Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Last week - looked at burial of Christ.

Focus on the importance - Christ truly did die!

Burial account really is an important aspect

But how important, encouraging and challenging is the resurrection of our Saviour - this is what we consider today!

Preparation for Anointing (vv.1-4)

Verse 1

Sabbath - would have been agonising!!

"Sabbath was over"... just after sunset on the Saturday, so maybe 18:30 or 19:00

Recall 1:32 - when the Sabbath was over, in the evening, they brought all of their sick to Jesus for Him to heal them.

Went to buy spices to anoint Jesus' body

The plan would be then to go VERY EARLY the next morning to do the anointing.

The purpose of anointing was not to embalm, that is, to prevent bodily decay (as was the custom in Egypt) but to perfume the decaying corpse as an act of devotion.

(Edwards, J. R. (2002).

The Gospel according to Mark (p. 491).)

This was an act of love, and act of devotion to the Lord.

This was a last opportunity to show honour to someone that they had devoted themselves to.

BUT!!! - This shows that they did not understand that Christ was supposed to rise...

They were buying spices to care for a dead body.

Even though they had been much with Jesus, they still did not understand.

(neither did the disciples!!)

Something further of significance!! - - - - - -

For the third time Mark lists the names of the women attending the cross, burial, and empty tomb of Jesus (15:40, 47; 16:1).

The listing of proper names—so unusual for Mark—certifies on the basis of eyewitnesses the veracity of the events described.

(Edwards, J. R. (2002).

The Gospel according to Mark (p. 491).)

The ladies names...

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene.

We know little about this woman other than that her name indicates that she was from Magdala in Galilee.

Somewhere in Galilee she met Jesus, who cast seven demons out of her.

She then joined the band of disciples and followed Jesus wherever he went (Lk 8:2), ending up in Jerusalem at the foot of the cross when all the male disciples had fled (Mk 15:40; Jn 19:25).

She observed Jesus’ burial (Mk 15:47) and witnessed the events surrounding the resurrection.

Mary the mother of James

Matthew calls her “Mary the mother of James and Joseph” or just “the other Mary” (27:56, 61; 28:1)

This woman goes by several names, but in each account she appears among Jesus’ faithful female disciples, standing by the cross and witnessing the empty tomb.

Salome

Woman who followed Jesus and was perhaps Mary’s sister and the mother of James and John.

Matthew speaks of two women named Mary, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Salmone), who could have been Salome, while John describes the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus.

If Mary’s sister was Salome, and she and the mother of the sons of Zebedee were one and the same, then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were cousins of Jesus.

(BEB)

Verse 2

The first day of the week comes, and it's VERY early... just after sunrise.

VERY EARLY = 3am - 6am

This however about 5-6am... after sunrise

First day of the week = Sunday

They would need to walk the short distance (a few km) to Jerusalem, to where Jesus' body had been placed.

Remember that they were watching when Jesus was laid in the tomb - they knew where the tomb was!

In this entire narrative, note that the disciples are missing!

Verse 3

As they head to the tomb, a question arises amongst them..." How are we going to remove the stone??"

That was a pertinent question - surprising that they only consider this now, but that's the situation.

Note that Mark mentions in verse 4 that the stone was very large (Mega)

It would have been too large for these 3 women together to roll away.

Probably in the rush of all that had been unfolding, they were not really thinking of all that they needed to.

Most likely they didn't even know that the tomb had been sealed, and a guard placed there - otherwise they may not have gone... they wouldn't have been allowed to open the tomb (Check!!)

Verse 4

As they approach the tomb, they look up, and see that the stone is gone...rolled away..

This large stone had been rolled away!!

God / an angel rolled the stone away

Matthew 28:2 (NIV84) — 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.

This was an act of demonstration of the power of God - that He had worked.

The stone was not rolled away in order to let Christ OUT!

John 20:19 - Jesus appeared to the disciples in a locked room!

The stone was rolled away in order to show the women that Christ was not there... so that they could go in and investigate!

Words from an Angel (vv.

5-7)

Verse 5

When they arrived there, they entered the tomb immediately..

Note the details of the description...

A young man...

Dressed in a white robe... - typical colour of the robes of angels (or Jesus at Transfiguration...

sitting on the right side...

The position of the angel “on the right side” of the tomb, a detail without apparent significance, is not the kind of thing a fabricator would include and hence witnesses in favor of a historical remembrance (Edwards, J. R. (2002).

The Gospel according to Mark (p. 493).)

This man is unidentified, but is most likely an angel of the Lord (see also Mat.28:5)

Matthew 28:5 (NIV84) — 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

The women were "alarmed" - shocked and afraid!!

The Greek word for “alarmed” (ekthambeomai, v. 5), found only in Mark, means both fear and wonder, astonishment and distress; the same word is used in 14:33 of Jesus’ intense distress in Gethsemane.

(Edwards, J. R. (2002).

The Gospel according to Mark (p. 493).)

Verse 6

Angel Response: "Don't be alarmed" - typical response from an angel to people.

He tells them who they are looking for.

The angel knew exactly why they were there.

Again, look at the details.

Looking for Jesus.

The Nazarene (not just any Jesus - a common name!!)

“Jesus the Nazarene” is a more important term for Mark than is usually recognized, having been used previously in 1:9, 24 near the beginning of the Gospel and in 14:67 and here near the end.

It suggests that Jesus was a real person who can be located in history and geography

Who was crucified... hardly a place for someone crucified!!

The details confirm that these women had the correct tomb - they weren't in the wrong place!

But Jesus wasn't there - he was risen!!

The NIV reads, “ ‘He has risen!’ ” but the Greek is more precise, “ ‘He was raised.’

” “Risen” could suggest that Jesus arose on his own, but “was raised” rightly implies that he was resurrected by God.

(Edwards, J. R. (2002).

The Gospel according to Mark (p. 494).)

The angel then invites the women to come in and see the place where Jesus had been laid.

The empty tomb stands as a beautiful reminder to us that sin and death has been emptied of its power over people.

Verse 7

The angel then commissions them - go and tell the disciples.