April 5, 2026 // Easter Sunday // Christ is Risen

Christ is risen. The resurrection stands as the cornerstone of Christian faith, vindicating Christ’s death, burial, and triumphant return on the third day and launching the church’s mission. Matthew 28 and 1 Corinthians 15 anchor this truth in eyewitness testimony—angels, women at the tomb, appearances to the disciples, and hundreds who saw the risen Lord—so faith rests not on speculation but on historical, witnessed reality. The tomb’s empty space functions both as comfort and summons: an angel invites investigation—“come and see”—and the women depart with fear and great joy to proclaim what they had been shown.

The narrative contrasts two responses to divine glory. The guards fall like dead men, paralysed by dread; the women bow in worship, overcome with reverence and joy. That contrast previews final judgment: proximity to Christ produces awe and worship for the redeemed, and terror for those who remain estranged. The resurrection also reveals God’s attentive fatherhood—knowing the hearts of those who seek, meeting them with reassurance and restoring relationship through reconciliation accomplished by Christ’s death and secured by his life.

Encounter with the risen Christ exposes sin, elicits repentance, and invites surrender. Jesus welcomes worship and restores even those who abandoned him, calling deniers and sleepers “brothers” and commissioning witnesses to go and tell. The resurrection therefore compels both comfort for believers and mission from them: the victory over death grants rest for the weary, removes divine wrath for those reconciled, and issues a public mandate to proclaim the good news until every heart has opportunity to come, see, and believe. The closing call presses for bold proclamation, persistent prayer for the lost, and lives shaped by the assurance that trust in Jesus alone secures standing before the throne.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The resurrection is foundational truth The empty tomb proves that death does not have the final word and that trust in Christ aligns with historical reality. This truth reframes fear about death into assured hope because reconciliation flows from both the cross and the risen life of Christ. Holding this conviction orders worship, ethics, and mission around a living Savior rather than a distant doctrine. [25:47]
• 2. Fear yields worship or dread Divine glory exposes human condition: proximity to Christ produces awe and worship, while distance provokes terror and paralysis. This pattern reframes moral and spiritual fractures as existential reckonings—responses reveal ultimate allegiance, not merely emotional reaction. Preparing for that reckoning shapes daily repentance and devotion. [32:43]
• 3. Come and see; faith follows sight God invites scrutiny rather than forbids questions, calling seekers to inspect the evidence and then to risk faith. Faith often moves before full sight, but God confirms it by tangible encounter that converts trembling into worship. That dynamic protects faith from being mere wishful thinking and grounds it in encounter. [36:15]
• 4. Forgiveness restores even failed disciples Failure does not bar belonging; Christ names deniers and deserters “brothers” and restores them to mission and intimacy. This restoration shows salvation as relational and forensic—sins forgiven and status transformed—so repentance reconnects to a family rather than a performance score. The call to go and tell issues from restored identity, not earned merit. [50:08]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [04:58] - Paul’s Creed: First Importance
• [05:30] - Christ Raised Third Day
• [24:47] - Turn to Matthew 28
• [25:47] - Resurrection’s Central Place
• [27:47] - Reading Matthew 28
• [28:35] - Women Meet the Risen Lord
• [31:18] - Comfort for the Seeking Heart
• [36:15] - “Come and See” Invitation
• [38:59] - Faith Confirmed by Sight
• [42:24] - Spirit, Reconciliation, and Life
• [49:27] - “Go and Tell” Commission
• [55:33] - Blessing and Sending

Based on the sermon summary and transcript, the primary text is Matthew 28:1-15. The study guide will be derived from this passage and the sermon's key takeaways.

Bible reading
Matthew 28:1-15 (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 that 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.” While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

Observation questions

1. What were the two different responses to the angel's appearance at the tomb, and who had each response?
2. What specific instructions did the angel give to the women after telling them Jesus had risen?
3. What emotional state did the women leave the tomb in, and what did they do immediately afterward?
4. How did Jesus refer to his disciples when he gave the women a message for them, and why is that significant considering recent events?

Interpretation questions

1. The angel invited the women to "come and see" the empty tomb. What does this invitation reveal about how God views our questions and desire for evidence? [36:15]
2. The guards fell down like dead men in terror, while the women bowed in worship. What does this contrast teach us about how a person's relationship with God determines their reaction to His glory? [32:43]
3. Jesus calls his disciples "brothers" even after they had recently abandoned and denied him. What does this tell us about the nature of forgiveness and restoration that comes through the resurrection? [50:08]
4. The women were told to "go and tell" the news before they had even seen Jesus for themselves. What does this sequence of events—comfort, invitation, then commission—show us about how faith often operates?

Application questions

1. The resurrection is a historical reality that reframes our fear about death into assured hope. How does trusting in this historical event change the way you think about your own mortality or the loss of a loved one?
2. Divine glory exposes the human condition, producing either awe and worship or terror and paralysis. When you consider standing before God, which response do you most identify with right now, and what does that reveal about your ultimate allegiance? [32:43]
3. God invites scrutiny rather than forbids questions, calling seekers to inspect the evidence. What is a question or doubt you have about faith that you need to bring to God and say, "Come and see"? [36:15]
4. Failure does not bar belonging; Christ restores deniers and deserters. Is there an area of your life where you feel like you have failed God too greatly to be used by Him or called His child? How does the truth that Jesus calls failed disciples "brothers" speak to that feeling? [50:08]
5. The resurrection compels both comfort for believers and mission from them. In what practical way can you "go and tell" the good news to someone in your life this week, moving from being comforted to being a comforter?
6. The heavenly father knows our fears, worries, sins, and anxieties intimately and cares for us specifically. Which of these burdens are you currently carrying that you need to consciously bring to Him, trusting that He knows and cares? [35:26]
7. Your response to the resurrection determines your eternal positioning. If you were to stand before the throne of judgment today, what would you say? Is your trust firmly in Jesus alone as your great redeemer? [53:53]