April 8, 2012
Effects of the Resurrection
Aurora Mennonite
Resurrection is mentioned 104 times in the NT and nearly every sermon in the book of
Acts (original church) is a resurrection sermon in actuality.
•
Comic in CT: Two soldiers by tomb. One says, “Here comes those women with
the embalming stuff. If they think I’m going to roll that stone away, they’re in for a
big surprise.”
In our text we have two women who are grieving—Gospel of John has only one Mary
and two angels in that account. They are not yet aware that Jesus has been raised.
Sadly, we as Christians are sometimes too much like those two women as they arrive
where Jesus was buried.
Or more than likely we are in an “on again, off again” mode—sometimes joyful but much
of the time not in a celebratory mood.
Country Magazine article from one of its readers:
“Shortly before Christmas one year, Mom made a healthy investment in a new
vacuum cleaner. She couldn’t wait to try it out, so she plugged the electric marvel in
and turned it on. Without warning, the motor shut off. The motor started up again—
and went off again within a few seconds. Then it started again. She proceeded to
vacuum and off it went again, then back on. Faster and faster Mom tried to vacuum
between the on and off cycles, until she finally gave up exhausted.
Mumbling under her breath and preparing to call the salesperson to give them a
piece of her mind, she went to unplug the vacuum cleaner. And to her dismay, she
discovered she had plugged the machine into her Christmas tree light blinker switch.”
•
Our faith in the Lord is like that at times. On again, off again!
Well that all changed!
They encountered the risen Christ!
What should happen to us when we encounter the risen Jesus? Our lives and
way of thinking should change. A few points from our passage.
(1) We should turn into worshippers—Verse 9
Notice the action—at his feet.
Something about becoming a believer in the resurrection causes us to sing.
•
Singer/songwriter Michael Card worked in H.S. for an ambulance company
which was owned, oddly, by a funeral home. He had opportunity from time to
time to look at dead bodies. He writes: “Over and over, when looking at a
deceased body, one thought kept repeating itself in my mind: ‘There is no way in
the world this person is ever going to live again.’ But he became a believer in
Jesus and went on to write these words:
1
Love crucified arose.
The risen one in spender,
Jehovah’s soul defender,
Has won the victory.
Love crucified arose.
And the grave became a place of hope,
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke,
Is beating once again.
Worship—which is giving love and appreciation to the Lord—is only natural when we
live convinced that he is alive.
And worship is what Sunday mornings are all about. Ye, it’s good to have fellowship
and friendship, it’s good to share our needs together, but the main focus and purpose
of our gathering is to worship.
•
John Piper quote. P 52 The Dangerous Delight
(2) An encounter with the risen Jesus should also calm our fears—V
10a
“Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to them.
They were filled with fear and joy all at the same time---like two little girls waiting in
line to board a wild roller coaster.
One of the greatest benefits of a relationship with Jesus is that he can take care of our
fears. Most of us have fears. And if you say, “I don’t have any” you probably have a
fear of rejection or a fear of imperfection.”
•
•
•
Children afraid of the dark.
Young person afraid of failing in school
Parent afraid of a lay-off from work
And one of our greatest fears—the fear of death.
• Famous novelist: “At times I wake up in the middle of the night and my hair
stands on end when I think that I am going to die one day.”
Over years I have developed a distaste for death having lost some friends to diseases,
a nephew to a drug overdose, a parent prematurely. I get drawn into this dreaded
feeling every so often and need to pull myself back into God’s grace.
Resurrection of Jesus gives us hope that just as Jesus rose up, so will we.
Death is like crossing a river, knowing God owns the land on both sides of the river!
Scripture affirms this truth:
2
John 11.25 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Everyone who has faith in
me will live, even if they die.”
Romans 8.2 Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law
of sin and death.
But there’s a third thing from this passage that happens when we encounter the risen
Christ.
(3) We become inspired to share the good news—Verse 10
Notice that the women are the preachers who are told by Jesus to go and preach to the
men! Interesting that for the most important message of Resurrection, God chooses
women to preach it!
We are living in a time of turmoil and depression—lots of bad news all around.
We as Christians have a message that is hopeful and good. Are we sharing it?
There are so many people in your world that need this message.
The early church sort of “went crazy” for Jesus—they went out and told their story.
Why? Because the message of Jesus being risen was so real to them.
And it should be real to us too.
•
God’s Son poem
Romans 8.11 Powerful message!
Imagine the same Spirit—the same power—that raised up Jesus’ dead body being in
us!
May the resurrection of Christ make us worshippers!
May the resurrection of Christ calm our fears!
May the resurrection of Christ make us bold witnesses!
Not by our might or our wisdom or power, but by the Spirit that dwells within us!
This week: Do one or more:
1. Take some time for worship
2. Think of one fear in your life and put that up against the Resurrection
3. Share the risen Jesus with one person.
3