The Resurrection: Do Not Be Afraid (Matt. 27:62-28:15)

[Sung Psalm: 2]

Last time we saw how the last two plagues of Egypt – darkness and the death of the firstborn – are replayed at the cross, as Jesus took upon himself the curses that were upon Israel – and the whole the human race.

After all, God had said in Deuteronomy that if Israel rebelled and forgot the LORD, then all the plagues of Egypt would come upon Israel.

In one sense, you can see how the story of salvation has a narrowing focus throughout the OT:

God chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – promising to Abraham three things: the land, the seed, and the blessing to the nations.

But first Israel must pass through the death of slavery in Egypt. And so then God delivered Israel out of Egypt through Moses – saving them from slavery, and bringing them into the land, calling them to succeed where humanity had failed in Adam.

But Israel failed too! And so God chose the house of David – adopting the son of David as the son of God – calling the son of David to succeed where Israel had failed.

But this story of salvation and blessing is also a story of cursing and death. After all, there is a problem at the heart of the human race. Our problem is that we do not love God with all our heart.

And because of our sin and rebellion, we deserve death. And so the story of salvation also takes the form of a narrowing of the curse: the curse of humanity placed upon Israel, the curse of Israel placed upon the son of David, our Lord Jesus Christ, so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations...