How many of you like surprises? If you are very young, your immediate response is, "Oh, boy! I love surprises!" If you are a little older, you’re probably a little more cautious. You have learned that not all surprises are happy ones. If you missed Easter, I have a surprise for you. I want us to go back to the Easter event and I want to share with you the "Six Surprises of Easter."
Our text is Mark chapter 16. I will not debate with you the authenticity of verses 9-20.
(Although, much of what is contained in those verses is recorded in the other gospels.) But, I believe that this chapter records what I would like to call the six surprises of Easter.
Surprise #1: The Stone Was Rolled Away (vv.1-4)
There had not been time to render the last services to the body of Jesus. The Sabbath had intervened and Jews were prohibited from performing any services on the Sabbath.
So, as soon as possible, after the Sabbath, these women set out to perform this task.
They were worried about one thing. Tombs had no doors. When the word door is mentioned it really means opening. In front of the opening was a groove, and in the groove ran a circular stone as big as a cart-wheel. These women knew that it was quite beyond their strength to move a stone like that. But when they reached the tomb,
they received the first surprise of Easter. The stone was rolled away.
The importance of that single fact is not that the stone was removed so that Jesus could get out. He had already been resurrected. The importance of that event was that the stone was rolled away so that the two Mary’s and Salome could go in. Which leads us to surprise #2.
Surprise #2: The Tomb Was Empty (v.5)
On the surface, this second surprise does not seem to be terribly significant to the plot of the story. These women went to the tomb. They expected to find a massive stone in place ... a barrier to what they intended to do. When they arrived they were surprised
because the stone was gone. You may think it insignificant, but I believe that this is one of the crucial points of this story.
These women went to the tomb with certain expectations.
• They went there expecting a dead body... a cadaver
but instead they found a live human being.
• They went there expecting to anoint the dead ...
but they left trembling with astonishment.
• They went there expecting death....
but they found resurrection.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that this is one of the most significant points of this story. Jesus always surpasses our expectations. There are many people today who are living for themselves and when they hear that Jesus can provide something that they cannot provide for themselves, they listen in disbelief. But, I am here to tell you today, that if you will devote:
• your life,
• your livelihood,
• your family,
• your thoughts,
• your time,
• your talents,
• your all to Him,
He will give you a life that you cannot believe. Jesus will open the floodgates of blessing on your life in such a way that nothing will ever be able to overwhelm you.
Neither height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate you from the love of Christ. These women were amazed because Jesus surpassed their expectations and that is just like Him because He always has and always will
go far beyond all that ask or even think if we will seek Him first.
The Psalmist wrote, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." Many people miss Easter in their lives because they cannot believe that if they will delight themselves in the Lord that He will surpass their expectations.
The second surprise of Easter is not so much that the tomb was empty but that Jesus surpasses our highest expectations ..... if ...we will make Him number one in our lives.
Surprise #3: Jesus is Always Ready to Forgive (v. 7)
Of all of the disciples he could have named, it was a surprise that he would single out Peter to be mentioned in this account. Why didn’t he say, go tell the disciple Jesus loved, go tell the apostle John, that Jesus will meet you in Galilee?
If we go back to chapter 14, we find Peter in the courtyard, denying that he ever knew Jesus. Of all the disciples that could have been mentioned it is surprising that Peter is singled out. But, Jesus wanted to be certain that Peter would be among the disciples when He met them in Galilee. How that message must have cheered Peter’s heart when he received it! He must have been tortured with the memory of his disloyalty, and suddenly there came a message for him. It was characteristic of Jesus that He thought, not of the wrong Peter had done Him but of the remorse he was undergoing. Jesus was far more eager to comfort the penitent sinner than to punish the sin. Someone said, "The most precious thing about Jesus is the way in which he trusts us on the field of our defeat."
One of the greatest surprises in the kingdom of God is the fact that when we blow it,
Jesus still loves us.
• It makes no difference how far we have gone in our rebellion.
• It makes no difference how despicable the sin that has engulfed our life.
• It makes no difference how deranged we may have become in our thinking.
Jesus is always there to give us another chance.
Often, when God’s children stray from Him, they are overwhelmed by the sin in their lives, especially when they are confronted by Holy God. But, the third surprise of Easter is that Jesus is always ready to forgive. Many people miss Easter because they just can’t believe that Jesus would forgive them of the sin in their life.
But, I am here to tell you emphatically, beyond a shadow of a doubt, with no hesitation, there is no sin that Jesus will not forgive except for the sin of disregarding Easter. You can commit a sin that leads to eternal damnation, to eternal separation from God and that is to disregard Jesus’ saving work at Calvary and His glorious resurrection.
In a little while I will invite you to commit your life to Him, to make Easter real in your life. And if you will embrace Easter, Jesus will save you from your sins. He will forgive everything that you have ever done. He will wipe the slate clean. That is why Easter is such a surprise. Because it has the power to make all things new.
Can you imagine beginning again?
Can you imagine getting a new start?
That is the surprise of Easter.
You can start over.
Surprise #4: He First Appeared to Mary Magdalene (v.9)
Much has been written about this Mary. And let me say that the Catholic tradition that views her as a fallen woman is without merit. It is true that she was a woman who had been demon-possessed. But at no time was her moral character ever questioned in Scripture. We don’t know exactly what the form of her possession was. It is said that she was possessed by seven demons.
The number seven is a number of completeness, implying that when the evil spirits dominated Mary the suffering was extremely severe. Afflicted with nervousness,
she may have been the victim of epilepsy. When Jesus saw her with her peace of mind and control of will destroyed, she must have been a revolting object to look at with her disheveled hair, glaring eyes, and sunken cheeks. Her demonic possession did not affect her morals only her mind. We are not told what weakness Mary may have had ... a weakness making it easy for demons to enter her. This we do know, they met their master in Jesus who came to destroy the works of the devil.
The fourth surprise of Easter is that Jesus wanted this woman, whom He had healed,
to be the bearer of the Good News of His resurrection to the others. And there are a couple of points to made here.
It is always a surprise to those who have vast wealth, talents, and abilities to understand that Jesus came for the sick and the lowly in heart. Jesus came to the weak and morally bankrupt. The problem with people who are very blessed and very gifted is that they often have trouble recognizing their need.
This would lead Jesus to say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The problem the affluent have is that they often miss Easter. Because of their wealth they cannot see how bankrupt they are when it comes to salvation. Jesus asked, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul."
Jesus came
• to the lowly in spirit,
• to the weak,
• to the captive,
• to the blind,
• to the demon possessed.
And the surprise of Easter is it brings freedom from all of those things that bind us, and degrade our quality of life.
Another important point is that Jesus wanted her to recognize her responsibility to those around her. Once Jesus brings salvation, we have an obligation to go and tell others. Mary had been a central figure in His earthly ministry.
She is mentioned 14 times and it is important to note that when Christ saved her,
He liberated the highest virtues of sacrifice, fortitude, and courage. She was there for Jesus on countless occasions, even at the foot of the cross. Isn’t it interesting to realize that ten of the true apostles were no where to be seen, only John, and Mary of Magdala were there without concern for their own safety.
Jesus always liberates us for a purpose. We have been saved to serve, to be a witness to His resurrection. Many people miss the meaning of Easter by not living lives that exemplify the best of what it means to be a follower of Christ. Following Christ may very well cost the dearest thing that you possess, but the good news is, as Paul said, "Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:7-8). Paul had learned the second surprise of Easter that Jesus always surpasses our expectations.
Surprise #5: The Apostles Didn’t Believe It (vv.10-13)
Even though there were two separate eyewitness accounts the apostles refused to believe that Jesus was actually resurrected.
Why do you think that they would not believe these eyewitness accounts? I believe it was because death was so real. Death appears to be so final. Even today. We are overwhelmed by death. It appears to be so final. It seems as if there is nothing beyond the grave.
But Jesus came to abolish death. Because He is risen, the sting of death is abolished. We do live in the shadow of death, but we no longer are overwhelmed by death. Because the surprise of Easter is that the sting of death has been removed.
Death is not the final answer anymore.
There is an endless quality about the Christian faith. It should never stand still. Because of the surprises of Easter, because our Lord is a living Lord there are new wonders and new truths waiting to be discovered all the time.
Surprise #6: Wherever They Went, Jesus Was With Them (v.20)
Wherever these men went, the Lord was with them.
The Surprise of Easter
• is not the Jesus is risen,
• it is not that He sits at the right hand of the throne of God,
• it is not that He has abolished death.
The surprise of Easter is that wherever the believer goes, regardless of the circumstance, Jesus is with him.
Even if we go down to the valley of the shadow of death, He is there to comfort, to protect, to encourage, to bring us through the trials and tragedies of life. We need never be lonely anymore. Some today are lonely because you have been betrayed, some today are lonely because death has stolen your loved one. But I am here today to tell you that you don’t have to be lonely today, because Jesus lives, we serve a risen Savior, and as the song says, "He’s in the world today."
Today you need to take your burden to Him, and allow Him to work things out.
You need to delight yourself in the Lord, and watch as he changes the desire of your heart. Many of you are living in despair because your desires are not in line with His divine and perfect will. And only as you devote yourself to Him will you ever be able to cope with your situation. There is nothing so overwhelming that Jesus cannot handle. But you have got to be willing to let Him handle it and allow Him the time to work. His grace is sufficient for any situation that life hands you. But the only way you will experience victory is to allow Him to be Lord of your life, your circumstances, your pocket books, to be in control of every single thing in your life.
Then you will have victory in Jesus.
Surprise #7: You Missed Easter
I’ve got to tell you that there is going to be a seventh surprise of Easter. And that is one day many of you are going to wake up and realize that you missed it. Your going to wake up and find out that it’s too late for you. You heard the call of the gospel.
You felt the drawing...the compelling of the gospel message and you waited. The seventh surprise of Easter is that for some of you, you are going to find out that it’s too late, you missed Easter.
Don’t miss it.
You can’t afford it.
It will cost you eternity.
