Easter Peace
Dave Gustavsen
Matthew 28
Good morning! I want to talk specifically about how the event of Easter relates to the concept of peace-something we desperately need in our world, don't we? So let's look at one of the most famous accounts of the resurrection. It's in Matthew chapter 28-the last chapter of Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 28, starting in verse 1, we read this: 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
The first thing we see here is The Absence of Peace. Think about what had just happened. Jesus had been crucified on Friday morning; he'd been taken off the cross and sealed in a tomb by the Roman authorities. Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath day-all was quiet. And then at dawn on Sunday, these two ladies were the first to venture into the cemetery.
And I want us to try to imagine the unrest they must have been feeling. Over the past few years, Jesus had become extremely important to these women. When they were with him-listening to him teach; watching him serve the poor and the sick; just being around him...they experienced a peace they had never felt before. And now that was all gone. It says they went to look at the tomb. I think they just wanted to be physically close to the body of Jesus before they had to re-enter the chaos of their world.
You know, as I think about that moment, I realize the world you and I live in doesn't have any more peace than theirs did. So this past week I kind of brainstormed, and I quickly came up with five different kinds of unrest in our world-see if you can relate to any of these:
First, there's international unrest. I don't know about you, but when I go online or turn on the TV to check the news, I find myself bracing for the next act of aggression by North Korea...or the next small country Russia is going to invade. Or more chillingly, the next attack by a terrorist group. The world is kind of a mess.
And then ther ...
Dave Gustavsen
Matthew 28
Good morning! I want to talk specifically about how the event of Easter relates to the concept of peace-something we desperately need in our world, don't we? So let's look at one of the most famous accounts of the resurrection. It's in Matthew chapter 28-the last chapter of Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 28, starting in verse 1, we read this: 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
The first thing we see here is The Absence of Peace. Think about what had just happened. Jesus had been crucified on Friday morning; he'd been taken off the cross and sealed in a tomb by the Roman authorities. Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath day-all was quiet. And then at dawn on Sunday, these two ladies were the first to venture into the cemetery.
And I want us to try to imagine the unrest they must have been feeling. Over the past few years, Jesus had become extremely important to these women. When they were with him-listening to him teach; watching him serve the poor and the sick; just being around him...they experienced a peace they had never felt before. And now that was all gone. It says they went to look at the tomb. I think they just wanted to be physically close to the body of Jesus before they had to re-enter the chaos of their world.
You know, as I think about that moment, I realize the world you and I live in doesn't have any more peace than theirs did. So this past week I kind of brainstormed, and I quickly came up with five different kinds of unrest in our world-see if you can relate to any of these:
First, there's international unrest. I don't know about you, but when I go online or turn on the TV to check the news, I find myself bracing for the next act of aggression by North Korea...or the next small country Russia is going to invade. Or more chillingly, the next attack by a terrorist group. The world is kind of a mess.
And then ther ...
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