The King Is Risen
The king is risen.
That is both the title of the sermon and the theme of this holiday. And I am thankful that we get to celebrate it in the spring when God's creation becomes an interactive parable of New Life. Flowers of the first thing to come to my mind when I think of spring particularly the perennials the ones that you don't have to plant every single year these plants that somehow survived the 6-month onslaught of a record-breaking Wisconsin winter and a rough from the ground in a beautiful vibrant display of Life conquering Against All Odds. I say helpful. It was stration in some ways of the resurrection of Jesus Christ something buried coming to life but there still a huge difference between flowers blooming in spring in the Son of God rising from the dead for example. flowers survive the winter
But Jesus did not survive the cross.
This is not survival Sunday or resuscitation. Sunday is Resurrection Sunday. Some more accurate analogy Than Just Flowers in your yard is perennials blooming Every Spring more accurate. Analogy would be putting a fragile houseplant. outside at the beginning of winter so early September for Wisconsin
at the first night when it gets cold enough to frost you see this plant fatally damaged and you watch it shrivel to nothing as the temperatures plummet Sub-Zero. And then you watch it completely entombed beneath several feet of snow and ice and finally five months later. The temperatures rise above freezing for a day and they the men that top layer of snow reviewing. Not a dead plant Frozen in the ice, but a flower beautiful flower Frozen in the ice. And as the weeks go on you watch the snow melt away only to reveal the houseplant. You yourself verified was completely dead down to the roots is now more alive and vibrant than ever before.
There's no true hundred percent accurate Parable for the resurrection of Christ that because this is what Jesus did he did not conquer the odds of survival. He conquered the impossibility of Resurrection. Proving that he is not merely the King of Kings, but also the king of all creation.
Raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God in the Heavenly places far above all Rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named not only in this age, but also in the one to come. To Our Risen King Jesus belong glory and Dominion forever and ever and we have come today to give him that glory and happily submit to that Dominion as those that he has delivered from the Dominion of darkness and transferred to his kingdom. So what's continue doing this submission is Happy submission this glad giving of glory to Christ through prayer and then the preaching of his word on spray.
Father in heaven, we are in a beautiful Sanctuary that you have. Reserved and held and given to us as a place where we may worship you. And we are thankful for what you have done and growing our church and then bringing us to this point.
But I don't want there to be anything competing. For Glory here other than Jesus risen from the dead. I don't want us to be amazed and blown away at stained glass for vaulted ceilings and wants to be blown away with Christ risen from the dead present with us by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of his word. I want us to be blown away by you and your glory and nothing else To God would you come and do that? This is only accomplish herbal. By the work of your spirit in our hearts and our minds and our lives. I cannot make this happen through any resource of my own. none of us can So God, would you please come and help us to worship you in spirit? And in truth is you are worthy of being worshipped. And let us help us to adore you as we ought and Marvel at you as we ought. Help me to do that through the preaching of your word help me to do it Faithfully. That you might be exhausted and glorify. It's in your name that we ask all of these things. Amen. Are sermon text today is Mark chapter 15 starting in verse 40 going all the way to chapter 16 verse 8 and dividing Us in two points, which again recently following the storyline of what we read. So first Jesus's burial and chapter 15 verses 42 47 and then Jesus's resurrection and 16 verses one through eight left on the screen but encourage you to fall on in your Bible as well. starting Mark 15 verse 40 There were also women looking on from a distance among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph and salami. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and minister to him and there were also many other women who came up with them to Jerusalem. And when evening had come since it was the day of preparation that is the day before the Sabbath Joseph of Arimathea and respected member of the council who is also himself looking for the kingdom of God took courage and went to pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilot was surprised to hear that he should have already died and summoning the Centurion. He asked him whether he was already dead. And what do you learn from the Centurion that he was dead. He granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph brought a Joseph bought a linen shroud and taking him down wrapped him in the wind and shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the Rock and he rolls a stone against the entrance of the Tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jose is saw where he was laid. When the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James and Salome e bought spices so that they might go and anoint him very early on the first day of the week when the sun had risen they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another. Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the Tomb? And looking up they saw that the stone has been rolled back was very large and entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side dressed in a white robe and they were alarm and he said to them do not be alarmed you suggest this of Nazareth who was crucified he has risen he is not here see the place where they laid him, but go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee there. You'll see him just as he told you And I went out and fled from the tomb for trembling and astonishment had seized them and they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid.
So this passage begins with the introduction of three women Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James the younger and of Josephus and slow me technically speaking Mark introduces these women in reference to Jesus's crucifixion, which we looked at last week and not his burial for focusing on this week, but I'm including it here their introduction. It's in Mark's gospel because of the role that these women play during Jesus's three-day stay in the Tomb the rest of the story they are main characters and so is take a quick look at who these women were starting with Mary Magdalene. Bible tells us three things about her In this passage first. She was from the town of magdala on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee Magdalene indicates her birthplace not her last name II Jesus had previously cast seven demons from her read that and Luke chapter 8 verse 2 and Mark 16:9. She will get next week. And third she was one of the first to hear that Jesus had been raised from the dead and the first to actually see that Jesus had been raised from the dead is the consistent testimony of all four gospel authors and green. that Mary fulfill that role next is Mary the mother of James and Joseph and Mark doesn't explicitly say that this is Jesus's mother. I'll but she fits the description remarkably well back in Mark 6 chapter by chapter 6 verse 3. The people of Nazareth is Jesus's Hometown rejected him saying is not this the carpenter the son of Mary and brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon are and are not his sisters here with us and they took offense in him. So we discover there's that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit, but after giving birth to him, she had other children including two named James and Joseph now while it is possible that two different women named Mary both had Sons named James and Joseph and follow Jesus.
Far more likely the Mario chapter 6 verse 3 is the same as the Mary found in 15 verse 40 who is also Jesus mother. And the last woman named here is slow me. This is the only passage in the entire Bible that mentions her. So all three of these women we learn here about all three of them. They all followed and ministered to Jesus From Galilee where he began his public Ministry all the way to Jerusalem the site of his public execution. They listened to the whole way.
I watch Jesus died on the cross from a distance in Jerusalem. Some take that phrase from a distance to be a criticism of the women, but I think it's really a criticism of the 12 men that Jesus handpicked as his closest Companions and disciples who were nowhere to be found.
News 12 men were long gone One of them even as a betrayer. Yet these three women remain close enough to behold the entire tragedy of Jesus's death. Two of them that the Mary's they stay even longer to watch is Joseph of Arimathea bearings and seals Jesus in the Tomb is also a story found in all four gospels. So Joseph was a Jewish man from a town called Arimathea and Mark says that he was a respected member of the council.
We can confidently assume that this refers to the Sanhedrin. Since that is the only Council mentioned in the whole gospel snow the council mentioned. So too either fill you in or refresh your memory. The Sanhedrin was the Jewish ruling Council that had falsely tried accused and condemned Jesus and then beat him delivered him over to Pilot and stirred up the crowd to demand his crucifixion. That's what the council did the last time they showed up in Mark's gospel.
Luke 23 verse 51 says that Joseph had not consented to the council's decision and action
But he clearly didn't use his position as a respected member to make any attempt to defend Jesus, which I believe makes him Guilty By Association.
That raises the question. Why would a respected member of the council responsible for crucifying Jesus determined to honor him with a proper burial before his dead body it even been removed from the cross.
What changed for Joseph? Why did he go from cowardly abstention? two courageous action That's the kind of change that Mark and Plies when he says that Joseph took courage it took up courage that he previously lacked you didn't have it before. I will send you takes it up.
How it wasn't that the danger had decreased for him. And so he felt a little more courageous for that reason the Jewish Council still considered Jesus a blasphemer against God. The Roman government still consider Jesus and Insurgent against Caesar and associating with him even after his death could raise the threat from one or both sides. There's no less danger because Jesus was executed. and since they were both trying to eradicate his movements the danger was maybe even greater for those who wanted to follow him. So I think the answer to this riddle is wrapped up in the phrase that says Joseph was looking for the kingdom of God.
Looking for the kingdom of God. That's the reason he took up courage. For someone truly looking for God's Kingdom. It is impossible to behold Christ crucified and not at least Glimpse that which you seek.
Consider also the inscription of the charge against Jesus nailed to the cross along with his hands and feet Red King of the Jews.
Couldn't be more blatant.
Joseph behold the glory and greatness of both God's King and Kingdom upon looking at the one who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Inshort Joseph took up courage to ask for Jesus's body after seeing Jesus take up the cross unto death.
the crucifixion of Christ that gave him courage
and if there's one thing that Mark wants to make absolutely clear In this passage it is that Jesus died.
Throughout history a variety of heresies. In and outside of the Church of claimed that Jesus didn't really die. Some of them are well-intentioned saying one So Glorious could not have suffered so terrible and cursed a deaf but well-intentioned or not. They are still heresy. And they usually will say Jesus was either rescued from the cross or he was replaced. On the cross before and they just thought that it was Jesus who was crucified but in any claim denying Jesus's death is totally contrary to what the Bible teaches In this passage alone. There are 5 explicit proofs in as many verses that show Jesus died. First Joseph asks for Jesus's body. Which pilot interprets as a claim that Jesus had already died. So understand dead body is what they're talkin about 2nd at Pilots command the century and verifies that Jesus was indeed that you surprised that it happened so quickly, so he sends Century in a commander of a hundred soldiers to go and verify it 3rd and response to the centurions report that Jesus wasn't a dead pilot cramps grants the courts to Joseph. Clearly speaking of his dead body fourth Joseph removes Jesus's corpse from the cross. Rapson and burial cloths lace him in a tomb cut out of rock and then seals it with a very large Stone. In modern terminology Joseph single-handedly holds a funeral and interment service for Jesus.
V the Mary's see where Joseph laid Jesus to rest the ancient equivalent of seeing Jesus is Tombstone and in the the freshly turned Earth over his grave that that's what it meant for them to see where Jesus had been laid. None of these people were mentioned here. Thought he wasn't really dead. They were eyewitnesses Joseph took him down from the cross. He removed the spikes from his hands and feet. There's no way. He had survived.
Now when there is this much detail given about Jesus's death. I find it shocking that there's relatively little detail given about his resurrection.
At least in Mark's gospel. Chapter 15 ends with Joseph ceiling. Jesus is corpse in the Tomb of a very large Stone and chapter 16 begins with Jesus already on his way to Galilee.
I just Skips a whole scene there. The only substantial details really come in verse 6 he has risen he is not here. That's really all that. We we get and then I just I don't know about you, but at least me just starving for details. I just want to know if this is his victory I want and I want to know. I want to know what happened. And if this would be why condensing the Lord of the Rings into a sentence like a really short guy inherits an evil ring, but it gets rid of it and go sailing. like you kind of skipped over some things like what was the ring? Where did he sail to what happened? How did he get rid of it? All of these details not in that kind of asking that question you I want to know what was it like for Jesus to take his first resurrected breath.
What was his first resurrected thought?
Was the tomb still dark was there some sort of light? Emanating from his body is it came back to life? The first thing he said with that resurrected breath.
How exactly did God raised Jesus up? Did he just did he speak over him? This is my beloved. You are my beloved Son like you did at his baptism or Transfiguration. Were there signs of power and majesty and Glory going on at the same time or was it a quiet Victory this moment tender silent secret moment between Father and Son. and spirit
They're so little detail in Mark's account of the Resurrection here in chapter 16 that it might leave some readers wondering how much does Jesus's resurrection even matter. Clearly with the if we're just thinking about details and description Jesus's death on the cross is primary. In Mark's gospel and spent a lot of time on that. Is it that important? Or even compared to other books of the Bible. Is it that important to me Paul's letter 1st. Corinthians has the same number of chapters is Mark. It's not as long as it by word count, but the same number of chapters and yet Paul devotes an entire chapter the longest one at that entirely to the importance of Resurrection. Both Jesus's and our own through faith in him. It's chapter 15. Any even go so far in that chapters to say if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain your faith is futile. You were still in your sins and we are of all people most to be pitied. You can't put more emphasis on something than that is Peter does he's be saying? no resurrection of Christ no Christian faith Jesus's resurrection was fake. So as the Christian religion, we should be pitied more than anybody else on the planet.
But here in Mark's gospel, it's just he has risen he is not here.
So Where do we get some help with this puzzle?
First this is not the only place in Mark that mentions Jesus's resurrection.
We have to get a running start and see it all all the markers indicating that it was going to happen. Jesus himself explicitly spoke of it. No less than seven times in the last 7 chapters. So what it misses in detail makes up for in repetition. Consistently says after I died on the cross three days. I will rise again.
He prophesied that along with everything else that happens up to and including his death on the cross and the second key to this puzzle. Is that that repetition? Of prophesying his resurrection. It adds tremendous power to what we read in verse 7 of chapter. 16 says go and tell his disciples and Peter that he is going for you to Galilee there. You will see him just as he told you.
He's expected you you were listening to him, right? This is not this shouldn't be surprising to you disciples that he rose from the dead. He's told you seven times minimum that was going to happen. So Go to Galilee. What are you waiting for? He's going to meet you there. He told you. That's why I sent it. It's not so much a lack of detail. kir Jesus just accepted expected his followers to believe what he said.
He he expected simple face. And Annette this up simplistic Faith like this vague determination to believe regardless of evidence or truth or any reasonable and work as a reason to believe. It's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the simple faith believing with Jesus sets.
Letting his word stand is the only proof that you need to believe and Obey what he calls you to do. I think that's the simple faith that Jesus expects consistently throughout the gospel of Mark making verse 7 a challenge that asks anybody who hears do you believe what he has told you? Forces the question everybody is reading so lack of details is not a problem that sings you believe what he told you simply. The woman's response here is an unclear. Answer to that question. And then I tend to think their initial response was not simple faith. So that 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. So they were told not to be alarmed. And yet were seized with trembling in astonishment and fear.
They were told to go to the disciples. But instead they they fled like the disciples from the tomb. When the 11 flee from Jesus in Chapter 14 verse 50th exact same word as used of these three women fleeing from the tomb they were told it to go tell the disciples about Jesus's resurrection and plans to meet them in Galilee. But instead they say nothing to anyone for they were afraid so they close their mouths the told to speak. And they don't. Because they're afraid.
No. That fear didn't last very long.
Front of the other gospel authors, they tell us that they too took up courage after meeting the Risen Christ at the tomb.
But in markets just left with the final word afraid. Most scholars believe that this was the original ending of Mark's gospel probably have some notes in your Bible about that bracket in the ESV. It says some of the earliest manuscripts do not include verses 9 through 20. We'll talk about that next week. But if this is where Mark's gospel ends, very puzzling ending, isn't it just leaves with Followers are afraid don't say anything do they meet him? I want and I want some information. What happened? It might seem surprising in an ineffective way to end the story of Jesus's Ministry in his life, but it's actually really powerful because I think it it makes a presence at least two challenges for the reader for us when we when we read it end at these three women were afraid and then said nothing to anybody challenging Us in two different ways first challenge. believe what you have been told believe what you have been told Challenging to do that so often we discover that while God's King and kingdom are not what we expected. They are far better than we could have imagined. And we see this with remarkable Clarity and concentration here at the end of Mark and one of them want to point it out ever since it has its being forsaken by God on the cross breathing his last thing start to change from that point the people who you would least expect to start to believe or turn to him or consider him. They start doing it a Roman Centurion overseeing Jesus is crucifixion is the last person you'd expect to be the first to confess that Jesus was the son of God. But he was the first.
a prominent member of the council that condemned Jesus to death is the last person you'd expect to be the first to honor Jesus after he died, but he was the first
and that is funeral the only
and a group of three women whose testimonies would be inadmissible in that day.
are those the last people that you'd expect to be the first to witness the resurrection because neither witnesses that Resurrection have no credibility at all four people in that culture
She's not right, but that's the way it was then. And yet God chose these three women to be the first ones to Witnesses Resurrection. and a betrayed abandon condemned crucified moth reviled forsaken dead and buried man is the very last person anyone would expect to be the Sovereign glorious preeminence and resurrected King of Kings Lord of lords light and savior of the world sacrificial lamb and beloved Son of God and the object of blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever but he is
So all of this comes together to prove there is no circumstance or obstacle to believing what God has told you in his word that God that God cannot overcome. by the power of His Holy Spirit because the least likely people to overcome unbelief or the ones who do right after Jesus breathed his last and that is good news for Sinners Like Us. Jesus is risen. And we will see him that is universally true testimony of the Bible. Every person will see him not in Galilee, but face-to-face at the end of our Lives before him as our perfect and righteous judge. And if we repent and believe in the good news of his death and Resurrection before we stand before him for judgment, then that judgment over us on that day will be not guilty. By grace through faith by the blood shed for you, not guilty. That will be the judgment. and if we refuse to repent and believe in the good news of his death and Resurrection, then his judgment will be guilty as charged
some people are offended. by the snooze and I understand cuz that was my first reaction to it as well. For several times I heard it, but I I plead with God on your behalf this morning that he would help you to see this as the most wonderful news in the universe.
The blood of Christ is sufficient. For The Ransom of your life and the Forgiveness of your sins. You don't need anything else.
The work you could never do as a sinner. Jesus has done for you as your savior. The work Jesus has accomplished as the savior is powerful enough to forgive and cleanse every sin confessed and surrender to him in faith. No matter how severe. He conquered his own grave. Let him conquer yours, too.
1st Corinthians, 6:14 promises God praise the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. And that power comes to us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and elsewhere God promises. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved this morning. The word of God is come to you. Challenging you to believe that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. That is what you have heard the clear to you and the challenge for you. End of Mark 16 on this Resurrection Sunday morning. Do you believe what you've been told? Pray to God to help you to believe it. Second Challenge is to hell what you have been told? The command to go and tell of the Risen Christ was not for those three women alone. Mark began the gospel with Jesus going to Galilee his Mark chapter 1 verses 14 and 15. Jesus went to Galilee proclaiming the gospel with God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel. And now ends with him returning to Galilee to meet with his disciples and Empower them to carry on the exact same message. Go continue declaring that same truth. and Paul takes up the same charge in Romans asking series of questions how then Will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him? Whom they have never hurt and how are they to hear without someone preaching and how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news and preaching of the good news message of Jesus Is Not Just for Jesus or for his chosen disciples back in the first century or four angels? It is for everyone who would follow him. That charge to go until the Christ have been risen was entrusted to these three women the least likely in that time to receive that end Venture Way They Were faithful to do it and we must be as well to the challenge to us here is believe what you've been told and also tell what you've been told about Christ.
As usual in our church When We Gather we take communion as a reminder of our unity in the gospel by the spirit around the death and resurrection of Christ. We remind ourselves and one another that we have been forgiven in the past historical event of Jesus's resurrection is death and resurrection that we participate in that Grace currently right now and in the future, we will gather with him again because he's raised from the dead all of those things are true. So we Proclaim his death until he comes we read the end or time with taking communion. And every time we celebrated we declare Our Hope in the resurrection Jesus's resurrection and hours through faith in him. This is one of the ways that we Proclaim with our mouths and then show with our actions that in our hearts. We believe that he's been raised from the dead. If you believe that this morning and would like to confess it in word and action by celebrating communion. Please do that with us. And if you do not yet believe then please do not take the bread or the cup until you do and we will pray for you that you would that God. Would you a miracle in your heart and help you to believe what you've been told this morning?