The Resurrection Told By an

Easter Sunday is always a bit of struggle for me because we are celebrating the most important event in all of human history. At the same time, I want it to be known that this Sunday is no different from the other 51 in the year because we celebrate the Risen Savior every week! So how do we talk about a special day that celebrates an event that is essential to why we gather together?

There are lots of ways to go about it but this morning we are going to read the beginning of Mark 16. However, the bulk of my time is going to be spent on a message from the Lord about the Risen Jesus.

Read Mark 16:1-8

We are going to focus our time this morning on the message from the ‘young ma’ in verses 6 and 7. As we’ve just read, these three ladies are met with a tomb where they expected the tomb to be sealed. They expected Jesus to be in the tomb. Yet, neither of those things happened. On top of that, there is, what we can assume from other accounts, an angel in the tomb who greets them. Given the situation, how he greets them seems necessary.

Do not be alarmed.

This is a phrase that is almost always accompanied with the appearance of an angel. What we should note is that the angel would not have been the only source of fear. They were walking into the grave of someone who they thought would be secure behind a large stone and the stone had been moved. I would go as far to say that these ladies were panicked.

They are met by an angel who begins by telling them not to be afraid. Well we know that this warning doesn’t work based on their trembling and astonishment in verse 8.

The good news here is the information that is received from the angel. We have to keep in mind that angels serve to carry a divine message on behalf of God. This message that these ladies received changed their life forever, has changed mine forever, and can change yours too! What is remaining in the rest of this verse is a series of confirmations.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth

The angel confirms both who it was that they were seeking and that they are indeed at the right tomb. It is helpful for us to remember here that Jesus had made a name for himself in the area and there were many who knew who he was as well as what had taken place.

It is this Jesus who had spoken of for quite some time, though no one knew his name up to this point. The people were anticipating a Messiah, the anointed one.

This may seem like an unimportant detail but we should keep in mind that the angel has important instructions for these ladies and is establishing some credibility. The next confirmation is:

Who was crucified.

This was the only reason that they were here. It was because Jesus had died that they waited until the Sabbath was over to anoint Him with spices. But this confirmation was necessary to remind them that He had died. We must remember that Jesus’ death on the cross was the ultimate purpose of His mission here on earth: as the atoning death for the sins of the world. Yes, the perfect life that He lived set an example for you and me on how we live and established the lack of flaw in him that would make him the only sacrifice that could be made. But His death was what was absolutely necessary! It was spoken of in multiple places in the Old Testament, including Isaiah 53.

They had observed this fact. I would imagine these ladies saw things we would never even want to hear of. They watched the guards drive nails through His hands. They saw them put signs up, mocking Him as the king of the Jews. They heard the soldier making fun of him. They watched as they pierced his side. They heard him cry, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!” And they saw Him take a final breath.

But. That is why the next confirmation is so important.

He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

It is by the same divine power the Jesus was raised that He actually possessed while here on this earth. To these ladies, Yes He was crucified but that was merely temporary. He has risen. And they knew that He was risen based on the fact that He was not there.

I particularly love how the angel points over to the shelf or area where the body was laid and says, “see? He’s not here!”

It is important to remember at this point that the resurrection of Jesus did not cancel out His crucifixion. He is both the Crucified One as well as the Resurrected One! The fact that He conquered death does not take away from the sacrificial work on the cross.

We are able to take this concept and apply it to our own lives as well. When a person is saved by confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, the old self dies and a new being is created! I am still Matt, but there are so many things different about me from when I was saved. The same is said about each and every disciple of Jesus.

This is the statement that we live for. It is what makes each and every Sunday worth it to be here. The empty tomb is the reason why we live! But the message from the angel was not just pieces of information. Now, we turn our attention to direction that was given.

Verse 8 has just one command but there are important clauses added to that command.

Go, tell His disciples and Peter

This was news that the disciples would have wanted to hear! It changed everything. In fact, this is why we tell others about the gospel. Because if they will hear it for what it is, they would want to know it as truth as well!

One interesting thing about this verse is that the angel singles out Peter here. The reason why Peter is singled out here points to why the angel had been directed to have the disciples meet Him. Peter is named specifically because of what takes place in Mark 15:66-72. And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway[h] and the rooster crowed.[i] 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

There is certainly a great deal of disbelief and sadness that accompanied Jesus death. But we have to think that there was also shame in Peter after he denied Jesus three times.

The same could be said for the rest of the disciples. After Judas betrays Him, we are told in Mark 14:50 that “they all left him and fled”. While it was not to the same level as Peter, there was almost certainly shame.

Jesus wanted to be with His disciples again. But more than that, He wanted them to know that forgiveness was available to them. That the relationship could absolutely be mended despite the fact that they had abandoned Him.

Finally, we read

That He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as he told you

This seems to only be information about where Jesus was going and details on their journey. However, the desire of God is that we would know that His promises are true. In Mark 14:28, Jesus says to His disciples, “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” In fact, if we look at the verses the come before that, Jesus told that all of this was going to happen!

When God says something will happen, it will take place. When He says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” he means everyone. When He says that we will stand before judgment and be declared innocent, it will happen that way. And when He says that we will be rewarded with eternity in heaven, we can rest assured that we will see Him there, just as He told us.

You can see why this message was so important for these ladies to hear. It had to be told to others. And it has been told to you today. Will you give Him your whole life?