The Son has risen Mark 16

Mark is the most difficult gospel to use to preach on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore I have never used it as my primary text.

There are a few reasons for it. Some debate textually about the end of Mark, I don’t want to do that on Resurrection morning. The other that fits more with me is that it is very brief, to the point, and it focuses more on the people involved than putting the focus on Jesus.

You may say I don’t like that.… This is resurrection morning our focus should be on JESUS!!! Good point it should. But if you were here last week, that is the point. Jesus came not to serve but to serve. He came meek and lowly quiet as a lamb lead to the slaughter. In Mark 15 Jesus says nine words in Mark, the gospel records no words of the resurrected LORD until right before He ascends to heaven.

From Mark’s divinely inspired point of view. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and the sacrifice doesn’t make it all about Himself.

Jesus was a humble sacrifice.

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

That is the point of the book of Mark. I believe that when we get to the throne of God we will see the Seraphim. and when I see their four faces and one of them has the face of an ox. I will say HA that represents the book of Mark! Jesus came here to get the job done!

As the King does He get all the glory! Yes! Matthew speaks of that.

As the perfect man, is He given credit for being the first one to do it right, He succeeded where Adam failed. Yes Luke speaks of that

As the Son of God, does He deserve all the majesty! Yes! John speaks of that and our relationship with the Almighty.

But in Mark! He came and did what He needed to, He got the job done and that was enough.

We need to serve like Jesus.

John 13:14–15 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

Serving like Jesus means go get the job done, all glory goes to God. It’s not about me. Its about Him. How could do all those things. Be the great King of King and resurrected LORD, while being humble, while having all of heaven rejoice at His victory and minister to people and Be the Story and not have to be the focal point of the story all at the same time. Only Jesus!

The Son had Risen

Mark 16:1–2 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

This verse is gives us some information about resurrection morning

Mark tells us three of the women that were at the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome!

It tells us what they were doing they were coming to anoint the body of Jesus

It tells us that Sabbath was over.

The 1st day of the Week! Sunday! This is why we worship on Sundays, The Son had risen.

As I was reading this I was debating how to handle Resurrection Sunday morning. We usually start our Sunrise Service at 8:00

This year Sunrise was at 6:39 So I was like what should I do.

Jerusalem’s sunrise is about 20 minutes before ours in the Spring. All that being said I believe that we probably aren’t correct on when to celebrate Christmas we are much more accurate on when to celebrate Resurrection, so we are talking these women got to the tomb probably between 6 - 6:30 in the morning. Thais was the first thing on these ladies mind.

The Son will rise.

Mark 10:33–34 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.

Jesus often talked about the Son Rising from the dead. He did it clearly 3 times. OF COURSE He did. He also hinted at the resurrection a number of times. He new that this day was coming and do you think it didn’t play into it that as the sun rose on that 3rd day that Son would rise at the same time. I know that the play on words is only so nice if you speak English. But it is still a powerful message to the world I don’t think that it was a cloudy morning that morning. It is a sharp contrast to the darkness of Crucifixion day.

The stone is too heavy.

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

When the 3 women arrive at the tomb they consider that the stone over the grave was too heavy.

Our sins are too heavy.

Psalm 38:4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Much like the stone that is too heavy to move to get to the empty tomb. Our sins our too heavy to move on our own.

The stone was rolled away.

Mark 16:4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.

I love that Mark puts in that detail. It was very large. In case you missed it, it was very LARGE! So is the burden of our sin in case you missed that. Too large for any of us it doesn’t matter if it is three women or an army of men.

Jesus moved it out of the way.

Colossians 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

WAIT PASTOR, someone says. A good Bible scholar says Matthew 28.2 says that the Angel of the LORD, rolled the stone away from the door. OK! I am not talking about the stone here. I am talking about a bigger object. Something no angel could have moved. JESUS the Son of God moved the barrier of sin away from you and allowed you entrance to to heaven! Praise God for that

The announcement!

Mark 16:5–6 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.”

THAT ANNOUNCEMENT IS AWESOME!

The announcement of His Birth is Wonderful! But that was only a promise that Messiah had arrived and He will bring Joy to the world.

Once again the angel had to calm the shepherds just as this angel had to calm the women.

NO FEAR

You Seek Jesus.

Jesus was Crucified.

He is risen, He is not here!

Look at the evidence.

That is a lot packaged into a little message.

It is awesome. Because Angel in Bethlehem said mission started. The Angel at the empty tomb said Mission Complete. Here is the PROOF!

The empty tomb is still the proof that everything is different. I tell you what I see the world differently because Jesus has risen. I believe it and I hope that you do to.

Go spread the message.

Mark 16:7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.

Jesus had purchased entrance to heaven. All who believe have access to heaven. Nothing is stopping us from going to heaven today. Sometimes I think to myself, whats the worst that could happen to me. Well I could die. Well because of the empty tomb that is also the best thing that could happen to me. I don’t desire to die. But I don’t fear it because the grave is empty. So why am I still here. To tell others that the grave is empty. That is my purpose.

That is what the angels told the women at the tomb to do and it is still the mission.

The Gospel is the message until the end.

Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

In Mark 13 much like Matthew 24 Jesus gives us His prophecy of the end times and tells us a lot of detail about the time around his second coming. He tells us that before the end this is especially clear in Matthew that the gospel must go to the entire world. We are to be working on that. I am really fighting the battle about that. I will be standing on an elevator and I get told tell this person about Jesus. I want to and at the moment sometimes I do, and sometimes I do not. Sometimes I chose to stay quiet. I can stay quiet I am not going to lose my salvation. But I am not being a good servant. Doing that which I have been told. I miss the opportunity lay up treasures in heaven.

The women didn’t know how to respond.

Mark 16:8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

I say all that to say that some of you, myself sometime we give into fear. Maybe you have never shared the gospel. Not because you don’t love Jesus not because you are not excited about the Resurrection. But because of fear, you say NOTHING to Anyone. Well you are not alone. That was true of the women. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you. It means that you are afraid. Let the love of Jesus Christ calm those fears. Get closer to Jesus the next thing you know all you will want to talk about is Jesus.

Mary Magdalene encounters Him!

Mark 16:9–11 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

You may not have ever noticed this that is ok, it is supposed to be subtle. But, I try to keep my Sunday Morning sermons Jesus centered. What do I mean by Jesus centered. Well normally I look back over the notes that I put on the screen and I try to make them Jesus centered. I want everything to be Jesus centered. It’s my goal but today I did the exact opposite.

Normally I would change this heading to Jesus encounters Mary Magdalene

There are two things I would attempt to do. I am not always perfect. Sometimes I get into a hurry. But I would

Put Jesus first.

I try not to use a pronoun about Jesus in the bullet points. Am I perfect on this, NO but

I left it. I didn’t change anything, on purpose. Because as I read Mark 16.9-11 Jesus is primary focus. Mary Magdalene is. Let me explain. The name Jesus isn’t found in that section. It only uses pronouns, we know its Jesus. Plus there is no description of Jesus in the garden. You have to go to the other gospels to find that. That doesn’t mean that Mark is bad and the others good. It means he is different. Jesus came to serve to be the perfect sacrifice. To seek and to save those who were lost. In this paragraph the focus is on the LOST Mary Magdalene, she had 7 demons but the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus changes everything in her life. Mark wants you to focus on Mary.

Find rest for your souls from Him who is meek and humble.

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus is both Meek - strength under control and Humble - lowly of heart.

He is the opposite of the devil. And it is important to understand that. In this moment we need to understand that the resurrection shows that Jesus can save you from your sins. He is the meek and humble sacrifice. Does He deserve all Majesty Power and Glory is He the Glorified King of Kings and LORD of LORDs. YES! Absolutely but I guarantee because I looked you are going to see more of that in all the other gospels. But notice the reaction of the believers back in Mark 16 they did not believe, the disciples were mourning and weeping.

The evidence keeps mounting.

Mark 16:12–13 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

We have here a brief compact version of the even we call the Emmaus Walk from the book of Luke. Again take notice. Jesus name still isn’t mentioned. Not that it isn’t important. But I believe that in the book of Mark. This description is so brief. That is on purpose. His mission is accomplished. He is the perfect sacrifice the humble servant and He did all this for us.

The evidence is mounting for the disciples. The women have seen Him the reports are coming that stone has been rolled away now these men say they have seen Him but still the disciples won’t believe them either.

There are some of you that have loved ones who don’t believe. Don’t Quit, do you hear me, don’t Quit!

They can hear the evidence they may not believe. Don’t Quit! They may see it but they don’t believe, Don’t Quit!

The Disciples have an encounter that changes their lives, forever.

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Notice the name Jesus still isn’t named. I find that interesting. It makes me think about mathematical conical sections. Circles ovals parabolas and other shapes that you wouldn’t recognize. But they each have a focal point that isn’t a part of the shape itself. Like let me tell you the simplest. The circle is determined by its center even though the center is not a part of the circle itself. That is what is going on here. The story is focused on Jesus but Jesus isn’t the main character that drives the narrative it is the reaction of the women the disciples.

The disciples Encounter Him I am not afraid to say, they encounterd Jesus and that moment changed their lives. NO that isn’t all that moment changed the world. And Jesus tells them why didn’t you believe. He rebukes their unbelief there hard heart. The same hard heart that you may have encountered. Don’t give up Don’t Quit, one day they may encounter Jesus, His presence will crack through that hard heart. and HE will say hey dummy why didn’t you do this sooner. Than they will probably come to you and say. I am a fool I should have listened sooner. Thank you for not quitting on me. J

Jesus didn’t quit on the disciples.

The Great Commission

Mark 16:15–18 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

God says, “Go into all the World and preach” I am telling you we as a church are trying to make that happen. We have missionaries in Israel, in multiple places of Asia, South America, Africa, I don’t know why we don’t have one in Europe, they need it. Granted we don’t have one in Antarctica. While that allows you to help in the worldwide mission to spread the gospel it doesn’t let you off the hook of telling your neighbor.

CHRIST IS RISEN!

I know we want to share the message of the cross. I appreciate those who wear a cross. Don’t quit! But I hope that cross gives you opportunity to share the empty tomb, don’t forget that part of the story. A lot of people died on the cross, only one conquered the cross and gained victory over death for all sinners forever! That man is my Jesus

The Ascension of Jesus!

Mark 16:19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

I love the picture of the Ascension. I am with the disciples. If I am there I am starring up into heaven. Some angel would have to pick my chin up off the ground too. But do you notice that Mark doesn’t include that because even though He captures this moment His gospel isn’t one of Glory and Majesty it is one of action. Jesus rose from the Dead. Wonderful! He has gone to heaven awesome

Now, Immediately, get to work.

Mark 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Mark the book of action in 16 chapters he uses the word immediately 40 times. that is a lot for that word. I know that the last verse doesn’t use it but it was the first word that I shared with you last week from chapter 15 and well It is my challenge today. Get to work. That’s what Jesus did. Today share the gospel. Cast your sin at the cross, rejoice in our resurrected Lord, Now Go share the news.