The Easter Story

Scripture:

Matthew 28:1-10

Quick Summary:

Jesus dies on the cross for our sins. Then, on Sunday morning, a few women go to the tomb to honor him. There is an earthquake, an angel appears and the soldiers faint they are so scared. But the women or filled with so much joy that the grave couldn’t hold Jesus, that they run to tell everyone the good news. Jesus is victorious over death!

The Point:

Jesus dies for our sins and rises to new life.

Questions for Family Time:

1.     Why did Jesus die?

a.     He died so our sins and mistakes.

2.     Why did he rise from death?

a.  He rose to show he had the power of God in him. Because he rose, all of us can have life forever!

3.     What did everyone feel at first?

a.      scared still

4. What did the women feel next?

a. MEGA Joy!

5. What did the women do because of their joy?  

a. Ran to tell others about Jesus.  

Deeper:

Jesus has died on the cross and been laid in the tomb. This morning, the women are going to pay their respects at the tomb. Then something crazy happens. An earthquake announces the arrival of an angel who pushes the stone away from the entrance. This event is so wild, that the trained soldiers guarding the tomb faint. Actually the Bible says they “become like dead men” because of their fear. That inability to move is everyone’s reaction in Matthew to this kind of fear. The Greek word is actually phobos as in phobia. It is a fear that paralyzes people. It stops them in their tracks. It is a crippling shock that makes us, as we say “a deer in the headlights.”

The soldiers’ reaction is completely predictable, but the women’s response is completely not predictable. Rather than being stuck, we find them running. In fact, we find them sprinting as though they were racing, running to tell the disciples that Jesus is not dead…Jesus is ALIVE.

How did the women, who should have responded with paralysis, RUN with the good news? The answer is right there in our text. They were still afraid, but they also were filled with JOY. This is the same joy that Jesus talks about over and over in his parables…the joy we experience when God’s kingdom breaks through the darkness of our world.

These women had much to fear but their joy in God’s work on earth was greater than their fear. Because of joy, they would run into a dark and broken world. Because of joy they would be the first to worship the risen Lord. Because of joy they would be the first preachers of the Resurrection. Because of joy that God will not let darkness overtake his kingdom. God has broken into the world to save it, and no one can stop him. 

Personal Reflection:

               When has fear stopped you? When has the joy of Jesus moved you forward?