Going Beyond the No-Go Zone
Easter Sunday at Mombasa Memorial Cathedral was nothing short of powerful, as the Anglican faithful gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The service, led by The Rt. Rev. Dr. Alphonce Mwaro Baya, focused on a deeply thought-provoking theme: “Going Beyond the No-Go Zone.”
Rooted in the Gospel of John 20:1–18, the message reminded us that resurrection is not only about Christ rising from the dead—it’s about God breaking through every boundary, both physical and spiritual, that seeks to keep us from walking in freedom.
The story of resurrection as written by the Evangelist John singled out Mary Magdalene as a witness of the empty tomb. On witnessing the empty tomb, she sets everything in motion. The movements and expressions characterised in these verses demonstrates going beyond no go zone. Two precautions were taken to ringfence the tomb. These were intended to wade off any possibility of ressurection and Jews fears that the disciples would steal the body of Jesus Christ.
At the door of the tomb of Jesus, a big stone was placed there and the Seal of Pilate was placed on the stone (Mathew 27:66). A seal is a guarantee of ownership and a sign of touch not. A seal represents, and identifies the authority, person, nation or government. Every valid law, order or decree must contain the seal of the person in power. Therefore, the Seal of Pilate was a sign of authentication that the tomb was occupied and the power and authority of Rome stood behind the seal. Anyone found breaking the Roman seal would suffer the punishment of an unpleasant death. It was a no go and touch not zone.
If the women together with Mary Magdalene knew that the tomb had the Seals of Pilate, they would have not gone to the tomb as it was a no go and touch not zone.
In addition, Pilate gave Jews the order to put guards on the tomb of Jesus to guard it for three days (Mathew 27: 65-66). The Roman guards was a sixteen- man unit that was governed by strict rules. Each member was responsible for six square feet of space. They could not sit down or lean against anything while on duty. If a guard member fell asleep, he was beaten and burned with his clothes. But he was not only executed, the entire sixteen man guard was executed if only one of the members fell asleep while on duty. That was the level of surveillance. Indeed it was a no go and touch not zone.
In verse 12, John mentions two angels sitting in the grave hardly mentioning their roles. However, his counterpart, Evangelist Matthew is generous with details. He described an angle descending from heaven and rolling back the large stone that was sealing Jesus tomb (27:60,66). The descending was marked by violent earthquake. Consequently, the guards were afraid, they fell down shook and became like dead men (Mathew 28:1-4). With the Seal of Pilate and the guards, God knew it was a no go zone and touch not zone.
God knew it was only him who could break the seals, wade off the ownership and authority of Pilate over the tomb. It was only him who could immobilize the Roman guards. Therefore, he took the intervening measures by sending His powerful angle of the Lord. His power was evidenced in the earthquake and immobilized guards. The angles broke the seals and the tomb became a go zone and a touch zone.
The greater their precautionary care, the more fully is revealed the power of resurrection, and the intervening power of God. The presence of the angles was not only a sign of the intervening power of God, but also to confirm and witness the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection story reminds us that there maybe no go zones and touch not zones that may be erected and sealed by the powers that may be to: limit your encounter with the resurrected Lord, going beyond what you are, and where you are, to prove a point of the enemy. The powers that may be, may assign their guards or agents to monitor and viciously enforce the assignment of their master with weapons, artilleries and absolute surveillance.
The goodnews is that God's power breakes the sealed and guarded no go zones. It makes a no go zone to become a go zone. He penetrates the no go zone and occupies it and infact assigns angles as alternative guards to secure, guide, protect, and testify about the Lord's miracle. God immobilises and terrembles the enemy and their agents (Psalm 48). Nothing can limit God's power to deliver his promises. Sometimes his redemptive power precedes us without knowing, we only get there to see what he may have done- the preceding redemptive grace. Like Many Magdalene, there are times we may not even understand and confuse God's work with something ungodly (they have stolen my Lord).
While this was God's predetermined plan to set everything in motion for the resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene teaches us determination, unwavering focus and affections for the Lord may be requisites to experience the preceding redemptive grace of God. Remember, God's power transforms a no go zone to a go zone. He breaks the legal seals, authority and limits for us to encounter the power of resurrection and grow in all aspects of life.
As indicated above, seals are legal authorities for ownership and must be obeyed. It confins one to limits of freedom, and to obedience of that legal authority.The presence of the angles indicated a change of authority and ownership, a take over from the Seal of Pilate to the Seal of God. That God was now in charge and owner of the zone. He had fully occupied the place, the space and declered it accessible, a go zone. Martha, Peter and John at the scene proves the broken limits, a no go zone becoming a go zone. This testified a reversal of evil intentions sealed and secured by legitimate judicial authority.
While the resurrection story introduces us to the physical Seals of Pilate, there are spiritual evil seals that people may knowingly and unknowingly have. The seals may be in the form of visible or invisible mark's inscribed on any part of body, soul or spirit. It may be in the form of objects worn by an individual. These evil seals have made them subject to the authority, power and are under the ownership of the entities behind the seals that is the kingdom of darkness. They live in fear and slavey. They are harrassed, enslaved, imbolised in life. It is like they are caged, a seal is placed over them. Some people go for these seals for wealth and prosperity, marriage and family, jobs and promotions, for favours and security, and protection as well. Some may be spiritual vulnerabilities passed on from generation to the other. For whatever reasons, they become slaves and pay dearly.
here is hope that a divine visitation as we see at the tomb brings tremendous difference. The seals breaks at the visitation of the Lord. As a result, the entities behind them loose their authority, power, ownership and connection with the person. One then becomes free from their imposed limits, oversite and slavey. He secures the freedom and future by assigning angles.
We urge each one of us to give our lives to the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ that he would seal us - to own, have authority over us and secure us. This is what Paul says In Galatians 6:17 "From now own let no one cause me trouble for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." Besides that, he writes in Ephesians 1:13: " When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit." Remember, at baptism you were sealed with cross as a sign of transfer from darkness to light. A seal of transaction that signified a change of ownership, and under legal authority of Jesus Christ. God through the action of baptism sealed and declared you a no go zone. However, our disobedience has violated the sacred seal affixed in our being, and now have became a go zone for the devil to own, use, manipulate, oppress and possess using the disguised pleasures, gratification gifts, prosperity, favours among others. It is important to ask ourselves this question: under whose seal are you?
The theme of our sermon for this Easter is going beyond the no go zone. There are two lessons learnt:
The Bishop Of Mombasa, Rt. Rev. Dr. Alphonce Mwaro Baya, Led the faithful of Mombasa Diocese in remembrance of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, greeted with palm branches and praises of "Hosanna" from MMC through the treasury square in style. It marks the beginning of the holy week, a time to reflect on Christ's love, sacrifice And humility.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Alphonce Mwaro Baya had the opportunity to witness the resilience and determination of the ACK Mabamani Trust Group. Formed in 2022 with just nine committed members, the group has faced significant challenges both in their development as a group and as a church community.
On the evening of Maundy Thursday, the Church came together in solemn reflection under the spiritual guidance of the Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Dr. Alphonse Baya. This holy day, rich in meaning and tradition, marks the beginning of the sacred three days leading to Easter.
In a deeply reverent service, Diocesan Bishop led the congregation in remembering the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His disciples, the institution of the Holy Eucharist, and the profound act of foot washing—an expression of humility, servant leadership, and unconditional love.