Mark 16: From Mourners to Messengers

Mark's Gospel is a story of eucutastrophe, and tonight, in the last 8 verses of Mark’s Gospel, we see the biggest eucutastrophe of them all, we see the most important moment in human history, and the most important moment of your life and my life, that happened two thousand years before we were born. Tonight we see with two women, the empty tomb.

One man is notably absent from Mark’s account. Jesus! We hear Jesus message from the angels, but we don’t actually hear of see Jesus. Why not? Because Mark’s point is that He is not there. Mark’s point is that the tomb is empty. Jesus has risen! The women came expecting to find a dead body, what they found changed them, and changed the world forever. Tonight’s question, and the question that Mark leaves us with is, ‘how does the resurrection change you?’ What’s different about you because of the resurrection.

Let’s read the first seven verses together, and see who these women were, and why it’s important. Three times in nine verses, in 15:40, 15:47 and 16:1 Mark is careful to identify who these women are. Why? Well these women were eyewitnesses of Jesus death and burial. They stood by the cross watching Him die and they followed Joseph of Arimathea to the tomb. And they’re back as soon as they can be on Sunday morning after the Sabbath. They are the only faithful ones left, they are the remnant of Jesus’ ministry. Right now, they are the Kingdom of God.

These women didn't come because they expected Jesus to have risen. Look at verse 1, they bought spices so that they might anoint Him. That was what you did to a dead body before burial, but they didn't have time on Friday, so as soon as they could they came to wash and cover Jesus’ body with spices. It’s amazing isn't it, how none of Jesus followers came to the tomb expecting to see Jesus rise. Mark tells us that Jesus taught about His resurrection three times, which, given how selective Mark is in what he tells us, probably means that Jesus told them about it again and again. But none of them came. I hope that encourages you, when you struggle to trust or understand Jesus, so did His disciples!

Look at verse 4, Mark tells us the stone has been rolled away. Matthew tells us in his Gospel that there had been an earthquake on Saturday that moved the stone. They look inside, and all the see is a young man, an angel. No Jesus. No wonder they were alarmed! The angel tells them what is going on, he tells them three words that will change the world. He has risen! That changes everything. The resurrection changes everything! These women are amazed, scared, and trembling. They literally can not believe what their eyes and ears are telling them. The angel tells them to pass on their message, and to gather the disciples in Galilee. Right now the fate of the whole world hangs on their shoulders.

Mark tells us they said nothing to anyone, but that can’t have lasted long. We know  from Luke that  eventually this news came bursting out of their mouths to Peter and John, and that they ran to the tomb. These women humbly and obediently spread the message about Jesus resurrection, and you and I have to do the same. These women were changed by the resurrection from mourners into messengers, and the resurrection must change us in the same way. Before we were saved, we had nothing to live for, now we have the greatest message in the world to share.

These woman were amazed by the resurrection and changed by the resurrection. Is the same true for us? Are we humble, obedient messengers? Calvin said that if our hearts are turned to the power of the resurrection, then, in our hearts, the cross of Christ will triumph over every evil. The resurrection changed these women externally. Their world had ended that first Good Friday, but now they have hope again. And as we think about Christ's victory over the grave, as we look at the empty tomb, we won't be able to stop this truth changing us as well. We'll be encouraged, because we'll know that the Father has accepted Christ's sacrifice. We'll be encouraged because we'll know that one day we'll never be tempted again, raised from our earthly bodies into His glorious body, and we'll be changed, because the very power to change us was unleashed by the resurrection.