Worship - Sermons - 4/16/06

Told You So!

Matthew 28:1-10

William F. Schnell

April 16, 2006

Jim Bob, my son, just returned from a band trip to Florida.  Guess what he brought home as a memento of his trip to Disney World?  It is not a tee shirt, it is not a shot glass, it is a permanent tattoo on his elbow of all places.  It’s still a little scabby, but we think it is going to be a real standout when it heals up.  Apparently Jim Bob was climbing on some Disney World attraction where he did not belong.  His chaperone said, “Jim Bob, get down from there before you hurt yourself.”  Did Jim Bob listen?  No, he knew what he was doing.  The next thing you know he is coming up to his chaperone with a nasty gash on his elbow and bleeding like a stuck pig.  I didn’t want to say, “Your chaperone told you so.”  So instead I said, “That’s a real fine tattoo you’ve got there.”

Today our message, “Told You So!”, is taken from a small detail in the resurrection narrative of Matthew’s gospel.  Over the past several years we have explored the resurrection narratives in the other gospels on Easter mornings.  One might wonder how many sermons can be preached on the resurrection narratives.  But when we look carefully at them we find many interesting details, some of which are difficult to reconcile with others, but all of which beg the question: “Why was this detail included.”

Our focus this morning is upon a seemingly inconsequential phrase the angel appends to a message given to the women who arrive at the tomb on that first Easter morning.  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; he has risen, just as he said (Verses 5-6).  Jesus told them so, according to the angel.  Before it ever came to pass, Jesus told his followers about his resurrection.  Jesus told them many things before they came to pass.  Let us explore some of those things.

Before the final, fateful trip to Jerusalem, while Jesus was far north of the Sea of Galilee and near Caesarea Philippi, He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.  He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him (Mark 8:31-32). 

It is no wonder that Jesus so often spoke in cryptic parables and other figurative forms of speech because when he spoke plainly people did not always want to hear what he had to say.  Peter was so distressed by Jesus’ talk about suffering, rejection and being killed that he completely missed the part about rising again after three days.  But Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples these things even if they do not have ears to hear him at that moment.  At least he is planting a seed in their hard heads and hard hearts that will eventually germinate, grow and bear good fruit in the proper season.

Jesus does not only tell the disciples what the future holds for him, but what it holds for them as well.  For example, he says that one of them will betray him.  One by one the shocked disciples say to him, “Surely not I, Lord!”  Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”  Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you” (Matthew 26:25).  Jesus publicly exposed Judas before the dirty deed is done for the benefit of his remaining disciples who will later recall this prophetic statement.

Perhaps you have heard of the Gospel of Judas that has recently surfaced after 1700 years.  It is actually a Coptic copy written in 300 A.D. of an original Greek version written 100 years before that.  Its existence had been inferred since it was alluded to in the writings of the early church Fathers.  Now it has been found.  The Gospel of Judas portrays Judas Iscariot not as a betrayer of Jesus, but as a willing collaborator who helps to liberate the divine Christ from the physical body of Jesus.  Regardless of how one feels about this authenticated discovery and how it impacts our understanding of the biblical witness, it is interesting to note for our purposes today that even in this “Gnostic Gospel” we find Jesus telling Judas ahead of time what is to transpire. 

Likewise he tells all the other disciples, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me….” Obviously this is something none of the disciples want to hear, as evidenced by what Peter says next.  Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”  “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.  But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”  And all the other disciples said the same (Matthew 31-35). 

So who ends up being right, Jesus or his disciples?  After his arrest we read: Then all the disciples deserted him and fled (Matthew 26:56).  Told you so!  A fleeing Peter gets identified as one of the twelve and swears for the third time, “I don’t know the man!”  Immediately a rooster crowed.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken… (Matthew 26:74-75).  Told you so!  Finally, When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse… (Matthew 27:3).  Told you so!

Why did Jesus feel compelled to tell his disciples what would happen to them, and him, before it happened.  He tells us himself in the text quoted at the top of our bulletin: I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe (John 14:29).  When someone tells us something is so, and we come to find that it is indeed so, we gain confidence in other things that person has told us.  The more we find their words confirmed in our experience, the more believable their words become to us.

There was a time in my early life when my parent’s attempts at giving advice were met by my rolling eyes, shaking head and general demeanor that said, “Oh, no.  Here we go again.”  But somewhere along life’s way a transformation took place where I began to search them out for their opinions before I made a big decision in life.  How do you account for a transformation like that?  In a word, “results.”  Once you realize that the shots they are calling usually turn out to be right on the money, it gives you a growing confidence in their judgment.

That is why it is important for us, as parents, to continue advising our children even when they clearly do not want to hear what we have to say.  Like Jesus dealing with his hardheaded and hard-hearted disciples, continue to plant those seeds.  Who knows but that they may germinate at just the right moment, when a drunk friend invites them to ride in the back seat, when someone offers a cigarette or worse, when an opportunity for sexual promiscuity presents itself—that is when you want the lessons about the unintended consequences of such actions to be recalled.

Kids know who has fed, clothed and sheltered them over the years.  Kids know who has struggled with them over homework, driven them all over creation and sacrificed for them.  Kids know who has consistently had their very best interests at heart above all others.  They may look like they don’t want to hear what you have to say but believe me, when you speak the word gets heard.  Your kids will come to put their faith and trust in your love just as you have come to put your faith in trust in the love of Jesus.

For 2000 plus years people have continued to put their faith and trust in the love of Jesus despite the fact that the Church that bears is name is a very human institution afflicted with every human failing, flaw and foible you can imagine; despite the fact that the Church that bears his name has been hopelessly divided into denominations and sects over thorny theological issues since before the Gnostic Gospel of Judas was written; despite a tarnished history that includes questionable crusades and inquisitions; despite all this people in increasing numbers continue to put their faith and trust in the love of Jesus and I’ll tell you why.  In a word: “results.” 

Despite hopelessly flawed mouthpieces like the one in this pulpit today, the Word gets heard.  People gain godly guidance and discern divine direction by paying attention to what is written in this Word, even when the focus is restricted to four seemingly inconsequential words.  The more our experience confirms what God has already told us is so in the Bible, the more believable his Word becomes for us.

The more we experience the resurrecting power of God in this life, raising us up from the crosses we must bear for righteousness’ sake, the more believable becomes those prophetic words in scripture about being raised with Christ at the last hour when our life on earth is through.  As Jesus himself put it, In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you (John 14:2, KJV).  As it is, Jesus has told believers ahead of time what has been prepared for them in heaven.

This is a cherished thought for believers.  Three times during this past Holy Week I have listened with deep emotion as the choir has sung a particular anthem that has left many members of the choir and congregation with tears in their eyes.  The lyrics find Jesus saying to his disciples: “Though I go away, remember my friends, I’ll see you again when in heaven we’ll meet.”  The prospect of meeting in heaven with our Lord and Savior, together with our loved ones who have preceded us there, is an aching longing deep within the heart of every believer.

And so it will be that we shall close our eyes to this world for the last time only to open them up in glory land, there to behold the bright countenance of our risen Lord and to feel his reassuring hand upon ours and to hear his beautiful voice speaking those welcomed words: “Told you so!”