If you were writing a story to prove to the world the impossible had happened, I'm not sure you would write it like this. Open your Bible back to Mark 16:1-8, and you'll see that the way he delivers to us what happened in the resurrection of Jesus is very as a matter of fact; he's not trying to sell it. He's not trying to convince you. He's not trying to make a compelling case. He's just telling us what happened on the third day when they went to the tomb. Jesus was not there, and so, if you pick it up with me in Mark 16, verse 1. And there is a handout in your bulletin. We've got the verses there. If you want to take some notes as we go through these verses together, but if you look at it in verse 1, we meet again these three women that are described here by Mark: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, and these women were first introduced back in verse 40. If you go back to chapter 15, verse 40, you can see those same three women were given their introduction, and then in verse 41, it said, "When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him.”

These were women who served Jesus, and they were real deal disciples. And there were other women as well. Mark brings up these three specific women, and here we are now. After he has been buried by Joseph of Arimathea, we now go, and the Sabbath is over. Just reviewing the timeline on Friday after Jesus died in the afternoon, Joseph of Arimathea got him buried before evening time came, before the Sabbath began, and for that we all say, “Way to go, Joe!” Right, but then there's the Sabbath. So, the Sabbath, the Jewish calendar days start actually in the evening. So, as soon as the sun goes down on Friday, it's now the Sabbath, and that goes all the way through Saturday, all the way to Saturday evening. And after the sun goes down on Saturday, now that might be when these women go and buy the spices.

And what are these women thinking? Mary Magdalene, who's the most famous of them, and then another Mary, not the mother Mary, the mother of Jesus, a different Mary, and Salome. When they're buying spices, to anoint him. Why? Because they're thinking they're going to find the dead body of Jesus. They're not expecting a resurrection. If you were trying to prove to the world that Jesus rose from the dead, would you highlight that the people who found that he had risen weren't thinking he was going to rise from the dead? In fact, look at what they say in verse 3. This is a detail that Mark gives us as they're going towards the tomb, where they've seen he was laid, and they saw that stone that God rolled over the entrance to the tomb. They asked the question, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” They're thinking that that's a heavy stone, that's a large stone. I don't know if we can move the stone. So, they're expecting out of their love for Jesus to anoint his dead body, to bring these spices. They're not expecting what happens.

And so, that's what we see. In fact, even their response after they see the angel in the tomb, and after he says what he says in verses 6 and 7. Go down to verse 8, where the women, as they fled from the tomb, it says, there's this trembling. There's this astonishment. This is an overwhelming experience, and immediately after this, they don't go tell anyone anything because they are afraid. Now, there's more to the story that happens, but Mark, that's where he ends right there. And so, if you were writing this story, if you were trying to fabricate a story or make something up, you wouldn't write it like this. That's why I love how this works here, because hey, we're just telling you what happened. In fact, you wouldn't even choose female disciples as your representative witnesses… If you go read Josephus, a famous Jewish historian. He describes the way that women were viewed at this time. They weren't even often seen as credible witnesses, which is very wrong. But that would have been a common way of thinking at this time.

So, the way Mark says it, it was the women who went there. They're the first ones to discover it, but they weren't expecting it. And even when they did hear about it, they didn't quite know. Consider. That's how Mark tells it, and that just shows us this raw, real reaction that these women had. Now, grab your Bible and turn with me to John chapter 20, because there's some confusion. This last week, talking about this here at the church. Well, what about what it says in Matthew, or what about what it says in Luke, or John? We get different things said about how the women respond, and if you go to John 20, he gives the fullest account of the reaction of the women, and specifically John focuses in on Mary Magdalene herself, and he takes us through her experience of this famous Sunday morning, the Sunday morning we call Easter or Resurrection Sunday. The reason the church has traditionally met on Sunday for hundreds of years now is because this is the day that Jesus rose. It's because of what happens right here. And in John 20, it says, "On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early while it was still dark, so she got there may be extra early, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

So, notice how notice how this works. She ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. Now, who do we think that is? Who's the disciple whom Jesus loved here in the Gospel of John, everybody? We think it's John himself. And then maybe you know the foot race that Peter and John have to get to the tomb. John gets there first. Peter, of course, enters first, and they don't fully understand, but they see that it's empty. But notice this, verse 11. “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb.” So, notice that John now has Mary at the tomb two different times. She's there one time, and then she goes and tells them, and now she's back a second time. In fact, go back to verse 2. Look what Mary said after she left the first time. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

That doesn't even sound like the right report. She's not even saying he has risen. She's not even saying we should go meet him in Galilee and we're going to see him. She's just saying, "Hey, I went there and I didn't see him. I don't know where he is. I don't know where his body is." So, her first report that she gives here in John is not even the praise report of the resurrection, and so now she's crying back at the tomb later on. Verse 12, “And she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head, one at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord. I don't know where they have laid him.’ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I'll take him away. Where is he? I'm going to find him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni,’” which means teacher. “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord." Now she gives them the full report of his resurrection.

So, sometimes you might hear about this that well, there are different perspectives on what happened. Well, actually, it's a complicated account of what happened, and some people just tell different parts of what happened. Because Matthew, he'll just tell you the whole thing on a macro level is they went to the tomb and then they told the disciples. Well, that's eventually what happens. But if you go to Luke, he'll say they went and told the disciples, and the disciples didn't really listen to him. Well, that makes sense because the first time they went and told the disciples, they weren't even saying he was alive yet. So, it depends on what part of the story you tell. Mark decides to drop us right after they see that the tomb is empty, and right after they hear from the angel, and right in that moment that they are overwhelmed. That's when Mark leaves us with a cliffhanger ending, and he doesn't get to any of the appearances of seeing Jesus after his resurrection.

So, go back now to Mark 16, and what we can see that all four of the Gospels make very clear, they all agree on the fact that these women went to the tomb and the stone was rolled away, and Jesus was not there. They did not find his dead body. That is the witness of these accounts.

So, let's get this down for point number one, if you're taking notes: We want to “See through the eyes of the witnesses.” See through the eyes of the witnesses. And it took me a few Easter's. I had to sit with this for a while until I finally started understanding what was happening in this text. The stone wasn't rolled away so Jesus could get out. The stone was rolled away so we could see in. Have you realized that? If Jesus rose from the dead, you think he's going to have a hard time getting out of the tomb? You think that's his biggest challenge in that situation! He came back from death. Oh, but I'm stuck here in this rock. You think that's really his problem? When Jesus starts appearing, he shows up in rooms where all the doors are locked, and he doesn't need doors anymore in his resurrection body. Jesus just appears. He disappears. He ascends up into the clouds. Yeah, the Lord who overcame death for our salvation, he's not intimidated by a large stone. That stone wasn't rolled away so Jesus could get out. It was rolled away so these women could look in, and you could see from their perspective that where they expected death, they found life.

That's the good news of the resurrection Sunday from the tomb. And so, we need to see, wow, he wasn't there. They didn't anoint him with oil. There were no spices brought in. We didn't need any of that because Jesus is alive. And I want to spend most of our time looking at verses 6 and 7, looking at what this angel says as the heavenly messenger, bringing God's announcement to these women. He says, “Do not be alarmed” here in verse 6, which is always what an angel has to start with. Because when people see an angel, what happens to them? They are alarmed. They are afraid, and so that's how it always begins. “Don't be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.” That's what we've been studying. They nailed his hands and feet to the cross. They killed him. That's what you're looking for. You're looking for someone who's dead. He has risen. He's not here.

See, this is just the place where they laid him. And then he says, "Go tell his disciples.” And Peter, he's going before you to Galilee. “There you will see him just as he told you.” So, the angel announces he has risen. So, you don't really get to see Jesus rise. You hear the announcement that it's already happened. He has risen, and this idea of resurrection from the dead, this is a very powerful idea that not only are we saying happened 2000 years ago, but it has implications for your life today. And everyone is going to experience a resurrection in the future. So, we're not just here to think about how Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus, he's the first fruits. He's the prototype. He is blazing the trail for how everyone will experience a resurrection from the dead. And so, this is something that is a huge announcement that has implications for every single one of us who have gathered together, the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead has changed everything, and that's why the angel comes to announce it to these women who are blessed to be able to hear this good news that Jesus is alive.
Turn with me to John chapter 11, and let's just hear what Jesus said about this. Jesus did the miracle of resurrection to other people. We saw that in the Gospel of Mark. Maybe you remember in chapter five, there was a young girl, and he said to the young girl, "Arise." And he lifted her up, and she was alive. Maybe you remember even the man who was demon possessed, and he had his dad who was there looking for someone to help him, in Mark, chapter 9. And the demon was so destructive in this young man that they thought he was dead. He lay down on the ground like he was dead, and Jesus told the young man to arise, and he lifted him up.

So, we've seen this already in Mark that Jesus has the power to raise people from the dead. Well, the most famous resurrection that Jesus did before his own is his friend Lazarus. And look at what he says in John chapter 11, verses 25 and 26, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Do you believe this? So, this is Jesus saying this before he ever does it. This miracle is really what pushed the popularity of Jesus over the top when he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. But notice what he says, “I am the resurrection, I am the life, and if you believe in me,” this is not just something that he's saying he's going to do. He's saying, “Who believes in me.” Because if you believe in me, even if you die, you will live. There's a promise of a future resurrection. In fact, look at what he says in verse 26, “Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Do you believe this?

So, the importance of the resurrection is not just the historical fact that it actually happened with Jesus, but the reality that there is a future resurrection promised for those who believe in him, and there's even a quality of life that is given to everyone who believes, where you now have this new life, abundant life, eternal life, where you're never going to die because you know Jesus Can I get an amen from anybody on this?

So, let's get this down for point number two: We want you to “Know the power of his resurrection.” This is for you to know the power of his resurrection. We had yesterday here at the church a memorial service, and I was able to share what Jesus says at the funeral here for his friend Lazarus, or as they're mourning his friend Lazarus, and as he weeps with Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, and as he goes to the tomb and says, "Lazarus, come out,” and Lazarus rises from the dead. I got to share that at this memorial service, and it was a real tragic service. A young woman who had died at the age of 24. And the reason she had died was because of fentanyl. And I got to tell you, my least favorite funerals to go to have to do with fentanyl, and I've been going to more and more of those kind of funerals over the years.

And I don't know how aware you are of this, but here in Huntington Beach, we are kind of the major hub of recovery in the United States of America. There are a lot of medical detox centers, rehabilitation sites, sober living houses. People are coming from all over our country to Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach to deal with the challenges they're facing because of drugs and alcohol. And we regularly have people here at our church from other states or even local folks who end up here at our church, and they are trying to recover from their addiction. And some people they're like at a facility living there for a series of days as they recover. Other people they get involved in a lot of AA meetings. We're kind of living in the headquarters of AA meetings in America. There are so many that happen around here every single week. And so over the years of being here in Huntington Beach, I've met so many people in the recovery process, and I've gotten to talk to them, and I've heard a lot about the different kinds of addictions and the challenges that they've brought into their life. And I really enjoy talking to people involved in recovery. You know why? They're a little more honest than church people. If I'm telling you the truth, okay. Church people like to present that they know the right answer. They might have a little bit of a self-righteous attitude. When you go to the rehab center, there's a little less self-righteousness going on, and there's more straight shooting. There's just more honest, open. This is how it is. Call it like it is. Say it how it is, I really find that honesty refreshing.

So let me be honest and say you need more than recovery to really change your life. What you need is a resurrection from Jesus Christ. He has the power to make you new. Recovery is an attempt where you're always trying to get back to normal you. What Jesus is saying is he is the resurrection, “He is the life, and he can give you a quality of life where you will never die. And even when your body comes to stop working, you will live in the power of his resurrection. So what Jesus offers is more than recovery; it's resurrection power. In fact, I've talked to so many folks about recovery that I even went back and got the big book, the Alcoholics Anonymous first edition, not the edition that's being used today, but the 1939 original, and I started reading this book, and I don't know what your impression of Alcoholics Anonymous is, or what you've heard about the different types of AA meetings that go on, but if you go back and read the original book, what you will find is there are 29 different stories in the first edition, of people whose lives have been changed because they had a spiritual experience with God, it was very clear in the original that the way we were going to recover, the way we were going to stop it with the alcohol, is we were going to experience a change with God in our life. It wasn't a God of our own understanding. It was us coming to an understanding of who God actually is and what He's able to do.

And anyone was invited. You could be an atheist. You could be an agnostic. You could come. But the only way you're really going to change is if you come to know God. That's what they said, and the testimonies weren't just people sharing their story or sharing their experience. They were sharing the way that their life was changing because God was actually doing something in their life. And a spiritual experience didn't mean a feeling or a momentary encounter. A spiritual experience meant an actual change in your conduct, in the way that you lived, a power to say no to the old way, and to start living a new way. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ offers that power to every single person here this morning. That's why we celebrate Easter. That's why we shout “He is risen” because it means a new life for our souls.

And so, even the recovery movement needs a recovery to how it originally began. They need to get back to who God is, and back to the fact that he is the one who has the power to make a change in us, and he does it through his Son Jesus, and he's proven it through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, go over to Romans chapter six, and let's talk about what this looks like in the life of a Christian person. Romans chapter six talks about our union with Christ. It's very important that you don't just believe the gospel happened. It's not enough just to believe that Jesus died on the cross, or that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. Even the demons know that's what happened. The Bible clearly says that's what's happened. The question is, are you now in Christ as you put your faith in him?

Have you died with Christ to who you used to be, and have you risen to a new life? Not just did the gospel happen with Jesus, but has the gospel happened to you? Have you experienced being placed into Christ by the power of the Spirit, where you are dead to your old life of sin, and you can now live a new way because of his resurrection? That's what it's saying here in Romans, chapter 6. Look at what it says in verse 4. This is a key verse. Romans 6:4. “We were buried therefore with him.” See, here's the principle of our union with Christ. What Jesus did happens to us. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, by being placed into his death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Man, if everyone could write that down under point number two, “just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too might walk in newness of life.” The same power of God that overcame death there in that tomb is the same power that you can now walk in every day because you have been made new in Christ. Can I get an amen from anybody on this?

I don't even think personally two Easter's is enough. I like that we're doing a second Easter, but I think we should talk about the resurrection every Sunday. That's why the church assembles on Sunday. One time I preached a sermon at this church called Easter every day. Does anybody here remember that? I was like, every day we should live in the power of his resurrection. I brought Easter vibes to your everyday life. I thought this will be positive. This will be encouraging. Finally, a sermon no one can have a problem with. You know, that's what I was thinking. Easter's a happy day. The Easter every day service. This will be a winner, sure thing, right? Well, a man, a very nice man, invites me out to dinner to tell me that he's going to leave our church, and I'm shocked. He's such a nice guy. Why are you leaving? Well, I’ve got a problem with some of the sermons. I'm like, okay, well, what sermon you got a problem with? And then he says Easter Every Day. I'm thinking, out of all the things we've talked about, that's the one you’ve got a problem with? I'm like, how could you have a problem with Easter every day? My voice went that high. What? What? I mean, I had a few sermons in my mind that were candidates. That wasn't on the short list. You’ve got a problem with Easter, bro? This is new. I haven't heard this one. And he says, "Yeah, you see, you're acting like people have power in resurrection, that they have victory in Christ, like they can live a new life. But people are going to struggle. They're going to fail. And I don't think you should be saying that.”

It's like we've forgotten our own message in American Christianity. It's like we're so used to just yeah, everybody sins. What can we do about it? Let me tell you, he did something about it. And just as Christ was raised from the dead, you can now walk in a new way. Now, what does that mean? It means the ability to say no to the old way and to put on the new way is available to everyone who is in Christ. Does that mean you're going to be perfect and always use that ability to walk in the resurrection? No, we still have to turn away from temptation. We still have to confess our sins. We still have to ask for prayer from our brothers and sisters in Christ. No, it is still definitely a fight, a fight we can all share and talk about together. But I want to ask you: Is there victory in your fight? Is there a new ability that you did not have before, but you have now because you are in Christ. That you are able to put on the new way, to walk in the new life, and you are able to live not in your own power and strength, but you can actually tap into the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Have you experienced this? Because this is what it says it means to be in Christ, to be buried with him. Because you were placed into his death, and you really have now died to who you were, and you really are now a new creation. “Behold, the old is gone, and the new has come.” Are we new or not? That's the question I want to ask all the churches in America: Are we still the same old people, or are we new? Did it really make a difference that Jesus rose from the dead in your life? And it is saying that you can know the power of His resurrection.

This is where I find out who really believes the gospel, because on Sunday morning people claim to believe the gospel, but when it comes to the sins that want to drag you back down to hell, do you have the ability, because of what Jesus did, to say, no, I'm not doing that. I'm going to do what He's teaching me to do. I'm his disciple. He's making me to become someone I was not. And you know what? God is doing at this church is he's writing stories. In fact, we’ve got enough stories at this point we could fill a big old book of people, people that are unrecognizable, people oh they used to go to AA, they used to be in the Sober Living house, they used to be in the recovery process, but they've done more than recover. They're new people. They're not who they used to be. They're not thinking about when am I going to drink alcohol or when am I going to use drugs. They're thinking about Jesus Christ. They're setting their mind on the things above, and they're walking now in a whole new way. And some of the people who used to know them don't even recognize them when they see them on the street. It's had such a vibrant change inside of them; they don't even look the same outside anymore.

Because Jesus' resurrection power is real, and it changes people's lives. Does anybody want to say amen to this? Is he writing this story in anybody's life here? This should be the experience of every Christian person that you have the power of his resurrection. You can see the ability to start walking in his new way, and you say, "Well, nobody's perfect." I agree with you. We're not perfect yet, but in the future resurrection, when we get our new bodies, when we see Jesus, we will be made like him. And everyone who has this hope purifies himself as he is pure.

So, I understand we haven't reached perfection, but we do have a new direction, and the direction now is not going back to who we used to be. The direction now is someday we're going to be like him, and the longer I live here on this life knowing Jesus, the more I want to learn how to live like him today, because someday I will be like him, and I will be made perfect, and his work of salvation in me will be completed. It will reach its maturity, its end, and I will be given a resurrection body like Jesus. Is that not awesome? See, if we set our mind on that. If we live with that hope, if our focus is, I can't wait to see Jesus and be made like him, that will help you in your fight with sin today. Because if we're always going back, then why even try? But if we're going forward because of the resurrection that we've already experienced in Christ and the resurrection that is to come, with our whole body being made new. See, if I'm looking forward, that's encouragement to turn away from sin and to put on the new life.

Go over to Romans, chapter 8, verse 11. Paul makes this clear again now when he's talking about living in the flesh or living in the spirit, and Paul makes it very clear. It's either one or the other. You're not going back and forth. You're either still in your flesh, or you've received the Spirit. Look at how he says it in Romans 8, verse 11, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” What an amazing verse of Scripture!
The Holy Spirit of the Living God that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you. Can I get an amen from anybody? The spirit doesn't show up one day and call in sick the next day. Spirit doesn't save you one day and then kind of go dormant and hibernate for a season. You’ve either got the spirit or you don't have the spirit, and if you got the Spirit, you can walk in the Spirit. You can keep in step in the Spirit. You can be filled with the Spirit, and you can let the power that raised Jesus from the dead work in your life. And he will bear the fruit of the Spirit. He will give you an ability that you do not have, but because he's in you, he will work that ability through you, and you can tap into the power of the Holy Spirit every single day.

That's where the idea of Easter every day came from, because resurrection power is yours if you're in Christ. It's yours if you have the Spirit, and so that's why the resurrection is the most important, the central doctrine of Christianity. It is not just important that Jesus did it. That's very important. Without that, we've got nothing. But it's also such an encouraging thought that you can live the new way today. And I’ve got to ask you: Do you know this? I'm not talking to anybody else. I'm talking to you. Do you have the power of Christ? Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand. We just sang it. Is it true in your life? And by stand, I mean here come the temptations. Here comes that person that always aggravates you. Here comes that situation you always seem to give into, but here in the power of Christ you stand. Are you able to stand? Because if you are not able to stand, don't try to act like that's Christianity. The resurrection makes us able to stand. Can I get an amen from anybody on this?

And if you realize I'm not able to stand, I don't have this power, well, you’ve got two options. One, you can say I don't know what I'm talking about, or the Bible doesn't know what it's talking about. Or you can realize if I don't have the power, that means I still need a resurrection in my life. I still need to be placed into Christ. I still need to be dead to my old way and to rise to a new way.

Go back to Mark, chapter 16 and look at the second thing the angel says. Mark 16, verse 7. The way the angel signs off his heavenly announcement about the glorious resurrection of Jesus is he says, "Hey, tell Peter that he's going before you to Galilee. There you will see him." So, the angel says, "These women are going to see him. Peter's going to see him. There's going to be a big gathering of disciples in Galilee.” So, the angel brings up all the appearances that are going to happen after the resurrection. But look at the last thing the angel says, "There you will see him, just as he told you."

Have you ever heard of a spoiler alert? Have you ever heard about that? Like if you're watching a show or you're reading a book or something, and then somebody's going to come and spoil it, somebody starts telling you while you're watching something what's going to happen before it happens. Have you ever been annoyed by a person? Have you ever been that annoying person before? And then one of your beloved family members gave you a look like you're taking it too far, right? Maybe I'm speaking from personal experience, right? So, Jesus, I would say, as we've gone through the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has spoiled this story in a clear way many, many times.

Jesus has told us what was going to happen so much before it ever happened that you could almost stop Mark in chapter 10, and we would already know what the rest of the story was going to be. So, when he says, “just as he told you”, see, this is fitting with how Mark has written this entire gospel, where Jesus is always saying what's going to happen before it happens. Jesus has shown us that he doesn't just have hindsight, that's 2020. He's got future sight that's 2020. Jesus can see the future just as clearly as the past. Jesus knows what's going to happen before it does, and he's been telling his disciples over and over, "This is what's going to happen." And his disciples, they have not been able to understand what Jesus is saying until it actually happens, and so now the angel is highlighting. He already told you all of this. You should already be knowing what's going to happen. But see, they don't get it till after the resurrection.

Go back to chapter 8. Let me give you a few examples of what the angel is referring to, if you go back to Mark, chapter 8, there's this critical turning point at the end of Mark 8 where Peter says that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One that God is going to send to save his people, and Jesus is like, yes, now let me tell you what I'm going to do. And he says in Mark 8:31, “He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed. And after three days,” what is he going to do, everybody? Rise again. And he said this what? Plainly he said this like they should get it. Do they actually get it? No, they do not. He says it again in chapter 9, verse 30. They went on from there and passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will” what, everybody? He will rise. But they did not understand this saying. So, it just flat. See how Mark's giving it to us. Jesus is saying it clearly. They're just not understanding. In fact, here it says that they were afraid to ask him. You know why they were afraid to ask him? Because first time Peter said, "Hey Jesus, that's not right. Let's talk over here." And he said to Peter, "Get behind me,” who? “Satan." So now they're not asking questions when he says he's going to be killed and on the third day rise. Here's even something that's really interesting. If you go back in chapter nine, to verse 9, remember how Peter, James, and John went upon the mountain, and they saw Jesus transfigured into his glory. Remember how the Father said, "This is My Son; listen to him."

And then He tells them, look at this, verse 9, “As they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” Keep this between us until after I rise from the dead. And then verse 10, “So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.” Hey, don't tell anybody till after the resurrection. Okay, Jesus, no problem. Then they say to each other, hey, what's this whole resurrection business? Do you understand what's going on? Because I don't get it. It's not until after the fact that they see Jesus has been telling us the whole time. In fact, go to chapter 10. This is the third time that he teaches them this in chapter 10, verse 32. See, this is where they kind of get it, but they really don't. What they do understand is there's going to be bad things that happen when they go to Jerusalem, and so here in Mark 10:32, this is probably my favorite verse going through the Gospel of Mark with all of you over the last year and a half. In verse 32, “They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them, and they were amazed. And those who followed were afraid.” See, I just get this picture of there's the city on a hill in Jerusalem. There's Jesus walking up to Jerusalem. Everybody else is behind him, following him, walking in there, and they know he said a lot of bad stuff is going to happen in Jerusalem, but he's still willing to go into it. He knows he's going to suffer. He's still willing to do it, and they don't fully understand it all, but they're in awe that he's walking into trouble, and he knows it, and he's trying to tell them, and he says it again in verse 33. See, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles, and they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him. And after three days, he will” what, everybody? He will rise.

So, do you realize now when it is the third day, and they are going to the tomb, and they're not expecting a resurrection, and they're even having a hard time processing it when it happens? Mark is trying to show you, hey, these disciples didn't fully understand what he was saying until after it happened. Go to chapter 14, and this is where he clearly says he'll go before them to Galilee in Mark 14:28. Because here at the Last Supper, he predicted many things that were going to happen. He said, "One of you will betray me." That happened with Judas. He said, "Peter, you'll deny me three times." We read how that happened. He even said to the other ten, "All of you will fall away." And in the midst of all those kind of negative statements about what's going to happen in the future, look what he says in verse 28. It's often overlooked. “But after I am raised up. I will go before you to Galilee.” That's what the angel's quoting. Hey, don't you remember? After he's raised up, where's he going to meet you all in Galilee? Go tell Peter. Go tell the rest of them. Time to get up to Galilee, so he can give you the great commission, so he can restore you, so he can prepare you. That's what he said, just as he told you.

So, if Jesus can tell us the future before it happens, one of our key takeaways from the Gospel of Mark should be: I'm going to listen to everything Jesus says because he can tell me the future. And in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus doesn't just say what's going to happen with him in his life. He says what's going to happen with you in your life.

And so, let's get this down for point number three: “Don't skip the spoiler alert for your life.” If there's one spoiler alert, I would encourage you to read and listen to, it's the one about you. You should have an understanding of the future. I think the way that Mark writes, showing us how the disciples didn't understand, is to provoke us to want to understand. I think he's writing in this very unique style where he writes things that then cause you to want to have the opposite response yourself, and so if Jesus is saying it so plainly, and people aren't listening, does it create within you a desire to listen to Jesus? Can you hear the voice from the Father in heaven saying, "This is my Son, listen to him”? Ultimately, the rest of your life will be determined by whether you listen to Jesus or whether you don't listen to Jesus. And so, what does Jesus say in the Gospel of Mark to you? What does he say about how your future could be determined.

Go back to chapter eight, and in that famous passage where they say you're the Christ, and he says yes. Now that you know who I am, let me tell you what I'm going to do. And they don't fully understand what he's going to do. Well, after he says what he's going to do, he then gives the call for what he's telling us to do, and he says in Mark, chapter 8, verse 34, “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples.” So, let's get everybody together. “He said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake in the Gospels will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? What can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Now, unfortunately, this command in verse 34 to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus, you might have been given the impression before today that that's some bonus level Christianity. That's like some super edition, some advanced placement Christianity. Look at how Jesus says it in verse 34. He calls the crowd to him. So, this is the invitation to everyone, and he said to them, "If anyone would come after me,” this doesn't sound like you level up to this. This sounds like the entry level. If you're going to come after Jesus, here's what it looks like. You learn to deny yourself. How do you do that? By the resurrection power. You take up your cross. You know what's coming, and you're willing to go into it anyways. You're following Jesus to his death, to his resurrection, and then he makes it very clear, if you try to save your life, if you try to keep this life in this world right now, if you try to save it, you will what? You will lose it. But if you lose this life, what you will be saved. What's going to happen to your soul?

In the end, it won't matter what you got in this life if you lose your soul. And in the end, there's nothing you can you can have that could buy back your soul if your soul is lost. In fact, if you're ashamed of Jesus and what he says, expect him to be ashamed of you when he comes back in his kingdom. There's Jesus telling you your future. You either deny yourself and give your life away, and then you will be saved, or you live for yourself, try to hang on to your life, and your soul will ultimately be lost.

This is the spoiler alert on your life. So when we have a memorial service, and we've had many here at the church, you put the picture of the person up on the screen or on the program, and under the picture with their name, it has two dates. It has the date that they were born and the date that they have now died. And I don't know how this is going to go. Maybe I'll be at your memorial service. Maybe you'll be at my memorial service. I don't know which one of us will go first, but I know that when you see that picture of that person and you see the birthday and their death day. What really matters is, did they have a third day? Did they have a day where they had new life in Jesus Christ? Between being born physically and between the day they die, did they have a resurrection. Were they by God raised up with Christ? Were they made alive, taken out of being dead in sin, and made alive with Christ?

And maybe you don't even know the day or the place or the time. That's not the issue. I'm not saying you got to know that. I'm saying. That during your life you need to be raised up with Jesus. Otherwise, on the day of your death, it will be a terrible day. But if you've been raised up with Christ, the day of your death you don't really die; you get swallowed up by His life. And so, I'm asking you, have you had a third day? Jesus rose on the third day. Have you risen up on a third day in your life? And yeah, I'm not asking what place was it, what time was it, what was the actual date of it. That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking, do you have power? Do you have ability? Can you say no to yourself? Have you learned there are things about you that cannot continue that you have to change your mind about, repent from? You have to confess those things, turn from those things, and then you can carry your cross because he is with you. He is strengthening you by his grace. He is causing you to walk in a new way and making you obedient to his commands. Do you know the transforming power of the resurrection of Jesus in your life? Because if you don't know that power, how about today? How about today being your third day?

I have this thing I've been praying for. Somebody's going to go to heaven someday, and someone's going to say to them, "Oh, how did you get here?" And they're like, "Well, I got saved on Easter." Oh, really? Wow! What day was that? October 25. That's what day it was. Because any day is a good day for a resurrection, and if you're in here right now and you know you need a resurrection, please don't leave here without talking to Jesus, talking to somebody. We’ve got a whole tent of people out there ready to talk to you after the service.

Two days ago, there was a man who came in here and he put his face on the ground. Two days ago, we didn’t even have services. He still came in, and somebody saw him praying, and he was giving his life to Jesus Christ. Last night, after this service, a man came up and he said, "I'm the one you were talking about in the sermon, and he gave his life away to Jesus Christ.
This is the third day now. I'm ready to see somebody get saved here at this church. And some of you are here saying right now, "But I already got saved a long time ago, and you've got the date, and you've got the age you were, and you've got the place, and you've got the time. Let me ask you, is there power in that? We’ve got a lot of people who have testimonies, a lot of people sharing at AA meetings, a lot of people are out there saying, "Here's my story," but there's no power in it. There's no change in it. Something happened, but there was no resurrection. So, you might have a story of a third day, but I'm asking you, have you been made new? Is the old really gone, and the new you really come? Because that's what Jesus did. That's why we're celebrating Second Easter because the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes our lives. And so, I want you, if you haven't had that power, please come talk to me. Talk to someone in the tent. Let today be the day that you experience his resurrection. Let me pray right now.

Father in heaven, we just want to praise you. We just want to thank you for moving that stone away, so we could see through the women who went in there, and they didn't find a body of Jesus; they found an angel saying, "He has risen, just as he told you." So, God, I pray that we would see this power of the resurrection of Jesus; that he is the resurrection; he is the life, and that we need Jesus Christ. And I want to thank you on behalf of all my brothers and sisters who know the new life that comes from his resurrection. I pray that they would be encouraged and built up, that the same Spirit, your Spirit, that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in them. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, so they can leave here today and walk in newness of life. Build up our church, Father, with the glorious good news of the resurrection of Jesus. But I also want to pray for those. Those who are here today who don't know the power of his resurrection. God, I pray that they would admit that, that they would cry out to you, and that today would be a life-changing day for them. That today people would have a spiritual experience where they come to an understanding of you, God, the God who is such an awesome heavenly Father that he would sacrifice his one and only Son to pay for our sins. But then on the third day, you would raise your Son up, and in that victory, in that declaration, you would announce to everyone who will listen: There is life. There's both life abundant now and life forevermore. That there is perfection for those who will be made like Christ, and that we can experience a new direction even now by trusting in him. God, let today be that third day for some here. Father, save them. Make them born from above. Do the work in their heart. Give them your Spirit, and let them be alive. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.