ON EASTER, REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST (2)
MARK 16:9-20; II TIMOTHY 2:8
9 It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.
10 She went and found the disciples, who were grieving and weeping.
11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.
12 Afterward he appeared to two who were walking from Jerusalem into the country, but they didn’t recognize him at first because he had changed his appearance.
13 When they realized who he was, they rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.
14 Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their unbelief—their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
15 And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.
16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
17 These signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages.
18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them."
19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
I. REMEMBER HIS APPEARANCE TO MARY MAGDALENE.
1. Mary Magdalene was on the outside of the tomb weeping; John 20:11.
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.
2. Mary Magdalene reveals the cause of her sorrow; John 20:12,13.
She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.
"Why are you crying?" the angels asked her.
"Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don’t know where they have put him."
3. Mary Magdalene meets with the resurrected Lord; John 20:14-17.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.
"Why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for?"
She thought he was the gardener. "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him."
"Mary!" Jesus said.
She turned toward him and exclaimed, "Teacher!"
"Don’t cling to me," Jesus said, "for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God."
II. REMEMBER HIS RESURRECTION WAS DECLARED BY THE WOMEN.
1. The women ran to tell the disciples about His resurrection; Matt. 28:8.
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to find the disciples to give them the angel’s message.
2. The women met Jesus on the way and worshipped Him; Matt. 28:9.
And as they went, Jesus met them. "Greetings!" he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him.
3. The women told the disciples that Christ was resurrected; Luke 24:10-12.
The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others. They told the apostles what had happened,
but the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn’t believe it.
However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
III. REMEMBER HIS RESURRECTION WAS FOR A PURPOSE.
1. His resurrection is the basic message of the Gospel; 1 Cor. 15: 1A.
Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message.
2. His resurrection is necessary for our justification; Rom. 4:24,25.
It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead.
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.
3. His resurrection gives us a living hope; 1 Peter 1:3,4.
All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead.
For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
IV. REMEMBER HIS RESURRECTION WAS DECLARED BY THE APOSTLES.
1. The Apostle Thomas witnessed that Christ is alive; John 20:27,28.
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!"
"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.
2. The Apostle Peter witnessed that Christ is alive; Acts 2:32.
"This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this.
3. The Apostle James witnessed that Christ is alive; 1 Cor. 15:7.
Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.
V. REMEMBER HIS POST-RESURRECTION COMMISSION.
1. He commissioned believers as witnesses; Acts 1:8.
But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
2. He commissioned believers to teach and baptize; Matt. 28:19.
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
3. He commissioned believers to teach His commandments; Matt. 28:20.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
VI. REMEMBER HIS ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN.
1. He ascended in the midst of witnesses; Acts 1:9.
It was not long after he said this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching, and he disappeared into a cloud.
2. He ascended into Heaven; Acts 1:10,11.
As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white-robed men suddenly stood there among them.
They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!"
3. He ascended from the Mount of Olives; Acts 1:12.
The apostles were at the Mount of Olives when this happened, so they walked the half mile back to Jerusalem.
VII. REMEMBER HIS PRIESTHOOD IN HEAVEN.
1. He is a Priest after the order of Melchizedek; Heb. 5:6; 6:20.
And in another passage God said to him,
"You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek."
Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the line of Melchizedek.
2. He has an unchanging priesthood; Heb. 7:22-24.
Because of God’s oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant.
Another difference is that there were many priests under the old system. When one priest died, another had to take his place.
But Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end.
3. He is our Priest to intercede for us; Heb. 9:24.
For Christ has entered into heaven itself to appear now before God as our Advocate. He did not go into the earthly place of worship, for that was merely a copy of the real Temple in heaven.
2 Timothy 2:8
8 Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David’s family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach.
