2.15.18a 4.5.2026 Easter Sunrise Matthew 28

Start:

Entice: Welcome! Sunrise services are a supplementary worship opportunity, on this the central day of the year. 

Engage: As the community gathers to bear witness, each congregation also anticipates its own individual celebration. The first prayer of the Church, “He is alive!” The first Christian hymns, and liturgies also focus on the resurrection. It is truly fitting for us to start Easter together. It is a bit of challenge. There are only so many gospel accounts of the resurrection. Each local preacher has prepared a message for later this morning as his flock stands together around the empty tomb in wonder, love, and praise. My hope is to talk about the impact of resurrection without stealing any other preacher’s thunder for later in the day. 

Expand: I’m going to walk us through the resurrection from the standpoint not just of Jesus with those first witnesses, not just in the experience of the embryonic Church but in our experience. Who we are today is founded upon what occurred then. Our faithfulness to the cause of Christ has no other benchmark than faithfulness to Christ. Resurrection is not about the land of our birth or nurture. It is not about political, social or cultural allegiance. The triumph of Jesus over death is as we sang when I was a child for all people “Red and Yellow, black or white…they’re all precious in His sight.” He died for all and was resurrected for all. 

Excite: In reviewing the events of that day we find that

Explore:

The resurrection of the Christ creates the Body of Christ…His Church. 

Expand: We find that in looking at several basic facts from that first Lord’s Day.

Body of Sermon: Fact #1

1 The Circumstances of Resurrection.

Matthew 27:57–61 ESV

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

1.1 Jesus is dead.

1.2 The body is buried.

1.3 The women await.

Fact #2 

2 The Celebration of Resurrection.

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.”

2.1 Awe.

2.2 Wonder.

2.3 Assignment

Next, a disturbing fact

3 The Controversy of Resurrection.

Matthew 28:11–15 ESV

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

3.1 Some do not accept the reality.

3.2 Some actively resist. 

And finally, the fact which is the same today as it was then

4 The Challenge of Resurrection.

Matthew 28:16–20 ESV

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

4.1 Belief (Some doubted)

4.2 Behavior (Making disciples)

Shut Down

It happened then.

It happens now.

It happened this morning.

For Christians remembering these facts and ordering our lives by them never grows old.