Never Before (Part A)

The world thinks that the gospel writers have no right to tell history to be honest and give them the truth then not accredited by the world and again that's where we come in. No matter what you're struggling with in your life no matter what sin you're facing, no matter what hard times.

You're facing was still wired to preach the gospel when you are given a chance to preach the gospel. You do not get out of preaching because of your pain, you're still in it. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the gospel of Mark chapter 16 as he begins a new message called never before that when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and solemnly what spices that they might come and anoint him very early in the morning on the first day of the week came to the tomb when the sun had risen and they said among themselves, who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us, but when they looked up they saw that the stone had been rolled away for it was very large and entering the tomb, they saw a young man, clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side and they were alarmed, but he said to them, not be alarmed to see Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.

He is risen, he is not here see the place where they laid him go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee.

There you will see him as he said to you, so they went out quickly and fled from the tomb where they trembled and were amazed and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid when he rose early on the first day of the week.

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons she went and told those who had been with him as they mourned and wept, and when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her. They did not believe never before and all of the struggles that we come across in Scripture. Never before had humans felt this slow.

And as as these disciples felt on this day and particularly the 11 apostles Jesus of course had breathed his last.

On the cross and was buried, and what happened next. What happened after that is a very important question for us to not only answer to those who are unbelieving, but to bring up so that we can answer it.

For those who are unbelieving, the events of that resurrection morning that we are considering here they unfolded works with such rapidity and all that the gospel writers. They struggled to document the sequence of events as as they were happening. It was sort of like the news was coming into quickly just so many things taking place internally and externally at at one time and nothing about this resurrection is casual. All of it is miraculous. It's not something that you can really explain or accept without the help of God himself. It is so outside of the human experience and over the years I've worked on putting together a sequence are likely sequence of events and I'm going to share that with you and I'm not saying that it is perfect though it might be, there is that possibility, but it is the best I can do. Of course I read many others.

And I'm more comfortable with mine. So here it is, of course, an angel after the Lord rises from the dead and Angel rolled back the stone and he sits atop of that stone. Incidentally, what you gotta think they've got a sense of humor, but that he sits atop of the stone wall. The Roman guards were petrified and in all not exist going to try to be precise with the time, but I'm going to use it so we have some point of reference. So about 5 AM that Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome and other women. Luke mentions Joanna also they head out toward the tomb, presumably coming out of Jerusalem. So they set out for the tomb. It is still dark when they set out by the time they arrived, the sun had risen. Mary Magdalene evidently hurries ahead of the women who were carrying spices and things to further anoint the body of Christ, and so that would slow them down a little bit there.

Clearly there were alternate routes to the tomb from Jerusalem and from wherever else surrounding Jerusalem, for example, Bethany and so Mary hurries ahead of the women so excited she was. She couldn't wait to get there even in her grief.

It is just her way of showing her love and she finds the tomb open, but she doesn't go inside and she doesn't engage anyone not yet Mary's use of the pronoun we when she goes and tells the disciples that the Lord is risen may not be in sequence, but it also might be there again. The information came in so quickly with so much feeling that it is difficult to take all the Gospels and line it up. Be precise, but there are no contradictions, there are so much room for this and that to be make total sense. Well, about 530. The other women arrive, and by this time. As mentioned, the sun was up, and the women they are invited to enter the tomb to see that it is indeed empty and there invited. Of course by one of the two angels that are reported to be there and they saw two angels.

Mark will concentrate on just the one that spoke and these angels, these messengers these angelic beings.

They deliver a message. She's not here and go tell his disciples that he is risen and just as he said and that he'll meet see them in Galilee now is not limiting it to Galilee. But that is where he is going to see them at one at some point and so Mary, she's already headed back to tell Peter and John.

These ladies are now going to head back also to tell Peter and John and the apostles before 6 AM.

The apostles are told by Mary Magdalene and they initially are skeptical of her report.

It's too good to be true. Remember they were in extreme grief. As we just stood in red. We notice that they were still weeping.

Three days later. Well, Mary. She tells them and they decide they going to investigate and the pretty excited when they decide no longer look into this. They start running to the tomb of courses we always mention John is very careful to point out that he outran Peter and he arrives, of course. First he stoops he looks in the tomb, Peter comes up. Mohammed peters, Peter, and he goes into in the tomb as Mary will be the first to see the risen Lord John the apostle was the first one to believe that he and he did that without seeing the Lord well. Mary follows them. They return back to where they came from and she lingers she remains a buy in the garden tomb area as she lingers there. Of course he looks in the tomb that at this point and she dialogues with the angel she's not really interested in these angels, nor were the other women which I find very fascinating. I would think that if I had encountered an angel. I have a lot of questions slightly in all the how do you like your steak is just so many questions asking who does your laundry IME as well. Anyway these women out there not interested in angels there interested in Jesus Christ their Lord and their Savior that comes out very clear and as you read the story because you say what what what I do love I felt about Jesus the way I feel about Jesus I'd be looking for him and nobody else would would substitute well, she looks in the tomb. Of course, and that is when turns around she supposes Christ is the gardener attending the garden, which incidentally is sort of an indication that the garden of Joseph of Arimathea was well manicured that there there was expected to be a gardener. There so anyway she thinks it's the gardener of course. And then when she hears her name said from the lips of Jesus as only he can say it. She knew that it was him well as that is taking place with her. Around 630. This is going on. She had course, of course, is the first to see him risen. The other women as their heading back to tell the apostles. They must've taken separate routes and this is what it'll cross paths Christ shows up to them appears to them and shows himself risen to the other women as they were heading to tell the apostles that the tomb was empty so this resurrection is very important to us this day and I'm going to cover a few of these post-resurrection appearances of Christ just a few of them. Peter saw him risen personally one-on-one. The two disciples that were heading to the town of Emmaus. They saw him they walked with him and he realized it was Christ, the 10 disciples will then discuss then see Christ after the to come back to Jerusalem to tell them that they saw Christ see when you've seen the risen Christ you have something to say to people if something this urgent your something that's it exciting and this is what was taking place that morning. Well, a week later Christ again appears this time it's not to the 10 disciples. It's to the 11.

Thomas was the missing man at his first appearance what Thomas is present at the second appearance, then by the time they get up to Galilee over 500 believers, because great many believers were up in Galilee. They will see him risen James the eldest son of Joseph and Mary James will see the risen Lord cannot leave out Stephen, we must not leave out Stephen who saw the Lord risen as Stephen was dying. Paul saw him apparently at least three times and that's in acts chapter 9 chapter 22 in chapter 23 John the apostle again sees him. Decades later there on the Isle of Patmos, as were told in Revelation 117 now the purpose of Bible study is not to just give us information so that we can know about the Bible that would be a mistake. If that is as far as it went. We could take this as ammunition or nutrients to do something with for the kingdom. It is supposed to edify to build up to make stronger to change us in some way and this is a lifelong process.

The there is in the book of acts. This unceasing emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what the first Christians occupied their preaching with the resurrection of Christ. I think were supposed to still do this.

It is miraculous, and who else has this message early in the church. While the apostles were still alive. False teachers entered the pulpits in churches and began to attack the resurrection. This is why we have many of the writings in the New Testament to counter their lives even in such passages as first Corinthians 15 and their Paul includes these statements about the resurrection, such as if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile, I will.

He's saying these things again to counter those who are sent from hell to destroy the message of God to sinners, Christ Jesus not only died for sinners to save them from the judgment of their sins to change their lives to have a plan for their lives. In these things. Not all the truth but is true then it and may we not leave out that part about the resurrection is not up to us to us to say well I might lose them if I preach no we might save them. If we preach the risen Christ. He's not on a crucifix that is wrong. He is alive and he sits at the right hand of the throne of God and he intercedes for you and me. Not with words but by what he has done the sacrificial death on the cross. Well, many sinful theories have been invented over the centuries to this present day there being invented and repeated to explain away the empty tomb, and they are ridiculous, but when I didn't take much time on that but to view the Scripture as a myth is to put oneself in control of not only the facts in one's mind in the history and its lessons. You can get away with that. For one lifetime, but it is not going to allow the skeptic to put themselves in control of the judgments that God is very serious about such as illustrated in the life of a man named lot and his sons-in-law. We pick this up in Genesis 19. There the two angels have entered into San Francisco. I mean to Sodom and all they knew it was sodomy saw the six colored flag in a similar should have 7F got that wrong to but anyway that's not hateful speech. What would be hateful speech is telling you know you can go ahead and send like a sodomite and still expect to enter into heaven. That would be hate speech. Truth speech is out of love like it a lot.

But you going to face.

Well, the Angels are sent and they said a lot. We can't destroy this place until the righteous have been taken out. Do you have any other family than other than those under your roof who you need to to help get out and he says oh I got my son-in-law.

So here we pick it up Genesis 19 verse 14.

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons in law who had married his daughters and said get up and get out of this place for Yahweh will destroy the city, but to his sons-in-law. He seemed to be joking. They scoffed at him, what kind of witness did a lot lack wears when he spoke about serious things. No one took him seriously. Well we then read a few verses later. Verse 28 then Abraham looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plane and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace to the judgment king, whether they laughed at it or not it was coming in to try to toy with the resurrection and the truths of Scripture because you don't care for them is to seal your own eternal fate and thus the message of the gospel, the good news is you don't have to perish. The world thinks that the gospel writers have no right to tell history to be honest and give the truth that they are not accredited by the world and again that's where we come in. No matter what you're struggling with in your life no matter what sin you're facing, no matter what hard times you're facing, you are still required to preach the gospel when you are given a chance to preach the gospel. You do not get out of preaching because of your pain, you're still in it.

You identified totally with those who are under the curse in the midst of pain and yet still preaching the truth. Verse one. Now when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salomé bought spices that they might come and anoint him now this Sabbath. Of course, is over there Sabbath ran from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. This is our Sunday morning Mary Magdalena, as mentioned, you know, she was demonically possessed sheet she will do her you know the Lord delivered her verse nine comes out again but anyway Mary the mother of James, this is James known as James the less. Not a very flattering title right if you want to be known as James the less.

But anyway it was a is one of the 12 disciples, and it is it uses to distinguish him from James the brother of John and inside he did not take it as an insult nor is it intended to be. There was nothing uptight about this distinction for him. He may have even been flattered.

Anyway, this name James of course comes by way of the Greek Jacobus in India from the Hebrew Jacob variant of of Jacob Solomon, one of the ladies who also witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus is also present.

They bought spices that they might come and anoint him did not believe that he would rise again. They did not believe that he was already risen, otherwise they would not come with these perfumes to or for the body and incidentally Nicodemus you know he came Laura hundred pounds of spices that that was sufficient.

There was an adequate amount to care for the body, but they wanted to do their part. They wanted to express their love. Nonetheless, in the book of acts. Speaking of the resurrection just this one little short line from acts chapter 13. This is the chapter where the Holy Spirit to separate him to me Barnabas and Saul for the work of ministry and just a very beautiful chapter, but there we read, but he that is the Christ, whom God raised up, saw no corruption was body did not decay. There's no need for any of the spices whether they were from Nicodemus. All the women they were there were a waste of material things you could you could say but it was an expression of love and therefore not a waste.

Love compel these women to do more as love still compels us to serve Christ. But again, none of the believers or followers of Jesus Christ. Not one of them expected him to rise up from the dead. Verse two. Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen again, and eagerness.

They couldn't wait to get there they probably did not sleep well that night. This is evidenced in Mary Magdalene Magdalene to me just running ahead of the azaleas walk to slow. I'll meet you at the tomb. She takes all she must've been younger than than some of the ladies and spry just had to get there and you you have to admire that, as a believer and contrast that if you were once living in the world. You do not run to the things of Christ.

But now that you are believer things have changed. Well, they still loved him like no other.

They came looking and prepared for a dead man who was not going to be there their understanding had fallen short. Not knowing the Scriptures not listening to Christ and yet they still had this love makes me stop and think. When I read about this story and ask myself, am I missing something from the Scripture in my own life. All of these heard him preach this. They knew the profits it spoken about these things and they missed it in a big way. My doing the same thing on the first day of the week. Little did they know that from this point forward the first day of the week would replace Sabbath or Saturday worship for us. Sabbath does not mean Saturday.

It means rest, but takes place on our Saturday and it's disappointing to see that there are still still some Sabbath Terrien's out there that you know when a Christian confuses their role as a New Testament believer and the life in the Old Testament it every all a lot of stuff gets out of whack insisting on the tend to become legalistic and are prone to legalism versus grace. We are New Testament believers ministers of the new covenant, said Paul and we are that does not diminish the Old Testament that strengthens it.

Jesus, I don't think I've come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Will the fulfillment of that law is what we call the New Testament theology and you know Jesus does not have to itemize and say well I'm against you know, stealing, and I'm against sexual perversity doesn't have to itemize it when he says think not that I've come don't think that I've come to destroy the law means that he is upholding the moral teachings, the commandments of God which one all of them and some of them certainly developed by Christ and his work and one of them is is the replacement of Sabbath worship with what we do on Sundays is not a sin to do it on a Saturday, but this is why we do it on a Sundays because this is the day the Lord showed himself risen in the new covenant that Jeremiah spoke of. For example, is now fulfilled and so believers we rest not in a Sabbath, but in the Savior. That's what Paul was trying to tell the church in Hebrews chapter 4. There remains rest for the people of God it is that it is Christ the Savior.

These distinctions are to be stark in our lives. Well, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen, someone fell and of course it is the writers and the people who told the story that this was worth repeating. Interview picture is a set out it's dark they don't have flashlights they may have lamps or torches with them, but here they can they get to the tomb. The group of women and they may actually have been two separate groups of women that left from wherever they originated from this space for that. But they get there and the sun is rising. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry.

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