The Change                                          Matthew 28:1-10

We just celebrated Easter and we should realize what it means to all mankind. God changed his dealings with us for all time for from that day on our salvation is not dependent on what we do, it is dependent on what God already did.

What a change for mankind. This got me thinking of change in general and the changes we’ve all been facing and adapting to in the past few years. Quarantines wear a mask; don’t wear a mask, remote school, in person school, even worship was suspended for awhile. People lost their jobs, prices are going up, war threatens world peace in a way it hasn’t in a long time. I’ve talked with people who are just         scared. As I prayed on all of this it brought me back to the accounts of Jesus last week.

Jesus ministry lasted three years and by the end of his ministry there were large crowds following him around. During that time the twelve disciples were his inner circle, those closest to him. And the normal they lived with was this; they were fed and clothed, they were friends and had each other as their support system. They listened to powerful messages and witnessed great miracles. Jesus sent them out into the countryside and they had the power of the Holy Spirit with them, Luke 10:17 records them telling Jesus, “Lord, even the demons submit in your name.”

And then they entered Jerusalem. What a day that must have been, John 12:12-13, “The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him…” Their world had everything going right, but the world changed and everything went bad. The crowds turned against them, Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified. They asked themselves the same question we’ve been asking for two years, what happened? How did things get like this?

The disciples were scared, they scattered and left Jesus to face his accusers alone, denied they knew him. Will things, can things go back to normal? And then Easter morning, the stone is rolled aside, the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive.

How is this miracle, this demonstration of God’s power first announced to the world? Verse 5-6, “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen…” I asked myself why these women, why not the disciples? I think I have three possible reasons.

One; the disciples were Jesus inner circle; they were the one’s God ordained to start spreading the word after Jesus ascension. These men were going to be alright so Jesus didn’t need to go to them immediately.

Two; the disciples were the ones who abandoned Jesus at the end. Mary was at the crucifixion, the only disciple there was John. I think Jesus was finalizing the disciple’s education. Thee disciples needed to be completely brought down. They needed to finally and totally abandon all their pre-conceived notions about what the last three years meant and especially the last week meant. It is in this way that when Jesus does go to them he can lift them higher; he can bring them fully into the destiny God has for them.

The third thing I thought of was that in Jesus day women were second class citizens; they had no property, they couldn’t give testimony in court. By going to these women first Jesus is telling the world that through him the old social norms and ideas were void; that all people no matter who they are, are equal in him. Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ.”

In truth, I believe all these reasons were a part of the angel going to these women.

Good Friday; the day God exhausted all his anger and exacted all his punishment for our sin on the body of his son at the cross. This is a Holy day.

Resurrection Sunday; a joyous day that shows us God the Father accepted Jesus the son’s sacrifice for all time, the day that shows us our future in heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:20-21, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…for since death came through a man, resurrection of the dead comes through a man.”

On that Sunday morning the stone was rolled away from the tomb. The commandments written by God on stone cannot keep us in death. Now we cannot ignore the commandments, we need to live by them but I ask us all who has never been angry at someone with little or no real cause? How many of us have never coveted, never were jealous over what someone else has? It is through our faith these things will not condemn us. This is the great gift of the cross, the great lesson of the resurrection. Romans 6:14, “For sin will no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

The events of the past few years can have us looking back to a time before the virus. The experiences of the disciples show us that no matter what happened in the past the future is not a guarantee. In their eyes they had everything and then in less than a week their teacher was dead and they were hiding.

Our earthly future may not be guaranteed but our heavenly future is. Romans 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is something I think many churches miss; it doesn’t say only those who attend our church, only those who make amends for their past, only those who turn and give up their lifestyle; it says everyone. This is demonstrated by the scene at the cross; the man crucified with Jesus shows us that everyone, no matter what you did, no matter how you live, no matter where you were born; you are acceptable to God. It is faith not actions that make us all acceptable to God. If we turn our hearts to Christ God will run to you faster than the father ran to the prodigal son when he returned home.

Here’s something else I think some churches miss. From the moment we accept Christ we are saved but it doesn’t mean we will never sin again. Some I’ve heard say, “You must not have been sincere because you still do _____. Being Christian doesn’t mean we don’t sin, it means we are forgiven of our sin. Hebrews 8:12, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Also you will probably never hear me tell someone what sin they are doing. I don’t believe that is something God wants me to do; I don’t think that is helpful in sharing God with someone. It’s not for me to point out their sin but to point out we all sin, point out that I sin. I believe this is how we should all be when we engage someone for Christ because if any of our lives were examined for sin, what would it show others?

I look at covid these past few years as the great equalizer. It didn’t matter if you are a store clerk, a bank president a movie star or even the President of the United States; covid affected everyone.

The cross and resurrection are the great equalizers. All mankind are equally worthy in God’s eyes and equal in the promise of salvation. 1 John 2:2, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only our sins but the sins of the whole world.”

I once heard a minister say that at the cross God changed. I don’t think God changed at all. In Genesis God calls himself Alev and Tov, in Revelations he is called Alpha and Omega; both mean the beginning and the end. Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

God loved us from day one. He has wanted us with him from day one. This is the reason for the cross. God loves us so much that he endured the cross, wants us so much he took on himself the work for our salvation. We should see this, understand this and believe this. We should take this inside and let it change us. Let it manifest itself in our lives. Let it show the world how much we appreciate what God has done, how much we love God for what he has done.

In “A Christmas Carol” it is said that Scrooge knew how to keep Christmas with him all year long. I ask that we keep the change in our relationship with God by the cross with us all year long. I challenge us to keep Good Friday and Easter Sunday with us all year long.

Amen.