Jesus’ resurrection on that third day was 4000 years in the making. When God raised Jesus from the dead, it was the crescendo of our Heavenly Father’s plan to make it available for man to once again have His spiritual life living inside of him. That’s why Jesus not only died a spiritual death but was raised on the third day with spiritual life. God wanted a family. He wanted us! Thank you Lord!
One aspect of Jesus’ resurrection that we rarely hear taught is how the eleven respond when they hear the news. By this time Judas has already hung himself. We’re going to see how the eleven’s reaction to Jesus’ death overshadows what should have been the greatest day of rejoicing and affirmation for them. But it wasn’t.
And sadly, even though Jesus rose 2,000 years ago, most of Christians are still behind closed doors, figuratively speaking, because they don’t believe Jesus accomplished everything that He said He would by going to the Cross and then being raised again.
They don’t believe He’s the King of kings. But He is! They don’t believe He’s the Lord of lords. But He is! They don’t believe that every knee will ultimately bow to Him. But they will!
Mark chapter 16 will be our focus, and in particular, verses 9 through 20. We have a lot of verses to cover. So, what I’m going to do is summarize in places to help move the message along.
As you recall from the Resurrection story, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome had gone to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. But Jesus had already risen. They went inside the tomb and saw a young man, an angel, and it scared them. But the angel, as we see in verse 6, calms them down and says “He is risen: he is not here.”
The angel then says in verse 7, “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you to Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”
Let’s begin reading in verse 9.
(9) Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven deals.
(10) And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
(11) And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
Let’s stop here for a moment. The Bible says they were mourning and weeping – just like we do when a person dies because we know we will never see them again. But remember, Jesus told the disciples that He would be raised on the third day. And, not only that, but they refused to believe what the angel had told Mary.
Here’s my point: there are far too many Christians who refuse to believe what the Bible says. They may not be like the disciples who refused to believe, but they don’t have enough Bible in them to believe what it says. It’s really the same thing. The disciples didn’t believe what Mary said about Jesus because they hadn’t seen Him themselves. Christians don’t believe what the Bible says about Jesus because they don’t “hear” Him in the scriptures.
(12) After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
(13) And they went and told it unto the residue, neither believed they them.
These verses are referring to the two men, who were Jesus’ disciples, on their way to Emmaus, which is found in Luke 24, verses 13 through 35. We’re not going to read the entire passage, but I do want to bring out some points. Emmaus was about seven and a half miles from Jerusalem and so as they were walking they talked about everything that had happened.
As they’re walking, Jesus joins them but they don’t know who He is and He asks them what they’re talking about. Assuming Jesus was a stranger in town, one of them recounts everything that had happened. And one of them said, “This is the third day and we believed him. And there were women who went to the tomb but didn’t find him. They said the angels told them Jesus was alive.”
Then Jesus begins a teaching I would have loved to have heard. The Bible says in verse 27, “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he (Jesus) expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” I would have loved to have heard that teaching!
I need to wrap up this summary. The two men convince Jesus to join them for dinner and when he blessed the food immediately they knew who He was. Look at verse 31. “And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”
Now I want you to hear what they said after this in verse 32. “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” I would say so! For nearly seven and a half miles, they heard Jesus share with them every single scripture from Moses and all the prophets that talked about Him. Every single one! Oh my goodness! I would have loved to have heard that teaching!
I wanted to make sure you see what has happened. The two disciples, after their encounter with Jesus, found the eleven and told them what had happened. Remember, on this seven and a half mile walk, Jesus opens to them the scriptures regarding Himself. I still can’t get over this!
Anyway, Mark 16:13 says that even after the two told them all of this, the disciples didn’t believe them. Can you believe that? Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to understand something. There are going to be Christians who will never get to the point of truly believing and trusting Jesus. Never. They will still come to church on Sunday. They will still sing in the choir. But, they will always hold something back. They will always have a Plan B. They will always live in doubt.
Now verse 14 is the verse that most preachers don’t talk about in regards to Jesus’ resurrection. “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”
Do you see what’s happening here? Jesus appears to the eleven and He chews them out because they didn’t believe the reports of seeing Him from His “other followers.” And I know He definitely was not happy with the apostles for dismissing the account of the two disciples from Emmaus.
But I want you to see Jesus’ heart, which is always on display in situations like this. Even though He was disappointed with the apostles, He uses this as an opportunity to build their faith. We’re going to go back to Luke 24 and read verses 44 through 49.
(44) And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me.
(45) Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
(46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
(47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
(48) And ye are witnesses of these things.
(49) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endured with power from on high.
Jesus goes on to explain why He had to suffer and be raised from the dead. He told them that this had to happen so that repentance and the remission of sins could be be available to anyone who believed in Him and put their complete trust in Him.
You see, Jesus knew their hearts. He knew that they loved Him. He knew that they were having a difficult time wrapping their minds around everything that had happened. Jesus has not changed, ladies and gentlemen. He understands there will be times when we will struggle, when we will question, and when we will doubt. But as long as we love Him, as long we continue to seek Him, He will be there because He has commissioned the Holy Spirit to help us understand the scriptures.
I want to close in First Corinthians 15. In this chapter, the Apostle Paul is addressing a false doctrine that has been circulating in the Corinthian church – Jesus had not been raised from the dead.
In the first eight verses, Paul reminds them of his teachings about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and how he was seen by Cephas, who we know as Simon Peter. Paul also says that more than 500 of the brethren saw Jesus at the same time and many were still alive and could confirm what he was saying. And he also mentions James, Jesus’ brother, as seeing the risen savior.
Now, in the verses we’re going read, Paul shows the Corinthian believers what this false teaching means to them.
(12) Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
(13) But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen.
(14) And if Christ be not risen, then is your preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
(15) Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
(16) For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
(17) And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Do you see how important it is for us to know, believe and understand what it means when the Bible says Jesus has been raised from the dead? Do you see now why Jesus was so upset with the apostles for not believing this? His resurrection meant they no longer had to live with a sin nature! His resurrection meant they would have eternal life in heaven instead of spending an eternity in the lake of fire!
For us, ladies and gentlemen, Jesus’ resurrection means we are no longer in sin – we no longer habe a nature that is dead and going to the lake of fire. His resurrection, ladies and gentlemen, means we now have eternal life! Jesus’ resurrection means that one day, one day, we will see Him face to face!
Now, let’s read how Paul ends his argument.
(18) Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then every one who has died believing in Christ are going to spend an eternity in the lake of fire. That’s what the word “perish” means.
(19) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
Paul says if we have staked our eternal salvation on a man who did not rise from the dead, then we are the ones that people will look at and shake their heads and say “You poor thing. Why would you do such a thing? Now you’re going to hell.”
But praise God! Paul doesn’t stop at verse 19. We’re going to finish with verses 20 through 22.
(20) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.
(21) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Praise God!
When Jesus was crucified on the cross and died, the hopes and dreams of the apostles died with Him. He was the Messiah who was going to lead the Jewish nation against Roman tyranny. They had not grasped the promise of a “resurrection life” that Jesus talked to them about.
? Mary Magdalene told them Jesus was alive. They didn’t believe her.
? The two disciples from Emmaus told them about the teaching that Jesus did as they walked to Jerusalem. They didn’t believe them.
? It wasn’t until Jesus appeared to them that they believed.
Many Christians have responded to Jesus’ resurrections just like the apostles. Why? They are so focused on the Cross. What do I mean by that? They see Jesus dying for their sins – and He did. But Jesus’ death is not what saves us. Do you hear me? Jesus’ death doesn’t save us. His getting up from the grave is what saves us!
And so my message to you is simply this: if how you respond to Jesus’ promises is similar to how the apostles first responded, then today you have an opportunity to make a change. You can respond to Jesus with faith, certainty and complete confidence knowing that what He has said is true and that what He has promised He will do. Faith, ladies and gentlemen, removes doubt one piece at a time. Shall we begin?
Please stand.
