Sermon Outline - Matthew 28:1-10
RLD
Title: Rejoice! Do Not Fear! Go and Tell!
Focus statement (What does the text say?): God, the creator of all and
the giver of life, raised Jesus to life even after he was physically
killed. We are called to be witnesses of this new life to others.
Function statement (How does the text affect its listeners?): If God
can take Jesus' physical death and give new life, God can give us new
life as well. God wants us to live truly full, good, and joyous lives.
We are called to be witnesses of this new life to others.
Introduction
These two ordinary women, go to the tomb for ordinary reasons. They go
to visit the empty, lifeless body of a man they loved. They go to
remember a life that has been taken from them by a cruel world. They go
out of faithfulness and love. And, through God's grace, they find that
God is not satisfied with the world as we have come to know it. God
wants more for us. And God will accomplish more for us.
Rejoice!
Jesus greets these women with the ordinary Greek greeting. But we
forget this ordinary greeting means "Rejoice!" In life, we often forget
that it is the ordinary things that God has given us that may be our
greatest gifts: friends, family, work, etc. God turns the ordinary into
the extraordinary. But then, God does even more . . .
Do Not Fear! - Truly Dead, Truly Alive
Matthew makes it clear that Jesus is truly dead. But then, the women
see him truly alive. Matthew does not say he is re-surrected, or
brought back to life. Resurrection is a word that the Bible never
uses. Jesus is risen. This leaves open the possibility that he is risen
to a life we may not yet know.
Jesus was truly dead, but is now truly alive. We are neither, yet.
This world can be very threatening. It can tempt us corruption. But,
in Christ, we are shown a pathway to a better life. We do not need to
fear the dangers around us, not even death itself.
Go and Tell!
This good news is not just for a select few. It is for the world. The
women are told to take this good news quickly to the disciples. The
disciples are then told to spread this good news to all nations. People
still need to hear this good news today.
Conclusion
If God can take Jesus' physical death and give new life, God can give
us new life as well. God wants us to live truly full, good, and joyous
lives. We are called to be witnesses of this new life to others.