Easter Sunday on April 5, 2026 at Emmanuel presbyterian Church, Bedford TX

Matthew's resurrection account unfolds like an action sequence, but the drama serves a theological aim: to point to a reality that has already happened. An empty tomb greets Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and the angel declares in the past tense that Jesus has been raised; the stone rolls away and the heavenly signs follow the rising rather than causing it. The women leave the tomb and, by faith, hurry to tell the disciples—only then do they encounter the risen Christ, who repeats the same imperative: do not fear, go and tell. The narrative insists that belief often begins with obedience before visual proof.

The text reframes expectations about how God works in the world. Resurrection frequently appears quietly and invisibly, accomplished before human awareness, yet God supplies shock and splendor when attention must be drawn to what already transpired. Dramatic signs both underline the victory over death and answer humanity’s appetite for something unmistakable amid the loud violences of sin and suffering. At the same time, resurrection often arrives as a subtle unseating of grief, bitterness, or despair—changes that reveal themselves more clearly in the act of going and proclaiming than in passive reflection.

The significance of the resurrection extends beyond an event two millennia ago. New life continues to break into situations of death—social injustice, illness, loneliness—sometimes with thunder, sometimes with a whisper. The risen Christ consistently goes ahead, leaving traces of life in his wake and calling people out of fear into mission. The community marks that reality through worship, the affirmation of faith, and the sharing of bread and cup, practices that both recall the past and send participants into present forms of resurrection work: hospitality, service, and witness to renewal. The Easter summons is both consolation and commissioning: do not fear; go and tell.

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Resurrection precedes the signs The empty tomb in Matthew shows that new life often exists before human recognition. Rather than constructing belief from spectacle, faith sometimes begins from obedience—moving out toward others with the claim of life even when sight lags behind. This inversion trains disciples to trust God’s prior work and to embody that reality through proclamation and compassion. [30:05]
• 2. Do not fear; go and tell Fear paralyses witness; the angel’s simple command reframes fear as an impediment to testimony rather than a faithful posture. The call to tell requires a risk: proclaiming life where death still appears dominant and inviting others into a story that might be resisted. Courageful testimony does not rely on dramatic proof but on the capacity to act as if resurrection is true. [33:24]
• 3. Loud and quiet resurrections God employs both seismic signs and quiet shifts to unmake death: sometimes the ground shakes, sometimes a heart softens unnoticed. Expecting only the spectacular narrows the field of divine action; recognizing subtle changes trains attention to the incremental work of grace. Christians learn to celebrate both the thunderclap and the slow thaw. [36:38]
• 4. The risen Christ goes ahead Resurrection is not a static event but a forward movement: Christ goes ahead, creating paths of new life that others may follow. This forward motion reframes mission as companioning what God already initiates, aligning human action with the trajectory of grace. Following the risen One means watching for the signs left in his wake and joining the work of making places where life can flourish. [38:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [26:39] - Gospel: Tomb discovery
• [27:18] - Angel's proclamation
• [28:28] - "Action movie" interpretation
• [30:05] - Resurrection happened quietly
• [33:24] - Six words: Do not fear, go tell
• [34:31] - Resurrection keeps happening
• [36:38] - Loud and quiet resurrections
• [38:28] - Christ goes ahead of us
• [63:26] - Sending & 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 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.”

---

Observation questions

1. What did the angel say to the women at the tomb, and what tense did he use to describe Jesus’ resurrection?
2. What dramatic events (like the earthquake and the angel) happened at the tomb, and did they cause the resurrection or point to it?
3. When did the women actually see the risen Jesus—before or after they obeyed the command to “go and tell”?
4. What specific instruction did both the angel and Jesus give to the women? [33:24]

---

Interpretation questions

1. Why do you think God used dramatic signs like an earthquake and a shining angel if Jesus had already been raised from the dead quietly?
2. The women were told to “go and tell” before they had actually seen Jesus. What does this suggest about the relationship between obedience and belief?
3. The resurrection is described as happening both loudly and quietly. [36:38] Why might God choose to work in both ways?
4. Jesus said he was going ahead of the disciples to Galilee. What might it mean that the risen Christ is always going ahead of us? [38:28]

---

Application questions

1. “Do not fear; go and tell” were the words spoken at the tomb. [33:24] What is one area of your life where fear is holding you back from sharing hope or acting in faith?
2. Resurrection sometimes happens quietly, before we even notice. [34:31] Looking back, can you identify a “quiet resurrection” in your life—a time when God was already at work bringing new life in a situation that seemed hopeless?
3. The women encountered Jesus after they began obeying. How might stepping out in obedience—even before you feel certain—open you up to experience God’s presence in a new way?
4. Jesus is already going ahead of us, leaving traces of resurrection in his wake. [38:28] How can we train ourselves to notice where God is already bringing new life in our relationships, work, or community?
5. The forces of death in the world are often loud and dramatic. [35:34] Where do you most need to hear—or proclaim—a “louder” message of resurrection right now?
6. The angel’s message was meant to move the women from fear to action. What’s one practical step you can take this week to “go and tell” in word or action?