The Resurrection In Matthew's Gospel
A Truth of First Importance
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:3-5, emphasis added)
Have you ever asked yourself the question, Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ so IMPORTANT?
Matthew wrote his Gospel to a primarily Jewish audience. This audience would have been familiar with the law and the prophets, the Old Testament Scriptures. This little piece of information is important. Not just for the topic at hand but for a greater understanding of the book as a whole.
Matthew closes his Gospel with his account of the resurrection of Christ and the commission from the resurrected King. An angel who met Mary Magdalene at the tomb after the resurrection said to her,
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” (Matthew 28:6, emphasis added)
I added emphasis to the last six words. These six words are packed with information. He has risen, as He said. It is important that we understand what Matthew records of the words of Jesus on this matter to fully understand what is being communicated.
Christ Proclaimed His Own Resurrection
The Sign of Jonah
Christ’s declaration of His resurrection begins in chapter 12 of Matthew. This discourse begins after Jesus withdraws from the Synagogue because the Pharisees have begun to conspire as to how to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14). As Jesus left, many followed Him and He did many miracles.
After Jesus performed these signs, after accusations were brought against Him, and after Jesus speaks on the fruit of an individual, the Scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus to perform another sign (Matthew 12:38). They had already seen many signs and wonders. They still stood in disbelief before God’s Messiah, Jesus. Jesus answered,
“An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” (Matthew 12:39-42, emphasis added)
Just a few chapters later, after many healings and the feeding of four thousand, a sign is demanded again. Jesus responds with similar words,
“When it is evening, you say, ‘it will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah.” (Matthew 16:2-4, emphasis added)
These signs and wonders that Jesus performed pointed to the truth that He is God’s anointed Christ. Yet, the people stood in disbelief and rejection. They had an idea of who the Christ would be. Jesus did not fit their idea. Instead of repenting, changing their mind according to what the Scriptures said about the Christ, they stood firm in their rejection and disbelief.
Thus, Jesus is right to label them as “An evil and adulterous generation.” They were seeking signs and wonders. They were seeking out what God could do for them. Rather than seeking God Himself who was standing before them!
The Sign & Theology of the Resurrection
Jesus tells them that their sign will be the resurrection. Just as Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days. Jesus will be in the belly of the earth for three days. Just as Jonah did not remain in the fish but was vomited out upon dry land. In such a fashion Jesus would not remain in the tomb. On the third day Jesus would be resurrected.
When Jesus began to speak of His resurrection to His disciples He was also met with disbelief.
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But He turned aside and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but of the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21-23)
Jesus showed His disciples that He must suffer, die, and be rise from the dead from the Scriptures. Peter who just several verses earlier declared that Jesus was the Christ is rebuked for his disbelief. It seems Peter shares a similar error of the religious Jews. They had a wrong image of God and His Christ in their minds.
In chapter 17, Matthew again records the words of Jesus regarding His resurrection,
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed. (Matthew 17:22-23, emphasis added)
Again, Jesus spoke of His resurrection,
And Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way He said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:17-19, emphasis added)
When Jesus was asked about the resurrection by the Sadducees (who do not believe in a resurrection), He responds:
“And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what is said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:32)
Implications of Resurrection
As we continue to read the Gospel of Matthew, he records something we should not miss. The Pharisees ask Jesus a question, “What do you think about the Christ” (Matthew 22:41)? Jesus’ response should not be overlooked. Referring to Himself, Jesus quotes from what is known as an ascension psalm,
“The LORD said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet.” (Matthew 22:44, citing Psalm 110:1)
By this point in his Gospel, Matthew has set the stage for the resurrection of Christ. This statement and the discourse following suggests the importance of the resurrection. Jesus declares that the Son of Man, Jesus, is Lord and God will place all His enemies under His feet.
An important question emerges as we read these words. Who are the Lord’s enemies?
To answer this, you must read the following recorded discourse of chapters 23 through 25. Ultimately, it is those whose life demonstrates their disbelief and rejection of the truth that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. Those who persist in unbelief will be eternally punished for their rejection of God’s anointed Christ.
The resurrection of Christ according to Matthew is the ultimate sign that Jesus is who God said He is. Jesus is Lord! This reality is both wonderful and terrifying. It is terrifying because all - apart from Christ - have sinned and all are His enemies because all have lived lives contrary to this great truth. On the other hand, this truth is wonderful because all can be reconciled to God through God’s Son, Jesus the Christ.
Recall the disbelief and rejection of the religious people of the day. Even the disbelief of Peter, a disciple of Christ. They formed and fashioned a God and a Savior out of their own likeness. Jesus rebuked them for this.
Guilt & Reconciliation
You and I are guilty of disbelief and rejection of God’s Christ, Jesus. This remains true unless and until we repent. God lovingly commands all of us to change our minds according to this revelation given to us in Scripture. If we have truly come to believe the message of the gospel, we will live a life that demonstrates we actually believe this. Demonstrating this by the fruit on our tree. If we refuse to heed God’s warning and believe upon the Savior He has provided, then we, too, will be eternally condemned as evil and adulterous people. Just as the religious people were in Matthew.
God has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)
Jesus is the Man appointed by God to judge the world in righteousness. The proof is given in His resurrection from the dead. God is a God of the living, not the dead. Jesus is very much alive today. He has been made both Lord and Christ by God (Acts 2:36). Unless, you conform your mind to this truth, you will perish under God’s wrath. But if you believe God’s testimony concerning His Son, you can be washed of your sins and reconciled to the Father today.
Do you believe this truth? Does the fruit of your life confirm your belief?
If you do truly believe, then I implore you to go and tell the world how they can be reconciled to God. It is only by the preaching of the Gospel that man can move from rejection and disbelief to belief. May the Lord be with you as He has promised in this great task.