Sunday 7th April 2024 

Topic: The stormier the life is, the closer the help of the risen Christ is. 

Tests: John 20:1, 11-18 

Preacher: Gerlance MAYELE   

The reading we’ve just had in the book of the gospel according to John is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the way He appeared to Mary Magdalene, and the first time the disciples witnessed the risen Christ whom brought light, hope and strength in the chaos they’ve been though. With this theme, we’ll know what the implications of the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection are in the lives of the believers. 

The sermon goes through three key points which describe the way the resurrection of Christ acts in the stormiest moments of our lives and this, for our wellbeing and the glory of God. 

● The resurrection of Christ brings light and fearlessness in our storms: the solitary Mary Magdalene looked forward to checking the body of Christ early in the morning when it was still dark but surprisingly she met the rock rolled away and didn’t found the body so she jumped to the conclusion that it had been stolen and she started to cry. And then, the angels who were in the tomb told her to not be afraid but again, she persisted asking them to tell her where the body was. So brothers and sisters, some of the storms we went through happen because we jump on conclusions without considering the point of view of our Lord: the reality is not always the truth.  

● The resurrection of Christ brings proximity with the risen Christ: V.14 Christ is close to us in our torments, Immanuel is His name, He is and will always be with us in the deepest valley and so on the top of the highest mountain. The absence of Jesus out the tomb means his presence in our daily life, so the thing is that we need divine wisdom so that we can recognise the presence of our Lord during difficult moments we can be through. Let’s stop looking for him in the tomb while He is right beside us. 

●The risen Christ is an eyes opener for us in our storms: Jesus comes through his resurrection to open our eyes so we may see that our saviour is alive and absolutely ready to save us. We can get blinded by the amount of problems we’re facing; in this case, Christ’s help leads us through the right way allowing us to take the right decisions and choices. 

No matter how stormy the path is, the Lord is walking by our side. Let’s rely on Him, let Him show us the direction to take, the way we can go through so that we can sort out things and enjoy the wonderful plane God has for our lives. Because He has risen from death, we can face tomorrow.