus
turns everything
upside down.
And so for the
control freak
this morning
for the person
who's buttoned down
everything in their life
writes endless lists
because they can't bear
being out of control
who has to be in charge
who wants to keep
their life
exactly the way
they want it
and they've planned
out their life
for the next 10, 5, 10, 15, 20 years
there's a message
from the resurrection
and the message is
you're not in control
and sooner or later
you will discover
that life is in control
so stop pretending
and recognize
the one who is
Lord of all.
Not only for the women
and for the guards
but thirdly
most importantly
the third person
that the resurrection
brings this reversal for
is the Lord Jesus himself.
Twice the angel tells you
Jesus has been raised.
The will of God
was not to leave him
in the grave
but to raise him
from the dead
and Matthew wants
to take his keeper
so look at verse 18
Jesus speaks after
being raised
from the dead
and he says this
he says
all authority
in heaven and earth
has been given to me
and the word authority
there is not just
naked power
but it is
Jesus saying
I have the right
to decide
I have the freedom
to act
I can act
with God's own authority
and now it is
Jesus' authority
because God has given it to him
and Jesus says
my authority
is unrestricted
and unqualified
it is unconditional
it is an authority
that extends
from the furthest
reaches of space
into the smallest
subatomic particle
it draws under its canopy
all men and women
and boys and girls
who have ever lived
and Jesus' authority
does not wax and wane
it does not diminish
over time
it doesn't weaken
with circumstances
no he says
all authority
in heaven and earth
has been given to me
it is an incredible claim
he is claiming
that he has authority
over angels
and archangels
demons
principalities
over might
over thrones
over governments
over the natural world
over the supernatural world
over the animals
over you
and over me
and he has the ability
and the freedom
and the right
and that is really important
because there is no area
there is no people
there is no culture
there is no single being
in all the universe
that lies outside
the authority
of Jesus Christ
you might not like it
but that doesn't change it
Jesus Christ
could not assert
with any more clarity
his absolute
faultless
consummate authority
and here is a man
who two days ago
was crucified
naked on a cross
who was put to death
who was mocked
and scorned
and now
he is risen from the dead
and he is saying
all authority is mine
and I think that is
the key point of the chapter
and so it is no wonder
is it that Jesus
received their worship
look at verse 9
in verse 9
they come up
and they take hold
of his feet
those women
and they worship him
and in verse 17
when they saw him
they worshipped him
and Jesus receives
their worship
he doesn't stop them
he doesn't say
no no I am just a good guy
I am not really
the son of God
Jesus is conscious
that the resurrection
brings a new moment
it is a new day
and this new moment
is marked by his
universal lordship
if there is any doubt
can you see that he
includes himself
in the name
of the single name
of God
he talks about
in the name of the
father
the son
and the holy spirit
this is how God
is known
and I think
that when we
understand this
we come to the
heart of Christianity
because when the
early Christians
preached the gospel
of the Lord Jesus
this is how they
preached it
they said
you rejected Jesus
as worthless
and irrelevant
you thought he
wasn't who he
said he was
you treated him
as worthless
and irrelevant
but God has
raised him from
the dead
and enthroned him
in heaven
where he is
Lord and Christ
and that I think
is the key
significance of the
gospel
yes it's true
that God loves you
very very much
and you are important
and God wants
your very best
for you
yes it is true
that Jesus came
and died an
atoning death
for your sins
that is true
but the way
that the New
Testament preaches
the gospel
it says
what you thought
of Jesus
is wrong
and actually
he is the exact
opposite of what
you thought
he is Lord
and God
and the proof
of that is the
resurrection
it's so bold
isn't it
what you think
is wrong
what you've done
is wrong
the one you've
crucified
now rules
heaven and earth
you could pick
half a dozen
sermons in the
book of Acts
and see this
and Matthew's
point in Matthew
28 is this
understand that
the resurrection
is a great
reversal
that Jesus
is alive
and he's
stronger than
death
and you and I
must bow before
him and worship
him
and God has
given him
all authority
in heaven
and on earth
and so we can
trust him
and we can
live for him
and we can
come under his
control
he is now
Lord and Christ
and that is the
great reversal
for Jesus
and so for some
of you that's
revolutionary
isn't it
that Jesus
is not who
you think he
is
in fact
as you
understand
something of
the great
reversal
and the
significance
of Jesus
Christ
you've got
to realise
like I did
I got it
all wrong
about him
it's why
we're running
this course
Christianity
Explored
we're going
to have three
weeks where
we look at
the teaching
of Jesus
you can
come with
any questions
and you can
come and look
at the evidence
of who he
says he is
and what he
did and what
he's done
for you
that he is
Lord and
Christ
so there's a
reversal in the
resurrection
for the women
and for the
guards and for
the Lord Jesus
but lastly
there's a reversal
for the
disciples
the followers
of Jesus
in the week
leading up
to the cross
what had
they done
they had
deserted him
they denied
him
they'd fled
from him
they were
scattered
from him
but they
gathered
together
through the
words of
these women
and the
point of
verses 16
to 20
is Jesus
wants to
spell out
what the
resurrection
means
for his
followers
and here's
the central
meaning of
the resurrection
that Jesus
has transferred
his mission
what he came
to do
to our
mission
as a church
that Jesus
continues as
the risen
and ascended
Lord
he continues
to call
disciples
like you
and I
from all
over the
world
and when he
says
that he's
been given
all authority
in heaven
and earth
the question
is
Jesus
what are
you going
to do
with that
authority
what are
you going
to do
with that
authority
and the
answer in
verse 18
is quite
shocking
isn't it
he says
to his
church
all authority
has been
given to
me
therefore
you go
and make
disciples
there's four
things in
verses 19
and 20
in our
English
Bible
really
it's
one word
that Jesus
is talking
about there
it's about
making
disciples
and it's
really important
that you and
I understand
what that
word means
on this
resurrection
morning
it's a
really precious
word
because the
word disciple
is another
word for
Christian
a disciple
first of all
is a
learner
when you
become a
follower of
the Lord
Jesus
you become
a lifelong
learner
none of us
no matter how
long we've
been disciples
have reached
a stage
where we've
arrived
where we've
got nothing
to learn
where we've
got nothing
to learn
following Jesus
ought to make
you more
curious as a
human being
following Jesus
means that you're
a learner
but the second
part of being a
disciple is of
being a follower
that is there is
a personal
attachment to
Jesus
it's not
learning for the
sake of learning
so the life of a
disciple is
different from
every other
kind of life
precisely because
our allegiance
is to Jesus
we love
him
and we
want to
know him
and we
want to
follow in
his ways
and so
becoming a
follower of
the Lord
Jesus
becoming a
disciple
becoming a
Christian
is not
essentially
primarily an
intellectual
assignment
it means
being willing
to open up
every area
of your life
to him
and this
chapter gives
us our job
as a church
that what
is our
church
all about
it is about
making disciples
people who are
followers and
learners of the
Lord Jesus
and it is to
call on you
this morning
to call on me
to change my
allegiance
to recognise
!
that the one
that I thought
was irrelevant
is Lord and
Christ
to call on you
to recognise
that Jesus
has all
authority
in heaven
and on
earth
and the
book finishes
with an
enormous
encouragement
from the
risen Jesus
the risen
Jesus
who
has all
authority
he says
can you
see it
I am
with you
to the
end
of the
age
Mark's
gospel
starts
with
Matthew's
gospel
starts
with Jesus
as Emmanuel
the baby
do you know
what the word
Emmanuel
the word
Emmanuel
means God
with us
that's why
Jesus came
he came
to be with
us
and as
we get to
the end
of the
gospel
can you see
what the
end of the
gospel
Jesus
message is
he is
with his
people
always
Jesus
came to
rescue
he came
to be
with you
he says
I am
deeply
invested
I am
promising
my
personal
companionship
every day
and so
it doesn't
matter what
your circumstances
are this
morning
it doesn't
matter whether
you feel
like it
or not
he is
with us
always
to the
end
of the
age
his
presence
is not
intermittent
in success
or in
failure
his presence
doesn't wax
and wane
in joy
or sorrow
in youth
or in
old age
he says
if you
will come
to me
I will
never
leave
you
and so
we began
this morning
didn't we
by thinking
of days
which turn
everything
upside down
of days
which change
everything
and the
resurrection
of the
Lord Jesus
Christ
is one
of those
days
but today
can be
one of
those days
you can
come
to the
Lord Jesus
with all
your
fears
and all
your
worries
and all
your
broken
and shattered
dreams
like the
women
and you
can come
with all
your
control
freakery
and you're
trying to
organise
life
and trying
to not
let anything
slip
and you
can bring
it all
to the
Lord Jesus
and you
can bring
your
brokenness
and your
rebellion
and your
ignoring
him
and treating
him like
an irrelevance
and not
realising
who he
is
and see
that he
is the
one
who lived
and died
for your
sins
but who
is wonderfully
risen from
the dead
and he
is now
Lord
and God
and he
is all
authority
and he
is worthy
of your
worship
and your
life
and you
today
can come
with all
your
hangups
and you
can put
your life
into the
hands of
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
and say
I want
to be
your
disciple
I want
to follow
the Lord
Jesus
I want
to be
a lifelong
learner
I don't
know
everything
there is
to know
but what
I do
know
is that
I need
you
Lord
and you
can ask
him
today
and if
you will
trust him
and if
you will
submit
yourself
to his
authority
he says
I can
forgive you
and you
can ask
him to
save you
and rescue
you
and you
can trust
him
and the
promise is
this that
he will
lead you
and he
will guide
you
and he
will be
with you
and so
you can
walk out
of this
building
knowing
that he
who has
all authority
in heaven
and earth
will be
with you
to the
end
of the
age
or you
can pretend
or you
can pretend
that the
resurrection
never really
happened
you can
pretend
that he
doesn't
have
all
authority
you can
pretend
that you're
in control
and you
can sort
yourself
out
how's that
working out
how is that
going
recognize
the reality
that there
was a day
when someone
walked out
of the grave
and he
is Lord
and God
and so
follow him
call out
to him
cry
into him
and you
will be
saved
let's
pause
for a moment
I'm going
to pray
let's
pause
in the
silence
you can
cry to
God
now
you can
pray to
him in
your
heart
God