My dear readers,

 

1. He is not here

Christianity stands — or falls — with the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without the resurrection we have nothing to live for, nothing to believe in, no future to look forward to. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14 and 17, "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain...ye are yet in your sins."

 

Men through the ages have attacked this vital and foundational doctrine. Scientific men especially are opposed to the miraculous elements in the Gospels. "Intellectual giants" like Huxley have declared with arrogant finality that "miracles do not happen", while others try to evolve a non-miraculous Christianity. The Church of England bishop of Durham, Dr David Jenkins, dismisses the resurrection with the mischievous suggestion that the disciples of Jesus"pinched His body away."

 

More honest men (like Frank Morrison, the brilliant London lawyer who wrote "Who Moved the Stone") admit, after serious study that, purely from the evidence of the Gospel accounts, the resurrection stands as an unassailable historic fact. Morrison had started out to write a book to "debunk" the resurrection. He ended writing quite the opposite, being compelled by sheer force of evidence to uphold the Gospel’s authenticity.

 

In Luke’s account, we are presented with the evidence of at least six eye-witnesses. What evidence? (a) The stone had been rolled away when they arrived at the sepulchre very early in the morning. (b) The body of Jesus was not in the tomb. (c) The angel’s message: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee" (Luke 24:5-6). Our Lord had risen, as He said!

 

But when these things were brought to the apostles, they "seemed to them as idle tales" (Luke 24:11)! How about you, my friend?

 

2. Walking and talking with Jesus

For the two disciples on the Emmaus road, life was never so sad and dreary. They had high hopes in the Lord, having"trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel" (Luke 24:21). The crucifixion put an abrupt end to all their expectations. But that morning they had heard startling reports from certain of their womenfolk of an empty tomb and a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive. Could it be that Jesus had risen from the dead, as the angels testified? If this were true, where was Jesus? No one had seen Him alive!

 

Doubt and gloom clouded the minds of the two disciples as they reasoned and debated along the way, until the risen Lord Himself joined them. "But their eyes were holden that they should not know him" (Luke 24:16). Jesus did not reveal Himself to them, for a purpose, in order that they might more freely express their innermost doubts and fears, and in order that He might expound the Scriptures as a detached "third person." So He did, explaining to them all the things concerning Himself. And how their hearts did burn within them as He opened to them the Scriptures (Luke 24:32).

 

We too are, as it were, on the road to Emmaus. Until the risen Lord comes into our life, our walk will be dreary and sad, gloomy and purposeless. If the One on whom we had pinned our hopes is dead and gone, what future is there for us? Sadly, this is the state of many Christians. The risen Saviour has yet to come into their lives. To all true believers our Lord says, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations...and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matt 28:19-20). When the risen Lord comes into your life, He will walk and talk with you, and your heart will also burn within you. Things will never be the same again!

 

3. The risen Lord ascends

In His post-Resurrection ministry among His disciples our Lord appeared ten times on record. At the end of forty days He visibly ascended up to heaven from the Mount of Olives, bringing to a victorious conclusion His earthly ministry. Let us ask ourselves: what are the implications of our Lord’s Ascension? We can think of four.

 

a) It was divine strategy. Before His death, Jesus told the disciples: "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). The coming of the Holy Spirit Comforter was to inaugurate the era of the presence of the Spirit in the Church, fulfilling our Lord’s promise,"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt 28:20).

 

b) It was to prepare us a place. "In my Father’s house are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3). Peter described this as "an inheritance incorruptible... that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet 1:4).

 

c) It was to intercede for us. Seated at the Father’s right hand of glory, His atoning work completed (Heb 10:12), Jesus makes intercession for us (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25), pleading with the Father on our behalf, looking after our interests. Nowhere in the New Testament is He said to be continually offering Himself in Heaven, for His one sacrifice of Himself was complete (Heb 10:12-14).

 

d) It was to await His return to earth. Soon, at a time appointed by the Father, when "his enemies be made his footstool" (Heb 10:13), our Lord shall return, "this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). Then, "every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him" (Rev. 1:7).

 

4. A crystal clear commission

By Rev Denis Shelton

Some years ago our family purchased a tent. When we brought it home, we found there were no instructions with it: we had great difficulty trying to put all the pieces together that would enable us to have a somewhat habitable piece of canvas over our heads on a holiday!

 

It is most fitting that our journey through Matthew should conclude with a crystal clear commission from our Lord. Variously called "The Great Commission" or "The Christian’s Marching Orders", our Lord leaves us in no doubt as to what our responsibilities are. We see firstly that our commission is Practical: "Go ye therefore". It implies action; the Lord has commissioned people to teach all nations — an eminently practical activity.

 

Then we see that the Commission is Plenary — "all nations." Revelation 5:9 reminds us that the redeemed come from "out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation." Every Christian church should have a plenary missionary vision.

 

Furthermore the Commission is Purposeful in baptising the believers in the triune Name and instructing them in the whole counsel of God; no "flitting" here and there, but establishing churches for the care and instruction of believers.

 

Finally the Commission is Protected: and this in two ways. Firstly by Christ’s authority: "All power is given unto me"; secondly, by Christ’s action: "Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." This promised protection comes from One whose promise is (as Livingstone puts it) "The word of a Gentleman."

 

Who knows where this crystal clear commission will lead you and me? Dare we ignore it? Does your Church only pay lip-service to it, or worse still ignore it altogether? May our Lord’s parting words (the final ones in Matthew) ring in our ears, and may we work it out in obedience. Then, we shall enjoy His presence now and praise Him around the throne in Heaven!

 

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor