Matthew 28:1-4

Matthew 28:1-4

And after the Sabbath, by the time of dawn on the first day of the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to observe the tomb.  And behold!  A great earthquake became.  For after an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and after drawing near he rolled away the stone and sat upon it.  And his appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white like snow.  And from fear of him the ones who were guarding trembled and they were becoming as dead men.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Mary and Mary return to the tomb.  The Sabbath is over and it is now the first day of the week.  They can come to the tomb without violating their cultural expectations.  They come to the tomb to observe the tomb.  They know that they cannot roll away the stone.  There’s nothing for them to do but to come and watch.  But even though they are powerless, they still come.  They are loyal.  They are faithful.  They may not officially be one of the Twelve, but they are the ones who come.

Why is it neat to see that it is Mary and Mary who come to the tomb first?  Would you have had the faith and the loyalty to Jesus to come to the tomb knowing that He had actually died and been beaten by the religious elite of Jerusalem?

Second Thought:

I love the fact that the angel sits upon the stone.  I may be making more out of this than I should, but when a person overcomes an obstacle and sits upon it – whether figuratively or even literally – the message being sent is one of being a conqueror.  The angel is more powerful than the stone.  Of course that makes sense, but it is the symbolic message that is more important.  Death cannot contain the power of God.  God is victorious over death.  Because of this story, we can know that fact for sure.

Where have you seen the ultimate power of God?  Based on your experience, can you know with confidence that there is nothing that God cannot conquer?

Third Thought:

Fear caused these guards to suddenly lose their authority.  They had been set there under the authority of the high priest, the chief priests, and the elders.  But in the awesomeness of God even the greatest of human authority trembles.  Here is where we finally get a glimpse of God demonstrating His power openly.  Up until know we saw God’s power behind the scenes, maneuvering truth into human action – even the action of His enemies.  But here we see God’s power openly.  Now that it is truly finished and the power of death is overcome, God’s power is clear and visible.

Have you had a moment in life where you only saw God’s power after the fact?  Have you had a moment in life where you saw God’s power as life was unfolding?  Which do you prefer?  Do you think it is good for God to work in both circumstances?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 28:5-7