Faith Formation: Matthew The Gospel of God With Us November 20, 2024

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell the disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me." Matthew 28:1-10

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 2 Corinthians 5:17

"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, ..." The resurrection of our Lord takes us back to the beginning, the very beginning. The chaos unleashed during the night of betrayal, darkness, violence, injustice, mockery, death and darkness was the lurking shadow of the ages before when, "the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, ..." The prophets envisioned what the world might become if God withdrew the earth. "My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! ...'For my people are foolish; they do not know me; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil but do not know how to do good. I looked on the earth and it was complete chaos, and to the heavens, and they had no light. ..." Jeremiah 4:19-26 "I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth, says the LORD. I wills sweep away humans and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. I will make the wicked stumble. I will cut off humanity from the face of the earth, says the LORD." Zephaniah 1:2-3 Jesus derelict cry from the cross of God forsakenness signaled the end of creation and the return of darkness, absence and uncertainty.

"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning..." Sabbath was a day of rest. A quiet day. That the chief priests and Pharisees imposed labor on the Sabbath by asking for a guard indicated that even the Sabbath was gone and consigned to getting things done. Fear of deceit dominated their thoughts. Seal and guard the tomb lest either his disciples steal the body, or unspoken, he be raised from death. They went and labored to seal in death and guard.

"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning..." It was the day of a new creation, as in the beginning. Christ's return was not to leave again to stay with us "always, to the end of the age." In Christ God makes his home with us and, "Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away. ... See, I am making all things new." Revelation 21 For followers of Christ the first day of the week became the day of renewal and forgiveness, the day of worship and celebration, the day to believe in the goodness of God and life, the day from which to start all the rest of the days with faith, hope and love. For the followers of Christ every time that happened before was done, and all time that lay ahead was new. B.C. was "Before Christ." A.D. was "Anno Domino," the year of our Lord, or the time of our God. Many measure time now by B.C.E., "Before the Common Era," and C.E., "The Common Era," to void the dominance of western Christendom in acknowledgement that we live in a wider world. Yet the time of Christ remains the dividing point between a creation that was and a new creation that has become in Christ.

We have not been returned to a pure, innocent time before "Adam and Eve." Death, mourning and crying and fear still plague us. Yet we believe that on that day which we celebrate on every first day of the week that God is with us and newness, life and hope lead us on to the world in which we live after the first day of the week. What lies ahead is Galilee rather than heaven, as we are called into life rather than towards death.

Keep the faith. Say your prayers. Love like Jesus.

Pastor Tim Bauer