GIST: Jesus really rose from the dead to forgive fearful sinners like us. Are you looking for Him?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 15:39-16:8
39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
16:1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
If the Lord tarries, this morning and evening will be the final messages in our study of the Gospel of Mark. Coming to the end of a study like this is always a bittersweet feeling. I have been blessed by digging into the life of Jesus for the past several months and will miss it. Some of you might be more than ready for a change☺! Nonetheless, I pray you have all been blessed by the reading of His Word.
This morning we are going to look at the resurrection account as Mark provides it. In the typical fashion we have come to recognize, he uses a sandwich and is extremely brief and to the point. Nonetheless, there are several ways we could break down the text this morning. Big picture though, there is much being said about God and our relationship to Him. In fact, I outlined this sermon using a method of Bible study that I have found very helpful and wanted to share with you guys today as sort of “bonus material ☺”. I believe it was in Tim Keller’s book on prayer that I first stumbled upon this very basic approach, but it has been used by Christians for much longer than that. When approaching a text and meditating on its meaning, ask: What does this teach me about God?, What does this teach me about...me (about who I am or what I should do)?, and Why am I reading this now (application)? I want to walk through the passage together this morning, but encourage you to apply these questions in your personal study. The gist for today? Jesus really rose from the dead to forgive fearful sinners like us. Are you looking for Him?
I. What Does This Teach Us About God?
While I am sure there is more you could take from this passage, two points in particular jumped out at me.
Jesus is Risen Indeed! This is the point in the sermon where we could entertain objections to Jesus’ resurrection. Many have been presented throughout the years. He did not really die on the cross, but only passed out, and then revived in the tomb...and pushed the stone that took 20 men to move away by Himself… Or, maybe the Roman, or Jewish authorities stole His body. But, to what end? Or maybe the disciples did, or the women were just mistaken and went to the wrong tomb. If you have doubts about the resurrection, please come talk with me. I want to have those conversations. For I truly believe all the evidence we need is presented right here, and history supports it.
We won’t spend much time on this this morning, but let’s just make two observations:
1- Unlikely Witnesses. First, it’s worth noting that the one who confirms Jesus’ death is a pagan, Roman Centurion, not a Christian. He oversaw crucifixions as part of his living. He knew what death looked like. He had nothing to gain by lying about it. Furthermore, the first believers who witnessed the resurrection were women. Now, this might not seem to be a major deal today, but in the first century it certainly was. Sad as this is, in Jewish law, the testimony of a woman was not considered reliable. It didn’t count. So, if the gospel writers were making this up, why would they all stake the first evidence (and likely the only Mark provides here...more on that tonight), on the witness of witnesses who much of the population would dismiss? Because it happened. These faithful women were with Jesus during His life, did not abandon Him during His crucifixion, watched to see where He was buried (so they knew the right tomb...and probably couldn’t miss the one the Pharisees had gotten Roman guards to secure!), came after the Sabbath to anoint His body, and found Him risen! Amen!
2- Would You Die For A Lie? I don’t want to venture too far from our text this morning, but I will just make this observation quickly. One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the resurrection is the reaction of those who witnessed it. These men and women literally gave up their lives. They watched their families die for this claim, for the Gospel. Why would they die for a lie? They surely would not do so knowingly. So, either they were just all mistaken, which would require mass naivety given the number of witnesses to His resurrection [Remember it was not just the disciples and these women who saw Him; there were many who witnessed this including more than 500 at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6)], or they died for what they knew was true. Given the mass number of followers immediately following the events when contradictory evidence could have been presented if it were available, it is hard to believe these people were just making things up or deluded.
Jesus Died & Rose Again To Forgive. This has been His purpose from the beginning. He died and rose again to defeat sin. This is the only way we could ever be forgiven. But, do we see anything about forgiveness in this passage. I think so. Look at what the angel tells the women again. Specifically, at who they are told to inform. “7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee”(emphasis added). Why “and Peter”? Peter had been so self-assured. He just knew he wouldn’t abandon Jesus. Yet, shortly after making those claims, he denied Jesus three times. Do you think his self-assurance has maybe been replaced with self-doubt? Surely! He was so bold in proclaiming his allegiance and fell so hard! Yet, when the angel tells the women to go let the disciples know, he specifically calls out Peter. He was a mess, but a mess Jesus died to redeem! ...Just like you and me! Praise Jesus for His forgiveness!
II. What Does This Teach Us About...Us?
I Am Naturally Fearful. In this passage, we’re actually given our final sandwich (one account placed within another to show a connection). We’re told about the women at the cross, then Joseph of Arimathea burying Jesus (which was a fulfillment of prophecy: Isaiah 53:9), then the women witnessing where He was buried and returning after the Sabbath to anoint His body. What is the connection? Honestly, I think in part it’s fear. We learn from the other gospels that while Jesus was alive, Joseph had been afraid to publically follow Him, but gains courage after Jesus dies. On the contrary, the women had been faithful followers of Jesus during His life, but when told that He is risen and directed to tell the disciples, what is their immediate reaction? Fear. Mark has been pointing this out all throughout the gospel. For example, when Jesus calmed the storm for the disciples, how did they react? They were even more terrified than before! Face-to-face with God’s glory, the reality of who He is--shakes them.
Now, neither of these people remain in fear, but let’s just camp there for a split second. Are you afraid? By nature, aren’t we? Afraid of things we cannot control? If we’ve believe in Jesus, we know we should follow Him wholeheartedly, and that that requires us to share Him boldly with the world around us. Yet, do we? If not, why? Isn’t it because we’re afraid of the consequences? And if we have not yet come to believe in Jesus. If we have not given Him control of our lives, is it not because we don’t want to believe? Is it not because believing will cost you something? Like these individuals, I know I am naturally fearful.
My Fear Must Be Overcome By Faith. Yet, beyond fear, there is faith presented in this sandwich. Both were looking for Jesus, but both encountered fear. Joseph was looking for the kingdom of God (which Jesus brought!) and the women literally went to His tomb looking for His body to anoint. Neither, however, expected to find Him alive! Both were expecting Jesus to remain dead. We aren’t told how the story ends for Joseph of Arimathea here, but Matthew 22:57 & John 19:38 tell us he was a disciple of Jesus and church tradition supports that he continued to be. Likewise, we know these women did not remain in fear, but went on to boldly proclaim His resurrection! What made the difference? Jesus providing faith. The same is true in our lives. We need faith to overcome our fear. It’s the last sermon in the Mark series, and I haven’t quoted this verse in a few weeks ☺, so it’s time. John 16:33, “33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We can have peace because of His overcoming! Like the hymn we sung earlier, it is because He lives that we can face tomorrow. It is because He lives that all fear is gone. Because we know He holds the future, and life is worth the living...just because He lives!
I Need A Risen Savior. I need forgiven. Sometimes I step away from the pulpit feeling like I’ve just hit all of you across the head, because the truth hurts. However, let me be very clear. I am a wretched sinners who needs Jesus and His marvelous grace. I am filthy to the core. I have nothing redeemable within myself. And still, Jesus died and rose again...for me. And He did the same for you!
Like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, for this forgiveness to be secured, He had to both die and rise again. If you want to discredit Christianity, you have to disprove the resurrection because everything hinges on this. If He remained dead, then, at best, He could be an inspirational figure (though it would be hard to call someone who died lying to people about their eternal hope inspirational), but He most certainly could not be God who died in the place of His people. “17 ...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins…. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”
TAKEAWAYS
(Why Now?)
1. What will you do with Jesus? Are you looking for Him, but afraid of the cost? The purpose of all preaching should be to point people to Jesus. Period. I pray, despite the delivery, you have seen Him clearly presented as we’ve studied His Good News! Now, you need to confront this.
Let me speak first to those who have not yet come to know Jesus as personal Savior. You might come every week, or fairly often. You might peruse the blog, or facebook posts, or listen to Christian radio from time to time. You might be comfortable with the idea of Jesus, or...you might be outright hostile. Either way, you are lost. Jesus came, died, and rose again to free you from the shackles of sin and transform your life by an intimate relationship with Him. It’s what you were made for. Yet, if you have never confessed that you’re a sinner and given Him control of your life, you don’t have that hope! Will you come to Him today? We’re not guaranteed another.
Now, let me speak to those who have been saved. Praise the Lord for that, right?! But… do we? Do we live thankful, and excited, and passionate; or is our initial excitement quickly replaced by complacency and fear? Alright, let me just step on some toes here--my own included! How much of a priority is Jesus in your life? Think of all the things for which you’ll drop everything. Is Jesus one? He should be the most important! He endured Hell to rescue you. Are we passively responding to that?! Is reading your Bible a priority? What about prayer? What about fellowshiping with fellow believers through faithfully serving the local church...being here and helping spread the Gospel? That makes me want to quote Brother Ron Shrum, “I’m preaching now Christians; you can say, “Amen” anytime you want☺!” Yet, so many of us would not want to do that because we know this is true of us. We have come to take for granted our rescue. But heaven forbid we miss our favorite show. We don’t share the gospel with our friends, but we find plenty of time for juicy gossip. I know this sounds harsh, but remember, I’m pointing at myself, too. Jesus came. He lived a perfect life. He died and endured our punishment, Hell, in our place. And--HE ROSE AGAIN! Hallelujah! Are we living for Him?
What will you do with Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world? He really rose from the dead to forgive fearful sinners like us. Are you looking for Him?
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