Never Before (Part B)

God depending upon you now developing in your walk without him by looking at each other or something else.

Absolutely not having begun in the spirit we continue forward in our faith dependent upon the Holy Spirit in this relationship we have with Christ and it is so easy to become, you know, sort of get Christian savvy, would you know, I know how to do this.

I'm a Christian and you lose that sense of looking up. 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 today. Pastor Rick will continue his message called ever before as he teaches through Mark chapter 60, the world thinks that the gospel writers have no right to tell history to be honest and give the truth they are not accredited by the world and again that's what we, no matter what you're struggling with in your life no matter what sin you're facing, no matter what hard times your face 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 Salom� 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 is it uses to distinguish him from James the brother of John and 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 flatter. Anyway, this name James of course comes by way of the Greek Jacobus in India from the Hebrew Jacob variant of of Jacob, Salom�, one of the ladies who also witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus is also present.

They bought spices that they might come and anoint him do 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 at 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 into 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, it was 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 women's until you guys 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 scribe 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 with 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 it 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 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 am 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, and of course we see that in artwork. Sometimes we see the center of the empty tomb, and the sun is rising, and it strikes us and it evidently struck them also and that's why it is pointed out in verse three and they said among themselves, who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us.

Well, expecting to find Jesus dead, and in the grave. The door was so very big obstacle for these women. They didn't think about that earlier. The door of the tomb was a very heavy stone wheel that was rolled over the. The opening was put in a groove in the groove rolled downhill so you you well at least pitched downwardly so you could easily roll it shut.

It would take more effort and it would take a few strongmen to roll it back open and so they had a valid concern is much easier to close that tomb door than it is to open is much easier to die than it is to rise again.

I guess you could say that, but this was a real concern. Why were they not concerned about the Roman guards and the seal of Pilate, the governor on the tomb. Well, they either did not know that these orders had been given, which is likely what happened or they lost sight of it or they just dismissed it easy to understand why that would not have been a concern. This resurrection is we know the greatest miracle known to man, not only because Christ got up from the grave without the help of any human being, but also what what it means to this very moment, but it was also the most painful of all miracles and that is ever been verse four but when they looked up they saw that the stone had been rolled away for it was very large and so there is the emphasis, but when they looked up they saw was rolled away what they say sweet, not by might not by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord. This is one of the most powerful beginnings of a sentence that we can have. But when they looked up we Christians try to get unbelievers to look up to see the Lord.

That disjunctive but when they looked up what that means is a continuation is a stone blocking it, but then when they did this at appointed moment they it's personal. Each one. They looked practical in the looked up those things don't mean anything to the unsaved. They mean so much to us.

You look at these things and you you have your devotional time to just plodding along. Rereading a section of Scripture and all of a sudden something like this jumps out.

But when they looked up and maybe you've been going through some struggle in your life you not been looking up you been fighting this myth things, and by looking straight ahead, horizontal view, not the vertical and then this verse can strike you and say what they looked up, and you begin to look up I'm looking up to the Lord as you roll forward in your faith and develop and mature to forget what Paul told the Galatians, having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh. Having looked up to God and depending upon him are you now developing in your walk without him by looking at each other or something else. Absolutely not having begun in the spirit we continue forward in our faith dependent upon the Holy Spirit in this relationship we have with Christ and it is so easy to become, you know, sort of get Christian savvy when you know you I know how to do this. I'm a Christian and you lose that sense of looking up and dependency and what is that put you well for one place, it puts at least me is I can say sometimes about trouble in front of me. I don't care I care. God's got this whatever he's going to do is going to love and I believe that, and I'm not going to let me or anybody else take that away. I will trust the Lord is having begun in the spirit. I will be perfected in the spirit to me as I read this struck me, but when they looked up they saw that the stone had been rolled away, problem solve, still no thought of the resurrection attend is not now. This is a lesson in that for us. They're coming to anoint a dead body in the tomb as open as they rub solving one problem in the still not thinking that maybe he is alive, the angel who roll the stone away. He did so not to let Jesus out, but to let witnesses. It is endless.

Well, this is because I just left that she gotten Jesus could appear today and on his will in all while he's alive. You really have to have an open tomb, but he did.

I prefer this way because he preferred this way and so not to let Jesus out, but to let witnesses and that's why the stone is rolled back and wiseguy angel sitting on top of it right there for the Roman guards its comical. Now the earth shook. When the angel roll the stone away. Matthew 28 verse two there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on well did the ladies feel the earthquake know what had happened was likely local to that spot. We so how could anybody have known what maybe others did knowingly put the pieces together or the Roman soldiers. They told the story you think that was the end of it. You just don't sell if you've ever experienced something phenomenal. You talk about it for the rest your life from time to time. It just doesn't go away I still I remember seeing a car get broadsided at a stoplight and do it. The complete 360 in the air and land on its tires and it just just below the elevated train.

I mean inches away from hitting it in and everybody was fine of 50 minutes. It was all gone. Everybody just flop insurance.

God's got back in a car is a rollaway as it which had to see this crazy.

I don't think the Roman soldiers. This had this experience and then forgot about it over in our cheeseburger something later on in life. I think that they spoke about these things and I think sensitive ears of Christians pick them up and outlook. Of course when he does his gospel. It opens up that he really investigated what he had to write before he wrote it down for us.

Verse five now and entering the tomb, they saw a young man, clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side and they were alarmed that the angelic messenger from another dimension. The spiritual realm.

Of course too occupied with this. How could you be it would be taking away from the centerpiece of Jesus Christ to be too caught up with what the Angels doing what Luke he mentions that there were two but Mark concentrates her concerns itself only with the one who spoke and they were alarmed at the presence of the angel this this whole thing.

The Greek word there for alarmed tech Pham Beale which you will hear every day is greatly amazed. Sort of the maze like never before and that is the Greek word used therefore alarmed verse six and that comes back into the story. That's why pointed out what he said to them, do not be alarmed, not be blown away. That's what Mrs. casual describes you not hear was the big deal he's God.

But anyway, says do not be tech Pham Beale you seek Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. He is risen is not here see the place where they laid him so he says of them don't be utterly amazed at something that is utterly amazing*honest other wonder what Mark at our Matthew adds this, they said this is out of fear or terror fear is a fear involved, but it is a fear with joy. Matthew chapter 28 verse eight.

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word now. Matthew uses the word fear and it is where we get our English word phobia from and is a sphere, but it is a fear that has a joy attached to it. They know something's going on.

They know this is spiritual. They don't know what an distinctively don't know where to go with this is so exciting where on the scale of excitement with the needle read with these women at this point the angel says you see Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified, and thus make no mistake, he saying let's get the identity right. This is the Christ that you saw on the cross three days ago. He's up is risen is not here, and this angel as well.

Angels announce the birth of Christ to announce the resurrection of Christ in acts chapter 1, they will say that this same Jesus. That usually taken up will return in like manner announces return and prophetically see the place where they laid him so he invites the women to come into the tomb, which they do look in and there were this the evidence of the grave closing the headpiece in a separate place which impressed John the apostle very much, and he writes about that in his account of the story. After all, John, and also, and no doubt about it. The Lord was risen right through those spice so close he just came right through the mistress of spiritual deal Mary again. She's already telling the apostles.

This she suppose robbers proceeded look in the first time she had first thought right even later she thought robbers where they taken him they taken the body of the Lord. She says to the supposed Gardner if you tell me where he is.

I'll go get him and he also man what a morning verse seven but go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him as he said to you in verses six and seven announce the crucifixion and the rest the resurrection together and we must, but I think be careful to do that, but the Lord does not forget to start rebuilding Peter and he's going to finish that job and Jesus knew that in the best of men are molded by failure. I'm pretty molding myself, but it is true failure. It can mold us if you let it, or you can you cannot let it you can waste it or you can get back means that you failings that that I quit then then that's it. But if you get back in there that's where work gets done.

He is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him as he said to you and so these you know he's telling the disciples that he wants them to go to Galilee but they going to be slow in doing that surprise they going to be almost reluctant to get back up to Galilee and it's a week later he still appearing to them. When Thomas was with them in in the vicinity of the cross that was ground zero and so he's he's trying to nudge them back up where there are more followers there and there's less combatants in Galilee than there was in Jerusalem's was a practical thing first Corinthians tells us in chapter 15 that heap appeared to 500 at one time and that would more than likely be majority people from Galilee, verse eight. So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed the said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid that they didn't have cars. Could you imagine without excitement be like demolition derby anyway. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid the Greek word there for Beale from where we get phobia from a means fear and that's what they were.

But Matthews told us yet. With this fear included joy. Mark just doesn't put that in and there has been a lot of effort by Bible scholars to insist that verse eight engines. The gospel of Mark. It's a frenzy defense, I think, which is a condemnation of their argument.

When you get all excited about something you trying to insist upon without facts. I do not believe them. Thank God it's not all the scholars with their many that are otherwise good scholars and they'll say the gospel of Mark closes with chapter 8 talk about that just a little bit but not too much. They do this because they think that older manuscripts from E ancient Egypt or Egypt in the days are not long after the apostles about 300 years after the birth of Christ. They think that because those manuscripts are the oldest manuscripts that there therefore the best manuscripts, but that is not the case. They think because they are older there therefore trustworthy. They think that because these older manuscripts don't carry Mark chapter of 16 verses 9 to 20 unit that therefore somebody added them later, but there's a great amount of evidence to disprove that Irenaeus in early church leader who wrote before those old manuscripts were written. He quotes Mark's gospel chapter 16 verse 19. So he is who came before he came before those older manuscripts and he's quoting this section that they said Martin right as being written from Mark.

You can read that you want to do some research and Irenaeus, against heresies, three verse 10, section 5, and he's not the only one there other church fathers that Justin Martyr, for example, we came even before Irenaeus and and and and there are others, so I don't believe the Holy Spirit concluded the gospel of good news of Mark with the disciples in fear that they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid and the story I don't believe that it doesn't make any sense. I conclude that Mark's Gospel conclude with verse 20 which says and they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. So again, I strongly disagree. I don't care how much formal training.

They had no scholars can indoctrinate other scholars that happens in seminaries and universities, not just the liberals do this. 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. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio you could search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast that that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Reiki on cross reference radio