Jesus Defeats Death
For Meditation
In mid January we started in Mark chapter 1, and since then we've journeyed Sunday by Sunday through Mark's narrative of the life of Jesus. As we near the end, it's incredible to discover just how much attention Mark gives to the trial, torture, suffering, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. It's such a short book, and Mark gives it such an inordinate amount of attention! But on the other hand, it's not that surprising at all, considering that again and again Jesus has insisted that "The Son of Man will suffer many things, be rejected and must be killed, and after three days rise again" (Mark 8:31). Jesus has said over and over that this is the main reason for his life: to die as a ransom for many.
And so it has happened. Perhaps the disciples always thought Jesus' words were a metaphor, but now they find that they were true all along- Jesus is dead. Their dreams have come to an end. Their hopes have died. They are exposed as dupes and failures. The story has come to a close.
But then everything changes. The women come to the tomb and find it empty, with a messenger proclaiming that Jesus is risen. And because of that empty tomb, everything changes! The lives of these women and men are changed forever, and the world will never be the same. And that is the ultimate purpose of this story - not that we would conduct an interesting historical exploration of Jesus, but that we would be introduced to a living person- one who is alive and confronts us today.
As you prepare to celebrate Easter, would you invite the Holy Spirit to bring us into an encounter with the living Lord Jesus, who is risen and reigning today?
Mark 16:1–8
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.