The Good News of Following Jesus
We all like hearing good news in the midst of bad news, don’t we? And there is no greater news than this: Jesus is alive.
That truth sits at the center of the Christian life. It’s what we celebrate at Easter, and really, it’s what we celebrate every single Sunday—and every day in between. But the question is simple: How do we respond to that kind of good news?
1. Acknowledge the Shortage of Good News
It doesn’t take long to see that there’s a shortage of good news in our world. You don’t even have to look hard. Things go from bad to worse in a hurry.
That’s exactly where we find the women in Mark 16:1-8. They watched Jesus die. They carried the weight of grief. And on top of that, they were walking toward a problem they couldn’t solve: “Who will roll away the stone for us?”
They were stuck.
And if we’re honest, so are we.
Not just in life’s circumstances, but in something deeper. We are stuck in our sin. We’ve sinned against a holy God, and there is nothing we can do to fix that on our own. Left to ourselves, things don’t just go from bad to worse—they end in death.
That’s the bad news we have to face if we’re ever going to appreciate the good news.
2. Absorb the Shock of Good News
When the women arrive at the tomb, something unexpected happens. The stone is already rolled away.
And inside? No body. Just a messenger. And they are alarmed.
They’re shocked because they didn’t expect good news. They wanted it—but they weren’t sure they could trust it.
Maybe you’ve been there. You hear that Jesus is alive, and part of you wonders, Can that really be true? Is it safe to hope?
Those aren’t wrong questions. In fact, they’re necessary.
Sometimes the only thing you can do with good news is stop and take it in. Let it settle. Let it challenge your assumptions. Let it stir up hope.
3. Appreciate the Sureness of Good News
Then comes the message:
“He has risen; he is not here.” (Mark 16:6)
That’s not wishful thinking. That’s not blind faith. That’s truth.
The women are invited to see for themselves: “See the place where they laid him.” This is not a call to ignore evidence—it’s a call to examine it.
Jesus lived. Jesus died. And the tomb was empty.
The disciples didn’t expect a resurrection. The first witnesses were women, which no one would have made up in that culture. And no one has ever been able to produce a body.
It all points to one conclusion: Jesus is alive.
And if Jesus is alive, then everything he said is true. Including this:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)
That’s good news you can build your life on.
4. Advance the Sharing of Good News
The women weren’t meant to keep this to themselves. They were told to go and tell the disciples.
Because good news like this is too good to keep.
Let’s be honest—sometimes we stop expecting good news. We get used to disappointment. We even start to doubt anything that sounds hopeful.
But don’t harden your heart to this.
The truth that Jesus is alive changes everything. It doesn’t make life easy, but it makes it good. It gives purpose. It gives hope. It gives life.
And it’s meant to be shared.
As it’s been said, “The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.”
Go Back to Where It Started
The message to the disciples was simple: Go to Galilee.
Go back to where it all began.
That’s a good word for us too.
If you’ve drifted…
If you’ve gotten distracted…
If you’ve hardened your heart…
Go back to where you first met Jesus.
Or better yet, go back to where Jesus met you.
He is alive. He still meets with people. And he still changes lives.
The Good News
Here it is, plain and simple:
Jesus is alive—and we live with him.
That’s the good news of following Jesus.
You can watch this sermon in its entirety on our YouTube page.