Mark Chapter 16
By Pastor Chris
RISEN INDEED!
In Mark Chapter 16 we read the events after Jesus had been tortured, mocked and hung on a cross to die. After expiring he was wrapped in cloth and placed in a tomb sealed by a boulder.
All of his teachings.
The miracles.
The grace he offered.
The hope he gave.
The love he shared.
These were all sealed in that tomb with him, dead.
Imagine how hard this must have been. Think about how distraught his followers had to be. For three days everything they knew to be true was lying dead in a tomb. The man they had invested so much of their lives in was gone. Their grief must have been unbearable.
This is what makes the end of the Gospel of Mark so fantastic. Three women come to do some final preparations of the body. When they arrive at the tomb they discover it no longer holds the remains of their fallen leader. Instead they find what is described as a man clothed in white. He tells them: “Don’t be alarmed, You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
He has risen!
All of his teachings!
The miracles!
The grace he offered!
The hope he gave!
The love he shared!
All this could not be contained by death. The tomb was not strong enough to hold the risen Savior. This is why on Easter Sunday we look at one another joyfully and say “He is risen!, He is risen, INDEED!” The resurrection of Jesus makes his teachings and miracles valid. It proves that grace, hope and love can be a real part of our day to day lives. Through his death and resurrection we can life.
A traditional Easter Hymn in the Eastern Othodox Church says it this way:
Christ is risen from the dead,
By death He conquered death,
And to those in the graves
He granted life!
