Sermon: He Is Risen (Mark 16:1-14)

He Is Risen
Sunday, September 15th, 2024
Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Mark 16:1-14

1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

8And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

Prayer

O Father, we thank you that by Your Son’s resurrection, death is swallowed up by life. For the devil took the bait of Jesus’ flesh, and by that bait You hooked and caught the crafty serpent, and You have thrown down that ancient dragon and are still plundering his house. Continue that work as Christ’s resurrection is proclaimed in us, for we ask this in Jesus’ name, and Amen.

Introduction

In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul says that “if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain…and ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). How do you know that your sins are forgiven? How do you know that your faith in Christ, and your hope for salvation is not an empty hope? Well, it all comes down to this question: Did Jesus Christ die and rise again? Did Jesus Christ die to pay the penalty for your sins, and did God accept that payment? How do you know your sins are forgiven?

Well because God is gracious, He has not left you to wander in the dark on this question. Instead, He has given you the brightest of all lights in the Holy Scriptures.

• For starters, He has given to the world four distinct but harmonious accounts of Christ’s life, his teaching, his miracles, his death, his resurrection, and ascension on high.
  • And within those four gospels we find a plurality of diverse witnesses to the empty tomb: we have angels, soldiers, chief priests, women, the disciples, amongst whom are unbelieving men, the hardhearted, and the skeptical.
  • And yet what all of these witnesses attest to, both malicious and fair-minded, is that the body of Jesus is not in the tomb. Something happened.
    • In Matthew we read that the Jewish elders bribed the guards into telling the tale that, “His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept” (Matt. 28:13). “We fell asleep,” is the best excuse they could come up with.
    • And so even in the Jews’ attempt to discredit Jesus of Nazareth, they have unwittingly added their own witness to the reality that the body is not there. The tomb is empty.
• In addition to the four gospels, we also have the book of Acts, which records the history of the church from Christ’s ascension in 30 AD up to Paul’s Roman imprisonment around 59 AD, and all throughout those 28 chapters of Acts, the resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed and witnessed to, and believed on throughout the Roman Empire.
  • This news of Christ’s resurrection was so widespread that Paul could say in Colossians 1:23 (written around 60 AD), it “was preached to every creature which is under heaven.”
  • And so in the collection of books that we call the New Testament, are 27 distinct but harmonious witnesses to the resurrection of the Son of God. And most of the men who wrote those books, especially the apostles, sealed that witness to the resurrection in the blood of martyrdom.
  • Something happened. Something that changed the Roman Empire. Something that changed Judaism. Something that changed fearful and ignorant men into bold and courageous apostles. What was that something?
    • The church father St. Augustine argued that if someone does not believe in miracles, they are forced into a corner by the facts of history.
    • Because either Jesus Christ miraculously rose from the dead. And if that is true, then believe on him for salvation.
    • But if you deny that miracle, Augustine says, you are still left with perhaps an even greater miracle, namely, that without a resurrection, millions upon millions upon millions have freely believed on Jesus and had their lives transformed by him.
      • And whereas unlike Islam, and other false religions, Christianity has conquered the world not by military threat and force of arms, or by the promise of sensual and earthly gain, but rather through love, through self-denial, by teaching contempt for this world, and repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
    • Which is the greater miracle? That Jesus Christ rose from the dead? Or that he didn’t, and yet so many millions freely and joyfully believe that he did? Augustine contends, you’ve got a miracle either way.
  • As Christians, we of course believe the former. And we defend against all adversaries that our faith in Christ’s resurrection is by no means in vain.
  • In the words of the Apostle Paul, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19).
    • In other words, if Jesus Christ is not risen, then this life is as good as it gets. And so get what pleasure you can while you can.
    • But if Jesus Christ is risen, then for those who believe, this life is as bad as it gets, it cannot any worse than living here. Eternal life, with all the saints, in a new heavens and new earth awaits us, and as Jesus promised, the pure in heart shall see God.
    • This is the ultimate desire of the Christian, to know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and it is the resurrection of Jesus that assures us that our desire shall not go unfulfilled.
• Here in these 14 verses of Mark, we have God’s infallible witness to the resurrection of Jesus.
• And as we come to the end of Mark’s Gospel, and the second to last sermon in our series, we see that Mark’s love for irony continues to the end. For here, Mark has placed before us the greatest news that the disciples could ever hope for, Jesus is alive. He is risen. But instead of believing this news when they hear it, they don’t believe until Jesus himself appears to them.
  • And so Mark has foregrounded for us the initial unbelief of the disciples, and he has done this in order to help us overcome our own doubts. So that we can find ourselves in these characters and learn the important difference between seeing and believing.
  • For as Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
  • It is that blessing that Mark wants to give us by this resurrection account.

Outline of the Text

There are two basic sections to this text.

• In verses 1-8, the angel announces the resurrection to the women, and they tremble and are amazed.
• And then in verses 9-14, Jesus appears to the women and the disciples.
  • So we have first the announcement of the resurrection by an angel, and then the actual resurrection appearances by Jesus.
• So let us walk through these verses together.

Verse 1

1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

• Recall that the sabbath for the Jews ended at sunset on (what we call) Saturday night, roughly 6pm. And when that Saturday sabbath is past, they go out and buy spices.
• And then since it would be too dark to go visit the tomb, we read in verse 2…

Verse 2

2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

• So now it is what we call Sunday morning, around 6am, sunrise, and they have risen early to visit what they think will be the dead body of Jesus and a closed tomb.
• On their way there we read in verse 3…

Verse 3

3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

• So these women have not the strength to move the stone themselves. But on this day, that is no trouble. Their devotion is rewarded.

Verse 4

4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

• In Matthew’s account we are told that “there was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone” (Matt. 28:2).

Verses 5-8

5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

8And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

• Notice that the very first proclamation of the resurrection comes from an angel. Just as the Virgin Mary was told by an angel that from her Christ the God-man would be born, so also now an angel is first to bring the good tidings to these women, that that same God-man is firstborn from the dead. He is risen. He is not here.
• These women are then commissioned to go and tell the disciples that Jesus has gone before them into Galilee, and that is where they will see him.
• Why Galilee?
  • Galilee is the Shire. Galilee is where the story began. It was by the sea of Galilee that Jesus first called the disciples Simon and Andrew and told them, “I will make you into fishers of men” (Mark 1:17).
  • Jesus has not forgotten that promise, even if the disciples have.
  • But also, on the night of the Last Supper, Jesus told them in Mark 14:27-28, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.”
  • So this is the regathering of the sheep. This was the plan all along, and so when the disciples hear from the women that Jesus is risen and waiting for them in Galilee, they are supposed to remember, that’s exactly what Jesus said would happen.
  • He is calling them back to the beginning, back to their old stomping grounds, He is calling them back home. Because their ministry as fishers of men, which shall take them to the ends of the earth, is going to commence in just 50 days from now in Jerusalem.
    • This is the apostle’s sabbatical before everything gets crazy. The angel says, “Tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”
• God really is the best storyteller. He knows what the disciples need, and He knows what you and I need when we are low and doubting.
  • Sometimes, the remedy is to call us back to the familiar places, the places where we first met Jesus. The places where God spoke to us, and changed us, and where our faith was made strong in hearing His promises. For the disciples this was Galilee.
  • For years they had seen Christ’s power there. He cast out demons, He healed the sick. He multiplied loaves and fishes. He raised the dead. He walked on water. He calmed a storm with His words. Those were the “good ol’ days” that the disciples have forgotten. Whatever faith or hope they had back then, has been shaken by the crucifixion, and so before Jesus appears to them in person, He wants to call their minds back to Galilee by the words of these women. For when they arrive there, they shall see him again.
• Where is Galilee for you? Where did God first meet you and change you and give you real joy? Where did you learn the sweetness and freedom of forgiveness, of having your heavy burdens removed?
  • Perhaps it is not any specific geographic place, but rather for you it is a place in God’s Word, a verse, a story, a Psalm that gives you comfort?
  • Or perhaps it is a fellow saint, a friend, or group of friends that stirred you up to love and good works, who made you want to love and serve Jesus more fervently.
  • In Revelation 2, Jesus says to the church at Ephesus, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
  • When the fire of your desire for God is waning, when there is no joy, the solution that Jesus prescribes is “Remember!” Go back to your first love. Remember from where you have fallen and do what you did when the love was hot.
    • Put another way, “Go to Galilee.” Go to where God has met you in times past, and as it says in Jeremiah 29:13, “you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
• Returning to our text, we have in verses 9-14, three different appearances of the risen Lord.

Verse 9

9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

• The first person to see the risen Lord is a woman, and it is a woman who was formerly demon possessed. In John’s gospel we have a fuller account of this appearance, and there Mary mistakes Jesus for the gardener.
• It says in John 20:15-16, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.”
• Here we have a new and Last Adam, a new keeper of the garden (the True Gardener), and with him, a new Eve, a new mother of the living. And so to Mary Magdalene is given the first announcement of the resurrection, and the first appearance of our Lord. God has made good on His promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. Christ is the serpent slayer.
• So seven devils were cast out of Mary, out of the woman. And now through her witness, the holy gospel is proclaimed.

Verses 10-11

10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

• So here is the first instance of unbelief at the good news. They hear but do not believe.

Verses 12-13

12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

• This time Luke gives us the fuller account of this resurrection appearance.
  • We read in Luke 24:13, how “two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.” We are told that one of them was named Cleopas, and the other disciple is unnamed.
  • Jesus strikes up a conversation with them, they don’t recognize him, and so Jesus walks with them incognito, and it says in verse 27, “beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
  • Eventually they arrive at their destination, they sit down to eat together, and it says verses 30-32, “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
• They then go back seven miles to Jerusalem, and tell the Eleven, “The Lord is risen indeed.” And Mark says, “neither believed they them.”
• Second strike against them. And we know from Luke that it was during this same meeting of the disciples that later Jesus appeared.

Verse 14

14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

• Notice why Jesus rebukes them. Because they did not believe Mary when she told them. And they still did not believe after Cleopas and his companion told them. There are your two and three witnesses.
• And so the force of Christ’s rebuke applies to all who doubt what they hear, when the word of God is proclaimed. And conversely, the greatest commendation is reserved for those who Peter says, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).
• Without faith, it is impossible to please God. And so believe the words of these formerly unbelieving apostles when they tell you, the tomb is empty, He is risen. And if you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
• In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.