The Story Worth Telling: Every Story Can Be Powerful (Matthew 28:1-10) April 5, 2026

The resurrection of Jesus anchors every claim about God’s power, victory over sin, and hope beyond death. The narrative opens with an Easter celebration that stitches community life—Easter egg hunts, shared meals, and fellowship—into the larger story of a world-altering event: Jesus stepped into human history, changed everything, and continues to change lives. The empty tomb becomes the decisive sign that God acted in history with power greater than human ingenuity; the same power that lifted spacecraft beyond earth illustrates only faintly the Creator’s capacity to raise the dead and to overcome sin’s hold.

The gospel account shows women discovering the rolled-away stone and an absence that upends despair. That resurrection event proved that death and sin do not have the final word; Jesus rose into a transformed, imperishable life and appeared to many eyewitnesses so that faith would rest on reality rather than wishful thinking. Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians reinforces the stakes: without the resurrection, faith collapses into futility, but because Christ rose, believers inherit a promise of new, incorruptible life.

The resurrection power also addresses daily moral bondage. Human effort cannot break the cords of sin; the transforming work of God renews hearts, enabling real change rather than mere behavior modification. Personal testimony illustrates this: simple faith met God’s work in a life and produced lasting change, signaling that the same power remains available now.

Provident grace appears as God’s prior provision—salvation prepared before birth—and the practice of communion functions as a tangible reminder and reception of that gift. The bread and cup memorialize the broken body and shed blood, and invite participants to claim the resurrection’s power in their own stories. The service closes with a benediction to live out resurrection power practically—moving from observation into lives shaped by hope, transformation, and mission.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Resurrection conquers sin and death The empty tomb declares that the powers binding humanity—sin and death—do not hold the final authority. Resurrection is not merely an event to explain away; it rewrites the human prognosis by providing a decisive victory that anticipates both present deliverance and future incorruption. Christ’s rising makes forgiveness and a new nature possible, not by human striving but by divine power. [61:40]
• 2. Resurrection power transforms daily life Change comes when divine power reshapes desires, habits, and identity, not when people merely muster better will. Spiritual renewal replaces old motivations with a renewed heart capable of sustained obedience and hope. The same power that raised Christ is offered for present sanctification and mission. [66:35]
• 3. Provenient grace planned before birth God’s work for salvation precedes individual decision; grace pursues and prepares life before conscious response. That prior provision reframes faith as receiving what God has already enacted, not as initiating salvation by human merit. This truth comforts and frees responders to trust rather than perform. [77:50]
• 4. Communion memorializes and empowers faith The bread and cup enact remembrance and reception: they commemorate Christ’s sacrifice and invite participation in the life he gives. Communion functions as both a sign and means, orienting memory toward present trust and opening hearts to ongoing transformation. It calls people to internalize the resurrection, not merely to observe it. [83:35]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:40] - Easter fellowship and announcements
• [33:27] - Worship and praise
• [39:52] - The empty tomb proclaimed
• [56:56] - Resurrection narrative described
• [60:31] - Power over sin and death
• [69:19] - Paul’s defense of resurrection
• [77:50] - Provenient grace and testimony
• [83:35] - Communion: remember and receive
• [88:52] - Closing song and benediction

Bible reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (ESV)
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Observation questions

1. According to the passage, what are the consequences for our faith if Christ was not raised from the dead?
2. What does Paul call Christ in verse 20 and what is the significance of that title?
3. The women came to the tomb expecting to find a dead body to anoint [02:35]. What did they find instead?
4. What illustration was used to help grasp the immense power of God displayed in the resurrection? [48:39]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is the physical, historical resurrection of Jesus so foundational to the Christian faith, rather than just a spiritual idea?
2. The resurrection power that raised Christ is described as being available to transform our lives today [58:07]. How does this power differ from simply trying harder to be a better person?
3. Paul argues that if Christ was not raised, we are "still in our sins." What does this tell us about the connection between the resurrection and the forgiveness of sin?
4. The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out, but to let the witnesses see in [07:13]. What does this detail reveal about God's heart for how we come to know Him?

Application questions

1. The resurrection proves that sin and death do not have the final word. What is one area of your life where you feel trapped or bound—by a habit, a fear, or a past mistake—that you need to trust this power to overcome?
2. The resurrection is not just a past event but a power offered for present sanctification. Where do you most need to see God's transformative power reshaping your desires, habits, or identity right now, rather than just relying on your own willpower?
3. God's grace was at work planning for our salvation even before we were born [17:50]. How does this truth that God was pursuing you before you even knew Him change how you view your relationship with Him today?
4. Communion is a tangible act of "remembering and receiving" the life Jesus gives. The next time you take communion, what is one thing you could do to move beyond mere observation and actively internalize the reality of the resurrection?
5. The service ended with a challenge to "live out resurrection power practically." What is one practical, hope-filled step you can take this week to join God's mission in your home, workplace, or community?
6. If our hope in Christ was only for this life, we would be "of all people most to be pitied." How does the sure hope of a future, imperishable resurrection life impact how you handle suffering, loss, and daily frustrations?