sf507 - THE HIGHWAY TO HOPE - PART 7 -The Surprising Sunday (Mark 16 1-8)
Mark 16:1-8
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been surprised?
Some of life’s surprises are fun and good. Like the time you were surprised with a special gift or party. Some of life’s surprises are not so good. Like those calls you receive in the wee hours of the morning concerning the well being of a loved one. Or when you discovered that you had to pay more tax to Uncle Sam.
We live life trying to eliminate surprises. That is why we buy insurance so we can cope with unexpected expenses. We save for retirement so we can have income when we retire. We work hard to eliminate surprises.
However, we cannot eliminate all of life’s surprises. Some surprises are welcomed. Some surprises are not welcomed.
Have you ever been surprised by God?
Our text today is about some folks who were surprised by God. But first, let us go back in time a few days and remember what they had just experienced.
Three days before, they had seen the one whom they thought would become the King of Israel arrested by their own Religious Rulers. Three days before, they had watched while the one they had followed and believed was falsely accused and abused. Three days before, they had stood by as the Romans convicted and crucified their Lord and master. Three days before, they had heard Him cry in pain from the cross “It is finished!” Three days before, they had heard that the veil in the Temple that separated the most holy place from the people had been torn from the top to the bottom. Three days before, they had hastily taken His body from the cross, prepared it for burial, and laid it in a borrowed tomb. That was then, but now it was Sunday and they had come to finish the task of burial and to properly mourn the death of their Lord. O, but were they in for a surprise!
What did you come expecting today?
Listen closely and you may very well leave here surprised by God! Let us see how God surprised those who came to the first Easter service…
1A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND A CORPSE...BUT THEY FOUND A KING!
1B. They were sure that Christ had died. (15:44-47)
John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
The practice of the Roman soldiers was to break the legs of those being crucified. This practice was considered merciful because it would hasten death. But when they came to Christ He had already died, so no bone of His was broken.
2B. They were certain that Christ’s body had begun to decay.
They had buried Him in haste
John 19:40-42 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Because of the Sabbath observance they had to quickly prepare and place Jesus’ body in the tomb. They planned to return after the Sabbath and complete the burial process. The Jews believed that after three days the body would begin to decompose. Enough time had passed that they were sure that decay had already set in. They had surely prepared themselves for the grim sight and smell that would have awaited them.
3B. They discovered that Christ had risen! (16:4-7)
The resurrection sets Christ apart for all other religious leaders!
They have been and remain numerous so called prophets and teachers. There have been many that have been loved and adored by mankind. There have been hundreds perhaps thousands who have died as religious martyrs. But only ONE has ever risen from the dead!
Acts 2:24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it
Acts 2:31-32 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
He arose, He arose! Hallelujah, Christ Arose! No one prior to Christ or since Christ can claim this distinction. Mohammed is still in his grave, Buddha is still in his grave, Joseph Smith is still in his grave, Jim Jones is still in his grave. But to the glory of God, when you come to the tomb of Christ you must exclaim with the angels, “The Tomb is empty, Praise be to God!”
The resurrection sets Christ above all other religious leaders!
Revelation 17:14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
Not only is Jesus Christ different from other religious leaders He is greater than any other religious leader! He has conquered death, Hell, and the grave! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and some day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father!
2A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND DEATH...BUT THEY FOUND LIFE!
1B. Their dreams had been shattered.
They had hoped for military ruler.
Three days after the crucifixion the disciples on the road to Emmaus can be heard saying…
Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.
They were sorely disappointed that Jesus had not conquered Rome. What they were yet to realize was the He had conquered an even greater enemy, death! For the empires of man would come and go, but death would remain man’s greatest enemy. He had conquered death, once for all.
They had gotten a suffering servant…
1 Peter 2:23-24 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed.
In the place of a victorious conquering King they had seen Jesus arrested, abused, and crucified. In the place of sovereignty, they saw suffering. Frankly they were not ready for these events. Though He had tried to prepare them, they had ignored His warnings. They had looked past His Words and looked for what they thought they needed. How like us these early disciples, we often ignore the real truth of our need for cleansing and salvation and seek what we think we need from Christ. Those disciples misunderstood, they thought they needed an earthly King but what then needed was an eternal Savior. We think we need earthly things, we say if I could just get a new job, or a new car, or a new house, or even a new spouse, life will be good. But what we really need is a new life, eternal life, life that can only be found through faith in Christ.
2B. Their greatest fears had been confirmed.
They had been scattered and scared
Jesus warned them of His impending arrest and death. In fact He had told them that they would flee.
Mark 14:27 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.'
Indeed, when Jesus was arrested they reacted just as He had predicted.
Mark 14:50 Then they all forsook Him and fled.
3B. Their faith had faltered and failed.
Judas had betrayed Him with a kiss.
Peter had denied Him.
The others had abandoned and doubted Him.
Their faith faltered so much that they met the announcement of His resurrection with disbelief and skepticism.
Luke 24:11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
4B. They found life in a graveyard!
Luke tells us that when the women arrived on Sunday morning to complete the task of embalming Jesus. They were greeted by angels who declared…
Luke 24:5-6 …"Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen!”
5B. They found victory in the place of defeat!
The place of their greatest sorrow was miraculously transformed into the place of their greatest joy. What had began as a day of mourning was suddenly transformed into a day of rejoicing. That is what the resurrection is all about; turning death into life, turning sorrow into joy, turning mourning into rejoicing, and turning defeat into victory.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
3A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND GRIEF...INSTEAD THEY FOUND JOY!
1B. They had lost their leader...
John 6:67-68 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
They were indeed like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus was everything to them. He was their life and their Lord.
2B. They had lost their friend...
John 15:13-14 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
They had found in Jesus not only a teacher and a leader, but a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
“I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me, He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. The Lily of the Valley, in him alone I see all I need to cleanse and make me fully whole. In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay; He tells me every care on Him to roll. He’s the Lily of the Valley the Bright and Morning Star, He’s the fairest of ten thousand to may soul” (Charles W. Fry).
3B. But, they found their Savior and Lord!
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
Matthew 28:8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
Go Beyond the Cross
There is a place in the Italian Alps where an outdoor crucifix has been erected. One day a pilgrim noticed that a little trail continued up the hill beyond the cross.
He fought through the brush to follow the trail to a shrine of the empty tomb. Almost everyone had gone as far as the cross but had stopped there.
You may have gotten as far as the cross and know the despair and heartbreak of sin. Today, go beyond the cross and find the joy of the empty tomb!
APPLICATION
What did you come expecting to find?
Perhaps you to have been surprised by what you have found...
Not condemnation or defeat – but forgiveness and new life!
THE COMPLETE STORY
A poem by L. W. Beckley entitled, "The Rest of the Story."
We are wont to sing of shepherds
And the heavenly glory bright,
Of angels and their message
On that peaceful, holy night.
But so oft we end the story
When 'tis only just begun,
For we fail to give the message
That this Child is God the Son
Here to give Himself a ransom,
Crucified on Calvary's tree,
Through His blood providing pardon,
Perfect cleansing, full and free.
And the tomb, thank God, is empty;
Jesus sits at God's right hand
Now a loving, mighty Savior;
Spread the news to every land!
That risen Savior comes to you today with the offer of a new day!
But more, He comes with the offer of new life!
And the surprising part is He has done everything necessary for you to have this new life as a free gift!!!
Will you leave here today with a…
Living King in the place of the corpse of sin?
Eternal life in the place of certain and eternal death?
Joy in the place of grief and despair?
You can if you leave here with Jesus!
Mark 16:1-7
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been surprised?
We live life trying to eliminate surprises. We buy insurance so we can cope with unexpected expenses. We save for retirement so we can have income when we retire. We work hard to eliminate surprises.
However, we cannot eliminate all of life’s surprises.
Have you ever been surprised by God?
Our text today is about some folks who were surprised by God.
Three days earlier, they had seen the one whom they thought would become the King of Israel their own Religious Rulers. Three days earlier, they had watched while the one they had followed was and believed was falsely accused and abused. Three days earlier, they had stood by as the Romans convicted and crucified their Lord and master. Three days earlier, they had heard Him cry in pain from the cross “It is finished!” Three days earlier, they had heard that the veil in the Temple that separated the most holy place from the people had been torn from the top to the bottom. Three days earlier, they had hastily taken His body from the cross, prepared it for burial, and laid it in a borrowed tomb. That was then, but now it was Sunday and they had come to finish the task of burial and properly mourn the death of their Lord. O, but they were in for a surprise!
What did you come here expecting today?
Listen closely and you may very well leave here surprised by God!
Let us see how God surprised those who came to the first Easter service…
1A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND A CORPSE...BUT THEY FOUND A KING!
1B. They were sure that Christ had died. (14:44-47)
John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
2B. They were certain that Christ’s body had begun to decay.
They had buried Him in haste (John 19:40-42)
3B. They discovered that Christ had risen! (16:4-7)
The resurrection sets Christ apart for all other religious leaders!
Acts 2:24 "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Acts 2:31-32 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
The resurrection sets Christ above all other religious leaders!
Revelation 17:14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
2A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND DEATH...BUT THEY FOUND LIFE!
1B. Their dreams had been shattered.
They had hoped for military ruler…
Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.
They had gotten a suffering servant…
1 Peter 2:23-24 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed.
2B. Their greatest fears had been confirmed.
They had been scattered and scared (Mark 4:27, 50)
3B. Their faith had faltered and failed.
Judas had betrayed Him
Peter had denied Him
The others had abandoned Him.
4B. They found life in a graveyard!
Luke 24:5-6 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 "He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,
5B. They found victory in the place of defeat!
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
3A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND GRIEF...INSTEAD THEY FOUND JOY!
1B. They had lost their leader...
John 6:67-68 Then Jesus said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away? 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
2B. They had lost their friend...
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
3B. They found their Savior and Lord!
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
Matthew 28:8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
Go Beyond the Cross
There is a place in the Italian Alps where an outdoor crucifix has been erected. One day a pilgrim noticed that a little trail continued up the hill beyond the cross.
He fought through the brush to follow the trail to a shrine of the empty tomb. Almost everyone had gone as far as the cross but had stopped there.
You may have gotten as far as the cross and know the despair and heartbreak of sin. Today, go beyond the cross and find the joy of the empty tomb!
APPLICATION
What did you come expecting to find?
Perhaps you to have been surprised by what you have found. Not condemnation or defeat – but forgiveness and new life!
THE COMPLETE STORY
A poem by L. W. Beckley entitled, "The Rest of the Story."
We are wont to sing of shepherds
And the heavenly glory bright,
Of angels and their message
On that peaceful, holy night.
But so oft we end the story
When 'tis only just begun,
For we fail to give the message
That this Child is God the Son
Here to give Himself a ransom,
Crucified on Calvary's tree,
Through His blood providing pardon,
Perfect cleansing, full and free.
And the tomb, thank God, is empty;
Jesus sits at God's right hand
Now a loving, mighty Savior;
Spread the news to every land!
That risen Savior comes to you today with the offer of a new day! But more, He comes with the offer of new life! And the surprising part is He has done everything necessary for you to have this new life as a free gift!!!
Will you leave here today with a…
Ø Living King in the place of the corpse of sin?
Ø Eternal life in the place of certain and eternal death?
Ø Joy in the place of grief and despair?
You can if you leave here with Jesus!
Mark 16:1-8
1A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND A CORPSE BUT THEY FOUND A ________________!
1B. They were sure that Christ had __________. (14:44-47; John 19:33)
2B. They were certain that Christ’s body had begun to _____________. (John 19:40-42)
3B. They discovered that Christ has _________! (16:4-7)
The resurrection sets Christ __________ for all other religious leaders! (Acts 2:24; 31-32)
The resurrection sets Christ ____________ all other religious leaders! (Revelation 17:14)
2A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND DEATH BUT THEY FOUND ________________!
1B. Their _____________ had been shattered.
They had hoped for military ruler. (Luke 24:21)
They had gotten a suffering _______________(1 Peter 2:23-24)
2B. Their greatest ___________ had been confirmed. (Mark 14:27, 50)
3B. Their ________________ had faltered and failed. (Luke 24:11)
4B. They found ___________ in a graveyard! (Luke 24:5‑6)
5B. They found victory in the place of __________! (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
3A. THEY EXPECTED TO FIND GRIEF INSTEAD THEY FOUND _______________!
1B. They had lost their ____________. (John 6:67-68)
2B. They had lost their _____________. (John 15:13-14)
3B. They found their _________ and __________! (John 20:28; Matthew 28:8)