Rejoice! Christ Is Risen!

Matthew 28:1-10

Happy Resurrection Sunday! Although we set aside this Sunday of the year to especially remember Christ’s resurrection, truly every Sunday as we gather for worship on the first day of the week, we do so because we are celebrating the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

If you have been with us in our verse-by-verse exposition of the Gospel of Matthew, you have seen that Jesus’ death on the cross is the climax of the Gospel narrative. From the very beginning and all the way through, Matthew has been pointing to the cross. Jesus resolutely and willingly went to the cross where He suffered and died. There, Jesus Christ gave His life a ransom for many. There, Jesus Christ was forsaken as He bore the wrath of God against the sins of mankind. There, Jesus was the Messiah-King who saves His people from their sins.

If the cross is the climax of the Gospel, the resurrection is the vindication, triumph, and final authentication of the Gospel. “The resurrection is God’s judicial declaration that the work of the cross is complete: sin has been condemned, its penalty has been paid, and death has no further claim.”[1]

A few years ago, a certain church marketing newsletter called the Churches’ Advertising Network promoted a campaign to help churches attract people during the Easter season. They suggested that churches remove the cross from prominence in their promotions and celebrations. A survey had revealed that the cross is one of those symbols that the new generation of church prospects considered too “churchy ” One pastor interviewed for the campaign gave his whole hearted endorsement, “We are going to attempt to concentrate on the resurrection, and not the death of Jesus.”[2]

Can you imagine Easter without the cross? Is it possible to have Christ’s resurrection without His crucifixion? No. It distorts the entire gospel if crucifixion is separated from resurrection. The road to the empty tomb will forever pass by a cross. The One who was raised from the dead is none other than the crucified Christ. Easter without a cross is a hoax.

Easter is GOOD NEWS because of the cross. Paul gives a summary of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the essential events of the gospel message. The death of Christ without the resurrection would have been powerless. The resurrection without Christ’s atoning death would have been pointless. The resurrection is the triumph of the cross.

The Apostles and the early church constantly preached the resurrection—for no one who denies the resurrection can truly be a Christian. In fact, the very first sermon of the church, on the day of Pentecost, was centered on the resurrection. Peter preached about Christ’s death and resurrection in Acts 2, saying,

“This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:23-24).

John, the last of the living Apostles while exiled on Patmos saw the risen Lord Jesus who said to him, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev.1:18).

Because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, we have the greatest reason to rejoice. According to Matthew, that’s the first word our Lord spoke to the women who first met the risen Lord on that Sunday. Matthew 28:8 says that after the women heard the message of the resurrection the angel, “they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.” But Matthew 28:9 says that as they were going, “behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” “Rejoice!” is the appropriate response from those who believe in Christ. The word itself in the original Greek language is a common greeting, but the root behind this greeting is joy. It’s the same word Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to command the church, “Rejoice always!”

The grieving women that Sunday morning had not intended to go to the tomb to see the resurrected Christ. They came to grieve at the tomb of their crucified Lord and complete the burial anointing that was done so hastily on Friday evening (Mark 16:1). desperately needed to hear “Rejoice!” And perhaps some of us desperately need to hear that today. Maybe you are grieving a great loss. Are the burdens of life pressing in on you? Are you running on empty? Are there real troubles looming down the road?

The message to you this Easter is the same as it was for the women “Rejoice!” Jesus says, “Rejoice!” to everyone of His broken, hurting, wounded, grieving, lonely, frustrated loved ones who are in this room this morning. His resurrection gives us real, substantial, enduring reasons for joy!

1. Rejoice at the Day of the Resurrection (Matt. 28:1).

Look at Matthew 28:1, “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.” The day of the resurrection would not have been an incidental thing to the Jewish person who read Matthew’s Gospel.

Remember that our Lord was crucified during the Passover feast. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace,” (Ephesians 1:7). He was buried on Friday at evening before the Sabbath began. Matthew emphasizes that the women came to see the tomb “after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn.” The first day of the week after the Passover Sabbath was another important day on the Jewish calendar. In Leviticus 23, the Lord prescribed that the day after the Passover Sabbath would be the Feast of Firstfruits (Lev. 23:11). God instructed the Jews to bring an offering of new grain, the firstfruits of their harvest as a promise of the full harvest to come.

Why is this feast day of firstfruits significant? Because as Paul writes in his great resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15,

²⁰ But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. (1 Cor. 15:20-23).

Resurrection day is a great reason to rejoice, because on that day, Jesus was raised from the dead as the firstfruits of those who “have fallen asleep” in Him. That is how the Bible describes those who have died in Christ, because sleep is only temporary until you awake in the morning. And that morning will certainly come, because just as Jesus rose again on the third day, we who are in Him will also rise from the dead when Christ returns.

Jesus has conquered death. He has taken the sting out of it. This is a great reason to rejoice!

2. Rejoice at the Power of the Resurrection (Matthew 28:2-4)

Matthew tells us, “And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.” (Matt. 28:2-4).

When this little group of grieving women arrived at the tomb, nothing was as they expected it to be. They expected to find a tranquil cemetery. Instead, they experienced a great earthquake, much like the one that occurred at Jesus’ death. They found an angel of the Lord sitting on the stone which he had rolled back from the door of the tomb. His appearance was so petrifying, the Roman guards trembled in fear and passed out on the ground near the tomb.

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was accompanied by these powerful events. The resurrection itself had already happened. Jesus was already alive. His body was no longer in the tomb. The angel did not roll away the stone to let Jesus out, he rolled away the stone so that the witnesses could look in.

The angel took care of the two major problems that the women might have had when they came Sunday morning to finish anointing Jesus’ body for burial. In Mark 16 the women had said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” (Mark 16:3). They had seen Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus roll that huge stone over the entrance on Friday evening. The women knew they were not strong enough to remove the stone by themselves. But by the power of the Lord’s angel, the stone was already rolled away!

The other problem that might have kept them from the tomb was the Roman soldiers who were guarding it. They had strict orders not to let anyone move the stone and enter the tomb. But, when the angel showed up, this hardened Roman troops fainted and fell to the ground as if they were dead man. Later, in Matthew 28:11-15, some of the guards will go back and report what happened to the chief priests, who rather than going to verify the truth for themselves, will pay the guards to tell the lie that Jesus’ disciples stole the body—the very thing they were stationed there to prevent!

For many people, the resurrection of Christ is merely an ancient conspiracy theory. In the face of insurmountable evidence, they absolutely refuse to believe that truth of the gospel that Jesus died, was buried and rose from the grave.

The cowardly unbelief of the guards and chief priests reminds me of a BC comic strip from a number of years ago. Johnny Hart would often highlight Christian themes in his comics. In this particular Sunday comic strip, a caveman is on his knees praying and he says “It’s not easy to believe in you, God. We never see you. How come you never show yourself?”

In the next frame, he asks: “How do we know you exist?” Just then, a volcano blows up in the background, a daisy sprouts from the ground toppling a rock, a wave washes over him, and two meteors converge in the sky to form the image of a cross.

Finally, the drenched caveman stands up and says: “Okay, Okay…I give up!” And as he walks by a burning bush and an empty tomb, he mutters, “Every time I bring up this subject all we get is interruptions.”

Listen, the evidence for the resurrection of Christ is powerful and overwhelming. And in these powerful events we have another reason to rejoice. The resurrection demonstrates the power of God over the schemes of men. Nothing could keep Christ from rising, and nothing could keep the good news of His resurrection from spreading.

3. Rejoice at the Message of the Resurrection (Matt. 28:5-8).

In Matthew 28:5 the angel begins to speak to the women, “⁵ Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

First, the angel aimed to calm their fears, saying “Do not be afraid.” The reason he gives for them to lay aside their fears is that the One they have come to see, Jesus who was crucified, is not in the tomb. He is risen. The angel reminds them of Jesus’ promise, “as He said.” The empty tomb confirms the word of Jesus. He can be trusted. We can believe in Him. Every word of Christ is true. The two great pillars of the gospel message are that Jesus died for our sins “according to Scriptures”, and that He rose again the third day “according to Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). Every word that God promised in the Scriptures concerning His Son’s ministry on earth has been fulfilled—“as He said.” When Jesus was betrayed, and arrested, and tried, and beaten, and eventually crucified, none of it was an accident. It was all a part of God’s redemptive plan for our salvation—which He announced in advanced, and then fulfilled!

Then, the angel points them to the evidence of the empty tomb, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” The women had seen Jesus placed into the tomb (Matt. 27:61) and so they knew where His body was set. But, alas, it wasn’t there! I suspect that they saw the same thing that Peter saw when he came running into the tomb. John records that Peter “… saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself,” (John 20:6-7). The significance of these wrappings demonstrate that nobody came to take the body away. If the disciples or some grave robbers stole His body, do you really think they would have left linen wrappings? No. In fact, it looked like Jesus made His bed when He got up.

Having assured that they women witnessed the empty tomb, he then commanded them, “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

And here is our reason to rejoice. We have a glorious message to tell. Look at the imperatives that the angel commanded the women: “Do not be afraid! . . . Come! . . . See! . . . Go! . . . Tell!” Listen, we have great news to bring to a world of lost and fearful people. The Son of God has come, has died on the cross for us, and is alive! He can change the life of anyone who trusts Him! What a reason we have to “Rejoice!”

Psalm 30 is a great testimony of when Lord delivered David from the depths of despair. Psalm 30:11 says, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” Certainly these women had the same testimony. Matthew 28:8 says, “So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.” Even though they were still in “fear” their fear was overshadowed by a sensation of “great joy” as the significance of what they had witnessed began to become clear in their minds. Their “joy” was so great they “ran to bring His disciples word.”

Only one thing could have turned their despair and fear into joy. They felt the earthquake, heard the angel, saw the empty tomb, and believed the good news. But what happens next is even better. And here is our final reason to rejoice:

4. Rejoice in Worshipping the Risen Christ (Matt. 28:9-10).

Now we come to the most amazing and wonderful event that these women experienced. As they ran to tell the disciples the good news, Jesus Himself met them! “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” (Matt. 28:9).

Again, notice how Jesus greeted them; He said, “Rejoice.” Their response was instant and instinctive. It was a response of joy and worship. They fell on their knees and “held Him by the feet and worshipped Him.” Right there on the road, a worship service broke out. They had felt the earthquake, seen the angel, and examined the empty tomb, but seeing Jesus brought it all together. The confusion was gone. They saw Him die on the cross. They witnessed His burial. Now they saw their resurrected Lord with their own eyes! Tears of inexpressible joy fell on His nail-pierced feet! It was almost as if they were saying in their actions that now that they were with the resurrected Lord, they didn’t ever want to be separated from Him again.

I believe anyone who has been born again has experienced that same “joy.” Do you know the joy of meeting the living Lord? Do you remember how sweet it is to know that your sins are forgiven? Does your heart still ring with joy and worship?

O what a wonderful, wonderful day
Day I will never forget
After I’d wandered in darkness away
Jesus my Saviour I met
O what a tender, compassionate friend
He met the need of my heart
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling
He made all the darkness depart

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul (filled my soul)
When at the cross my Saviour made me whole (made me whole)
My sins were washed away
And my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul[3]

Worship is the natural a response to meeting the risen Lord. Fall at His feet today in joyful worship. The worship of Jesus marks all genuine believers in Christ.

Finally, look at what Jesus said to the women, “Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”” (Matt. 28:10). Jesus repeated the angel’s instruction to not be afraid but to go to the disciples and tell them to “go to Galilee” where He would meet with them.

Our response to the news that Christ is risen is the same today. We should be filled with joy that Jesus is alive; we should fall at His feet in worship; we should go forth and tell others the good news of Christ. The facts are the same now as then. Jesus is still alive. He is Lord. And He saves all who come repenting and believing in His death for our sins and resurrection. Is that your story?

The gospel is good news. And it is not too hard to believe. The question today is not CAN you believe in Jesus—YOU CAN. To believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised on the third day is makes more sense than anything else we could say about Him. It is the grace of God that makes saving faith available.

The real question then is not CAN you believe? But WILL you believe? Will you take the free gift of salvation? Will you repent and belief in Christ? Will you fall and worship at His feet? There is no greater joy!

[1] Danson Ottawa, The Resurrection as the Interpretive Center of Christianity, https://dansonottawa.substack.com/p/the-resurrection-as-the-interpretive.

[2] The Guardian, A sign from God, 26 July 1999, https://www.theguardian.com/media/1999/jul/26/mondaymediasection.religion?CMP=share_btn_url.