The Resurrection Sends Us: Go and Make Disciples

Matthew brings the Gospel to its climax at the empty tomb, where the resurrection of Jesus shows that the cross was never the end. The cross forgives sins, defeats death, and gives new and eternal life, but the empty tomb presses that good news forward. The resurrection says believers cannot stay where they are or stay how they are. The resurrection tells them to go.

Joseph of Arimathea shows how God uses a person’s unique situation for his kingdom. Joseph’s wealth, position, and new stone tomb did not look like some big spiritual plan, but God had already placed those things in his hands for that very moment. God can use work, family, hobbies, resources, relationships, and even the ordinary parts of life for good works prepared in advance.

The women show faithful witness in a culture that did not value their testimony. The women stand at the cross, sit opposite the tomb, see the empty tomb, and become the first ones sent to tell the disciples. God places people in situations that may look weak or overlooked in the world, yet their witness matters very much in his kingdom.

Pilate, the chief priests, the guards, and the sealed tomb show that God is sovereign even over people who hate him. The guarded tomb protects the witness of the resurrection, because nobody can honestly claim that the disciples simply took Jesus’ body away. The angel rolls back the stone not because Jesus needs help getting out, but because the women need to come and see. God prepares witnesses before he sends them out.

Jesus goes ahead to Galilee before the disciples arrive, and that promise changes the meaning of every call to go. God positions his people, prepares them through both blessings and trials, and then goes before them to make a way. Opposition will come, because the enemy hates Christ and hates his kingdom, but evil is not an equal force against Jesus. Jesus has all authority.

The disciples worship Jesus while some doubt, and Jesus still commissions them. Doubt does not disqualify a person from going. The response to doubt matters: worship, obedience, and trust in the risen Christ. Jesus calls every follower to make disciples by calling people out of sin, into allegiance to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and up into obedience to everything he commanded. Jesus does not demand self-made ability, but dependence on his authority, power, presence, and promise.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The resurrection tells believers to go. The resurrection does not leave believers sitting at the tomb, admiring what Christ has done from a distance. The risen Jesus sends witnesses into the world because his kingdom mission is just getting started. The empty tomb means that no follower of Jesus is a bench player. [44:22]
• 2. God uses ordinary places and resources. Joseph’s tomb became part of the clearest witness that Jesus truly died and truly rose again. God can use resources that seem ordinary, private, or simply practical when they are surrendered to his purpose. Wealth becomes dangerous only when it is loved more than obedience to Jesus. [32:14]
• 3. God prepares witnesses before sending them. The angel calls the women to come and see before telling them to go and tell. Trials, relationships, prayer, Scripture, and church community can all become part of God’s preparation for future obedience. Nothing in God’s kingdom is wasted when he is forming a faithful witness. [41:35]
• 4. Doubt does not cancel Christ’s commission. The disciples worshiped Jesus even while some wrestled with doubt. Jesus did not wait for perfect confidence, perfect knowledge, or perfect obedience before he sent them. Faith responds to Christ’s truth by worshiping and obeying even when every question has not been settled. [53:19]
• 5. Discipleship calls people up to Christ. Baptism marks repentance from sin and allegiance to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Discipleship is more than teaching information about Jesus because Jesus commands believers to teach obedience to all he commanded. The ongoing work of discipleship calls people out of sin and up into God’s design for life.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:08] - Finishing the Gospel of Matthew
• [26:23] - The Cross and the Empty Tomb
• [27:40] - The Resurrection Tells Believers to Go
• [29:58] - Joseph’s Unique Place in God’s Plan
• [35:35] - The Faithful Witness of the Women
• [37:12] - God Uses Even His Enemies
• [40:34] - Come and See the Empty Tomb
• [43:28] - Jesus Goes Before His People
• [46:47] - Expect Opposition in God’s Kingdom
• [51:44] - Doubt and the Great Commission
• [56:56] - Baptism and Allegiance to Jesus
• [59:10] - Discipleship Means Obedience
• [61:02] - Depending on Christ’s Authority
• [63:34] - Where Are You Going?

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:16-20
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [25:38]

Matthew 28:1-10
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you.' So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” [23:47]

Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” [35:16]

Observation questions

1. What details show Joseph of Arimathea’s willingness to use his position and resources to care for Jesus after the crucifixion? [32:45]
2. What repeated actions show the women’s faithfulness from the cross, to the tomb, to the empty tomb?
3. What steps did the chief priests and Pilate take to secure the tomb, and how did those steps strengthen the witness to the resurrection? [38:32]
4. In Matthew 28:16–20, what do the disciples do when they see Jesus, and what does Jesus say about his authority, their mission, and his presence?

Interpretation questions

1. Why does it matter that the angel invited the women to come and see before sending them to go and tell? What does this show about the kind of witness Jesus sends? [41:05]
2. Joseph’s tomb was likely intended for his own family, yet God used it in a central moment of the gospel story. How does this help explain Ephesians 2:10 and God’s ability to use ordinary resources for his purposes? [34:48]
3. The disciples worshiped Jesus while some doubted, yet Jesus still gave them the Great Commission. What does this reveal about the difference between having doubts and refusing to trust or obey Christ? [53:40]
4. Jesus commands his followers not only to baptize people but also to teach them to obey everything he commanded. Why is discipleship more than helping someone gain information about Jesus? [59:10]

Application questions

1. What parts of your ordinary life—work, home, finances, friendships, skills, hobbies, or daily routines—might God be able to use for his kingdom? Is there one area you have thought was “unspiritual” that you could begin to offer to him? [33:55]
2. The women’s testimony mattered deeply in God’s kingdom even though their culture did not value it. Where might you feel overlooked, weak, or unqualified, and how might God still be calling you to be a faithful witness there? [36:09]
3. God prepares his people through both blessings and hardships. Looking at a current or recent trial, what might God be forming in you that could later help you serve, encourage, or witness to someone else? [42:34]
4. Is there a step of obedience you have delayed because you feel unprepared, afraid, or unsure of the outcome? How does the promise that Jesus goes before his people change the way you view that step? [45:44]
5. Where have you experienced resistance when trying to follow Jesus or serve others? How can the truth that evil is not an equal force against Christ help you respond without fear or bitterness? [50:51]
6. Is there a person in your life who needs either to hear the gospel or to be encouraged toward greater obedience to Jesus? What is one simple, loving step you could take this week—praying, listening, inviting, sharing, or opening Scripture together? [01:00:42]