Go and Tell: Unexpected Messengers Reveal the Risen Lord

Children gather around an egg-and-tomb illustration that proclaims a single truth: Jesus lives. A simple prop bursts with confetti to model how the good news spreads when people tell others that Christ is risen and that his life now dwells with and within believers. The gospel reading from Matthew unfolds at dawn as Mary and Mary Magdalene approach the tomb, experience an earthquake, and encounter an angel who declares that Jesus is not there because he has risen. The guards collapse in terror while the women receive a command to “come, see” and then to run and tell the disciples; their fear mixes with great joy as they obey and encounter the risen Lord.

The narrative reframes astonishment and disorder as the very context where God shows up. The rolling away of the stone and the angelic proclamation interrupt despair and reorder chaos into a summons to witness. Ordinary people function as unexpected messengers: physicians, friends, strangers, and those who speak hard truths all become instruments that guide others toward hope and clarity. Believers receive both invitation and responsibility—an invitation to seek the living Jesus not among the dead, and a responsibility to go and tell siblings in faith so that the movement of resurrection continues.

Practical application threads through the gathering: children receive bookmarks and take-home streamers as reminders to testify, congregants hear an appeal to recognize who has revealed Christ to them, and the assembly receives a clear commission to be the very messengers who reveal the risen Lord to a world that feels disordered. The resurrection does not erase chaos, but it supplies direction, courage, and a community of witnesses. The text closes with an active sending: do not be afraid; go and tell—an embodied mission that insists the news of life must travel outward so that others may come and see. Christ is risen indeed; the work now moves through those who both point to and proclaim the living Lord.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The tomb no longer holds Jesus The empty tomb initiates a theological reversal: death loses its finality and the locus of life shifts from sepulcher to relationship. This overturning demands reorientation—where grief anchored people to absence, the risen Lord invites them to seek and encounter presence. That reorientation changes how communities move, mourn, and proclaim hope. [25:20]
• 2. Fear meets proclamation, not finality The guards fall and the women tremble, yet an angel’s words articulate clarity amid chaos. This juxtaposition shows that fear does not nullify God’s action; instead fear often precedes revelation and obedience. Courage emerges not as absence of fear but as a willingness to carry the proclamation anyway. [24:51]
• 3. Unexpected people reveal God's presence Stories of doctors, friends, and strangers illustrate that messengers come from unlikely places to point toward healing and promise. Recognition of these unexpected witnesses trains perception to see sacramental encounters within ordinary relationships. Such awareness cultivates gratitude and a readiness to receive direction when life feels disordered. [31:09]
• 4. Believers must go and tell The angel’s commission frames mission as immediate and relational: “go quickly and tell.” Witnessing requires movement—first to see, then to run toward others with news that disrupts despair. This task presumes community; the risen life spreads as people testify to one another and invite others to meet Jesus. [36:43]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:52] - Children's Easter Illustration
• [18:38] - Cracking the Tomb Prop
• [19:12] - Jesus Lives in Our Hearts
• [24:51] - Gospel Reading: Matthew 28
• [26:41] - Easter: Conquering Death
• [28:13] - Earthquake and Angelic Proclamation
• [30:45] - Chaos, Wonder, and Order
• [31:09] - Who Are the Unexpected Messengers?
• [34:32] - Called to Be Messengers
• [36:23] - The Commission: Go and Tell
• [37:03] - Closing Worship and Amen

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 are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised 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 two emotions did the women experience as they left the tomb? [25:40]
2. What was the reaction of the guards to the angel's appearance compared to the reaction of the women? [28:39]
3. What specific two-part instruction did the angel give to the women? [25:20]
4. Who did the women unexpectedly meet on their way to tell the disciples? [26:00]

Interpretation questions

1. The guards were immobilized by fear while the women were able to move with "fear and great joy." What does this difference in reaction reveal about how fear can affect a person's ability to respond to God's work?
2. The angel's message began with "do not be afraid" and ended with a command to "go and tell." Why is overcoming fear such an important first step in becoming a messenger of good news?
3. The women's world was described as being "turned upside down." How can a moment of great disorientation and chaos actually become the place where God reveals something new and hopeful?
4. The angel invited the women to "come, see" before telling them to "go and tell." What is the importance of personally witnessing God's work before we try to share it with others?

Application questions

1. The resurrection does not erase chaos, but it supplies direction and courage. [35:24] What is one area of life that currently feels chaotic or disorienting to you? How can the hope of Jesus' presence change how you move through that chaos?
2. Who is an "unexpected messenger" that has revealed God's presence to you, perhaps through a kind word, a hard truth, or an offer of help? [31:09] How did that person help guide you back to hope or to Jesus?
3. The call to "go and tell" is immediate and relational. [36:43] Who is one person in your life that might need to hear a simple message of hope—that Jesus is alive and loves them? What is one practical way you could share that with them this week?
4. The women were told to go tell "his disciples" and Jesus later said to tell "my brothers." [26:00] How does sharing the good news within the community of believers help to strengthen and encourage everyone's faith?
5. Fear often precedes revelation and obedience. [24:51] What is a fear that might be holding you back from fully embracing or sharing your faith? What would it look like to take one small step of obedience in spite of that fear?
6. We are called to be messengers who reveal the risen Lord. [34:32] In your everyday, ordinary life (at work, home, or in your neighborhood), what is one way you can "point to" Jesus through your actions or attitude this week?