Our Reason for Living...

Last Sunday, we looked closely at the crucifixion of the Lord, and today, we consider His resurrection.  I would suggest that the fact of Jesus’ resurrection is our reason for living today and our hope for living eternally. 

 

If you have your Bibles this morning, please take them and find Mark 15:42.  If you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s word.

 

When we ended last Sunday, Jesus was on the cross.  However, according to the OT, He could not stay there.  This was true regardless of who the individual was.

 

Deuteronomy 21:22-23

22 “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.

 

However, remember that the Twelve had deserted Jesus.  They were nowhere to be found. 

 

Matthew 26:56

56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

Also, Jesus’ closest disciple was charged with caring for His mother.  Furthermore, His family was probably too distraught to do anything with His body at this time.

 

John 19:26-27

26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

 

 

1. A Disciple of Faith, Mark 15:42-47

42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 

In verse 42, it seems to be a few hours before sundown on Friday, sometime between 3 and 4 PM.  We know that it was Friday because we know that Saturday was the Sabbath. 

 

The Sabbath actually began at sundown on Friday and lasted until sundown on Saturday.  Friday was called the Preparation Day because families had to prepare meals and do chores to prepare for not doing any of those things on the Sabbath. 

 

In verse 43, we are introduced to Joseph of Arimathea.  He was a prominent member of the Jewish Sanhedrin or council. 

 

He was a disciple of faith.  Mark said he was waiting for the kingdom of God.  Therefore, we know that his faith was active. 

 

Mark said his faith was also courageous because he came to Pilate to request Jesus’ body.  That took courage because Pilate was not a fan of the Jews and felt like the Sanhedrin forced him to execute an innocent man.

 

His faith was now public.  John 19 described Joseph as a secret disciple.  The secret was no longer.  Joseph publicly demonstrated his faith by asking to bury Jesus’ body with the Twelve and Jesus’ family not in the picture.

 

When skeptics question the resurrection of Jesus, some wonder if He actually died.  Consider these proofs. Pilate confirmed that He was dead.  The Roman centurion in verses 44-45 confirmed that He was dead, and Joseph wrapped His dead body in linen and placed Him in a previously unused tomb.  Absolutely, positively, Jesus physically and literally died on the cross.

 

 

1. A Deed of Love, Mark 16:1-5

1 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.

 

Beginning in 16:1, you see that the Sabbath is over.  It was now Saturday night, and we see three of Jesus’ female disciples.  This was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. 

 

It seems that they expected Jesus to still be dead.  They had bought spices on Saturday night to take to the tomb on Sunday morning.  They had no thoughts of Him being resurrected.  Instead, they expected His body to be decaying and stinking so they were coming with spices to combat the odor.

 

Verse 2 says they came to the tomb on Sunday morning.  Remember the end of chapter 15?  They saw were Jesus was laid.  Therefore, they knew where to go.

 

As they were on the way to the tomb, they began to get worried about who would move the stone.  They probably saw that Joseph had arranged for the stone to protect the tomb and Jesus’ body from grave robbers and wild animals.   

 

This would have been a round stone that would have been rolled down hill into a track.  Therefore, while it was easier to put in place, it would have been difficult to move and would have required the efforts of multiple men.

 

As for this happening on Sunday morning, Mark says it was the first day of the week, and we know that to be Sunday.  By the way, it is because Jesus was resurrected on Sunday that we worship today rather than Saturday. 

 

Saturday is still the Sabbath.  However, the Christian Church changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday to memorialize the day these women found the tomb empty and Jesus resurrected. 

 

Matthew’s gospel speaks of a localized earthquake that dislodged the stone and allowed an angel to move it.  Keep in mind that Jesus was already gone.  Therefore, moving the stone was to allow the witnesses in, not to let Jesus out.

 

When they arrived, the stone had been rolled away, and they were greeted by an angel.  Again, the other gospels tell us there were two angels, but only one of them spoke.  However, these women were deathly afraid which is the common human response to interactions with angels in the Bible.

 

 

• A Directive of Hope, Mark 16:6-8

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.”

 

Beginning in verse 6, we see the angel’s conversation with the women. He informed the ladies that Jesus was in fact alive.  The Jesus they were seeking, who had been crucified (another way of saying He was certainly dead), had been raised. 

 

The NKJV says He is risen.  That is better translated, “He has risen.”  Like the stone, an outside forced raised Jesus.  He didn’t raise Himself.  God the Father brought Him from the tomb.  He was no longer there. 

 

The angel then invited the ladies to look at the place where Jesus had been laid.  He was gone.  He was not there.  He had risen. 

 

Then in verse 7, he said that the ladies were to tell the disciples that Jesus would be awaiting them in Galilee.  Not only was He alive, but they would get to see Him again. 

 

Verse 8 says they left the tomb amazed at the prospect of Jesus, whom they saw die with their own eyes, living again. 

 

I want to make one final point and then conclude.  Look back at verse 7.  Remember that this is really Peter’s gospel that was written down by Mark.  That is the same Peter back in Mark 14 who denied any association with the Lord on three occasions.

 

However, in this verse, we see the foreshadowing of Peter’s restoration from a mistake and for ministry.  Again, Peter didn’t just deny the Lord once or even twice but three times. 

 

This was a huge mistake, but the Lord wasn’t done with Peter.  He would later use him mightily in the book of Acts preaching and seeing thousands saved and as a prominent leader in the early church.

 

Some of you are here today and the devil has told you that your time and opportunity of the Lord using you is done because of mistakes in your past.  I want you to know that the Lord can and will restore you for future ministry if you let Him. 

 

Tell the Lord that you’re sorry for those mistakes and ask for His forgiveness.  Then, ask Him to restore you and use you again in ministry for His Church. 

 

 

Conclusion

This morning, we have seen a disciple of faith and a deed of love and a directive of hope.  Do those words sound familiar?

 

1 Corinthians 13:13

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

Brothers and sisters, my encouragement to you this morning is to commit to being a disciple of faith who lives out deeds of love with a directive of hope in the gospel of Jesus.

 

Since we know that love is what remains, let us be faithful in living lives characterized by loving God and loving our neighbors.

 

Matthew 22:37-38

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

 

We can do this no better than by sharing the gospel with every tongue and tribe that God brings to us.

 

Matthew 28:19

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.