Resurrection Reactions

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.720 --> 00:00:04.919 Well, if you're able, please remain standing and let's return our attention. 2 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:13.029 Turn our attention to mark Chapter Fifteen, verse forty, to Mark Sixteen Verse 3 00:00:13.189 --> 00:00:39.609 Eight. So Mark Fifteen, verse forty, this Mark Fifteen, verse forty. 4 00:00:43.049 --> 00:00:47.130 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary 5 00:00:47.210 --> 00:00:51.679 Magdalen and Mary, the mother of James and the younger James, the younger 6 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:57.240 and Josephs and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and 7 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:00.439 ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with 8 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:04.670 him to Jerusalem. And when evening had come, since it was the day 9 00:01:04.709 --> 00:01:10.549 of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, 10 00:01:10.950 --> 00:01:15.390 a respected member of the council who was also himself looking for the Kingdom 11 00:01:15.430 --> 00:01:19.780 of God, took courage and went to pilot and asked for the body of 12 00:01:19.859 --> 00:01:23.939 Jesus. Pilot was surprised to hear that he should have died already and, 13 00:01:25.140 --> 00:01:29.340 someming, summoning the Centurion, he asked him whether he had all ready. 14 00:01:29.659 --> 00:01:33.969 He was already dead, and when he learned from the Centurion that he was 15 00:01:34.129 --> 00:01:40.129 dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph and Joseph bought a linen shroud and, 16 00:01:40.930 --> 00:01:44.129 taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in 17 00:01:44.329 --> 00:01:48.239 a tomb that had been cut out of the Rock, and he rolled a 18 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:53.159 stone against the entrance of the Tomb. Mary Magdalen and Mary, the mother 19 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:57.400 of Joseph, saw where he was laid. When the Sabbath was past, 20 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.590 Mary Magdalen and Mary, the mother of James and Salam, brought spices so 21 00:02:01.750 --> 00:02:07.030 that they might go and annoint him. And very early on the first day 22 00:02:07.030 --> 00:02:09.909 of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb 23 00:02:10.669 --> 00:02:15.150 and they were saying to one another, who will roll away the stone for 24 00:02:15.270 --> 00:02:20.099 us from the entrance of the Tomb and looking up they saw that the stone 25 00:02:20.259 --> 00:02:24.539 of the the stone had been rolled back. It was very large. And 26 00:02:24.780 --> 00:02:30.770 entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed 27 00:02:30.889 --> 00:02:34.969 in a white robe, and they were alarmed and he said to them, 28 00:02:35.530 --> 00:02:39.449 do not be alarmed, you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. 29 00:02:40.289 --> 00:02:46.280 He has risen, he is not here see the place where they laid him, 30 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.560 but go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to 31 00:02:50.759 --> 00:02:53.599 Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. And 32 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:58.949 they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling in a astonishment had 33 00:02:58.990 --> 00:03:02.150 seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 34 00:03:05.229 --> 00:03:07.430 It sends the Reading of God's word, I mean he bless it to us. 35 00:03:08.629 --> 00:03:31.009 You may be seated. The amazing story that we're here to celebrate today 36 00:03:31.810 --> 00:03:37.530 is, of course, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are here to 37 00:03:37.650 --> 00:03:43.520 remember this event in history in which the son of God willingly laid down his 38 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:49.680 life, suffered, died and was buried so that three days later, he 39 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:55.550 would arise from the dead as a hero who conquered death. This is to 40 00:03:55.669 --> 00:04:00.189 say, then, that we come to celebrate not the death of a hero, 41 00:04:00.389 --> 00:04:05.030 but of a hero over death. And there are amazing things as we 42 00:04:05.150 --> 00:04:12.340 consider this, to consider Jesus Christ risen from the dead, this thing which, 43 00:04:12.379 --> 00:04:17.300 from since Adams, since Adam fell into sin, has captured and condemned 44 00:04:17.379 --> 00:04:25.649 us all, every single one of us here, Jesus Christ rises, conquering 45 00:04:25.850 --> 00:04:32.529 over sin and death. And yet this news, this news of a hero 46 00:04:32.889 --> 00:04:39.480 conquering death, does not affect everyone the same way. Some laugh, some 47 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:45.839 mock, some ignore, some belief, some have faith, others have fear, 48 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:50.920 and we see some of these reactions here in this passage. Among the 49 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:57.149 many reactions you have, though, in the reactions to the resurrection of Christ. 50 00:04:57.709 --> 00:05:00.670 Among them, among them all, perhaps the most obnoxious one is the 51 00:05:00.790 --> 00:05:05.069 modern one, a kind of shrug of the shoulders and a cool, I 52 00:05:05.189 --> 00:05:13.300 guess, this kind of nonchalant attitude toward the resurrection of the Son of God. 53 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:18.259 Even those who hated Jesus and did not believe or did not want to 54 00:05:18.379 --> 00:05:24.889 believe didn't react this way. They understood, and people have often and always 55 00:05:25.529 --> 00:05:30.529 understood this claim, the seriousness of it, to claim that someone has risen 56 00:05:30.769 --> 00:05:36.160 from the dead, and not just someone but Jesus Christ himself, the son 57 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:43.759 of God. So what makes the difference? Why do some hear one way 58 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:48.839 and some hear another? The answer has to do with sin and unbelief. 59 00:05:50.389 --> 00:05:57.029 Sin and unbelief. It's kind of a double poison. That change is the 60 00:05:57.149 --> 00:06:02.389 constitution of the human heart. It changes US spiritually in such a way that 61 00:06:02.470 --> 00:06:09.139 even the best news seems like bad news. It's kind of the way a 62 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:14.939 sick person who's has a illness, might have good and nutritious food set before 63 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:16.779 them, and yet they don't recognize it as such. They say, take 64 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:20.730 it away from me, I don't feel like eating. The illness, the 65 00:06:20.930 --> 00:06:27.490 sickness inside, changes your perception of things. That's what sin and unbelief do. 66 00:06:28.170 --> 00:06:31.769 This good news that Jesus Christ has conquered death and that those who believe 67 00:06:31.810 --> 00:06:38.879 in him will conquer death in him, is received as bad news or as 68 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:46.959 no news, because of sin and unbelief. It hasn't always been that way, 69 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:51.149 though. God, when he made man, we read in the book 70 00:06:51.189 --> 00:06:57.149 of Genesis, made man very good, made him very good, he made 71 00:06:57.149 --> 00:07:01.620 him holy and righteous. We know this story how God made man in this 72 00:07:02.180 --> 00:07:08.139 Paradise Garden. But it wasn't just the garden, not and just the flowers 73 00:07:08.220 --> 00:07:13.139 and the trees that were considered paradise. But there is a kind of spiritual 74 00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:17.449 paradise as well, something that's very foreign, from a foreign to us, 75 00:07:18.329 --> 00:07:24.490 a paradise in the heart. What do I mean by that? I mean 76 00:07:24.649 --> 00:07:29.050 that man didn't have sin, that there was an unbelief, that there was 77 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:34.399 close communion with the God who had made him. But when Adam and Eve 78 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:41.399 sinned and disbelieved, when sin and in belief, that double poison came into 79 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:46.670 the world and they disbelieved God's words and they sinned against them. All that 80 00:07:46.910 --> 00:07:55.589 changed and instead of this paradise of a heart, instead of a close communion 81 00:07:55.750 --> 00:08:03.180 and relationship with God, things fell apart. We read in Genesis that when 82 00:08:03.180 --> 00:08:07.180 they heard God walking in the garden, they hid themselves from his presence. 83 00:08:07.220 --> 00:08:13.449 Adam says to God shortly after that, I heard the sound of you in 84 00:08:13.529 --> 00:08:20.490 the garden and I was afraid, in a similar way to these women receiving 85 00:08:20.569 --> 00:08:24.370 this good news from this angel, this good news about the resurrection of God, 86 00:08:24.569 --> 00:08:31.440 about the communion of God with man. They fled, they were afraid 87 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:35.639 and, on top of that, they disobeyed. You See, that sin 88 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:41.669 and unbelief. The Angel specifically says to them, go to Galilee, go 89 00:08:41.070 --> 00:08:46.190 tell disciples. And what does mark say? Happens? They fled in fear 90 00:08:46.669 --> 00:08:52.870 and said nothing to anyone. It's that same old sin and disbelief from early 91 00:08:54.070 --> 00:09:00.299 on that is characterizing on their reaction. It's sin and belief that has been 92 00:09:00.379 --> 00:09:05.019 passed at, Sin and unbelief that's been passed down from generation to generation, 93 00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:11.970 and it's the same break with God that has always been there. It's that 94 00:09:11.129 --> 00:09:16.330 same sin and belief that we recognize in our own hearts. That we recognize. 95 00:09:16.409 --> 00:09:20.330 Why do I not react in a positive way to the resurrection of the 96 00:09:20.370 --> 00:09:26.000 Son of God? Why do I treat it with apathy or mockery or with 97 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:39.710 fear? It's because of that same old problem sin and unbelief. Example of 98 00:09:39.789 --> 00:09:45.830 that that we see here in this garden is quite striking. Consider what happened. 99 00:09:46.870 --> 00:09:52.309 Consider these women. Put yourselves in their shoes. First of all, 100 00:09:52.429 --> 00:09:56.059 back in at the end of Mark Fifteen, we read that these women were, 101 00:09:56.100 --> 00:10:00.379 in a some of the most tenacious among the disciples. If anyone ever 102 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:05.740 doubts a sort of special strength in women, let this example forever put that 103 00:10:05.940 --> 00:10:11.730 to rest. Among all the disciples, among all these men, men filled 104 00:10:11.769 --> 00:10:16.129 with much bravado and Peter Saying, I will follow you to your death, 105 00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:18.970 and James and John Sang the same thing. Don't worry, Lord, we 106 00:10:20.169 --> 00:10:26.519 can drink the cup of wrath that's coming. They all fled. But here 107 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:31.480 we see, at the end of Mark Forty, this this kind of commendation 108 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:37.350 of these women. There were these women looking on at the crucifixion from a 109 00:10:37.509 --> 00:10:41.710 distance. And it even goes on to say that in Verse Forty One, 110 00:10:41.870 --> 00:10:45.549 it gives this background about these women. It says that when he was in 111 00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:48.629 Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many 112 00:10:48.669 --> 00:10:54.419 other women who came up with him from Jerusalem. A close us into the 113 00:10:54.460 --> 00:10:58.539 fact that among the twelve disciples and among the other followers that were following Jesus, 114 00:10:58.899 --> 00:11:03.820 there was a significant group, even a core and even beyond that, 115 00:11:03.980 --> 00:11:09.610 of these women there were following Jesus, ministering to him from Galilee, traveling 116 00:11:09.769 --> 00:11:16.529 with him to Jerusalem and even here at the Cross. A tenacity, a 117 00:11:16.210 --> 00:11:22.840 good tenacity, and following this this Christ who had come into the world. 118 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:26.840 Well, he followed him not only from Galilee but to Jerusalem, and not 119 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:31.840 only for Jerusalem to the cross, but then even to the tomb. We 120 00:11:33.029 --> 00:11:37.590 read that, I'm after Jesus has died. This man, Joseph of Arimathea, 121 00:11:37.309 --> 00:11:41.990 a respected member of the council who himself was looking for the Kingdom of 122 00:11:43.070 --> 00:11:48.019 God, took courage and went to pilot. Imagine that courage that that would 123 00:11:48.019 --> 00:11:52.379 take. Joseph goes to the one who had just condemned Jesus, to the 124 00:11:52.419 --> 00:11:58.740 one who had just made this politically expedient move to get rid of Jesus and 125 00:11:58.139 --> 00:12:03.850 subdue the Jews. And he goes to him and he says, I want 126 00:12:03.889 --> 00:12:11.490 the body of Jesus. Pilot is surprised. He's dead already. Why is 127 00:12:11.570 --> 00:12:18.480 he surprised? He's surprised because crucifixion was meant to carry on to this torturous 128 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:24.000 death as long as possible. It's a perhaps a reminder that even his death, 129 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:28.000 even in the means of his death, Jesus remained in control. He 130 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:35.230 died at exactly the moment that he wanted it to die. Pilot is surprised, 131 00:12:35.110 --> 00:12:41.590 but he asks for proof. Not only he does he ask for proof, 132 00:12:41.669 --> 00:12:46.419 but he calls this Roman guard, this Centurion, this one with command 133 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:50.899 and rank, and he asks him if he's already dead. The centurion certifies 134 00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:56.860 this the death of Jesus, and he gramps grants the corpse to Joseph. 135 00:13:00.210 --> 00:13:05.330 It's getting close to the Sabbath. Joseph Hurry's prepares the body puts him in 136 00:13:05.370 --> 00:13:11.169 a tomb. A tomb in these times was they didn't bury under the ground 137 00:13:11.289 --> 00:13:15.840 as we do today, but often these tombs would be carved out of rock. 138 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:20.039 You could kind of think something of a tunnel. Joseph, being a 139 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:24.759 member of the council, was likely wealthy. It was also likely wealthy to 140 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:30.070 be able to have a tomb already. I'm probably providing a space that had 141 00:13:30.110 --> 00:13:35.070 been designated for some kind of future family member. These tombs were long and 142 00:13:35.149 --> 00:13:41.659 then sometimes had corridors in which various bodies would be placed. And Joseph takes 143 00:13:41.740 --> 00:13:48.539 one of these, puts his Lord this one, puts the body of Jesus 144 00:13:48.379 --> 00:13:52.899 into the Tomb. A stone is rolled against the entrance of the Tomb, 145 00:13:52.899 --> 00:13:58.490 a great, huge stone. And then we read in forty seven that these 146 00:13:58.610 --> 00:14:03.889 women who had follow Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, to the cross, now 147 00:14:03.049 --> 00:14:07.850 followed Joseph to the tomb. And Forty seven we read that Mary Magdalen and 148 00:14:07.929 --> 00:14:13.639 Mary, the mother of Josephs, saw where he was laid. They weren't 149 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:18.080 confused, they didn't know, they knew where Jesus was. They saw his 150 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:24.710 body, they saw where he was laid. And then what happens? Well, 151 00:14:24.789 --> 00:14:28.830 once the Sabbath is passed, they come to him again, perhaps to 152 00:14:28.870 --> 00:14:33.950 show him respect and finish the burial preparations that were somewhat hurried because of the 153 00:14:35.070 --> 00:14:37.940 Sabbath. But now that the Sabbath is over they come. We read in 154 00:14:39.019 --> 00:14:43.980 versus in Chapter Sixteen, early on the first day of the week, they 155 00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:52.100 come to bring spices that they might go and annoint him. As I said, 156 00:14:52.179 --> 00:14:56.529 in the discipleship of these women there's a lot to commend their courage, 157 00:14:56.610 --> 00:15:01.370 their tenacity, the are sticking to it even when many others had not. 158 00:15:03.289 --> 00:15:09.799 And yet we begin here, even in the purpose of their visit to the 159 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:16.240 tomb, we begin to see some cracks in the discipleship, some weaknesses, 160 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:24.509 underlying fundamental weaknesses that are going on. How so well, back in mark 161 00:15:24.590 --> 00:15:28.750 eight thirty one and then again in mark ten thirty three, Jesus told his 162 00:15:28.950 --> 00:15:35.940 disciples some very specific things. So, several chapters ago, several days and 163 00:15:35.139 --> 00:15:39.259 weeks and months before, Jesus had said to them, I'll read from Mark 164 00:15:39.419 --> 00:15:46.139 Ten thirty three. See, we are going up to Jerusalem and the son 165 00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:50.769 of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they 166 00:15:50.809 --> 00:15:56.330 will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the gentiles and they will 167 00:15:56.409 --> 00:16:00.250 mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him and after three 168 00:16:00.289 --> 00:16:08.039 days he will rise we read of this twice specifically in mark, though the 169 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:14.120 impression is given that Jesus said it many more times than that, even just 170 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:18.480 a few days before this moment that we've read of to day, in Mark 171 00:16:18.590 --> 00:16:22.230 Fourteen, Jesus says, after I'm raised up, I will go before you 172 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:26.269 to Galilee. Exactly what the angel has announced, announces to these women. 173 00:16:27.750 --> 00:16:33.100 The point is this that when these women are coming to the tomb, they 174 00:16:33.139 --> 00:16:37.980 should be coming with a certain expectation. Right God, the one, the 175 00:16:38.179 --> 00:16:42.820 son of god, whom they have been following, has told them something very 176 00:16:42.899 --> 00:16:48.649 specific. He's told them that they will go to Jerusalem. He's told them 177 00:16:49.009 --> 00:16:52.210 that the son of men will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, 178 00:16:52.610 --> 00:16:57.009 which happened. He told them that these scribes and priests would condemn him 179 00:16:57.009 --> 00:17:02.639 to death, which happened. He told them that he would be delivered over 180 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:07.160 to the gentiles, ponscious pilot in particular, which happened. He told them 181 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:11.559 that he would be mocked, which happened, and spit upon, which happened, 182 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:17.789 and flogged, which happened, and killed, which happened, and after 183 00:17:17.950 --> 00:17:22.589 three days he would rise. It's the third day, but they're not going 184 00:17:22.910 --> 00:17:29.150 to the tomb to expect something which happened. They're going to the tomb to 185 00:17:29.309 --> 00:17:37.180 expect to find a dead body and they're bringing spices and perfumes to anoint it. 186 00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:41.220 So you see what I mean by saying that. Already here, in 187 00:17:41.579 --> 00:17:45.690 the purpose of their going to visit Jesus, you begin to see some cracks 188 00:17:47.210 --> 00:17:52.730 in the discipleships, some fundamental flaws in where their hearts are at and how 189 00:17:52.890 --> 00:17:57.880 they believe and what they believe about Jesus. There's this respect for his body, 190 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:04.880 but but what about his words? What about his promises? They're doubts 191 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:11.519 that I'm highlighting here are confirmed in their question in verse three. They're saying 192 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.549 to one another, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance 193 00:18:15.630 --> 00:18:19.950 of the Tomb? If they had believed that Jesus Christ had risen from the 194 00:18:21.029 --> 00:18:26.349 dead, surely they wouldn't have expected a stone to be a problem. But 195 00:18:26.430 --> 00:18:30.500 they're not thinking along those lines. They're not thinking about what Jesus said, 196 00:18:30.539 --> 00:18:34.700 or if they are, they don't believe it. They're going to the tomb 197 00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:41.089 expecting to find a dead body. And even if they were expecting to find 198 00:18:41.089 --> 00:18:44.930 a dead body and the hope for the resurrection. You would expect them to 199 00:18:45.009 --> 00:18:49.210 say something like we'll go wait outside the tomb for the resurrection, but that's 200 00:18:49.329 --> 00:18:53.529 not the case. Instead we find them weeping and crying. In the other 201 00:18:53.650 --> 00:19:00.640 gospels we fear. We read of them coming with spices to anoint worried about 202 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:08.640 the stone. In this we see that faith in Jesus is not only believing 203 00:19:10.269 --> 00:19:15.230 what he says is true, but in trusting in it as well, in 204 00:19:15.390 --> 00:19:19.230 trusting is in it as well. It's not enough to simply follow after him 205 00:19:19.269 --> 00:19:23.150 and and see what he says and believe what he says to a certain extent, 206 00:19:23.269 --> 00:19:27.660 but it's to put your whole heart in it, to trust Jesus with 207 00:19:27.859 --> 00:19:34.019 everything, even something like resurrection from the dead, from from from death. 208 00:19:38.130 --> 00:19:45.609 Well, they come to the Tomb and what happens? They find that the 209 00:19:45.690 --> 00:19:48.890 stone has been rolled away. Here we don't read about it, but in 210 00:19:49.250 --> 00:19:53.759 one of the other gospels we read that when the angel, and there are 211 00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:59.880 one angels mentioned here in Mark Too and other places on, when these angels 212 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:06.119 come, the guards, these guards that are guarding the tomb, faint as 213 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:10.710 dead men, says, they fall like dead men. They faint and fear 214 00:20:10.869 --> 00:20:15.549 at the sight of these angels. So these women come, they see an 215 00:20:15.589 --> 00:20:19.750 open tomb, they see guards on the ground and they see this, this 216 00:20:21.230 --> 00:20:26.779 angel. How do we know he's an angel? He's called so in other 217 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:30.339 gospels, but there's ways that we know here from Mark Fifteen as well, 218 00:20:30.339 --> 00:20:34.809 few different ways. One he's seated. I'm this is a position of authority 219 00:20:34.930 --> 00:20:40.329 in that culture, a way in which you would sit down in to speak 220 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:45.250 or to teach and be received with authority. A second thing is their reaction. 221 00:20:47.009 --> 00:20:51.799 They see this young man and they're terrified. You don't typically see a 222 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:57.039 young man and flee in fear unless there's something particularly special, and that's definitely 223 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:02.400 what's going on here. But it's not only the his seated posture, it's 224 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:06.069 not only their reaction of being terrified, but it's also his clothes. It 225 00:21:07.589 --> 00:21:11.309 perhaps it doesn't signal the exactly this way when you read it, that he's 226 00:21:11.390 --> 00:21:17.190 clothed in white, but consider two things. First, consider that these white 227 00:21:17.309 --> 00:21:23.940 garments are often spoken of and of heavenly beings being expressed to humans in a 228 00:21:23.980 --> 00:21:29.500 visual way. We read about it this way and revelation, when Jesus was 229 00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:33.809 transfigured. You remember, back earlier in mark, he appeared in white, 230 00:21:33.490 --> 00:21:41.170 this glorious white, the white garment of this young man is described in Luke 231 00:21:41.369 --> 00:21:48.720 is being dazzling in apparel, of having dazzling apparel. And remember also, 232 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:53.839 finally, how I described the tomb. This is not a hole in the 233 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:59.400 ground, this is something of a kind of a cave. Caves are dark. 234 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:03.349 You don't have electricity at this time. They're going into a cave, 235 00:22:04.269 --> 00:22:10.150 they're moving into the dark and what do they see? This young man in 236 00:22:10.549 --> 00:22:21.380 dazzling white, shining clothes, haps lighting up the space. It would be 237 00:22:21.420 --> 00:22:32.130 a fearful thing, wouldn't it? And so this angel recognizes these things and 238 00:22:32.289 --> 00:22:37.210 says what angels often do when they announce the good news of God throughout the 239 00:22:37.250 --> 00:22:42.450 Scriptures. He says, do not be alarmed, do not be alarmed, 240 00:22:42.529 --> 00:22:48.279 I bring good news. Right, this is what the messengers of God say 241 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:52.839 when they come to talk and announce the good news of the Glory of God 242 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:56.839 in Jesus Christ. Do not be alarmed, this is good news. You 243 00:22:57.160 --> 00:23:02.950 seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, which is the same to say 244 00:23:03.990 --> 00:23:10.309 is dead, but he has risen just as he promised. He is not 245 00:23:10.670 --> 00:23:15.180 here. See the place where they laid him. Now go tell his disciples, 246 00:23:15.660 --> 00:23:22.180 and Peter in particular, that he is going before you to Galilee. 247 00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:26.700 There you will see him, just as he told you. This is good 248 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:32.250 angelic news. Do you remember what happened at Jesus Birth? Good Angelic News, 249 00:23:32.809 --> 00:23:37.329 the angels in a heaven declaring the glories of God that the Messiah has 250 00:23:37.450 --> 00:23:42.519 come. The same thing as here happening at his death. But they don't 251 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:48.319 do what the shepherds do. The shepherds that Jesus's birth do what. They 252 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:55.359 go to Jesus, they they make their way toward him. But these women, 253 00:23:55.440 --> 00:24:00.390 they they flee. They flee away from the Gospel, they flee away 254 00:24:00.430 --> 00:24:12.019 from this Messenger and they disobey as well. It's a strange thing and it's 255 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:18.500 a strange ending too. You see in your bibles that there's these most of 256 00:24:18.579 --> 00:24:25.049 you probably have in your bibles these brackets from verse nine to the end of 257 00:24:26.009 --> 00:24:30.329 the chapter. These here are to give you what is in some of the 258 00:24:30.369 --> 00:24:34.210 later manuscripts but not in in any of the early ones, and for a 259 00:24:34.250 --> 00:24:42.359 variety of reasons, scholars, a virtualist very unanimously basically agree that these last 260 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:48.799 verses nine to the end are not part of the original text, partly because 261 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:52.190 of their lateness, partly because of their content, partly because of the way 262 00:24:52.309 --> 00:24:56.950 that they appear. I'm so it's very it's a very settled thing that these 263 00:24:56.990 --> 00:25:03.829 things are are not what mark wrote, but we're written later on. Why 264 00:25:03.869 --> 00:25:08.339 were they written later on? Is An interesting question to ask. The answer, 265 00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:12.380 I think, is pretty obvious. Verse Eight's a really Weird Way to 266 00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:18.819 end the Gospel. To End, if direct disobedience on the part of the 267 00:25:18.940 --> 00:25:25.410 disciples, to end with the glorious resurrection and then people running afraid and scared. 268 00:25:25.450 --> 00:25:33.009 It's hard to say why mark ended here. Perhaps he meant to, 269 00:25:33.009 --> 00:25:37.799 perhaps he died, perhaps there was an ending that got lost somewhere along the 270 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:44.160 way. We really don't know and we can only speculate about that. But 271 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:48.680 what we do know is that there is this reaction here that God has told 272 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:52.309 us about. We also know from the other gospels that this isn't the end 273 00:25:52.309 --> 00:25:56.869 of the story. We also know from our own lives that this end isn't 274 00:25:56.869 --> 00:26:02.589 the end of the story. The good news of Jesus Christ didn't end with 275 00:26:02.829 --> 00:26:07.740 these women. It wasn't a telephone game that cut got cut short at the 276 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:12.140 beginning, the message got passed on. In fact, we even read that 277 00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:18.220 it this fear and astonishment and covering of the mouths, so to speak. 278 00:26:18.609 --> 00:26:25.769 I didn't even last for that long. In John's Gospel we read this I'm 279 00:26:25.890 --> 00:26:32.849 Jesus after hearing well, I'll read to you from Verse Eleven, in Chapter 280 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:37.119 Twenty of John. Mary stood weeping outside the Tomb. And she wept and 281 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:42.640 stooped to look into the Tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where 282 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:47.150 the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and want at the 283 00:26:47.230 --> 00:26:49.990 feet. They said to her, woman, why are you weeping? She 284 00:26:51.150 --> 00:26:53.390 said to them, why have you taken away my Lord? I do not 285 00:26:53.549 --> 00:26:57.390 know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned around and 286 00:26:59.190 --> 00:27:03.059 saw Jesus standing, but she didn't know it was Jesus. Jesus said to 287 00:27:03.099 --> 00:27:07.859 her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing 288 00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:10.819 him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you've 289 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:14.339 carried him away, tell me where have you laid him, and I will 290 00:27:14.339 --> 00:27:21.569 take him away. Jesus said to her Mary. She turned and he said 291 00:27:21.609 --> 00:27:26.609 to her, and she turned and said to him in Aramaic Rabboni, which 292 00:27:26.730 --> 00:27:32.160 means teacher. She recognized him, and then we read that they go on 293 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:40.160 to tell and to tell the disciples. So what changes? What do we 294 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:45.549 learn from this fearful reaction and the corresponding turn? Well, the first thing 295 00:27:45.589 --> 00:27:48.670 we learned is that faith in Jesus, of course, is not running from 296 00:27:48.710 --> 00:27:53.069 the news, but running to it. Faith in Jesus is not disobeying him, 297 00:27:53.150 --> 00:27:57.549 but obeying Him. It's not being silent, but speaking when he's called 298 00:27:57.579 --> 00:28:03.619 us to speak. But where does that come from? Where does the later 299 00:28:03.819 --> 00:28:07.539 courage that these women have come from? Where do we get it when it's 300 00:28:07.579 --> 00:28:12.769 obviously not inside ourselves, when our hearts have been poisoned and by sin and 301 00:28:12.930 --> 00:28:19.289 disbelief? It comes from the only place it can come, not inside us, 302 00:28:19.970 --> 00:28:26.930 but outside of us, from God. Faith is a gift of God, 303 00:28:26.130 --> 00:28:30.319 we are told in Effhesians, and it comes when God himself speaks to 304 00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:37.319 us, as he does to marry. She turns, not seeing the savior 305 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:40.200 for who he is, not hearing the savior from him, who he is 306 00:28:40.279 --> 00:28:45.309 or his Messenger. But he speaks to her, he says her name and 307 00:28:45.589 --> 00:28:49.910 calls her in a way that reaches to her heart and cures her inside, 308 00:28:52.230 --> 00:28:57.500 takes away that heart that's been poisoned by by sin and and unbelief, and 309 00:28:57.700 --> 00:29:03.700 gives her faith. Why are you weeping? And then she's weeping no more. 310 00:29:04.940 --> 00:29:08.700 There's this dramatic change that we see not only in the women but in 311 00:29:08.859 --> 00:29:14.730 the disciples as well. They too, running afraid from their lives, denying 312 00:29:14.809 --> 00:29:21.369 the Lord, even calling curses upon themselves, as Peter did just a little 313 00:29:21.450 --> 00:29:26.559 while later, giving up their very lives for the sake of the Lord Jesus. 314 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:37.519 They're changed. They're changed by God. When we consider our own reactions, 315 00:29:38.069 --> 00:29:44.990 when we consider our own struggles of faith, sometimes it's easy to be 316 00:29:45.109 --> 00:29:51.990 overwhelmed by them, to be overwhelmed by our fears. Our doubts are struggles. 317 00:29:55.059 --> 00:29:59.259 But what do we see in this story? What do we see in 318 00:29:59.420 --> 00:30:03.339 this good news that mark has been telling us from verse one all the way 319 00:30:03.500 --> 00:30:07.450 to the very end? We see that, despite our doubts, our sin 320 00:30:07.650 --> 00:30:12.369 and disbelief, this one, this Jesus Christ, has come into the world 321 00:30:14.089 --> 00:30:19.089 to conquer not only death, but death in us, not just sin in 322 00:30:19.450 --> 00:30:26.960 a general way, but sin particularly in his people. God has come in 323 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:33.160 a way that is powerful. We saw it in his miracles. We see 324 00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:37.869 it in his words and we've seen it in many striking ways all through the 325 00:30:37.990 --> 00:30:42.150 end. When you consider your own weaknesses, your own lack of faith, 326 00:30:42.349 --> 00:30:49.660 your own fears about Jesus, about the world, I want you to consider 327 00:30:49.779 --> 00:30:55.420 the things that mark has been telling us. Consider the things he's been telling 328 00:30:55.460 --> 00:31:00.500 us about the power of God. Consider the things that he has overcome. 329 00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:11.369 The soldiers, the government's the great stone, the guards, death it's self. 330 00:31:12.130 --> 00:31:15.609 The risen Lord Jesus, who can overcome all these things and bring the 331 00:31:15.970 --> 00:31:22.319 Kingdom of God into the world, can change our hearts as well. He's 332 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:29.359 powerful to do this. He can change stony hearts into hot into soft hearts, 333 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:37.390 unbelieving, sinful hearts into living, breathing, believing ones. In Him, 334 00:31:37.630 --> 00:31:41.309 we are brought to life, and true life. So, as you 335 00:31:41.390 --> 00:31:47.940 consider and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, consider who he is. 336 00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:52.619 Consider not just that a great hero has come into the world and done some 337 00:31:52.819 --> 00:31:59.180 wonderful things. Consider not only that he is a hero and a conqueror over 338 00:31:59.339 --> 00:32:05.809 death, but he does it for us, for you who believe in him, 339 00:32:05.849 --> 00:32:12.250 and when your fears and when your doubts creep over you and threaten you 340 00:32:12.450 --> 00:32:17.440 and and take away that communion and assurance you have from God. Turn again 341 00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:23.400 to him, turn again to Jesus, who calls your name and calls you 342 00:32:23.799 --> 00:32:30.349 to faith in him. He's powerful to save, he's victorious in all he 343 00:32:30.549 --> 00:32:36.309 does. Remember that and celebrate it. Let us pray.