GOSPEL OF MARK: GOD’S SERVANT IN ACTION
HE HAS RISEN!
EASTER SUNDAY
A. Last Sunday we looked at the AGONIZING CRY OF JESUS before His DEATH upon the CROSS. Today I want us to study the BURIAL and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ. “DEATH, BURIAL,
and RESURRECTION”, which we know as the “GOSPEL”- 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
1. Remember Mark’s opening words when we STUDIED it way back in May of last year: “The
beginning of the GOSPEL about Jesus Christ, the Son of God”- Mark 1:1.
COMMENT:
Mark, in rapid succession, has written about one EVENT after another in the LIFE of Jesus Christ leading up to His “DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION”—“the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ.”
2. It is this GOSPEL—the GOOD NEWS—that we CELEBRATE TODAY.
B. Mark 15:42-47 (READ)
1. One month ago on our last Sunday that we were able to WORSHIP together, we studied about
“Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem” known as Palm Sunday- Mark 11:1-11.
a. On that Sunday the people CHEERED and CELEBRATED as Jesus entered the city RIDING a
DONKEY.
b. However, the JOYFUL JUBILATION that the DISCIPLES felt that Sunday turned into a deep
SORROW and crippling FEAR that Friday as Jesus’ LIFELESS BODY hung on a CROSS.
COMMENT:
The One they thought would be the SAVIOR of the WORLD . . . IS DEAD! All their HOPES are DASHED. It wasn’t supposed to END like this. And, yet, there’s Jesus’ MANGLED body just HANGING there.
2. Mark tells us that a man named “Joseph from Arimathea boldly approached Pilate, the Roman
governor over Judea, for the body of Jesus so that he could bury Him”- vv. 42-43.
a. Matthew said that he was a “rich man who had become a DISCIPLE of Christ”- Matt. 27:57.
b. However, Mark also reveals that “Joseph was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin Council”, the very council that CONDEMNED Jesus—although Luke records that “he did not consent to
their decision to have Jesus crucified”- Luke 23:50-51.
COMMENT:
Since Jesus was convicted of TREASON for claiming to be the King of the Jews, Joseph would put his reputation and possibly his life in jeopardy for showing SYMPATHY for Jesus in any fashion. Yet, he along with another man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, take the body of Jesus and PREPARE it for BURIAL.
3. Notice in v. 44 that “Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead.”
a. ASPHYXIATION—being deprived of OXYGEN—is the cause of DEATH by CRUCIFIXION.
COMMENT:
The one being CRUCIFIED lifts himself up by his feet that are NAILED to the CROSS to BREATH and then RELAXES his body. And that process is REPEATED time and again until he
doesn’t have the STRENGTH to LIFT himself up anymore, and then SUFFOCATE.
b. A crucified person could LINGER on a CROSS for many hours before dying, depending on how
STRONG he was and what TORTURE he endured before being NAILED to the CROSS.
COMMENT:
Jesus died after SIX hours. “The two THIEVES crucified with Him were still ALIVE, but because the Sabbath would soon begin they had their DEATHS hastened by breaking their legs so they could no longer lift themselves up to BREATH”- John 19:31-32.
B. After Joseph and Nicodemus hastily prepared the body of Jesus for burial and placed Him in a borrowed
tomb, a huge stone was rolled over to CLOSE the ENTRANCE of the TOMB.
1. Matthew records that the “Jewish leaders were concerned that Christ’s disciples would STEAL the BODY of Jesus and TELL people that he had RISEN from the DEAD, so they convinced Pilate to place Roman soldiers to guard the tomb”- Matthew 27:62-68.
2. But you see . . . when God OPENS GRAVES, nothing can STOP it!!
COMMENT:
Let’s follow the steps of Mary Magdalene and the other women as they go to the TOMB that
first Easter morning.
MESSAGE:
I. THE WOMEN LEAVE FOR THE TOMB DISTRAUGHT- Mark 16:1-8 (READ)
A. These women didn’t go to the TOMB in anticipation, but to take care of UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
1. Mark 15:47 states “that they had seen the tomb and where the body of Jesus was laid after
He was taken down from the cross.”
COMMENT:
However, they had to return home where they prepared SPICES and PERFUMES to anoint Jesus’ BODY, but their work was delayed because of the Sabbath. Even though Nicodemus and Joseph had ANOINTED the Lord’s body when they BURIED Him, it was done in HASTE and was not satisfactory enough for these WOMEN. They felt that Jesus DESERVED a decent burial as well as anyone else.
2. Who were these women? Well, we don’t know definitively who all the women were, but as we
read through Mark and the other GOSPELS we learn who most of them are.
(1). Mary Magdalene is mentioned in every one of the GOSPELS as being at the TOMB.
COMMENT:
She was a Galilean woman from Magdala. “Jesus had delivered her from seven demons”- Luke 8:2. She was a devoted follower of Jesus who witnessed his CRUCIFIXION, BURIAL, and, of course, was at the TOMB. “She was the very first person who saw Jesus after His RESURRECTION”- Mark 16:9.
(2). Mary the mother of James the Younger and Joses- Mark 15:47, 16:1 (She is referred to as “the other Mary”- Matthew 28:1).
(3). Salome- Mark 15:40, 16:1
COMMENT:
Salome is the mother of James and John, the wife of Zebedee. She was also the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, making her His aunt.
(4). Joanna- Luke 24:10.
COMMENT:
“She was the wife of Cuza, and a household manager to King Herod Antipas”- Luke 8:3. She was a follower of Jesus who helped provide financial assistance to His ministry.
3. These women LOVED Jesus and were deeply DEVOTED to Him as their Lord. They couldn’t bear the thought that He hadn’t received a PROPER BURIAL according to their CUSTOMS.
B. After the Sabbath early that Sunday morning while it was still dark, these women left their homes, met
together, and went to the tomb of Jesus.
1. As they are on their way, they realize that there may be a problem to actually getting inside the
TOMB to anoint Jesus body with the SPICES and PERFUMES they prepared.
a. They ask each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”- v. 3.
b. They realized that none of them were STRONG enough to move the STONE, but they did not
allow that to DETER them. They were on a MISSION, and they were DETERMINED to COMPLETE it.
2. Imagine with me for a moment that you are one of the WOMEN on the ROAD moving towards the
TOMB.
ILLUSTRATION:
You have lost your dear FRIEND and TEACHER. You are overwhelmed with EMOTION. You are feeling SAD, DESPONDENT, BEWILDERED, ANGRY, and DEFEATED. What will
LIFE be like WITHOUT Jesus?
In the midst of your GRIEF, you are going through the MOTIONS of all that must be done—and that’s why you are on your way to the TOMB with SPICES to ANOINT the Lord’s
BODY. You are dreading to see his MANGLED body again, but you know this has to be done.
Getting closer, you talk among yourselves about how who will be able to move the huge STONE from the ENTRANCE of the TOMB. In the quietness of the morning, you can’t help but think about the HORRIBLE events that occurred just three days before at the CROSS. It’s just hard for you to BELIEVE that Jesus is really DEAD, but you know that He is because you
WITNESSED His DEATH yourself. Once again, TEARS begin to FLOW!
But then things take an UNEXPECTED turn. The ground begins to SHAKE, so you move even faster towards the TOMB only to find that the STONE is ROLLED AWAY. Confusion sets in and then TERROR as you ENTER the TOMB and discover the BODY of Jesus MISSING. You begin to ENTERTAIN the frightening thought that someone may have broken into the
TOMB and STOLE the BODY of Jesus. Now you’re really DISTRAUGHT!
Suddenly an ANGEL in DAZZLING CLOTHES appear (Luke said there were two angels). You fall to the ground in FEAR. Then the ANGEL said, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. HE HAS RISEN!”
B. In Luke’s gospel account, the “ANGELS reminded the WOMEN of what Jesus told them and the
other DISCIPLES as to what was going to HAPPEN to Him.”
1. Mark 8:31- “Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the Law, and that he must be killed and after
three days rise again.”
a. They remembered His WORDS, but I’m sure at the time it just didn’t SINK IN.
b. In fact, “Peter rebuked Jesus for even suggesting such a thing”- Mark 8:32.
2. Yet, when they all WITNESSED Jesus’ horrific EXECUTION on Friday, they either forgot about
or didn’t believe the PROMISE that THREE DAYS later He would RISE from the DEAD.
COMMENT:
When these women began their journey early that Sunday morning, they DID NOT expect to see an EMPTY TOMB.
II. THE WOMEN RETURNED FROM THE TOMB JOYFUL
A. This is how Mark’s gospel explains how the women reacted when DEPARTING from the TOMB- “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to
anyone, because they were afraid” – v. 8.
1. Depending on the context, the word that Mark uses for “afraid” can be interpreted “astonished or
awestruck.”
COMMENT:
These women are the first WITNESSES to the resurrection of Christ. They’re experiencing the entire gamut of EMOTIONS as they try to grapple with what they just SEEN and HEARD.
2. Listen to Matthew’s account in Matthew 28:8-10 (READ). “…afraid but filled with joy…”
COMMENT:
JOYFUL is not the way we usually leave CEMETERIES. We usually LEAVE in
SORROW over the DEATH of a LOVED ONE or FRIEND.
Even, if it’s not someone with whom we were closely acquainted . . . JOY is not an EMOTION we usually feel after leaving the GRAVEYARD.
B. These LADIES cannot contain their EXCITEMENT.
1. Their Lord, whose LIFELESS, MANGLED body they came to anoint, has RISEN from the DEAD.
ILLUSTRATION:
I served as an ER HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN in Elizabethtown, KY for a couple of years. I was assigned a BEEPER, and would be on CALL if a life-threatening EMERGENCY would
come into the ER.
I remember being called to the HOSPITAL in the middle of the night to be with the
FAMILY of a YOUNG WOMAN in her 20s who had quit BREATHING.
As the ambulance ARRIVED and the PATIENT was being ROLLED into the EMERGENCY ROOM, a PARAMEDIC was riding on the GURNEY leaning over the woman
pumping her CHEST—giving her CPR.
The FAMILY stood there in their NIGHT CLOTHES embracing each other and CRYING
their HEARTS out.
The DOCTORS worked on the YOUNG LADY for what seemed an ETERNITY but was only about 15 or 20 minutes before a NURSE came out and told the FAMILY that they were able
to get their loved one’s HEART BEATING again and her VITALS back to NORMAL.
Within an INSTANT their DEEP SORROW turned into a JOYFUL EXUBERANCE. HUGGING each other, WIPING tears, THANKING God.
2. Matthew records, “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran
to tell His disciples.”- Matthew 28:8.
a. But if you think they are JOYFUL now . . . JUST WAIT!!!
b. As they are RUNNING back to town to tell the DISCIPLES, they meet Jesus on the ROAD.
COMMENT:
The first WORD out of Jesus mouth is . . . “GREETINGS!” The King James Version says, “All HAIL.” (No, I didn’t say what you thought I said. H-A-I-L!) In Texas we would say, “HOWDY.” It is as if Jesus is calmly saying to these women, “Don’t act SURPRISED! I told you what was going to happen.”
3. Matthew said, “The women came to Him, clasped Jesus’ FEET and began to WORSHIP Him.”
COMMENT:
The Greek word for “clasped” means to “cling to” or “hold onto with all your strength.”
These women were not going to let Jesus go. They LOST Him before, but not this TIME.
But Jesus says to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that I’ll meet them in Galilee.”
CONCLUSION:
A. JESUS HAS RISEN!!!
1. The RESURRECTION of our Lord allows us a different view of DEATH.
a. Death is no longer a DEAD END.
b. It is no longer something that one must face with DREAD and DESPAIR.
2. Jesus’ RESURRECTION assures our RESURRECTION- 1 Cor. 15:50-57 (READ & COMMENT)
a. Death is no longer has the LAST WORD for those who believe because it has been CHALLENGED and CONQUERED by Jesus Christ our Lord.
b. Because HE LIVES, we shall LIVE also.
3. This Easter morning, even though we all have to SHELTER in our HOMES and can’t ASSEMBLE together in WORSHIP . . . . . we SERVE a RISEN LORD!!!
PRAYER
