2819 Church - CROSS TO COMMISSION | He Has Risen | Matthew 28:1-10 | Milton James

Episode Date: March 16, 2026

In CROSS TO COMMISSION, Milton James opened up Matthew 28, calling us to behold the resurrected King. In His resurrection we see the victory of Christ over sin and death.As we behold Him, gratitude fills our hearts for the King who conquered the grave.

Good morning, family. Morning family. We are in our series Cross to Commission. We have been walking through Matthew, chapter 26, verse 28. Three-year journey. Thanks be to God. And I have been given the honor to minister this word to you today.

My name is Milton James. I am one of the elders here. If you are guests here, like to welcome you to 2819. Welcome all our digital disciples and everybody in overflow. We thank you for being here. We also want to welcome the unbeliever. The one that's still trying to figure out the claims of Christ.

Like, I don't really know about this Jesus. I'm still wrestling my prayer for you today, that it won't be head knowledge. anymore. That the spirit of the living God will arrest your heart and he will, he will present you to the feet of Jesus. Now, your part is to believe. Your part is to accept that. We are a house of prayer, presence, and proclamation. And today I have the privilege to preach to you in Matthew chapter 28, verse 1 through 10. Title of this message is, He has risen. Yeah, you can always shout for the Lord Jesus Christ, especially for the resurrection, especially for his death, his burial and the resurrection.

You can always shout for that. Always. I'd like to give honor to our lead pastor, Philip Anthony Mitchell. You thank you, sir. You thank you for keeping your hand on the plow. We can do better than that. You thank you, sir. Before y'all be seated, let me pray.

I want to pray the scriptures over y'all today. Ephesians 3, verse 14 to 21. For this reason, I bow my knee before the family, Father in the name of Jesus, before we read your holy scriptures. I pray this over your sons and daughters and the unbeliever. Let it penetrate their hearts, oh God. It's only by your power, God, and your grace, oh God. You know you roam the earth, God. For this reason, I bow my knee before the Father, from whom every,

family in heaven and on earth is named that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that's what I'm praying for today that you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to to the breath and the length and the height and death and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. We talk about spiritual awakening that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able, he is able to do far more abundantly that all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us. To him be glory in the church and in Christ. throughout all generations, as Elder pointed out.

Throughout all generations. He's praying for us right now. Forever and ever, amen. Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Beloved family, while I was studying and praying about this message, you know, we are worship people. You got the instrumental on.

and I kind of drew back from studying, and I sat in the chair, and I watched the instrumental, and it had scenes of hills and grassy knolls and beaches and just these beautiful sceneries. And one had just captivated me, and I paused the TV, and I just pondered at it. Control room, can you get me my first picture? This is the picture that I gazed upon and I ponded at it. And I was just, it just captivated me. And I just, I just, I just, just behold it for a minute. Probably two, probably three. And I took the TV off pause and more scenes were popping up.

And more beautiful, majestic nature was seen after scene. And one more scene popped up. Give me the next picture. What did I hear? I heard some wiles. That's what I said. And I paused the TV and I and I just, I just meditated and looked at it. And as doing so, the Lord spoke to me about this picture. Give me, give me my next picture. Thank you. Yeah, a lot of us don't know this gray hair man with this baby. His name is Simeon. And the Lord was challenging me in my heart. Let's read his account in Luke chapter 2, verse 25 to 32. As you mark. Simeon's account is this.

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was righteous and devout. Waiting for the consolation of Israel. and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the spirit into the temple. And when the parents bought in the child,

Jesus to do for him according to the customs of the law, Simeon took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace. According to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples. A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory. to your people in Israel.

And the Lord had convicted me and led me to this passage because my heart was so attached to the creation and it did not move past that to the Creator. Like just that wow y'all heard, that while y'all, when you saw that, that, that wow in you,

that should be moving us to Christ. So this is my heart desire for y'all today That you be in awe and wonder That you be, that you would just behold Christ Like his entire life Like a lot of times we come in here day after day Week after week after week

But when we leave these doors Do we think about Jesus? Do we behold Him? Do we behold his life? Like his life was perfect. I said, his life was perfect. Like the Magi came when he was a baby and they worship him. I remember another account when he was 12 years old. He was in the temple teaching the scribes and Pharisees and they were asking him questions and he was asking them questions.

But I mean, do we marvel at that? Like, do we really think about? that like like this is a 12 year old challenging scribes and Pharisees like do we behold that because I know if I seen a 12 year old if that was your son you would be putting him on a pedestal oh my son is old you see my son he's about to go to college he ain't 12 years old but do we this is the Christ perfect in all of his ways and we tend to forget that Christ was a son. He was the oldest out of six. He had parents and siblings. And he navigated that whole time perfectly. Like whoever got brothers and sisters, you know. Christ was the mediator.

Hey, y'all, don't do this to each other. Hey, hey, y'all, why you're acting like this? Hey, y'all, let's get this together. and obeyed his parents perfectly. Yeah, let that sit on you for a minute. Because a lot of times, I think we've heard the gospel message and we've heard about who he is. And it's become common to us. That's why I showed you all these pictures, and that's why God convicted me,

because it's not common. Like he was baptized. by John the Baptist, the spirit of God. All of the spirit of God rested upon the Lord Jesus Christ. In its fullness. Like we got a little piece of the spirit in us. He had the full. And the father spoke.

This is my son who I am well pleased. like do we behold that? Like outside of these four walls, do we go home and do we meditate on this perfect life? The one that had redeemed us and saved us? Is that in our heart like Simeon? Like Simeon, it was in his heart. The spirit saw that he was, that word, consolation of Israel is he was waiting for the Messiah to come to save us.

Is that where we are? Is that our heart, pastor? Is that where we are? Went into the desert. 40 days, 40 nights tempted. Sword fight with the devil. It is written. It is written.

It is written. Word of the spirit. The sword of the spirit. Get behind me, Satan. Do, do. not tempt the Lord, your God. Jerusalem, riding in on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy. Hosanna, Hosanna, they cried. Palm leaves on the ground. Next week they cry and crucify him. Crucify them. Pick 12 men to walk with them. Twelve men that turned the world upside down.

Just 12 men. Arrested and trialed, betrayed by Judas. the Garden of Gatsimni, tried before Jewish leaders and Pontius Pilate, crucified death, and his resurrection. That's where we land today, family. And that brings us to Matthew 28, verse one. Now after the Sabbath towards the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. The day after the Sabbath is Sunday, the first day of the week. The women came to the tomb to finish the burial process. So this information tells us that the women did not have in mind that Jesus was going to be resurrected. They had in mind on Friday, they had to put the Lord Jesus in the ground. But the burial process was not finished. So they were going to the tomb to finish the burial process. So their mindset was not, oh, we're about to see a risen savior.

That was not their mindset. Mark's gospel gives further information that Salome bought spices to go and anoint the Lord's body. Luke's gospel mentions Joanna. Now, I found this interesting. There was two Salamis in the scriptures. One Salome was the daughter of Heronius that danced for Herodian and requested the head of John the Baptist. One Salome got a righteous man executed.

This Salome took care of a righteous man's body. I thought that was powerful. Matthew 28, verse 2. And behold, there was a great earth. earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. I want to talk about this great earthquake. On Friday, when the Lord Jesus was on the cross, he hanged his head and the earth shook. The centorian even said, because he witnessed such a great earthquake and he witnessed the torn veil, he witnessed bodies being raised.

The centaurian said, this must be the son of the living God. And on this earthquake, I was wrestling with this all week because it does not say where the Lord Jesus is. but we had an earthquake on Friday. We have an earthquake on Friday for our sins. Bloodshed on Friday. The raft of the father taken care of on Friday. On Sunday, we have another earthquake.

This earthquake, this earthquake, the Lord Jesus is wrapped. When that foot comes out of that bound, then this foot, now we have resurrected power that has raised the Lord Jesus and the whole place. Earthquakes shook the whole place. But that earthquake was for death, hell, and the grave. So it was sealed. These two earthquakes sealed your retreat. redemption, my redemption. Without the resurrection, we are lost. He's just another dead man in a tomb. Without the resurrection, we are lost in our sins. It's just another dead man in the tomb. But no, not our Savior. But no, not our Savior.

He said resurrection power. Death, hell, and the grave. The scriptures say he snatched the keys from Satan and took all authority and all power. And we tend to think that, you know, the angel rolled away the stone for Jesus to come out. No, no, no, no, family, that wasn't the case. Jesus wasn't in the tomb when they rolled the stone back.

The tomb was only rolled the stone back so you and I could look in the tomb and see he's risen. He is not here. He is not here, but he is a risen savior now. He is not, I don't know where he is at, but he ain't here. He's alive. He's not here. John 20 has some vital information. John 20, verse 7.

The face cloth, which has been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen claws, but folded up in a place by itself. I know, with our Western eyes, that's like, okay, it was folded up. But in the first century, like when the master came home and reclined at the table, and the servant came and fed him and fed him, and fed him, And fed them. It wasn't until the master. It wasn't until the master took the napkin and folded it up. And that's when the servant knew the master is finished. I said, that's when the servant knew the master was finished.

So two times Jesus has proclaimed it is finished. It was on the cross. and the Jewish people who walked in the tomb and saw this snap and folded, they should have known that the Savior was finished. Death, hell, and the grave, it is finished. That's the scriptures. That's not me.

That's the scriptures. He didn't even have to say it no more. Jesus said, I'm going to leave you a sign. See, the Jews would have, they would have known this immediate. immediately what it meant. All the other clothes was ragged on the floor, but that napkin, Jesus said, I'm going to show them that it's finished for them. Death, hell, grave, it is done.

It is finished. But that should be in our hearts. We should know that we're free. Like, where is the freedom? Because, like, that's what I keep telling you all, like, like us to behold because we as his sons and daughters we shouldn't be walking around so crippled in Maine all the time now I get I get I get it we got life experiences we got hurts pains we don't have money we don't have job I get all of that I do I've been there we got

relational problems we got all kind of issues but but what are you being holding in it. What? Are you beholding the one? What are we beholding in this? Are we beholding our freedom? Our freedom isn't the resurrection. Our freedom is in Christ.

Like Lord, I know they fired me. I don't know how I'm going to pay these bills, but God. But the risen Savior. But the one who has all provision. But the one who has a thousand cattle on him. but him. He will provide for me. Even though I can't see it, he has risen. And I'm going to behold him in that. That's how you get through suffering. That's how Christ got through suffering. He beholded the Father. Nevertheless, nevertheless, nevertheless, nevertheless, nevertheless.

Let your will be done. Nevertheless, Frank, that was good to my soul. Matthew 28, verse 3. His appearance was like lightning. His clothes, white as snow. The angel was so bright, just imagine a 100-watt light bulb. A hundred light bulb produced about 1,600 lumens. This is a unit used to measure the total amount of visible light being admitted by a source.

The scriptures say the angel was like a lightning boat. Lightning boat admits 100 billion lumen. The sun admits 127,000 lumen. This angel was in the presence of unapproachable light. 1 Timothy Verse 6 This angel was in the presence of the Almighty

And this angel comes down And now he looks Like a bolt of lightning And the scripture saying in chapter 28 Verse 4 And for fear For the guards trembled

And became like dead men We try to front light Like if an angel came down right now illuminating like a lightning boat, we'd be breaking out of here. It'd been a stampede. We'd be trying to get out of here. And I'll be with you. I'll be like, what?

And these men, these men were soldiers, like men of men, bloodshed and war. But when they, seeing that an unapproachable light, oh, frozen like dead men. Matthew 28 Verse 5 through 6 But the angel said to the women I think it was supernatural

Resurrection power that kept them women up 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 and see the place where he lay As he said

Four times in the scriptures in Matthew, the Lord has talked about this day. Matthew 12, verse 40, he talked about the sign of Jonah. Jonah being in the belly of a fish for three days and the son of man will be in the earth for three days. Matthew 16, 21 and 22. He talked about going to Jerusalem and suffering many things. And Peter tried to rebuke him. Get behind me, Satan.

Matthew 17, verse 23. They will kill him and he will be raised on the third day. Matthew 20, verse 19. Deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified and he will be raised on the third day. Now, I know we, we, I'm going to talk about me. How about that? I wouldn't be trying to hear none of that. He would have probably rebuked me like Peter.

because come on y'all they they they were beholding him like this is jesus right here like i can talk to him i can sit with him i can eat with him he wash his feet he raising people from the dead he you're going somewhere you ain't going nowhere i don't want him to go nowhere no no no no you're right here where you got to go so we we can't front like like like we're would have been heeding all of Jesus's predictions and all of his prophecies. Because even right now, we're still not heeding all of his prophecies, the things that he said in His Holy Word, the thing that's in the red that we neglect to behold. Matthew 28, verse 7.

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. Jesus has empowered women to spread the gospel. Your Lord has empowered you, empowered you to spread the gospel. Like all throughout the gospel. Women had, they had no credibility in the first century.

Like a woman could not say anything that was to be believed. but the Lord Jesus put the gospel message in the mouths of women y'all y'all go and spread this gospel to my brothers who wasn't there who was hiding somewhere

he said I'm going to get my women since these men ain't here I'm going to get these women to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ spread the gospel spread the gospel. We are all commissioned to spread the gospel. Matthew 28, verse 8 and 9.

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, and behold, Jesus met them and said, Greetings like he walking through the park. And they came up to him and took hold of his feet and worshipped him, full of all, full of wonder. They saw angels, they saw stone roll away, full of fear and great joy. Encountering the divide.

Like, how do you fathom that in your mind? Like, like, I saw you on Friday. I saw your body beating. I saw the bloodshed. I saw the whipping post. I saw this on Friday. The women were at the cross. I saw this on Friday.

How in God's name? On Sunday, I'm a, oh Lord, a resurrected Jesus. And the women, I couldn't even imagine. They held his feet with fear, reverential fear, physical fear, and great joy. And they were overwhelmed. I would have been done. I would have been done. I got a big old cross in my room, and then sometimes I just hold that cross.

And it's metal, and they'd be hurting. And I'll be like, God, because my heart's cried one day. Like, I imagine, like, when I get to heaven and it's going to be billions and billions of people, I'm going to see Christ off in the distance, and I'm just be like, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. And I just get to say thank you. And that crown, I get to put that crown at his feet. God, it's just saved it so much, man.

And I just get the opportunity. Like saying thank you down here just don't seem like enough. It's like how many thank yous, how many hallelujahs, it's just never seemed like enough. So that's why we serve the way we serve because it's like, what else can I do in this life to bring some kind of something to my soul. But I just have to wait to the day that he returns and come and get us. For that day of redemption. Like I said, when I see him in that crowd, I'm, excuse me, y'all, get out my way, get out my way, get out my way, get out my way, get out my way, get out my way, and I can do it.

And I get, that's what we need to behold. Jesus never stopped anyone from worshiping him. Under Jewish law, you would be stoned to death for worshiping a man. This is what the Pharisees and the scribes miss. All the overwhelming evidence. that Jesus was not just a man, but in fact, the Messiah, the son of God, the one they have been waiting for, he is divine. Just like I was talking with Elder and Don in the back, and I told them, they were right here. Missing. Glory.

That's why I prayed Ephesians over y'all this morning, because I don't want you to miss glory because you have a head knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. No, you need to be, you need to be resurrected in your soul. You need to be transformed. You need to be born again. You need to be born again. Repent. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Who are you beholding?

Who is your affection on? What is your affection on? The parables, his teaching, healing, walking on water, raising the dead, his divine wisdom, he could read and read, minds, divine provision, two fish, five loaves, five, 20,000 people. And you're worried about your job. But all of that is to push us and prod us to question in our heart, something is different

about this man. Something is totally different about this man. This man walks on water. This man raises a dead. this man heals blind eyes and just just like Nicodemus

just how Nickademus saw all of this stuff he was a Pharisees of Pharisees and Nicodemus said what in the world like he couldn't see it was past his knowledge and that's what I'm asking y'all to do go past your knowledge

you have to be it has to be spirit led. That's why you have to, Lord, I, I don't, I cannot figure everything out. I don't know everything. I'm just a flawed man and my mind is this big, but you are the living God. And I will, I will put my faith in that. So that's what I'm asking. Even as you hear the proclamation of the word, you just put your face in what you're hearing, not me, But the spirit that's right now moving in this room over these airwaves, moving. Don't suppress that. He said in the day that you hear the gospel, do not harden your heart.

You know you feel something in there. Listen, we can't explain it. We cannot explain salvation and the mystery that happens when a soul is regenerated. That's the power of God. I can't explain that. I told elder in the back, I'm not trying to explain the Trinity no more. I'm not trying to explain heavenly things. I am flesh.

He is divine. He knows all things, created all things. Matthew 26, verse 62, 66. I want to show you his divinity, his claims. Please do not harden your heart when you hear these. Do not harden your heart. Do not harden your heart. Elder Eric preached a wonderful message, the court of the wicked.

I would ask you to go back and listen to that. They are condemning Jesus in a wicked trial. Matthew 26, verse 62. And the high priest stood up and said, Have you no answer to make? They were accusing him. He was silent because you only got to defend yourself. What is it that these men testify against you?

But Jesus remains silent. And the high priest said to him, Spirit of the living God. Listen to the question. I adore you by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the son of God. Is that a direct question? Jesus said to him, you have said so.

But I'm going to tell you, from now on you will see the son of man seated at the right hand. of power. No man, listen to me, family. No man can make this statement. Seated at the right hand of power, a man. I sit with the father. Whatever the father do, I do. Whatever the father say, I say.

I sit at the right hand of power. And listen to the prophecy. And coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robes and said, He has uttered blasphemy. Why? Why? Because it's a man claiming to be God. This is what they're calling blasphemy. A man claiming to be God.

What further witness do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment? answered, he deserves death. John chapter 8, verse 48, 59. The Jews answered him, are we not right to say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? Because you a man claiming to be God, you must be possessed. Jesus answered, I do not have a demon.

I honor my father. And you dishonor me. So he said, you dishonor me? You dishonoring the father. yet I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it. And he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, definitive,

if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. Who makes claims like this? The Jews said to him, now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and as did the prophets. Yet you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. Listen to the question. Are you greater than our father Abraham who died and the prophets died? Listen by the spirit of the living God.

Open the hearts. Who do you make yourself out? to be. Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered, if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my father who glorifies me, of whom you say, he is our God. But you have not known him. I know him. If I would say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him. And I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced on the mountain of transfiguration. When Jesus was on the earth, Abraham met him there that he would see the day.

He saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, you are not knowledge. You are not 50 years old. And have you seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was. No man. No man can claim I am.

No man. When Moses was at the bush, the burning bush, Moses said, who do I, who do I say that you are? Is that clear enough for you? Is that claim clear enough for you? Come on, come on, man. So they picked up stones to throw at him. but Jesus hid himself and left out. One more.

John 10, y'all going to get these claims. Y'all going to believe the risen Savior. He has risen. He's just not talking. This is just not surface level stuff. This has just got to be changing in your heart. You got to behold this.

You got to see him of who he really is. John, chapter 10 verse 32 uh what's that 33 listen i and the father are one i and the father are one the jews picked up stones again to stone him jesus answered them i have shown you many good works from the father for which of them are you going to stone me for listen listen the jews answer to him, it is not, listen, it is not for good works that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. Like, people keep, when Jesus never said he was God, I just walked y'all through three

claims. Now I'm saying, trust him, behold him, be an awe of him. Matthew 28, verse 10, then the resurrected Jesus said to them, do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there were, they see me. Calling the disciples brothers, now this is a shift that indicates that redemption for his sons and daughters. The resurrected Jesus now, now they are my. brothers, co-heirs in Christ, part of his family, not just followers anymore, brothers and sisters in the faith. Why? Because of resurrection power and it's brought all of us together.

To hold to Christ, behold his life. Like outside of these four walls, behold his life. His death, his burial, and the resurrection. Like, it all goes together. Like, we can't just glory at one part. We got to glory at it all. Because he had to get from there to get there. And he did all of it perfectly. You put my definition up.

That's what I'm beckoning to you. To gaze upon. Observe or see something. Like, it's got to be bigger than Sunday. If this is just a Sunday thing, you are missing it. If you come in here because you just feel good because you came to church on Sunday, that is not what God is calling you to. He's calling you to this.

He's calling you and I to this to behold him, often implying all. His entire life, not just the resurrection, not just his birth, not just his birth, not just the cross he's entire we behold it Lord Jesus we got to be fascinated by it it's got to be held

in the most highest esteem of our hearts like above your marriage above your relationships above your job above your health above your finances

above your relate above Christ's return is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament. Can y'all put that back up? Are y'all beholding that? Like, just like Simeon, see it? Simeon was beholding to see a gray-haired man now, but he was beholding to see the Lord's Christ. Are we? Are we? Bow your heads. Let me pray. God, once again, I just, I just, I thank God for the elder, because it is by the spirit of the living God. who pricks the heart when the gospel is being presented. Prick the heart, O gentle Savior, the resurrected one, the one that is returning.

Prick the heart right now, God. Reserate their soul and their hearts. And let us all get to a place that we behold you. We honor you. We're in awe of you. We worship you. Let the gospel be enough. It is powered by the Holy Spirit and it is alive and active,

sharpened in any two-edged sword, cut through bone and marrow to the spirit of a man that he will cry out. I'm a sinner. I need this resurrected Jesus. I may not understand everything, but I understand what he did for me. I need that filled with the Holy Spirit. and be baptized.

And then you will walk out this glorious life right with you. Pray this. I cannot make it happen. I'm just a man. I have no power. It's by the power of the Holy Spirit. I just prayed this. No more head knowledge,

but true transformation in the spirit. Like, Lord, I'm begging you, Lord. Like a real in their spirit. Like when they leave out of here, they're going to know something different has happened in them. I can't explain what happens. I'm not God. But we have to participate. And our participation is to repent of our sins and put our trust in this resurrected Jesus who is returning for us.

I prayed this over. My brother, sisters, sons and daughters and the unbeliever. It's in Jesus' name. Amen.