Fear and Great Joy
Matthew 28
The Resurrection of Jesus
1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, 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; there they will see me.”
The Report of the Guard
11 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 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 is still told among the Jews to this day.
The Commissioning of the Disciples
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 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 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Faith, Doubt, & Ambivalence
Faith
- trust
- belief
- unprovable
- w/o Doubt can become Dogmatic
Doubt
- uncertainty
- hesitation
- questions
- w/o Faith can become Despair
Ambivalence
- holding competing feelings or thoughts simultaneously
- where wrestling, surrender, and discovery happen
- faith gets stretched
- doubt gets dignified
- the soul grows with out needing to resolve everything right away
Liminal Space
- the mind is learning
- faith is maturing
- identity is formed/reformed
Prefrontal Cortex
- wired for Ambivalence
- critical thinking
- decision-making
- empathy
- creativity
- anterior cingulate cortex
- cognitive dissonance activates ACC
- reality vs beliefs
- adaptive change
- belief updates
"I believe....but I have a question"
- necessary process for transformation
Affective Complexity
- feeling grief but also gratitude
- feeling spiritual longing but also skepticism
- Ambivalence yields Resilience
Fear and Great Joy
- moving while confused
- trusting while trembling
- disrupted and surprised
- shaken but hopeful
"but some doubted"
- uncertain
- hesitation
- too good to believe
- they worshiped but some doubted but all were commissioned
A Theology of Mixed Emotions
- You can be afraid and full of joy
- You can worship and doubt
- You can be unsure and still sent
Questions to Consider
- Would you describe your faith as "strong"?
- Is your faith resilient?
- Do you ever struggle with doubt?
- Are you ever burdened with ambivalence or mixed emotions?
- How do you think God feels about doubt?
- What do you believe about the resurrection?
- Can you talk about the hope the resurrection offers?
Liturgies
Easter Sunday Prayer
All: May we live like resurrection is real,
even in the places that still feel like death.
May we be more surprised by hope than overcome by despair.
Let joy find us, like morning light breaking through clouds.
And may we carry your rising, Jesus, not as a trophy,
but as a burning truth that changes everything.
Wayfinders Family Blessing
Gracious God,
We gather before You as a family, grateful for Your loving presence with us.
Bless our children:
Guide them in Your truth and lead them in Your ways.
Help them to walk in faithfulness, seeking Your will in all that they do.
May Your Spirit empower them to love one another deeply,
to forgive as You have, and to extend grace and mercy to all.
May the lessons they learn and the stories they share grow their love for you.
Help them to know how deeply loved they are by you and this church.
In Jesus' name we pray,
Amen.
