Jesus is Risen, Now What? | Easter Sermon

Devotional

Day 1: The Resurrection is God's Power Overcoming Our Darkness

In a world marked by disappointment, suffering, and brokenness, darkness often feels overwhelming. This darkness represents the absence of God's perfect plan, the weight of sin and its consequences. Yet, the dawn of Easter morning brings a powerful, divine interruption. God’s answer to this pervasive darkness is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His power is greater than any evil, frustration, or despair we face. The resurrection is the ultimate demonstration that God’s light will always overcome the world’s darkness. [04:39]

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.
Matthew 28:2-4 (ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life are you currently experiencing a sense of darkness—perhaps a situation of frustration, grief, or anxiety—and how might the truth of Christ’s resurrection power bring a new perspective of hope into that specific area?

Day 2: The Resurrection is God's Promise Faithfully Fulfilled

God’s promises are not empty; they are certain and true. The resurrection was not a surprise or a backup plan but the fulfillment of what Jesus had declared would happen. He promised He would rise, and He did. This historical, tangible event validates every promise God has ever made. Because He is faithful to keep His word, we can have unwavering confidence in His promises of forgiveness, eternal life, and a future restoration. The empty tomb is the guarantee that God will do all that He has said. [13:02]

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Matthew 28:6 (ESV)

Reflection: Which of God’s specific promises—perhaps regarding His presence, provision, or purpose for you—do you find most difficult to hold onto right now, and what would it look like to actively rest in the assurance of His faithfulness today?

Day 3: The Resurrection Offers Hope That Changes Our Grief

The reality of death brings profound grief and loss. Without the resurrection, the grave is the final word, and our mourning has no hope. But Christ’s victory over death changes everything. It does not remove our grief, but it fundamentally alters its character. We are invited to grieve not as those who are defeated, but as those who have a living hope. The resurrection assures us that death is not the end and that a glorious, eternal reunion awaits all who are in Christ. [16:18]

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV)

Reflection: How does the hope of the resurrection shape the way you remember a loved one who has passed away in Christ, and how can this hope comfort you in the midst of your own mortality?

Day 4: The Resurrection Demands a Personal Response of Worship

The news of the risen Christ is not merely a historical fact to be acknowledged; it is a personal proclamation that requires a response. When the women encountered Jesus, their immediate reaction was to fall at His feet and worship Him. This was a recognition of His deity and His victory. Worship is the only fitting reply to such grace and power. It is a response that involves both awe-inspired reverence and overwhelming joy, moving us from fear to adoration. [23:25]

And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
Matthew 28:9 (ESV)

Reflection: In what practical ways—through song, prayer, service, or daily obedience—is your life demonstrating a posture of worship toward the risen Christ?

Day 5: The Resurrection Elevates Us to the Status of Family

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has accomplished something astonishing: He has brought us into His family. He does not call us servants, but brothers and sisters. This new identity is a gift of pure grace, purchased by His sacrifice. We are now co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His inheritance and His victory. The resurrection secures our place not as distant subjects, but as beloved children of God, welcomed into intimate relationship with the King. [24:57]

Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:10 (ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding your identity as a brother or sister of Christ, rather than merely a servant, change the way you approach God in prayer and navigate your relationships with others?

Sermon Summary

The resurrection stands as the decisive act that breaks the grip of darkness, reorders the story of creation, and secures a reconciled future for humanity. The tomb proves empty after an earthquake and an angel rolls the stone away, signaling divine power that does what human schemes cannot stop. Women who stayed with Jesus witness the empty tomb and receive the angel’s command to “come and see” and then to go and tell; their faithful presence establishes the credibility and significance of the event. The narrative underscores that the stone was rolled back not to free Jesus but to invite sight—a summons to inspect the evidence of God’s triumph.

Darkness, represented by sin, despair, and the grave, meets the resurrection’s unambiguous answer: God has acted in power. The risen life of Jesus exposes the futility of human attempts to contain or erase God’s plan and promises that death will not have the final word. Promises spoken beforehand—“he will rise”—receive fulfillment, turning funeral grief into hope and creating a firm expectation that the ravages of time and suffering do not define the end. The resurrection also reconfigures human identity; believers receive an elevated status as brothers and sisters of the risen King, invited into worship and into participation in his future glory.

The proper response combines fear and great joy: obedience, witness, and worship. The women run to tell the disciples; they worship at Jesus’ feet and obey the commission to meet him again in Galilee. That dual response models how the resurrection intends to move people from trembling to trust, from doubt to proclamation. The account issues a clear summons to decide—mere observance of religious rituals on special days cannot substitute for the decisive commitment that embraces the risen Lord, trusts him with pain and future, and lives under the authority of the One who conquered death.

Key Takeaways

1. Resurrection defeats darkness and death The empty tomb demonstrates God’s decisive action against the powers that wound and oppress. Resurrection power exposes sin’s final impotence, transforms suffering into a context for hope, and guarantees that decay and the grave do not finalize the human story. This power invites the afflicted to trust a present help who has already acted to overturn despair. [11:06]
2. Resurrection fulfills God’s promises Jesus’ rising confirms the promises spoken throughout his ministry and recorded in the Scriptures. The repeated predictions that he would rise—remembered by opponents but forgotten by disciples—become the anchor for Christian hope at funerals and in daily struggle. The fulfillment of these promises reorients longing from past regrets to a promised, secure future. [13:02]
3. New identity: brothers and sisters The resurrection elevates believers into familial relation with the risen King, changing status from servants to siblings. That new identity grounds worship, courage, and a shared destiny in the life to come, not merely moral improvement in this age. It reframes discipleship as participation in a family and a future body that mirrors the risen one. [24:36]
4. Proclamation demands a response Seeing the risen Lord compels obedience, witness, and worship rather than passive observation. The women’s fear mixed with great joy models how holy fear can lead to swift testimony and active faith—an urgency that refuses complacent attendance at holy days alone. The resurrection’s proclamation requires a decisive turning toward trust and action. [27:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Easter morning reflection
[01:45] - Matthew’s gospel trajectory
[02:57] - Reading Matthew 28:1–10
[07:01] - Angel, stone, and witnesses
[11:06] - Resurrection defeats darkness
[13:02] - Promise fulfilled: “as he said”
[24:36] - Worship and new identity
[27:47] - Call to respond and pray

Bible Study Guide

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

What specific details does Matthew include about the angel’s appearance and actions at the tomb?
How did the guards react to the angel, and how did the women’s response differ?
What two emotions did the women experience as they left the tomb, and what did they do immediately afterward?
What did Jesus call his disciples when he gave the women a message for them? [24:36]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think the angel rolled the stone away if Jesus could already leave the tomb without it being moved? [09:22]
The women were told to “come and see” and then “go and tell.” What significance might this sequence have for how people come to believe in the resurrection?
Jesus referred to his disciples as “brothers” after his resurrection. What does this suggest about the new relationship believers have with him? [24:57]
The resurrection was described as God’s power overcoming darkness. What kinds of “darkness” might this include in people’s lives today? [11:06]

Application questions

Resurrection power defeats darkness and death. What area of your life feels most overshadowed by darkness—guilt, despair, or fear—and how can the truth that Jesus is stronger than that darkness change your perspective this week? [12:27]
God’s promises are fulfilled in the resurrection. When have you found it hard to trust God’s promises, and what practical step can you take to remind yourself of his faithfulness?
Believers are called brothers and sisters of the risen King. How does knowing you are part of God’s family affect the way you view yourself and your purpose? [24:36]
The women responded with both fear and great joy. When have you experienced these two emotions together in your relationship with God? How can this kind of response lead to worship and action? [20:00]
The resurrection demands a response—not just admiration, but obedience. What is one thing you feel prompted to do or change because Jesus is alive?
Jesus met the women on their way. How have you experienced Jesus meeting you in the middle of your ordinary, daily life?
The resurrection guarantees a future beyond the grave. How does this hope influence the way you face aging, suffering, or the thought of death? [17:03]

Sermon Clips

37s

#RisenSavior

“Darkness is still trying to block God's intention to bring redemption. And here we see the dawning of the day. 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 you'll see that see and behold are and appear are all over in these 10 verses. As if God is saying, pay attention. Look at this. Don't miss this. You can miss a lot of things in this world, but do not miss the risen savior.”

30s

#StoneRolledAway

“This is the center of God's plan to redeem your life and mine and our broken world. They went to see the tomb in verse two 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, his clothing white as snow, and for fear of him, the guards trembled and became like dead men.”

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Jesus is Risen, Now What? | Easter Sermon | Matthew 28:1-10