The Gospel of Matthew has asserted that God established a New Kingdom, by and through Jesus of Nazareth, who is now the Lord of the Christian church. The entirety of the Christian faith rests on one and only one event: The Resurrection. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.” (1 Cor. 15:14)
Matthew does not want this issue to be clouded with confusion over facts. In Matthew’s time various stories had been put forth by the religious leaders to try and discredit the Resurrection. Some would say Jesus never died. Some would say his body was stolen from the grave. In the reading today Matthew has put all those stories to rest. Matthew is saying if you are going to doubt the Resurrection then you must doubt whether God can, or would, raise The Messiah from the dead, not whether Jesus was actually dead and buried. Matthew knew that before he could announce the Resurrection he first had to establish: He was buried. He was buried in deed.
Thus the text for today became the basis for the Apostles’ Creed to affirm: (Jesus) “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead.”
What does today’s reading reveal to you
about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do
or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
25-Sep-11 Matthew 28:1-10
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