The Bible Study Hour

By [--Guest (Male)--] As a last tribute to their Lord and Master, two women approached his tomb that first Easter morning. But as the shadows lifted, they saw the stone had been rolled away and then saw something else even more disconcerting.

Mark Daniels: Welcome to The Bible Study Hour, a radio and internet broadcast with Dr. James Boice, preparing you to think and act biblically.

The women at the tomb saw the angel sent to tell them of the resurrection of their Lord. And with just four words, the course of human history was to be changed. Listen as Dr. Boice helps us appreciate the depth and importance of the command God's heavenly messenger issued that morning so long ago.

Dr. James Boice: As the sun comes up a bit higher and the shadows disappear slowly, the women go forward and see the angels. Now, when they see the angels, they're afraid. We know that because the first word of the angels to the women is to calm their fear. "Fear not," he said, "for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. And behold, he goeth before you into Galilee. There shall you see him. Lo, I have told you."

Can you imagine how these exact words must have been impressed on the minds of these women? They could never forget them. Remember, they had come to the tomb on that early Easter morning certainly not expecting what they found. They were preoccupied with one thing. They had been to the gravesite a couple of days before and had seen how Jesus was buried and where.

So, they wanted to prepare the body for burial. They went and bought spices, and now they are coming on Easter morning to anoint the body with the spices. Obviously, this is what they were thinking about. Moreover, there was the matter of the stone. They had seen that placed over the mouth of the tomb, and they were asking themselves the question, "Who shall move the stone?" Perhaps they even knew that the soldiers were there. Maybe they were asking whether the soldiers would move it to permit them to complete their task.

Furthermore, they came to the tomb in the early morning, and we know as we compare the story with the other Gospels that they hesitated, looked at the tomb, and were afraid to go close. They noticed that the stone was gone. They could see that as the dawn was coming up, and so they said to themselves, "Well, something has happened. Perhaps someone has been in the tomb. At least the stone is moved. What shall we do?" Someone said, "Well, I think that at least the disciples should be told. Mary, you're the youngest, you go tell them." So Mary starts off to tell Peter and John, whom I believe were the only disciples in Jerusalem that weekend.

And then, as the sun comes up a bit higher and the shadows disappear slowly, the women go forward and see the angels. Now, when they see the angels, they're afraid. We know that because the first word of the angels to the women is to calm their fear. "Fear not," he says. "I know why you are here. I know you were seeking Jesus, who was crucified." And then, having calmed their fear, the angel makes this great announcement: "He is not here. He has risen as he said." And I can imagine that at that point their senses were instantly alert, and they heard vividly everything the angel said from that point on.

What the angel said is summarized in four great imperative words which we're going to consider in this study: come, first of all; see the place where the Lord lay; go quickly; and finally, tell his disciples. I believe we'll understand Easter and respond to the resurrection of Jesus Christ properly when we enter into each of those four imperative words: come, see, go, and tell.

Now let's take them one at a time and think about them. First of all, the women were told to come. There are so many things that might have kept them from coming. There was the place itself. It was a graveyard early in the morning. I don't know whether they were afraid of such things. Maybe they were only afraid when they saw the angels, but a graveyard early in the morning is, well, not the most attractive place to be. And so they might have failed to come for that reason. They might have said, "No, let's go home. We'll come back later when we have some people with us and when the sun is higher, or when we've had a chance to think about these things."

Or again, there was the edict of Rome. The tomb had been sealed by Pilate's order. The soldiers were stationed at the tomb in order to guard it. Now something had happened. The stone had been removed. That meant that the seal had been broken. Rome had been disobeyed. The women might have said, "Oh, but Rome forbids us to go closer. We can't come. We can't look in." And they might have failed to come for that reason. Or again, just to go a bit deeper into the matter, their own sin might have hindered them.

You see, here was something holy. Here was something miraculous: the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And if they had said, as Isaiah did, "Oh, but I am unclean, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips and I cannot come," well, we would understand that and recognize that sin often keeps us from God. And yet, here was the glorious invitation of the angels to come, to come forward. The same kind of invitation that the Lord Jesus Christ himself had given on so many occasions. "Come unto me," he had said. "Let the children come unto me."

So, the women who had heard the Lord many times recognized in the invitation of the angels the authentic voice of God, and they obeyed. I wonder if you've obeyed that. The Lord Jesus Christ, through his Scriptures and through the preaching of the Gospel, gives an invitation to all at all times to come. He's given that invitation to you. He has said, "Come to me. Learn of me. I am meek and lowly in heart. Take my yoke upon you, and you shall find rest for your soul." And so I wonder if you have heard that invitation and if you have come. Have you responded to that first invitation? There's no growth in the Christian life, there is no increase in knowledge and wisdom, until you first of all respond to the invitation that's given. So the first word is a very practical one: the word "come."

But then, second, the angel said, "See the place where the Lord lay." This is a very interesting invitation, I think, to see the place where the Lord lay. But we ask, why should they see it, after all? He's not there. He's risen. He's gone. Why should we go to see the grave? Well, think for a minute with me, if you will, about why we should see it and how we may profit by seeing it. First of all, we see the grave in order that we might understand the great condescension and humility of the Lord Jesus Christ that took him there.

Because you see, the Lord Jesus Christ is not just a mere man for whom death would be perfectly natural. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord. He is Jehovah, the Savior. He is the Messiah. He's the one who has dwelt with God in all eternity, who is God, who is equal to God in all power and glory. And yet, it was this same Lord Jesus Christ who set aside the glory and took upon himself the form of a man in order that he might die. And we say, oh, the condescension of such a glorious God who would come from the glories of heaven to this earth and die and lie in such a tomb. And so we look at the grave and we see there the condescension and love of our Lord.

And then we see something else too, don't we? We see the horror of our sin that placed him there. Because he didn't die for his own sin, he died in our place. He died for our transgressions. It was our chastisement that was laid upon him, as Isaiah says. So, we see the Lord crucified and buried, and we say, rightly, "It is my sin that brought him to that end." And we recognize anew the great love that would cause him to come and die for us. Third, if I can introduce one more somber thought before we go on to the glories of the resurrection, we come to the tomb and we see it, don't we, in order that we might be reminded that we also will lie there, unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes for his own before we die.

We too must die. There is a time when we will be separated from all that we know now. We will leave friends and loved ones. We will leave our material possessions. We'll leave all of that behind. The tomb teaches us that we are mortals and that there is a life beyond for which we must prepare. Certainly the message of Easter is found in that. But now, of course, we look to the tomb also not just to see the love of our Lord, not just to see the horror of our sin, not just to be reminded that we too must die, but we look to see that he is not there. He is risen. He has conquered death. This is the great evidence for the resurrection: the empty tomb.

Oh, there are other evidences too: the change in the character of the disciples, those who were timorous and afraid and scattering after Good Friday, but who after Easter went throughout the whole Roman world proclaiming the Gospel and were not afraid to die for what they knew to be true. That's great evidence. There is the evidence of the change in the day of Christian worship from the Sabbath, the Jewish seventh day of the week, to Sunday, the first day of the week. All the early Christians were Jews. Why would they change the day of worship if it weren't for the fact that Jesus rose on that first day? They were celebrating the resurrection, and so that's great evidence. And then, too, there's the evidence of the grave clothes. But perhaps the greatest of all is the evidence of the empty tomb.

You know, all those who have written in a serious way about the events of these early weeks notice, if they are honest, that in all the reports that we have of the resurrection, whether it's in the New Testament or in some secular writer such as Josephus or the Jewish Talmud, there is not one attempt to deny that the grave was empty. Sometimes, of course, there is the argument, which is also reported in our New Testament, that perhaps the disciples came and stole the body. But not one secular or religious writer denies that the tomb was empty and the body gone. So we come to the tomb, look and see that it is empty, and we learn that the body was raised and that therefore Jesus has triumphed over death.

And while we're looking at the tomb, isn't there a fifth lesson too? Not only did Jesus rise from the dead, but that we shall rise also if we are united with him. Jesus did not come to this earth and teach and die and rise again in order that at last he might lose those for whom he died. But rather, he came, as the Scriptures say, to save to the uttermost those that believe on him. And so we are saved not just in spirit in order that we might have fellowship with God, not just in soul in order that we might be transformed during the days of our earthly life, but in body also. Because the salvation that Jesus brings is complete. And we look to the empty tomb to see that one day we shall rise and be with him.

Now we've looked at two of the words. We've looked at the invitation, the invitation to come. We've looked at the imperative "see." The next word in verse seven is "go." And it's a reminder that as blessed as it may be to stay near the tomb, nevertheless there is still work to do, and we should not linger around the tomb too much. Of course, now, there are some who simply do not believe in the resurrection. Somehow the resurrection, this miracle, this triumph over death, is an embarrassment to them. So they don't want to talk too much about the resurrection. Still, they can't quite get Jesus out of their mind. So in order to do him a favor, they focus on his death at Calvary.

For instance, haven't you read lives of Jesus that build up in a magnificent way to his death, but then say somewhat apologetically at the end that it was reported by certain people that he rose again three days later? Well, that is one way of lingering around the tomb of Christ. But you know, even Christian people, those who believe in the resurrection, sometimes linger on the death of Christ. We recognize that he died for us, and so trying to work up a proper response to his death, we may build up emotional sorrow and mourn over the crucifixion and perhaps think that it's somewhat dishonoring to Christ to rejoice in the resurrection.

I think, too, that maybe liturgics encourage that in some branches of the Christian church. After all, Lent is 40 days long and it builds up to Good Friday, and during Lent we have all of the mournful songs that have to do with his being forsaken by God and stricken and all of that. And then Easter Sunday comes and suddenly it's all over in one morning, and then we can go back to feeling sorry again. Well, this is a great misrepresentation of Christianity. You see, the reason we worship on Sunday, every Sunday, is because Sunday is the day of the resurrection. Every Sunday is Easter Sunday for the Christian. Oh, perhaps we should set aside Good Friday as a day to remember his death in a special way. But throughout the year, Sunday after Sunday, we should remember the triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over the tomb. That is the proper perspective.

And so, all I'm saying is that we should not focus all our attention on his death and burial. Let's not linger at the tomb. The resurrection has come. So that's our message. He is risen, risen as he said. And it leads me to the last point. Four words for Easter: come, see, go, and tell. And you see, there's a wonderful sequence to that because if we come and if we see that the tomb is empty and then if we are commissioned to go, well, it is inevitable that we will have a message to tell. Good news must be told. And if we don't tell it, it's because we really don't recognize how good it is.

If your children hunt for Easter eggs on Sunday morning, have you noticed that they never find an egg without telling you about it? If you have three children in your family, as I do, each egg is reported on three times. In our house last year, we hid 20 eggs, so we had 60 announcements. Every time an egg was found, the little one said, "I found an egg." And then the next oldest child said, "Yes, Jennifer found an egg." And then the oldest confirmed it and said, "It's true, Jennifer found an egg." Well, one egg, three tellings. Now, that's a simple illustration to say that the greatest news in all the world is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And so, how can we who are Christians not tell the world about it and tell them again and again?

You say, "What should we tell?" Let me suggest three things. First, that he is risen. Secondly, that death is conquered. And then third, that God has made this same Jesus whom men killed and crucified both Lord and Christ. And the tomb is the evidence. The resurrection is the proof. I wonder if we understand that message. Do we really understand it? Have we really entered into what it means? Do we really rejoice in it? Well, if we do, then we must tell other people about it. You know, this message of the angels is a perfect sermon. And then, at the very end, there is this marvelous and encouraging promise: "And behold, he goes before you."

Why is it important to know that Jesus goes before us? Well, it's important because we might be shy about the message otherwise. We might be overcome with what seem to be the difficulties of making a supernatural message known to a secular world. There were women who weren't even thought well of in antiquity about to go with the greatest message that the world has ever heard, a message so stupendous that even the disciples weren't believing it. And if they'd said to themselves, "No one will believe us," certainly they would have been right by human thinking. And yet, what do the angels say? The angels say, "And behold, as you go, Jesus the risen Lord goes before you." You see, Jesus would be with them, and he would be their strength.

Is that promise just for the women? No, that is a message for us too. You see, it's what we find just a little bit later where Jesus is talking to the disciples and commissioning them to the task of world evangelization. He begins with his authority: "All authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Then he gives his imperatives—it's the same message: "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." That's the equivalent of "come, see, go, tell." And then he gives the promise: "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." These are the last words of the risen Christ in Matthew's Gospel, and they are a promise. Jesus goes before us as we go. How then can we fail to rejoice in such a great message? And how can we be faithless about proclaiming it to a needy world?

And now, our Father, we thank you for the great message of the resurrection. And we thank you for the command of the angels. Grant that these words might speak to us this day and that we might be different men and women, those who have a true sense of our commission to tell this message to those who desperately need to hear it. And grant that the Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in what we say and what we do. We pray in the name of Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Mark Daniels: You're listening to The Bible Study Hour, featuring the teaching of Dr. James Boice. Luke 24:34 proclaims, "It is true. The Lord has risen." That fact is absolutely fundamental to our lives and our future. Learn more in our free CD offer entitled "Christ Glorified in His Resurrection" by Jeffrey Thomas. This free CD offer is our way of saying thanks for listening. So call us at 1-800-488-1888 and we'll be honored to send you a copy of "Christ Glorified in His Resurrection." That number again is 1-800-488-1888.

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I'm Mark Daniels. Glad you listened in. Matthew could have ended his Gospel with the resurrection or the ascension, events that changed the world and the course of human history. Both represent the essence of our faith, and yet he chose instead Jesus's final command. Join Dr. James Boice as he examines Christ's final words to his followers: the Great Commission. That's next time on The Bible Study Hour, preparing you to think and act biblically.