What a scene this is! Mary Magdalene and the other Mary come to the tomb – now in other Gospel narratives, it is to take care of his body. In Matthew – they simply come to see the tomb. I can imagine them creeping closer and closer (at least that is what I might do in a graveyard at the dawning of the day). Suddenly there is an earthquake – can you feel the trembling, the swaying, the wondering if the rock covering the tomb will fall.
This earthquake is meant to roll the stone away 
as the angel descends and rolls back the stone. Like Jesus at the transfiguration – this angel glows like lightening and his clothes are a bright white. This is a sight to see, to feel, to fear.
And, indeed the guards shake with fear and immediately drop to the ground like dead men. What must the look on the faces of these two Mary’s be? Are they afraid? Quaking with fear? Ready to drop like the guards dropped.
The angel speaks to the women, and if we translate the Greek correctly, it comes out like this. As for you, stop being afraid! Don’t be like these guards dropping like dead men because the earth shook and I appeared. You don’t get to be afraid. And, why? Because you have come to find Jesus here at the tomb and he isn’t here.
Yes, he was crucified, yes he died, but don’t you remember – three times before this he told you he would suffer, die but then be raised up on the third day. It is the third day and he has been raised up! Don’t you remember? Did you not believe him when he said it. He isn’t here – he has gone off to Galilee where he will meet you.
Wow – as for you, stop being afraid! You don’t get to be afraid even when the earth trembles. Easier said than done. I don’t know about you, but I feel like every day now there is an earthquake. A trembling of events that are unknown and hard to bear. How am I supposed to not be afraid? How am I supposed to trust that Jesus isn’t in the tomb but on his way over here right where I am? How am I supposed to just not be afraid?! Hold that thought.
Let’s move on in the story – the women leave with fear and great joy – sounds like a good combo – and they run to tell the disciples what they have witnessed. And, what have they witnessed – Jesus isn’t in the tomb – the stone is rolled away for their benefit. For them to see that what Jesus told them would happen did indeed happen. For them to know they could trust the promises of Jesus. That they would never be left alone.
So they run with fear and great joy only to run right into Jesus himself! Jesus reiterates the message – and, you stop being afraid! Go and tell my siblings – get yourself to Galilee where I will meet you. We will gather as a family of disciples in Galilee and from there you will go out to the corners of our world as a community of faith preaching, teaching and baptizing in my name. Get yourself to Galilee where I will meet you. And, don’t be afraid even when the earthquakes come and the earth trembles with fear – know that I am resurrected – still present and working in the world.
Know this, trust this, trust that I have not left you alone. Trust that you will survive the earthquakes, you won’t fall down like dead people – you will rise and with fear and great joy carry the good news out in the world. As Vicar Judith Jones writes in her 2017 commentary: He is alive and present with them. Why should they fall prey to fear? Why should they leave room for anything except worship and overwhelming joy?[1]
Whew – now if I am honest, I wouldn’t mind that physical encounter with Jesus because it is easier to trust what you can see than what you can’t see, isn’t it? So, I think we need to look differently when the earthquakes shake us and we tremble with fear, with discouragement, with hopelessness, with grief.
Don’t get me wrong these are all valid emotions to have especially in our current state of affairs. Where we are in a war we can’t possibly win, economic hardships and cruelty abound. Where we face a huge transition here in our own community of faith. The earth is indeed quaking and all around us we see the trembling effect.
Yet we are told – you don’t be afraid – not like the rest of them. You don’t be afraid because you have me – I told you I was going to be raised in three days! Did you not believe me? Did you not trust what I said? Do you still not trust what I have said and lived? Do you still not trust your own eyes to see how I am still working in the world?
Can you not see it in the flowers and tree buds popping out? Can you not see it in the ever growing 1,510 acts of service? Can you not see it in the hopes and dreams and visions of this community of faith? Can you not see it in all the acts of kindness taking place in the world? Can you not see it and feel it with every prayer you say?
Are we so afraid of the joy of resurrection – of new beginnings and new life as a family of disciples of Jesus – a community of faith that is Christ-centered that we would rather sit in fear? Are we so afraid of going out with great joy to tell the good news to those who desperately need to hear it? Are we more content to be afraid – to live in fear rather than trust I will be raised in three days!
You don’t be afraid – I wonder if we can truly embrace and embody that statement. You don’t be afraid. I am still here Jesus says to us. I still bring new life, new beginnings. I still am the one that has knit you together as a community of faith that has not died in 150 years and I am still holding you, guiding you, being present among you. I am still sending you out!
I will pump life into you because you are the witnesses to the good news of the Gospel. And, that, folks is resurrection joy! Christ has been raised from the dead as he said he would be! He is still working in the world through us and others! Stop being afraid!
God defeated death! Don’t fear the resurrection joy that is ours to name, claim and take out beyond these walls. May it be so! Amen!
[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/resurrection-of-our-lord/commentary-on-matthew-281-10-5