Imagine how powerful it must have been—to hear, firsthand, the stories about the empty tomb…
to listen as eyewitnesses told how they met the risen Jesus face to face… to
share in the amazement, the confusion, the hope, and the joy.
The
resurrection of Jesus is not just one moment in time—it’s a living reality that
changed everything. And the early followers of Christ didn’t keep it quiet.
They told their stories. Again and again. Around dinner tables. Around
campfires. In whispered prayers and loud celebrations.
Over the
next several weeks, we’re going to step into those stories. We’re going to listen in, walk alongside
them, and soak in the wonder of the Resurrection—not just as history, but as a
life-changing truth that still speaks to us today.
Each week,
we’ll hear a different story of the Resurrection. Each one offers a fresh glimpse of the Risen
Jesus. Each one teaches us what it means
to be faithful followers today — in a world that still needs hope, still needs
grace, still needs Him.
So I
invite you — not just for today — but for the next seven weeks:
Come hear the Stories of the Resurrection.
Come discover what God wants to show you through them.
Come experience the Risen Lord for yourself.
Matthew 28:1-10
1 Early
on Sunday morning,[a] as the new day was dawning, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
2 Suddenly there was a great
earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the
stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like
lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The
guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was
crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the
dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And
now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he
is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have
told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the
tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed
to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as
they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his
feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to
them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they
will see me there.”
The two Marys came to the tomb that morning with a heavy task. They weren’t coming to celebrate. They weren’t coming with hope. They were coming to do what love and duty demanded—to properly prepare Jesus' body for burial. (His body was laid to rest hastily without the proper honors because of the Sabbath.)
But what
they found was anything but quiet or peaceful. First, the ground shook with a violent earthquake. Can you imagine it? Not just a little rumble—the kind of shaking that rattles your bones and makes
your heart jump into your throat. It was powerful enough to roll away the stone
in front of Jesus’ tomb, a stone as heavy as a car.
And if
that wasn’t enough, they saw something even more terrifying — an angel of the
Lord, brilliant and blinding like lightning. This wasn’t a sweet, chubby baby angel from a Christmas card. This was a heavenly warrior, radiant with the raw power of God.
The Roman
soldiers — fighters trained to face death head on — were so overwhelmed that
they fainted as if they were dead. The sight of God's messenger knocked them out
cold on the ground.
If the
soldiers reacted that way, just think how terrifying it must have been for two
grieving women standing there alone.
And yet, they stayed. Even in their fear, even when the ground trembled and the heavens split open,
they stayed. And because they stayed, they saw something no one else saw: the beginning of the greatest hope the world has ever known.
When fear
shakes your world and everything feels overwhelming, will you run?
or will you stay and trust that God is about to do something amazing?
As amazing as it is to see an angel, this story is not about the angel. It’s something much more! The angel had a job—a mission from heaven. He was sent to deliver a message to anyone faithful and bold enough to come near the tomb.
The angel declared:
"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was
crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." (Matthew
28:5-6)
What a
moment! The tomb wasn't just empty
because someone moved the body.
It was empty because Jesus was alive — just as He promised.
The angel
even invited them to see for themselves:
"Come and see the place where he lay."
Right
there before their eyes was firsthand proof — offered to faithful hearts
willing to seek.
But the
angel didn’t stop there. He gave them a
mission and a message of their own:
"Go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is
going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’”
The women
were the first to be entrusted with the news that changed the world. And they weren’t supposed to keep it to themselves. They were called to go and tell—to bring light and hope to others who
were still hiding in fear and sorrow.
How have
you experienced the Risen Christ in your own life? When has He met you in a moment of fear, sorrow, or confusion—and shown you
that He is alive and with you?
When you
experience the hope of the risen Jesus, do you keep it to yourself—or are you
willing to go and share it with others who need to hear it?
Just like
the women at the tomb, you don’t have to have all the answers or a perfect
plan.
You simply have to be willing to go and tell—to carry the good news that Jesus
is alive, and He is waiting for all who will seek Him.
The women didn’t waste a moment.
Matthew says they "hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy." (Matthew 28:8)
Think about that.
They were still trembling, still trying to process everything they had seen and heard.
But even in their fear, even with their hearts racing, they obeyed. They ran to tell the others.
And that’s
when it happened… Jesus met them on the
way.
They didn’t have to make it all the way to Galilee.
They didn’t have to wait until everything made sense.
They simply obeyed and Jesus showed up.
He appeared
to them personally. He let them fall at
His feet and worship.
And again, He reassured them: "Do not be afraid."
Then He sent them on with the same mission:
"Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see
me."
Here’s the
beautiful truth:
When we step out in obedience, even when we’re afraid, even when we don’t fully
understand,
Jesus meets us on the way. He comes
close. He comforts us. He guides us.
He strengthens and equips us for the journey ahead.
Where
might Jesus be waiting to meet you—not at the end of your journey, but
right here, right now, as you take your next step of faith?
The two Marys came to the tomb expecting death. Instead, they found life.
They came weighed down with sorrow. Instead, they left running with joy.
They
didn't have all the answers yet. They
didn’t have it all figured out.
But they knew one thing — Jesus was alive.
And that changed everything.
Today, we
are just like them. We come with our
doubts, our fears, and our brokenness.
But if we are willing to seek Jesus—even when the ground shakes and the world
feels uncertain —He will meet us on the way.
He will remind us: "Do
not be afraid."
And He
will send us—not just to sit still and wonder—but to go and tell.
So as we leave today, remember this:
The tomb is empty. Jesus is
alive.
And He is calling you to go and share that hope with a world that desperately
needs it.
Closing
Hymn – “Surely The Presence Of The Lord Is In This Place” #306
Today, we have the
priveledge of welcoming 2 new members into our church family.
John and Tina-Marie Shultz come to us, transferring their membership from
Tomoka UMC, in Ormond Beach, FL. Let’s
stand and sing Surely the Presence of the Lord is in This Place as they make
their way down to the front of the church.
John
and Tina-Marie Schultz join the church…
Benediction
You have seen the
empty tomb!
You have heard the good news!
Now go…
Go in courage, in hope, and in joy…
to tell the world that Jesus is risen!
And be sure of this: He will meet you on
the way.
