Mark 16:6 "The greatest news in time and eternity"

A farmer went to his banker and announced that he had bad news and good news. “First, the bad news...” “Well,” said the farmer, “I can’t make my mortgage payments. And that crop loan I’ve taken out for the past 10 years—I can’t pay that off, either. Not only that, I won’t be able to pay you the couple of hundred thousand I still have outstanding on my tractors and other equipment. So I’m going to have to give up the farm and turn it all over to you for whatever you can salvage out of it.”Silence prevailed for a minute and then the banker said, “What’s the good news?” “The good news is that I’m going to keep on banking with you,” said the farmer.

This is the Gospel (Good news) message, we cant pay the debts that we owe God but God made a way that we can still have a relationship with Him!

The gospel: “Tells rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the sinner canceled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone.

The greatest News in time and eternity is a two fold TRUTH, Jesus paid the ransom for us sinners and gives new life to us saints!

I. The Ransom

The day Jesus was crucified was the darkest day in all humanity. The Lord Himself did for us what we couldn't do, pay the hefty Ransom put on us by Sin and by doing so He proved His great love for us!

A. He Paid Our Ransom

At the fall mankind became bound by sin and a price was put on each person’s head, eternal death. However, at Calvary Jesus paid the price, He gave His eternal life so that you may be ransomed from the slave market of His! He paid a ransom for you!

A Ransom is a price paid to purchase someones freedom -

In 1193, the English King Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was returning from leading a Crusade to the Holy Land. As he returned through Europe, Leopold V captured him in Austria. The Holy Roman Emperor demanded a ransom for Richard's release. The price was to be 150,000 marks, equal to three tons of silver. This was an enormous ransom demand. But the people of England so loved their king they submitted to extra taxation, and many nobles donated their fortunes for Richard's release. After many months, the money was raised and King Richard returned to England.

Mark portray’s Jesus the heavenly Lord who became a servant to man kind in order to give His life as a ransom for all who would trust in him!

Mark 10:45 ““For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””

1 Tim. 2:6 “who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”

B. He Proved His Love

John 15:13 ““Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” BUT WE WERE SINNERS

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

ILL: Talk is cheap, its easy to say I love you but God demonstrated His love for us. I worked for the largest and greatest wedding band manufacturer in the world, without having to anneal our wedding bands you could stretch them 6 sizes, understanding talk was cheap I would demonstrate this for my prospective customers in order to prove my claim, that’s what God did for us, proved His claim that He loves us with so great a love!

II. The Resurrection

At the Crucifixion of Jesus, all seemed lost. The Savior was dead and with Him the hope of those who trusted in Him. But He told them what would would happen (Mark 8:31, 9:31) now the empty tomb gives evidence and the angel proclaims “He is risen, He is not here!” This is proof that Jesus is the Son of God, His Ransom was recieved and that there is hope for the disciples of Jesus.

A. Proves He is the Son of God

In his gospel, Mark, calls Jesus Son of God, the demons call Jesus the Son of God, The Roman Centurion calls Jesus the Son of God, but the Resurrection is proof positive that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah the Jews had been looking for. The true Savior of humanity! Mark 1:1, 3:11, 5:7, 15:39

Romans 1:4 “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

Speaking of Jesus, the Psalmist writes;

Psalm 16:10 “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”

On third day Jesus arose to new life and this Proves He is the Son of God, Savior of the World, and His Sacrifice was accepted by God.

B. Proves There is a future for us

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

1 Cor. 15:55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Conclusion: The Greatest news in Time and eternity is the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died to pay the ransom demanded for our sin and arose to life so that we may have life eternal.

Today you may find yourself at a fork in the road while confronted with the Gospel truth and are asking yourself what do I do, which way do I go? Do I continue down the path I have been heading or do I follow Jesus?

I recall a story told of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa, Some of his friends asked him, “why have you become a Christian?” “Why follow Jesus?”

He answered, “Well, its like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road are two men, one dead and one alive - which one would you ask which way to go?

Follow the living! For only the living Savior can impart life eternal!

Do you want to hear the greatest news in time and eternity? Jesus gave His life for you so that you can be reconciled to God and arose from the dead for you so that you can have eternal life!