Experiencing The Resurrection Of Christ

“EXPERIENCING THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST”

“Resurrection Sunday”

Mk. 16: 1-8, 10-11

Fr. Christopher M. Nerreau

Introduction:

• Discuss the pain of almost losing my son at birth. Discuss how difficult it was to have my hopes and dreams taken away and then discuss how wonderful it was the day I took him home from the hospital.

• This was similar to the disciples who had all their hopes and dreams die on the cross with Christ. They gave up everything for Christ and now felt hopeless. You can imagine there joy when the met the resurrected Christ.

Proposition: We also can experience the resurrection of Christ just like Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Christ and the disciples.

Interrogative sentence: Today we are going to see how this can happen…

Sermon Preview:

Today I am going to outline the three principles from our passage that if followed will lead us to experience the resurrection of Christ:

1. PURSUE CHRIST ALONE (16: 1-2)

2. PROCEED BEYOND THE OBSTICLES (16: 3-4)

3. PROVIDE THE RESURRECTION MESSAGE TO OTHERS (16: 7, 10-11)

Transitional Sentence: Let us look at the first principle for experiencing the resurrection of Christ in our hearts…

I. PURSUE CHRIST ALONE (16:1-2)

Explanation:

THE BIBLE SAYS: 16: 2-3 “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen.”

• One of the chief reasons for feeling stagnant in your relationship to Christ is that you pursue not the person of Christ but rather what that person can give you.

• Your relationship becomes a “quid-proque” – you will try to be good and in exchange Christ will do as you expect. But that is not how it works! If this is you, then slowly you find yourself disappointed and separated from Him.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Christ met the resurrected Lord because they PURSUED NOT WHAT CHRIST COULD GIVE THEM BUT CHRIST ALONE.

A. They Just Wanted Be With Him:

• Because of the Sabbath the woman had to wait before they could do the work of preparing His body properly for burial.

• (v.2) “very early” – The woman could not wait another moment to be with Christ, to just visit His tomb. They left at Sun up.

• They did not know Christ was resurrected, they believed He was dead. They truly had nothing to gain but pursued Him anyway. They simply wanted to be with Him.

B. They Just Wanted To Serve Him:

• “brought spices…anoint Him” The ministry of the woman continued beyond Christ’s death.

• The disciples stayed home and wept. The woman could not fathom the one they loved lying in such a gruesome state. They sought to clean the body of Christ and apply fragrance so He did not stink.

Illustration: When I was a little kid, my friend across the street was given a gift by his father. It was a case containing every single star wars action figure ever made (at least by the year 1980). When I heard he had received this gift I ran over as fast as I could. We played for a few minutes and then his mother asked me – “what brings you over?” (I had not been there for several weeks.) I replied – “the toys”. She then asked me to leave and think about what I said. I realized that I had not cared about my friend, only his stuff. It was a good lesson…

Application:

• What do you seek from Christ? Do you seek simply to be with Christ or do you seek the benefits that can be had through a relationship with Christ?

• Ultimately the point that surfaces in these first two verses is that the woman met the resurrected Lord because they sought simply to be with Him.

• Today, do you simply want to be with Christ?

Transitional Sentence: So we see that the first principle for experiencing the resurrection of Christ in our hearts is to simply desire to be with Him but secondly…

II. PROCEED BEYOND THE OBSTILCES (16: 3-4)

Explanation: As the women were running toward the tomb, in the back of there mind was the obvious obstacle of the giant stone. Although they did not know how they were going to move the stone, they preceded to the tomb anyway…

THE BIBLE SAYS – (v.3) And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?”

o Obstacle Preventing The Woman From Being With Christ

• It seemed the giant stone would prevent them from fulfilling their ministry. But they continued because it did not matter… For them if all they could do was put there face against the large stone and be in the place where Christ lie, it would be enough.