11.13.22 - Mark 16:1-8

Open your Bibles to Mark 16:1-8.  •This morning we come to the final sermon in our study of Mark’s Gospel.  •We began in April of 2019. And we’ve taken breaks here and there since then. But now we finally come to the end.  •This sermon is the 102nd sermon I’ve preached from this glorious book.  •And, though I’m sure we’re all excited to turn to other portions of the Word of God, I think we all have seen what a joy it is to take our time and meditate upon the earthly ministry of Christ in this book.  •I’m grateful to God for everything we’ve learned from the Gospel of Mark.  Right off the bat, I have to address something.  •I’m ending our study in v8.  •But in our Bibles, there are more verses contained within a set of brackets. (vv9-20) •So, why am I not going to preach those verses? Let me try to briefly explain a complicated and difficult situation:  •Basically, in light of internal evidence in Mark and external, historical evidence, many scholars believe that vv9-20 are a second century scribal addition to the Gospel of Mark.  •That is, they are not original to Mark. Mark didn’t write them. Instead, Mark ended his book with v8. And there are some good reasons to take that position: •As our ESV Bible indicates, those verses are NOT FOUND in some of the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark that we possess.  •More than that, some of the earliest writings about Mark don’t mention those verses.  •Still more, we read in church fathers from the 300’s that some very influential men in the church believed that Mark ended at v8, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE AWARE OF THE LONGER ENDING.  •So vv9-20 have been disputed since the early days of Christianity.  •And, from explicitly clear manuscript evidence (Greek and other languages), not all Christians had vv9-20 in their copies of Mark.  Beyond that, there is some stuff within vv9-20 that make it seem different from the rest of Mark.  •In the Greek, there are new words and phrasing that don’t occur in the rest of the Gospel. It SEEMS like the style has changed. As if there was a different author.  •And, from what I understand, there aren’t just a couple of oddities like that, but there are many new words and ways of phrasing things.  •So this makes many believe that a scribe inserted vv9-20 at some point after the Apostolic age.  Now, why would a scribe do that? •Well, Mark ends really abruptly and on a note of fear. And that feels odd. Especially when you compare it to the other Gospels that end on a more explicitly bright note and with resurrection appearances.  •So, it’s not unreasonable to think that a scribe tried to make what he thought was a fuller ending.  •Or maybe vv9-20 were put in the margin to give a brief summary of what the other Gospels say at the end. And then over time it made it’s way into the text itself.  •Those are just theories. We don’t know for sure.  •But what we do know is that, to many, it seems like Mark’s Gospel originally ended at v8. And some of those arguments are compelling.  But, on the other hand, there are counter-arguments to some of the things I’ve said.  •And some of those counter-arguments are weighty and worthy of consideration.  •I don’t have time to go through them this morning. But, trust me, they will make you pause and think.  •More than that, the fact that the majority of Greek manuscripts contain the longer ending, and that it was accepted for centuries by the Church is significant as well.  What am I getting at?  •This is a complicated issue. And I’m not exactly sure what to make of it.  But I think that the safest route is for me to simply end with v8.  •And I say that because I know that vv1-8 are original to Mark’s Gospel. They are undisputed. But I am not so sure about vv9-20.  •And I don’t want to stand before you all and say, “This is the Word of God,” unless I know for sure that something is from the Lord.  •More than that, it is worth mentioning that nearly everything in vv9-20 can be found elsewhere in the NT. So, by not preaching the long ending, we don’t lose anything doctrinally or theologically.  •And, if vv9-20 are original to Mark, I’m OK with having not preached the entirety of the book. Why? Because there are many books of the Bible of which I will not preach every verse.  So then, I’ve decided to end with v8 this morning.  •But that should not be interpreted as me saying definitively that vv9-20 are not Scripture.  •I’m saying that I don’t completely know what I think. And because of that, I’m going with what I believe is the safest option for me as a man who will one day give an account for what I preach to you.  •I’d rather not preach some verses from the Word of God than declare that something uninspired is the Word of God.  •In matters like these, I think that silence is often safer and more pious than speech.  But, with that out of the way, I’m excited to preach this final sermon from Mark.  •And that’s because our subject this morning is the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  •This is the high point of Mark’s Gospel. This is the main event.  •Here, our Lord is vindicated. Here our salvation is demonstrated and receives it’s seal from God.  •Here we receive every comfort: HE IS RISEN! JESUS IS ALIVE! Now, many preachers like to use sermons about the Resurrection to give an apologetic defense of it. •There is a place for that, for sure. I’ve done it.  •But I won’t be doing that today.  •I assume that most, if not all, gathered here this morning are believers. So, there is nothing to defend.  •We all KNOW that Jesus Christ is alive.  •So I want to preach a sermon that will encourage you in the risen Lord.  There are many comforts for us to find as we meditate on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  •And there is also a challenge issued to all of us in light of His Resurrection.  •And so, this morning I want us to think on what the Resurrection says to each one of us.  •After we walk through the text, we will consider some of the things that the resurrection of Jesus says to us. •May God bless us today as we meditate on His Word.  •May He show us the risen Christ.  If you would, and are able, please stand with me for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.  Mark 16:1-8 [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. (PRAY) Our Heavenly Father,  Thank you for another opportunity to gather as your People at your Word to hear from you.  Thank you for the Scriptures that show us our sin, our Savior, our rule for living, and our hope for both this life and the life to come.  We ask now that you would grant us the ability to receive the Word of God with faith.  Open our hearts and minds this morning. And, by your Spirit, make the Word effectual to our salvation.  Glorify yourself in us as we submit to your Word.  Make much of yourself this morning as we consider the resurrection of your Son.  We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.  Amen.  1.) Our text picks up the evening after Jesus’ burial.  •He was buried on Friday afternoon before sundown.  •And now, in v1 Mark tells us that when the Sabbath was over (sundown on Saturday), “Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome went and bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him (Jesus).” •After sundown, the shops would open for the rest of the evening. So it’s a good time for the women to purchase what they need to anoint the body of Jesus.  •But it’s also late in the day. So it’s not a good time to go and visit a tomb and begin the work of anointing.  A brief word about anointing the body of Jesus: •These women had planned to cover Christ’s body with sweet smelling spices and oils.  •This was NOT embalming. This wasn’t done to preserve the body. The Jews didn’t do that.  •Rather, anointing a body was done to show honor, respect, and love for the deceased.  •It was an act of DEVOTION for Christ from these women. They loved Jesus. They were His disciples and His friends.  •And this was certainly an intense devotion. And I say that because Jesus has been dead since Friday and Israel is a warm place that time of year.  •Surely, these women expected His body to have begun to decompose. But they are GOING ANYWAY.  •Again, they loved Jesus. They were His disciples.  Also, you can see that these women clearly DID NOT expect a resurrection.  •Though He had promised many times that He would be raised from the dead, nobody understood or believed Him.  •And that includes these women. They were believers. But they were weak in faith.  •And so, they expected to find the body and anoint it.  Then Mark tells us that early on the first day of the week, Sunday, the women went to the tomb.  •This is the “third day” that Jesus spoke of.  •According to Jewish time reckoning, Jesus has been in the tomb for THREE DAYS. (They reckoned time inclusively. Part of a day was counted as the day.) •He was buried Friday before sundown. He was in the grave from sundown Friday to sundown on Saturday. And then the first day of the week began at sundown on Saturday.  •Indeed, just as He said, He was in the grave for three days. And now on the third day, they go to His tomb.  But again, they are not expecting a resurrection.  •V3 tells us this. How? Because they were worried about how they would get into the tomb.  •Apparently, none of the disciples would go with them. They have no men with them to help them move the massive stone.  •And, in their haste, they seemed to have forgotten that this was going to be a problem.  But, praise God, this was actually no problem.  •For v4 tells us that “looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back…” •Matthew 28:2-4 tells us that prior to the women getting there, an angel had descended from Heaven and rolled back the stone.  •Something amazing is going on here. Angels are present. The tomb is opened for the women. God is at work. God has done something.  Mark then records that they entered the tomb and “saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.” •This young man is an angel.  •Mark doesn’t say it explicitly. But other places in Scripture tell us that angels often appear in the form of men. And angels often dress in white robes.  •The parallel in Luke tells us that the angel’s robe was dazzling white. This is clearly a supernatural being.  •Also, we know from the other Gospels that there were two angels there. Mark simply records one but doesn’t say “ONLY ONE.” So there is no contradiction. Mark probably records the one because it is the one who spoke.  So the women entered the tomb, they see the angel and were immediately frightened.  •This is the common response to coming face to face with a heavenly messenger. They were afraid.  •But then the angel speaks to them: [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.  •Brothers and sisters, this is the Good News!  •The angel tells them to not be afraid. The angel is not there to punish or judge them. He is there to tell them that Jesus is alive! •The prophesies have all been fulfilled. Just as Jesus said they would be.  •The Messiah had died for sinners. He had given His life as a ransom for many. He had suffered the wrath of God for sinners and died. The Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep.  •But now HE IS ALIVE! The Servant of LORD had been crushed, but now is alive to SEE the fruits of His labor! •The Lord that they loved and had mourned for is alive and well! And notice that the angel wants them to understand that a BODILY resurrection had taken place: •“See the place where they laid Him.” •The same body they had seen placed in the tomb is the same body that is now alive.  •The Jesus they saw die and be buried is the exact same Jesus who is no longer in the tomb.  •This is no spiritual resurrection. This is no “He looks alive, but it’s not His body.” This is not a phantom-like resurrection.  •No. Jesus has been raised from the dead BODILY. Just as He said! He is truly alive in every way! •As the Psalm says, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10) Then the angel gives them instructions in v7: [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.”  •He tells them to go and tell the others that Jesus is alive and will meet them in Galilee, just as He said.  •Jesus has plans to reveal His resurrected self to the disciples. They will see Him with their own eyes! •This is no private resurrection! Jesus will appear to over 500 people, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15.  •And, apparently, Jesus has told the angel to make sure that they know to make sure Peter comes, too.  •Peter had recently denied even knowing Jesus. But Jesus wants to make sure that Peter is still counted among the number of the disciples. (Remember that.) •But Jesus is going to meet them. He plans to reveal Himself to them in His resurrected glory.  And then we come to our final verse: [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. •Having seen the empty tomb, received a message from an angel, and been informed that their Lord has been raised from the dead, the women leave in terror and amazement.  •Surely, we can understand that. This day is the most monumental day in human history. And they have seen and heard things that few people ever had.  •They were amazed. And they were afraid.  •And so, they run from the tomb as quickly as they can. No doubt they were running straight for Peter and the other disciples to tell them the message.  •And they were so shocked, so afraid, so amazed at everything they had seen and heard that they spoke to no one on the way.  •But we know from Matthew 28 they did indeed eventually speak. They went and told the disciples that Jesus is alive, just as they were commanded.  But there is a lingering question: Why were they in fear? •Why doesn’t Mark tell us, like Matthew does, that their fear was mixed with joy? •Well, no doubt it was. But Mark wants to highlight their fear. But why? Well, throughout Mark’s Gospel fear is associated with the disclosure of the identity and power of Christ.  •After Jesus calms the storm, Mark records, “And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” •After Jesus healed the demoniac, we read that the people “were afraid.” •After Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood, we read, “the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before Him…” •When Jesus walked on the water, the disciples “all saw Him and were terrified.” •At Jesus’ transfiguration, we read of Peter, “For he did not know what to say for they were terrified.” •Fear is the common reaction to the disclosure of the identity and power of the Lord Jesus.  •Fear is the common emotion when someone realizes they have witnessed God doing something.  These women were afraid because they realized the significance of everything at the tomb.  •The Jesus they’ve known for years is risen.  •The Jesus they’ve known is God.  •They’ve been speaking with and living with and learning from and walking with the Son of God this whole time.  •He was dead. But He is indeed the Messiah. The Kingdom of God has come through Him.  •Things are about to change in a world-shaking way.  •God has done something. Jesus’ full identity is revealed. Nothing will ever be the same.  •And so they are afraid. They now realize what they didn’t realize before: Jesus is truly the Son of God in a more real way than they could’ve ever imagined.  This is a glorious passage. And it is full of encouragement for those who believe what it says.  •For those who believe that Jesus is risen, there is hope and encouragement dripping from this text.  •And to those encouragements, we now turn.  •Let’s consider what the resurrection speaks to us.  2.) First, The Resurrection Says That You Are Saved. (Those who believe are saved.) •As the angel said, “He is not here.” Jesus is alive.  •To paraphrase Charles Spurgeon: The epitaph of Christ’s tomb reads, “He has risen; He is not here.”  •Nobody else has that written on their tomb. But, praise be to God, this is all that can be written on Christ’s tomb, for He is not there. He is alive.  •As the hymn says, “An empty tomb is there to prove my Savior lives!” And the resurrection of Christ is proof for us that God has accepted His sacrifice on our behalf.  •His resurrection is assurance for us that we’ve been forgiven. The fact that He lives is our assurance that we have been forgiven of all our sins.  How do we know that? How do we get there? •Well, have you ever wondered WHY He was raised? •The Bible says that death could not hold Him. Death had no right over Him. And so, death had to give Him up.  •“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no dominion over Him.” (Romans 6:9) •Jesus died because He “became sin for us” (1 Cor 5:21). And the wages of sin is death. And so, Jesus suffered God’s wrath for our sin and died in our place, having taken our sins on Himself.  •But His resurrection shows that death has no power over Him anymore. Why? Because sin has no power over Him.  •The sin that He bore on our behalf, our sin, has been taken away and atoned for. It has no more power to kill. The power of sin has been broken by Christ.  •And so, the grave HAD TO GIVE HIM UP. He must live because the sin He bore is legally gone.  Hear me: The penalty for sin for those who believe (wrath and death), IS GONE.  •And the proof is that sin and death have no power over Christ. His resurrection demonstrates this clearly.  •And, as long as HE LIVES, we are saved.  •And He says, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18). •So, brothers and sisters, we are saved forevermore.  Romans 4:25 tells us that Jesus was “raised for our justification.” •How does that work?  •Well, Jesus Himself was justified (declared righteous by God) in His resurrection.  •He had no sin of His own. He only had perfect obedience    to God and righteousness. So His death was for others. His death was substitutionary death to save sinners.  •And His resurrection was God declaring Him to be the sinless Son of God. (Romans 1) •Jesus was declared to be righteous in His resurrection because He really is righteous.  And now, brothers and sisters, by faith we are united to Him. And what is said of Him is now said of us.  •Through faith in Him, we are declared righteous because He was first declared righteous and perfect in His resurrection.  •His justification becomes our justification through faith. And in Him, we are counted righteous, for He was raised from the dead.  •Brothers and sisters, WE ARE SAVED. We are righteous in the eyes of God for Christ has died for our sins and has been raised for our justification.  I said it last week and I’ll say it again because we need reminded:  •Christian, here is your Assurance of Salvation: Jesus Christ died and WAS RAISED! •If He would’ve stayed dead, we would have no reason to hope in Him for the forgiveness of sins. But because He lives, we have ever warrant and right to believe that we are saved.  •How do you know you’ve been forgiven? Because Jesus is alive! •How do you know Heaven will be your home after this life? Because He is risen! •How do you know that you have peace with God and need not fear His condemnation? Because He is alive! •Take your Assurance, Christian! God offers it to you in the empty tomb of His Beloved Son.  •Look to the risen Christ and know that you are saved! 3.) Second, the Resurrection Says That You Don’t Have Anything To Fear.  •Those who seek Jesus who was crucified, do not need to be afraid.  •This is what the angel said to the women in v6. “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.” The women were at the tomb because they LOVED Jesus.  •They were His disciples. They believed in Him. They continued to love Him, even after He was dead.  •They didn’t realize that resurrection was coming for Him. (Nobody did.) But they stilled loved Him.  •He was their Lord, Master, and Friend. And, by His grace, they were His friends.  •And so, the angel has only Good News for them. He has not come to harm them. He has come to encourage them and declare that the Lord is alive.  •They have nothing to fear from the angel.  I think there is a principle for us to see here: •Those who love Jesus, those who seek to honor Him, those who are friends of Jesus, need not be afraid.  •They are friends of the Lord of glory. They are friends of the One who commands the angels. And He counts them as His own.  My dear brothers and sisters, be comforted! •If you seek the Jesus who was crucified, if you are His friend through faith, there is nothing for you to fear.  •You belong to Him. And He is the most faithful Friend you will ever have.  •He is the kindest Master you could ever yoke yourself to.  •He is the greatest Savior you could ever trust in.  •He is the only God who will rule over you and do you good always.  •There is no fear left for us. Not ultimately, anyway.  Those who are friends of Jesus, those who seek Him and love Him, those who trust in Him, need have no slavish fear of God.  •The Savior has taken away your sins. Jesus has given you His righteousness.  •Jesus has washed you clean. You’ve been adopted into God’s Family through Christ.  •There is no fear of condemnation. For “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” •There is no fear. For we have come to know the One who is loves us and gave Himself up for us all. And “perfect love casts out fear.” •We now fear God as sons (He is our Father), but not as slaves who expect wrath for our sins. For our Friend and Lord, Jesus Christ has saved us from the wrath to come.  Those who are friends of Jesus need have no fear of angels, as the women in the tomb did that day.  •Angels are messengers of God. Messengers of the risen Lord Jesus.  •And since we are accepted by Him, the angels are the friends of the saints. He sends them to us at times to help us. (The book of Hebrews seems to say so.) •And one day they will escort us home to heaven someday where we will be forever without Lord.  Those who are friends with Jesus need not fear death.  •For His resurrection is our resurrection.  •As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, just as He was raised bodily, so we will also one day be raised bodily.  •Because He lives, death will not have the final word over us. We will rise from our graves and our souls and bodies will be reunited on the Last Day.  •The sting of death has been taken away. Yes, it is still an enemy. And we still hate it. BUT it’s teeth have been taken away. And it now serves us as the vehicle to bring us to Christ.  •We no longer fear death, for Christ is risen.  Those who are friends of Jesus need not fear the world.  •In Christ, we have peace with God. And, as the Apostle says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” •If, in Christ, God smiles upon me, what do I care about the frowns of men? •If God promises to give me strength to endure, what can man do to me?  •If Heaven is to be my home, and eternal life is mine in Christ, what can anyone really take away from me, ultimately? •Yes, we can suffer many hard things in this life. And they can really hurt and be awful. But “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, no powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the lord of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those who seek Jesus have nothing to fear, ultimately.  •Remember that.  •If you’re a friend of Jesus, if you seek Jesus who was crucified, if you love the Lord, if you trust Him to save you, you don’t need to be afraid.  •For you are a friend of the One who conquered death.  •And that same One will see to it that, in the end, everything is well with His friends.  4.) A third thing: The Resurrection Says That There Is Hope For Failing Disciples.  •In v7, the angel makes sure that the women know to tell PETER that Jesus will meet them in Galilee.  •“But go, tell His disciples and Peter…” •What grace! The angel speaks on behalf of Jesus. He is a heavenly messenger.  •So Jesus wanted the disciples and Peter to know that He would meet them. That He is not finished with them.  Again, what grace! •The Eleven are not disowned by the risen Christ.  •All had deserted Christ in the Garden. All had failed. All were hiding in fear and cowardice and unbelief. All had functionally denied Christ. (Peter explicitly did it.) •But Jesus isn’t finished with them. The risen Christ will forgive and restore them! •Jesus has grace for them.  And what grace is especially shown to the worst of them all, Peter! •Since he is the worst, since he is the one who literally denied even knowing Jesus, Jesus singles Him out.  •The one with the most heinous sin among them is singled out and reminded to come and meet Jesus as well.  •Even though he had been unfaithful to Jesus, Jesus still loved Peter.  Sinner, hear me: Jesus beckons you to come and meet Him.  •Not in Galilee, of course. But He calls you and tells you to come and meet Him by faith.  •Know this: The resurrected Christ forgives! •He is exalted, yes. He is the reigning King, yes. He will no longer be lowly, yes.  •But He is still the forgiving and loving Savior. He is high and lifted up, but He is not so exalted that He will not bend down to hear the prayer of a repentant sinner.  •He is the merciful God who will come low to repentant sinner and have mercy on the one who believes in Him.  •He is glorified and glorious. But He is still our Jesus, the Great Forgiver of sinners.  Are you a failure? Have you sinned greatly this past week?  •Have you been a coward? Have you indulged your flesh? Have you denied the Lord in some way? •Are you a sinner? (I’m talking to everyone.) •Well, good news for you: Jesus forgives sinners.  •Jesus didn’t come in judgment on His disciples, though He could’ve.  •He knows they failed Him and sinned in their weakness and self-love.  •But He also knows that they love Him, at root. They are full of sin, yes. But they belong to Him by faith.  •And He will never cast out His People.  Christian, your sins are real. And they are inexcusable.  •I’m not making light of them.  •But what I want you to do is look to the risen Christ who is full of mercy and forgiveness and compassion for His weak sheep! •Look to Him again, turn from your sin, and turn back to the Lord. He will never cast you away.  •The resurrected Lord was raised for your justification! •He didn’t die for you in order to give up on you now. His blood is too precious for that. His love for you is too great for that.  •Return to Him.  •He will forgive and restore you just like He did Peter and the others.  Lift up your head, failing saint! •He has grace for you, just like He did for the Eleven.  5.) A fourth thing: The Resurrection Says That Jesus is Trustworthy.  •In v7 the angel says, “There you will see Him, just as He told you.” •This might be a mild rebuke to the women: “You didn’t believe. You came here to anoint a dead body. But He isn’t here. He is risen and will meet you in Galilee, JUST LIKE HE SAID HE WOULD.” •They either hadn’t paid attention or, more likely, didn’t believe what Jesus had said about His resurrection.  •But, indeed, everything Jesus said would take place TOOK PLACE JUST AS HE SAID. (He is alive!) Brothers and sisters, Jesus’ resurrection is the vindication of every word He ever spoke.  •His resurrection is His own vindication. It declares that He is who He said He is. That He is the Son of God and Messiah.  •And as God, we know that He is the Truth. There is no lie in Him. It is against His holy nature to lie.  •Every word He says proves true.  Hear that and LISTEN TO HIM! •Every word He says is true.  •His warnings of Hell and damnation for the unbeliever are true.  •His threats of damnation for those who forsake Him without repentance are true.  •His declaration that there is salvation only for those who trust in Him is true.  But not just His warnings and threats. Brothers and sisters, EVERYTHING He says is true.  •His promises to save you.  •His promises to strengthen you and help you to persevere as He preserves you in the Faith.  •His promises to take care of you and meet your needs and shepherd you through your life.  •His promises to be God to you.  •His promises to hear you when you call upon Him.  •His promise that you will be with Him forever.  •His promise that He will return one day and make everything sad untrue.  There is not one thing that will be left undone.  •If Jesus has said it, He will do it.  •Oh, how unlike us! How glorious is He! He is faithful! •And we can trust Him! •He did what He said He would do in our text. He said that He would be crucified, die, and be raised on the Third Day. AND HE WAS! •And that gives us every confidence in the world that He will do everything else He says.  Brothers and sisters, if you ever doubt a word of Scripture, I want you to remember the resurrection.  •And in doing so, I want you to remember who it is who spoke the words of Scripture: It is the WORD OF CHRIST.  •The One who promised He would die and rise on the Third Day and then DID IT is the same One who says everything else in the Book.  •You can trust Him! Believe His Word! Take Him at His Word! But maybe you’re saying, “But how do I know that He will do everything He said?” •Because He is the same One who said He would be raised and then did it! •Now, listen to me closely: If He can keep that promise to His disciples, is there anything He can’t do? •Is there any promise He can’t keep? •Of course not!  •The One who is mighty enough to conquer death is certainly able to keep the rest of His promises to His dearly beloved People.  Christian, your Lord will do all that He has said.  •Both in time and in eternity, He will do it all.  •TRUST HIM. For He is risen! 6.) A fifth and final thing: The Resurrection Says That You Have A Great Decision To Make.  •The women were afraid as they left the tomb.  •And they were afraid because in the empty tomb, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they had come to realize that God had done something monumental.  •Something great about Jesus had been declared in His resurrection: He is the Son of God! •They had been face to face with God in the flesh.  •With the resurrection, they had realized the truth about who Jesus is: He is the Son of God.  •And they believed.  And now, being faced with the testimony of the Word of God about Jesus and His resurrection, everyone here must make a decision about Jesus.  •You must decide what you believe about Him.  •Who is He? •Now, what you think about Him won’t change the facts. He is the Son of God. He is the Messiah. He is the only Savior. He is the judge of the nations who is coming again.  •But you must decide for yourself if you believe it.  Is He a mere man?  •Is this whole thing made up? •Is He still dead •Or is He the very Son of God, crucified, dead, buried, and raised in glory as King of all kings and Lord of all lords; the only Savior and hope for sinners? Who is He? •YOU MUST ANSWER.  •Nobody can answer for you.  •Your parents cannot answer for you.  •Your friends cannot answer for you.  •I cannot answer for you.  •YOU must answer FOR YOURSELF.  •Who is He? 7.) And that brings us to the conclusion of this sermon and book.  •And your obedience to what I’m about to say is the most important thing in all the world.  Jesus is the Son of God.  •This Gospel has demonstrated it to us.  •It was Mark’s intention to reveal it to us in this book. (He says so in the opening verse: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”) •The Word of God declares it with all authority this morning: Jesus Christ is risen. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the only Savior.  Look at all He did.  •Look at all He taught.  •Look at His sovereignty over all.  •Look at His death for sinners.  •Look at His resurrection in victory.  •And say with the Centurion at His Cross, “Truly, this man is the Son of God!” He is the incarnate Son of God.  •He is the One who gave His life as a ransom for many.  •He is the One who came to save sinners by His death.  •And He is the One who was raised on the Third Day.  BELIEVE IN HIM! •That’s the message of Mark!  •Trust in Him! Believe that He is who He says He is.  •Believe that He has accomplished your salvation.  •Believe that He is the Servant of the LORD who saves all who will come to Him in repentance and faith.  And believing, BE HIS DISCIPLE.  •“Come, follow me,” says Jesus.  •FOLLOW HIM IN FAITH! Be His disciple.  •If He is the Son of God, and indeed He is, then FOLLOW HIM! •You must! You have no other option! There is nowhere else to go. There is no other hope for you.  Trust Him with your soul, to save you.  •Trust Him with your life, to guide you.  •Commit yourself to Him in all tings.  •Follow the One who conquered the grave! •Follow the One who died, but is alive forevermore! He is the most Faithful, the greatest Friend, the great Savior, the very Son of God.  •He is worthy! •Go after Him with all you have! •He is worthy! May God grant each one of us to see Jesus for who He is, confess Him, trust Him, and follow Him, to the glory of His holy Name.  •Amen.