Urgency pt14

(Read Mark passage- all of it)

The Markan account of the resurrection is very brief. But it contains some simple and significant points that are crucial for us to understand as we celebrate Resurrection Day

Jesus was dead- v44-45- it is confirmed by both Pilate and the centurion that Jesus is dead- and Joseph of Arimathea receives His corpse- there have been a lot of suggestions that Jesus passed out, or swooned- these are not held up by eye witnesses or those who handled Jesus’ body after it came down from the cross- not to mention the spear that punctured His heart

Jesus was buried and His tomb was known- v46-47- both Joseph and both Mary’s know where the tomb is- there was no mix up or confusion- and the body of Jesus was wrapped in such a way that the idea of Him being “alive” and surviving for two nights in a tomb with the injuries He had suffered to “escape” is ludicrous-

The first eyewitnesses were women- v1-8- if you wanted to start a legend about a still dead man, you chose the worst witnesses possible- women’s testimony was not admissible in court- they were not considered credible- so the fact that Mark identifies them as the first eyewitnesses gives further credence to his accuracy AND to the fact that a true miracle had occurred.

The Message of Mark 12. The Resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:1–8 [9–20])

It is on the testimony of women that the gospel miracle of resurrection has to be believed in. The testimony of women did not count in the judicial hearings of the day. It was not the status of the witnesses, but the truth to which they testified which was the ground for believing.

Further, these women are given a message, one that they are to pass on that requires an act of faith on their part- to go back home and expect to see Jesus there. In every instance in Mark, and in our lives, the expectation is that faith will require ACTION, it will compel us to DO something, not to be passive! (Gospel presentation here- not mere intellectual assent or desire to be like Jesus but a move from death to life)

The Message of Mark 12. The Resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:1–8 [9–20])

There is, however, one final point. The second contrast from the angelic messenger is, ‘He is not here … He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him …’ (7). The evidence they needed, of his life and death and resurrection was there as the adequate basis for their faith and the abiding model for their discipleship. But the very entering into it must be a faith act. They must travel to Galilee (back home) as though he were there in order to discover that he was there. Faith is to be a daily exercise of walking to where the Lord has gone, believing him to be there and finding him to be so. It is not a procession of cast-iron certainties, but an experience of trust in him who lived, and died, and rose to be with them forever. And they will find him at home. This is the faith and the discipleship to which the gospel has drawn us from the outset.

Mark ends here abruptly. Which is consistent with the style of the whole Gospel. He starts abruptly and ends he same way. And it is also in keeping with His Gospel’s theme of a challenge to the reader to put their faith into action, even if the people who he is writing about fail to do so- as the women initially did in this passage. (more on that later) The latter verses of the passage are in later manuscripts, which means they may have been pieced together from other sources. So I want to pick up the story in the Gospel of Matthew- which incorporates large parts of Mark in its Gospel.

We do not know why Mark ends here. We do know that Mark’s Gospel was used to help form the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. We also know, thanks to other Gospels, that the initial fear of the women was overcome by two things- presence and obedience

Matthew 28:8-10, 16-20

What overcomes their fear?

Seeing Jesus. First, they heard He had risen and they were afraid- who would not be? What was this resurrected Jesus be like? Would they be able to see Him? Was this some elaborate prank or scheme?

Then they saw Him, and they KNEW.

How do they find Him? He seeks them out as they leave the area of the tomb.

After they go and tell the disciples, the disciples have a choice. To continue to despair as if Jesus is still dead, or to continue to have faith in Him and wait for Him to find them. They choose to have faith and it is rewarded when Jesus comes to them. And where does He meet them- Galilee!

That is the whole truth of the Gospel- from Genesis 3 to the Resurrection- God seeks us. He finds us in our sin. He finds us at our worst. And He loves us to Him. And He does that because we of His great grace and mercy.

Grace- getting something we do not deserve- we get forgiveness, a second chance, a seat at the table with God

Mercy- not getting what we do deserve- we do not get wrath ad judgment- Jesus took that for us

And what does Jesus ask of us in return?

That we would give our lives to Him and spend them for the Gospel.

(Read Matthew 28:16-20)

Obedience- you cannot stay silent, because not only have you been in His presence, you have been commanded by His word!

What does this tell us?

Jesus has the authority to tell us what to do

He has a job for each of us- no deviations or deferments- as we are going we tell people how to follow Jesus, bring the into the church and their identity as part of the family of God, and help them to learn what it means to be obedient to Jesus

While we are doing this, Jesus never leaves us

So the question this morning for all of us is where are we with Jesus?

First, have you accepted Him as Savior?

Second, are you obeying Him as Lord?