Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.
You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.
Carefully Think
- Read Matthew 28:1-15
- Read 27:62-66 and note the security of Jesus’ burial. As far as man’s means could go to secure the tomb it was secured. Keep this in mind as you read.
- Why would the two Mary’s be going to see the tomb? What does it say about the state of mind the disciples were in that these two women came to the tomb, but they remained in hiding?
- Are the events described in verses 2-4 typical? How does this description of events portray man’s means of securing the tomb?
- Reread 5-7. How would the words of the angel strike the Mary’s? What reason does the angel give as to why Jesus was not there? Was it because he was taken? Was it a hoax? No, he says it is because he has risen!
- Look at their response to his words in v. 8. They were fearful and full of joy. Our response to the resurrection of our Savior should be the same.
- Notice the women’s response to seeing the resurrected Lord. What does this say about who Jesus is and what our response to him should be?
- Did the guards witness the events of the resurrection? How does verse 11 help us answer? What does their response reveal?
- How does the response of the chief priests and the elders demonstrate their complete hard-heartedness and unwillingness to submit to Christ?
- Think about why Matthew would include verses 11-15 when writing to a 1st-century Jewish audience.
- The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.
Prayerfully Meditate
- How does this account (Matt 28:1-15) of the resurrection shape the Christian faith? How does this account of the resurrection shape what you believe and how you live?
- What two responses to the resurrection does this account reveal? How did the two women respond? How is this characteristic of a response of belief? How did the guards and the religious leaders of the Jews respond?