When "Now What?" Gets an Answer: Four Movements That Change Everything

Meta Description: Feeling stuck in a "now what" moment? This Easter message from Matthew 28 shows four simple movements—come, see, go, tell—that can change everything.

Have you ever had a now what moment?

I'm not talking about the dramatic moment when everything falls apart—the phone call, the diagnosis, the day your world cracks open. I'm talking about what comes after that. The moment when the dust settles, the casseroles stop coming, everyone else's life has returned to normal, and you wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and ask yourself: Now what?

Some of you know exactly what I'm describing. And some of you walked through the doors this past Sunday carrying that question underneath all the Easter energy—heavier than anyone around you realized.

Here's what I want you to know: you came to exactly the right place.

The Original "Now What" Moment

The followers of Jesus in Matthew 28 were living in a now what moment of their own. On Friday, Jesus had died. Saturday brought an uneasy rest. And now Sunday morning had arrived, and they had no idea what came next.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary weren't walking to the tomb expecting a miracle. I want to sit with that for a second, because I think we gloss over it every Easter. Mary had watched him die. She hadn't left early. She watched the spear pierce his side. She watched them take his body down from the cross and carry it to the tomb. She watched the stone roll shut. There was no lingering hope in her heart—no maybe. Jesus was dead, and she was coming to finish the burial process that Saturday had interrupted.

And then the ground shook.

Here's how Matthew describes what happened next:

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.' So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, 'Greetings!' And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.'" — Matthew 28:1-10

Four Simple Words. Enormous Implications.

The resurrection doesn't just ask you to believe something. It asks you to respond to something. And in this passage, I see four movements—four words—that take us from information all the way to impact.

Come. See. Go. Tell.

1. Come — An Invitation, Not a Requirement

The angel's first word wasn't understand or believe or have it all figured out. It was simply: come.

Come is an open invitation. It's not based on what you've resolved or what theology you've gotten right. It's based only on your willingness to take the next step toward the empty tomb.

Maybe you showed up Sunday unsure why you were even there. Maybe someone dragged you along, or you came carrying old wounds from a church that hurt you. I want you to hear this as clearly as I can say it: God is not waiting for you to have it all figured out before he meets you in your now what moment. He's just asking you to be near him. Bring your baggage. Bring your tears. This is an invitation, not a conclusion.

2. See — Christianity Is Not a Blind Faith

After inviting them to come, the angel says something remarkable: "Come, see the place where he lay."

He didn't say, "Just accept this on blind faith." He said, look for yourself. And I love that.

Here's a detail from the story I find fascinating: the angel rolled the stone away not so Jesus could get out—Jesus later appeared in a locked room, so clearly he didn't need help with that. The angel rolled the stone away so we could see inside. So that the invitation to "come and see" was actually possible.

The claim of Easter is bold, specific, historical, and verifiable: Jesus of Nazareth died and came back to life. That either really happened or it didn't. And if you get a chance to investigate that claim, I'd encourage you to take it.

When you do, I believe you'll find that the empty tomb proves three things:

• His power — Jesus has authority over death. Not metaphorical authority. Actual, physical, historical authority over the most final thing any of us will ever face.
• His credibility — The angel said he rose "just as he said." Jesus told his disciples exactly what would happen, and it happened exactly that way. Which means if he was right about the resurrection, we have to take seriously everything else he said.
• His concept applied to your life — The empty tomb isn't just about where Jesus isn't. It's about where your life can become something. The same power that walked out of a grave is available for the hope that's been buried, the purpose that feels lost, the faith that's grown cold.

3. Go — Obedience Doesn't Require Full Understanding

Here's where it gets personal.

The women left the tomb holding two things at once that don't seem to go together: fear and great joy. They hadn't resolved every theological question. They hadn't stopped trembling. But they went anyway—because obedience doesn't require full understanding. It just requires trust.

Go is where what you've seen begins to shape how you live. The resurrection doesn't leave room for permanent inaction.

For some of you, go looks like finally surrendering control—leaving your way of doing things at the tomb and choosing to follow Jesus. For others, it might be taking a step you've been putting off, like baptism. For others still, it might mean getting involved in a small group, starting to serve, or simply choosing to stop drifting.

And here's what I love most: verse 9 says that as they were going, Jesus met them. They didn't have it all figured out. They were still trembling. But they were moving in obedience—and that's exactly when Jesus showed up.

If you've been waiting for a word from Jesus before you take a step, I want to gently tell you: you may have that backwards. Start going. That's when he meets you.

4. Tell — Share What Has Impacted You

Growing up, my favorite day at school was always show-and-tell. I loved it so much that even in middle school, I kept finding excuses for it—like convincing my teacher to let my grandfather come talk about his experiences as a pilot who flew prisoners out of concentration camps back to their homelands after World War II. He had photos, signed handkerchiefs from people he'd rescued. It was an extraordinary story.

And when you have something real—something that actually matters—you want people to know about it.

That's what Jesus is saying here. Go and tell. Not as a religious obligation. Not to earn points. But because when something this real impacts you, you naturally talk about it.

You don't need a theology degree. You don't need the perfect words. The centurion standing at the foot of the cross—the least qualified person imaginable—simply said what he saw: "Truly, this was the Son of God." That's it. That was enough.

You can do that. Whatever Jesus has been doing in your life, whatever he's changing or healing or restoring—just talk about that. Share it with a family member, a coworker, a neighbor.

They didn't leave quietly. Neither should we.

Key Takeaways

• Come — God meets you in your now what moment, not after you've resolved it.
• See — The resurrection is a real, historical claim worth investigating honestly.
• Go — Obedience is the posture that positions you to encounter Jesus.
• Tell — Real impact creates natural witnesses.

The cross may have looked like the end. But the empty tomb says otherwise.

Whatever now what question you're carrying this week, I want you to know—the answer isn't a plan. It's a person. And he's still rolling stones away.

Missed Sunday's service or want to watch the full message again? [Watch the full sermon here.] And if you're ready to take a next step—whether that's exploring faith, getting into a small group, or just having a conversation—we'd love to connect with you. Reach out to us or stop by the welcome table next Sunday.

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