Mark 16

Introduction

Jesus had been dead for 3 days. Early in the morning after the 3rd day, Mark records 3 women going to the tomb where Jesus was laid to anoint the body of Jesus. This is where we pick up the story in Mark 16. Today, I want to focus on the first lady mentioned: Mary Magdalene. In particular, how the resurrection of Jesus moved Mary Magdalene from hopeless to hope.

Friday evening I was considering how best to introduce this sermon. If I am going to start with Mary’s hopelessness then I need to make her despair relevant. There are polls I could have given, experiences in life I could have shared, anecdotal stories I could mention, and referenced any news agencies top headlines. Then it occured to me becasue of the polls, and similar experiences, and common anecdotal stories, and the universality of news, unless your head is in the sand, you can see how dire, desperate, and hopeless our culture is.

The resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal moment is world history that gives people of all shapes, sizes and stripes hope:

1 Corinthians 15:17–20 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

1 Peter 1:3–4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”

Hopelessness

To set the stage for Mary’s hopelessness in Mark 16, we need to know who Mary Magdalene was.

Jesus Love - Not in a general sense but in a particularly effectual way.

Luke 8:1–2 “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”

When Jesus first met Mary, she was demon possessed. Not with 1 demon but 7 demons.

Maurice Casey, the author of Jesus of Nazareth:

“Mary must have suffered from severe emotional or psychological trauma to deem an exorcism necessary. She was battered and bruised, injured and in agony from the suffering demon possession entailed. Mary lost all control and dignity, along with everything she knew in her previous life. Beauty and wealth did not spare her from the evil that assailed and attacked her every hour of every day. “Seven is a mystic number suggesting ‘completeness,’ implying that when the evil spirits dominated Mary the suffering was extremely severe.” (All the Woman of the Bible)

Jesus did not just happenstance run into Mary, anymore than He coincidentally ran into Zacheus who climbed up a sycamore tree.

Jesus purposely intersected Mary Magdalene’s life in order to extend love to her!

If we examine Jesus delivering Mary from her psychotic demon possessed life forensically, we will discover God’s love.

John, who witnessed Jesus rescuing Mary Magdalene from demon possession wrote: 1 John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.”

Jesus’ love for Mary was unconditional, and unchanging.

Unconditional - Even though God’s love will change Mary, she did not have to meet any pre-conditions to be a recipient of His love.

A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She said, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?”

There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up. “Sin,” he said.

Outside of being a sinner, Mary could not have done anything to merit or earn God’s love. James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

Unchanging - Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

The idea behind the word “shed” is “has been and continues to be poured out into our hearts.

Kent Hughes: “Our hearts have been filled to the overflowing with God’s affections.”

She loved Him

This love was not cheap or superficial. The love was not a quoting love. This love was not empty but selfless.

1 Corinthians 13:4–6 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”

Matthew 27:55–56 “And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.”

“Ministering” - Serving God. They loved God by serving Him.

There is a seismic shift that has taken place among the Lord’s churches. We want to be served rather than serve.

In what ways did they serve Him, which demonstrated their love for Him?

Luke 8:2–3 “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”

The word “minister” is the same word for “ministering” in Matthew 27:55-56.

They faithfully followed Jesus - Matthew 27:55 “And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:”

Even in His death, they demonstrated their love for Him.

She believed His message and witnessed many of His miracles, which brought hope to so many people. Yet, in this crucial season in her life, neither His sermons of miracles gave her much hope.

Mark 16:3 “And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?”

Even though Jesus taught on His death and resurrection, they did not believe He had resurrected from the grave.

Mark 8:31 “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Matthew 16:21 “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

What was the root cause of hopelessness for Mary? Not being able to grasp or accept the truth of the resurrection. Perhaps even, not being able to come to terms with Calvary!

In either case, what their eyes saw and minds told them trumped what Jesus declared. How could God bring this beaten body back from the dead?

In other words, when we have an irrational view of God, fear and hopelessness rises to the surface.

Acts 26:25 “But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.”

God’s word is hope! Not simply based upon the content in this book but who authored these words. If Moses, David, or Paul authored the words in our Bible, we would be in trouble - because they are men. However, if God used these men to write His words then He is the author - And He is not man!

Job 9:32 “For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, And we should come together in judgment.”

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Psalm 119:89 “LAMED. For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.”

The reason God’s word is hope is God.

Stephen Ambrose

Colonel Charlie Beckwith

David McCullough

These authors provide little hope - They are dead.

God’s word provides HOPE because He is alive.

Hope

Mark 16:4–6 “And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.”

Matthew’s account highlights Jesus saying to the women: Matthew 28:5–6 “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

Verbs are so important:

Which was crucified -

Where they laid Him

He is risen.

The centerpiece and cornerstone of Hope is not in the existence of God but the resurrection of the God-man.

Hope is summed up in 3 words - He is Risen!

Hope is not winning the lottery, finding the right person, increasing your knowledge - Hope is the risen Lord

C. S. Lewis reminded us, long ago, that there is a tendency in our age “to believe something because its good, rather than because it is true.”

Mankind wants hope to be in them not in an empty tomb.

1. Hope is a healer.

We all face difficult times and we all get hurt. It’s inevitable.

But hope helps us to see that there are many positive possibilities ahead of us.

Hope whispers, “Things will get better.”

Hope puts the hurt and pain into perspective and reminds us that things are forever changing.

When we are at our lowest point, it is hope that lifts our head and shows us a path back toward something good.

Remember, hope is akin to trust, and when your general feelings are negative, you must trust that they will pass.

2. Hope shows us how to act.

Though hope is not tied to a particular outcome, it can still be a guiding force in our lives.

When we have hope, we are more likely to see the opportunities that come our way.

When we have hope, we are more likely to choose a path that leads to something positive.

When we have hope, we are more likely to act in a way that promotes a peaceful and joyful life.

Hope is a bit like an unseen compass that points us in the direction of something beneficial to our future.

3. Hope is a motivator.

Hope is a source of energy. It helps us to see something better up ahead and to put one foot in front of the other to move forward.

When we feel hopeful for the future, we wake up in the morning ready to embrace the day.

We are more prepared to work hard, to strive, to be willing to tackle and overcome the obstacles that we face.

Hope keeps us going when we hit a brick wall. It reminds us of why we are pursuing this path and of the potential for something good to come of it.

Hope allows us to answer Y-E-S! when life asks whether we’ve got what it takes.

4. Hope encourages self-belief.

Hope not only helps you to believe that something better is coming, it gives you the belief that you are the person who can make that something better come true.

When all we do is desire something to happen, we do not empower ourselves to try to make it happen.

But when we hope for something better, we tell ourselves that we have the power within us to change our direction of travel.

William Faulkner summed this up nicely when he said:

You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.

If all you do is wish for new horizons, you are unlikely to see them.

It is hope that gives us the self-belief (or courage as Faulkner put it) to step onto a boat, cast off from the shore, and set sail, even if we do not yet know our destination.

5. Hope combats negative thoughts.

It is difficult to have negative thoughts and be hopeful at the same time.

Hope allows us to see light at the end of the tunnel and this light acts as a challenge to any unwanted thoughts.

When you think, “I can’t do this,” hope reminds you how capable you are.

When you think, “this is a disaster,” hope reminds you that things will improve.

When you think, “I hate my life,” hope reminds you that the future is full of potential.

Whilst hope can’t eradicate all negative thoughts immediately, the more we can nurture a feeling of hope, the less those thoughts will pop into our heads.

6. Hope brings inner peace.

As with negative thoughts, hope can help ease negative feelings too.

Hope is the opposite of despair.

Whereas despair creates a breeding ground for self-loathing, inaction, and depression, hope allows joy, enthusiasm, and a quiet contentment to grow.

Even whilst a challenging situation remains, hope can transform our inner landscape into one that is less affected by the outside environment.

7. Hope is contagious.

People want to feel hopeful. They really do.

They want to believe – to trust – that the future is bright.

Which is why they are so willing and able to absorb the hope of others.

Hope spreads quickly. When the possibility of a better future is put forward, people are ready to listen and believe.

And so, the last reason why hope is important is because the more hope we have, the more hope we will inspire in others.

Each of these 7 reasons hope is important focuses on you. An eternal divide between humanism and Christianity is hope is not in you but a risen Savior.

Why is Hope in the resurrection of Jesus real hope?

Anyone can be saved - 1 Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

Someone asked an elderly Christian lady, “Does the devil ever trouble you about your past sins?” She answered, “Yes.” When the inquirer asked what she did then, she replied, “Oh, I just tell him to go east.”

“What do you do if he comes back?”

“I tell him to go west.”

“And when he comes back from the west, what do you do then?”

She said, “I just keep him going from the east to the west.”

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

Marghanita Laski was one of England’s best-known novelists, a secular humanists, and avowed atheist. Shortly before she died, in a moment of candor, Laski said this in a television interview: “What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have no one to forgive me.”

Being forgiven means that you can forgive with the same intensity and love that accompanied your forgiveness.

Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped -- but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.

A short time after the tragedy, Bruce's father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets: "I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus."

Mr. Goodrich went on: "I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, 'Why did this happen?' perhaps one answer will be, 'So that many will consider where they will spend eternity.'"

There is so much bitterness today.

Mediator - Job 9:32–35 “For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, And we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, And let not his fear terrify me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; But it is not so with me.”

New Life - Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Our life has meaning - 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Death has new meaning - John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

Philippians 1:23–26 “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.”

He’s coming back

Conclusion

Job 9:35 “Then would I speak, and not fear him; But it is not so with me.”

Testify of the resurrection - Mark 16:9–10 “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.”

We have good news.