From Fear to Great Joy
Month 7: He Is Risen! — Why We Believe · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 28:8-10
8 So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him. 10 “Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.”
Memory Verse
“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.”— Matthew 28:6 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 26–27; Isaiah 1–3
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Isaiah opens by calling a fearful people back to the God who saves.)The Heart of It
Watch what is happening inside the women's hearts. They left the tomb "in fear and great joy." Both feelings were tangled together at once. That's so honest, isn't it? Their hands were probably shaking even as their hearts were soaring. They ran to tell the disciples. And then the most wonderful thing happened. Jesus Himself met them on the road. "Greetings!" He said. They came, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him. And His first gentle words to them were the same words the angel had spoken: "Do not be afraid." The risen Jesus did not scold them for being frightened. He met them right in the middle of their mixed-up feelings, and He turned their fear into joy.
This is a Heart Matters truth for your whole family. Jesus is not waiting for you to have perfect, calm feelings before He comes close. He meets us right where we are. We can be afraid and joyful, confused and hopeful, all at the same time. And because He is alive, He still does this today. When your child is scared of the dark, or you are anxious about money or the future, the risen Lord speaks the same words: "Do not be afraid." Fear shrinks when we remember the tomb is empty. The deepest reason for joy in any home is not that everything is easy. It is that Jesus is alive and near. Let your hearts run to Him today, just like the women did.
Around the Table
The ladies were a little scared and SO happy at the same time! Then Jesus met them and said, "Don't be afraid." Jesus is alive, and He's near you, too!
Let's do it: Make a scared face, then a giant happy face. Say together, "Jesus is alive. Don't be afraid!"
The women felt fear and joy together. Jesus didn't get upset. He comforted them. What does that show about how Jesus treats us when we're afraid?
Let's talk: What's something you feel afraid about? How does "Jesus is alive and near" help?
Notice that the women worshiped Jesus, and He received it. Only God may be worshiped (). The risen Christ is rightly worshiped because He is God.
Let's go deeper: How does worship help turn your fear into joy? When have you felt that happen?
💬 Conversation Starter
Can you feel two opposite things at once, like nervous and excited before something big? The women felt that on Easter morning. And Jesus met them right in the middle of it.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Why trust that women were the first witnesses? In that culture, a woman's testimony carried little legal weight. So no one inventing a story would have chosen women as the first to see the risen Jesus. The Gospels report it anyway. That is a strong sign they're telling the truth, not crafting a convincing tale.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Dads often think their job is to remove every fear from the home. But notice what Jesus did. He did not erase the women's fear by changing their circumstances. He overcame it with His living presence and His word, "Do not be afraid." That's the discipleship pattern for your kids' anxious hearts. Don't rush to fix every feeling or shame them out of fear. Instead, name the feeling honestly. Fear and joy can sit together. Then point them to the risen Christ who draws near. Paul Tripp reminds us that our children's biggest need is not better circumstances but a bigger God. When you model running to Jesus with your own fears rather than hiding them, you teach a lifelong habit of faith. Worship, as the women learned, is fear's great undoing.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus meets us in our fears and turns them into joy. When we are afraid, help us run to You and worship You. Thank You that our Savior is alive and always near. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus meets me right in the middle of my fear and says, "Do not be afraid."