You're listening to Mountain View Church Audio, Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City, Whitehorse, UConn. Here's this week's message. Have you ever heard the term controlling the narrative? To control the narrative, leaders or influencers aim to shape the perception and presentation of stories, events, and situations. They attempt to reframe discussions, highlighting or downplaying certain information, using specific language, and choosing particular channels of communication. This technique is leveraged to influence public opinion, safeguard their reputations, and pursue specific goals, most often driven by self-interest.
Now, I'm sure you're wondering, what does controlling the narrative have to do with Easter Sunday? Well, it's because on Easter morning, 2,000 years ago, controlling the narrative became the top priority for a group of religious leaders. After having crucified Jesus and buried him, they were desperate to propagate a story explaining why Jesus' body was suddenly missing. Despite their efforts to control the narrative, they couldn't outpace the truth that Jesus had risen from the dead, that Jesus Christ was alive. Today, we're going to unpack this failed attempt to control the narrative of Jesus' resurrection and the ongoing unsuccessful efforts to control the Eastern narrative for over two millennia.
Oh, your grace so free washes over me. You have made me new, now life begins with you. It's your endless love pouring down on us. You have made us new, now life begins with you. From my chains, I'm a prisoner. No, my shame was a ransom. He called me his friend. When death was arrested, my life began. Oh, your grace so free.
washes over me. You have made me new, now life begins with you. It's your endless love pouring down on us. You have made us new, now life begins with you. Our Savior displayed on a criminal's cross. Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost. But then Jesus wrote it in.
That's when death was arrested and my life began. Oh, your grace so free washes over me. You have made me new. Now life begins with you. Here's your endless love pouring down on us. You have made us new. Now life begins with you. Oh, we're free. Forever we're free.
Come join the song of all the routine. Yes, we're free, free, forever amen. When death was arrested, my life began. Oh, we're free, free, forever we're free. Come join the song of all the routine. Yes, we're free, free, forever amen. When death was arrested, my life began. When death was arrested, my life began. When death was arrested, my life began.
Welcome to Mountain View Church. I'm Pastor Jeremy. Before we dive into today's message, please consider connecting with us online at mountainview.church, or you can text the word CONNECT to the number on the screen. If you have children, we offer our Base Camp Kids program on Sunday mornings, or you can download the lessons and activities at mountainview.church slash base camp. For teens, we have a youth program every Sunday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit mountainview.church slash youth for more info. Now here's Ryan with this week's scripture read. I'll be reading from Matthew 28, verse 1 through 15. The resurrection.
Now, after the Sabbath, toward the dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him, the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the woman, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen. As he said, Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him.
See, I have told you. So they departed quickly from the tomb with the fear and the great joy and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, Greetings. And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, Tell the people. His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep. And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
We've reached our final message in our Holy Week series, journeying toward the pinnacle event, the celebration of Christ's resurrection. As I stated in the introduction, we're going to examine the religious authorities' failed attempt to control the narrative of Jesus' resurrection. But maybe you're a skeptic thinking, how do you know they failed? Well, the scripture tells us that's what happened, and we're going to study that account in a moment. But I'm assuming that at least some of you might disregard that evidence.
So the greater evidence lies in the fact that I'm talking to you right now. And even greater evidence is that pastors, ministers, and priests all across the globe have been talking about it in every time zone all day. Even greater still is that a third of the world has been celebrating Christ's resurrection all day long, today. And it's a celebration that's been growing over 2,000 years since that event. That's evidence that we need to think about. And based on that evidence, it's clear that those first century authorities failed to control the narrative. But why? Why couldn't they keep Jesus dead?
Well, because the resurrection of Jesus wasn't a narrative to be controlled. It was an event that was witnessed. Jesus appeared to hundreds of people after his resurrection. They saw him, listened to him, spoke with him. Some even touched him. You were never going to convince those people that he was still dead. He had risen and he was alive. Nevertheless, the authorities tried to prevent the news from spreading. Let's see how that event went down. We start with the guards, freaking out a bit, knowing that they're going to take the fall for what just took place. Starting in verse 11 of Matthew 28.
We read, while they, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, were going to tell the disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. This passage might bring up a few questions right out of the gate. First, who were the guard? And why only some of the guard? Were there others? Where were they? Well, the guard likely refers to the group of Roman soldiers who were assigned to secure the tomb of Jesus after his burial.
The passage states that some of the guard went into the city to report to the chief priest, indicating that not all the guards went. So, the others may have remained at the tomb to remain and keep security, and others might have run off, just simply terrified at what took place or terrified at the retribution that they would receive that the body of Jesus is now missing. Next, you might be wondering, how do you know the guards were Roman? Well, Matthew tells us in the previous chapter. The next day, that is, after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive. After three days, I will rise. Therefore, order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, he has risen from the dead. And the last fraud will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them, you have a guard. Other translations state, take a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can. So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. This passage reveals that these authorities knew what was going to happen, but they ignored it. It was no secret that Jesus was going to rise from the dead.
Jesus had predicted his own death, and now he pulled it off. And so by the time we get to chapter 28, the religious authorities are scrambling, remembering that he had proclaimed this would happen. But let's move on to the next few verses from Matthew 28, which say, And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, Tell people his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep. And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. A few more questions kind of come up and maybe come up for you in this section. Why did the chief priests go to the elders? Was it to conspire or was it processed? Most scholars believe it was a process that the chief priests would have regularly consulted with the elders and sought their counsel when handling serious situations such as this one. That being said, the elders would have been key components in crafting and controlling a narrative. It's plausible that they assisted in the conspiracy to explain the disappearance of Jesus' body. And it's clear from the text that they were at least aware of the hush money payments that were given to the guards.
Another interesting aspect of this account is that the chief priests and elders were willing to, quote, satisfy the governor's questions when this story reached his ears. Why would religious authorities be willing to meet up with the foreign political leaders to control the narrative? These folks were not best buddies. The chief priests weren't friends with the Roman governor. They likely hated him, but they needed to make sure he got the same story. More importantly, from the guards' perspective, it would keep them out of trouble, since they were on watch when the body was supposedly stolen. The chief priests and elders knew that the bribe money would only work if the guards lived long enough to spend it. By providing a cover story for the governor, they sought to protect the guards and maintain control over the narrative. This was a crafty set of leaders.
Finally, let's move to verse 15, which says, So they, the guards, took the money and did as they were directed. Which shows us that they accepted the hush money as long as the governor was dealt with. But they took it. Now look at this. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. This sentence isn't just an add-on. It's extremely important to what happened in the years following Christ's resurrection. Historians place Jesus' death and resurrection somewhere between 30 to 33 AD.
Now, historians have dated the writing of Matthew's gospel account somewhere after 70 AD. This is almost 40 years after the event. Clearly, the narrative was never controlled, but according to Matthew, they stuck to that story no matter how many witnesses came forward. But maybe you're wondering, why? Why would the Jewish authorities hold firm to this story for so many years? The short answer is the human answer. They didn't want to get caught. No one wants to get caught being deceptive and paying people off to keep quiet. But the larger answer is because of what was at stake if Christ's resurrection really took place.
The chief priests and the elders both had a vested interest in suppressing any belief that Jesus rose from the dead because it proved that he was the son of God. It would validate his claims to be the Messiah and the Christ, ending the religious establishment that actually had him crucified in the first place. Ultimately, it would bring the religious control to an end. If Jesus had truly risen from the dead, it would have led to a significant shift in religious beliefs and practices among all Jewish people, threatening the existing power structures of these religious leaders. Therefore, continuing to control the narrative that the disciples stole the body was essential because it preserved their authority and prevented any acceptance of Jesus as the resurrected Messiah. What about today? What do Jews believe about Jesus now? Who is Jesus to them? And what about other faiths? What did they believe about Jesus?
Unfortunately, there are still lots of people trying to control the narrative of Jesus' resurrection. Very few people will deny that Jesus lived, nor deny that he was crucified and buried. These are facts, and these facts have never been a problem for them. But they continue to reject that he rose from the dead. Here are a few examples. Jews believe that Jesus was a rabbi. They refer to him as Yeshua, and hold to the original story that the disciples stole the body of Jesus. That being said, over the past 2,000 years, many Jews have accepted Jesus as the Messiah, leading to a massive faith movement called Messianic Judaism.
Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet. They call him Isa. Sikhs, Buddhists, Taoists, and a host of other religious belief systems state that Jesus was a spiritual teacher. Even many atheists and agnostics believe that Jesus was a good moral teacher. None of these faith systems have any problem with Jesus living, teaching, dying, and being buried. But they refuse to look into the evidence of his resurrection, mainly because their entire faith systems would crumble. The question of Easter is not whether or not Jesus lived, but whether or not he's still alive.
The event that everyone around the world is either celebrating or questioning today is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every Easter, countless individuals will continue to propagate the narrative that the disciples stole the body of Jesus to protect their religious, social, and cultural beliefs. Acceptance of the resurrection as a historical fact threatens existing worldviews, threatens social norms and authority and power structures. By promoting the idea of the stolen body, these authorities aim to maintain control over beliefs and identities and social influence and a host of other things. Accepting the resurrection of Jesus, however, would change everything.
You can't control the truth. More importantly, you can't control God's Holy Spirit bringing people to that truth. Every year, Christianity spreads, most often in the places where the truth is being silenced. Not because Jesus was a great moral teacher, but because he's alive. He's still alive. The resurrection of Jesus isn't a controlled narrative. It's a historical event. In a letter to the Roman church found in the scriptures, the apostle Paul writes, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
And millions upon millions upon millions of people over the past 2,000 years have experienced that salvation that Paul spoke about. There is a supernatural transformation that takes place in the heart and the mind of a lost sinner when they place their trust in the resurrected Jesus Christ. He's alive, and he is still on the move. No amount of crafty storytelling will ever stop him. If you hear nothing else from me today, hear this. Don't let anyone control the narrative for you. If you're skeptical and you have doubts, that is wonderful. Keep digging and searching and asking questions. Strip away every voice, even mine, and research Christ and his resurrection for yourself. Look at the historical, archaeological, and logical evidence, then make your decision for yourself.
If you believe in God, then pray and ask him to reveal the truth to you. Then follow wherever he leads you. That being said, maybe you've already reached a conclusion. After reading this account in Matthew's gospel and listening to this message, perhaps you're at a point where you believe that God really did raise Jesus from the dead. Maybe you're at a point where you're ready to give your life to Jesus. If that's you, that's amazing. And I would invite you to pray this prayer with me right now and start your journey with Jesus. Dear God, I know I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your son.
I believe that he died on the cross for my sin and that you raised him to life. I want to trust him as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
That cursed tree. His body bound. And drenched in tears. They laid him down. In Joseph's tomb. The entrance sealed. By heavy stone. Messiah still. And all the world. Oh praise the name. Of the Lord our God. Oh praise his name.
Forevermore, for endless days We will sing your praise O Lord, O Lord our God The Son of Heaven rose again O trampled death, where is your sting? The angels roar for Christ the King Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God. I'll praise His name forevermore. For as days we will sing your praise. Oh, Lord, oh, Lord. In robes of white, the blazing sun shall pierce the night. And I will rise among the saints. My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face.
Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God. I'll praise His name forevermore. For endless days we will sing Your praise. Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God. Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God. Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God.
To everyone who joined us today, thank you for spending Easter with Mountain View Church. Please plan on attending next week and throughout the month of April. We'll be starting a new teaching series titled Ever Wonder Why? We'll be working through important components of church life, like baptism and why it's different than child dedication. Why do we belong to a fellowship? And why does church membership matter? If you've ever wondered why any of these things matter, join us next week as we start Ever Wonder Why. At Mountain View, we want to make sure your discipleship journey includes more than just listening to a message. It's beneficial to discuss and pray through the sermon content and scriptures that you just heard.
To prime the pump, here's a question to think about and chat about. Ask the person beside you or drop a comment below. Why do you think people are still compelled to control the narrative of Christ's resurrection? Why do you think people are still compelled to control the narrative of Christ's resurrection? After you've had a great conversation or you've added some comments below online, spend some time in prayer. Today, let's pray together for the boldness to share the truth of Christ's resurrection despite the world's narratives. Today, let's pray together for the boldness to share the truth of Christ's resurrection despite the world's narratives.
Have a happy Easter to everyone, and I hope to see you next week for our new teaching series, Ever Wonder Why. If you pray to receive Jesus today, or would like to connect with our church community, visit mountainview.church and click the connect link. If this podcast and radio ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us or making a tax-deductible donation at mountainview.church. Thanks for listening to Mountain View Church Audio. Join us next week for more Christ-centered teaching from the wilderness city of Whitehorse Stupon.