Amazement at the Empty Tomb

The resurrection thus is established as a fact of history. It is the most important event in the life of Christ is the most important event in the history of the world. It is the most important event in your life and mine, as it is by his resurrection.

We are just shaman the unspeakable suffering Jesus endured at the cross. And yet, what followed his enormous sacrifice is so remarkable so monumental.

Only the sinless son of God could accomplish it and it's the reason that sorrow and mourning give way to joy for encouraging look at what changed so many lives on that first resurrection Sunday and what can change yours keep it here as John MacArthur continues his study, the divine drama of redemption. We come this morning to the end of the gospel of Mark as we returned to the gospel of Mark. A few comments that might help us establish the setting all four gospel writers tell the resurrection story is all for tell the story of his crucifixion. All four follow it up with his resurrection each of the writers Matthew Mark Luke and John bring to bear upon the story unique elements and features.

The result is a powerful magnificent blending of all of these inspired accounts to give us the full revelation on this magnificent historical event. Nothing is missing.

When we put Matthew Mark Luke and John.

Together we get everything that the spirit of God inspired and wanted us to know Mark's account is the most brief, but were used to that would Mark currently, he seems in a hurry familiar word and Mark is immediately immediately immediately immediately listen to his account, starting in verse one of chapter 16 when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalena and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint him very early on the first day the week they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb, looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. Although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right wearing a white robe and they were amazed and he said to them, do not be amazed you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who has been crucified. He has risen, he is not here. Behold, here is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter.

He is going ahead of you to Galilee.

There you will see him just as he told you they went out and fled from the tomb for trembling and astonishment had gripped them and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

And that's the end of Mark. It ends abruptly but it also ends climatically. Does it not with amazement and wonder versus nine through 20. You will notice in your Bible are probably in brackets or there is a marginal note explaining that these verses do not appear in the most ancient manuscripts. Mark ends his gospel, the blazing reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, gripping the souls of these women with wonder and astonishment.

The four Gospels, each as I said, give differing details of the resurrection. Matthew has a lot more to say beyond where Mark stops the narrative Luke has a lot more to say beyond where Mark stops the narrative. John is a lot more to say where Mark stops the narrative, but for now let's go to Mark's account and we will blend in the other three a little now as we step into this incredible experience were going to see evidence of the resurrection along three lines. The testimony of the empty tomb testimony of the heavenly angels in the testimony of the eyewitnesses testimony from historical fact testimony from heavenly revelation and testimony from personal eyewitnesses. Mark does that in only eight versus and that's really all he needs to do. No doubt Jesus said he would rise.

No doubt he said he would rise on the third day all Marquess to show is that he did and give evidence.

Let's begin with the testimony of the empty tomb. Chapter 16 verse one when the Sabbath was over where now Luke puts it this way. On the first day of the week so it's what Sunday the third day he was in the grave on Friday. He was in the grave on Saturday. He's been in the grave, or perhaps nearly 12 hours on Sunday that covers the three days in the grave any part of the day constitutes a fulfillment of that it is now Sunday early in the morning. Mary Magdalena and Mary the mother of James, and Salome. There appears these women we we're aware there around seven ran long time even run a couple years really all started in Galilee didn't. There's a whole group of women who follow Jesus.

They watched his burial go down to verse 46 of chapter 50 Joseph of Arimathea bottle and the clock took him down, wrapped them to come off the cross wrapped him in the linen cloth laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock 'n' roll stone against the entrance of the tomb, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph's looking online to see where he was laid so they had seen his death and they had seen his burial and now on Sunday they come back. Why did they come back they bought spices so that they might come and anoint him. They loved him. They adored him they served him they worshiped him they are caught up in horrific sadness, lynching, agonizing sorrow, but this isn't just a friend. This is the one in whom they believed their salvation rested is inconceivable what their agonies were like, I can imagine them. This is an action of love on their part. So they come in verse two says they come very early on the first day the week. These women may have been coming from different locations starting together. Mary gets there first she arrives. John says on the dark side of Don. It's light enough to see the two is open stone is gone, so Mary Magdalene arrives first before her companion member there in the dark. They may have been separated couldn't wait for each other.

Certainly, Mary Magdalene seemed to be way out front.

The other women coming in the dark. A different speeds.

She sees the stone rolled away, says John. She doesn't go in. She bolts spins on her sandals heads for Peter and John, she's going to tell them. And what's the message John says. Chapter 20 verse two. They have stolen the corpse. That's her conclusion. By the way, that tells us she didn't believe in a resurrection she doesn't say how it happened just like he said it would not they never believed it. Even little miracles they didn't believe Jesus makes the assumption his body has been stolen and she turns and runs back in the dusty darkness to tell Peter and John doesn't even see the other women who are coming. We pick up the story in verse three then of Mark, the other women arrive as they get near the say to one another.

Verse three who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb look they knew where the tomb was and they knew the stone had been rolled over it because they saw that on Friday there wondering how they're going to remove the stone verse four says, looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. Although it was extremely large.

Wow, what a shock.

What are they going to conclude while instantaneously they would conclude the same thing.

It Mary Magdalene concluded, because none of them expected a resurrection.

You say we don't you think these women came expecting a resurrection know they came expecting to anoint a dead body. Why would they be anointing a dead body with spices to mitigate the stench if they were convinced that would be a resurrection that day. Why spend the money and waste the time.

By the way they did know what happened on Saturday. Saturday was a big day at the tomb but they had no idea Mary Magdalene had no idea these women had no idea.

I'm sure you'd like to know what happened. I'll show you what happened. Turn to Matthew 27 is Matthew's account.

If you look at verse 60 you see the Friday burial.

Joseph puts the body in a clean linen cloth lays our Lord's body in the new tomb hewn out of the rock, rolled a large stone against the entrance when away. Mary Magdalene was there. The other Mary sitting opposite the grave, so they saw it all, the burial on the next day. What's the next day Saturday Sabbath day, the day after the preparation, which was Friday, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with pilots on the Sabbath. They go into pilot.

This is desecration of the Sabbath.

The Passover weekend as they go into a Gentile place again leased by their own laws so they go to pilot. They say we we need to guard to make sure the disciples don't come and steal the body to try to pull off a phony resurrection. So Pilate said to them, you have a garden, give them some Roman soldiers said go make it as secure as you know how they went made the grave secure and tell you when the Roman soldiers made some securely made secure because he knew it was at stake had to do their duty of the consequences were dire long the guard they set the seal on the stone put seal on it. Simply identifying it as sealed by the Roman power in the seal not to be broken so that's what happened on Saturday.

Something else happened in the deep dark hours of Sunday morning sometime after the Sabbath ended on 6 o'clock sometime in the darkness of the dark. I'll show you what it is. Chapter 28 of Matthew verse two. A severe earthquake.

It had already occurred. By the time the women ride a severe earthquake occurred for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it, and his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

By the way the stone rolled away just as a footnote, not to let Jesus out, but to let the women in soldiers at some point wake up from their stupor and you can imagine the bus did you see that Angel what happened after that. I don't what happened after that. Nobody knows what happened after that they all just went out like lights.

By the time the women arrived. There are no soldiers or they would've encountered them, they just arrive in verse five it says they entered the tomb there are any soldiers there. There's not even any evidence of soldiers there. The soldiers have no one to guard they awoke. At some point out of their stupor in the depth of darkness and they knew they had a problem they had failed at their duty, and they have to report to the ones that they are accountable to.

And that's not pilot but rather the Sanhedrin who asked Pilate to give them to them to the Sanhedrin so they go to the Sanhedrin and they report to the Sanhedrin when you know what they say how we were doing was supposed to do what we always do. We were regarding house and it was a terrifying work earthquake. It was shaking everything and and then a blazing Angel angelic being came out of the sky set on the stone after rolling it away and that's the last thing we remember and woke up we checked the tomb he was in there. Let me to stop you right here and give you the simple point that Mark is making everything I've said you so far is to demonstrate one thing one thing and one thing alone. The tomb is not occupied okay got that. That's it. Give an empty tomb. That's what Mark is conveying and so does John and Luke and Matthew, the tomb was empty and we know the disciples didn't steal the body because they didn't even believe in a resurrection which then didn't necessitate that they think one of the body is not there. So all the facts all the physical facts make clear the tomb is empty the tomb is empty and everybody knows the body was not stolen. That's confirmed back to Matthew 28 in a most interesting way. Let's go back to the soldiers meeting with the Sanhedrin, verse 11 of Matthew 28 they came into the city and reported to the chief priest what it happened. They gave him the story. What happened just the way it happened. Earthquake and angel Acoma. We woke up the body's gone. We got a problem. Now we have a real resurrection on our hands were going to do to discredit that amazing how deep and profound is unbelief there so comfortable with a lot either so used to live there so familiar with hypocrisy that the truth totally escapes them.

They not only don't see it that heavenly don't even have an interest in it.

So they assembled the elders together. The Sanhedrin gets together consulted and they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers is a word for that. Yes, bribery, and they said to them, this is what you are to say, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep pellicle real big with our superiors not supposed to be asleep was to be fulfilling our duty L by the way, if it comes to the governor's ears will win them over.

Keep you out of trouble. They were good at winning Pilate over. I promise you I won them over in the execution of Jesus. They can intimidate sandals off that man you know the leaders of Israel never denied the empty tomb. The women knew the tomb was empty.

The disciples knew the tomb was empty. The guards knew the tomb was empty. The Sanhedrin knew the tomb was empty. That's the testimony the first line of testimony. No one ever pointed to an occupied tomb.

No one ever denied the Jesus tomb was empty. The women are now in shock and the shock is escalated in the second line of testimony, the testimony of angels will go through this quickly. In verse five. Again, it says that when they got inside the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right wearing a white robe and him were maced, they saw a young man sitting at the right wearing a white robe, a blazing dazzling robot yes Luke says, there were actually two angels, who suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing if you saw dazzling Angel you might not figure out whether there was one or two.

John says in John 20 verse 12.

There were actually two angels. The women were amazed the word is Eck Sam Beddoe means to be terrified.

Terrified, not in the sense you fear for your life, but that there is something around that cannot be rationally comprehended. Can't get it. You can't grasp it bewilderment. In fact, Luke says they were terrified and they literally fell with their faces toward the ground. This is so shocking. Luke uses the word from which we get the word phobia kind of severe fear. Fear phobia is a fear of something that's not rationally grasp or explain will finally one of the Angels is recorded to have said to them in verse six. Do not be amazed easy for you to set the server. Do not be amazed you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified and here's the first word concerning the resurrection. He has risen as one word in the Greek figure that one verb he literally passive. He has been raised.

He has been raised.

Luke adds in Luke 24, five, that one of the Angels also said why are you seeking the living one among the dead.

So it's a very natural conversation. Things were said is the Angels try to communicate past as a so the shock waves were going on in the minds of the women he is not here. He said he has risen, he is not here, behold, here is the place where they laid him. He's not there.

We've seen testimony from Earth and empty tomb. Now we hear testimony from heaven, heavenly angels, to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ it's denied the historical realities of the empty tomb, and it is to deny the historic revelation of heavenly angels.

They speak for God, nothing. They speak for God is the third line of evidence to prove the resurrection just briefly verse seven. Eight. It's the testimony of eyewitnesses. I love this. The Angels continue to talk, go, go, this is a command go tell his disciples and Peter was he throw Peter in there because Peter needed a little personal touch of the love and recovery, because the last scene with Peter and it was really pretty ugly. Is denials tell Peter and the rest that is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you will be astonishing. Wonder of this resurrection reality is dawning on the women by the empty tomb and the angelic message so verse eight says they become the first eyewitnesses they went out, fled from the tomb for trembling and astonishment had gripped them and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid my says they were afraid it it it means they were in that phobic condition of not being able to give reasons or explanations what was going on and that's the end of Mark the empty tomb that heavenly angels and the experience of the women all evidence of Jesus resurrection violent and here I want to end in Matthew Matthew 28 near like this verse eight, Matthew picks up the story. They left the tomb quickly with fear. All I'm so glad this is in here and what great joy there. Fear is melting into joy as it all begins to come clear and they ran to report it.

What resurrection to the disciples. I love this verse nine and behold, Jesus met them and greeted them.

Hi ladies, this is really amazing. They came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

What a day for them and is not something that women were the first eyewitnesses of the risen Christ. Jesus said, and don't be afraid to go take word to my brother tell him to leave for Galilee. Try to get a message across. And there that he will see me and you know the rest the story.

The women go and they can convince them and they don't believe it and they hang around for eight days but Mark ends it. Where will Mark by the providences of the Holy Spirit intended to end it in wonder.

In all, is anyone's response should be to the resurrection of Christ resurrection thus is established as a fact of history as a fact of theology by the angelic testing. It is the most important event in the life of Christ is the most important event in the history of the world. It is the most important event in your life and mine because it is by his resurrection that we are justified, and that we will live forever you're tuned into the Good Friday addition of grace to you with John MacArthur. He is the chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and his study is titled the divine drama of redemption will John again it's Good Friday and that means resurrection Sunday is just two days away. And of course you will be preaching the word. The way you've done for what 52 or 53 resurrection Sundays, so you've touched on the story of the cross and the resurrection. So many times and Easter Sunday. There's always lots of visitors, lots of them. Maybe don't even make a profession of faith. How do you think about preparing for a sermon on resurrection Sunday.

You know it's not a lot different than any other Sunday because I believe the powers in the text. The powers in the Scripture word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, so you just unleash the word of God.

You just take the text of Scripture, the story of the resurrection appears in many, many, many ways throughout the New Testament, both in the accounts of the resurrection of the Gospels, the preaching of the resurrection of the book of acts. The explanations of the meaning of the resurrections in the epistles, and the ultimate end of the resurrection which is the final resurrection. So there's a whole lot of material he just unleash the word of God, and I think for me there's always one sort of initial reality and that is everybody faces death and death is cold, hard, stark reality, particularly in a culture like ours where we are becoming more and more agnostic if not atheistic, and there is an existential fear of death that people have and so I think the good news for somebody is not a believer who comes to an Easter services to hear that death sting has been removed by Christ on the cross and resurrection life is been provided through faith in him. So I think it's best to start with the inevitable reality going to die and go from there.

Being sure that when you do you enter into the joy of the Lord and under eternal punishment. So that's kind of how I approach that so today we got a little preview of the what you are very likely to hear in your church on Sunday. The story of the resurrection. So you're well-prepared having her grace to you today. Let me remind you is we can wrap up things that this entire study from Mark the divine drama of redemption is available free to you@gty.org you can download it in print form or you can listen to it the title. Again, the divine drama of redemption tremendous amount of detail and it's the detail that makes the miracle of the resurrection so profoundly wonderful.

We couldn't cover everything on radio so let me suggest that you take advantage of the free MP3 downloads and get the whole story. They are as I said available at Grace to you and you might want to share them with somebody else. Yes friends. Since this study covered so much ground there was a lot of material we weren't able to air but as John said, you can download every lesson complete for free to get the divine drama of redemption. The MP3 downloads or the 14 CD album. Contact us today our web address TTY.org or to get the CD album call 855 grace. But if you like these lessons today maybe to listen with your family, the divine drama of redemption is free to download@tty.org. In fact, all of John's sermons from 52 years of his public ministry are all free to download@TTY.and when you get in touch. Make sure to let us know if you have been strengthened by this series, or by John's recent series on rediscovering the Christ of Scripture, and especially if you know someone who has professed faith in Christ. After hearing John's verse by verse teaching, we love to hear those stories, so email your feedback to letters@tty.org. That's letters@tty.org or drop a letter in the mail to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 now for John MacArthur in the entire grace to you. Staff I'm Phil Johnson.

Wishing you and your family. Blessed resurrection Sunday celebration and be here next week when John begins a series titled forgiveness. How to restore broken relationships. It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on Mondays, grace to