Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
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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.”
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