The Risen Savior

Followers?

Like many terms in our modern lexicon, the term “follower” means less today than ever.

We “follow” each other on social media…

We “follow” certain sports teams and/or television shows…

We sometimes call ourselves “followers” of certain people…

But, when we consider the traditional Christian faith, past down from the first century through today, the term was a much weightier term.

It was, and should still be, a costly term. A term that says, “I’m defined by following Jesus.”

However, for many people who profess to be Christians today, this is either more about appearances than consistent actions, or something we say with the hidden caveat that there are certain aspects of our life the aren’t completely sold out to following Jesus.

I say all that, because as we consider this message this morning, I want us to consider two questions:

Is Jesus really worthy to be followed completely?

What kind of follower am I, really?

Background: Mark 15:42-47

For two days Jesus body lay in a borrowed tomb.

He endured the Roman scourging, being brutalized and mocked by Roman soldiers, his own people, and the religious leaders…being crucified…and being abandoned and forsaken by all, even God, as he became the very embodiment of sin.

The disciples were scattered, hiding, in fear that they too will be arrested and killed.

It seems as if all hope was lost.

However…

Focal Passage: Mark 16:1-8

Verses 1-3

After the Jewish holy day of worship and rest, the women who remained devoted to their rabbi go to anoint the body.

This was a way of showing affection for their dead loved one.

They rise early in the morning and head to the tomb they’d seen Joseph of Arimathea put Jesus body in.

On their way to the tomb, notice a few important things:

The women aren’t looking to see if Jesus really rose from the dead as he said he would. They were coming expecting to see a dead body…

On the more positive side, they come in spite of the fact that they have no idea how they will move the large stone out of the way.

Maybe they hoped some of the soldiers would move it? Maybe they hoped they could all give it a go? Maybe they hoped that someone would be there to help them?

Truth be told, people don’t often think rationally when they are grieving…

Their devotion pays off…

Verses 4-5

When they arrive, their problem has already been solved!

The large stone has been moved…not so Jesus could get out, but so they could get in!

When they enter the tomb, they are shocked to see someone there…but not just anyone…it’s an angel!

It says they were “alarmed” which is closely linked with the words “overwhelmed” and/or “distressed.”

Angels were often depicted in the Bible and in Hebrew stories as lovely young men dressed in white…

Not with wings and halos…in fact, only seraphim had wings; and halos are a creation of Western art…

But the angel’s appearance isn’t the really important point here, thus Mark spend no time trying to suggest his identity.

What’s important is his message!

Verse 6

The Gospel of Mark really has three climatic statements:

The first comes when Jesus is before the Jewish religious authorities:

Mark 14:61b–62 ESV

But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

The second is the confession of the Roman centurion that Jesus was the Son of God

Mark 15:39 ESV

And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

This was especially important to Mark’s Roman audience…

The third is what the angel says here: the Jesus is the Risen Lord!

Then he follows that up with an important charge:

Verses 7-8

Then the angel charges them with the important task of going to get the other disciples, and Peter.

Why was Peter mentioned separately?

Some say because Peter was disqualified as one of the disciples until Jesus reinstated him.

However, all the disciples denied Jesus in their own way in the garden when they abandoned Him. Additionally, Mark never mentions Peter being reinstated, so it’s highly unlikely that he would end on such a negative note for Peter.

I believe it’s more likely that Peter was the apostle who was ministering to the people of Rome, and thus we have Heavenly conformation for Peter’s ministry to the Roman people.

The message is to go to Galilee and that Jesus would meet them there, just as he told them.

Then one of the most fascinating things about this Gospel happens…it ends with verse 8!

Wait a minute preacher, my Bible has 12 more verses!

Next week I’m going to share with you that I believe that vv. 9-20 are later additions and that Mark actually intended to leave it at v. 8…but you’ll have to come next week to find out why!

Why would that be so fascinating then?

The answer is in the challenges I believe Mark leaves with us:

So What?

Jesus is the sacrificial atonement, who died for the sins of His people.

Mark says very little about Jesus Resurrection…

No appearances, no sayings, no commissions, no nothing.

In fact, Jesus last words in this Gospel are “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Kind of a downer, right?

Wrong!

Mark’s message is vital to hear today!

In a day when people want their ears tickled with happy messages and pithy sayings, Mark shows Jesus as the crucified Lord.

The message is clear: sin has a heavy price.

Jesus died because mankind is sinful…each of us are sinful…and the consequence for sin is eternal death.

But Jesus came as the gift of God…the righteous who died in the place of the unrighteous.

And all those who would have faith in him would be saved.

See Mark’s Gospel doesn’t offer a lot of “proofs” for the Resurrection…(we love proofs today)

No matter what I laid out as proofs, it still is up to the individual to believe; to have faith.

So, the question isn’t, did Mark prove it to you…the question is, do you believe it?

Jesus is the Risen Lord, who rose victoriously from the grave.

For those who do believe, the heavy price that was paid in full on the cross leads to the triumphant exclamation at the tomb: “He has risen, he is not here.”

Believers, we do not serve an ancient miracle worker, a dead philosopher, a god now represented by a rock, or a prophet who left a bunch of life principles. We serve the only Risen Savior!

Muhammad, dead. Buddha, gone. Krishna, outta here. Ancestors, in the ground. Spirit-gods, never existed in the first place.

Jesus the Christ…alive!

Jesus work for his followers is not finished yet… who will follow?

Mark ends with a calling that we should all answer.

The calling to the disciples is to go back to where is all started…back to Galilee.

Remember, all of these guys deserted him…we might tell them to go to Galilee…and jump in the Sea!

But Jesus tells them that he will meet them there.

What an incredible, life changing message!

As modern-day believers, we must go back to the basics of our faith…i.e. living for Jesus today and each day.

To follow Jesus is to truly follow him in our entire life, not just when it is convenient or “works” for us…

It’s about being defined by your followership of Jesus.

When we do this, Jesus will meet us there, and that story will change our entire lives.