Introduction:

The death of Jesus on the cross is the most significant moment in human history. Because Jesus died in our place, he has fully paid the debt of our sins. Because of the cross, we can truly claim forgiveness of sins and liberation from the dominion of darkness. However, the cross without the resurrection is an incomplete gospel. Jesus did not remain in the grave. Jesus rose three days later, conquering sin and death on our behalf and securing eternal spiritual life and the assurance of resurrection to come for all who are united with Christ in faith. This morning we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and all that it means for us who know him as our Savior and Lord.

Scripture Reading:

Mark 15:42-16:20: And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

Opening Prayer:

Father God, I thank you for the honor and privilege of being able to gather here this morning to worship you. I pray that you would open our hearts and minds to be receptive to your word. May we receive the message that you intended for each of us this morning, and may we be willing to respond in whatever ways your Holy Spirit compels us. Give me the words to speak, and may all that is said be for your glory and our good. Amen. 

The Empty Tomb:

The Romans crucified Jesus on a Friday afternoon, which meant that his mourners had to bury him quickly to avoid the Sabbath when preparing his body would have violated Jewish law. The Jewish Sabbath begins at nightfall on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. Because of the timing of the crucifixion Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome did not have time to anoint Christ’s body properly according to Jewish customs. Jesus had to be quickly wrapped in burial cloth and put into a tomb before sunset. The women purchased burial spices when the Sabbath ended at nightfall on Saturday. They decided they would journey to the tomb at dawn to finish anointing Jesus’ body. 

As they journeyed, we read;

They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

– Mark 16:3, ESV

In this region at this time in history, tombs were cave-like structures. People sealed the entrance of tombs by rolling large stones in front of the entranceway. These stones were anywhere from five to six feet in diameter. While they varied in thickness and size, a burial stone would be far too heavy to move without the assistance of at least two or three men. The women realize that they will need help moving the stone and hope that some kind strangers will be near the tomb and willing to assist. This statement only highlights that none of Jesus’ eleven male disciples had come with them.

One of the interesting details recorded in each of the gospels is that, while Jesus’ twelve core disciples were men, it was primarily women who were present to comfort him at his crucifixion, it was women who attended his burial, and now it is women who will be the first witnesses to the resurrection! Early Jewish and Pagan critics of the gospel would try to use this fact to dismiss the resurrection account. They would claim that women are irrational and prone to hysteria, so no one should take these women’s testimonies seriously. We know that these women were not unreasonable or prone to deception, but the criticism these first witnesses received not only tells us something about how society viewed women in the ancient world but also, ironically, helps validate the truth of the resurrection. If the disciples were making up a story, wouldn’t they have been the ones who discovered the empty tomb? If you were making up a story, why would you choose to have women find the empty tomb, especially if you lived in a culture that did not value women’s testimony? If you were making up a story, this is not the version you would make up. The only conclusion then is that these women, indeed, were the first witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. 

It turns out that the women’s question, “Who will roll away the stone for us?” (Mark 16:3, ESV) was answered before they arrived. From Matthew’s gospel, we know that Roman guards were set at Jesus’ tomb, but before the women arrived, an angel descended from heaven and rolled the stone away. When this happened, the earth shook, causing the guards to faint and then flee in fear. By the time the women arrive, they find “that the stone had been rolled back” (Mark 16:4, ESV).

From other gospel accounts, we know that the women initially feared that someone had stolen Jesus’ body. Still, they entered the tomb and were surprised to see “a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe” (Mark 16:5, ESV). Mark does not outright say it, but the other gospel accounts confirm what Mark’s readers suspected, this was an angel of the Lord sent by God to share the good news of the resurrection.

And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Mark 16:6-7, ESV

On multiple occasions, Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer, die, and rise again after three days. This teaching always confused the disciples. The disciples had witnessed Jesus perform countless signs and wonders. They had seen his sinless life and how he taught as one with divine authority. They were with him when he extended grace and mercy towards sinners and spoke of showing love to your enemies. Despite all of this, they still expected Jesus to be a conquering King in a worldly sense, not a suffering Savior. The disciples expected a physical kingdom on earth, not an eternal kingdom in the hearts and souls of men. They could only understand Jesus’ teachings about suffering, death, and resurrection as vague metaphors for some spiritual truth they had not yet grasped. They only recognized the resurrection as fact once the risen Christ made himself physically appear before them. Perhaps this is why none of them were present at the empty tomb. They still lacked the faith to see Jesus for who he truly is, though it would not be long before Jesus would appear before them as proof that everything he taught about himself was true.

Jesus Christ died for sinners, but he did not remain dead. He had risen from the grave just as he said he would. Jesus paid full payment for our sins. Jesus abolished the wages of our sin and rebellion. We have received a royal pardon from the King of Kings at the cost of his blood, which he willingly shed for you. Those who were held captive by the grave have been set free, and there is now no condemnation for any who are in Christ Jesus, but only everlasting life. This is the meaning of the resurrection and the hope of every Christian. All that Christ said he would do, he has done.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV

Note that the angel commands the women to “go, tell [Jesus’] disciples and Peter” this good news” (Mark 16:7, ESV). Why is Peter singled out? Only a few days earlier, as Jesus was explaining the events of his death that must take place for salvation to be won, Peter refused to accept what Jesus was saying. Peter told Jesus he would stand with him even if that meant dying at Christ’s side. Jesus then told Peter that not only would Peter fail to stand by his side, but before the rooster crowed twice, Peter would deny him three times that very night.

As Jesus said, he was arrested and brought before the high priest in a corrupt and unjust trial. His disciples had fled in fear after he was taken, but Peter followed at a safe distance. A servant girl recognized Peter as a man who had been with Jesus. Three times he was asked about his connection to Jesus, and three times he denied even knowing Jesus. Then the rooster crowed just as Jesus had said. The last we saw of Peter, he was overcome with guilt and shame, weeping as they took Jesus away for crucifixion. 

More than any other disciple, Peter needed to hear the good news. Peter had not been there for Jesus when he needed him most. Peter had boldly declared his loyalty in private but had failed to speak up when the time came. John’s gospel records that after the initial shock of the resurrection wore off, Jesus appeared before several of his disciples on the beach while they were out fishing. Jesus recreates the miracle of the great catch that took place right before he first called Peter to be his disciple, and then three times he asks Peter, “do you love me?” Three times Peter is given the opportunity to renounce his three denials, and every time he responds, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you” (John 21). From that day on, Peter would never again deny Jesus.

Why did the angel tell the women “tell his disciples and Peter” (Mark 16:7, ESV)? Because the resurrection is not just good news for the faithful. It is good news for failures, hypocrites, and cowards. The resurrection means that Jesus has won the war we could not win, and he freely shares his reward with all who follow him. As the apostle Paul would write to the church in Rome:

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39, ESV

Some people believe that the Gospel of Mark should end with verse 8. Your Bible might have a note somewhere on the page that says, “Some of The Earliest Manuscripts Do Not Include 16:9-20” or something in the same vein. Some people see that note in their Bible and become concerned. While I don’t want to spend a long time on this point, I would like to put some at ease. The oldest copies of Mark’s gospel do indeed end abruptly at verse 8; however, I do not think that is a reason to question the truthfulness of anything in verses 9-20. First, most scholars agree that the manuscripts that end at verse 8 are incomplete. Verse 8 is a strange place for Mark’s Gospel to end, both grammatically and thematically. Second, just because a newer copy has a lengthier ending than the older copy does not mean that the new document is a corrupted version, especially when most people agree that the older copy is missing a conclusion. It very well might be the case that the newer manuscript is a more conclusive copy of the original writing than the older manuscript. Third, verses 9-20 add nothing to the gospel account that is not already written about in the gospel of Matthew, Luke, John, or the book of Acts. No details are changed, so I find no reason not to preach these verses.

The Witnesses (Mark 16:9-14)

Verse 8 leaves us with an empty tomb and an angelic testimony that Christ is not dead and that the disciples will see him again. However, before Jesus appears before the eleven disciples, he appears first to Mary Magdalene.

Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Mark 16:9-11, ESV

John chapter twenty gives us a much fuller picture of what happened in these verses. John tells us that when the women saw the tomb was empty, Mary Magdalene “ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’” (John 20:2, ESV). Apparently, while Mary Magdalene is away, the other women have their conversation with the angel we just read about. By the time poor Mary Magdalene returns with Peter and John, the other women have left. The disciples inspect the tomb and see that it is indeed empty. Then we read that “the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb” (John 20:10-11, ESV).

As Mark mentioned, Mary had been a woman possessed by seven demons before she met Jesus. After Jesus set her free, she was his most devoted follower. She had been among the few who were devoted enough to be present at the crucifixion. Mark even lists her name above Jesus’ own mother (Mark 15:40-41). She was there when they took his body off of the cross, when they rolled the stone over the tomb and had been there that morning with burial spices in hand to anoint the body of her Lord. It would not be right for Jesus’s most devoted follower to have missed the good news. 

Jesus, seeing her tears, decides to bestow Mary Magdelene the honor of being the first person to see him in his resurrected body.

…and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

– John 20:11b-18, ESV

Mary was a broken woman when she met Jesus. He had cast out her demons, restored her dignity, and given her a new purpose in life. When Mary watched Jesus die on the cross, she undoubtedly felt as though all was lost. After they sealed Christ in the tomb, she knew nothing else to do but to honor the memory of the man who had given her life meaning and value for the first time. When she saw his body was missing, she thought someone had taken his body from the grave during the night and ran to get help. Peter and John ran to see what had taken place, but they could do nothing about a stolen body, so they left Mary alone to weep.

Then Jesus appears before her. As the prophet Isaiah foretold long ago;

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah 25:8, ESV

Death had been defeated on the cross, and here is Jesus to take away Mary’s tears and to give her the honor and glory of being the first to see him in his resurrection. It is an honor she will carry for the rest of eternity and as a constant reminder that greatness in God’s kingdom is marked by love. Again Mary runs to tell the disciples, not that the tomb is empty, but that she has seen the Lord face to face! 

Shockingly, despite the empty tomb, the angel’s testimony, and the eyewitness account of Mary Magdelene, Mark’s gospel records that “when [the disciples] heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it” (Mark 16:11, ESV). I will admit that I find the disciple’s lack of faith alarming. Jesus instructed them on several occasions to anticipate his death and resurrection.

“He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Mark 8:31, ESV

“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”

Mark 9:31, ESV

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Mark 10:33-34, ESV

Everything Jesus prophecied occurred just as he said it would, but even so, they refused to believe that Christ had risen from the grave. Perhaps in their grief, they thought the resurrection was too good to be true.  

Even when two of the disciples have their own encounter with Jesus, the rest of them refuse to believe:

After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Mark 16:11-13, ESV

Luke records what happened here in much more detail. The disciples were journeying to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were discussing all that had happened recently when Jesus himself joined them on their walk, though they did not recognize him. When Jesus asked the disciples what they are discussing, one of them essentially tells Jesus, “You must be new in town if you haven’t heard what happened in Jerusalem.” The disciple then recounts the full story of Jesus the Messiah who was betrayed, crucified, and buried. They tell Jesus about the empty tomb and the women’s testimony, but they are not sure what to think of all of this. 

That is when Jesus, whom they do not recognize, tells them,

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Luke 24:25-28, ESV

Jesus talks so long that they reach Emmaeus and invite him in for dinner. Then Luke records,

When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Luke 24:30-35, ESV

Surely the testimony of Mary Magdelene combined with two of the eleven disciples would be enough to convince the remaining disciples, but again Mark tells us “but they did not believe them” (Mark 16:13, ESV).

Is it any surprise that when Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples Mare records, “he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen” (Mark 16:14, ESV). As someone who, at times, can be guilty of being hard-headed and well as hard-hearted, I am thankful that Jesus does not give up on us even when though we might need to be rebuked from time to time.

The Great Commission and Ascension (Mark 16:15-20)

Jesus, who has been now been given all authority in heaven and on earth, commands his disciples to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15, ESV), and declaring that “i” (Mark 16:16, ESV). He tells them many of the signs and wonders they will perform as they go forth in his name, and just as we saw in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, everything Jesus said did come to pass.

Mark’s gospel ends by telling us “the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs” (Mark 16:19-20, ESV).

The apostles devoted themselves to spreading the gospel to many nations, and thousands would come to place their faith in Jesus within a matter of months. Over the centuries, the gospel would travel to every continent. It would reach across nations and languages to make disciples of all peoples. Men and women, Jews and Gentiles, emperors and prisoners alike would come to recognize Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The Lost would be found, those dead in sin would be raised to new life, the captives would be set free, and enemies of God would be transformed into friends of God. Now, some two thousand years later, the church continues in this mission. All peoples need to hear the good news that Jesus Christ, the righteous Son of God, died on the cross for our sins. They need to know that He rose again three days later, having defeated sin and death on our behalf, and that for those who follow Christ in faith, there is now no condemnation but only everlasting life in Him.

Call To Response:

This morning, you may want to place your faith in Jesus for the first time. Maybe you have already placed your faith in Jesus, but this morning you realize that that faith has grown cold, and a fire needs to be lit in your soul again. Maybe you feel a stirring in your heart and need help learning how to respond. Regardless of how you respond this morning, I pray that you will listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading. I will make myself available during this time of decision, as well as after the service if you feel you need to talk, but as always, I encourage you not to leave this place without responding to the call that God has placed in your heart this morning. Let us pray. 

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to pay the debt we owed on the cross and win the victory we could not achieve through the resurrection. I thank you for the hope of resurrection and the assurance that one day all things will be made new. I pray that everyone hearing the sound of my voice will receive the gift of salvation if they have not done so already. I pray that you will give us a heart for sharing the good news with those who may be perishing without it. Renew our hearts and lead us as we enter this time of decision. Amen.