Easter Title Resurrection Sunday Text Mark 16 1

Easter Title: Resurrection Sunday Text: Mark 16: 1 -20 Mark 16: 6 -7 (NIV 84) 6 “Don’t be alarmed, ” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. ’” By: Pastor Micah Adamson April 21, 2019

Introduction to the Resurrection: • Last Sunday, we reviewed the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry. –On Good Friday, we read the story of Jesus’ death and burial. –Today, we are celebrating Jesus’ resurrection from the dead! • Everyone struggled to accept a Christ who would die. –They expected a Christ who would conquer and rule. –They didn’t expect a Christ who would suffer and serve. • Everyone called Jesus the “Christ” either in faith or mocking. –But, the Christ wouldn’t just die, He would rise again! • How about you? Will you believe in Jesus?

Mark 14 - Jesus’ Jewish Trial: as the Christ/Son of God/Son of Man/I AM • Jesus critiqued the Jewish leaders’ instead of fighting the Romans. –When Jesus let a woman anoint Him with expensive perfume instead of giving the money to Judas, he agreed to betray Jesus for money. • Jesus ate the Last Supper at Passover with His disciples. –Jesus predicted His death, Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, and everyone running away. • After supper, Jesus prayed that God would save Him from the cross. But, God said “no” and Jesus submitted to God’s will. –When Judas arrived, the disciples ran away as predicted. • Jesus was condemned for admitted to be the Christ when asked. –Peter denied even knowing Jesus three times when he was asked.

Mark 15 - Jesus’ Roman Trial and Execution: as the King of the Jews/Israel • Jews objected to Jesus’ claim to be Christ on religious grounds. –Romans objected to Jesus’ claim to be Christ on political grounds. • The crowd wanted a Christ who was more like Barabbas. –The Roman governor made the crowd own Jesus as their king. • Jesus was beaten so badly that Simon of Cyrene had to carry His cross. –Everyone mocked Jesus for not being able to save Himself. • Darkening of God’s blessing on Jesus as punishment for our sin. –The temple curtain ripped to show we are now welcomed into God’s presence by coming through Jesus’ broken body and shed blood. • One of the religious leaders got permission to bury Jesus. –Jesus’ women disciples saw where Jesus was buried.

Mark 16 - Jesus’ Resurrection, a preview of Acts, and the challenge to believe • The women come back to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. –An angel told them to tell Jesus’ disciples that Jesus had risen. –The women ran scared to tell the disciples without stopping. • The epilogue: Summarizes Jesus’ appearances to His disciples. –His disciples still had a hard time believing Jesus was the Christ. • Preview of Acts: Jesus will be preached and believed on. –Jesus is back in heaven reigning until He returns to earth!

Mark 16: 1 -3 (NIV 84) The Resurrection Jesus is Risen! 16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb? ”

Mark 16: 4 -8 (NIV 84) The Resurrection Jesus is Risen! 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed, ” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. ’ ” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

So, how does Mark end? • Quantity: More manuscripts of the NT than other ancient books. –NT: <5 k Greek copies + <25 k Translations –Next best: Iliad <1. 75 k, most others >100 copies • Quality: Fewer words in question than other ancient books. –NT: <1% words in question –Next best: Iliad ~5%, many others >10% words in question • Antiquity: Closer authors’ date than any other ancient book. –NT fragments: ~50 years (>125 A. D), full ~300 years (~350 A. D) –Next best: Sophocles ~200, Iliad ~400, most others >1 k years

Higher criticism vs. Lower criticism: • Higher/historical criticism argues that: –Premise 1: I already know what’s true… –Premise 2: This part of the Bible doesn’t agree with me… –Conclusion: This part of the Bible must not be original. • Lower/textual criticism argues that: –Premise 1: The best way to tell if part of the Bible is original is to follow the rules for evaluating historical documents. –Premise 2: The evidence says this part was written later. –Conclusion: This part of the Bible must not be original.

Why does Mark end here? • Did Mark and Peter write an ending that has been lost? –Did they never finish since Peter died first? (2 Peter 2: 15) –Or, did they write this ending on purpose to let preachers give their own call to faith in Jesus? • Ending the story at Mark 16: 8 forces us to answer the question of whether we believe that Jesus is the Christ. –Mark 16: 9 -20 is a good example of one preacher’s conclusion that encourages us to answer the question: • How about you? Will you believe in Jesus?

Mark 16: 9 -11 (NIV 84) Summary of the Resurrection (Jn. 20, Mt. 28) When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. 9

Mark 16: 12 -13 (NIV 84) Summary of the Resurrection (Lk. 24, Jn. 20) 12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

Mark 16: 14 (NIV 84) Summary of the Resurrection (Lk. 24, Jn. 20) 14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Mark 16: 15 -16 (NIV 84) Summary of the Resurrection and a Preview of Acts (Mt. 28, Lk. 24. Ac. 1) 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

17 And Mark 16: 17 -18 (NIV 84) Preview of Acts (Acts 1 -28) these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. ”

Mark 16: 19 -20 (NIV 84) Summary of the Resurrection and a Preview of Acts (Lk. 24, Acts 1) 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

How about you? Will you believe in Jesus? • We can know from the gospels that Jesus really did claim to be God and that He would prove it by dying and rising again. –The best explanation is that Jesus rose from the dead! • Jesus’ death took the punishment for our sin, –Jesus’ resurrection proves that sin has been conquered! • We can be saved from the consequence of our sin, by trusting in Jesus to take God’s punishment for our sin!

What does it mean to believe in Jesus? • You are saved by trusting in Jesus’ death in your place to save you from God’s righteous punishment for you sin. –But, you can’t ask Jesus to save you if you don’t believe that He really is the Christ, the Son of God, God the Son. –And, you can’t believe that Jesus is who He said He was if you have never heard about Jesus.

Knowledge: Of the facts about Jesus • Jesus has always been God. –He came to earth as a man and lived a perfect life. • He died a sacrificial death in your place. –He rose again to give you life. • He returned to heaven to reign as king and will come back again to reign forever. • If you aren’t familiar with the facts about Jesus, read the Gospel of Mark.

Assent: To the truth of Jesus’ claims • You can believe the Bible since it’s true, accurate, and reliable in the normal sense of those words. –In the book of Mark, God opens blind eyes to see the truth about Jesus that’s already there. • If you aren’t convinced that the Bible is accurate, read Surprised by Faith by Don Bierle.

Trust: In Jesus to save you • Assent admits Jesus is the Christ who died for sin to save people. –Trust admits Jesus died for your since you need it. • The facts of the gospel are true whether you believe them or not. –“Faith bridges the gap between evidence and certainty” since “evidence only deals with probably, not certainty” (J. W. M). • We’re all traveling the road of life to cross the river of death. –We’re all betting our eternal lives on something. • How about you? Will you believe in Jesus?