He Has Risen! He Is Not Here!

“HE HAS RISEN! HE IS NOT HERE.” (Outline)

April 12, 2020 - Easter Sunday - MARK 16:1-8

INTRO.: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! It is just as Scripture declared. Once again a message from an angel announces one of the most significant events in the history of the world. The last time an angel spoke was to announce the fulfillment of Scripture. The Savior was born! "Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord” (LUKE 2:10, 11). The angel’s Easter announcement is our theme. “HE HAS RISEN! HE IS NOT HERE”. I. A sad journey. II. A glad journey.

I. A SAD JOURNEY TO THE TOMB

A. Verse 1. The woman were about the only ones left when Jesus died. The disciples had left.

1. Now they wasted no time to properly prepare Jesus’ body to rest in the tomb.

2. They bought spices (in Greek is aroma). It was a sense of duty. Duty of love for Jesus.

B. Verse 2. Went to tomb on first day of the week. Went very early in morning. Started in dark.

C. Verse 3. Naturally they focused on the earthly logistics of their visit to Jesus’ tomb.

1. The women wondered about the stone that covered the entrance of the tomb.

2. Who will roll the stone away? How will they be able to get in to apply the spices?

3. Verse 4. They looked. Large stone was rolled away. Problem solved. Still sadness ruled.

D. How often do we think like these women? We focus on the sadness. We only think about all the effort involved with solving our situation. We plan. We struggle. We try to figure out how we will succeed. We might even worry. “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Sooner or later we might just give up. We might think everything we want to accomplish is just too hard. Too difficult. Even impossible. Then we remember that all things are possible with God. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (PROVERBS 3:5). We probably cannot count the number of times the Lord has worked out everything according to his perfect plans for us. God’s good plans done for us even in spite of all of our energies. he stone is rolled away. Problems solved.

E. We are in the midst of an illness described as a pandemic. Everyone wonders what really the truth is. Our leaders have taken extreme measures in the name of protection. People are quarantined. Jobs have been lost. Businesses are closed. Satan uses this chaos to attack. The devil uses doubt to cloud our confidence in God’s providence. The world wants us to worry about what might or might not happen. Our sinful natures frets about our future. Can it get worse? Will it ever get any better? We turn our attention to the Lord. The One who cares. Saves. "They went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to die!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a complete calm" (MATTHEW 8:25, 26). “Lord, save us!”

F. Each one of us has made a sad journey in our lives. We make the journey to the cemetery. Our emotions flood our thinking. Sadness tries to sap our strength. Dear friends we know that the end of earthly life is not the end. Today all too many people look at death as frightening. Many are scared to death of death. They think it is the end. At death they enter into darkness. Nothingness. We pass from death unto life eternal. Our sad journey is not a trip into despair. Or hopelessness. "Those who sow with weeping will reap with joyful shouts. The one who walks along weeping, carrying a bag of seed to sow, will come back again with joyful shouts, carrying his sheaves” (PSALM 126:5, 6).

We journey to Jesus’ tomb. It was a sad journey. “HE HAS RISEN! HE IS NOT HERE.”

II. A GLAD JOURNEY FROM THE TOMB

A. The women rush to the tomb early in the morning. They want to finish their sad duty of love.

1. The large stone is rolled away. That problem is gone. But what now!?! Who did this?

2. Verse 5. In the tomb sat a young man dressed in white. “They were alarmed.”

B. Verse 6. Angel assured them: “Do not be alarmed”. Heavenly beings reassure mortals.