Today is Mother’s Day — and I think we all know, when it comes to parenting, moms just do it better. They’ve got that mix of patience, wisdom, and unconditional love that’s hard to match.
They’re the ones who bandage scraped knees, remember every permission slip, and somehow manage to find your lost shoe when you're already late.
Now, dads—we try. But let’s be honest, our parenting instincts don’t always hit
the mark like a mother’s does. In fact,
that reminds me of a story…
Little Billy was always getting into trouble — at home and at school.
His mom was at her wit’s end. One day,
the school called.
The voice on the line said, “Mrs. Johnson, your son’s been telling lies.”
She hung her head in frustration, not knowing what to say.
Her husband calmly took the phone and said, “Who is this?”
The school repeated, “Your son’s been telling lies.”
The dad paused and said, “Well, tell him he’s doing a great job—because we
don’t even have kids!”
Now that’s
one way to tell a story—but it’s not exactly the truth, is it?
And in today’s Scripture, we’re going to look at two very different stories
that came out of the same event—the resurrection of Jesus.
One story is rooted in lies and fear. The
other is grounded in truth and faith.
And the question for all of us this morning is: Which story are we living?
Matthew 28:11-20
11 As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city
and told the leading priests what had happened. 12 A
meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a
large bribe. 13 They told the soldiers, “You must
say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they
stole his body.’ 14 If the governor hears about it,
we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” 15 So
the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story
spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the
mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When
they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given
all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore,
go and make disciples of all the nations,[b] baptizing them in the name of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach
these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of
this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Two Very Different Stories
I’m struck right off the bat in this passage
by the clear contrast between these two stories.
|
The Soldiers: |
The Disciples: |
|
Lived
to spread a lie |
Died
to tell with truth |
|
Were paid
to cover up |
Were commissioned
to go proclaim |
|
Acted
out of fear and greed |
Responded
with worship and obedience |
|
Story was bought and empty |
Story was costly and full of hope |
How
do we know the soldiers’ story was a lie?
One reason is: In the Roman military, falling asleep on duty or failing a guard assignment was
often punishable by death. This was a well-known and strict rule to ensure
discipline and accountability. If the soldiers had actually allowed the body to
be stolen, they would have faced execution — yet they remained alive. Why?
Because someone had to live to tell the lie. If they were executed, there would have been no supposed "eyewitnesses" to tell the lie that the body was stolen.
Now contrast that to the Disciples experience. They died to tell the Truth. While the soldiers were paid money to tell the lie, the disciples gave their lives to tell the truth.
Peter was crucified upside down in Rome.
James (son of Zebedee) was beheaded by sword in Jerusalem.
Andrew was on an X-shaped cross in Greece.
Philip was crucified or possibly stoned in Phrygia.
Bartholomew was
flayed alive and beheaded in Armenia.
Matthew was
stabbed with a spear in Ethiopia.
Thomas was speared
to death in India.
James was
stoned to death in Jerusalem.
Thaddaeus was clubbed to death in Persia.
Simon the Zealot was sawed in half in Persia.
John was the only disciple to die a natural death. He was
exiled to Patmos, then later died in Ephesus.
Each one paid for telling the truth with their lives. People don’t give their
lives willingly for a lie.
They are much more likely to lie in order to save their lives—like the soldiers
at the tomb.
The story of Jesus’ resurrection was a threat to the religious leaders and the Roman authorities.
Christ’s ultimate miracle showed His Heavenly Kingdom was more powerful than any kingdom or authority on earth. If this news got out, people would turn against the Romans and the religion of Jerusalem.
So they had to cover it up. It must’ve
really burned them up—having to hand over hush money to soldiers they would’ve
rather executed them on the spot.
In contrast, Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and boldly proclaim the
truth to the world. It wasn’t easy—and it cost them dearly. But there’s peace
in telling the truth. Truth carries its own reward: a clear conscience, a
steady heart, and the joy of walking in step with God.
And there’s the reward of belonging to the eternal, unshakable Kingdom of
God—knowing that nothing this world offers can compare, and nothing it throws
at you can truly harm you, because your life is secure in Jesus Christ.
The soldiers acted out of fear. Their lives were at stake and Roman executions were brutal (just look what they did to Jesus). When faced with the choice to tell the truth and be tortured and killed or to take a bribe to spread a lie, they took the easy road. I wonder what happened to them? The Bible doesn’t say (and there are no strong, widely accepted church traditions about their fate either).
Matthew makes sure to say their lie was still circulating at the time he wrote his Gospel (several decades after the fact), showing how persistent and powerful misinformation can be.
But their lies could not overcome the power of God’s truth, because the
disciples acted in faith.
They believed that Jesus had truly risen from the grave, and they courageously
devoted their lives to obeying His commission to spread the Good News. And history reveals this simple yet powerful reality: faith conquers fear,
truth outlasts deception, and the light of the resurrection continues to
shine—generation after generation—through those who dare to believe and obey.
At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, we see two very different stories. One was bought—a lie crafted to hide the truth. It was cheap in value, but costly in consequence. It was a story rooted in fear, told to preserve power, and it ultimately led nowhere.
The other story was costly—not just in gold, but in obedience, sacrifice,
and faith. The disciples didn’t gain wealth or and easy life from their story. What they gained was purpose, peace, and the promise of eternal life. Their story is still being told, because it’s filled with hope—the kind that
changes lives and lights up a dark world.
So what do we do with that? Because
every one of us will face the same kind of choice:
Will we cling to what’s easy, safe, and self-serving,
or will we step into the truth, even when it costs us something?
We live in a world full of false stories—stories that tell us to compromise, to cut corners, to live for ourselves. But Jesus calls us to something better. He calls us to live in the light, to walk in the truth, to be people of
integrity, courage, and hope.
So here’s the challenge: Which
story are you living?
Is your life being shaped by what’s bought and empty,
or by what’s costly and full of eternal hope?
Choose the story that lasts. Choose
the story that’s true.
Choose to follow Jesus—the Risen One—wherever He leads.
