Behold the Risen King

Message Listening Guide

 Matthew 27:62–28:20

Guiding Thought: Is your hope sturdy enough for the world as it really is?

The Empty Tomb and the Weight of Hope — Matthew 27:62–28:15

The resurrection is not a vague religious symbol or a private spiritual experience. Jesus’s enemies remember his prediction, secure the tomb, and post guards. When the tomb is found empty, the first alternate explanation is that the disciples stole the body. Even Jesus’s opponents had to reckon with the empty tomb.

The Resurrection Vindicates Jesus — Matthew 28:1–10

The resurrection is God’s public vindication of Jesus. It is God’s declaration that Jesus was right about who He was, right about the kingdom He announced, and right to trust the Father all the way to the cross. Jesus is not a failed Messiah, a dead teacher, or a beautiful memory kept alive by devoted followers. He is the risen and reigning King.

The Resurrection Makes Hope Solid — Matthew 28:16–20

If the risen Jesus now has all authority in heaven and on earth, then darkness does not have the final say in this world, and it does not have to have the final say in your life. Because Jesus is alive, hope is not fantasy, denial, or positive thinking.

The Point: If the tomb is occupied, hope is a hollow promise. If the tomb is empty, hope is bedrock reality.

Application:

Closing Thought: Matthew tells us that the risen Jesus sent disciples who worshiped him, though some doubted. Easter hope is not only for people with flawless certainty, but for ordinary people who know enough to trust and worship the risen King.

Connection Group Conversation Guide

Get-to-know-you Question: Share your name with the group and answer this question: If you had to choose one risky thrill activity, what would it be—skydiving, scuba diving, bungee jumping, or something else?

Pray: Share prayer requests and begin your time together in prayer.

Review: Last Sunday’s message centered on the question of whether our hope is sturdy enough for the world as it really is. The sermon walked through Matthew 27–28 and argued that the resurrection of Jesus is not wishful thinking or a helpful metaphor, but a real historical event with life-changing implications. Because the tomb is empty, our hope in Jesus is not hollow, but secure. The message also challenged us to consider whether we are truly building our lives on Jesus, the risen and reigning King.

Opening Question: What is the difference between hoping that something works out and hoping in someone you believe is trustworthy?

Read: Have someone read Matthew 28:1–10 aloud.

Discuss: Put yourself in the place of the women going to the tomb that morning. What do you think they expected to find, and what might they have been feeling?

Discuss: What do you find most compelling about the claim that the resurrection really happened?

Discuss: Many people admire Jesus as a teacher but struggle with his bigger claims about authority, truth, and eternal life. Why do you think the resurrection pushes us to take those claims more seriously?

Discuss: In the message, Luke said that the resurrection vindicates both Jesus’s identity and His teaching. How would you explain that connection in your own words?

Discuss: Where are you most tempted right now to place your hope in something other than Jesus—your own strength, your circumstances, your plans, or something else? What might it look like to trust him there?

Discuss: What is one practical way you can join what the risen Jesus is doing in the world this week—through your work, your prayers, serving someone in need, sharing your faith, or something else?

Pray: Close in prayer, praising God that our risen King Jesus goes before us and goes with us.