The Gospel According to Mark (Part 50)

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The Gospel According to Mark

(Part 50)

Good morning and welcome to Jesus Church

Today my friends… we conclude our series through Mark – Part 50

• If you are new: Took 1 year to look at the life and ministry of Jesus
  • Many of u can now say you have read through an entire gospel
  • And honestly… I think that’s significant
  • B/C if we are going to devote our lives to Jesus
    • We should be able to say we’ve read through his life story
• Next week we will start a series on community – Run until Easter
  • Works perfect b/c next Sunday is our Second Sunday
  • Also Superbowl so eat some Pizza with us b4 the game

Last week we looked at the crucifixion and murder of Jesus

• And we tied it to 3 things Bible says died on the cross w/ Jesus
  • 1 – Death died on the cross
  • 2 – Enemies authority died on the cross
  • 3 – Debt died on the cross
• Today we celebrate the conclusion to the darkest day in history
  • And this is a really familiar story… (2 easter sermons this year)
  • But honestly anyone in your life who knows you’re a Christian
  • If you were to ask what they think your faith is about
    • Chances are they would say – Jesus died and rose again
    • That’s sorta the universal understanding of Christianity

So todays story is the most familiar story in all our faith – Empty tomb

• But that means we need to realize this morning we’re at risk
  • B/C anytime we approach a Bible story that’s this familiar
  • We are at risk of thinking: I’ve already heard this one
• But the truth is… We’ve barely scratched the surface
  • And we might be satisfied with the surface
  • … TODAY we won’t be satisfied with just a – Oh ya I know

Mark 15:40-47, 16:1-8

Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

It was Preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion he asked him if Jesus shad already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so , he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

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. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb?” But when they looked up they saw that the stone was rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 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. 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.” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.

[PRAY]

Story: Anyone glad we had warm weather last week?

Hate to say it but its gonna get back into low 50 degrees next week

• And some of you love that… which is super crazy to me
  • Sarah was saying at staff she likes cold so much more than hot
  • Personally I like to feel like I’m close to the sun (and the son)
  • But you know… to each their own
• So this last week comes with mid 70 degree weather
  • And we all sorta emerge like we’re coming out of hibernation
  • And we think: Finally we aren’t freezing anymore
  • Which is pathetic b/c its 28 degrees & snow in Colorado today

Which is where I use 2 live… grew up in Seattle – I thought that was cold

• Don’t know cold until u can’t have exposed skin more than 5 min
  • Or when you can’t open you car door because its incased in ice
  • And the wind never ends… drops the temp 30 more degrees
    • But you figure out ways to cope with cold
    • Cozy fires… making snowmen… hot cocca
    • Joey liked to just eat the snow [PIC]
• But eventually that all gets really old – and your still stuck with cold
  • And the snow starts to melt and then freezes again
  • And its no longer pretty and white… its got dirt/rocks or yellow

But then sometime around March you finally get a break

• Wind doesn’t stop but the sun comes out and the clouds are gone
  • And you get tricked into thinking its finally over
  • Might even have a day in the 60’s or 70’s
• And out of the permafrost ground that is completely void of color
  • These flowers start to pop up… And its been so long
  • It’s the most beautiful thing you can imagine [PIC]
  • They pop up in white… yellow… purple (Easter Lilies)
• But they always gave me this hope… that winter’s not eternal
  • There is a world out there with life – warmth – actual color
  • And I know this because of the easter lily in my front yard

But typically what happened… after hopes up… another nasty cold front

• One year we had an ice storm on Easter Sunday (Late April)
  • So you again have snow everywhere… depressing
  • But this time you know the snow isn’t gonna last for months
  • And the Easter Lily (withered) But it reminds u of what’s coming

How disciples experienced story that concludes today

Where life looks a certain way (cold/dry) and we just have to deal w/ it

• And then something happens that is so sudden/out of place
  • And it brings beauty & hope in the midst of a baren landscape
  • And that doesn’t mean winter is over…
  • Does mean things are different now b/c Easter Lily has bloomed

Jn 1:3-4

In him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

• So todays story follows Jesus dead on the cross
  • And if u look at who was there… Mark notates 3 people
  • You have Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Salome
  • And it also says there were more women there as well
• And that’s significant – Because these are disciples of Jesus
  • They went with him to Jerusalem
  • They were the ones with him when he died
  • These are the last people Jesus sees b4 he gives up his spirit
• Who is not on the scene – the male disciples (except John is there)
  • But where’s Peter… Andrew… Thomas…
  • They haven’t been present for any of the execution
  • And here at the end we are told Jesus disciples aren’t just men
    • There’s a whole group of women that followed him as well
    • And in the end they are they faithful ones
    • Its b/c of their eyewitness testimony we have this account

And again Jesus isn’t 1^st person they’ve seen crucified (1000’s others)

• In the 60’s in Jerusalem they were bulldozing a field to develop
  • Ran into this 2000 year old stone structure (happens a lot)
    • Everything stops… call in authorities to excavate
    • Found a 1^st century family tomb
  • And in the tomb is a bunch of stone boxes with names on them
    • One of the name is : Yehovanan ben Hacko (John)
    • And inside this box are some large fossilized bones [PIC]
    • And (big new story)… Large iron nail through the ankle
• This man (John) was crucified around same time period as Jesus
  • We don’t know what he did… certainly didn’t deserve this
  • This was the dead of winter humanity looks like
  • Finding the worst way to torture/humiliate/kill other humans
• And these disciples who saw the flower pop up in dead of winter
  • As Jesus called them 1 by 1 and taught them of the Kingdom
    • Now are see the next wave of snow and ice
    • But again… things will never be the same
    • B/C even though winter is still here… something changed

Mark intros another disciple – Joseph (this guy is rich)

And he loves Jesus enough to BOLDLY ask for Jesus’ body

Mark 15:43

Joseph of Arimathea a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the Kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.

• Now its bold because he’s associating w/ a convicted state criminal
  • He doesn’t care… He buys linen to wrap Jesus in
  • Takes him down off the cross… wouldn’t be easy at all
  • And then puts Jesus in his family grave (not to be resurrected)
• Brings me back to story of how hard it is 4 wealthy to enter heaven
  • Its like a camel going through the eye of a needle
  • Well here’s proof they can fit…
  • Because this man uses his wealth to honor Jesus
• So Jesus is put into the tomb… didn’t have cars so they carried him
  • Which means it had to be close – John’s Gospel backs that up

Jn 19:41

At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

• If you remember last week I showed you this place of the skull
  • If Jesus was crucified there… tomb had to be close
  • Actually within walking distance they found a garden
  • Know it was a garden b/c it had a winepress
• In the garden they found (as Mark describes) a stone cut tomb [PIC]
  • And in the tomb (mid 1800’s) was etched on wall a cross [PIC]
  • This is why you need to go to Israel

So Jesus is put in the tomb – Women are there as well

And after the Sabbath they come back do prep on Jesus body (explain)

• Now remember… they aren’t coming back to see if Jesus is alive
  • We think that way because we know what happens
  • But they very much think he is dead… why they have spices
• And they are just devastated – They’ve given up their lives for Jesus
  • They’ve supported him… done ministry with him… trusted him
  • They planned out their entire future with this man
  • And now he’s gone… forever
• Had this beautiful/exciting/larger than life 1 ½ years with Jesus
  • And then this happens
    • Crushed by how the world works…
    • And this Kingdom Jesus talks about – Seems foolish now
  • This is their headspace
    • Our leaders been taken… our vision’s been taken
    • Because this is just how the world is
  • A lot like how you’d feel after another snowstorm in Colorado
    • Or how you feel when you get rejected again
    • Or passed over for a promotion again
    • Or let down by broken promises again
      • This is just how the world is…

Many of us can absolutely relate to loss & pain

B/C majority of human history has participated in what this story tells

• If you take all of human history
  • To say that you don’t know someone who’s died tragically
  • You stand out in human history
  • Because the world is a cold and brutal place sometimes
• That is what this story is all about… whatever the message is
  • It’s not about a pipedream – Where nothing ever goes wrong
    • The Christian story looks right in the face of TRAGGIC EVIL
    • And it actually participates in it (Jesus rejection/murder)
  • And these women… what are they supposed to think…
    • Except I guess I’ll go home and learn how to cope
    • Disciples went back to fishing nets… what’s else is there
• And in the natural… that’s about the best any of us can do
  • Our life experience teaches us how the world is… hurt/pain/loss
  • And for many – That’s what it means to be human

But to be a disciple of Jesus is to do something crazy

• To believe Jesus is 2 believe that this experience isn’t the real world
  • Its real in that it happens… Yes winter is cold…
  • But its not the most true thing about the world (ANYMORE)
  • Certainly not where the world is heading
• Reason: I know there’s a world of purple/yellow flowers
  • And even if it looks like death out your front window
  • Why would you believe there are days you get to wear shorts
  • Why would you believe such a thing…
• Well I saw that Easter Lily in my front yard… And I can’t let it go

Mark 16:2-7

Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb?” (why they didn’t think of this before… who knows) But when they looked up they saw that the stone was rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 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. 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.”

So the women just had their reality completely rocked

• And what are they feeling… Mark uses two words but 1 emotion
  • Matthew tells the same story – Better conveys the emotions

Matt 28:8

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy and ran to tell the disciples.

• Fear & Joy (Not scared & then got happy once they started running)
  • No… they are terrified and full of joy

TAG: And that’s the story… and its amazing

Two things we can dig a little deeper than the surface

1. Jesus gives us this concept of resurrection

• The idea ties in completely with this idea of the Easter Lily
  • That even though we live in a world that’s frozen over with sin
  • There is a new reality in what it means to be human
  • And in resurrection… we start creating that reality on earth
• “On earth as it is in heaven”
  • Resurrection really isn’t about going up to some other place
  • Its about living in a redeemed world as redeemed image bearer
  • Where all creation is truly put back to how God wanted it to be
• B/C God’s plan verses how we thought it would go
  • We were looking for lands flowing with milk & honey
  • But God gave us an Easter Lily in the middle of winter
  • Bursting out of the tomb – IN SPITE of the snow around it
• And so even though the evils of the world still devastate and crush
  • Jesus shows us that from now on… evil doesn’t get the final say
  • Because there’s this Easter Lily in my yard
  • Because there’s this empty tomb you can go see in Jerusalem
• So the driving force that led the revolution of Christianity
  • It all sources from this one truth: Jesus rose from the dead
  • And because of that the world isn’t what you think it is

2. And then it comes down to their response

• What happens when everything you knew/experienced changes
  • It feels like terror and fear mixed with Joy
  • Not separate… but at the same time
• Only 2 things I can think of that comes anywhere close to this
  • It was the moment I first saw my kids after wife’s C section
    • That was a unique moment in time to me – FEAR & JOY
    • And I didn’t even go through a C section…
  • But you hold this child that is a part of you in your hands
    • This eternal soul and life that’s entered existence
    • Yes its terrifying… but also so much joy
• But it marked me… changed me > Same way it changed disciples
  • That yes the world is awful… unjust… and winter is super cold
    • But “Oh my goodness” – There is something different
    • B/C the tomb is empty – So its time 2 change expectations
  • And when everything you know is turned on its head
    • Yes that’s terrifying
    • But there’s excitement in the air… things are gonna change

And some of you – Couldn’t relate more to this

What’s happened to you in the last year… real hard to see hope

• Real hard to read teachings of Jesus and not think “Real nice idea”
  • But that’s just not how things work
• Some of us walk in here with huge personal failures
  • Begin to say “This is who I am… world I live in”
  • And ya Jesus can talka bout victory & transformation
  • But I know my life… that’s a wasted dream
• And this story asks you to entertain the simple claim
  • That’s not the way the world is & not who you really are
  • You are a glorious human made in God’s image

Might be caught up in a web of sin…

• Please listen… Its not the last word… because Jesus changed it all
  • And there a new reality… new you… Kingdom all around you
  • And when you start to doubt it – Just look for the Easter Lily
    • Just look at the empty tomb