PARISH MAGAZINE: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

The prayers of the youth group were much appreciated for the production and distribution of our church's new full colour parish-wide magazine. Here is cc's article:

A very warm welcome to the new Bridge.

What do you think is the purpose of life?

The answers I have heard to that question include: Procreation (a gentleman in Oughtibridge); sorry I haven’t a clue; paying the mortgage; and there isn’t a purpose – you’re here because you’re here because you’re here.

If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, those are actually quite reasonable answers.

But if Jesus did rise from the dead, they are the wrong answers.

If Jesus rose from the dead, he is who he said he was – the eternal Son of the one true God, the light of the world, the bread of life, the good shepherd, the only way to God.

If Jesus rose from the dead, he is the one you and I need to be coming to for forgiveness for our ingratitude, arrogance and wilful disobedience against the God who made us.

If Jesus rose from the dead, he is the only person who can save you and me from hell.

So it’s a big if.

The New Testament insists that Jesus was seen alive by real eye-witnesses who actually ate and drank with him after he rose, bodily, from his tomb in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Many of these eye-witnesses were executed for their faith in the risen Jesus.

Why would they die for a lie?

For the sake of your eternal souls, I urge you to read one of the four Gospels in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and ask yourself seriously whether what they are telling you about Jesus is true.

Because if they’re telling the truth, there is a real purpose to life and it’s all about Jesus Christ, the risen conqueror of sin and death.