What Jesus Did! 'Worship Him in Courageous Witness!' — Matthew 28:8-10

Saturday, December 27, 2025

The women ran quickly from [Jesus' empty] tomb... And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."
— Matthew 28:8-10 NLT

Key Thought

Sometimes we think the best form of worship is what we sing and pray in church, what we do on a spiritual retreat, or what we study during a quiet time. But as we have seen the angel say, and now we hear Jesus say, sometimes the best form of worship can be:

  • Refusing to be afraid in challenging or bewildering circumstances.
  • Going and telling Jesus' followers that the Lord lives and is going ahead of them into places of ministry.

We must not get locked into only church building worship and the horrible fear that we can't worship Jesus away from church buildings. The very fact that Jesus is raised means that he walks among us and hears our words and our praise and our thanks and our hurts whenever and wherever we are (Matthew 6:6; Romans 12:1). Whether we gather in his name to honor him or are alone, he is present with us (Matthew 28:20). Let's worship by courageously telling Jesus' disciples that the Lord really lives, is present, and is going ahead of us into the fields to which he sends us.

We should worship him in courageous witness!

Today's Prayer

O Master and Sovereign Lord, I want to worship you in word and deed. I want others to know of your saving grace and your power over death through the resurrection. Please give me boldness to tell of your grace and the conviction that those without it are lost to your salvation. In Jesus' name, the name above all names, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Matthew 18:20
  • Hebrews 13:15-16
  • Matthew 28:18-20

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6 Related Resources by Heartlight

My Brothers!
Article by Phil Ware
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Got to Tell Somebody!
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Maybe your Easter was picture perfect and everything you hoped it would be. Or, maybe you found yourself too far away to see or hear anything clearly. Melissa Troyer shares her busy and messy Easter morning when she arrived in a mess and exhausted from the messiness of the morning only to meet Jesus there.
My Brothers?!
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How could He Jesus so much more in his disciples than they had ever demonstrated? Phil Ware shares insight on how the resurrected Jesus forgave and empowered his his 11 disciples through his radical forgiveness.
See All 6 Related Resources about Matthew 28:8-10

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 28:8-10 NLT — "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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