Fear and Joy: Running Toward New Life

On Easter morning, Matthew’s Gospel unfolds a scene of shock that becomes the seedbed of new life: women arrive expecting a sealed tomb and leave confronted by an angel, an earthquake, and an empty grave. Dramatic details—an angel like lightning, guards struck down, and urgent instructions to go to Galilee—heighten confusion and fear. That fear, however, does not paralyze; it sharpens attention and spurs action. The narrative pairs terror with astonished joy, and the combination drives the witnesses to run—toward the good news rather than away from danger.

The account reframes fear as a spiritual tool that unmasks false certainties and creates space for trust. Joy without the context of loss would flatten the resurrection into mere happiness; fear without joy would shrink it into mere survival. Together they compel movement: disciples sprint to verify, to proclaim, and to follow the risen Lord into an uncertain future. Personal stories braided into the telling—unexpected pregnancies, sudden proposals, and long marriages born from crisis—illustrate how life’s turning points often arrive clothed in both dread and delight.

Matthew’s additions—the guards, the earthquake, the angelic display—underscore how disruptive resurrection proves. The stone rolls away not to offer static comfort but to invite pursuit of what lies ahead. The risen Jesus meets the frightened and the joyful, calls them not to stay by the tomb, and commissions them to go into the world. The empty place becomes a launching point for mission: the movement from grief to proclamation, from certainty to trust, and from safety to the risky work of new life.

The Easter event therefore functions less as a tranquil relic and more as a summons. Fear and joy together become a “power couple” that propels faithful response. The empty tomb insists that death does not have the final word and that every ending can reorient toward a beginning. The church’s life flows out of that truth: harness the unsettling paired with the exultant, run toward the new opportunities God offers, and carry resurrection into the world.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Fear can sharpen faithful action Fear exposes misplaced securities and heightens attention, creating a space where trust must be chosen. When fear strips away illusions of control, it clears the ground for courageous movement rather than retreat. Use fear as an alarm that points toward faithful risk, not as a reason to stagnate. [56:29]
• 2. Joy and fear create movement Pairing joy with fear produces a human energy that drives toward something beyond personal safety. This double-edged emotion refuses either simplistic bliss or mere survival; it fuels proclamation and sustained commitment in the face of uncertainty. Let the tension between gladness and dread push toward truthful, embodied responses. [58:05]
• 3. Run toward new beginnings The empty tomb instructs to run—not away from loss but into new life that awaits. Racing toward the unknown requires surrendering rehearsed plans and stepping into God-shaped opportunities that carry risk and promise. Embrace forward motion as a spiritual discipline of trust. [62:26]
• 4. Resurrection reorients mission An empty place calls disciples out of sanctuary into service; resurrection demands translation into action. The risen presence redirects worship into works of love, justice, and healing that change the world. Let the proclamation of "He is risen" propel concrete commitments beyond the safety of familiar routines. [75:42]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [39:53] - Easter opening and offering
• [48:18] - Scripture announced: Matthew 28
• [49:05] - The angel and empty tomb
• [50:27] - Prayer before reflection
• [50:44] - Personal testimony: unexpected news
• [52:30] - Anticipation versus surprise
• [53:52] - Matthew’s dramatic details
• [56:29] - Fear as spiritual catalyst
• [57:47] - Fear and joy together
• [59:12] - Stories of life’s turning points
• [61:12] - Invitation to embrace new life
• [62:40] - Proclamation: He is risen
• [75:42] - Mission beyond the church
• [76:23] - Benediction and closing

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 were the two emotions the women experienced as they left the tomb, and what action did those emotions cause them to take?
2. What are some of the dramatic details Matthew includes in his account that the other gospel writers do not? [53:52]
3. What was the initial job the women went to the tomb to perform, and what new job were they given instead? [52:30]
4. What is the final instruction Jesus gives to the women in this passage?

Interpretation questions

1. The angel’s first words are “Do not be afraid,” yet the women leave with both fear and joy. Why do you think both emotions were present instead of just one?
2. How can fear, which often causes us to run away or hide, be transformed into something that sharpens our attention and prepares us for courageous action? [56:29]
3. The sermon described fear and joy as a “power couple.” What is the difference between running away from something out of fear alone and running toward something because fear is paired with joy? [57:47]
4. The empty tomb was not a place for the disciples to stay. Why do you think the angel and then Jesus immediately tell them to go to Galilee, effectively sending them away from the scene of the miracle?

Application questions

1. Can you recall a time in your life when you received unexpected news that was both terrifying and exciting? How did that combination of fear and joy affect your next steps? [59:12]
2. What is a “new beginning” or new opportunity you feel God might be placing in front of you right now? What parts of it bring you fear, and what parts bring you joy?
3. The resurrection reorients mission, moving us from a place of safety into service. [01:15:42] What is one practical way you can “run toward” serving others this week, even if it feels a little risky or uncertain?
4. Think about a current situation where you feel stuck or controlled by fear. How might inviting joy into that situation—the joy of God’s presence and promises—change the way you respond to it?
5. The women were told to “go and tell.” Who is one person in your life that you could “run to” this week to share a word of hope or an act of kindness that reflects the new life of Easter?