FOCAL TEXT Matthew 28:1 10 BACKGROUND Matthew 28 MAIN IDEA The resurrected Jesus calls us to live joyfully and purposefully, unencumbered by fear. QUESTION TO EXPLORE What fears hinder your living joyfully and purposefully? EASTER LESSON Stop Being Afraid STUDY AIM To explain why Jesus resurrection calls us to stop being afraid and to live with joy and purpose QUICK READ On the third day after Jesus died, two women went to his tomb where they encountered an angelic messenger and then the resurrected Jesus, both of whom told them to stop being afraid. 161
162 Easter Lesson: Stop Being Afraid Fear. Although we may not admit it, we all experience moments of fear. Some days we get out of bed, prepare for the day, and make the mistake of turning on the news. Suddenly all we want to do is climb back into bed and hide from a world that gives us so many reasons to be afraid terrorism, war, natural disasters, famine, disease, economic instability, and violence in homes, schools, and streets. Even as believers we are so daily bombarded with voices of the darkness and evil in our world that it can be easy to lower our focus and give in to the anxiety and fear of feeling alone, wondering whether God is still there watching. That is almost certainly how the followers of Jesus felt that first day of the week after watching Jesus die. Being on this side of the resurrection, we sometimes forget that none of those original followers expected to ever see him again. The women were not going to the tomb to welcome the risen Savior. They were going to complete the burial of a body. The closest disciples were hiding in fear that they might be next on the cross. This Jesus was the one they were convinced was the Messiah and had given up everything to follow. But a Messiah is supposed to conquer, not die. How could they have been so wrong about Jesus? What were they supposed to do now with their lives? Fear now dominated their thoughts. But on that morning the word fear was about to lose all meaning. As we examine Matthew s account of the first resurrection morning, we learn how a single unexpected encounter with Jesus can erase all of our fears and how each of us can have that encounter and learn how to stop being afraid. 1 Matthew 28:1 10 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here;
Easter Lesson: Stop Being Afraid 163 he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you. 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings, he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me. A Walk to a Cemetery (28:1 4) Most people do not enjoy cemeteries. We prefer to spend as little time as possible around graves. Cemeteries remind us of loss and separation. They remind us of our own mortality. But perhaps the main reason we do not like cemeteries is that they stand as concrete monuments to our greatest fear our fear of death. We fear death s apparent finality and the unknown quality of what is on the other side. Matthew understood this. In his ten-verse account of the resurrection, the idea of fear appears four times (Matthew 28:4, 5, 8, 10). While most of Jesus disciples hid on that first day of the week, a small group of women who had been close to Jesus walked to the tomb where his body lay. They were going there in order to complete the burial practices they had been unable to complete earlier due to the Sabbath. There seems to be some significance in the identity of these first witnesses to the resurrection. Luke 8:2 tells us that one of these women, Mary Magdalene, had been delivered from seven demons and had become a close follower of Jesus. The fact that these first witnesses were all women is also significant. While women were granted considerable rights and responsibilities in Jewish society, they were still seen as second-class citizens. Yet much of Jesus public ministry had been directed to women. Jesus had elevated their status, and it was apparently primarily the women followers who had been at the cross as he died (Matt. 27:55 56). For all of these reasons, it was appropriate that it should be women who would be the first bearers of the news of the resurrection.
164 Easter Lesson: Stop Being Afraid Mark 16:1-3 indicates that as the women walked to the cemetery that morning, their greatest concern was how they would move the stone blocking the entry to the tomb. But as they approached the tomb, they experienced an earthquake and saw an angel descend from heaven and roll the stone away from the entrance. God was demonstrating his awareness of their concerns and his ability to overcome anything they might see as an obstacle. Yet the earthquake, open tomb, and sudden appearance of an angel certainly would have struck fear into the hearts of the women as it did to the soldiers who were guarding the tomb. A Fearful Encounter (28:5 7) As the women were likely wondering what was happening and how they should proceed, the angel spoke and told them not to be afraid. God understands that fear is often our first and most natural response to unexpected circumstances. We like to feel in control of our surroundings. Whenever that control is lost or challenged, we fear what might happen to us. The angel knew that fear had already taken hold of these women, and so the angel s words are perhaps better translated stop being afraid. The angel then informed them that Jesus was not there because he had risen. The angel then included a short phrase that is often overlooked just as he said. The angel was reminding the women that Jesus had told them he would rise from the dead. Jesus knew that the sight of an empty tomb would create confusion and fear. Therefore, he had tried to prepare them ahead of time so that they might avoid that response. These words were not intended to cause the women to feel guilty for their fear, but rather were an invitation to move beyond that initial response and step into a new experience with God. The angel then made this invitation explicit by inviting them to come and see that the tomb was indeed empty. This invitation is a vital part of the story. We need to understand that the stone was not moved from the entry to the tomb to let Jesus out of the tomb. Jesus had already been raised and was already gone. He would later show that he did not need open entryways, for he could pass through walls (see John 20:19, 26). The stone was rolled away from the entry to the tomb to allow others to enter and see that Jesus was not there. God was inviting anyone to
Easter Lesson: Stop Being Afraid 165 come and know what he had done through a personal experience. But the women were not to stay. Rather they were given the task of going to share the news that Jesus was risen. A Joyful Reunion (28:8 10) Fear is certainly a difficult response to move beyond. The simple encouragement to stop being afraid, even when spoken by an angel, is often little help. Thus Matthew tells us that as the women hurried to tell the disciples the news, the joy they felt at the thought that Jesus was alive was still mixed with fear. This fear might have been due to lingering uncertainty over what they had just experienced as well as concern about the task they had been given. Had they really seen and heard an angel? Had the angel told them the truth about what happened? Who would ever believe them? The Logical Explanation for the Resurrection It has been said that the resurrection of Jesus is perhaps the most historically reliable event in history. Many atheists and skeptics set out to disprove the validity of Christianity only to become believers when they found no plausible explanation to dismiss the resurrection. Some have suggested that Jesus never actually died and simply was resuscitated in the tomb. But the Romans were experts at killing and knew when crucified prisoners were dead. Some say the disciples stole the body. But how would they have gotten past the guards? Too, why would many of them die a martyr s death for what they knew to be a lie? Also, although the Bible does not describe it, it is inconceivable to believe that the Jewish leaders and the Romans did not conduct an exhaustive search for the body for days after the resurrection and would have paraded it through Jerusalem if they had found it. The only logical explanation for the tomb being empty is that Jesus was resurrected and walked out.
166 Easter Lesson: Stop Being Afraid How to Stop Being Afraid With all of the trouble in the world, how can you stop being afraid? Make a list of your fears and uncertainties Ask God to help you see them in light of the resurrection Thank God for making it possible to live without fear Let go of the fears and leave them in the empty tomb Knowing that the women were still afraid and confused, Jesus then met them. As with the angel, the sudden appearance of Jesus likely startled the women. Hearing his voice greet them, however, alleviated their fears as they recognized and bowed to worship him. Jesus then repeated the same words the angel had spoken as he called them out of fear and sent them to tell his disciples. Jesus words, do not be afraid (Matt. 28:10), were the same as those of the angel in Matthew 28:5. They might have carried a different meaning, though. Being in the presence of Jesus, these women might not have been afraid any longer. Thus Jesus might have anticipated that their fear would return when they were once again separated from him. Holding on to Jesus in the moment provided them with security from fear. But the separation from Jesus when they would leave him to go tell the others and later following his ascension would allow room for their fear to return. When Jesus said, do not be afraid, he was assuring the women that there would never again be reason to fear. He had defeated even the grave, and his followers could thus boldly fulfill their mission to go and tell others, knowing that whenever fear began to creep in, Jesus would be there to help them stop being afraid. Implications for Today For many people today, fear and worry are simply accepted as a normal part of life. Some might even say that if the world does not frighten you, you must not be paying attention. The uncertainty of the future alone can be frightening. But throughout the Bible we are told that God does
Easter Lesson: Stop Being Afraid 167 not intend for us to live with fear and anxiety. When circumstances arise that move us toward those feelings, it is often an opportunity for us to stretch our faith and experience a deeper level of trust in God. The resurrection tells us that if we are daily seeking to follow Christ, we have no cause to fear because Christ has defeated our greatest enemy. We can therefore boldly go into the world knowing that there is nothing the world can do to us that Christ has not already overcome. There is simply no reason to be afraid. QUESTIONS 1. What are the most significant fears or uncertainties that you face today? 2. What steps would you need to take today to live without fear?
168 Easter Lesson: Stop Being Afraid 3. What does the empty tomb mean to you personally? 4. Whom do you know who most needs to hear the message to stop being afraid, the message of the resurrection? How will you share that message with them? NOTES 1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in the lessons in this Adult Bible Study Guide are from the New International Version (1984 edition).
Our Next New Study (Available for use beginning June 2015) Created for Relationships Lesson 1 God Genesis 1:26 31; Romans 5:1 11 Lesson 2 Self 1 Samuel 16:1 7; Psalm 139:1 18 Lesson 3 Spouse Ephesians 5:21 33 Lesson 4 Children Psalm 127:3 5; Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:1 9 Lesson 5 Parents Exodus 20:12; Luke 2:45 52; John 19:25 27 Lesson 6 Friends Ecclesiastes 4:9 12; 1 Samuel 20:1 17, 27 42 Lesson 7 Enemies Luke 6:27 36; Romans 12:17 21 Lesson 8 Neighbors/ Community Exodus 20:13 17; Leviticus 19:16 18; Zechariah 7:8 10; Matthew 5:13 16 Lesson 9 Employer Ephesians 6:5 9; Colossians 3:22 25; 1 Timothy 6:1 2; Titus 2:9 11 Lesson 10 Government Romans 13:1 7; 1 Timothy 2:1 4 Lesson 11 Church Leaders Ephesians 4:11 16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12 13; Hebrews 13:17 18 Lesson 12 Fellow Christians Acts 4:32 37; 1 Corinthians 12:12 27; Galatians 6:9 10; Hebrews 10:24 25 Lesson 13 Non-Christians 2 Corinthians 5:11 21; 1 Peter 3:15; Colossians 4:2 6 169
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