“The Servant is Risen!”
Mark 16:1-20
“We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” – 1 Thes 4:14
This morning we are going to conclude our study of the Gospel of Mark. Mark provides us with a concise and rapid narrative of the life of Jesus, as the Servant of God.
Mark wrote with the Roman in mind, and he gave us a record from Peter’s perspective. We will gain a bit more insight into this in our text this morning.
After the Resurrection, one of the angels in the tomb told the women to tell the disciples, “and Peter,” the Lord has risen. But remember, just days earlier, Peter had denied his Lord. This “and Peter,” insertion was personal.
And that is what makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ so powerful. It is personal. It is God’s personal insertion to you. The sin of the entire world was placed upon Jesus at the cross [as we saw last Sunday]. And it was there that He personally took away your sin. He removed it as far as the east is from the west. However, it does not stop there. The good news continues in addition to eternal life in that you now have this life of faith to serve Him.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, because He conquered death in His resurrection, we have an assured hope of heaven that begins in this life.
“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” [1 Thes 4:14]
Now that is good news! Do you have loved ones who have died in Christ, a husband or wife, father, mother, grandpa, grandma, son, daughter, niece, nephew, or friend? Well, you know what? You will see them again and rejoice with them in the sight of our Lord Jesus Christ in that Day when faith turns to sight.
There is, however, a qualifier: You must believe on the name of Jesus. The Bible says that the work of God for you is this, to believe in the One He has sent [Jn 6:29]. That is our only work for eternal life, to believe in the Servant Who is raised.
The Servant’s death and resurrection will forever be the greatest act in human history. The question for you and I and the world is will we receive it?
