Happy Sabbath and Happy Easter friends! Have you ever heard God instructing you to do something, but you were filled with an immense sense of fear because what He may have been asking you to do was out of your comfort zone? I sure have, and I am here to share with you all today that when God calls us to do something, it will sometimes require for us to step out of our comfort zone, and be led by our Heavenly Father. Today we will be delving into Matthew 28 and how it relates to the aspect of stepping out in faith.

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said 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 and see the place where he lay. Then 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.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
Matthew 28:1-20 NIV

The first thing I want to point out in this piece of scripture is the fact that Jesus rose AFTER the Sabbath day, and it states that he rose “on the first day of the week” which we know to be Sunday since Easter is celebrated on a Sunday each and every year. I am sure some who have discovered “Saved By His Grace” site has wondered why all my posts are posted on Saturday morning, and not on Sunday since I state that each post is posted every Sabbath morning. This is one piece of evidence as to why I post every Sabbath (Saturday) morning as it is proven here that the Lord rose AFTER the Sabbath day which would be the day after Saturday (Sunday). This is why I spend my Friday sundown to Saturday sundown in full and complete rest and worship with the Lord. The Lord was crucified on a Friday right? and so He rested all throughout the Sabbath (Friday -> Saturday), and then rose on the first day of the week which we understand to be Sunday.

““Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Exodus 20:8-11 NIV

The second thing I want to point out in this piece of scripture is when the angel of the Lord encountered Mary Magdalene and Mary (Jesus’ mother) with clear instructions to not be afraid, and informed the women that Jesus had risen just as He said. Our God keeps His promises. When He says He will do something, He will do it. He always follows through on His words through His actions. That is how I know we can trust in Him, as this proves Him to be a credible source to rely on.

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
Numbers 23:19 NIV

The third thing I want to point out in this piece of scripture is when Mary Magdalene and Mary (Jesus’ mother) hurried away from the tomb, they were filled with fear, but also joy when they ran to tell His disciples the news they heard from the angel of the Lord. I was watching a devotional on YouTube a couple of days ago where it said there is a difference between having courage and being fearless. Fearless can be defined as the “absence of fear”, and courage can be defined as “acknowledgment of fear and doing it anyways”. I wouldn’t say the women were fearless in this moment as it is stated they were filled with fear, but I would describe these women to be courageous because they acknowledged that they were filled with fear, but they did it anyway. They stepped out in faith, and because they stepped out in faith, they were filled with joy. This devotional also mentioned that the safest place we can be is in the unknown with the Lord. When we allow our fears to take over, and hold us back from God’s calling, that is when we give Satan the power. When we open our hearts to God’s calling on our lives, and we respond to our fear with courage and face the unknown, we will be filled with joy as we step out in faith with our Heavenly Father by our side.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””
Joshua 1:9 NIV

The final thing I want to point out in this piece of scripture is at the very end of Matthew 28 when Jesus says to His disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”” Matthew 28:19-20 NIV. God calls us to be witnesses of Him. He is calling us to be fishers of men. He is calling us to spread the good news of Him. We each have gifts and talents within us that God has blessed us with in order to succeed with His calling. If you are reading this message, and you are unsure of what those gifts and talents are that God has placed on your heart, I encourage you to take the time to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to open your eyes to what those individual gifts and talents are so He can equip you with the necessary tools to act on His calling. Jesus did not just call on the disciples to live out His word, but He called us as well. Just as He promised the disciples, He will surely be with you always, to the very end of the age, as long as we surrender ourselves to Him, and act on His calling and purpose for our lives.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
Romans 12:6-8 NIV

Amen.

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Schnacky, A. (2025, April 13). How to Move in Faith When Fear Shows Up | Coffee & Convos. YouTube. https://youtu.be/D2TBEQJC5Sg?si=mnHuWYDEA8zqv1An