Following Jesus: Mark 16 Series

Following Jesus (16)

Scott Bayles, pastor

Scripture: Mark 16:1-8

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 4/16/2017

Good morning, welcome to the Grove and Happy Easter.

I’m reminded of a preacher who spotted a young man he recognized at church on Easter Sunday. On his way out the door, the preacher grabbed him by the hand, pulled him aside and said to him, "Young man, you need to join the Lord’s Army!" The young guy replied, "But I’m already in the Lord’s Army, Pastor." The Pastor questioned, "Then how come I only you at Christmas and Easter?" The young man whispered back, "I’m in the secret service. "

I don’t know if you’re in the secret service or not, but I’m really glad decided to spend Easter morning with us here at the Grove. The down side of only attending church on Christmas and Easter is that it’s a lot like reading the first and last chapter of a book and skipping everything in-between. There’s a lot of good stuff in-between.

Sixteen weeks ago, we began a journey that has taken us through the deserts of Palestine, along the shores of Lake Galilee and the Jordan River, and into the cities of Nazareth, Bethany and Jerusalem as we have followed in the footsteps of Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark has been our tour guide on this journey. At just sixteen chapters, Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels. It’s also the first, written as early as 45 AD. And Mark wrote it as a fast-paced, action-packed drama, making it the ideal starting point for anyone wishing to follow in Jesus’ steps.

Last Sunday, in Mark 15, we followed Jesus to Golgotha—to the cross. The various elements of his crucifixion—including the spit of the soldiers, the spikes in his hands, and the sign above his head—each tell a story. Together they tell us just how far Jesus was willing to go to win our hearts and souls.

In the wake of the crucifixion, though, Jesus’ followers were devastated. Today we call it Good Friday, but there was nothing good about it in their minds. Their spirits were crushed by the same nails that pierced the hands and feet of Jesus. They were discouraged, disheartened and defeated. But that was Friday. Today is Sunday. Easter Sunday. Resurrection Sunday. A day of hope and happiness! The day that changed everything!

If you have a Bible or an app on your phone, let me encourage you to open it to the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark, where we read of several female followers of Jesus who wanted nothing more than to see him one more time.

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” (Mark 16:1-7 NLT)

The Easter story is undoubtedly among the most memorable and amazing stories in Scripture. Even though much of this is familiar to you, I’d like to highlight three important elements of the Easter story as Mark tells it. The first thing these ladies notice on their journey to see Jesus is that they’ve got a problem.

• THE PROBLEM OF EASTER

These ladies committed their lives to following Jesus and, more than anything, they wanted to see Jesus one last time, to honor him by anointing his body with spices and perfumes (the first century equivalent of laying flowers by his grave side).

But as they walked that long, lonely path to the tomb, it suddenly dawned on them. The Bible says they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” (Mark 16:3 NIV). Two of these women, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, saw where the body had been placed and knew that a huge stone was rolled across the entrance to the tomb, so as they approached the gravesite they remembered the stone and realized that they couldn’t move it on their own. The stone itself weighed several hundred pounds and would have to be rolled uphill out of a rut in the ground in order to open the tomb. Even if all five women worked together, they wouldn’t have been able to budge it. As far as they were concerned, it was an insurmountable obstacle.