Matthew 28:2 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.
Violence is a good thing? I read today that Black Lives Matters has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Image that, the movement that led to the destruction of so much property might be named peaceful. George Owell’s 1984 has come true. The Ministry of Love has been established. Wars are now peaceful.
We live in a day when even the previous paragraph could be labeled “hate speech” if it offends someone, anyone. Unless you are a Christian speaking out against killing babies, the genocide of minorities in China, Africa and Muslim dominated nations, or the selective canceling by Big Tech of voices they disagree with.
But the LORD uses violence. He split the ground and swallowed up a rebellious group of people who should have known better. He shook the mountain and covered it in smoke and fire when He spoke to Moses and all the people. He drown the Army of Egypt’s Pharaoh as the Israelites left for the Promised Land.
Violence was the adjective used to describe the earthquake on Resurrection Sunday in our text. I can’t imagine a non-violent earthquake, but I don’t live in a part of the world that is regularly shaken by earthquakes. My picture of earthquakes are the images of the violent aftermath of the quakes that we see in the news. The ‘non-violent’ quakes don’t make the news. No images of interest.
From out text it is written in such a way that the reason given for the violent earthquake is that, “the angel of the Lord came down from heaven.” It is as if the messenger’s entry into time and space was like a lumberjack’s wedge was used to pry open a stubborn tree. It was struck with such force that the resulting crack ripped the earth’s surface.
Now this is not the first earthquake recorded in these pages. When Jesus died three days earlier, the earth shook and graves were opened, and some who were dead walked around the city alive. Now that would wake up anyone who was alive and make them wish they were dead. That would have been frightening.
But this quake is different. It brings Good News. Jesus has risen. He isn’t in the tomb any longer. What He said about His temporary sleep in death was true. He was alive, and is alive still. The violence of that Sunday morning began the process of revealing that truth. But the violence wasn’t the message, but part of the means.
Notice that the angel is sitting on the tomb. He isn’t in a battle stance. He doesn’t have weapons. He is just sitting and waiting for an earthly messenger to continue the delivery. The angel is dropping the message at the local UPS Store knowing that it will be delivered on time.
And the message continues to be sent, not primarily through angels, although in closed countries like Iran, people are being visited by angels with the message even today. But most often He uses people like you and me, willing to put aside ‘life’ and exchange it for ‘mission.’ Are you living a ‘life’ or a ‘mission’?
The Arnold Journey 