The Bible Study Podcast, episode 461.

Today, the Bible Study podcast concludes the study of the gospel of Matthew.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

I apologize. This sounds going to be a little different

today, but I brought an external microphone as I'm traveling here on 4th of July weekend,

and it doesn't work with my computer, so I'm just using the simple earbuds. So much to my surprise,

we have come to the end of the Gospel of Matthew today, and I didn't see it coming, even though I should

have. Gospel of Matthew doesn't end, as the story doesn't end with Matthew 27 with the

crucifixion of Jesus. And it is important to us that it doesn't, because if it ended there,

we really wouldn't be talking about it. Because while Jesus came to die for our sins on Good Friday,

the proof of the pudding, as it were, the reason why the disciples believe and spread the word

about Jesus was because of Easter Sunday. We have to remember that on Good Friday, the disciples

were scattered and afraid.

Elsewhere you learn in the Gospels that John stood at the feet of Jesus at the cross.

The women were there, but all the other disciples were in hiding.

And so Matthew 28 starts like this.

After the Sabbath at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The guards

were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women,

don't 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, come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell

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