When Victory Encounters Denial

Matthew 28:1-5

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever noticed how news travels these days? Not the kind of news you read in the paper, but the kind of news your neighbor posts on Facebook before it’s even confirmed. Somebody gets engaged and boom, a hundred likes before the ring is even snug on her finger. Someone spots a celebrity at the grocery store, and it’s on Instagram before they even finish scanning their groceries. Good or bad, news spreads like wildfire in our world.

Let’s be honest, some of us are “sharers” by nature. We hear a good story, we can’t help but tell somebody. You taste an amazing burger at that new food truck, and suddenly you’re a self-appointed Yelp reviewer. Here’s the funny thing: when it comes to sharing our faith, that same enthusiasm often turns into hesitation. The very people who will passionately convince you that their favorite taco place is life-changing suddenly get quiet when it’s time to talk about the One who literally changed life itself.

In Matthew 28, we see two groups faced with the same breaking news that the tomb is empty. The first group, the women at the tomb, are filled with both fear and joy. They run to tell the disciples. Their hearts are pounding, their minds racing, but they can’t keep the news to themselves. The second group, the guards and religious leaders, sees the same miracle and launches a cover-up. They try to bury the truth under bribes and rumors.

It’s the perfect picture of our world today. Some will hear about the victory of the empty tomb and run to tell it with courage and joy. Others will deny it, distort it, or distract from it. The question is which group are we going to be in?

Because here’s the reality, the resurrection is not just a past event to believe in, it’s a present truth to live out. Living it out means talking about it. Not just with a church crowd, but with a world that might roll its eyes, question your sanity, or change the subject.

The victory of the empty tomb demands a courageous and joyful witness. Not because it’s easy. Not because everyone will applaud. But because this is the kind of news you can’t keep to yourself. It's bigger news than the new brisket place you found. If your team wins the championship, you wear the shirt the next day. If your favorite band drops a new album, you text your friends. And if your Savior defeats death? You live and speak like that’s the headline of your life.

So today, we’re going to step into the story of Matthew 28:1-15 and see what it really means to follow the risen Jesus in a world that still tries to deny Him, and why courage and joy are the only fitting responses to His victory.

Matthew 28:1–15 ESV

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

SCRIPTURAL ANALYSIS

VERSES 1-4

In Jewish custom, the Sabbath ended at sundown on Saturday. By early Sunday morning, the women head to the tomb, likely to complete burial preparations that were rushed before sunset on Friday. “First day of the week” (Sunday) becomes the day Christians will later gather for worship because it marks the resurrection. Their early arrival reflects love and devotion, even in grief.

Earthquakes in Scripture often signal God’s direct intervention. The angel rolling the stone is not to let Jesus out but to let witnesses in. He’s sitting on the stone in a posture of authority and victory. Heaven is not intimidated by Rome’s seal or stone. The angel’s radiance reflects the glory of heaven, echoing Daniel 10 and Revelation 1. The angel’s white clothing symbolizes purity and divine presence.

These guards, trained soldiers, collapse in fear. Ironically, they become “like dead men” while the dead man in the tomb is now alive. The reversal underscores God’s sovereignty over human power. All of this is a visible sign that this moment is not ordinary, as heaven has invaded earth.

VERSES 5-7

The angel addresses the women directly, acknowledging both their fear and their faithfulness. In Scripture, “Do not be afraid” often precedes divine revelation.

The angel is stating the heart of the gospel: Jesus is risen, fulfilling His own prophecy. The invitation “Come and see” emphasizes that faith is rooted in evidence, not blind wishfulness.

The women become the first commissioned witnesses of the resurrection. The command to “go quickly” shows the urgency the resurrection demands. This is worth sharing immediately.

VERSES 8-10

Their fear is holy awe and wonder, not dread, mingled with uncontainable joy. They obey without delay as emotions fuel their mission.

The risen Jesus appears personally to them, affirming their mission. Clasping His feet proves He is physically alive, not a vision or spirit. Worship is the natural response to encountering the living Christ.

Jesus repeats the angel’s instructions, calling the disciples “my brothers,” restoring their relationship despite their recent failures.

VERSES 11-15

The guards become witnesses, too, but their testimony will be twisted. Their honesty about the event doesn’t lead to faith but to a cover-up. Bribery was illegal under Jewish law, yet the religious leaders did it to protect their position. Their “plan” is an intentional suppression of truth. But their lie is illogical: if they were asleep, how could they know who took the body? Still, lies often rely on quick spread, going “viral,” not sound reasoning and logic.

The priests promise political protection, showing how fear of authority drives corruption. Matthew writes decades later that the false story still lingers. Lies can persist, but they cannot undo the reality of the resurrection. The truth always rises. Figuratively and literally.

TODAY’S KEY TRUTH "The victory of the empty tomb demands a courageous and joyful witness."

APPLICATION

It’s early Sunday morning, and the city is quiet. The Sabbath has just ended, and two women, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary,” make their way to Jesus’ tomb. Their plan is simple: visit the place where He’s buried, pay their respects, maybe continue the burial customs that had been interrupted. They are expecting grief, not glory. Suddenly, the ground shakes violently. An angel appears, glowing with heaven’s brilliance, and rolls away the massive stone like it’s a pebble. The guards collapse in fear. The angel tells the women not to be afraid, announces that Jesus has risen, and invites them to see for themselves. Then, with urgency, he sends them to tell the disciples. As they run, hearts pounding, tears mixing with smiles, they encounter Jesus Himself. He greets them, and they fall at His feet in worship. Jesus confirms the mission: “Go and tell my brothers.”

Meanwhile, the guards hurry to the chief priests, telling them everything. The leaders quickly devise a cover-up, bribing the soldiers to spread the story that the disciples stole the body. From that day, two stories run side by side: the truth of the resurrection and the lie meant to hide it.

This moment is more than just a historical event. It’s the center of Christian faith. The resurrection is the final proof that Jesus is who He claimed to be, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the conqueror of death. It validates every promise, fulfills every prophecy, and guarantees eternal hope for everyone who believes.

Matthew doesn’t just record the fact of the resurrection; he records the responses to it. There’s joy and worship. There’s fear and awe. There’s denial and deception. The message is clear: when faced with the reality of the empty tomb, no one stays neutral. Here’s the key: the resurrection is not just something to celebrate; it’s something to communicate. Jesus’ victory demands witnesses. Heaven’s command is not “Come and sit” but “Go and tell.” The women’s response, running with courage and joy, becomes the model for all who follow Jesus.

Courage doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. The women left the tomb “afraid yet filled with joy.” They didn’t wait until they felt completely confident; they ran with what they knew. For us, courage means opening our mouths even when we’re not sure how the conversation will go.

A young woman at a big firm kept turning down Sunday hours and projects. Eventually, a coworker asked why. She smiled and said, “Because Sunday is the day I celebrate and worship Jesus, and that’s more important than any deadline.” There were a few awkward laughs, but a week later, that same coworker pulled her aside and said, “Can we talk about that?” Courage plants seeds you don’t always see immediately.

This means living with values that stand out in a culture that prefers comfort over conviction. Think about it. We’ll post strong opinions on social media about politics, sports, or whether pineapple belongs on pizza, but when it comes to talking about Jesus, radio silence. Why? Because there’s more at stake. The gospel is the most important truth we can share, and the enemy will do everything to keep it quiet. Courage means choosing obedience over approval.

Joy is equally essential. Joy is contagious. The women didn’t just deliver news; they delivered it with the light of resurrection in their eyes. Joy isn’t just an emotion; it’s evidence. When we live with joy in Christ, in good times and hard times, it speaks volumes about the reality of His victory. A joyless Christian is a contradiction in terms. If the tomb is empty, our lives should look different. People should be able to tell by the way we handle disappointment, pressure, and even loss that we have a deeper hope.

The beautiful part is witnessing happens in everyday life. The women weren’t preachers or theologians. They were faithful followers who had experienced Jesus’ love and power. Your witness doesn’t have to be a sermon; it can be a conversation, a kindness, a consistent example of hope. It happens at the coffee shop, in the break room, on the ball field, at the dinner table. Your witness doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. The first witnesses didn’t have all the answers. They just had the truth: “He is risen.” That’s enough to change and inspire a life.

The resurrection was never meant to be a secret, and it’s certainly not meant to be a private encouragement only for “my personal faith.” Our faith has no concept of belief being a “private matter.” It is the world’s greatest headline, and it demands that we publicly live like it’s true.

The soldiers and priests chose denial because it was easier. It protected their status, kept them out of trouble, and avoided uncomfortable change. We face the same temptation. It’s easier to stay silent than risk awkwardness. It’s easier to let people think “all religions are the same” than explain why Jesus is unique. Silence enables the lie to spread. Choosing the truth means we lovingly correct false ideas about Jesus. It means we live with integrity so our lives don’t contradict our words. It means our loyalty is to Christ, not comfort and convenience.

We live in a world that still tries to deny or downplay the resurrection. Some will call it a myth, some will twist it into something safe, and some will ignore it. Our calling is to be the people who live and speak as though it’s the defining reality of history, because it is. You don’t need a microphone or a stage; you just need a heart that knows the truth and a willingness to share it. If your Savior has defeated death, that’s worth talking about every day, in every place, to everyone, with courage and joy.

"The victory of the empty tomb demands a courageous and joyful witness."

CONCLUSION

Matthew makes it clear that the truth of the resurrection was not just believed by friends of Jesus; it was acknowledged, in a twisted way, even by His enemies. The chief priests and elders never argued that the tomb still held Jesus’ body. They didn’t send the guards back to check again. They didn’t stage a public viewing to prove He was still dead. They couldn’t, because the stone was rolled away, the tomb was empty, and the guards had seen things no human could accomplish or explain.

Instead, they did what desperate people do when confronted with an undeniable truth: they manufactured a counter story. They bribed the soldiers with large sums of money and gave them a script. “Say that His disciples came during the night and stole Him away while you were asleep.” The fact that they had to fabricate a story proves the truth they were trying to conceal. If the body of Jesus had still been in the tomb, no story would have been needed. All they had to do was open the tomb, display the body, and end the Jesus movement right then and there. The fact that they did not, and could not, do this is one of the strongest pieces of historical evidence for the resurrection. The cover-up was necessary precisely because the body was gone.

The story they chose was full of holes. If the guards were asleep, how could they possibly know it was the disciples who took the body? If Roman guards fell asleep on duty, they faced severe punishment. What’s more, the disciples were not in a position to pull off a grave robbery. They were scared, scattered, in hiding, and no physical match for the world’s most highly trained and deadly soldiers. Just two days earlier, the disciples had run for their lives. Yet the leaders were so determined to deny the resurrection that they were willing to spread a lie that couldn’t withstand basic scrutiny. Lies do not need to be logical; they just need to be loud enough to distract from the truth.

This is the tension every believer still lives in today. The truth of the gospel is unshakable, but it will always be contested. People will propose alternative explanations, not because the evidence for Jesus is weak, but because the implications of Jesus being alive are too strong and too demanding. If Jesus is alive, then He is Lord, and if He is Lord, then He has the right to rule my life. Denial is easier than surrender.

"The victory of the empty tomb demands a courageous and joyful witness."

Here’s what makes our witness so important: the truth is still the truth, no matter how loudly the lie is told. The early church spent its energy living and preaching as people who had met the risen Christ. They performed acts of mercy. They proclaimed the good news in the streets and synagogues. They endured persecution and even death with joy. The gospel spread, not because it didn’t face opposition, but because the truth could not be stopped.

Our role is the same. We do not have to win every debate or dismantle every false theory. We do have to live and speak in such a way that people can see the reality of the risen Christ in us. We do this with courage because telling the truth about Jesus will put you at odds with the world. We do this with joy, because nothing in this world can take away the hope His victory has secured for us.

"The victory of the empty tomb demands a courageous and joyful witness."

The truth is, your life is already telling a story about the resurrection. It’s either telling the story that Jesus is alive and worth following at any cost, or it’s telling the story that He’s not worth mentioning.

The victory of the empty tomb is not just a comfort for your soul; it is a commission for your life that connects you to God’s eternal plan to save and redeem humanity. The empty tomb demands that you speak, even when the world would rather you be quiet. It calls you to live with a hope so steady that it puzzles those who see only life’s storms and struggles. It calls you to keep pressing forward, even when the world insists the race has no eternal reward or purpose.

One day, every false story will fade away. The truth will stand unopposed as every knee bows. Every tongue will confess that the resurrected Jesus is Lord. But until that day, we have been entrusted with the most important news in history. Like those first witnesses, we cannot keep it to ourselves. The stone has been rolled away. The grave is empty. Death has been defeated. Jesus is alive. Go and tell your world with courage in your step, joy in your heart, and the victory of the empty tomb as the purpose of your life.

"The victory of the empty tomb demands a courageous and joyful witness."