“Fear and joy together. That is the life of faith.” Friday of Quasimodo Geneti (observed) 2026

This Easter sermon from St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church explores the profound paradox of fear and joy experienced by the women at the empty tomb. Drawing from Matthew 28:1-10, the preacher emphasizes that encountering the risen Christ naturally evokes both terror and exultation—fear of standing before a holy, resurrecting God, and joy that death has been conquered and the promised Savior is alive. The sermon unpacks the significance of the women’s response: they flee with both emotions, not despite their fear, but because they are honest before God. In contrast, the soldiers’ fear leads them to lie and accept bribes, symbolizing how fear can drive people toward deception and worldly compromise. The central message is that faith is not the absence of fear, but the choice to bring fear to Christ, who meets us in our trembling with the command: 'Do not be afraid.' Baptism unites believers to Christ’s death and resurrection, making them participants in this life of faith—where fear and joy coexist. The sermon concludes with an invitation to confess sin in fear and receive grace in joy, living daily in the power of the resurrection.