THE WRONG SIDE OF EASTER
Mark 16:10
INTRO. Here are the followers of Jesus "weeping and mourning" but just fifty days later they would be in great joy, singing psalms and telling of their great experiences with Christ. The difference is as dramatic as the reason. That is, in our text, the disciples were on the Wrong Side of Easter.
I. ON THE WRONG SIDE OF EASTER THERE IS NO STRENGTH.
A. See Mark 15:29-32
1. These men who had followed Jesus so faithfully had seen with their own eyes His power and might. He had cast out demons, healed the sick, raised the dead, quieted the storms, walked on water and other miracles too numerous to mention.
2. But on the cross His strength had poured out like water.
a. Psa. 22:14-15
b. On the day He died their thoughts had not been much different from those of His enemies.
c. (Mk. 15:30) -- "Save thyself, and come down from the cross."
3. They had believed in Him, had all their hopes in Him, placed all the strength of their faith in Him. Now He was dead; and "they mourned and wept".
4. Another scripture says, "the doors were shut and barred for fear of the Jews." Their world had crashed down around them and now their lives were in very real danger from the very people who murdered Jesus.
B. Their strength had been in Him and He was now dead and defeated. Paul spoke the truth: (I Cor. 15:19) -- If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."
II. ON THE WRONG SIDE OF EASTER THERE IS NO LIGHT.
(Mk. 15:33)
A. They had heard John the Baptist preach and declare Jesus to be the "light of the world." But now it appears that Christ was overcome by the darkness of death and they were overcome by the darkness of grief.
B. Jesus had said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." But in a moment of unbelievable darkness, the light had been snuffed out.
III. ON THE WRONG SIDE OF EASTER THERE IS NO HOPE.
(Mk. 15:34)
A. If Jesus, who claimed to be the Son of God and who had the evidence of the angels at His birth.....the witness of John the Baptist and the voice of God from Heaven that He was indeed the Son of God.....if this One had been abandoned by the Father, what hope could they possibly have?
B. Had God committed Jesus as His last force against Satan and evil.....and lost? Was God defeated at Calvary?
C. Was the world doomed to be ruled by the Devil with no hope of deliverance? Small wonder they "mourned and wept."
IV. THERE IS NO ACCESS TO GOD ON THE WRONG SIDE OF EASTER.
(Mk. 15:38)
A. From the time of Moses the great veil of the temple had hung as mute evidence of the presence of Jehovah.
B. (Illus.) -- The Temple worship. The appearance of the glory of God. The annual entrance of the High Priest, the offering of the blood for the sins of the people. The law against unauthorized intrusion into the Holy of Holies.
C. Now the veil is rent and the appearance of God is departed. No longer can the high priest make atonement for their sins.....no longer will the glory of God fill the temple.....the veil is rent from top to bottom.
D. Surely their hearts quaked in terror at the thought of the implications of this. And just as surely the evidence built up that sin had been victorious, God had been defeated, Satan could now roam the great Temple at his pleasure.
V. THEY SAW NO LIFE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF EASTER.
(Mk. 15:44)
A. See John 5:24-26
B. (Jn. 6:40) -- "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
C. (Jn. 11:25-26) -- "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."
D. If death could claim Jesus, who had called the three day dead Lazarus back to life, then what claim could death make on them?
VI. THERE IS NO VICTORY ON THE WRONG SIDE OF EASTER.
(Mk. 15:45-46)
A. No better and no worse than countless millions who had died before him.
1. And that must have been what really terrified the disciples, He was after all, no different.
2. When they beat Him, He had bled. When they had nailed Him to the cross, He had thirsted, suffered pain and humiliation, then He died.
3. When all was said and done, He was no different than the two thieves who were crucified with Him.
4. They had seen no victory at Calvary.
B. But now one of the women has come with startling news..........(See Mk. 16:1-10)
VII. THE RIGHT SIDE OF EASTER.
A. (Mk. 11-13)
1. How hard it is to overcome despair. They were certain that He was the Christ spoken of by the prophets and then he died on the cross. Now they are just as sure he is not alive.
2. So long as you do not accept Jesus as your personal Saviour, as long as you do not see the resurrection as a personal event in which Jesus died, was buried and rose on the third day FOR YOU, then you are on the wrong side of Easter.
B. (Mk. 16:15-20) Notice that everything that was missing on the wrong side of Easter is now present.
1. (Vs. 15) -- The gospel is man’s only hope both in life and death. The gospel is only the "good news" if the message of the resurrection is included.
2. Access to God. (Vs. 16) -- The veil is no longer needed. (I Cor. 6:19) -- "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost." And a new way was made by His death -- (See Heb. 10:19-21).
3. Strength. (Vs. 17) - "In my name shall they cast out devils;" {Rom. 8:38-39}
4. Light: (Vs. 17) - "They shall speak with new tongues:" Not the carnival type tongues by which Satan has trapped so many....but other languages to spread the light of the gospel. (Illus.) -- Peter on Pentecost -- 16 different languages and dialects present.
5. Life: (Vs. 18) - Paul on Malta. Peter and John in the Temple. The lame man. But even more than healing and raising the dead they were sent to proclaim a living gospel to a dead world.
6. Victory: (Vs. 19) - God had not been defeated, Calvary had not been a disaster. Jesus was alive, now his words must have returned to their memory with burning force.
C. A short 40 days later they were in that same room but no longer are the doors shut and barred and no longer are they in fear for their lives. They are singing psalms and praising God and offering prayer. Who worries what men might do to them, Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father.
CONCLU. There is victory on the right side of Easter. Who can have hope, access to God, strength, light and eternal life in Jesus Christ? Just believe. (Eph. 2:8) -- "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
