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.