“an angel of the Lord descended from the sky”
“Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky and came and rolled away the stone from the door and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.”
Matthew 28:1-3
Alleluia, Christ is risen
and with that rising, everything changes.
Early in the morning, some women walk to a tomb – sealed with unusual levels of security. They come in sorrow, expecting stillness, instead they find violent movement and bright light.
“Do not be afraid. He is not here; he has risen.”
It’s the moment the whole story bursts open. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. And something even deeper is happening. Just as on Good Friday, when the curtain in the temple was torn in two - the veil that had once marked the barrier between God and humanity is now ripped wide open.
In rising from the dead, Jesus hasn’t just come back to life. He has opened the way—between life and death, between heaven and earth, between God and us. There is no more division. There is no more distance. Jesus can now move freely between; he bears the power of heaven and earth.
Jesus has brought the heart of God straight to humanity. Not the perfect or powerful, but the grieving, the searching, the ordinary. He meets the women on the road. He meets us too. This is creation as it was always meant to be.
This is not a resurrection of triumphalism or conquest. It is a quiet, unshakable victory of love over fear. Not fire and fury, but the absence of separation. The glorious victory of presence.
And now Jesus calls us to live as people of the open way. Not to pressure or persuade with fear, but to live with such light and grace that others begin to ask where the warmth is coming from.
The tomb is empty. The curtain is torn. The way is open.
So do not be afraid. Let the light in. And let it shine through you.
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Art Journaling Exercise: Shaking the world.
“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven...”
“He is not here; he has risen.” – Matthew 28:2-6
On Easter morning, the earth shakes. The stone rolls back. Light breaks in.
And out of that shaking moment—something beautiful begins.
New life.
Hope.
An open way.
This activity invites you to start with the shake—and let beauty grow from it
Step 1: The Earthquake
Take a tray and in it place a flat sheet of paper
Roll some marbles in paint. Choose bold colours—dark tones, metallics, reds, blacks, purples—to represent the disruption and drama of the earthquake.
Take the marbles out of the paint and place them carefully on the edges of the paper.
Now shake the page—gently or boldly.
Let the marbles leave trails, lines, and chaotic energy across the surface.
This is the moment of change.
Let it dry.
Step 2: The Flowers Bloom
Once the paint is dry, return to your page.
Look at the marble trails and lines—the cracks, the crossings, the open spaces.
From those earthquake lines, begin to draw or paint flowers growing.
Bloom from the cracks
Wrap petals around the scars
Let vines twist along the chaos
Add light colours, signs of joy, gold leaf, or scripture verses
You might add words like:
“Do not be afraid”, “He is risen”, “From shaking comes life”, “The way is open”
Reflection Questions
What has been shaken in me this Easter?
What might God be planting in the cracks?
Where is new life trying to bloom?
How might I carry this gentle hope into the world?
Study Questions:
What do you notice about how the resurrection is described in Matthew’s Gospel?
How does the earthquake shape the story?The angel tells the women, “Do not be afraid.” Why do you think that phrase is repeated twice in this passage (verses 5 and 10)?
What does it mean to hear those words in a moment of fear, awe, or deep change?Jesus rises with great power (earthquake, angel, lightning), but also meets the women on the road.
How do you see both power and ordinariness in this story?
Where do you recognise God’s presence—in shaking moments, or quiet ones, or both?The first people to witness the resurrection are women —Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.
Women at this time were not trusted as witnesses or leaders. Yet God chose them to be the first to see the risen Jesus and to carry the message of hope.What does this tell us about who God trusts, honours, and includes in the most important moments of the Gospel?
Who are the voices in today’s world that are often overlooked, doubted, or pushed aside?
How might we listen more carefully, believe more readily, and lift up those voices in our communities?
Where have we, knowingly or unknowingly, continued the silence that Jesus came to break?
Journal Notes:
In Matthew 28, the first people to witness the resurrection are two women—Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.” This is a profound and deliberate choice that goes against the expectations of their culture.
In first-century Jewish and Roman society, women were often not considered reliable witnesses in court. Their testimony was legally discounted simply because of their sex.
This belief is reflected in the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who lived during the first century. In his historical work Antiquities of the Jews (a non-biblical text written around 93–94 CE), he wrote:
“But let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex.”
—Antiquities, Book 4, Section 8, Paragraph 15This quote gives us cultural context: women were not trusted in public legal settings. And yet, in all four Gospels, women are the first witnesses of the resurrection. Their testimony is not only included—it becomes central to the Christian story.
Earthquake, Angel, and Apocalyptic Imagery
Matthew’s distinct style: Matthew alone includes the earthquake (v.2) and the angel like lightning. These are common markers of apocalyptic literature, signalling that God is breaking into human history in a new, transformative way (cf. Daniel 10:6; Revelation 1:14).
Symbolism: The earthquake is not just physical—it represents spiritual upheaval. The world as it was known is shaken. The power of Rome and death has been overturned.
The Tearing of the Temple Curtain (Matthew 27:51)
The temple veil separated the Holy of Holies—the most sacred space where God’s presence was believed to dwell—from the rest of the temple. Only the high priest could enter, once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
The tearing of the curtain at Jesus' death symbolises that access to God is no longer restricted. This pairs with the resurrection as a sign that the barrier between God and humanity has been removed permanently—a major theme in the New Covenant (cf. Hebrews 10:19–22).
Paired with the stone rolled away, this shows that Jesus doesn’t just escape death—he opens the way for all who follow.
"Do Not Be Afraid"
“Do not be afraid” is a common divine message in Scripture, especially when people encounter angels or God’s presence (Genesis 15:1, Luke 1:30, Revelation 1:17). It signals both divine reassurance and calling.
Fear in this context is not simply about being startled—it represents the trembling awe that comes when humans encounter God’s glory. But Jesus’ presence turns fear into joy and purpose.
