Take Another Look

Greeting

Good morning! My name is Joel Cossins, and I’m the pastor here at Libby COTN. I’d like to welcome all of our guests here today, especially to those of you checking us out online. Hello! If you’ve not yet visited us in person, I look forward to the day we can welcome you to our fellowship. You should know when you visit, you will most likely be invited to stay after, as we have a potluck every Sunday after the service—unless otherwise noted. So, come hungry for an encounter with JESUS and bring your appetite for food, as well!

Announce text: Matthew 28:1-10

Key Text: Matthew 28:1-10

Review

Prior to the start of Lent and throughout this season of Lent, we have heard God’s desire for deep transformation in and through His kids. To that end, He invited us to a time of corporate prayer and fasting. Drawing from Jesus' teaching, this Lenten season is designed for spiritual pruning—removing distractions to make room for greater intimacy, favor, and the work of Holy Spirit.

As we leaned into these 40 days, we sought renewal in our individual and family lives, our church body (Libby COTN) and the larger body of Christ in Libby (other churches), and our community (with a vision for 3,000 souls delivered, saved, and set free). This fast has been a vital part of a larger 'season of change' God initiated before Lent—a season within a season. In the midst of this transition, our primary posture has been to rest in His Presence while seeking His transformative power.

the first Sunday in Lent, we began with a burning invitation

Psalm 95 presents a heartfelt appeal for worship, emphasizing both celebration and caution as it invites us to acknowledge God's power and mercy while reminding us of the importance of listening to His voice and not hardening our hearts.

Big Idea: Worship is an active engagement that requires both joy and a vigilant heart, calling us not only to celebrate God’s majesty but to continually seek His presence and guidance in our lives.

the second Sunday in Lent, we explored Psalm 84 and discovered a burning need

Psalm 84 expresses a deep yearning for God's presence, illustrating the joy and satisfaction found in communion with Him. The psalmist highlights the beauty of the dwelling place of the LORD and the blessings that come from being in His Presence.

Big Idea: Our deepest need is for the Presence of GOD, which brings joy and strength in every season of life.

the third Sunday, we were captivated by GOD’s burning desire for restoration that burns hotter than any distraction or failure we have

In Jeremiah 32:26-41, God illustrates His unwavering sovereignty over the nations and His intimate knowledge of His people's lives. He emphasizes that despite their evil deeds and the dire consequences of their actions, He remains committed to their restoration and renewal through a covenant steeped in mercy and faithfulness, intending to bring about a profound transformation in their society and relationship with Him.

Big Idea: GOD's commitment to restoration is unfailing and invites us into a transformative journey that not only renews us but also impacts those around us, revealing His glory in the world.

The message that day taught us that no matter how far we stray from God, His desire is always to draw us back into relationship with Him, and that God's plans are not foiled by our failures but rather that He uses them to fulfill His purpose of transformation and restoration.

the fourth Sunday, we felt the urgency and the passion of GOD’s burning love as He placed before us a choice to love Him.

Deuteronomy 30:11–20 presents a profound moment as Moses conveys God's plea to the Israelites to choose life and blessing. This passage emphasizes the accessibility of God's commands, the consequences of disobedience, and the life-giving power found in loving God wholeheartedly. It reveals the depth of God's desire for His people to thrive in a relationship with Him, where their choices can reflect His love.

Big Idea: True life and blessing flow from a heartfelt commitment to love and obey God, reminding us that our choices reveal our deepest affections.

the fifth Sunday, we were encouraged to respond to Burning Encounters With Jesus.

In Psalm 27, we saw a foreshadowing of Christ expressed by David's confidence in the Lord as his ultimate light and salvation, emphasizing the importance of trusting God in the face of fear and hostility. Just as David found safety in God, believers today find their refuge in Jesus Christ, who ultimately protects from spiritual enemies and offers eternal hope. When we experience and encounter Jesus, He inspires faith and courage amidst fear and uncertainty.

Big Idea: True confidence in God empowers us to respond to fear with faith, knowing that He is our refuge and strength in every situation.

A genuine encounter with Jesus leads to a deeper relationship with Him, prompting us to respond in faith, worship, and confidence even in the midst of life's challenges.

Last week, we discovered that burning encounters with Jesus lead to A Heart That Burns.

In Zechariah 9:9–12, the prophet foretells a future king who arrives in an unexpected way—lowly and riding on a donkey. This prophecy reveals God's plan for a coming king who illustrates God's intention to rescue and restore His people, establishing an everlasting covenant with them, and emphasizing that true leadership is characterized by meekness and righteousness rather than pride and power.

Big Idea: Jesus, our humble King, ignites hearts that burn for God’s Kingdom — where true victory comes through humility and obedience, and salvation arrives in the most unexpected way.

That sermon taught us that God's kingship is revealed through Jesus Christ—a humble King whose strength lies in serving rather than dominating, demonstrating that God often works in surprising ways with priorities different from ours. True greatness in His Kingdom is measured by humility, peace, and seeking the well-being of others, calling believers to align their hearts with His counterintuitive path of service and the fulfillment of His promises.

Announce text again: Matthew 28:1-10

Scripture Reading

Matthew 28:1–10 NIV

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Prayer for added blessing to the reading of the Word

The title of our message this morning is Take Another Look.

In this passage, the resurrection of Jesus is not just a pivotal moment in Christian history, but a profound declaration of God's power to bring life from death. The women at the tomb encounter an angel who reveals the miracle of the resurrection, encouraging them to share the good news, which highlights God’s faithfulness even when all hope seemed lost.

Big Idea: Through the resurrection of Christ, believers are called not only to witness the victory over death but awaken to their faith and to live as messengers of hope, transforming despair into purpose for themselves and others.

This message focuses on the assurance that Jesus has conquered death and how this foundational truth instills courage and purpose in believers. It emphasizes that the resurrection calls believers to a life of proclaiming the hope and joy found in Christ.

Introduction

Anyone who has watched the sunrise knows that it is well worth the effort of waking up at an early hour to witness a new dawn. It is especially worth it to watch the sun rise over a body of water as the unknown and dark depths are slowly exposed. The sun illuminates everything that was hidden by the darkness. What was once scary and unknown becomes majestic and beautiful. The sun’s colors are vibrant, and they become even more striking when they reflect off the water and spread.

But the reality is that the night is long and dark. If you have ever pulled an all-nighter or had to wait to watch the sun rise, you know how slowly time can crawl. One can begin to wonder if the darkness will never be broken, if the night is too much and too terrifying to be outlasted.

Before we celebrate the empty tomb, we must first be honest about how dark the night can feel — both in our world and in our own lives.

◆ TROUBLE IN THE WORLD

We fear we are simply journeying to a grave.

The night is long and dark. It is unknown and terrifying.

We may have wondered before if the night will outlast us.

We may have wondered if we did all the work of journeying through Lent, of examination and confession and forgiveness and renewal, just to end up at a cross and a grave.

After all, the world still seems very dark.

Wars are rampant.

Division is the way of life.

There is cancer and death and poverty and starvation.

There is natural disaster after natural disaster.

No one seems to be safe.

There is fear everywhere.

And who knows what the future holds?

It is too dark to see the pathway out.

Maybe the night is too long and too strong, and we are just journeying to a grave.

That same heavy darkness the world feels was exactly what the women carried with them early that Sunday morning. Let’s step into their story and see what they expected to find.

◆ TROUBLE IN THE TEXT

The women in this text are simply journeying to a grave.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary are sure that’s all they are doing. Simply journeying to a grave.

They know exactly what the future holds.

It holds tears and pain.

It holds the dead body of their Lord—the one they loved, the one they believed would save them, the one they hoped might finally break the darkness—and he has been placed in a grave.

The fight is over. The night won.

The two Marys know that the future will only ever be dark with more of the same—more oppression, more death.

They are sure the Roman guards will keep them from caring for and mourning the one they love. Yet they go out of faithfulness.

They came expecting death. They came expecting a sealed tomb and a broken dream. But what they actually found changed everything — and it still changes everything today.

◆ GRACE IN THE TEXT

He is risen!

And what they find is unthinkable.

“Christ is risen!”

“He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!”

(Note: This can be a moment of call and response with your congregation if they are likely to respond appropriately, but you also could say both parts.)

Christ is risen with an earthquake and an angel to announce the great news.

This is dawn breaking in!

This is great glory, majesty, and power.

Even the grand Roman Empire is helpless to stop the divine will.

The Roman crucifixion failed.

The Roman soldiers faint and become like dead while Jesus is raised to new life.

The Roman Empire that seemed all encompassing is nothing in the face of the power of God.

The women came expecting to find a body in a grave, but when they looked again, they found life, not death.

They found that the night did not last and the dawn had arrived.

But the women don’t get to stick around and spend time admiring the glory of the risen Son.

They are told to go. Spread the good news!

The angel told the women the story was not over — they were to go and tell others. That same command echoes to us this Easter morning. The resurrection is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of a new dawn for the whole world.

◆ GRACE IN THE WORLD

A New Dawn

The women cannot stay because the story is not over. They are told to go because the resurrection is just the beginning.

It is dawn on the first day of the week, and God is just starting God’s work.

Just as in Genesis, where God’s work of creation was just beginning with the light breaking into the waters of chaos, so now with the new creation, God’s work of renewal is just beginning.

The light is still spreading. It is shining on the depths of the unknown and bringing redemption and healing to the darkest places of our world.

The fight is indeed over, and the sun has won.

It cannot be stopped now that the dawn has broken in.

It is spreading beyond control and prevention.

The question is simply, “Will we join in?”

Will we be witnesses to the new dawn?

Will we proclaim hope where others only see death?

Will we live as those with hope?

Or will we too be ruled by our fear of the dark?

Look again.

“Christ is risen!”

“He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!”

So, pj … What’s the point?

As we close this Easter message and this Lenten season, remember the angel’s words at the empty tomb: “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

Jesus’ resurrection is not just a historical event — it is the fulfillment of every promise of Scripture. He is the firstfruits of those who have died, the living proof that death has been defeated and eternal life is now ours in Him.

This is the transformative power of the resurrection: it calls us not only to witness victory over death but to awaken to a living faith that turns despair into purpose. No matter what “tomb” you are facing — grief, fear, addiction, broken relationships, or doubt — the risen Christ meets you there and says, “Do not be afraid. Come and see… then go and tell.”

Here is our next step:

This week, take another look at the empty tomb and let it change how you live. Choose one person in your life who is walking through darkness and share with them the hope you have found in the risen Jesus. Invite them to “come and see” what God can do.

Imagine what could happen if every one of us did this — if our church became a community of messengers of hope, boldly proclaiming that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us and through us. Despair would lose its grip. Lives would be transformed. And the light of the resurrection would spread from our hearts into our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Let’s pray.

Closing prayer & Introspection for Communion

During this time, let us search our hearts, as we respond to this message & as we prepare for the Lord’s Supper. Listen to what Holy Spirit is speaking from the Father & respond accordingly.

quietly allow space for Holy Spirit

Risen Lord Jesus, thank You that the tomb is empty and our hope is alive. Ignite our hearts with resurrection power. Help us to live as messengers of Your hope, sharing the good news with everyone we meet. May our lives declare that death has lost its sting and that in You, new life has come. Amen.

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:24 NASB95

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25 NASB95

25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 NASB95

24 The Lord bless you, and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

Numbers 6:27 GW

27 “So whenever they use my name to bless the Israelites, I will bless them.” 

So, receive and go with the blessings of YAHWEH!