Looking for Jesus

Scripture Text:

Mark 16:1–20 KJV 1900

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Key Text

Philippians 3:10–11 KJV 1900

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Easter eggs from the resurrection account

Mark gives us the outline of some Easter eggs (hidden things) that we will consider from each of the other Gospel narratives.

They are even well in order in our scripture text.

Egg #1

Matthew 28:11–15 KJV 1900

Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

They seen the truth!

Rather than have the truth found. They chose:

Great sums of money.

To have a reasonable explanation of what happened.

TD Jakes

We need things to happen among us that can’t be explained. There’s no good earthly reason how it could have happened. God still performs miracles.

(How I am now the pastor of Gospel Tabernacle)

We are talking about finding Jesus. So the religious rulers wanted to hide the truth. There are good people that doesn’t know any better. But there are also those that hide the truth because if you have part of of it, you run the risk of having all of it.

Egg #2

Luke 24:13–17 KJV 1900

And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

What manner of communications are these???

Human reasoning.

We can’t find faith in our human reasoning.

Definition of Faith

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Human reason. That which is seen.

Faith evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 AMP

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Faith is our receipt!

Egg #3

The last of our Easter eggs, Mark told us Jesus upbraided them or in other words, He gave them a whipping.

Merriam-Webster defines

Upbraid:

1: to criticize severely : find fault with

2: to reproach severely : scold vehemently

HELPS Word-studies

3679 oneidízō (from a primitive root meaning "to upbraid, revile, like in showing one's teeth," K. Wuest) – properly, to disgrace (insult), reproach; mock (curse); insult, cast blame (create shame) – viewing someone (something) as culpably guilty and therefore deserving punishment.

Now this doesn’t sound like the Jesus in our minds...

Notice it says He (Jesus) upbraided them WITH their unbelief and hardness of hearts and for their unbelief and hardness of heart.

John gives us the insight to how this was done.

Read John 20 and 21 on your own time

John 21:1 KJV 1900

After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

End with our key text.

Philippians 3:10–11 KJV 1900

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

There has to be a fellowship of suffering to be a knowledge of power.

There has to be a death for a resurrection.

This doesn’t mean God gets pleasure in making our lives hard. This means that because we love, follow, and believe in Jesus, the world will hate us. We must die out to the systems of this present world. We shouldn’t try to fit in!

HELPS Word-studies

4833 symmorphóō – (from 4862 /sýn, "together with" and 3444 /morphḗ; "form embodying essence") – properly, sharing the same form from embodying the same inner (essential) reality; to be conformed to the glory of Christ.

And one day as He was glorified, so shall we!