Matthew 28 (CEB)
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. 2 Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. 3 Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. 4 The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him.
7 Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.”
8 With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. 9 But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.”
At the tomb, Jesus gives us a new origin narrative.
Here are some questions for discussion:
1. The Resurrection, while a defining act of power and majesty, is not portrayed as an act of revenge—even though such a response might seem justified. Why is it significant that Jesus does not return with violence against those who killed him? What does this reveal about the nature of nonviolent power and true victory?
2. Over and over throughout the Bible we hear the angels and messengers of God tell people to not be afraid and offering some reassurance to their audience. Can you think of a time or situation in your life where the logical response would be fear but you found your faith embolden you? What followed for you?
3. Why do you think Jesus chooses to go to Galilee (ordinary life) instead of Jerusalem (power, religion, spectacle)?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. What is the significance of Jesus being “ahead of them” and not waiting in the tomb? Does this reshape the visual of following Jesus to one not of just visiting or gathering in a place but as a commitment to join a movement? If so, how might you put feet to your faith and follow him in your own life?
2. In the upside down world of Jesus’ teachings we find a strong counterculture position that resists earthly empire. How has the modern church (in America) failed to embrace the upside down world? What can we do to ensure we remain rooted in the upside down world and embrace a counter cultural posture?
3. The first will be last and the last will be first. The women were the last with Him before He died and the first there to see He had risen. How does this sequencing align with the concept of an upside down world or kingdom? In what ways is this often reflected in our own journeys today?
4. Throughout time recorded we find instances of worldly empires using fear and torture to coerce behavior from their people. How is the call to discipleship different? Considering the way worldly empires embrace fear and punishment, how can we help shift from a faith rooted in fear to one rooted in love?
For further contemplation, consider these prompts:
1. “A faith that is rooted in barbarity and humiliation will always make room for and justify more of the same.” What then is the opposite? How do you proceed through life so that you make room for the opposite of barbarity and humiliation?
2. The Resurrection is so significant that even the earth itself could not remain still (Matthew 28:2), what might this reveal about the true scale of what God is doing and how our usual understanding of it might be deceptively small?