Mark 16
The King’s Victory
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Sermon Text
The Resurrection of Jesus
Matt. 28:1–8; Luke 24:1–9
16 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The Appearances of Jesus
Luke 24:13–48; John 20:1–10
9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The Ascension of Jesus
Luke 24:49–53; Acts 1:9
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 16:1–20.
Sermon Summary
Main Theme: Jesus' resurrection is the cornerstone of our hope, assuring us of eternal life and God's sovereign reign.
I. Despair to Amazement (Mark's Gospel Verses 1-8)
Despair: The Marys, witnesses to Jesus' crucifixion, embody the culmination of grief and lost hope.
The Stone and The Angel: An unexpected open tomb and an angelic encounter shift their despair to bewildering hope.
Amazement: The revelation of Jesus' resurrection propels them from sorrow to joy, symbolizing the dawning of new hope.
II. Disbelief Confronted (Verses 9-14)
Textual Integrity: Affirmation of the verses' authenticity and significance.
Disbelief among the Disciples: Initial skepticism gives way to conviction as the resurrected Jesus appears, proving his victory over death.
Historical Validation: Analogies with secular history reinforce the credibility of the resurrection account, underscoring its impact on the disciples’ unwavering faith.
III. Disciples Commissioned (Verses 15-18)
Transition: From disciples to apostles, tasked with spreading the groundbreaking news of salvation and hope.
The Commission: A divine mandate to proclaim the Gospel, promising signs of God’s power among believers.
IV. Display of Jesus' Glory (Verse 19)
Ascension: Jesus' ascension into heaven not only confirms his divine authority but also fulfills prophecies, cementing the basis for Christian hope.
V. Driving Hope of the Apostles (Verse 20)
Mandate Fulfilled: The apostles' preaching, driven by the visible ascension and the promise of Jesus’ return, spreads hope amidst despair.
Application:
The resurrection story transcends a mere historical event, inviting a personal encounter with the living Jesus, offering hope in despair, and motivating believers to share this transformative hope with others.
Sample Bible Study
Objective: To explore the significance of Jesus' resurrection as the foundation of our hope, through scriptural examination and reflection on practical implications.
1. Scripture Reading:
Mark's Gospel on the Resurrection (Focus on Verses 1-20)
Cross-reference with 1 Corinthians 15:17-20 on the importance of the resurrection.
2. Discussion:
Historical and Emotional Context: Reflect on the despair to amazement journey of the Marys. Discuss the emotional and spiritual transformation brought by the resurrection.
Theological Significance: Delve into the implications of disbelief confronted and the transition from disciples to apostles. What does this mean for our personal faith journey?
Personal Reflection: How does the resurrection provide hope in our daily struggles and despair?
3. Practical Applications:
Identifying areas of despair in our lives and community, and discussing how the hope of the resurrection can transform our perspective and actions.
Committing to share the hope of the resurrection with someone in need this week.
4. References to Confessions and Catechisms:
Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 8, Section 4): On Christ the Mediator and his resurrection as essential for our redemption and hope.
Westminster Larger Catechism (Question 52): Explores the benefits of Christ’s resurrection for believers.
Westminster Shorter Catechism (Question 38): Summarizes the benefits we gain from Christ’s resurrection, including our resurrection to eternal life.
5. Closing Prayer:
Thankfulness for the hope given through Jesus’ resurrection, prayers for the strength to live in that hope, and for opportunities to share it with others.
Weekday Devotionals
Monday: The Hope of Resurrection
Scripture Reading: Mark 16:1-8
As the women approached the tomb, their hearts heavy with grief, they found not the finality of death but the miracle of resurrection. In their amazement and fear, a message of hope was revealed: Jesus has risen.
Prayer Prompt: Pray for the Holy Spirit to engrave upon your heart the eternal truth of Jesus' resurrection. Ask for grace to live in the light of this hope, transforming your despair into joy and your fears into faith.
Tuesday: The Promise of Belief
Scripture Reading: Mark 16:9-11
Mary Magdalene, a witness to the resurrected Christ, was tasked with telling the incredulous disciples of His return from death. Her encounter reminds us that belief in the resurrection is a cornerstone of our faith.
Prayer Prompt: Reflect on the areas of your life where doubt takes hold. Pray for a faith like Mary's, unshaken and bold, to believe in the promises of God even when they seem impossible to the world.
Wednesday: The Rebuke of Unbelief
Scripture Reading: Mark 16:14
The disciples' disbelief upon hearing the news of Jesus' resurrection teaches us about the patience of our Lord and the importance of faith. Jesus rebuked their unbelief, calling them to a deeper trust and understanding.
Prayer Prompt: Ask the Lord to reveal any hardness in your heart and to replace it with a faith that trusts in His word. Pray for the courage to believe, even when you have not seen, and to live in the power of Christ's resurrection.
Thursday: The Commission of the Gospel
Scripture Reading: Mark 16:15-18
Jesus' command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel is a mandate that carries the promise of salvation. It is a call to action, grounded in the victory of the resurrection.
Prayer Prompt: Pray for the boldness to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around you. Ask for opportunities to witness and the words to speak, trusting in the accompanying power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday: The Ascension and Eternal Hope
Scripture Reading: Mark 16:19-20
The ascension of Jesus into heaven and His sitting at the right hand of God signify the culmination of His earthly ministry and the beginning of His eternal reign. It is a source of endless hope for believers.
Prayer Prompt: Give thanks for the hope of eternity with Christ, secured by His resurrection and ascension. Pray for a longing heart that seeks Jesus above all, and for the patience to await His glorious return.
Reflective Article
Reflecting on the Resurrection: A Beacon of Hope
In the dim light of an early morning, two women embarked on a journey that would forever alter the course of history. Their destination was a tomb, their mission, to anoint the body of Jesus. What they found, however, was not the emotional closure they sought but the revelation that would ignite the flame of hope for all time. This story, found in Mark 16, serves as a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, hope can emerge triumphant.
From Despair to Amazement
Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, approached the tomb with heavy hearts. They were burdened by grief and loss. Their world had crumbled. The man they followed, loved, and believed to be the Christ had been executed. Fear gripped their souls when they found the stone moved. Fear siezed them again when they saw the tomg was empty.
But there, in the dark space, an angelic messenger greeted them. His words have echoed through the ages: "He is risen! He is not here." In that moment, their grief was mingled with astonishment—Jesus had conquered death.
We are compeled to consider our own moments of despair. Whether it's the erosion of societal norms, personal trials, or the shadow of death itself, we all face periods of profound sorrow. Yet, the resurrection of Jesus offers us a wellspring of hope. It reassures us that no matter how dire the circumstances, there is always light for those who belive.
Belief Against the Odds
The initial reactions to the news of Jesus' resurrection were skepticism and disbelief. His closest followers, who had seen His miracles and heard His promises, struggled to accept this reality. Human tendency is to doubt. We question the miraculous and the divine, especially in an era dominated by scientific materialism.
Yet, the historical evidence for the resurrection is compelling. The disciples were transformed from doubting skeptics to bold proclaimers of the Gospel. Their belief underscores the authenticity of their experiences. The Apostles were willing to face persecution and death, not for a myth or a lie, but for the truth they had witnessed firsthand. Their testimony challenges us to confront our doubts and to consider the claims of Christ with open hearts and minds.
The Great Commission
Empowered by the resurrection, Jesus commissioned His followers to preach the gospel to all creation. This mandate calls us to action. God is urging us to share the hope and love found in Christ with a world in desperate need.
This mission may not be easy. It might lead us into unfamiliar territories, both geographically and spiritually. You may be propelled to a foreign land to the tell the gospel to one person. You may be compelled to leave father and mother to follow Jesus. You may find yourself unsatisfied with the pleasures of the world because you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Yet, the promise of Jesus' presence and the power of the Holy Spirit provide us with the courage and strength to persevere. The resurrection assures us that our labor is not in vain. We serve a living and victorious King.
A Living Hope
May God enable us to embrace the hope of the resurrection. May the Lord Jesus be an anchor for our souls in turbulent times, a source of comfort in sorrow, and a beacon of light guiding us toward eternal life. The resurrection of Jesus is not just an historical event but a transformative reality. The resurreciton offers hope to all who believe.
Let us hold fast to the fact that our Redeemer lives. May this truth fill our hearts with peace and joy. May we know that we too will share in His victory over death. The resurrection is foundational to our motivation and our ultimate hope. May it inspire us to live each day with purpose, love, and unwavering faith in the risen Christ.
Automated Transcript
Will you please turn in your
Bibles with me to the book of Mark, Mark chapter 16. Mark chapter 16, if you're using
your Pew Bibles, you'll find that on page 901. The New King
James provided Pew Bibles, page 901. And just so you CFYers know,
you are the ones coming in at the very end of a long, long
sermon series in Mark. We started this in 2022, and
I am not smart enough or gifted enough to have finished with
the resurrection on this day, but this is where we're at. Mark
chapter 16. Mark chapter 16. Brothers and
sisters, let's turn our eyes now unto the Lord's Word. Now when the Sabbath was passed,
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Solomon, brought
spices that they might come and anoint Him, that being Jesus.
Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, they
came to the tomb when the sun had risen, and they said among
themselves, who will roll away the stone from the door of the
tomb for us? But when they looked up, They
saw that the stone had already been rolled away, for it was
very large. And entering the tomb, they saw
a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right
side, and they were alarmed. But He said to them, Do not be
alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified. He is risen! He is not here! See the place where they laid
Him? Go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before
you into Galilee. There you will see Him as He
said to you. So they went out quickly and
fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. 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, out of whom he had cast seven demons. She
went and told those who had been with him, and they mourned and
wept. And when they heard that he was
alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that,
he appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and
went into the country. and they went and told it to
the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later he appeared
to the eleven as they sat at the table, and he rebuked their
unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe
those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to
them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,
He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does
not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those
who believe. In my name they will cast out
demons. They will speak with new tongues. They will take up
serpents. And if they drink anything deadly,
it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick,
and they will recover. And then, after the Lord had
spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at
the right hand of God. And they went out and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the
word through the accompanying signs." Amen. Let's pray. Father, we have read your word. And Lord, we pray now that as
it is preached, that You would take this living Word, which
does not fail, and You would grave it upon our hearts with
a pin of iron. Lord, we pray that we would believe
these things. That Your Spirit would be working
in our hearts. Lord, I am a weak vessel. I cannot do this myself.
But Lord, we pray that Your Holy Spirit would be working this
morning. We need you, Lord. Please teach us. In Jesus' name,
amen. I had a dream last night. Woke
me up dead out of my sleep. This is not the introduction
I wrote a few days ago, but this is the introduction that I feel
like I was absolutely compelled to tell you. Because last night
when I was sleeping, I had this dream that I walked into church
and I had this text ready to preach. And as I walked into
church, somebody had decided we were going to have guest speakers
instead. And I settled down in a pew, ready to hear the end
of Mark preached by somebody else. And to my horror, there
was movies playing. on a screen. And the guys up
front kept saying, isn't that cool? Isn't that cool? And never
once was the Bible open. Never once was Jesus proclaimed.
And I woke up out of a dead sleep with a pressure upon my chest
to preach to you this morning the truth of our resurrected
Jesus Christ. This is something that the Lord
has proven to us, has given us in history, and is the foundation
of our hope for eternity as Christians. Why is this text so important? Why was I woken up from a literal
nightmare? Because I think eternity hangs
upon whether or not you believe these words. Because your life may depend
upon it. Because if this story in Mark chapter 16 isn't true,
we are above all most to be pitied. The truth I want you to take
home with you is that Jesus' resurrection is the fountain
of hope for you. Jesus' resurrection is the fountain
of hope for the Christian. So look with me first, and this
is the longest point, is the despair to amazement that the
Marys had. In verses 1-8, the Marys go to
the tomb, it's very early in the morning, and remember the
baggage of what's just happened. Who are these two Marys? Well,
it's Mary Magdalene, who Jesus had just cast seven demons out
of, but it was also Mary, His mother. And think about the psychological,
emotional, and spiritual trauma that Mary, his mother, just went
through. By the way, if you want to know,
go to Mark chapter, I think it's chapter 6 or chapter 4. This
is where we know that this was Mary, his mother. Imagine being
a mother and watching your son tortured and be executed unjustly. They watch from afar. It's an
eyewitness account. They're watching from afar that
they see where Joseph of Arimathea put Jesus' body in the tomb.
And they've had to wait all of Sabbath. And early in the morning,
when the sun is barely rising, the dew is still on the grass,
the birds have just started chirping, they go to the first shop that's
open, they find the spices, because they're going to go, and they're
going to anoint Jesus, even though He may have died a criminal's
death, He was buried with honor, and they were intent that they
were going to go and show Jesus that final honor that only a
mother could show to her son. Mary had watched Jesus her whole
life. She remembered the Magi coming
to give their gifts to the King of the Jews, and she had just
watched her son be crucified with an inscription over his
head, the King of the Jews. You can imagine the distress
that she would have been in in this moment, as she went to Jesus'
tomb. It seemed all hope was lost.
They didn't know how they would emerge from this gray, dull grief. But they head outside the city.
They see the tomb where they know Jesus was laid. They walk
to the tomb, determined to show Him honor, but they got a problem.
That stone is heavy, guys. There are a couple ladies. How
are they going to move this stone? Are they going to find someone
to help them? Are they going to get a big stick and use some
leverage? They don't know, but they know as they're walking,
hey, one of us got to figure out how we're going to move this
stone because we're not going to be able to do what we're wanting
to do if we can't do this thing first. As they walk to the tomb,
they become, as the text tells us, alarmed. Verse 4. But when they looked up, they
saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was very heavy. It was very large. And they look
in. They look in and the alarm of
the stone being moved was nothing compared to the alarm that would
happen from what they saw in verse 5. And entering the tomb,
they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting
on the right side, and they were alarmed. You have to expect that,
maybe just be too familiar with this story, but the emotional
shock that would come if you went into the crypt or the grave
of your loved one, and the body that you're expecting to be there
is gone, and instead somebody else is sitting there. The fear
that would have gripped these women's soul. Where is He? What
have you done with Him? They're afraid and they're alarmed.
Has He been stolen? What have you done? Who is this
man? Where is Jesus? What happened to His body? How
could this have even happened? This is a mother's nightmare. This is not something that a
grieving mother would want. But the angel attempts to calm
their hearts. Notice verse 6. But he said to
them, do not be alarmed. I got to tell you, you better
have some really good excuses if you're going to tell a mama
who's afraid about what happened to her son's body, don't be alarmed.
You better have some really convincing logic behind that. And he says
to them, he declares to them, you seek Jesus of Nazareth who
is crucified. He is risen. He is not here. And he gives them three glorious
hooks for them to hang their comfort on. First of all, you're
not looking in the wrong place. This really is Jesus' tomb. You're
not looking in the wrong place. This is the right address. This
is the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. So don't be alarmed. You're not
in the wrong place. Number two, look, this is where
they laid Him. This is where His body was put.
The angel is telling them, you're in the right place. This is exactly
what you saw. You're not mistaken. But point
number three, go, and tell his disciples and Peter that he is
going before you into Galilee. There you will see him as he
said to you." And I could imagine the words that would have flooded
their minds because Jesus had told them this was going to happen.
Jesus was right about all of this. Mark 8, verse 31, Jesus
had told them, 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. Jesus had told them in Mark 9,
verse 31, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men,
and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will
rise the third day. Jesus had told them in Mark 10,
verse 34, they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on
Him, and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again. Jesus had told them in Mark chapter
14 verse 25, assuredly I say to you, I will no longer drink
of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew
in the kingdom of God. But verse 28, but after I have
been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. The angel is just saying, remember
what Jesus said. He said he would die and three
days later, he would raise again from the dead and he would meet
you on the way to Galilee. He gives them these hooks of
logic that, oh yeah, Jesus did tell us this was going to happen.
Although, what you know in your head and what you know in your
heart are sometimes two very different things. It takes a
while for that equilibrium to catch up. So they have a mix
of fear and amazement. The Marys are fast fleeing out
of the tomb. They have tremors in their body,
verse 8, so they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, and they
trembled and were amazed. This word for amazed here is
different than the one before, than alarm. This is the word
that we get our word ecstatic from. They're both ecstatic but
also trembling with fear. It's amazing that the human soul
has this capacity for multiple emotions at the same time, isn't
it? You know what this is like, sometimes you can be happy and
sad at the same time. Blue in their hearts started
to mingle with a glowing light. They had woken up with sorrow,
but as the day warmed, so their souls at this point had a glimmer
of hope. I think you know what that's
like in your own life too, is you have despair at times. As we look
around at our society that seems to be crumbling and its cultural
values around us, we could be driven to despair. When we see
the breaking down of family ties, we can be driven to despair as
Christians. When we see our children behaving
in ways that we don't like and we don't accept, we can be driven
to despair. When we face financial problems,
the Christian soul can at times despair. When we struggle with
sins, it seems like we just can't shake. Sometimes we can get that
sense of despair. And sometimes when we enter into
a new season of suffering, it seems like despair comes knocking
at the door again. And when we come face to face
with the shock of sudden death, we may be even tempted to despair
then. So where do you go for hope, Christian?
Where do you go for hope in the midst of despair? Well, that's what we find in
the following verses. Look at me at verses 9 through 14. By
the way, I just need to go on a quick textual. This is a nerdy
note. I'm not going to take a long
time here. I've given my four reasons why I think this is actually
in the Bible, right? And so I'm going to read through
those real fast. There's two different old manuscripts. They're
called Codexes, Vaticanus and Sinaiticus. They don't have these
verses in there. So we have two. 2, right, not
4, 2, that don't have it. And then we have thousands and
thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and
thousands of other ones that do have this. We have early church
fathers, such as Irenaeus, who's writing in the 100s, who quotes
Mark chapter 16, verse 15. We have the whole church across
Christendom who accepted these verses as original. And we also
see in these verses that there's nothing out of line or wacky
or crazy with the other Gospels, nor is it just like whoever the
supposed editor was, just copy and pasted from the Gospel of
Luke into the Gospel of Mark, right? We don't see that happening.
So for those four reasons, I think I have justification to preach
from these passages. And so, first we notice that
the attitude of Mary as she reports to the disciples and their reaction.
Look with me at verses 9 through 11. Now when he rose early on
the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had cast seven demons. She went and told those
who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And when they
heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they didn't
believe it. No. Can't accept it. It's too far-fetched. So what happens in verse 12?
Does it get any better? Well, after that, He appeared
in another form to two of them as they walked and went into
the country. They're headed out of Jerusalem.
They're going to go to Emmaus and then up on to Galilee, where
they're from. And they went and told, and Jesus appeared to them
in a different form, and they went and told it to the rest.
So they're so excited, they run back to Jerusalem. And they don't
believe it. But they did not believe them
either. And then we come to verse 14
and 15. Later, He, that being Jesus, appeared to the eleven
as they sat at the table, and He rebuked their unbelief and
hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had
seen Him after He had risen. We are questioning and disbelieving
type people naturally. I was just listening to the public
radio station yesterday on my way home from an event, and they
were talking about some cockamamie idea from some Eastern mystic
that I just immediately blew off. I don't care. I think it's
a bluff. But there's a reality that many
of you, and I don't know many of your hearts this morning.
Many of you. I might recognize your face, but good luck if I
remember your name. There's a lot of you. The reality
is that we don't just stuff disbelief down. I want to recognize that
in this room today, there may be some of you who are struggling
with faith. There may be some of you who
are intellectually and emotionally wrestling with, do I actually
believe these things to be true? My children and I have recently
just watched a movie for a second time called Littlefoot, a great
movie made by a bunch of agnostics and atheists, all about how religious
people, if you have questions, what are you supposed to do?
Just shove it on down, down, down, right? Don't talk about
it. Don't deal with the disbelief. Don't deal with rational arguments
against things. Just be quiet and accept it.
That's not the faith that Mark gives us here. That's not what
Jesus does. No, undoubtedly in a group this
large there has to be at least one person wrestling and questioning
with this. So my question, are you the type
of person who's determined in your heart that you're going
to question anything and everything? Maybe there's one of you in this
room who's begun to doubt the historicity of this event. Maybe
there's one of you in this room who has begun to deconstruct
your faith because of today's cultural standards. Maybe one
of you has begun to try to rigidly understand everything by a closed
system of the universe that has to be understood only within
a scientific experimental way. Maybe some of you are thinking
to yourself, I'm just too logical to believe this ancient fable
of a guy rising from the dead. I'm going to suggest to you that's
normal. The vast population of the world over history has also
rejected this. The resurrection of Jesus is
highly, highly irregular. And it's supposed to be. It is
a once-for-all event that Jesus went through. And I want to propose
to you that the resurrection of Jesus can be proven by historical
data. And why do I say that? Well,
both historical data and empirical data, because I think sometimes
when people come to the resurrection, they want to see it for themselves.
But the issue is that's not how historical events happen. The
empirical data was proven to the Marys. The empirical data
was proven to the doubters in that room when Jesus came to
Thomas who doubted, and he said, Thomas, you doubt, put your finger
in my hand. Do you still want to doubt? Put
your finger in my side. Right? The empirical data was
for them. When the disciples didn't believe and they thought
maybe he was a ghost, Jesus sat on the seashore with them and
ate breakfast. Why? Because ghosts don't eat
food. Jesus was proving to them He
was bodily resurrected. We believe the historical data
because the tangible evidence was there at that time. That's
why John in 1 John says, this was the truth that they had seen
and heard and felt themselves that Jesus was alive in the flesh.
We don't need to see or smell the smoke of a shot at Lexington
to believe that it happened. We don't need to hear with our
own ears a recording of Lincoln's voice to believe that he actually
spoke the Gettysburg Address. We're able to trust the historical
data from that time period that that happened. There were eyewitness
accounts. We can trust the historical record.
And brothers and sisters, let me tell you, there are so many
scant things that we believe in ancient history, that if we
have one manuscript to prove it, we go, man, that definitely
happened. But for some reason, when we come to the Gospels,
and we have four different accounts from ancient manuscripts that
are well preserved all throughout history and all over the known
Western world, people say, well, we just don't really have enough
historical evidence. You don't believe that about
Plato being alive? Or Socrates being a real person?
Or Homer's writings that have any historical value? But how
can we trust that this miracle was actually true? Well, because
I think this book was given to us purposely because God gave
it to a bunch of skeptics. He gave it to Mark through the
preaching of Peter. Because Peter was one of those
who didn't believe at first. Jesus appeared to them and proved
to them He was alive in the flesh, and once they were convinced,
they never turned back." Chuck Colson, who was one of Nixon's
advisors in the 80s. Nixon was caught in Watergate. He was trying to cheat and spy
on the Democratic Party and stuff like this, right? And a whole
bunch of his advisors, including Chuck Colson, all got together,
right? And they were trying to keep together this lie about
Watergate. And Chuck Colson, after he went
to prison and became a Christian, he said, I believe in the resurrection
because of Watergate. Because in Watergate, there was
just a group of us guys, and we couldn't keep a good lie together
for more than a few weeks. But when it comes to the resurrection,
you have 11 guys who hold on to this for decades, and they're
willing to die for it. Peter is crucified upside down,
willing to die on the veracity of the crucifixion. Matthew,
the apostle, is stabbed by a sword, witnessing about Jesus' resurrection
in Ethiopia. They tried to kill the apostle
John by boiling him in oil. But he didn't change his opinion
about Jesus. Nathanael was whipped to death
in Armenia and never changed his story. Why? Because they
believed it was true. The apostle Andrew was crucified
and preached to the people who were crucifying him for two days
before he died. Never changing what he believed
about the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. Why? Because
he knew it was true. Thomas, doubting Thomas, was
stabbed by a spear in his side while he was evangelizing in
India. Why? Because he knew that the
resurrected Christ was real. Why would these guys die for
something if they could have easily have just walked away? So my question for you who may
be deconstructing or disbelieving Maybe you need to hear Jesus'
words. And He rebuked their unbelief
and their hardness of heart, because they did not believe
those who had seen Him after He had risen. I don't think the
problem is the historical record. I think the problem might be
hearts that don't want to believe it. The disciples were rebuked, and
they did something about it. They believed. And so Jesus did
something to them. He changed all history in verses
15 through 18. Once they're convinced of the
resurrection, Jesus goes on in verse 15, and He said to them,
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does
not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those
who believe in my name. They will cast out demons, they
will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, they
will drink anything deadly, and they will by no means hurt them,
and they will lay hands on the sick and will recover. What's
the difference between a disciple and an apostle? A disciple is
somebody who follows and is learning. But there's a shift that happens
here that we might not understand at first. They move from being
disciples of Jesus, learners of Jesus, followers of Jesus,
to being commissioned apostles. An apostle is somebody who is
given authoritative power to go and proclaim the message that
the one commissioning them has given. Jesus changes the direction
of world history by no longer just telling them, okay, just
keep learning from me, keep studying the Torah, keep finding out about
the prophecies, and keep it to yourself. No, Jesus says, now
your job, boys, go turn the world on its head. He gives them the great commission.
Go and preach. Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. This is not suggesting, this
is not just making up cute illustrations so people will believe. This
is proclaiming like a herald of the king saying, thus has
the king of the universe spoken. This is true. Believe it and
be saved. This is no suggestion. This is
the King's message. And what is this good news that
they were to preach? Death has been swallowed up in
victory. The King of the universe has
paid the redemption price. The Lord of hosts has declared
that there is peace with Him. The Master of the universe has
declared freedom to the captives. The Giver of all life has displayed
the depths of His love in that He did not even spare His own
Son, but He sent Him to die for you. The Lamb has been slain. The
God of justice has given a way for us to be justified by faith,
because Jesus rose from the dead. There is no charge against God's
elect. There's hope today. And there's
hope beyond the grave as well. This is hope beyond despair and
he gives them two assurances. Now I'm sure the disciples look
back with this over the years and they remember Jesus's words
and cling on to Jesus's words because man they must have given
them a lot of confidence. Look with the two different pieces
of assurance he gives them. Promises he gave to his disciples
that their work would be accomplished. Assurance number one, whoever
hears their message and believes it, and is baptized, what's it
say will happen? They will be saved. Now, if they
believe it, they're baptized, and they work the rest of their
lives to be really, really, really, really, really, really good,
then maybe they'll be saved. No! No, if they believe and are
baptized, they will be saved. Assurance number one, their work
wasn't just entrusted to men's hands, but it was based upon
the triune work of God himself. Now the inverse of that is also
true. By he who does not believe will be condemned. God's word
doesn't return void. God's word is always efficacious.
It's either working unto salvation or unto condemnation. But the
second assurance he gives them will be fulfilled throughout
the book of Acts. And these signs will follow those who believe.
And here I think he's specifically speaking to the apostles as those
who believe and are preaching the gospel. They would cast out
demons by his name. And guess what? The apostles
did it. Acts chapter 5. And the people believed. They
would speak in tongues. And guess what? The apostles
did it. Acts chapter 2. And people believed. They would
take up serpents. And guess what happened when
Paul was on the island of Malta and a serpent came out of the
fire and bit him on the hand and he shook it off and it went
back into the fire. And they were waiting, when's he going
to die? When's he going to die? When's he going to die? He doesn't. Acts chapter
28, and the people believe. They lay hands on the sick. It's
exactly what the apostles did, Acts chapter 9, and the people
believe. It is a sign to them that the
Holy Spirit was going to give them these signs, and people
would believe. We find all throughout the book
of Acts this history of the working of the Holy Spirit throughout
the known world. They did these things, and early church literature
tells us that even some of the disciples may have drank different
types of poisons and yet survived. But the disciples were given
hope and driven by one other thing though. Look at me at verse
19. Jesus displays His glory. So
then after the Lord... By the way, don't you love it?
That's how they describe Jesus there, the Lord. So then after
the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven
and sat down at the right hand of God. What would have happened
if the ascension never occurred? We think often about the death
of Jesus Christ. We don't think very often about
the resurrection of Christ, but I think we think even less often
of the ascension of Jesus Christ and His session, His sitting
at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. What would have
happened if Jesus had risen from the dead, but then let's say
30 years later had died of a heart attack? He would have just been
a resurrected martyr. You know, just somebody who just
died. It would have been miraculous, but not somebody worth following
for for all eternity. But see, there was another prophecy
that needed to be fulfilled. Jesus had told the high priest
to his face just a few days earlier. He asked him, are you the Christ?
And he said, I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of the power and coming with the clouds of heaven. See, Jesus ascended up into heaven
in His resurrected body, and He was given all power and might
and dominion and glory, and He sits at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty, waiting for the day of His return, when
He will come again in the clouds with that great trumpet day,
with the flash of lightning, and our risen Savior, Jesus Christ,
will raise all the dead in their graves again. The claims of Jesus were proven
true by Jesus ascending up into heaven. They saw with their eyes
the Lord of glory and knew that He had entered into His heavenly
reward. But they also knew that He was
coming again. Look with me at verse 20. And
they went out and preached everywhere, the
Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying
signs. When Jesus had gone up into heaven,
Luke tells us in Acts chapter one that he went up into heaven
and a cloud received him. And after the cloud received
him, all of a sudden two angels show up dressed in white, the
same way in which that man was sitting next to Jesus in his
tomb. I'm gonna put this into Brian
language. Get your jaws off the floor. What are you talking about?
He told you this was gonna happen. And he's gonna come again. The
same way in which He departed. Jesus is in heaven, but He will
return again. The apostles went out and preached
everywhere because they knew that King Jesus was victorious,
D-Day had been won, and someday the war would be over. They had
hope because Jesus was alive, and I am convinced that Mark,
the writer of this gospel, wants you to know that this story is
true. It's not just a fable, but it is historical fact. These
things happened, Jesus was really alive, the apostles were sent
out, they did these things, and our hope in Jesus is not in vain.
And when you despair, and there will be time to despair, we can
have hope. Because when death comes knocking
at your door, you know that your Redeemer lives. I need to warn you. Let me wrap
this up. I need to warn you that you need
to be careful. Right? You need to be careful because
if this truth, if this faith takes hold of your soul, I can't
promise you it won't ruin your life. I can't promise you if
you take hold of the hope of the resurrection and you hear
this call to go and preach the good news to all the nations,
I can't promise you that you won't stop loving Jesus more
than your family. I can't promise you that this
love for Jesus Christ might call you to move away from where you
live and go travel halfway across the globe to go share the gospel
with another living soul. I can't promise you that you're
going to have great health and wealth and prosperity if you
follow Jesus. I'm going to actually make the same promise Jesus does.
They'll most likely hate you if these truths take hold of
your soul. And they might persecute you for this. But the King is worth it. The eternal reward of being with
Jesus forever is worth it. I'm going to close this sermon
with a story of One of the amazing men who served this congregation
for decades, Bob McElhaney. Bob was a farm boy. Man, Bob
was strong and he was big. I was always intimidated by being
around Bob, right? He was really nice, really kind,
really gentle, not far from a laugh type guy, but he was just a big
dude. He knew how to work and he knew
how to work hard, but when the COVID crisis came, some type
of disease got ahold of him, and I remember going to his bedside
And I mean, he was just a shadow of the man that he was. And he
knew death was coming. And after they had taken out
the tracheotomy, he couldn't talk anymore, but he was not
sedated anymore. And his family was there, and
they had a board with different words on it as they were trying
to communicate, because he couldn't talk. And they were trying to
ask Bob, would he go through being intubated again? And on
all those words on that board that his family had, Bob pointed.
It took all the strength to do this. He pointed at two words
on the board. God and me. Because you see, Bob had a hope.
That death was not the end of that story. That the resurrection
was true and that even though he might die, he would live forever. And even though his body rests
in the grave here to the side of the church, it rests in its
grave awaiting the day of resurrection. But his soul was immediately
made perfect in holiness and he enjoys communion with his
Father in heaven because Jesus promised him he would have a
place in heaven prepared for him. Bob trusted those promises.
He knew his Redeemer lived. My question is, do you know your
Redeemer lives? Do you have hope? Do you believe
in the resurrection and that Jesus will come again to judge
the living and the dead? I think that's what Mark intended
for you. And that's what I'm gonna pray
for now. Father, all the reading of the
Bible and preaching in the world could never save a person unless
you give faith. So Father, we pray that for those
of us who believe in Jesus Christ, that we might be encouraged and
strengthened in our faith, deeply rooted in Jesus Christ and built
up. Lord, that we would have an enduring
hope. Father, we pray that this morning that your Holy Spirit
might be working even in those who have been holding you off
at an arm's distance this morning. Lord, we pray that you might
even soften their hearts this day. Lord, we pray that you would
please... Lord, I don't know if there's
someone in this room who might be questioning or doubting or
wrestling with things. Lord, I pray that they might
have found comfort for their souls today. That in your word
and in the truth of your resurrection and your ascension into heaven,
Lord, that they would have something far greater than gold and sweeter
than honey, that they would have hope even unto eternal life. Lord, worthy is the Lamb who
was slain. Thank you for giving us our King. In Jesus's name.