Do Not Be Afraid

PRELUDE

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

OPENING PRAYER

Risen and victorious God, at the dawn of this day, you shattered the power of death and raised your Son, Jesus Christ, from the grave: meet us here in our fear and awaken us to your new life. Turn our trembling into joy, our doubt into faith, and our sorrow into worship, that we may live as people of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

*OPENING HYMN - “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” #302

OLD TESTAMENT READING - Jeremiah 31:1-6

Jeremiah 31:1–6 ESV

1 “At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.” 2 Thus says the Lord: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, 3 the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. 6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’ ”

REPSONSIVE READING - Psalm 118:14-24 #839

NEW TESTAMENT READING - Colossians 3:1-4

Colossians 3:1–4 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Matthew 28:1–10 ESV

1 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. 2 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. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 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.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Introduction

Easter does not begin with celebration.

It begins in the quiet uncertainty of early morning. It begins with grief that has not yet lifted, with questions that have not yet been answered, with hearts that are still trying to make sense of what has been lost.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb not expecting resurrection, but expecting death. They go with love, with devotion, with courage—but not with hope that Jesus is alive. As far as they know, the story has ended.

And that is where Matthew begins. Not with triumph, but with trembling. Not with certainty, but with confusion. Not with joy, but with fear.

And yet, everything is about to change.

Because Easter is not the story of human faith finally rising strong. It is the story of God acting decisively when all hope seemed gone.

1. God Acts Decisively — The Tomb Is Empty

Matthew tells us that there is a great earthquake. The ground shakes beneath their feet. An angel of the Lord descends from heaven, rolls back the stone, and sits on it. His appearance is like lightning, his clothing white as snow. The guards—trained, hardened soldiers—are so overcome that they shake and become like dead men.

This is not a subtle moment.

This is not a quiet spiritual awakening.

This is a cosmic interruption.

God is not gently suggesting new possibilities. God is breaking into history and overturning the final enemy: death itself.

And the message is simple, clear, and unmistakable:

“He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.”

Notice what the angel does not say. The angel does not say, “His spirit lives on.” The angel does not say, “His teachings will continue.” The angel does not say, “His followers will carry on his legacy.”

The angel says, “He has been raised.”

This is not metaphor. This is not sentiment. This is not wishful thinking.

This is God’s decisive act.

The resurrection is not something the disciples achieved. It is not something the women discovered because they believed hard enough. It is not the reward for their faithfulness.

It is the action of God.

And that matters, because it means our hope does not rest on the strength of our faith—it rests on the faithfulness of God.

Scripture reminds us of this truth:

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Easter is not our day. It is the Lord’s day.

The empty tomb declares that sin does not have the last word. Death does not have the last word. Despair does not have the last word.

God does.

And if God has acted decisively in raising Jesus from the dead, then everything we thought was final is no longer final. Everything we thought was hopeless is no longer hopeless.

Because the resurrection means that God’s power is greater than death, and God’s promises are stronger than the grave.

2. Fear Is Transformed — From Terror to Joy

And yet, even with this good news, fear does not immediately disappear.

The angel says to the women, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus himself says it again when he meets them: “Do not be afraid.”

Which tells us something important: resurrection does not erase fear instantly.

Matthew tells us that the women leave the tomb “with fear and great joy.”

Both are present at the same time.

Fear, because the world they thought they understood has been shaken. Joy, because God has done something beyond anything they could have imagined.

This is the tension of Easter.

Fear is what happens when our assumptions are undone. Joy is what happens when we realize that what God has done is better than what we expected.

The resurrection does not scold fear. It transforms it.

The women do not freeze in place. They do not retreat back into the safety of what they know. They run—with fear and great joy—to tell the disciples.

They are still trembling. But they are also moving.

And that is what resurrection does. It does not require us to have everything figured out before we respond. It invites us to move forward in trust, even when our hearts are still catching up to what God has done.

Paul captures this transformation in his letter to the Romans:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Notice the movement: from fear to joy, from anxiety to peace, from uncertainty to hope.

And it does not come from within us. It comes from the God of hope.

Easter does not promise that we will never feel afraid again. It promises that fear will no longer define us.

Because the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us—filling us with joy, giving us peace, and leading us into hope.

And that means we can face what we fear—not because we are strong, but because Christ is alive.

3. Resurrection Leads to Worship — A New Way of Living

As the women run to tell the disciples, something remarkable happens.

Jesus meets them.

The risen Christ stands before them—not as a memory, not as an idea, but as a living, present Lord.

And what do they do?

They come to him, take hold of his feet, and worship him.

They do not analyze what has happened. They do not debate its meaning. They do not ask for further proof.

They worship.

Because when you encounter the risen Christ, worship is the only fitting response.

And yet, even in this moment of worship, Jesus speaks again:

“Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Resurrection does not end with worship—it leads into mission.

The women are not told to stay at Jesus’ feet. They are told to go.

Because the resurrection is not just something to be believed. It is something to be lived.

John describes a similar moment in Revelation:

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever.’” (Revelation 1:17–18)

The pattern is the same: Encounter the risen Christ → fall in worship → hear “Do not be afraid” → be sent forward.

This is what it means to live in the risen Christ.

We are people who worship because death has been defeated. We are people who go because Christ is alive. We are people who hope because the resurrection is real.

And that changes everything.

It changes how we face suffering. It changes how we face uncertainty. It changes how we face death itself.

Because we no longer live as people waiting for the end.

We live as people who know that the end has already been transformed.

Conclusion

Easter begins in fear.

It begins in the uncertainty of an empty tomb, in the trembling of those who do not yet understand what God has done.

But it does not end there.

It ends with joy. It ends with worship. It ends with a people sent into the world with hope.

“Do not be afraid.”

Not because there is nothing to fear—but because Christ is risen.

And if Christ is risen, then death has been defeated. If Christ is risen, then sin has been overcome. If Christ is risen, then hope does not disappoint.

This is the good news of Easter:

Christ is risen—and everything has changed.

So whatever fear you carry this morning… Whatever uncertainty you face… Whatever burden weighs on your heart…

Hear the word of the risen Christ:

“Do not be afraid.”

Come and see. Go and tell. Worship and live.

Because he is not here. He has been raised.

And because he lives— we live in hope.

Amen.

*HYMN OF RESPONSE - “Up from the Grave He Arose” #322

*THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS AND CONCERNS

PASTORAL PRAYER

Risen and living God, on this holy morning we come before you with awe and gratitude. You have shattered the power of death, rolled away the stone, and raised your Son, Jesus Christ, from the grave. You have done what we could never do— and for that we give you thanks and praise.

And yet, Lord, we confess that we often come like the women at the tomb— carrying fear, uncertainty, and grief. We bring before you the fears we name and the fears we hide: fears about our future, fears for those we love, fears shaped by loss, illness, and uncertainty.

In your mercy, speak again your Easter word into our hearts: “Do not be afraid.”

Transform our fear into joy. Fill us with the peace that comes from knowing Christ is alive. Let the power that raised Jesus from the dead be at work within us—renewing our faith, restoring our hope, and strengthening our trust in you.

We pray for those who are burdened this day— for the sick and the suffering, for the grieving and the lonely, for those weighed down by anxiety or despair. Draw near to them with your resurrection life. Bring healing where there is pain, comfort where there is sorrow, and light where there is darkness.

We pray for your Church, O Lord, that we would not remain at the empty tomb, but go as witnesses of the risen Christ. Make us bold in our faith, faithful in our witness, and joyful in our worship. Send us into the world as people of hope— living signs that Christ is risen.

We pray for our community and our world, where fear so often holds sway— where violence, division, and uncertainty seem strong. Let the light of the resurrection break into every dark place. Raise up leaders who seek justice and peace. Renew your creation with your life-giving power.

And now, O God, as we continue in worship, receive our praise, shape our hearts, and send us out to live in the power of the risen Christ.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus, the First and the Last, the Living One, who was dead and is alive forevermore— and who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father…

Amen.

INVITATION TO CHRIST’S TABLE

Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another

CONFESSION AND PARDON

Congregation prays together:

Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

Congregation:

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

All:

Glory to God. Amen.

PASSING THE PEACE

OFFERING

DOXOLOGY

The Great Thanksgiving for Easter Season

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and set before us the way of life.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

By your great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of your Son from the dead and to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

Once we were no people, but now we are your people, declaring your wonderful deeds in Christ, who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always, in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

On the day you raised him from the dead he was recognized by his disciples in the breaking of the bread, and in the power of your Holy Spirit your Church has continued in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup.

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.

Amen.

And now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us by saying, ...

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil:

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power,

and the glory, forever. Amen.

There is one loaf, we, who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

The cup over which we give thanks is a sharing in the blood of Christ.

GIVING THE BREAD AND THE CUP

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

CLOSING HYMN: “Because He Lives” - #364

BENEDICTION

Go forth in the power of the risen Christ. Do not be afraid— for the One who was dead is alive forevermore.

May God fill you with joy and peace in believing, may Christ meet you on the road and call you by name, and may the Holy Spirit send you out in hope to live as witnesses of the resurrection.

Christ is risen—go and live in his life. Amen.

POSTLUDE