Sermon Tone Analysis

This morning we are picking back up in our study of the Gospel of Mark.

If you’re new to our church, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then teaching through them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand how God’s Word applies to our lives today.

With that said, we are currently walking through the Gospel of Mark.

A gospel written to teach us who Jesus is, what He came to do, and what it means to follow Him.

And as you could probably tell from the opening video, we are nearing the end of this study of this Gospel.

You may recall last week we looked at the death of Jesus.

An event that left the followers of Jesus stunned as the story of Jesus seemed to come to an end.

But despite the hopelessness of that moment, we learned there was still hope.

That there is another chapter to this story.

We learned as Jesus cried out his last words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, that it wasn’t a cry of defeat or abandonment, but a cry of victory.

We know this because his cries echo the words of the Psalmist in .

A Psalm prophetically written to predict and depict the crucifixion and victory of Jesus.

So, if you missed the message last week, I would encourage you to go online to marysvillefellowship.com where you can listen to it in it’s entirety.

In his final moments Jesus points us to to show us there is another chapter yet to be written and victory is to come.

Because while the Psalm begins with the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (ESV) The Psalm ends on an entirely different note as the Psalmist writes , “All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.

30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.”

(ESV)

The Psalmist says the story begins with our savior nailed to a cross, but it ends with Jesus sitting on a throne.

The story ends with all bowing before Him.

The story ends with Jesus proclaiming victory.

Death has been defeated.

The grave can no longer hold us.

For those who put their faith in Jesus, he has done it, there is victory, it is finished.

That’s the hope you and I have this morning.

And as we’re going to see next week, it’s a hope we can count on as Jesus will conquer death itself.

But the truth is, for those standing at the foot of the cross, the promised victory is difficult to see.

All they can see is his death.

Yes, there’s , and that’s great, but right now, Jesus is dead and it’s difficult to see hope in the midst of loss.

And while we know that to be true, while we know that those who put their faith in Jesus don’t have to fear death.

To be honest, this is the part of the story nobody likes to talk about.

In fact, I think it would be fare to say, that outside of Easter, the burial of Jesus is often overlooked, and something we’d rather not discuss.

Why do you think that is? Probably because it’s a funeral.

An event nobody looks forward to.

An event we all dread, especially when it comes to the loss of a loved one.

Because like all funerals, the burial of Jesus represents loss:

For Mary, it’s the loss of a child.

For the disciples, it’s the loss of a close friend, teacher, and mentor.

And for the many who followed Jesus, it’s the loss of hope, as the one they thought might help them is now dead.

Like all funerals, the burial of Jesus represents a time of grief, loss, and reflection.

And the truth is, we all can relate with this moment.

Because without a doubt, every one of us in this room and watching online have felt such a loss.

We’ve all gotten the phone call or heard the news.

Someone we loved or cared about has passed away.

We’ve all walked past the casket and grieved the loss of a loved one.

A moment when hope is fleeting.

And to be honest, like those who buried Jesus, it’s a moment when it’s difficult for us to find hope.

It’s difficult for us to see past the pain of loss.

Somebody we loved is gone.

In addition to that, it’s always a reminder of our own death.

That one day people will gather to remember us.

That one day friends and family will walk by our casket.

It’s a reminder that our lives are fragile and temporary.

No, funerals are no fun.

Funerals remind us of our loss and our own mortality.

And as a result, it leaves us asking questions:

Why has this happened?

How will I move forward?

Will we see them again?

Did they go to heaven?

Where are they now?

And maybe even more concerning, “What will happen to me when I die?”

And really, that’s the question I’d like to address this morning.

A question people have pondered, discussed, and debated since the beginning of time.

A question that maybe you’ve even considered.

The question of, “What happens to a person when they die?”

Let me ask you something, “Have you ever considered that question?”

Have you ever wondered, “Where will I go or what will happen to me when I die?”

I think if we’re honest, we’ve all asked that question.

We’ve all considered what life after death might hold.

Because after all, we’re all going to have a funeral.

We’re all going die.

Now, at this point, some of you might be thinking, “Wow Pastor, I’m glad I came to church today.

I didn’t know it was going to be so uplifting.

Thanks for the reminder.”

Well, like I said, that’s probably why this passage isn’t preached very often.

Because the funeral of Jesus is a moment we reflect on death.

And the truth is, if we’re going to follow Jesus and lead others to Jesus, we need to understand what death means for the Christian.

So, here’s what I want to do this morning:

But because it is Jesus’s funeral, it raises some questions about death.

Questions we need to know the answers to if we’re going to follow Jesus.

Questions we need to be able to answer if we’re going to lead others to Jesus.

Questions, when answered, that I believe will bring comfort and assurance to us when it comes to our own death.

So, here’s what I want to do this morning:

First, I want to read through the passage and give some explanation to the funeral of Jesus.

Why it happened the way it did and what we can learn from it.

Second, I want to spend the rest of our time addressing two questions.

Two questions we need to know the answers to as Christ followers.

Three Questions:

Two Questions:

Before Jesus came, where did people who go when they died?

The first question we’re going to ask is, “Where did people

Where did Jesus go when he died and why is that important?

Where will I go when I die?

How many of you would like to know the answers to those questions?

I think we all probably would and should.

So, with that as our basis, let’s begin as we pick back up in as we attend the funeral of Jesus.

Beginning in verse 42 Mark writes:

Mark picks back up following the death of Jesus.

If you recall, at the moment Jesus died, Mark and Matthew both record that the temple veil was torn in two, and Matthew says the ground shook and some of the tombs were split open.