Matthew 28
Matthew 28:1-20
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.
2 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.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “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.
7 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.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 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.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’
14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”
15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Similar to His initial arrival on earth as a man, Jesus’ resurrection occurred with far less fanfare than you might consider commensurate with such a significant event. In fact, there was far less, with a single angel replacing the choir and just a few shocked soldiers as unknowing witnesses. Though there have been and will be moments of massive celebration of the Master, it seems that this is not a requirement to validate a history-shaking God movement. So much more was going on there than could have ever been perceived by even those closest to Jesus. Its significance would have to be revealed and proven out endlessly in the ages to come, but for the moment, though none less incredible, it was amazingly subdued. Nothing would ever be the same from this moment on, yet everything about this moment’s significance would require faith to be realized and applied.
How easily and frequently it is that an event involving the same power that raised Christ from the grave occurs with no corroborating fanfare or noted observers. It’s just the God of the Universe having His way with an individual apart from worldly eloquence or impressive credentials. Just as there were still doubters among the disciples that saw the resurrected Jesus, so there are doubters today when there is a perceived lack of validation in what can be seen and understood with the natural eye and ear. A connection with a God movement may be established in a heart by faith, apart from the need for social postings and widespread consensus. Many on that morning felt the earth’s quaking but completely missed the moment’s impact. What God initiates may not be so much about its point in time as where that point takes us by faith. The ones who get on board and participate in where His movements are going are those who connect by faith from a heart bonded to Him apart from earthly arguments. To join with Him in solitude and apparent insignificance is to reign with Him in power, glory, and compelling kingdom triumph. It is much better to leave off defining and analyzing to embrace instead the One who is standing before us today, calling us to walk together with Him in earth-shattering newness of life to a place the world’s talking heads can never predict or validate.