B3a-devotions

Matthew 28:11-20

Alternative devotions for Tuesday 6th January

In a powerful yet brief ending to his Gospel, Matthew firstly tells us about the guard placed on Jesus’ tomb (28:11-15), and secondly the crucial account of Jesus’ meeting with the disciples in Galilee at which He gave them the ‘Great Commission’. These two stories powerfully illustrate the two ways people respond to Christ’s resurrection. Some indulge in suspicion, gossip and misinformation about Christ, as the chief priests did (28:12f.), and others will genuinely meet with the risen Lord and be commissioned to do His will. For this reason, our passage today is profoundly important, and it is no wonder that the last three verses of Matthew are probably used as a text for more sermons in the world than any other, apart perhaps from John 3:16 (‘For God so loved the world …’).

Matthew tells us about the cover up story because the accusations made about the resurrection were common in his day, and needed to be refuted. Even today, some say that the Resurrection did not happen and prefer the cover up story for which there is less evidence than the resurrection itself! We either accept the report of the women (28:1-10) with faith or we reject it, and history shows that those who receive it become changed people; those who do not receive it remain forever with their questions unanswered!

Despite concerns, the disciples accepted the women’s story, and gathered in Galilee to meet their Master. This was a crucial part of their journey and it eventually led to the establishment of the Early Church. Matthew records no more about Jesus after His final moments on earth, because the Gospel was about Him, not what happened later. In these last moments, Jesus commissioned the disciples to put into practice everything they He had taught them, and the ending gloriously points us forward to what the disciples would do to found the Church in obedience to the commission of their Lord.

The report of the guards The guards at Jesus’ tomb were in deep trouble. They had not seen the risen Jesus, but the destruction of the seals they placed on the tomb by an angel (28:2-4), something not easily explainable! Moreover, Jesus body had disappeared; otherwise, and they needed to explain why it had gone! Some of the guards went to the chief priests and elders in order to try and find a way to save face (28:12). By saying that the disciples had taken Jesus, they implied negligence on the part of the soldiers, so they needed a handsome bribe to go along with it (28:13,14). A guard caught sleeping on duty risked the death penalty, and Pilate was not known to be lenient.

The guards were re-assured that influence would be brought to bear on their behalf if Pilate heard the story (28:14), but the story was highly improbable. How was it possible to dismantle a tomb seal without waking up soldiers on guard? Why would the soldiers be asleep, anyway? One can hardly imagine anyone taking the guards seriously unless they said ‘this is what we are supposed to say’!

The gathering of the eleven The eleven remaining disciples travelled to Galilee to meet Jesus, and it is not difficult to imagine what they must have thought. None of them had seen the risen Jesus, yet they acted on the report of the women. Judas, had killed himself, and they had all deserted Jesus and now had to meet Him again! Some may have kept their distance and had no real knowledge of what had happened at all, so the journey would have been important, enabling them to talk together and share what they had or had not done; they had much to talk over. The report of some doubt amongst the disciples (28:17) has proved contentious for years, but it is really not surprising; the disciples who had not yet seen Jesus would have had difficulty in understanding it all.

What is more important than the disciple’s doubts is that when they saw Jesus again, they all worshipped him. This in itself is remarkable, for ‘worship’ in Jewish and Christian tradition means forgiveness and reconciliation as well as ‘bowing down’ before God; and Peter, for one, needed to be accepted again and forgiven by his Lord whom he had failed. In their worship, the disciples all saw Jesus alive again; it was a common experience and there was no more room for doubt.

The Great Commission Jesus final words to the disciples are of great importance, and deserve more attention than can be given here. Essentially, Jesus handed over the work His work to the disciples. Moreover, He gave them all the authority from the Father, an authority now confirmed by the Resurrection. Jesus therefore commanded the disciples to do God’s work in the world so that all people might be restored to their Maker!

This mission is nothing less than the plan of God for the salvation of all creation. The plan was put in place after the tragedy of ‘the fall’ (Gen. 3) when worldly perfection was compromised by sin. This plan had been entrusted to the Israelites, but they failed to be ‘a light to the nations’ (Isaiah 49:6), and God acted through Christ to complete His plan, providing a means of salvation through Him for all humanity. Jesus now passed the responsibility for revealing this plan to the disciples, and they were to ‘make disciples of all nations’. They were to follow the example of Jesus and John in using the practice of baptism (28:19), using a formula of words unique to the Gospels; ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’. This is the famous ‘Trinitarian’ formula which sums up what we know of God’s nature, and it played a significant role in helping the people of the early church understand who Jesus was. Most churches regard these words as essential to the practice of Baptism; as essential, even, as water!

The last command (28:20) is a clear instruction to the disciples to pass on all that Jesus had taught them; an instruction that Matthew himself fulfilled by writing a Gospel, and other disciples fulfilled in other feats of evangelism, teaching, writing or leadership. The command to discipleship is accompanied by a final promise at the end of the Gospel that has been treasured by Christians as the greatest and most necessary of blessings; the presence of the Saviour Himself. ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (28:20).

11 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. 12 Then they met with elders and devised a plan to give the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.” 14 If the governor hears of this, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble.’ 15 So they took the money and did as they were told. And to this day, that is the story told among the Jews.

16 The eleven disciples then went to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had arranged to meet them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

You are the Lord of all, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the World. Let us appreciate the majesty of Your awesome power in the natural world, the incredibly gentle touch of Your healing hand, the stimulating possibilities of the challenges You pose to the human intellect, and the calm and patient care with which You lead us through life. Then, may we praise You with vigour and enthusiasm, all our days! AMEN

Find beauty in companionship,

For Jesus is our friend and respects our love:

Find beauty in simply duties,

For Christ empowers us to do all that’s good:

Find beauty in helping the poor

For the Son of God brought hope to the world:

Find beauty in doing what is right,

For the Spirit creates the fruit of the Spirit within:

Find beauty in working with others

For the Father loves the unity of His people:

Find beauty in overcoming problems

For the Lord our God is victorious over all evil:

Find beauty is resting from all you do

For God Himself rested, and loves the Sabbath.

Weekly Theme: The Seasons

Pray for the situation concerning the loss of bees due to viral infection and the potential worldwide implications for the health of the planet if cross-pollination is compromised.

On-going prayers

Give thanks to God for the joy of travelling and visiting friends
Pray about the strife in Israel and Gaza, and for the peace of God
Pray for those who are distressed because of family breakup

THIS IS THE ALTERNATIVE BIBLE STUDY FOR TODAY - ON THIS PAGE ONLY, and the discipleship page see below

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