A Reflection on Matthew 28:1-10
On a silent morning, there were guards, there were women, there was an angel, and there was a stone rolled away. Jesus had been resurrected, so He wasn’t there. The women went to the grave with good intentions, they went to prepare the body, they went to finish what they could not do on Friday. They were unaware that God finished the work of salvation… Jesus has completed the work, sin is defeated and death is defeated, Grace has won, Hope has won, Love has won, and PEACE has won.
Our world needs this right now, chaos is around us. People are shouting at one another, physical distancing has put many people on edge, anxiety, depression, frustration at one another is on the rise. Selfishness is on the rise, Anger is on the rise, Sadness is on the rise. The world needs peace, the world needs hope, the world needs the Church to step up and do the work to bring God’s Kingdom to the world.
These are similar feelings that Christ’s followers had when they saw Jesus crucified. They went and isolated themselves, not because of a virus, or because the government had imposed any sort of orders, but because they didn’t know what to do. Sabbath came and they sat in sorrow and fear because they did not think this would happen.
Matthew 28:1-10
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
This victory happens in an instant, none of the disciples or followers were there to see and give us their eyewitness, but they encountered Christ and told us about their encounter. They did not give us a scientific explanation about how Christ was raised from the dead, but rather we are told how they encountered Christ. The importance was not on the how, but the who. Who Christ was, who Christ encountered, and who Christ loved enough to go the lengths that he did to shatter the power of darkness and bring forth the light.
Everyone in this story had a purpose. The guards had a purpose to keep Jesus in the grave. The women had a purpose to prepare the body of Christ. The angel had a purpose to deliver the message. Jesus had fulfilled His purpose, and now was bringing blessing to all of those He appeared to on that blessed Sunday. His light was snuffing out the darkness that sin had introduced into the world.
This darkness has grasped hold of our world. Fear and uncertainty surround us in an unprecedented way. Chaos grips the world, we do not know when there will be an end to these orders, we do not know when there will be an end to the fear that has grasped so much of the world that looks for answers to the end of a virus.
People look for answers, but the church needs to bring hope. The church needs to bring an answer to chaos, and that is peace. God’s love must pour through all of us and overwhelm the world with grace. In the light of this, now is the time for the church to rise up and fulfill their role within the world. Just as Esther was placed in her role to save the Hebrew people, for such a time as this, the Church must rise to the occasion to be the leaders in the world.
The role that the Church needs to fulfill is not one of radical disobedience to the authorities, or one of fear, but rather to lead the world by being the source of ingenuity, peacemaking, grace, mercy, hope, and love. It is this moment where we act out of the wisdom God has given to us, where we look out for the vulnerable and weak. The Church must lead in showing the world that God’s control is not in question even in the face of the many fears this virus may rise up in us. Rising up in this season will lead to revival, rejoicing, and reconciliation. This is that which Christ came to lead His Church!
Elpis and Shalom 
Amen!