Resurrection Observations
Reflective Reading: Matthew 28
Happy Resurrection Day! As I ponder what happened that amazing morning, there are several observations that I would like to share with you. In the book of Matthew, chapter 28, we begin with Mary Magdalene and other women coming to the sepulcher of Jesus early in the morning. These brave women had no idea how they were going to get the stone rolled away to anoint the body of Jesus, but it didn’t matter to them. Nothing was going to keep them away. Love has a way of doing this. Love removes all fear and motivates us to move forward regardless of the obstacles.
When they arrived, they experienced an earthquake, an angel who rolled the stone away, and petrified guards who were paralyzed like dead men. Telling the women not to fear, the angel then invites them to come into the sepulcher and see for themselves. What do you think they saw? They saw an empty tomb with neatly folded burial clothes. Why is it important that there were neatly folded burial clothes? Because one of the excuses that the elders are going to concoct is that the disciples stole the body of Jesus while the guards slept. If the disciples did steal the body while they slept, I don’t think they would have been removing the burial clothes from off a dead body and then taking the time to neatly fold them. Can you imagine someone doing this? “Hey Peter, can you get the other end of the sheet and help me fold this?”
The next observation is that Jesus was already gone from the tomb before the stone was rolled away. He had risen just as he said! He didn’t need the stone to be rolled out of the way for him to rise. If you read the other resurrection accounts, you’ll find Jesus walking through walls and disappearing before their eyes. His newly resurrected body was no longer limited to earthly physical restraints. And though his new body has divine powers, he still can eat food as demonstrated when he ate the fish and honeycomb offered to him. Since we will be like him, it stands to reason that we will function in a similar way. John writes:
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John. 3:2).
Another observation is the record of the first words of Jesus after he rose from the dead. He says to Mary, and probably the other women, “Cheer!” This word is a greeting wishing someone good health, great joy, and happiness. These first words are directed to the faithful women who loved Jesus deeply. They were not afraid to stay with him during his crucifixion nor on their early morning (before sunrise) walk to the tomb three days later.
Unlike Mary and the other women, the first words that are said to the men, are not so comforting. Before we look at those first words, Jesus does tell the women to go and tell his “brothers” that he’s going to Galilee, and there they will see him. This is the only time Jesus calls them “brothers.” You would think that after this endearing title that this exciting reunion would be a joyous celebration.
I’m not sure what they were expecting, but the unfaithful and doubting disciples hear something quite different than Mary Magdalene. In Luke 24 and Mark 16 we read:
“O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24).
“Afterward he appeared to the 11 as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen” (Mark 16:14).
If my friends had let me down, and they were all depressed and down and out about their failures, I would just overlook everything and try to pick up their spirits and move on. Not Jesus! He always speaks the truth, saying what he means and meaning what he says. He doesn’t pull any punches. He deals with sin face-to-face but doesn’t leave us without hope as we will see in the next observation.
In Luke 24 Jesus appears in the midst of them, seemingly out of nowhere. The text says they were “terrified and affrighted.” The word terrified carries the idea that they were ready to make a run for it or had already started to run. I can imagine how this must feel. In fact, just a few minutes ago I experienced something similar! I was walking out my front door to get a book that I left in my car. As I was walking out, the UPS driver was walking toward my front door with a box. It was one of those moments where, as I opened the door, he handed me the box with exact timing and precision. We both were looking down, and as we looked up, our eyes met, and we both screamed as if we saw a ghost! Neither of us were expecting that meeting. We had a good laugh. I can imagine, seeing our Lord was quite a bit scarier, especially since he didn’t walk through the front door!
As Jesus appears to them, he says,
“Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
The text goes on to say that the disciples still “could not believe” while they were in this surreal state of confusion. As he shows them the nail prints in his hands and feet and his pierced side, he is proving to them that he is not a spirit. He says to them: “for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
As I bring these observations to a close, I think it is significant that Jesus, the Son of God, is going to remain with the nail prints in his hands and feet, as well as his pierced side. Why would Jesus keep these marks in his glorified body? Do you remember how the two disciples on the road to Emmaus finally recognized Jesus? It was in the breaking of bread. When Jesus broke the loaf of bread they recognized Jesus. Perhaps it was in the way he broke the bread or perhaps they saw the prints in his hands.
This reminds me of a true story about the great preacher, Harry Ironside. He was preaching one Sunday when a hooded man walked into the church and up on the platform. As Dr. Ironside stopped his preaching, the hooded man proclaimed to the congregation that he was Jesus. Dr. Ironside walked over to the man and slid his sleeve up on his arm. He then held the man’s arm up to the congregation and said, “Imposter! There are no nail prints here!”
One of the most important reasons that Jesus will keep those crucifixion marks in his body is to help us perpetually remember and never forget what he did for us—for all eternity.
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min
Recommended Reading:
Worth More Than Gold book (All Ages)
