The empty tomb · come and see: he has risen
A Bible story to tell as a family · Matthew 28:1–10 · ages 4–12 · 10 min
The story
After that very sad Friday came the Sabbath, the day of rest. And very early on Sunday, as the sky was beginning to grow light, two women left home: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. They were going to see the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Their hearts were still heavy.
Suddenly the ground shook! It was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled away the huge stone from the entrance of the tomb and, just imagine, sat down on it, as if to say: this stone isn’t in charge anymore. The angel’s face shone like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards watching the tomb shook with fear and became like dead men.
But the angel spoke kindly to the women: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.”
Notice the invitation: come, see. The stone was out of place, and the women could look with their own eyes. The place where Jesus’ body had been laid was empty. God didn’t ask them to believe with their eyes closed; he called them to see. Jesus had told them many times that he would rise on the third day. Now the promise had come true right in front of them, right there, in the morning light.
Right after that came a mission: “Then go quickly and tell His disciples.” Tell them he has risen and is going ahead of them into Galilee. The women hurried away from the tomb, full of fear and great joy at the same time. Have you ever felt that? Your heart pounding from fright and happiness, all at once?
Along the way, an even bigger surprise: Jesus himself came to meet them and said, “Greetings!” They came to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. It really was him, alive, with feet you could hold on to. Not a ghost, not a dream, not just a nice memory.
Jesus repeated what the angel had said: “Do not be afraid,” he said. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.” My brothers! Just a few days earlier, the disciples had run away and left Jesus alone. And now he calls them brothers. The first messengers of the best news in the world were two women running down the road at dawn.
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay. 7Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ See, I have told you.” 8So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. 9Suddenly 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.”
What the Bible says
- v. 6: Jesus is not in the tomb; he has risen as he said, and the angel invites the women to see the place.
- v. 8: The women hurried away, in fear and great joy, to tell the disciples.
- v. 10: Jesus calls the disciples who had abandoned him his brothers.
What we learn
The resurrection is the heart of the Christian faith: Jesus truly defeated death, in his body, and did what he had promised. God invites us to look and check, and then sends us to tell. Fear and joy can go together; faith doesn’t require us to stop feeling afraid. And the risen Jesus calls those who had failed him his brothers. For anyone who has messed up, in our home or outside it, there is always a way back.
Questions to talk about
For little ones
- What did the angel do with the stone?
- Who appeared to the women on the road?
For kids
- Why did the angel tell the women not to be afraid?
- Jesus called the disciples brothers, even after they had run away. What does that show about him?
For teens
- Why does it matter that the text says the women grasped Jesus’ feet? What difference does a real resurrection, in a body, make compared to just a good memory?
For adults
- The angel says come and see, and then go quickly and tell. At which of these two steps is our faith today?
Activity
Empty tomb: lay a box or a cup on its side to be the tomb, and use a lid or a ball of paper as the stone. Inside, place a small folded cloth. A child rolls the stone away, everyone looks, and together you say Matthew 28:6. Then each person chooses someone to tell this good news to during the week.
To memorize: Matthew 28:6
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are alive! Thank you that death could not hold you. Take the fear out of our hearts and fill our home with joy. Make us messengers of your good news. Amen.