The Jesus Who Polarises People

Mt 26, Mk 14, Jn 12

Audio @

http://www.adrian.warnock.info/2006/04/easter-message-jesus-who-polarises.htm

Easter = kids -Easter bunny isn’t it? don’t miss the chance to stuff your face! Strictly come dancing, Dr Who and Casualty - looking for a hero - influence poll.

BBC poll in 2002 top twenty Britons of all time look at the reasons for their inclusion in this list and compare them to Jesus who many secular historians agree was the most influential human of all time ..

1. Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), Prime Minister during World War II - like Jesus polarised people in his lifetime but unlike Jesus this is now forgotten!

2. Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), engineer, creator of Great Western Railway and other significant works

3. Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) - like Jesus known more for her death than her life, but will her influence last?

4. Charles Darwin (1809-1882), author of The Origin of Species.

5. William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English poet and playwright - Jesus never wrote a book!

6. Sir Isaac Newton, physicist

7. Queen Elizabeth I of England, monarch

8. John Lennon (1940-1980), of The Beatles, musician

9. Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, naval commander - Jesus never travelled more than 200 miles from his home

10. Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector

11. Sir Ernest Shackleton, polar explorer

12. Captain James Cook, explorer

13. Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts

14. Alfred the Great, King of Wessex

15. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, military commander and statesman Remembered for beating the French in Napoloeons time!

16. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister

17. Michael Crawford, actor FRANK SPENCER - some mothers do ave em

18. Queen Victoria, monarch - Jesus never held public office

19. Sir Paul McCartney, of The Beatles musician

20. Sir Alexander Fleming, pharmaceutical innovator

Comp. with each of these figures Jesus accomplished very little during his lifetime. Yet, today Christianity is the largest world religion with nearly 2 billion people who claim to be Christians and worship Jesus as their God. This year there have been many news stories about him - last Easter the Passion, Da vinci code, new discoveries , etc .. Jesus the centre point of human history, the cross of Easter the centrepoint of his life - not just his teaching- who is known for their death?

One thing Jesus has always been good at is polarising people - no real effort to maintain his popularity! ’no one can bear these things you say’

Which side are you on? You can switch! One day I switched! What happened? I met Jesus! And can it be -The hymn describes what can happen to people who meet the Jesus who died for them Preaching should bring an encounter with God rather than impart knowledge. How would you feel if Jesus was here? Love or hate? Boldness or fear? If theres one story that shows how Jesus polarises

Which character in the story do you identify with - MT 26. Will you respond like

The woman - worship - gave her all to the one who was about to give his all and had given everything she owned to her.

POURING - abundance. GENEROSITY AND EXTRAVAGANCE

The SMELL - would have followed him - fragrance as a type of Gods presence .The sacrifice was great yet the joy was greater - UK survey showed those that follow Jesus end up happier!

- her story must be told! Jesus says THIS ACT is the one that must be remembered - he never says that for example about the sermon on the mount.

WHY?

-Coz gospel is about people coming to the end of selves and giving their all to Jesus

-Why? Because of Easter- the cross..crucified.. Stumbling block ...,

This woman saw Jesus for who he was and wanted to serve him. BUT not everyone on his side!.

Judas no good deed ever went unpunished ! Persecution! - hate "what about the poor". Mary had asked what can I give him- judas asked what are you willing to give me.... (think ’slot machine’)

Jesus demands to be in the centre. Worship better than helping poor- why? Partly because if we worship jesus the poor are not losers as we get up from our worship more able to help them! HE is about to start the greatest social movement in history but does it by saying forget the poor give to me! What we do for the poor we do for him. Religious people often don’t understand the fanaticism that those who KNOW Jesus show.

Pilate "wash his hands" You cannot wash your hands. There is no middle ground - you must either hate him or worship him.

. It is only in his substitutionary death hope comes - not just a teacher or we would be even more condemned - we cant do it and are helpless! We must come and pour out our lives (which he gave us anyway!) in worship to him and beg of him his help. Don’t think I am referring to someone else - I mean you and you and you and you !