“Living in Faith not Fear”

Matt 28:1-11

Doesn’t it seem like it was just a few month ago that we celebrated

Christmas? With Christmas and Easter so close this year it seems

Reasonable to track themes from Jesus birth to his death and resurrection

One theme is fear-The Gospel of Matthew started with… fear:

Joseph’s fear that Mary had been unfaithful;

Herod’s fear that someone was going to take over his throne;

And the fear that Herod or his son Archelaus would kill

this small family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

It was only a few months ago when we heard the story of Jesus’ birth

And the assurance of the angel of the Lord:

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,

for the child conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,

for he will save his people from their sins.”

From the day of Jesus’ conception to his birth,

Even to his final days and his crucifixion people were still afraid:

The guards were afraid, the women were afraid and again

the angel of the Lord was still telling people not to fear:

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid;

I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.

He is not here; for he has been raised.”

As the women left the tomb to tell the disciples, the text says:

“So they left the tomb with fear and great joy and

ran to tell his disciples”

And Jesus reinforced what the angel had said:

“Do not be afraid, go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee;

then they will see me.”

From the beginning of Matthew to the end the message is the same-

Do not fear but believe.

Even in the middle of Matthew, Chapter 8: when they woke

Jesus in the middle of the storm with the words:

“Lord save us! We are perishing!”

Jesus responded: “Why are you afraid, you of little faith”

Jesus challenges his disciples, both the men and women who were there

at his birth, his miracles and his resurrection to stop living in fear

And to start believing, really believing with their whole heart.

And that is the message for us today as well.

Now Jesus is not telling us that bad things will not happen.

He is not telling us to be foolish.

There is a healthy place and use for fear.

When the women were running to tell the disciples

That Jesus had risen from the dead the text says:

“They left with fear and great joy and ran to tell.”

They had both fear and joy at the same time

but it didn’t paralyze them.

It propelled them forward.

When Joseph heard that Archelaus, Herod’s son, was still in power

It didn’t keep him from returning to Israel but instead of

going to Jerusalem he took his family to Nazareth.

When the Magi saw the star stop over Bethlehem, it says that

“they were overwhelmed with joy and worshipped Jesus

and offered gifts.” However they were fearful enough

of Herod not to go back to him and tell him

where to find Jesus.

Jesus is not saying that there aren’t times in our lives when we are afraid.

Jesus is saying for us not to be paralyzed by our fear.

He is saying that in those very times when we are most afraid

He is with us, he believes in us and challenges us

To believe and trust in him.

It’s like the difference between the guards whose fear made them “like dead men” and the women whose fear was erased by the words of the angel “Fear not” and who then went in faith, telling the good news.

It’s like the difference between Herod

who responded to the Star of Bethlehem with fear & violence

and the magi who responded to the same star

with awe and worship and gifts.

In the Gospel of John the same story of the resurrection says:

“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you.”

After Jesus appearance to the disciples he said:

“Peace be with you. As the father has sent me, so I send you.”

Notice that Jesus didn’t take away the source of the fear.

The Sanhedrin who tried Jesus, were still out there,

The Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus,

Were still out there.

The hostile crowd was still out there.

But the disciples themselves were different.

Instead of being paralyzed by fear

they were motivated by faith.

They trusted the Lord who stood before them

Would stand with them through any adversity.

That’s why the women weren’t afraid to tell the disciples

The incredible news of Jesus resurrection,

Even though the disciples didn’t believe them-

Because they trusted Jesus.

That’s why the disciples were able to go out and preach the gospel

Even in the midst of fierce opposition-

Because they trusted Jesus.

It’s fascinating that the resurrection story in Matthew

Is right before the Great Commission.

The resurrection story is filled with people who were afraid

And yet they went ahead anyway to share the Gospel.

Even the Great Commission, Matthew 28:17 says:

“When they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted.”

Have you ever noticed that whenever we do something

That is really exciting or rewarding or challenging

That along with the excitement there is

Underneath some fear and doubt.

That’s ok.

Just don’t let that fear or doubt paralyze you

From doing the exciting life changing and faith growing

things that God has called us to do.

Don’t let fear and doubt stop us from being the unique,

Faithful disciples Christ calls us to be.

And the term faithful here means:

“filled with the faith and trust of Christ”

“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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you to the close of the age.”

That’s the kicker- Jesus is with us.

That’s why it was so important to Paul in his letter to the Corinthians

To speak of Jesus’ bodily resurrection.

And Paul extends our understanding of the resurrection

From his appearance to just the disciples in that upper room,

To include the whole Christian community.

“Then he appeared to more then five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I had persecuted the church of God. But by grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them- though it was not I but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.” (1 Corinthians 15:6-11)

We are told daily to fear in the news papers, the television, the computer.

We are told to fear people who look different than us

because they might be terrorists.

We are told regularly by the weather man to fear the weather

And then we regularly see some poor second string weather man

Or woman out in a terrible storm reporting on the storm.

We are told by each of the presidential candidates that we should

Fear the other candidate’s decision making in a crisis because

Politicians have discovered that fear is a great motivator.

And we are even told by ministers that we should fear people

Just because of their faith orientation.

And yet Jesus, in his first words to Mary after his resurrection says:

“Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers, to go to Galilee;

there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:10)

Let the last word be faith not fear.

The faith of Jesus Christ allows us to contain our fear

So that we can live full and faithful lives even and

Especially in the midst of the struggles of life.

The faith of Christ allows us not to be paralyzed by fear

But to take that fear that we feel and use it

To propel us forward to share the good news

That Jesus Christ is risen and has lifted us

Out of our despair to the hope

Of the Gospel. Amen