Resurrection: The Gospel Validated / Mark 16:1-8

Resurrection: The Gospel Validated / Mark 16:1-8

Introduce yourself

Remain standing for the reading of God’s word. Mark 16. Last week in Mark. Next week we begin Titus (Practical and teaches us how to be a healthy church). Grab a scripture journal at the info desk. We want to put God’s word in your hands.

In some of your Bibles, you will see the note, “some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20,” Which leaves us with a challenge: do we teach 9-20 and the inerrant word of Go,d or do we approach it with caution?

The ESV Study Bible explains this challenge.

“This longer ending is missing from various old and reliable Greek manuscripts. The verses themselves contain various Greek words and expressions uncommon to Mark, and there are stylistic differences as well. Many think this shows vv. 9-20 to be a later addition. No point of doctrine is affected by the absence or presence of vv. 9-20” esv study

If verse 8 is the true ending, though it is abrupt, it fits the style and pace of Mark.

All along, one of the phrases has been “Immediately.” Immediately, the spirit led him into the wilderness. Immediately, they left their nets and followed him. What’s the rush? What are we spreading toward? Resurrection.

Mark 16:1-8 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

Resurrection: The Gospel Validated / Mark 16:1-8

What do Muhammad, the Buddha, and Joseph Smith have in common? They are dead. Uniquely, the founder and perfector of our faith, Jesus, claimed to arise from the dead.

I want you to imagine the hypothetical word that his claims were proved to be false. Let’s say that they found undeniable evidence that he was dead. They found the bones, they did the dna test, and it was confirmed, Jesus is dead. Would you still be a Christian?

Would you come to church on Sunday? Would you raise your children in the faith? Would you decline temptation and love your enemy?

The apostle Paul considered these stakes when he wrote: 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Consider the significance if he is dead: preaching is pointless at best and evil at worst, your faith is in vain (eternity, martyrs, loved ones that you’ve lost, final justice and restoration), your regrets are not erased, and your future is uncertain. If he is dead, don’t imitate Christians, pity us, for we are believing and teaching a lie.

Everything hinges on the resurrection. For months, we have been exploring the book of Mark as a church. All of it is vanity if today’s story is false.

But do I have good news for you; Jesus is alive. And today we will peek into the empty tomb with the first eyewitnesses.

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.

The 12 disciples utterly failed Christ. Sleeping. Fleeing. Denying. In contrast, these faithful women were with Christ until the end. They watched the crucifixion at a distance and saw where Joseph and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body in the tomb.

The women were sensitive to the events leading to Jesus’ death: Mary anointing him with a costly perfume, Judas’ disgust, “6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” The devotion and affection for Jesus in the hearts of these women were like an aroma of beautiful perfume. But even they did not expect the resurrection.

Our text begins by saying these women had to wait for the Sabbath to pass to return to the grave. They had to sit a whole day in their sorrow and confusion. Imagine what that day was like? The hands that healed were pierced. The feet that brought the good news were cold and lifeless. The eyes that looked on, worrying Martha with love, were closed. They were living in the shadow of Saturday. Is your hope low? Do you see no future? The proverbs teach us, Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Think of the hope they had in Christ. Think of the soul sickness they must have felt knowing that his body was blocked behind a cold, heavy stone.

So they do what grieving people do, all that they can. The reason they bought spices to anoint the body of Christ is that they thought he was dead. Their beloved teacher, friend, and leader was decaying, and they could not stomach the thought of his corpse decaying. Through fragrance, they are trying to keep the hope of their beloved friend alive. Jesus’ dead body didn’t need fragrance; their heart needed to do this act of love for their own comfort.

When we don’t live in the power of the resurrection, we try to mask the smell of death. Your marriage is dying, but you smile when you’re in public. Your soul is under the shadow of death, but you sing when you’re in church. Friendships. Family.

We need to move on from the shadow of Saturday to the sunrise of Sunday.

2 And very early on the first day of the week (Likely because they couldn’t sleep), 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?”

They were bringing flowers to the graveyard, and they forgot that the gate was locked! The stone would have been incredibly heavy and nestled into a grove slot. Even as a group, they would not have had the strength to move it.

And yet, they don’t turn back. They are so compelled to see their Jesus, even if he was dead, that they’ll just find a solution once they get there.

Many people may be on the brink of experiencing the transforming power of Jesus’ resurrection, but they turn back because of practical concerns. You want to learn about Jesus, but Sunday mornings are inconvenient. You hear a compelling message, but the busy family schedule drowns out acting on what you heard.

Follow the example of these women. Though their practical plan wasn’t perfect, they kept moving toward Jesus. When you do, you may find your practical concerns met with supernatural solutions.

4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. (The stone is still rolled back, inviting all of us to enter the tomb and see for ourselves.) 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.

Expectation: a moment of grief annointing the dead body of your beloved leader. Reality: a moment of shock seeing a young messenger, very much alive, sitting in Jesus’ tomb, and the body is gone!

This word for “alarmed” is only used here in the Greek New Testament. Fitting, because this is the only time in history that this event happened. You would have responded the same way. It was troubling enough that the body was gone, but supernaturally, an angel was before them, and here is his message:

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.

The first resurrection message is, “Do not be alarmed.” Stronger than fear not. Everything that makes you tremble. Everything that causes worry. Every sleepless night. Every tear. All grief. Will become untrue because of the resurrection.

And notice what he doesn’t say, “See they body is gone. Believe that he is alive because I said so. Take my word for it. Live in a blind hope that this fairy tale is real.”

Instead, he points to evidence. These ladies had real fear, and they needed a real hope to outweigh their worry.

The Jesus they sought was not any teacher; he was from Nazareth. He had no ordinary death; he was crucified. He is no ordinary man; he rose. And with your eyes, look where they laid him. The cold tomb is empty! The historical man, Jesus Christ, who was physically dead, physically rose. His cold fingers began to move, his quiet heart began to beat, and his lifeless legs walked out.

How did we know that the resurrection happened? There is over 10 pieces of evidence that support the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus. Here are five:

1. His tomb was empty: Extrabiblical ancient historians explain that Jesus was killed by Roman soldiers under Pontius Pilate. Romans were experts at crucifixion, and they proved their skill by successfully killing the famous carpenter. To protect their proof at the tomb, they placed a seal over the stone and appointed a guard. Then, after the resurrection, the guard came back with an unwelcome report: “Some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.” Rather than demanding that the body be found, the enemies of Jesus admitted that the body of Jesus was gone. Who took it? The disciples? The men who ran away in the garden of Gethsemane and denied they knew Christ? No, the body wasn’t stolen. The body was living and breathing. It was of high interest to both the Jewish high priest and the Romans to find the body. They did not.

2. The role of women as witnesses: “The role of women in this account is astonishing since Judaism did not accept the testimony of women as legally valid.” Ross H. McLaren And yet, the New Testament authors unashamedly teach that women were the first eyewitnesses. Women, God is proud of you; He is not ashamed of you.

3. He appeared to hundreds of people in various locations for 40 days: Some object by claiming that the community experienced hallucinations of Jesus. Perhaps the trauma made their mental health unbalanced. But the ingredients needed for hallucination were missing. According to John Stott, hallucinations happen “as the climax to a period of exaggerated wishful thinking,” and “the conditions of time, place, and mood are favorable.” Instead of wishful thinking, Thomas refused to believe unless he saw Jesus. When the women saw that the tomb was empty, they were initially confused. Even at Jesus’ ascension, “they worshiped him, but some doubted.” A hallucination at a meaningful location like the upper room with all the witnesses gathered might have been plausible. But Jesus appeared to individuals, small groups, and crowds of over 100, all in various locations. This was no mass hallucination. People saw Jesus after he died.

4. The disciples were changed, and Paul was converted: Pre-resurrection, Peter denied even knowing Christ. Post-resurrection, Peter publicly preached the Pentecost. Pre-resurrection, Thomas was melancholy and despairing. Post-resurrection, Thomas called Jesus his Lord and God. Pre-resurrection, James misunderstood the identity of his brother Jesus. Post-resurrection, James became a leader in the church and wrote a New Testament book. Paul persecuted and imprisoned Christians. After encountering the risen Christ, he became a missionary and authored the majority of New Testament books. The men who fled at Jesus’ arrest would all die or be exiled defending his message. What made the difference? The resurrection.

5. The birth and history of the Christian Church (the sabbath day): Just like the origin of the universe demands an answer. The origin of the church demands an answer. The early church was born into the persecution of Rome and the opposition of Jewish leaders. Ancient Rome is gone. Ancient Babylon is gone. The Christian Church remains. Christianity exists because the early church was fully convinced of the historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection. (So convinced that Jewish Christians began practicing the day of rest on Sunday instead of Saturday (their Sabbath), because Sunday was the day of Jesus’ resurrection.)

(Spurgeon once wrote, “He has risen! He is not here.” That is the epitaph inscribed on Christ’s tomb. On other people’s graves it is written, “Here lies so-and-so,” but on Christ’s tomb it is recorded, “He is not here.”)

The whole world is invited to the open tomb. We are invited to look inside and see. And when you see that he is alive, it demands a response…

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.”

It’s one thing to be a witness; it’s another to give a witness. People who are hurting need this hope. And the disciples were desperate. They were still living in the shadow of Saturday. They followed Christ for three years. They hoped in him as the Messiah. They knew he had the words of eternal life. Now he was dead, and in his greatest hour of need, they failed him. When he prayed, they slept. When he was arrested, they ran. And when Jesus was on trial, Peter denied him.

Satan must have had a field day accusing Peter. I wonder if he thought, “Jesus said I would lead the church, but I can’t even stand up to simple opposition. Jesus told me that he prayed for me, but I couldn’t control my anger when I was afraid. I’m unfit to be a leader. I’m unfit to be a follower. Maybe I should leave fishing for men and return to my old profession.”

After Jesus defeated death, who is on his mind? Peter. When the angel said to tell the disciples, Peter was obviously included. But God emphasized the need to get Peter. “And Peter,” Go get Peter.

There are some in this room who are living in the shadow of Saturday. You may think to yourself, “The resurrection works for others, but it won’t work for me. Jesus can forgive others, but he can’t forgive me. I’ve fallen too far. My mistakes are too big. Friends, those lies are from the depths of hell. Hear the words of God from Revelation 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

The resurrection validates the gospel, and the resurrection is for you. If you will trust in him, he will unlock the doubt and guilt that have chained you down.

“And Peter.” “And you.”

8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, (They ran) for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Not exactly a Hollywood ending. You would expect the birds to be singing as these women pass by Jerusalem homes, declaring, as Paul Revere, he’s alive, he’s alive!

Instead, they initially tell no one. They are speechless. They are overcome. Just as Christ physically rose, their reaction is physical as well. Just as the disciples were afraid after the storm was calmed, who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him. Mark ends with the women feeling, who is this? Even death obeys him.

Our mission as a church is to live every day captivated and changed by Jesus. To say that these women were captivated is an understatement. They are gripped. Astonishment seized them, and the world forever changed.

The sandals of these women who ran with the good news reached the disciples. Who ran into all the world reaching you, today, in Chesapeake, Virginia. What are you going to do with the baton?

Have you been captivated and changed by the resurrection?

Beethoven / not experiencing the sound and power of the Ninth “Ludwig van Beethoven continued to compose and conduct even after becoming profoundly deaf, with his most famous feat being the 1824 premiere of his Ninth Symphony. Completely unable to hear the music or the applause, he relied on visual cues, and a soloist had to turn him around to see the audience’s ovation.”

Consider the tragedy of this image; though he knew every note, he did not fully experience the power of his music.

I first learned of the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection when I was younger, but it would be years before I lived in the power of the resurrection. After today, it is possible to know that he rose, but not live in that power.

Romans 8:11, If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

How would you live differently if you more deeply believed that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you? Would you have more courage? Would you go and tell your neighbors? Would you love your enemies? By his grace, you can.

The shadow of Saturday is gone. The baton is in your hand. Will you go and tell?

Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.