Matthew 28:1-10

On that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. They were actually not going there with hope. They were going with heavy hearts. Jesus had died, and as far as they knew, the story had ended. What they expected to find was a sealed tomb, a reminder of loss, and a quiet place to grieve. But when they arrived, things were not as expected. There was a great earthquake. An angel appeared, the stone had been rolled away, and the tomb was empty. The angel spoke to them and said, “Do not be afraid… He is not here; for he has been raised.”

 

Now, here is something important. Matthew tells us that the women left the tomb “with fear and great joy.” That may sound strange at first. How can fear and joy exist together? But if we deeply think of it, that is actually how faith begins and works. They were still trying to understand what had happened. They still had questions. But at the same time, something new had begun to rise within them—joy, hope, and a sense that God was doing something greater than they had imagined.

 

As the women hurried away from the tomb, something even more remarkable happened. Jesus himself met them. And the first thing he said was, “Do not be afraid.” Then he sent them to share the good news with the others. At this point, I believe that their fear was shifted to joy for sure. It started with fear but ended with joy. That is the resurrection joy.

 

This movement—from fear to joy—is at the heart of the resurrection story. It is also at the heart of our faith. Many of us live with different kinds of fear. We worry about our health, our families, our community, the world and its’ future. Sometimes life feels uncertain and overwhelming. The world around us can seem filled with division, pain, and darkness. In those moments, it can feel as though fear has the upper hand.

But Easter tells a different story. Of course, Easter does not say that fear will disappear immediately. The women were still afraid even after hearing the good news. But what Easter shows us is that fear is no longer the final word. The resurrection of Jesus brings us into joy in God. That is the final word for us.

 

The apostle Paul reminds us that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain. But Christ has been raised. And because of that, we have what we call resurrection faith.

Resurrection faith does not mean we have all the answers. It does not mean life becomes easy. It means we trust that God is at work even when we do not fully understand. It means we believe that God can bring life out of death, hope out of despair, and light out of darkness.

 

Even a small light can overcome the deepest darkness. In the same way, even a small faith can carry us forward because it is not based on our strength, but on what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.

 

Today, like those women on the first Easter morning, we are invited to move forward. They did not stay at the tomb. They ran to share the good news. Their fear did not stop them because joy was already growing within them.

 

Today, we are also invited to live as people of the resurrection. To trust that God has the final word. To believe that death is not the end. To carry hope into a world that needs it. Christ is risen. He is alive. And because he lives, we can move from fear to joy. May we live with that resurrection faith, trusting in God’s power and guided by the Holy Spirit, today and always. Amen.