A Risen Savior & A Living Hope

A Buried Christ

The disciples have run

Peter rejected Jesus thrice

Jesus has been buried

Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea a disciple (jn. 19:38)

The Stone secures the tomb

The Sabbath Passes

A Hopeless People

The women arrive defeated

Spices for embalmment

Cover the stink (ye stinketh) Lazarus John 11:39 He stinketh (4 days dead)

The Disciples are hiding, nowhere to be found.

The Women were wondering who would roll away the stone, they expected to see him dead, his body needing to be prepared for burial.

A un-resurrected Christ is no savior

1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

BUT...

An Empty Tomb

Looking up this very large stone, which, according to Mth. was sealed and kept guard by Roman soldiers, was rolled away.

The tomb was not in fact empty, but the one that they were looking for was not there.

How troubled they must have been, jump scare opportunity. Humor

In the beginning of Mark’s Gospel God’s messenger was telling what he will do “prepare the way for the Lord” at the end of his gospel God’s messenger has announced what Jesus has done. He has prepared our way.

A Promise Kept

The angel told the women to go and tell his disciples and Peter.

Jesus told them in Mark 14:28 “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.””

Peter’s faith is restored, Peter will be redeemed by Christ

These women are the first evangelists

This is the fulfillment of the good news, the gospel. the Evangelium.

And the women left, fled,

Greek TREMOS (tremors) & EXSTASIS (Excitement/Ecstatic) , shaking with excitement.

This is the end of the events according to some of the earliest texts. There is more and there are 99% of early manuscripts and it is probably written by the apostles, but the earliest text we have don’t include it.

A Living Hope

But where Mark’s Gospel ends, Peter’s Epistle begins. 1 Peter 1:3-9

1 Peter 1:3–9 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Peter doesn’t leave us hanging on what his testimony was from that day. The Women came back, they told the Disciples about what they saw Peter and John rush to the tomb and find it empty.

This is what the empty tomb and resurrected Christ did for Peter

According to his great mercy He has caused us to be born again to a living hope, not a dead hope, Jesus Christ is alive! He is ruling and reigning.

A Current & Future Inheritance

Because Christ is alive we have a present hope Peter says. our inheritance that is imperishable undefiled and unfading is kept for us in Christ., assured by the resurrection.

Banks fail, our inheritance is is not FDIC insured it is FSHS insured.

All that is Christ’s is ours. This is our future reality, that we are his and his is ours.

A Resurrected Savior and A Living Hope

So we endure in this hope with praise and glory and honor, through the faith God has given to us, by the power of the RESURRECTED CHRIST.

I love what Peter says here in v 8 and 9 and I want us to be left with this.

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Friends the tomb is empty. Jesus is alive, and he is ruling and reigning.

He has secured for us our salvation through his blood which is our current and future reality if you are in Christ you are HIS and HE is YOURS.

May this good news, our resurrected savior be the song on our lips, be the joy in our hearts, be the hope in our minds. May we be bold to live for Christ and share our hope with a lost and dying world.