Easter
April 12, 2009
A RUMOR OF HOPE*
Mark 16:1-8
Supporting Scripture: Acts 1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20
Mk 16:1 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.
Mk 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were
on their way to the tomb
Mk 16:3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance
of the tomb?”
Mk 16:4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large,
had been rolled away.
Mk 16:5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe
sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
Mk 16:6 “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.
Mk 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.’ ”
Mk 16:8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb.
They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
The army of Napoleon Bonaparte had advanced to within six miles of the Austrian town of Feldkirch. The mountain village was undefended, and unless help arrived, it would fall without a struggle. As Napoleon made plans to attack the following morning, Christians gathered to pray together in the little church in the center of town.
It was the night before Easter Sunday, 1805.
At sunrise, the bells of the little church began to ring. The sound of those bells echoed among the mountains and reached the ears of Napoleon. It never occurred to Napoleon that this day was Easter Sunday. When he heard the bells ringing, he mistook them for bells of celebration. He thought that the people of the town were celebrating the arrival of the Austrian army.
Immediately Napoleon canceled the planned attack and moved his troops away from Feldkirch. The town was saved, because the enemy heard the sound of Easter joy and retreated.
As we approach the final chapter of Mark's gospel, the Easter bells are joyously ringing. Our ancient enemy, Death, is in full retreat.
THE RUMOR IS BORN (16:1-8)
The noted theologian Dr. Carl F. H. Henry once wrote about the resurrected Jesus: “He planted the only durable rumor of hope amid the widespread despair of a hopeless world.”
A rumor of hope! That is the keynote for Mark’s account of the resurrection.
Here, at the entrance to an empty tomb, we hear the first whisperings of that wonderful rumor: "He has risen!"
Soon that rumor will begin echoing through the narrow stone-paved streets of Jerusalem: "He has risen!"
Then it will be magnified and amplified across the province of Judea: "He has risen!"
Ultimately it will shout, like a blast of thunder rolling across an awestruck world: "He has risen!"
It is true. Jesus … "planted the only durable rumor of hope amid the widespread despair of a hopeless world."
But the rumor begins amid hopelessness and despair.
The Saturday before the resurrection must have been the darkest day these disciples
had ever experienced--a day of shattered hopes, broken dreams, guilt, shame,
desolation, and fear. It was a day in which the future looked like a blank wall,
devoid of hope or possibility. Why go on? Why bother with living? The Lord was
dead, and the disciples had abandoned Him and failed Him. All the once-bright
dreams of a coming kingdom, with Jesus as King, were ended forever, or so it
seemed.
• Perhaps you have some inkling of what the followers of Jesus felt on that
Saturday between the cross and the empty tomb.
• Perhaps you live with shame and guilt. Perhaps you know the depression and
a sense of hopelessness.
• Perhaps your future looks like a blank wall. You wonder, why go on? Life seems
like a dreary, endless Saturday, and Sunday is never coming.
IF THAT IS HOW YOU FEEL, THEN THE EASTER STORY IS DEDICATED TO YOU! YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IT NOW, BUT THERE IS A RESURRECTION IN YOUR FUTURE. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT SHAPE OR FORM IT WILL TAKE. BUT GOD IS IN THE BUSINESS OF TURNING DARK SATURDAYS INTO GLORIOUS SUNDAYS.
YOUR OPEN TOMB IS COMING.
I think it is instructive, as we read the various gospel accounts of the resurrection, to observe that none of these accounts deal with the events of that terrible Saturday. Mark is the only one who mentions that day, and he does so in passing: "when the Sabbath was over."
WHAT DOES THAT TELL US? IT MEANS THAT WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR THE DISCIPLES TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE THEIR ACCOUNTS, THE MEMORY OF THAT DARK SABBATH WAS SO SWALLOWED UP BY THE JOY OF THE RESURRECTION THAT IT WAS HARDLY WORTH MENTIONING.
This chapter begins with the darkest day in human history but ends with the discovery of the empty tomb. We see the women who found the empty tomb, and they are leaving that place full of such joy and explosive hope that they dare not breathe a word to anyone. Look closely at the last two sentences of this passage: "Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid."
The NIV does a poor job of communicating the meaning here. The word "bewildered" comes from ekstasis, which is where we get our English word "ecstasy." Ekstasis means to be amazed, to be beside oneself with profound awe (especially religious awe), to be thrown into a state of mingled wonderment. A more accurate rendering would be "trembling and astonished." not bewildered.
The word "afraid," is phobeo. It is often used in the New Testament to mean "terrified, struck with fear or alarm." But that word is also commonly used to mean "struck with awe and amazement" and even "filled with reverence, worship, and pious obedience."
THESE LADIES WERE NOT COWERING AND MUTE WITH FEAR THEY WERE AWESTRUCK AND EXCITED! THEY WERE CAUGHT UP IN AN ECSTASY OF WONDER OVER THE DISCOVERY THEY HAD MADE: JESUS IS ALIVE!
If you had just stumbled onto proof that the one you loved and thought dead was miraculously alive, what would you feel? Exactly what those women felt: trembling with excitement and awe!
[2] THE RUMOR IS BELIEVED
One of the powerful impressions left by Mark's account of the resurrection is this: the women believed, although they did not see. They saw an empty tomb. But they did not see the Lord. Nevertheless they believed. They were filled with ecstatic awe, because they believed.
To use Dr. Henry’s imagery … they believed the rumor.
Mark intentionally emphasizes the mystery and awesomeness of the Resurrection. These women had not yet met the risen Christ but they believed none-the-less. But trust me … their faith would be rewarded! And out of that faith … the rumor spreads.
[3] THE RUMOR SPREADS (8-14)
Yes, the empty tomb and the message of the angel had a profound effect on these women. Faith filled them with hope, with joy, with excitement. In an instant, they were transported from the depths of despair to an ecstasy beyond our imagining. So they went out with gladness to begin spreading this rumor just as the angel had told them--the only durable rumor of hope the world has ever known.
This glorious rumor was hastened along by the appearances of Jesus before witness after witness. The first appearance was to Mary Magdalene.
John's gospel tells us that after the other women left the tomb, Mary Magdalene lingered. There, in the early morning light, Jesus appeared to her. At first she thought He was the gardener, but when He spoke her name, she knew who He was. He showed Himself alive first of all to Mary. She went running with the news, and Peter and John came to the tomb, saw the grave clothes, and were convinced.
The rumor spreads.
In Luke's gospel we read that later in the afternoon, Jesus also appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He walked with them and taught them from the Scriptures about Himself. Yet for some mysterious reason, they did not recognize Him until that evening, when He broke bread and gave it to them.
The rumor spreads.
John’s Gospel tells us that on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, in the Upper Room, the disciples were gathered. Suddenly Jesus appeared among them and showed Himself alive to them.
The rumor spreads.
A week later, Jesus returned to that same room. That time He presented His wounded hands and side to doubting Thomas, so that Thomas would be convinced and believe.
The rumor spreads.
But back to Mark’s account … what about the angel's message to the women? "He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you." I believe this is a reference to that intimate account we find in John 21. There, Peter has returned to the Sea of Galilee, and he goes out to fish. Perhaps, having failed and denied his Lord, Peter feels he is fit only to return to his former life as a fisherman. He still does not understand the future Jesus has planned for him.
So Peter and others go out in the boat. Jesus stands on the shore, but he is not recognized. When Peter is unable to catch any fish, Jesus calls out to them and tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The result is a vast catch that strains their nets almost to the breaking point.
Returning to shore, Peter and the others find Jesus broiling fish over a fire, and He also has some bread. At this point, they know they are in the presence of the resurrected Lord.
The rumor spreads.
That was not the last appearance of the resurrected Lord. Paul tells us that Jesus later appeared to more than five hundred people at one time, on a mountain in Galilee.
The rumor spreads.
Still later, Jesus led His disciples from Bethany to the Mount of Olives. From the top of that mountain, He was taken from them and disappeared behind a cloud, and they saw Him no longer.
The rumor spreads.
A rumor was birthed and it is spreading! It is “the only durable
rumor of hope the world has ever known.” For those who have not
yet heard this wonderful rumor, the world is still a dark place, as empty of
hope as that terrible Saturday between the cross and the resurrection.
But we have this rumor to share with the world.
• It is like a brilliant light at midnight.
• It is like food in a land of famine.
• IT IS THE GOOD NEWS, THE GREATEST RUMOR EVER TOLD.
And if we do not go out and spread it, who will?
Please note that after hearing from the angels the women personally met the resurrected Jesus. Then they had something verifiable to share. Likewise, it is only after meeting Him personally that you have something to share!
[4] SPREAD THE RUMOR! (15-16)
Have you ever heard about the about the early days of Wycliffe Bible translators? Cameron Townsend, the founder of the organization, had gone to Mexico to obtain permission from the Mexican government to translate the Scriptures into the languages of the Indian tribes. The government officials opposed this work, because they believed that if the Indians had the Bible in their languages, it would cause unrest. I'm not sure what the rationale behind this thinking was, but that was what they claimed. Townsend did everything he knew, talked to every official he could find, and had all of his Christian friends praying that God would open this door. But the officials of the Mexican government refused to budge.
Finally Townsend decided to stop pressing the issue. Instead, he and his wife would go live in an obscure Indian village, learn the language, minister to the people as best they could, and wait for God to move. They lived in a tiny trailer in the village, and it was not long before he noticed that the fountain in the center of the plaza produced beautiful, clear spring water. But the water from the fountain ran down the hill and was wasted. He suggested that the Indians plant something in the watered area and make use of it. Soon they were growing twice as much food as before, and their economy blossomed. The Indians were grateful.
Townsend wrote the story and sent it to a Mexican newspaper. After the story was published, it was passed along to the president of Mexico, Lazaro Cardenas. The Mexican president was amazed that an American would take such a deep interest in the people of an obscure Indian village. "I must meet this man!" he said. So he got into his limousine and was driven out to the village. Townsend happened to be standing in the plaza when the president's car pulled up. Told that the man in the car was the president of Mexico, Townsend seized the opportunity, approached the limousine, and introduced himself to the president.
"You're the man I've come here to see!" said the president. Townsend explained his desire to translate the Scriptures into the Indian languages. At that moment, Cameron Townsend forged a lifelong friendship with President Cardenas. God used that friendship to open many doors for the gospel.
Cameron Townsend spread the rumor of hope by going into the world, living among the 'people, and making a difference in their lives. That is something we can all do in our neighborhoods, our apartment buildings, our workplaces, the schools where we study or teach, the gyms where we work out, and every other place we spend time and encounter people.
THE GOSPEL WRITERS UNDERSTOOD THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS TO BE THE BEGINNING. A new creation was possible and a new way of living was available because of the work of Christ. The Gospel accounts are open-ended. None of them close with “the end.” That is because Cameron Townsend, you and me (the church) are the continuation of Christ’s resurrected ministry.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL RUMOR OF HOPE, SO LET'S SPREAD IT WHEREVER WE
GO.
This Sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
*Special appreciation to Ray Stedman’s sermons on Mark for giving me the idea
and general content of this message.
Children’s Sermon: Easter 2009
An Empty Box
John 20:1-2, 11-18
So she 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." (v. 2)
Object: a new, empty crayon box
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever been really disappointed? (let
them answer) I mean, have you ever thought that something wonderful was going
to happen to you and then for some reason it didn't? Supposing that I gave you
this brand new box of crayons and I told you that you could do anything that
you wanted to do with it. What would you expect to find inside this box and
what would you want to do with it? (let them answer)
You think there are crayons inside and you want to color with the crayons. That's
what I would think, also, if somebody gave me a brand new crayon box. Well,
let me give it to one of you. Open it and tell me how you feel. (let one of
the children open the crayon box and show you and everyone else that it's empty;
then solicit his disappointment) That's disappointing. A brand new crayon box
and no crayons inside! I feel awful and so do you.
Maybe you know now how Mary Magdalene felt when she went to Jesus' tomb and
found it empty. It was just three days after he was crucified and she expected
to find Jesus dead and in his tomb. When she saw that it was empty, she ran
to tell Peter and John that Jesus had disappeared. She was so sad and so disappointed.
She wondered how someone could be so mean as to steal the body of Jesus. Why
would anyone take Jesus away from his grave?
Mary felt a lot sadder than you felt when you opened your brand new crayon box
and found it empty because Jesus is sure a lot more important than brand new
crayons.
But the best part of the story is yet to come, because Mary found out that no
one had stolen Jesus, but instead, he had been raised from the dead, brought
back to life by God the Father.
Somewhere I have all of the crayons that belong in this box, but I'm not going
to put them back because I want you to know that Jesus' tomb is still empty.
They didn't find Jesus and put him back in the grave. They found Jesus alive
and well and happy. The empty crayon box, like the empty grave, is a sign for
us to remember that God showed people like Mary and Peter and John that life
is God's wish for everyone. Jesus was the first person to be brought back from
the grave, but all of us will someday have the same marvelous experience. We
too, will have empty graves just like Jesus had an empty grave.
This Children’s Sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org