Ressurection Of Jesus, Does It Make A Difference To Us?

On the third day he rose again

Mark 16:1-8

Resurrection of Jesus – what does it mean for his followers.

Emotions

Fear one – dead things hang around graveyards

Fear is one of the major reactions to the resurrection

Fear because things aren’t supposed to come to life in graveyards.

Scooby Doo.

Fear two – if he isn’t dead then maybe what he said is true.

But fear also because if Jesus is alive, then what he said must be true.

I don’t know about you but I quite enjoy listening to people with a high view of them selves and then watching them fall when they are put to the test.

I’m pretty sure that some people followed Jesus for the same reason-

But when he falls dead and get up again that’s got to kind of scramble your brains too.

Fear three – if he talked the truth then the disciples must have met God.

Fear three though is the one that really hits you between the eyes because if what Jesus said was true,

And were assuming that Because he didn’t stay in the grave that it must be, so that when the disciples come face to face with Jesus – they are actually seeing the face of God….

Fear four – we have met God too, and that should revolutionize our lives

What would that mean for us?

For one follower it meant his life

CT Studd said, “if Jesus Christ is God and died for me then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.”

For one follower it meant his life and career

Sir Richard Hadlee of his day, rich also

Saved at the age of 18

Gave it all up to follow Jesus

China gave up a large inheritance,

India and Africa for 21 years till he died

Resurrection faith means we don’t just play church.

For him following Jesus was not about sitting warming a church pew

The resurrection faith meant that you don’t just play church

Church is not a museum to a dead martyr

“Some want to live within the sound of church and chapel bells, I want to build a rescue shop within a yard of hell”

Two very different views of service

How do we view Church??

“If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.”

The women were afraid.

In the story the women ran away from the tomb afraid,

And I guess as we approach an empty tomb there is fear also, because when we meet the risen Jesus – it’s going to blow your whole world apart.

a faith in Jesus that ends at the cross is simple,

Are you afraid of what the resurrection might mean to your life?

Perfect love casts out fear,

We don’t need to be afraid

Because God loves us perfectly.

CT Studd died with a smile on his face- his last words were hallelujah.

The cries of someone who trusted their God, and didn’t waste their life.