Page |1 Thank you for your graciousness and patience in having me back.

Again, Im fully aware of the joy that comes from hearing a variety of speakers. My only consolation is that I hope to show you primarily what Mark has to say about the good news of Jesus, the Son of God and avoid my own pet interests and hobbies. We left off with the irony of the crucifixion. Most importantly we focused on the idea that only on the cross do we truly see who Jesus is as the Son of God. In light of that, we have to take a fresh look there dailyconstantly, even. Today I intend to pick up where we left off. Well spend the majority of our time in 16:1-8 thinking about the implications of the resurrection for three people in the book of Mark intermixed with application for ourselves. Again, I hope you have your Bible with you. Lets read Mark 16:1-8. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled backit was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8 ESV) Now you may have noticed that I stopped after verse eight. There is a debate about whether 9-20 was actually part of Marks gospel. I would like to very briefly explain why Mark ended at verse eight. I want to be brief because even though this does need to be addressed, it is far from the most important part of the text. There is an endless amount of writing on the ending of Mark with specific discussion on what Mark actually wrote. The majority of scholarship today would suggest that Mark ended at verse eight for at least a few reasons. The first reason why we should end his gospel at verse eight is most likely indicated in brackets right under the text in your Bible. Mine says this Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20. What your translators are

Page |2 saying by that phrase could be explained this way; though there are some manuscripts that have a longer ending to Mark, the oldest and most reliable manuscripts exclude it. Therefore, it is likely that it was not part of Marks writing. Second, this section contains numerous words and ideas that we might describe not only as un-Markan, but simply bizarre. Look at verses 17 and 18. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. I think any reasonable person would have to admit that this section is odd compared to the rest of Mark. Third, there are plenty of literary reasons why we could suggest that Mark chose to end here in verse eight. Mark has proven himself a thoughtful and creative writer. Though it would be a more unique type of ending for ancient writing, there have been many thoughtful suggestions as to why Mark ends here. Let me quote my favorite Markan scholar on this last section to summarize; Robert Stein says this, Since my doctoral studies at Princeton Theological Seminary where I did my dissertation on Mark, I have had a continual love affair with this Gospel. I think that I can say with some measure of confidence that this the book of the Bible of which I am least ignorant. I have become familiar with the style, vocabulary, and theological interests of the author of Mark 1:1-16:8, but I do not know the identity of the author of 16:9-20. He is a stranger to me.1 If you are further intrigued by how textual variants are addressed have a chat with Mr. Freeberg in your free time. If you have specific questions on the ending of Mark, feel free to stop by and discuss it with me. This however is not the main point of our text. Lets get to the good stuff now that we have gotten that out of our way. In Mark 15:21-32 we identified several ironic statements about Jesus crucifixion. That brings us to verses 33-40. They might be summarized as follows: Jesus, bearing the full wrath of God feels the

Stein, Robert H. The Ending of Mark Bulletin for Biblical Research 18.1 (2008): 83

Page |3 pain of separation and abandonment due to our sin being placed on Him. The people nearby, in hopes of seeing a sign or miracle, try to keep Jesus alive just a little longer. Not because they want to help him, but because it would be really cool to see Elijah come down from heaven to help him. As Jesus dies, the temple curtain was torn, and the centurion pronounces that Jesus is the Son of God. Of all the people who followed Jesus, only the women are left to be with Jesus. Lets keep going. Take a look at 15:42-47. Joseph goes to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear the Jesus was dead. He then asks if Jesus is dead. The centurion tells Pilate that Jesus is dead. Pilate gives the corpse to Joseph and he places him in the tomb. In the small section we see: body, dead, dead, dead, corpse. Guess what the main point is? Jesus is dead. Its hard to imagine, but people have come up with some crazy ideas about Jesus death and burial. Maybe he was only unconscious, and the cold tomb resuscitated him. Maybe he traded the cross with another guy who looked like him. Maybe he never died, and on and on it goes. If they would just read Mark 15:42-47 theyd know that Jesus is dead. Definitely dead. Weve now made it to our text-- As the women come to the tomb, their expectation is that they would be anointing Jesus dead body. As they get closer, they begin to wonder how they will remove the large stone in front of the tomb. To their surprise, however, when they arrive the stone has been rolled back and there is a young man who says Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. And the women went out and fled from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Jesus, the Son of God has fulfilled his greatest prediction throughout Mark; He has risen from the Dead. Mark has shown us that Jesus is truly the Son of God because He has overcome death, just

Page |4 as he promised. The truth of Jesus resurrecting and saving work is what impacts the three people we will look at now. The first person Mark wants us to see affected by the resurrection of the Jesus, the Son of God is Peter. Id like you to take a close look at verse seven. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. The resurrection brings restoration for Peter. Mark has separated Peter from the rest of the disciples to give special attention to what Christ has done. Peter was a disciple, but Mark makes sure to highlight Peter separately. Both Peter and Judas had denied Jesus in different ways. Judas had sold him over for silver; Peter, though confident he would never betray Jesus, betrayed him three times in Mark 14:66-72. Of course, Jesus was not surprised by this. He had already predicted of the disciples in general that you will all fall away (Mark 14:27) and Peter in particular that Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times (Mark 14:30-31). Since the point of Peters denial, Mark hasnt mentioned him. Our eyes have been focused on Jesus and we may have even forgotten about Peter. Jesus had promised in Mark 14:27-29 that after he was raised up, he would go before the disciples to Galilee. Even though they betrayed him, they would be reconciled. Would that be true of Peter as well? By Mark chapter sixteen, the good news has found its fulfillment. Jesus has taken on Peters shame and sin at the cross. No more will Peters failures mark him. Though Peter had denied Jesus, Jesus had not denied him. Jesus was faithful and strong when Peter was weak. Because of Jesus, Peter now finds restoration and reconciliation. Even though Peter had denied Jesus, look at 16:7 again: But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him! Jesus is welcoming Peter back, even after his three denials! And let me add, what a joy this must have been to Marks readers. Marks readers lived in Rome and faced persecution and death for professing that Jesus was Lord. How many of them, like Peter had failed too? How many of them needed hope for restoration? What

Page |5 about us for here at HCA? We dont face death or extreme persecution daily. What might Peters restoration because of Christs resurrection have to do with us? Let me give an application here. When you are out with your non-Christian friends have you ever found your boldness wavering? Have you had opportunities to share the gospel but didnt? I can think of many examples for myself, but one situation stands out. When I get my hair cut, I like to have it cut in silence. I really dont enjoy small talk with strangers. Inevitably, whenever I get my hair cut, someone always asks, So, what do you do for a living? Im fine with letting them know Im a teacher but I find myself in that environment quickly mentioning that I teach Government and Economics classes while mumbling my way through the fact that I also teach Bible classes. Or maybe Ill mention that I teach Bible classes, but I say it almost regretfully. Now its not that I dont want to tell them about my teaching of the Bible, but for some reason I dread the potential social awkwardness that could follow. Yet, when asked by my Christian friends what I teach, I quickly tell them about the joys of 6th and 11th grade Bible? What would solve this problem for me? I need the work of Christ for me. I need his death and resurrection. I, like Peter, fail daily at my witness and boldness for the Gospel. I need reconciliation and hope that though I forsake him for something as minimal barbershop tranquility, I find hope and restoration in his death and resurrection for me. Daily we find Jesus welcoming us back because He has died and risen. There is a second character Id like to look at in our text as well. This one may have escaped you at first glance. I know it did for me. Who is the young man in verse 5? Well Matthew says it was in angel in Matt. 28:2. Now thats true, he was an angel but we need to remember that Mark knows what he is doing by calling him a young man. Mark said specifically that the person is a young man. If he wanted to say angel, he could have used angeloi like he did in Mark 1:13 to describe the angels ministering to Jesus in the wilderness. Mark has chosen his words carefully. He must be doing something literarily by describing this angel as a young man. Second, Mark points out the

Page |6 young mans dress. Mark has used clothing to identify John the Baptist (1:7), Jesus at his transfiguration (9:7), and the clothing of the high priest to mark an important point of Jesus trial (14:63). Has there been a young man in Mark with a reference to clothing? Turn in your Bible back to Mark 14:43-52. We have already saw Peters shame in his denial of Jesus. Lets go back to the Garden of Gethsemane and read about a young man. And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard. And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, Rabbi! And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled. And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

As the grand finally to Jesus abandonment in the garden, even a young man abandons him. While fleeing, he leaves the linen cloth and runs away naked. Weird. No other gospel writer includes this story. What in the world is Mark doing here? This is the final event before the events of Jesus death and resurrection. Like with Peter, Mark wants to emphasize how the death and resurrection of Christ brings restoration. This time Mark adds more perspectives on restoration through the picture of the young man. Now the two young men arent actually the same person. This person is probably Mark himself, the other one was an angel. However, like a good writer, Mark has written about the two in a way that we would learn something from the connection he wants us to make. Turn back to the young man in Mark 16:5-7. First, I want you to notice the change in clothing. In the earlier account, the young man wears nothing but a linen cloth. Even the linen cloth gets left behind. Jesus, in his burial has been wrapped in a linen cloth (see 15:46). So it is as if The young mans shame in abandoning Jesus has, like Peters, been buried with Christ. Not only that, the

Page |7 young man is now wearing a white robe. The young man doesnt simply go from shame to no shame. Hes not just starting over fresh. No, the young man is now clothed in white robes of righteousness like Jesus at his transfiguration (9:3)! By faith believers are united to Jesus. We are united to him in his death, which means our sins have been fully paid for. Not only are we united to him in his death, but we are also united to him in his resurrection. Jesus resurrection is important for us because what Jesus has earned, we receive. If Jesus had remained in the grave, we too would find ourselves stuck there. Because Jesus was raised, and not only raised but raised to glory we can be sure that we will also receive his resurrection. That is why Paul describes Jesus resurrection as the first fruits of those who have died in I Corinthians 15:20. He is the first from a harvest of many to be resurrected. His resurrection is a promise that believers will also be raised. How do you know youll be raised on the last day? SimpleJesus was raised. Next, in the garden account, the young man had abandoned Jesus. He had fled and like Peter lacked boldness. Notice the change in the young mannow he proclaims Jesus work. He is risen; he is not here and He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you. Having been restored and brought to righteousness, the young man now finds himself boldly proclaiming the work that has brought about his transformation. The gospel has brought about an excitement for the young man to do what is right. Not out of a debt owed, but simply from grace received. Two more pieces of application: 1. Like the young man, we are naked and without righteousness apart from Christ. It is only because Jesus has lived, died and has risen in our place that we can be clothed in righteousness. Our hope of acceptance comes not from what we have done; we have failed. Our righteousness comes from Jesus work alone like the young man in our text.

Page |8 2. Understanding more and more about what Christ has done for you is what will make you a bold witness of the Gospel. My problem at the barbershop is not that I need more training in evangelism, and I dont simply need more boldness, what I need is a clear memory of the Gospel. When I remember the great work with which Christ has saved me, I find my heart more excited to share good news with others. If you are desiring genuine boldness for Christ, look to what He has done for you in his death and resurrection.

Finally, there is one more person. Well, actually its a group of people. Look at verse eight. And they [the women] went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. The young man had commanded them, to Go and tell about Jesus. What did the women do? They fled and were afraid. Eventually, they do go and tell (according to the other gospel writers), but they failed to obey quickly. They were trembling and astonishment had seized them. Again, Mark is highlighting something for his readers. As much as we could try to make this a positive verse to end the gospel, I dont think thats Marks intention. Marks gospel has been a reminder throughout that it is good news, not because we are good but because it is about Jesus, the Son of God who saves a woeful group of failures. Mark never glosses over the failings of the disciples because that is the heart of the good news of the Son of God. Jesus has come not to call the righteous, but sinners (2:17). Even after the resurrection followers of Christ will fail and they too can find hope in the restoration and righteousness that Jesus provides. Our final application: Preach the gospel to yourself daily. You will, like the women, fail. Your hope is not progress, but a personJesus the Son of God.