Making Conversation: Go and Tell (Matthew 28:1-10)

News travels ______.

A few weeks ago, we were all glued to our computers and televisions and phones during a football game. The nation came to a standstill as a football player was fighting for his life on the playing field. The medics were able to save Damar Hamlin. We’ve have followed his remarkable story since that night. That night in Cincinnati was notable for a number of reasons. Within minutes of play being stopped, people from all walks of life were glued to the event. But it was the first major national event since 9-11 unfolding in real time with social media. One stunning moment stands out. The announcement on the scoreboard said that play had been suspended. The game hadn’t been cancelled. Fans were still in their seats. And then there was a mass exodus. The announcement on the scoreboard hadn’t changed. There was no statement from the stadium announcer that the game was over. However, the game had been cancelled and social media had the news. And because most fans in the stands had phones, they left their seats many minutes before the official word came on the scoreboard. Social media news spread like wildfire among the fans and in matter of seconds, the stadium was being emptied.

News travels fast. It traveled fast that night. Faster than the announcer could keep up with social media. Sometimes too fast if you have news that could affect bottom lines and livelihoods if it is delivered early. Companies these days spend billions trying to keep a lid on their news, so that it's delivered when they are ready. But lifesaving news? The speed of news could be a matter of life and death. Great news is meant to be shared. That’s our story this morning.

Good News to be shared. We are in very familiar territory this morning. The story of Jesus’ resurrection. And in two months we are going to come back to this story and this chapter in Matthew on Easter Sunday. Today, we’re going to look at one aspect of this story, as it fits into our Making Conversations Bible Talk series. We are Making Conversations in 2023. More of Jesus into more of life through our conversations.

More Conversations

We need more Jesus in more areas of our life… where we live, where we learn, where we play, and where we work… and we need more conversations. Spiritual conversations. Conversations about the big things in life.

We said a few weeks ago that the data shows us that:

The unchurched (those who’ve never been to church) are more likely to come to church with a personal invite from someone they know.

The de-churched (those who used to go to church, but aren’t going to church anywhere anymore) won’t come to church but still want a spiritual conversation.

And today’s story is the starting point. It was the starting point for conversations 2000 years ago and nothing has changed since then. We have Good News. The same Good News that gave life to people then still gives life to people now. It’s the same story.

What does this story have to do with conversations?

There are a few things we need to see here in Matthew that will help us as we think about engaging our family and friends and coworkers in conversation about Jesus. Here’s what we need to see in this story thing morning.

The death. The empty tomb.

It’s very easy for us to run right to the good stuff. But this story doesn’t begin with anything cheery. Here’s what Matthew tells us:

Matthew 28:1 As the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.

There is no good news if there is not bad news first. And the bad news is that there is a tomb. There has been a death. The Messiah who came to save His people from their sins has died. He died for sins. He died for sinners in the place of sinners. And his friends have come to see the tomb for themselves. It is still dark. It has been dark as far as they are concerned since the night he was arrested. When He died, he died in the darkness because the sun was covered. It has been dark.

But that tomb is empty. There’s a violent earthquake and the brightness of heaven’s glory interrupts the dawn. Brighter than the dawn. An angel shows up and rolls away the stone in front of the tomb.

And heaven itself announces:

Matthew 28:6 “He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”

There is no body. There is no more death. Jesus has risen. As he said he would. Come and see. An invitation for their faith. Come and believe what we tell you is true.

The Announcement

There is the fact of the resurrection. But there’s also the announcement, which is a big deal here:

Matthew 28:6 “He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”

He is not here. He is risen. Some of the most stupendous words ever uttered. Not here. He is risen. No explanation. Not a long string of details. No indepth analysis of an earthquake or angels or tombstones that roll away. Just this: “He is risen”. This is the grace that accompanies “don’t be afraid”. The reason that there is to be no fear is because the one who was in the tomb is now risen from the dead. And if they hadn’t heard it the first time, the angel punctuates it with this:

Matthew 28:7 “Listen, I have told you.”

It’s not enough to see. What has been seen is reinforced through the ears: Listen, or Behold… pay attention, now. I have told you… Jesus is risen.

The witnesses

An event this big must have witnesses. Even courts of law in that day required there be witnesses to establish a fact. And there are witnesses to the resurrection. But these witnesses are totally unexpected. The resurrection is stupendous. Nobody rises from the dead. But then, these witnesses are not your typical witnesses.

It is no accident that the very first witnesses to the resurrection and the announcement of the resurrection are women. The women are identified by name: Mary Magdalene who had been cured of demon possession by Jesus and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, most likely Jesus’ aunt or tia. These women are not simply friends. These are close family and close friends. His closest. And they are women. In that day and age, women could not testify in court. Women were not considered credible. And yet here they are, the first witnesses of the biggest event in all of human history.

The women aren’t simply witnesses to the empty tomb. No, if that wasn’t unbelievable enough already.. they are leaving the tomb and this is what happens:

Matthew 28:8-9 Departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!”

Jesus shows up. He reveals himself to women. “Greetings”. That cracks me up. This is the equivalent of “Whassup!” Your best friend, who you thought was dead, shows up shortly after you leave his tomb and says “Greetings!” “What’s going on?” The unbelievable news becomes great news. Among the lowliest of society… the ones with no rights.. and one of them a woman with a sordid story of demon possession.. they are witnesses. They are witnesses to the empty tomb, they are witnesses to Jesus himself.

The Commission

Both Jesus and the angel has the same instructions for the women. These witnesses are not to keep this Good News to themselves. Here’s what the angel says to the women after telling them that Jesus has risen:

Matthew 28:7 “Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead’.”

Matthew 28:10 Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Both Jesus and the angel tell the women this: Go and tell.

If you type Go and Tell into Google, do you know what you get? All of the links have to do with Jesus. You do not find this as a phrase used much at all in our culture. Which I find surprising since we have a lot of advertising in our society. Go and Tell. The angel said “Listen, I have told you.” What the angel told is now to be told to others. The angel tells. The women are to tell. Jesus is risen from the dead. That’s the message. That’s the gospel.

This is reinforced a few weeks later when Jesus is on a mountain with his best friends one last time. This is what Jesus says to his best friends… same thing he said to the women:

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them.”

The Good News of Jesus rising from the dead is to be shared. It’s not to be kept to ourselves. The message is not static. The message has legs. Jesus’ followers are on the move with the Good News:

Go and Tell

Go and Make Disciples

This all sounds so academic. This is their best friend. This is the One who loves them. This the One who gives them hope. He was dead and now he is alive. For them. Jesus doesn’t just rise from the dead and leave them to figure it out. They are filled with fear and joy… and He meets them on their way out. In love and grace and compassion. And he says Go and Tell. The same grace, the same love in His death and resurrection is to be shared with those who don’t know. There are never enough disciples. When they have been told, they are to tell others.

The Eager Conversationalist

This message that Jesus rose from the dead becomes the motivation that explodes Christianity all over the middle east and Europe over the next century. His best friends went and told. They were what researchers call the Eager Conversationalist. Those who love talking about Jesus. The numbers suggest that those who have been loved by Jesus, who have experienced his grace and his love, who have experienced his resurrection really enjoy talking about it. Here are the numbers:

And note at the bottom. We’ve been talking about this… 55% of those people who are unchurched or dechurched like having spiritual conversations.

If you’ve experienced the resurrection, if you have tasted of Jesus, you like talking about it. This should encourage you, that regardless of how you have experienced Jesus (and we all have different experiences of him) that there are those who also want to talk about spiritual things and there are always opportunities to speak into those who are searching for something more.

Jesus in the Super Bowl

We have the opportunity to do this next Sunday during and after the Super Bowl. 2 He Gets Us commercials will air during the Super Bowl. And people will be talking about the ads. Three ways to engage those who watch:

Be discerning.

You don't need to lead a formal discussion unless it organically happens. That might be right after the ads run, or it could be days after the Super Bowl. Consider the best opportunity for conversation, based on the atmosphere and your relationship with those who encounter the ads.

Be curious.

Ask people what they think about what they saw. What did they like? How did the spots make them feel? When you do share, speak from your personal experience. No need to be an expert or answer every question either–you can always direct people to HeGetsUs.com to get more information.

Stay connected.

Encourage your friends and guests to connect with you and stay connected to He Gets Us on social media. There’s sure to be conversation around the ads in the days following the Super Bowl.

Go and Tell. The Good News that we’ve seen and experienced is Good News for people around us. We live in a world that is sorely lacking in Good News. What is true for us is true for them… they are all around us. This is us bringing more Jesus into more of life having more conversations. Just like those women who showed at the tomb on resurrection morning.

Let’s Pray.

The Good News can be seen. It can be tasted and smelled. This is the Good News for you this morning. Jesus says come to this Table and I will give you of myself. It is here that you will find life and forgiveness and grace.