Barnabas Community Church Sunday Talks

Easter, so what? - Episode 3 - New life in Christ (35rd April 2026 DM)

·39 min·3 clips
An angel rolls back the stone and sits on it, declaring Jesus is not here—he has risen.
The episode is an Easter Sunday sermon titled 'Easter, so what? - Episode 3 - New life in Christ' from Barnabas Community Church in Shrewsbury. The speaker, Dave, begins with a personal anecdote about tropical storms named after him, including 'Dave', to illustrate how questions can define life moments. He transitions to the central question: 'Easter, so what?', asking what if Easter changes lives today. Dave reads Matthew 28:1-10, describing the events of the first Easter morning: Mary Magdalene and another Mary visit the tomb, an earthquake occurs, an angel rolls back the stone, and the guards are afraid. He highlights the irony that the guards look dead while Jesus is alive. The angel declares, 'He is not here. He has risen, just as he said.' Dave emphasizes that Christianity stands or falls on the empty tomb; if it's not empty, Jesus is just a moral example, but if it is, everything changes. He notes the women's response: they are afraid yet filled with joy, run to tell the disciples, and later meet Jesus, clasping his feet and worshipping him. Dave explains that the resurrection is not just a belief system but an encounter with a living person. He connects this to modern life, arguing it offers new birth from God, citing John 3:3 and 1 Peter 1:3. This new life is described as a living hope tied to Jesus, overcoming condemnation, as seen in Romans 8:1 and 2 Corinthians 5:17. Dave references Galatians 2:20 to illustrate that the Christian life involves dying to the old self and living by faith in Jesus. He addresses two groups: non-Christians are invited to turn to Jesus for new life, and Christians are encouraged to re-engage with joy and worship. The sermon concludes with a prayer from Ephesians 1, asking for enlightenment and power akin to what raised Jesus from the dead, and a call to share this message.

As heard by us

A grounded Easter reflection on resurrection as an encounter that gives ordinary discipleship a new foundation and direction.

This Easter single-episode review centers on the question "So what?" and follows it toward a practical account of resurrection faith. The sermon treats Easter as more than doctrine to be acknowledged: Jesus is alive, the resurrection is presented as physical and historical, and…

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Why you'd press play

Press play while Easter's question is still hanging in the air: so what difference does the resurrection make now?

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