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With
the death of Jesus, all salvation history has reached its turning point. All twenty-seven
chapters of Matthew come up to this final chapter, the apex of Matthews gospel.
Matthew omits the mention of purpose for
the women coming to the tomb. Dawn locates the event in time-but also has theological significance; this day was
truly esteemed by the Church as the dawning of the new age.
The motifs of earthquake, fear of
the guards, death, and resurrection bind this scene to the scene of the death of Jesus.
Matthew thinks in terms of one great apocalyptic event, the death-resurrection as the
turning point of salvation-history.
And they
came and took hold of his feet: although this is the same Jesus,
the women may not hold on to him or to their old relationship with him. The risen Jesus
appears to a person only to send that person away, to send him or her on mission to
others, yes, to all the nations-the same Jesus, but a new mission.
The Gospel opens with the
announcement: God with us (1:23) and closes with I am with you always, to the close of the
age (28:20). As readers we have special seats from which to watch the unfolding drama. We
know that Jesus has made promises that the cross will not be the end of him or his
presence among us. Jesus resurrection is not the end of the story but a new
beginning. The world into which the Christ is raised is different but not completely
changed. In what way/s does our perspective change because we are active participants in
Christs historical resurrection event?
NIB:
The resurrection is not merely the happy ending of an almost-tragic story of Jesus, a
postscript at the end. The resurrection perspective permeates the story throughout, so
that all of Matthews story is testimony to the risen Lord of the church. The
resurrection is thus to be preached from all twenty-eight chapters, not only from the last
. . . Without the resurrection, the whole story evaporates.
. . . Faith in the resurrection is a matter of worship, not of analysis and inference
(28:16). Even so, it does not exclude doubt, but takes doubt into itself (28:17).
Please refer to
the sermon for Easter Sunday, 2002 on DPS, "He is Risen Indeed."
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