Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell Point Baptist Church
Easter 20 April 2014
Mark 16:1-8
THE MESSAGE OF THE EASTER ANGEL
Intro: Throughout the Bible, God used angels to make special announcements to humans.
For instance, He used an angel to:
• Send a message of destruction to Lot/Sodom – Gen. 19
• Announce/birth of Samson – Jgd. 13
• birth of John the Baptist – Luke 1
• conception of Christ – Luke 1:11
• birth of Christ – Luke 2:8-14
Seems/when God/announcement/extreme importance
• He often sends that message through an angel.
• From reading the Bible
• makes you wonder if angels ever get a day off!
In our text/presented/angel made an announcement still echoes throughout the universe almost 2,000 years later.
• Special message/Easter angel/I want us/consider/morning
On that first Easter morning
• dawn was breaking on a world that was forever changed
• special angel delivered a special message
• Message/still vital today.
• Take just/few moments to hear/message/Easter angel.
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Fear and dread filled/hearts/band of woman/ made their way through/still/dark streets of Jerusalem early/Sunday morning
• Going/tomb/man they/all believed/Messiah
• Man/whom they had left all other things behind
• Going/tomb/man who had promised life/all who came unto Him
• but who was now, Himself, dead
Certainly, they were confused/confounded/came near the tomb.
• They were concerned/huge stone/covered/door/tomb.
• How would they ever gain access to the body?
How could these three women ever hope to move a stone that weighed several hundred pounds?
• Yet they proceeded, carried along by their tender mission, that of finishing the preparations for burial of the body of Christ.
As they came within sight of the tomb/they were astounded tosee
• Stone rolled away
• Roman guards lying like dead men all around/mouth/tomb
They ran to the tomb and looked in, only to find that the body of Jesus was gone.
• What fear must have gripped their hearts!
• Jewish rulers/the Romans/taken/body to prevent His Disciples from faking His resurrection.
• Maybe/grave robbers had taken/body
• Would use it in some extortion plot.
Whatever the doubts and concerns that may have filled their hearts, they were short lived.
• Suddenly, the women noticed a "young man" sitting upon the stone, Matt. 28:2-3
• Angel sees their fear/begins to speak to them.
• He delivers a message of hope still has the power to change lives this morning.
• Let’s listen in and hear for ourselves
• "The Message Of The Easter Angel."
It is a message of:
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I. v. 6a PEACE ("Be not Affrighted")
Fear these ladies must have felt upon seeing the angel
• What grace/first words from his lips are words of peace.
• Yet, this/how/Lord always deals with His people 2 Tim. 1:7.
Very appropriate/His resurrection should be attended with a message of peace.
• Because after 2,000 years, His resurrection from the dead
• Still bringing same message/peace/hearts/all/believe in Him!
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Notice just a few/area of life where His resurrection gives peace:
• Salvation – Heb. 7:25
• Death – John 11:25-26
• Eternity – John 14:1-3
• John saw a glimpse/glorified Christ/ He is doing well!
• Listen….Rev. 1:13-18.
• He is alive and waiting on His children to come home!
• And in Life Itself – John 14:16-18
I don’t know about you folks, but those things give me true peace of heart!
It is not only a message of Peace, but it is also a message of:
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II. v. 6b POWER "He is Risen!"
Jesus wasn’t the first man to get up from the dead
• Lazarus – John 11; The Widow of Nain’s son – Luke 7
• Jairus’ daughter – Mark 5
• but He was the first to ever get up to die no more!
• All the others were just resuscitations
• Jesus accomplished a true resurrection.
Because He/able to conquer death, all those who receive Him as their personal Savior become partakers/same resurrection power
• At the very moment of salvation
• His resurrection is imputed to us
• We become alive in Him, Rom. 6:8; 2 Tim. 2:11.
• This "abundant life" which Jesus spoke of, John 10:10
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All this great resurrection power will be ultimately realized when Jesus returns and raises the dead in Christ.
Imagine…..all those departed saints resurrected from the dead
• Glorified to live forever with Jesus!
• 1 Thes. 4:13-18
• What a day that will be!
If God’s people will take the time to look around them
• See what/Lord has done in saving/lost
• Changing/lives/the redeemed
• It becomes plain/resurrection power/Lord Jesus is active all around us today.
Every redeemed sinner/testimony/life-changing/life-giving power of the risen Christ.
After all, a dead man doesn’t have the power to change anyone!
But a living Lord can work miracles in any wrecked and ruined life, 1 Cor. 5:17.
Not only/message/Peace and Power, it is also a message of:
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III. v. 6c POTENTIAL "He is not Here!"
• After Jesus rose from the dead
• He immediately disappears
• appears to be busy doing something important
• His appearance to Mary Magdalene – John 20:11-18.
Jesus forbids Mary from touching him that morning because He was on His way to the Father
• As The Great High Priest
Jesus would be/One required/make/offering/blood upon the mercy seat/would atone for the sins of the world.
The great praise that must have filled Heaven when Jesus placed His Blood upon the mercy seat!
• work/risen Lord is forever finished, Heb. 10:12
• Do not think/minute Jesus is not busy this morning.
• He is still alive and He is still active on our behalf
He is:
• Acting as our Intercessor – Heb. 7:25
• Watching over us always – Heb. 4:13
• He feels our pain – Heb. 4:15
• He is more concerned about our affairs than we are
• He stood up when Stephen was stoned Acts 7:55.
• Acting as our Advocate – 1 John 2:2
• Preparing a place for Us – John 14:1-3
Jesus shares a common trait with every other living thing this morning; He is active.
• But, His activity is all for the benefit of His people!
• Not only is it a message of Peace, Power, and Potential
• it is also a message of
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IV. v. 7 PROMISE "Ye shall see Him"
Angel closed his message/these women/reminding/Lord’s promise.
• They would see him again
• Word from the Lord must have lifted their hearts.
They/come/tomb that morning expecting to see a dead body,
• They left it with/promise they would look upon His living face.
• Can you imagine their excitement?
• My friends, they don’t have a thing on us this morning!
We may not be able to see the risen Lord there in Galilee, but we have a promise that may be just a bit better.
• You see, we too shall see His face, Rev. 22:4
• Not in Galilee, but in Glory!
• We will see Him first of all/clouds above the earth.
Then, we will see Him returning in glory, Rev. 19:11-16.
Then, we will see Him ruling/earth as/King of Kings/Lord of Lords, Rev. 19:15.
Then, we will see His face forever in all His glory in Heaven above.
• I don’t know about you
• Jesus will be Heaven enough/this old sinner saved by grace!
When we see Him, we will forever be reminded of the awful price He paid for us at Calvary – Rev. 5:6
• He is still a "Lamb as it had been slain!"
• And, forever, in His body
• He will bear the marks of His love for us!
Heaven will be wonderful because we will get to see Jesus.
What we deserved!
Conc: This Easter angel preached a pretty powerful message don’t you think?
I am personally convinced that this is the most important message ever delivered by an angel to humanity.
I praise/Lord this morning I know Jesus in a personal way and/I am saved.
• How about you? You know? He is still saving souls today!
• He is still blessing hearts today!
• He is still filling His servants today!
• How can this be? Because He lives!
• Because what the angel said is still true,
• "He is risen, He is not here!"
• To that, I say "Glory to God!"
• Do you need something from the living Christ this morning?
• If so, then come and get it! He lives for you!
