The Testimonies of the Resurrection
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The Testimonies of the Resurrection
The Testimonies of the Resurrection
Are the testimonies of Christ’s resurrection recorded in the Scriptures, all that people need to really “believe’?
As we ponder that question, the Apostle Paul treatise on Christ’s resurrection being integral to the Gospel, points out that while the Scriptural records of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ were unquestionably true, it seemed that the appearances of the risen Christ were what imbedded the Gospel in the hearts of those who believed - 1 Cor 15:3-4, 5-8. I would suggest that the same is more true today than we care to admit.
When those who hear testimonies of the risen Christ, but do not personally see Him, hear Him, bow before Him, will they bow before Him and believe?
For those who will accept/receive them as true, the testimonies of the resurrection of Christ recorded in the word of God are essential faith foundation, but only for those who by faith have met the risen Christ are born again and are energized by the truth of the Gospel.
To put it another way, true biblical conversion is not simply believing in the truth of the resurrection, it is believing in the risen Christ.
At the end of Mark’s record of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we see the need not only of the testimonies of the resurrection of Jesus, but also the risen Christ and embracing Him by faith.
Mark recorded three testimonies of Christ’s resurrection:
The testimonies of the resurrection are important not only because they are part of Scripture but also because the resurrection is an essential part of the Gospel. Christ’s resurrection in the foundation/ cornerstone of the Gospel. Without Christ’s resurrection there is no tangible verifiable guarantee of eternal life for those who believe.
As Dr John MacArthur wrote in his commentary on Mark,
Mark 9–16: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 35: Amazement at the Empty Tomb (Mark 16:1–8)
The resurrection is not the epilogue or postscript to the life of Christ, it is the culminating climax of His atoning work.
The death, the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ is central to the Gospel. But if there is no resurrection, the cross would be a discouraging end and there would be no hope of salvation from sin. JESUS IS NOT STILL HANGING ON A CROSS. JESUS IS NOT IN GRAVE IN ISRAEL. JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. JESUS ASCENDED AND SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. THIS SAME JESUS WILL RETURN.
If that was the case, the truth, our hope , the Gospel is vain and we are liers.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Mark’s 3 testimonies of Jesus’ resurrection are the most condensed. Because of Mark’s condensed account we will also refer to other parallel accounts in the other Gospel records. That was in keeping with Mark’s record, just the facts. With our Bible open before us it is worth noting, that the testimonies recorded in Scripture are that Christ has risen, rather than the process of the resurrection.
Mark 9–16: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 35: Amazement at the Empty Tomb (Mark 16:1–8)
As one commentator explains:
None of [the Gospels] includes an account of the actual rising of Jesus from death, and all assume that this has taken place at some time prior to the discovery of the empty tomb. The setting for the discovery is remarkably down-to-earth.… This is not the stuff of a heroic epic, still less a story of magic and wonder, and yet what underlies it is an event beyond human comprehension: the Jesus they had watched dying and being buried some forty hours earlier is no longer dead but risen.… It is in this incongruous combination of the everyday with the incomprehensible that many have found one of the most powerful and compelling aspects of the NT accounts not of Jesus’ resurrection (for there are none) but of how the first disciples discovered that he had risen. (R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark, New International Greek Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002
Empty Tomb - 16:1-5
When the Sabbath was past - Saturday - sundown/about 6 p.m.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome
Other Gospel writers recorded that other women were also there including Mary the mother of Jesus, Joanna
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,
Mary Magdalene - from whom 7 demons had been cast out
Joanna - wife of Chuza - Herod’s household manager
and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
Mary, mother of James & John
Salome
Brought spices so that they might anoint Him. At least observed the initial burial by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus late on Friday before sunset. While Nicodemus had provided 75 pounds of spices, these ladies brought more to insure that everything was well done.
Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
Because Jewish people did not embalm, the spices were an act of love and to mask some of odors connected with the decomposing of a body.
First day of the week, when the sun had risen - Matt 28:1- it began to dawn - Luke 24:1 - at early dawn .
John recorded that Mary Magdalene arrived first while it was still dark.
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Mary’s reactions to the empty tomb - grief and panic - assumed someone gah stolen Jesus’ body. Never assuming that Jesus had risen, she fled to tell Peter.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
Other women - who will roll the stone away? Looking up the very large stone rolled away.
Knew that Joseph had secured the tomb and the stone - 15:46
Unaware that the religious leaders had sealed the stone and dispatched a detachment of soldiers to guard it - Matt 27:62-66
Also unaware of the supernatural localized earthquake earlier in the morning and the arrival of the angel who rolled back the stone - Matt 28:2-4 - for fear the soldiers became as dead men and eventually fled - Matt 28:4
Saw that the stone had been rolled away so that the women and others could see & go in. In His resurrection body, Jesus could pas through walls - Lk 24:31; Jn 20:19
Entered and saw empty - Lk 24:3 -not expecting resurrection - came with spices
Evidence of Jesus’ resurrection began with the empty tomb.
Soldiers knew that it was empty - Matt 28:11
Religious leaders knew that it was empty - Matt 28:13
Peter & John, the women and others like Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus never disputed the empty tomb.
Jesus’ enemies never disputed the empty tomb, they tried to explain it - bribe the soldiers to lie saying that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body
ULTIMATELY THE EMPTY TOMB WAS ALL ABOUT JESUS RISING FROM THE DEAD AS HE AD PROMISED -Matt 12:40; Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34; Lk 13:32; 18:33; Jn 2:19
2 . Angel(s) - 16:5
While we are not told how the women reacted to the stone being rolled back, we are told that they were alarmed when the saw what Mark records as a young man dressed in a white robe sitting at the right side.
Alarmed ESV & NIV - amazed NASB - affrighted KJV - startled/awe struck - terrified & bewildered - bowed faces to the ground - Lk 24:5
Roman soldiers collapsed as dead - Matt 28:2-4
Young man - angel in human form - Matt 28:5; Jn 20:12; Gen 18:2; 19:1-5; Dan 10:16
Angels - Jn 20:12 - Mk & Matt only mention one, perhaps because only one spoke - re other encounters recorded in Scripture sometime one of the two mentioned when named or spoke - Bartemaeus - Matt 20:30; Mk 10:46; Lk 18:38 - 2 demoniacs at Gesara where only one spoke - Matt 8:28-29; Mk 5:2, 7; Lk 8:27-28
White robe - dazzling appearance would have indicated from heaven - Lk 24:4
3. The Testimony of the Angel - 16:6-7
Mark’s focus and that which the Spirit of God burned was mostly about the women, the empty tomb and the testimony/directive of the angels.
In the midst of his brevity, Mark devoted 2 verses to the testimony directive of the angel. That seemed to have imbedded itself in the hearts of the women and later his disciples and Peter. Mark alone records this.
And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus 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 will see him, just as he told you.”
Do not be alarmed - COMMAND - pres. neg imperative - stop an action in process
You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified - The women were at the correct tomb
He has been raised- aor. pass - He as been raised
Though Jesus had the authority and the power to lay down His life and take it up again - Jn 18:18 - the NT teaches that He was raise by the power off both the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Each member of the Godhead/trinity took part in the resurrection as they did in creation - Gen 1:1-3; Jn 1:1-3
He is not here.
Why do you seek the living among the dead? - Lk24:5 - mild rebuke
See the place where they laid Him - Later Peter & John - saw the linen wrapping lying there and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself - Jn 20:6-7 -the women would have seen the same thing.
As an emissary of God, the angel’s testimony/directive te testimony of God Himself.
Mark 9–16: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Testimony of the Angels (16:5b–6)
As one author observes:
The announcement of the divine emissary establishes an inseparable continuity between the historical Jesus and the resurrected Jesus. The one whom the angel invites them to know is the one whom they have known. The announcement of the angel is literally the gospel, good news, and the place which the gospel is first preached is the empty tomb that both received and gave up the Crucified One. (James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, Pillar New Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002], 494)
Go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.
Peter singled out because he is the leader of the disciples and because even after his recent denials of Jesus, Peter was still a disciple - Mk 14:66-72 - Peter’s personal recollection
Two initial responses to the testimonies - Mk 16:8
Fled from the tomb - went out from the tomb
With this statment, Mark explained the interaction with the angel took place in the tomb.
Trembling & astonishment had seized them
Trembling - tromos - physical shaking resulting frm great fear
Astonishment - ekstasi - astonishment , Gr word gave us the the English word ecstacy
Went to tell the disciples
They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
It goes without saying that the women did speak to Peter & John.
Other than that Mark was very clear. They spoke to no one else except the disciples. Following that pattern the disciples even after hearing the testimony of the women, and after hearing Peter’s & John’s testimony said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. There is also the indication that they did not believe the women.
Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus’ time with the 2 on the Road to Emmaus, betray the fact that although the women told the disciples that the tomb was empty, neither the core disciples nor the wider circle of disciple were ready to proclaim the reality and truth of the resurrection.
Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
From what we read, the was really no open proclamation of the resurrection until Pentecost.
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
Fear - form of the Gr word phobeo - phobia - afraid - not from the threat of being harmed from a sense of bewilderment. Matthew noted that the fear was mingled with great joy because Jesus was alive.
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
After the women left and told the disciples as commanded, only Peter & John came to the empty tomb - Jn 20:-9; Lk 24:12.
Mary Magdelene returned to the tomb after Peter & John left. This time she saw the angels again and met Jesus, mistakenly thinking that He was the gardener
Then the disciples went back to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Jesus also appeared to the other women.
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Three Postscript appearances/meetings with Christ:
- Mary Magdalene – 16:9-11; Jn 20:1, 17-18; Lk 24:10-11
- Two Disciples – 16:12-13; Lk 24:13-35
- The Eleven/Great Commission – 16:14-20; Lk 24:36-40; 24:51-53; Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:43; 5:12; 16:18; 28:3-5; 1 Cor 15:3-4, 5-8; 2 Cor 12:12; Acts 1:9; 2:33; 5:31; 7:55; Heb 1:3; 2:3-4
From what the Scriptures indicate, it was not only the reports of the resurrection/empty tomb but seeing Jesus, plus the empowering of the Holy Spirit the propelled the proclamation of Gospel including Jesus’ resurrection.
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Testimonies, true testimonies of the risen Christ are good, very good, but they are not enough. In a similar vein, testimonies, true testimonies of those who met Jesus are good, very good, but they are not enough. We need to bring people to meet the risen Christ. How do we do this?
Affirm the truth and uniqueness of the testimonies of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Truth and transparency of the Scriptural record is refreshing. Even the questions and lies of the opposition were included.
Not fairy tales or empty platitudes
Funerals excellent preaching/teaching opportunities - affirming hope
Evidence that demands a verdict - Josh & Sean McDowell
The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel
Graciously and prayerfully bring others to a place where they have an opportunity to meet/see/believe in Jesus Christ.
Word of God - narrative, study, interactive, inductive, discussion with a view to a decision
Experiencing God - Henry Blackaby
Christianity Explored
Rather than invite, come with me - develop relationships, use terms that unbelievers understand
Witness - collaberate/affirmed
Up to date, today
Worship - blended music, prayer, expository preaching
Not what do I like but what might God use in the lives of my children, grandchildren and those whom I bring with me who seem open to the Gospel