Christ Is Risen: Telling the Resurrection Story

The resurrection secures the Christian’s birthright as a child of God, opening the bounds of death and inviting believers into eternal life. Baptism functions as a daily reality: the old sinful self drowns and a new life arises through ongoing repentance and the promise sealed in the Triune name. Scripture provides concrete proof for the resurrection—an angelic witness, an empty tomb, and physical signs that identify the risen Lord—so that faith rests on divine action rather than mere wishful thinking. Opposing accounts expose human motives: some witnesses told the truth and carried it boldly; others altered the story under pressure and bribe, revealing how fear and vested interests can suppress the truth of God’s victory. Faith appears as a miracle-gift that moves from conviction in the heart to words spoken and lives transformed; the Great Commission flows directly from the resurrection, sending followers to make disciples, baptize, and teach.

The narrative presents three dimensions of the resurrection’s effect: the story in the heart (assurance of forgiveness and future life), the story told with the mouth (public confession and witness empowered by the Spirit), and the story lived (ethical courage and sacrificial witness that shaped the early apostles and martyrs). Historical markers—like the tombs of opponents versus the absence of Jesus’ remains—underscore the difference between empty claims and the reality the women and some guards encountered. The account calls for a decisive response: accept the resurrection as shaping identity and mission, allow baptism’s daily power to reform desires and conduct, and choose which story life will tell—the one that clings to fear and concealment, or the one that proclaims and lives resurrection hope. The closing charge frames the resurrection as an invitation to let faith define speech, service, and even the willingness to suffer for the gospel, trusting that the risen Lord’s victory secures present life and life everlasting.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Resurrection secures the believer's life The empty tomb guarantees that death no longer defines the final horizon for those united to Christ. Because Jesus rose, forgiveness becomes a present reality and future bodily life becomes a promise, not speculation. This assurance changes priorities, loosening attachment to temporary power and fear. [14:27]
• 2. Baptism buries the old self Baptism symbolizes and enacts a daily drowning of sinful patterns, calling for continual repentance and newness of life. The sacrament anchors identity in union with Christ’s death and resurrection, inviting consistent reorientation of desires. Practically, baptism reframes failure as a place for renewed dependence on grace. [21:28]
• 3. Evidence confirms the empty tomb The gospel gives physical identification—angelic testimony, eyewitness encounters, and the marks of crucifixion—so faith rests on historical acts of God, not myth. This concreteness frees doubt from playing king and grounds sacramental promises. Accepting the evidence reorders fear into trust and proclamation. [46:52]
• 4. Choose which story you tell Multiple accounts exist: witnesses who reported the risen Lord and authorities who crafted a cover story under pressure. The moral choice matters: align life with truth or with expediency and silence. Personal integrity before God determines whether the resurrection shapes public witness or becomes a muted memory. [51:01]
• 5. Faith transforms words into action The resurrection equips followers to speak the truth and to embody it, sending them out to make disciples and to endure cost for the gospel. The early apostles’ missionary zeal and martyrdom demonstrate how belief becomes vocation. A confessed resurrection must become visible in persistent, costly discipleship. [58:06]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:27] - Easter birthright and promise
• [16:00] - Church announcements & invitations
• [17:51] - Baptismal reminder and confession
• [32:32] - Gospel reading: Matthew 28
• [35:03] - Illustrative kitten stories on trust
• [40:20] - Resurrection as victory over defeat
• [46:52] - Physical proof: nails and witness
• [51:01] - Soldiers’ cover story and consequences
• [58:06] - Great Commission: send and baptize
• [63:14] - The test: which story to live
• [75:37] - Communion and table of grace
• [93:17] - Closing hymn and benediction

Bible reading: Matthew 28:1-10 (ESV)
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “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, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘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.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Observation questions

1. What specific, physical details does the angel provide to the women to prove Jesus is no longer in the tomb?
2. What two contrasting emotions did the women experience as they left the tomb to go tell the disciples?
3. What physical action did the women take when they encountered the risen Jesus, and what detail might this have revealed to them? [47:15]
4. What were the two different stories told about the events at the tomb, and who told each one? [48:38]

Interpretation questions

1. The guards witnessed the same miraculous event as the women but were later paid to tell a different story. What motivations can cause someone to suppress a truth they know to be real? [51:26]
2. The angel’s message and Jesus’s appearance transformed the women’s fear into a mission. What is the connection between encountering the risen Christ and being sent to tell others?
3. The sermon mentioned that our lives can tell the story of the resurrection in three ways: the story in the heart, the story told with the mouth, and the story lived. How do these three dimensions work together in a person’s faith?
4. Why is the historical, physical evidence of the resurrection—like the empty tomb and the nail marks—so crucial for the Christian faith? [46:52]

Application questions

1. Baptism is described as a daily reality where the old self is drowned and a new life arises. What is one sinful pattern or "old self" habit that you need to let drown today through repentance? [21:28]
2. The soldiers knew the truth but changed their story under pressure. When have you felt pressure to stay silent about your faith or to alter the truth of the gospel? What would it look like to choose the true story this week?
3. The resurrection equips followers to speak the truth and embody it, even at a cost. What is one tangible way you can "live the story" of resurrection hope in your workplace, home, or community this week?
4. The Great Commission to "go and tell" flows directly from the reality of the resurrection. Who is one person in your life that you feel sent to share this hope with, and what is a simple first step you could take? [58:06]
5. The women were told to go to Galilee, where they would see Jesus. What are the "Galilees" in your own life—the places, routines, or ministries—where you are most likely to encounter the presence of the risen Lord?
6. The sermon posed that the most important question is which story your life will tell. Looking at your priorities, time, and actions from the last month, what story are you currently telling: one of fear and silence, or one of resurrection and proclamation? [52:48]