Jesus Walks From the Grave

Dr. Marty Baker /Easter Sunday /April 16, 2006/ Mark 16:1-7

Happy Easter and welcome to the Creek! Easter is one of the greatest times of the year. It is the best holiday of the year ... Even better than Christmas. If there had not been an Easter there would be no Christmas.

In Easter we find hope for tomorrow. Ken Davis writes about a woman who was looking out the window of her home and noticed that her German shepherd was shaking the life out of the neighbor’s rabbit. Her family had been quarreling with these neighbors; this was certainly going to make matters worse. She grabbed a broom and ran outside, hitting the dog until he dropped the rabbit now covered with dog spit—and extremely dead.

After a moment’s consideration, the woman lifted the rabbit with the end of the broom and brought it into the house. She dumped its lifeless body into the bathtub and turned on the shower. When the water running off the rabbit was clean, she rolled him over and rinsed the other side.

Now she had a plan. She found her hairdryer and blew the rabbit dry. Using an old comb, she groomed the rabbit until he looked pretty good. Then, when the neighbor wasn’t looking, she hopped over the fence, snuck across the backyard, and propped him up in his cage. No way she was taking the blame for this thing.

About an hour later, she heard screams coming from the neighbor’s yard. She ran outside, pretending she didn’t know what was going on and said, “What’s happened?”

Her neighbor came running to the fence. All the blood had drained from her face. Our rabbit, our rabbit! She blubbered. He died two weeks ago, we buried him—and now he’s back!

What manner of rabbit is this? But it wasn’t really alive—just a fluffed-up dead rabbit. There’s a whole lot of people in our world who are so desperate for hope, including people in churches some times, who fluff themselves up to look okay on the outside, but inside their hope has died.

Whenever that happens ... when an individual loses hope that he can know joy; when an individual loses hope that he can grow and be used by God; when a spouse loses hope that a marriage can ever improve; when a church loses the conviction that its best days lie in front of it.

If your hope dies, you will miss the adventure that God intends for your life and all your dreams will die before you do. You will end up living kind of like a fluffed-up dead person.

Two thousand years ago, a group of people put all their hope in a rabbi named Jesus. He was filled with such an unshakable confidence in His Father, that they all invested their futures into His hands. And then He was killed. When He died, their hope died with Him. They thought it was the end and they groaned—until they heard this screaming from over the fence. A bunch of Roman soldiers said:

This rabbi, this rabbi—we arrested him, we tried him, convicted him, sentenced him, stripped him, mocked him, whipped him, beat him, hung him on a cross to crucify him. He died two days ago, we buried him—and now he’s back!!!

We pick up the story in Mark 16:1-7

Mark 16:1-7

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.

2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb

3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6 "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

Can you imagine how the disciples must have felt that weekend? All of their hopes and dreams were crushed on Friday when Jesus was crucified and now Mary Magdalene and the Mary the Mother of Jesus meet an angel that declares that Jesus Walked from the Grave. They were shocked. They were dismayed.

The angel said, “Don’t be alarmed…. You are looking for Jesus.” This morning I want to concentrate on Mark 16:6,7. These two verses give us hope that the best is yet to come.

Mark 16:6

…. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. ….

Lessons from the Graveyard

1. Genuine life change begins with honest seeking.

These individuals were looking for the truth. They were looking for a ray of hope in their desperate situation. Maybe some of you are in similar places. What are you searching for?

Some of you are looking for direction. You are trying to find yourself. It seems like everyone around you has their life planned out and you are groping through the darkness trying to find your flashlight.

Some of you are longing for contentment. For some reason you are unsettled. There’s a bit of unrest in your soul. You’ve tried a lot of different things, but when the experience is over, the emptiness is still there.

Some of you are looking for relief. It seems like your life is in overdrive. Stress and pressure are your constant companions. You are on a roller coaster … just when you feel like things are settling down, the bottom drops.

The disciples that day were looking for answers. They wanted to know why? Why was Jesus crucified? Why is his body now missing? What is going on?

The disciples were seeking for answers. They were looking for truth. They were looking for Jesus. They remembered his words:

Matthew 7:7-8

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Many of you here this morning are seekers. You have been looking for answers. I want to encourage you to ask, to seek and to knock. I want you continue to investigate. If you genuinely want answers, you will find them when you redirect your search and focus on Jesus. The disciples were looking for Jesus. It’s times for you to do the same.

Okay where do you find Jesus?

2. New life will not be found in old places.

You will not find life in your past. Notice the verse said:

Mark 16:6

…. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified….He is not here.

There are two things in verse six that are worth noting. First of all notice the word “was”. This is a past tense verb. Jesus was crucified, but it’s not the current situation. He is risen. There is good news from the graveyard: The tomb is empty. He is risen. Things have changed. Jesus is no longer on the cross; he is no longer dead. He is risen.

I have a great appreciation of the symbol of the crucifix. It reminds me of the price that Christ paid for my salvation. But, Easter tells us that Jesus is no longer on the cross. Jesus is no longer in the tomb. Here lies the difference between Christianity and the other major religions of the world.

Go to the tombs of the founders of the great world religions. Call the roll: Mohammed . . . “Here!” Moses . . . “Here!” Buddha . . . “Here!” Confucius . . . “Here!” Jesus Christ . . . . . . .
There is no answer because he is not there. The tomb is empty!

Which religion is the right religion? How can you be sure? Just go to the one who’s Founder rose from the dead. That religion is the true religion.

Some people run back to the dead places of their lives in attempt to resurrect some former feeling. New life is not found in the old places. It’s time for you to leave the past in the past. Your old life needs to be crucified so that new life can come forth. I love the message of Romans 6.

Romans 6:6-7; 11-12

6 Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

11 So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.

You cannot find new life in old places. It’s time to say good-by to your past and embrace a new way of living.

3. Embracing a new life will be painful, but it’s the best option that you have.

The Story of Easter begins with the story of Good Friday. Jesus Christ died a painful, excruciating death on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. When we make the decision to embrace a new way of living, it will be painful. In the body building world, trainers will tell you the old, old slogan “No pain, no gain.” There’s truth in that saying.

Many of you have been blessed with children. When the mother gives birth to her child, it’s painful. But, it’s worth it. If you are going to grow spiritually, you will have to get tough. You will need to say, “No to sin and yes to a new way of living.” For some of you, it may be painful, but it’s time.

Some of you have suffered through what you consider to be bad luck. You just cannot catch a break. All of us have bad luck at times, but some times we bring it on ourselves by the decisions that we make.

It’s time to get tough and make the right decisions. Stop living like the devil and be the person that you were created to be. Over the years, I have discovered that it's not that God wants something from you; He wants you. God wants all of you. He wants your entire life. He doesn't want 10% of you, He doesn't want 50% of you, He doesn't want 99% of you. He wants all of you.

Romans 6:13b

... Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God

It's very clear. With God, it's all or nothing. You cannot play both sides of the line. You cannot straddle the fence. It's all or nothing. There are a lot of people who think that they can serve God in their spare time, but it does not work that way.

Trust me. It will be worth it. Right decisions will take you down the right path. That’s why David wrote:

Psalm 23:1-3

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.…

Jesus Christ is here to restore your soul. He wants to lead you and guide you into a better life.

4. Jesus Christ will lead you into a better life.

Mark 16:7

But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

Notice what verse seven says: He is going ahead of you. There is nothing in your future that you have worry about when Jesus Christ is your leader. The verse continues: “There you will see him.” You are not alone. Your future can be safe and secure.

We do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future in the palm of his hand. I encourage you today to put your future in the hands of Jesus Christ. Make a decision to follow Christ.

In the beginning of verse seven, the angel said, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter.” Why do you think he added the words “And Peter.” Peter was a disciple. Why do you think his name is mentioned and the others disciples not mentioned? I don’t know, but I suspect it was because Peter denied knowing the Lord three times. The angel was getting the message to Peter that God is a God of the second chance and even the third chance. He is saying, “Peter you failed, but your failure is not the final word written about your life.”

This verse was a call to Peter to come back to Christ. There’s no better time than Easter for you to come home to Jesus Christ and His Church. Some of you have been away too long today is your day to make the decision to genuinely follow Christ. This decision will be the best decision that you have ever made.

When invite Jesus Christ to be the leader of your life, he will forgive you of all of your sins. He will give you strength to manage the problems of your life and he will secure the best future possible for you.

Something Better Illustration

I read about a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and her doctor told her that she had just a few months to live. He told her to make preparations to die, so she contacted her pastor, and told him how she wanted things arranged: which songs to have sung, what scripture, to be buried with her favorite Bible, the message of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins and resurrection from grave told very plainly. And there was one more thing.

“This is important; I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The pastor didn’t know what to say.

She said, In all my years going to church functions, whenever food was involved, my favorite part would come when whoever was cleaning dishes off the main course would lean over and say: You can keep your fork.

It was my favorite part because I knew that it meant something great was coming and it wasn’t Jell-O. It was something with substance like cake or pie—biblical food. So I just want people to see me there in my casket with a fork in my hand, and I want them to wonder: ‘What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: Something better is coming. Keep your fork.

At the service—people saw the dress she’d chosen, the Bible she loved and kept asking the same question: “What’s with the fork?” The pastor said what I’m saying to you. Because this man Jesus Christ came to this earth and lived a life and died on a cross for our sins, He paid the debt we couldn’t pay. Jesus did not stay dead. Three days later He walked from the grave.

From that day on, hope became inextinguishable. For anybody who put their trust in Him, made Him their Savior, the Forgiver, the Leader of their life, they started hoping.

If you’ve never done that, today is your day. There is nothing better to invest your life in.

If you have done that, I want you to remember one thing from this talk if nothing else: Wherever you’re most tempted to worry, Wherever your future looks uncertain, Whatever might discourage you— Remember the story of the casket and the eating utensil. This week every time you sit down to eat, every time you go into a restaurant or walk into your kitchen, remember to keep your fork. Something better is coming. So just don’t quit. Keep your fork.

Closing Prayer