Holy Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10
Sermon Theme: “From Fear to Life: Meeting Jesus at the Empty Tomb”
Many people are afraid of death, not just the moment of dying, but the unknown that comes after it. Science can explain what happens to the body, but it cannot answer what the heart longs to know: What comes next?
But if we are honest, it’s not only physical death we fear. Sometimes life itself feels heavy. A marriage grows distant. A child struggles and we don’t know how to help. A diagnosis changes everything. A church wonders if its best days are behind it.
Out here in Southwest Iowa, we understand this in real ways. We’ve seen seasons when the fields look dry and uncertain, when the rain doesn’t come on time, when farmers wonder what kind of harvest they’ll have. There are moments when everything feels fragile, like it could fail.
We carry those same feelings in our hearts. Places that feel closed off… sealed… like a tomb. And that is exactly where Easter meets us.
Scripture Application
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb early in the morning. They are not expecting a miracle. They are carrying grief.
They go to the place where hope was buried.
But when they arrive, the stone is already rolled away.
The stone wasn’t moved so Jesus could get out. It was moved so they could see that He was no longer there.
God wanted them to know: Death does not have the final word. And the first words they hear are:
“Do not be afraid.” That matters. Before anything else, God speaks to their fear.
Then, as they run—confused, afraid, but also hopeful—Jesus meets them on the road.
Not when they have everything figured out. Not when their faith is perfect. But right in the middle of their fear.
And again, He says: “Do not be afraid.”
That’s Easter. Not just that Jesus is alive—but that He comes near to us in love.
Allow me to bring this Home, right here where we live in Southwest Iowa.
Think about farming for a moment.
Every year, a seed is placed into the ground. And if you didn’t know better, it would look like the end of that seed. It disappears into the dirt. It breaks open. It seems like it’s lost. But that breaking is actually the beginning of life.
No farmer stands over the field and says, “Well, that seed is gone forever.” They trust what they cannot yet see.
That’s what God is doing through Jesus.
What looks like loss… is not the end. What looks buried… is not forgotten. What looks dead… can still be raised.
Or think about winter here in Iowa. There are weeks when everything is frozen solid. The ground is hard, the trees are bare, and it feels like life has disappeared.
But then slowly—almost quietly—spring comes.
You don’t see it all at once. But the ground softens. Green pushes through. Life returns.
Easter is God’s way of saying: Spring always has the final word.
Making It Personal
So what does this mean for us? It means that whatever feels “dead” in your life is not beyond God’s reach.
That relationship that feels broken. That grief you’re still carrying. That fear that keeps you up at night. That place where you feel stuck or empty.
God is not finished there. The same power that rolled the stone away is still at work. And more than anything, this story shows us God’s heart toward us.
Jesus doesn’t wait for perfect faith. He meets people in fear. He comes close. He speaks peace. Because Jesus rose: You are not alone. You are deeply loved. Your story is not over.
Conclusion
So yes—death is a way… but it is not the end of the way.
Through Jesus, endings become beginnings. Fear becomes faith. Loss becomes life.
The question is not just: Are you afraid of death? The deeper question is: Do you trust the One who has already overcome it?
Today, Jesus meets you just like He met those women—right where you are.
And He says to you: “Do not be afraid.”