Come, Rejoice and Go
Bible Text: Matt 28:1-20 | Preacher: Peter Elward | Series: Visiting Preachers | Introduction
A well known chapter
Including the Great Comission
Three words:
v6 – Come
v9 – Rejoice
v10 – Go
Quote from Charles Coulson
Better words in this passage
Come
Words from the angel
An invitation to say the place where the Lord lay
“Come”
Through the words of Scripture we are invited to ‘come’
The resurrection
Do you believe in a bodily, physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ?
If not, there is no hope
An invitation from the angel
Peter and John ran to the tomb
They believe
Mary Magdalene sees the risen Jesus Christ
We are invited into the empty tomb – come and see
Quote from John Blanchard
An invitation to come and see
What did the early witnesses see?
They saw angels
Not grave robbers but angels
Emperor Claudius – Capital punishment for grave robbers
The angels appeared like young men – Mark
The angel rolls away the stone (v2) – the supernatural power of God
They saw the grave clothes
Yet they did not yet understand that Jesus must rise from the dead
John believed
Jesus did not stagger around in grave clothes as with Lazarus
Lazarus had to die a second death – not with Jesus
They are a symbol that He is the risen Christ
They saw a physical body
They held Him by the feet
He ate breakfast – Luke
They saw His scars – John 20
Come and see
A non-Christian – see the Lord Jesus Christ
A Christian – be refreshed in your vision
Christ is risen from the dead
Not a memorial – Christ is with us
Rejoice
An order to the words
Come – then when we know He is alive, ‘rejoice’!
Rejoice
Jesus could have rebuked them
The disciples abandoned Jesus
Remind them of their failures
Instead He says rejoice
We rejoice because there is peace with God
“Peace be with you”
We are able to know God
There is forgiveness and acceptance
Real rejoicing is found in Jesus Christ
Not the so-called happiness of the world
Rejoice in the forgiveness of sins
The denial of Peter
The restoration of Peter
Hosea – Jesus will forgive us
Rejoice in fellowship with Jesus
Jesus met them
Jesus meets us
They worshiped Him
Our place is on our knees, on our face
Quote from John the Baptist and Shakespeare’s Othello
Do we rejoice in Jesus Christ?
Rom 5, Phil 4
Quote from Jonathan Edwards
Job rejoiced in God
Do you rejoice in God – not in things?
Go
v10, v7, v19
Go and tell
Come, Rejoice and then Go!
You cannot keep this message to yourself – go and tell others
Quote on selfishness
The apostles were encouraged
We know the apostles were slow to take the gospel to the Gentiles
They constantly needed the help of the Holy Spirit
They were given encouragements
We need the help of the Holy Spirit
Do we believe in the Holy Spirit?
Do we ask for His help?
The encouragement of the risen Lord Jesus Christ
They will see Me (v10)
‘Lo I will be with you until the end of the age’ (v20)
Jesus has promised never to leave us nor forsake us
One day we will see Christ and be with Him
Epitaph of Solomon Peas
Go and tell
Not just about words
How we live and conduct ourselves
We have a gospel to proclaim
Closing Remarks