Hear God's Word.
When the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the Romans, and Salome bought
spices so that they might go and anoint Him, Jesus, who had died.
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 the stone had been rolled back.
It 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 is crucified.
He is risen.
He has risen.
He's 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.
May God bless the Word.
Aslan.
That great Christ figure of the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis.
The Mighty Lion.
What a great book series if you haven't read that.
Parents, if you've not yet read through the Narnia series with your children, get that on your short list.
Well, Aslan, as C.S. Lewis betrays him, is this Christ figure.
And early on in the Narnia series, and I think it's the magician's nephew,
Lewis portrays this lion as singing into creation all of Narnia.
It's a beautiful sight.
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,
Aslan rescues this Narnia from the perpetual winter of the reign of the White Witch.
Well, at this moment in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,
there's this dramatic moment where Aslan offers himself to be killed in the place of Edmund.
One of the four Pevensey children.
Edmund was the traitor.
And though betrayed, Aslan willingly offers himself to be killed by the White Witch
on that ancient stone table.
With Susan and Lucy looking on.
And then the White Witch kills Aslan.
Leaves him for dead.
And then go bringing her, her horde of beasts goes to fight Aslan's army.
Shortly afterwards, Lucy and Susan are mourning the death of Aslan.
And all of a sudden, they hear this splitting of stone.
Granite being sheaved in two.
The stone table has been split.
Deep magic has brought Aslan back from the grave.
He appears.
He's risen from the dead.
His death and resurrection changes everything in Narnia.
Aslan is this Christ figure.
And after his resurrection, he is on the move.
Breathing his life-giving breath on all of those who's been turned to stone.
This fall, we've been making our way through the Gospel of Mark.
And Mark has been making this argument all throughout it that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Two weeks ago, we beheld our rejected King.
Chapter 14.
Last week, we beheld our crucified King.
Chapter 15.
Remember, when Jesus breathes his last.
The curtain of the temple is torn in two from top to bottom.
And then the centurion, he cries out, having witnessed what Jesus has just done.
Says, truly, this man was the Son of God.
Today, we behold our risen King.
There are three words that come from the mouth of an angel.
And it changes everything.
He has risen.
And that should put some awe in your heart.
Because that means, by implication, that Jesus is alive today.
Are you living as if Jesus is presently alive?
Or as if he's long dead?
This Jesus is alive today.
And there are three scenes in Mark 16, 1 through 8, that will help us to see that.
Going to the tomb.
In the tomb.
Coming out of the tomb.
So let's look at scene number one.
Going to the tomb.
It's in verses 1 through 4.
And we start with these women.
When the Sabbath was passed.
That's Saturday.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome.
Bought spices so that they go and anoint Jesus.
Jesus, of course, has been killed on Friday.
It's now Sunday.
We've already been introduced to the Marys.
If you look up one verse to 1547.
At Christ's death, his body's been given to Pilate.
Been placed in a tomb.
In verse 47, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, Joseph, saw where he was laid.
So Mary and Mary have eyewitness account of the tomb that Jesus' body was laid in.
If you look at 1540, they're also referenced.
The centurion has just said,
Surely this man was the Son of God.
In verse 40, there were also women looking on from a distance,
among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, the younger, and of Joseph.
And Salome.
They had been with Jesus from the beginning.
They've been supporting in his ministry.
So you have these three women who are, on Sunday morning, have spices in hand and are going to the tomb.
By the way, that Mary of Joseph, that's Jesus' mother.
And don't miss the fact that the male disciples of Jesus are MIA.
Nowhere to be found.
Now we come to the tomb in verses 2 and 3.
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?
A tomb was a place to place a body.
It was basically a cave with a small entrance,
and there was a bigger room inside that they had a burial platform
that you'd place the corpse of someone.
And there was a confined space.
But it's pretty safe to say at this point in the account
that these three women,
what do you think they were expecting to find in the tomb?
The dead body of Jesus.
This tomb actually belonged to Joseph of Arimathea.
We learn that in verses 42 through 47 in chapter 15.
Joseph was a rich man.
He was part of the Sanhedrin.
He was looking for the kingdom of God,
which means he was a follower of Jesus.
After Jesus dies, he, Joseph of Arimathea,
goes to Pilate and asks for the body.
Pilate's surprised that Jesus had died so fast.
So he wants to confirm that.
He asks for the centurion who confessed that Jesus was the Son of God.
The centurion comes.
He says, yeah, he's dead.
Pilate grants Joseph the body of Jesus.
And because it was just before the Sabbath,
Joseph puts the corpse of Jesus in his tomb,
seals it up,
and we're on our way.
Now you might be thinking, well, that's interesting.
Those are little interesting little tidbits.
Until you realize that Mark is actually doing something else.
Do you remember how in chapter 14 and chapter 15,
there's all these allusions to Isaiah 53,
and then in chapter 15 to Psalm 22,
but Isaiah 53 is all over the place.
What we have here is another allusion to Isaiah 53.
The suffering servant.
Let me just read it.
This is verse 9.
And they made his grave with the wicked,
and with a rich man in his death.
You see, what's going on here
is not just historic.
It actually happened.
But Mark is helping us make a connection.
This is all according to God's plan.
This is the fulfillment of Isaiah 53.
It's all according to the Scriptures.
There's a time stamp as well.
We saw the time stamps last week in Mark 15.
The 6th hour and the 9th hour.
Here we're told it's a particular day.
Do you see that in verse 2?
And very early on the first day of the week.
That means it's Sunday.
Which means it's the third day
since Jesus was crucified.
He was crucified on day 1, Friday.
Then there's the Sabbath, day 2.
And then there's Sunday, day 3.
It's the third day.
This is fulfilling what Jesus himself has said
over and over and over.
I'm going to be rejected, killed,
and on the third day I will rise.
There's a time stamp.
It's at sunrise.
So this is very early on, on that Sunday.
These women have, they're not wasting any time.
They've got burial spices in hand
that they are going to the tomb.
And then they remember something.
Who's going to move away the stone for us?
And evidently the stone was so big
that the three of them themselves couldn't move it.
That's how big it was.
Now you may be wondering,
well how can he forget a detail like that?
Has anybody planned the funeral
of a loved one that recently died?
It's hard work.
You're in a state of numbness.
It's surreal.
You've got details that you're trying to take care of.
I think you need to realize
the mood of this moment
as these three women are making their way to the tomb.
They're not happy.
They're sad.
They're somber.
They're quiet.
They're grieving.
They're forgetting details
because they're distracted.
These women have spent a lot of time
with Jesus over the last three years.
And now they've seen him die.
They saw where he was buried.
And as they're making their way to the tomb,
they are expecting to find
the corpse of Jesus in that tomb.
But as they walk in verse 4
up to the tomb,
they see that the stone has been rolled away.
And their immediate thought is not
he's been raised from the dead.
If you were them,
I'm guessing you'd be like,
what's going on?
Who got here before us?
I'm guessing their heart rate
would have started going up.
Maybe you came into this building this morning
and you've got some questions
about the empty tomb.
Maybe you've been a Christian for a long time
and you've never thought
about what the empty tomb
actually means for you.
Let's go into the tomb.
That's where Mark brings us.
Scene 2,
while in the tomb,
verses 5 through 7.
And entering the tomb,
they saw a young man
sitting on the right side
dressed in a white robe
and they were alarmed.
Kids, if you want to draw a picture for me,
this is it.
And he said to them,
do not be alarmed.
You seek Jesus of Nazareth
who was crucified.
He is risen.
He's 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.
Now,
if you're one of these three women,
you're expecting to find
in this tomb
the corpse of Jesus.
And so the first surprise
of the empty tomb,
and there are a number of surprises
in the empty tomb.
The first surprise
is a surprising sight.
Verse 5.
This young man
dressed in white.
They don't see the body.
They see this young man
dressed in white.
The other gospels
talk about there being
two angels,
dazzling appearance,
and in classic Mark fashion,
he gives you bare bones.
Yes?
This would have been spectacular.
This young man is an angel,
a messenger from heaven,
because God knows
that these women
will need a heavenly explanation
to make sense
of the empty tomb.
You see,
this angel
is to give all of us
God's perspective
and explanation
for the empty tomb.
Could you imagine
if these women
had heart rate monitors
on them?
The three of them
have a different
heart rate monitor
on them.
As they're approaching
the tomb,
they see this stone
rolled away.
I'm guessing,
amidst their grief,
they're starting now
to get concerned,
and so their heart rate
starts going up.
But when they walk
into the tomb,
they come underneath
the entrance
into the opening,
and they see
a young man
dressed in white,
sitting to the right
of this burial platform.
No body.
I'm guessing,
if we were reading it
on a digital display,
their heart rates
would have gone
through the roof.
What's going on?
They're obviously alarmed,
as you and I would be.
This is a heavenly visitor
with them
in a confined space
of this tomb
where Jesus had been laid,
but His body's not there.
Surprise two.
This angel
has a surprise
explanation.
He's going to explain
to them
what has happened.
He starts by saying,
do not be alarmed
because He
has Heaven's
point of view.
He
knows that this is
all according to plan.
He knows
something that
these three women
haven't yet
fully realized,
and that Jesus
has been true
to His Word.
He says to them,
you seek
Jesus of Nazareth.
They're all talking
about the same person.
This Jesus
of Nazareth
who was crucified.
crucified.
This angel
knows that
these women
just witnessed
three days earlier
the death
of Jesus.
And I'm guessing
all Heaven
had witnessed
the death
of Jesus.
Which makes
one wonder,
how do you think
Heaven responded
when Jesus
breathed
His last
and the curtain
was torn in two
and the centurion
confessed,
truly this man
was the Son of God.
Do you think
that there was
just like
this heavenly
thunderous ovation?
Or do you think
there was just
such silence
around the throne
that this
is what God
has done
to save
sinners?
This angel
knows
that He
was crucified.
And then
He speaks
those three
words that
change everything.
He has
risen.
In the
Greek
it's just
one verb.
To roughly
translate it
into English
you could say
He has
been risen.
The angel
is saying
Jesus didn't
raise Himself
He was raised
by God
the Father.
The divine
Son of God
who
bore the wrath
of God
the Father
on Friday
has now
been raised
by the same
God the Father
on Sunday
morning.
This is
all according
to God's plan.
This is
according to
the Scriptures.
This is
actually
surprising
good news.
These three
words the
angel
is speaking
I'm guessing
if you're one
of these
three ladies
with your
heart rate
kind of
heart in
your chest
you're kind
of like
what?
I'm not
sure if they
totally understood
what's being
said here.
Maybe you've
never thought
about the
implications
of those
three words.
He has
risen.
He's
alive today.
The angel
goes on to
say he's
not here
and sitting
to the right
of this
burial platform
he kind of
gestures and
say see the
place where
they laid
him?
Nothing.
No body.
No corpse.
No Jesus.
Empty.
It's an
empty tomb.
Here we
have an
angel
explaining
the empty
tomb.
Surprise!
He has
risen.
This is a
God-sized
miracle
for the
God-sized
work of
saving
sinners.
It's at the
heart of the
gospel.
It's all
accordance to
the scriptures.
And you
know what?
It either
happened or
it didn't.
He was
either raised
from the
dead or he
wasn't.
He's
either alive
today or
he's been
long dead.
So this is
an angelic
heavenly
explanation for
the empty
tomb.
But there's
more surprises
coming from
the empty
tomb.
In verse
6, this
angel explains
why the
body's not
there.
He is
risen.
In verse
7, he
goes into
some surprise
instruction.
Look at
verse 7.
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.
Well, that's
rather surprising.
He has
risen.
Go tell.
What's
historically
interesting about
this and
striking is
that the
first witnesses
to the
empty tomb,
the first
people to
bear testimony,
the first
humans to
bear testimony
that Jesus
has risen
from the
dead are
these women.
It was
historically
remarkable
because back
in that
time, their
testimony would
not have been
considered having
much weight.
this is
extraordinary.
Now, it
even gets
more
extraordinary.
This
angel says,
but go tell
his disciples
and Peter.
Now, I
don't know
about you,
but if I
were Jesus
and had been
abandoned by
all my dudes,
I'd be like,
you're fired.
Done.
I'll go find
some other
Gentile folks
to do this.
but that's
not what's
going on
here.
This
angel seems
to think
that the
risen
Jesus
hasn't
disowned
his
disciples,
but still
claims them
as his
own.
Do you
remember back
in chapter
14,
what Jesus
said to
them?
1427,
and Jesus
said to
them,
while on
the Mount
of Olives
that just
had the
last supper
before
Gethsemane,
you will
all fall
away for
it is
written,
I will
strike the
shepherd,
and the
sheep will
be scattered,
Zechariah
13.
7.
And it
happened.
They had
all abandoned
him.
Despite
their
failures,
Jesus
still claims
them as
his own.
Did you
notice the
angel singles
out Peter?
But go
tell his
disciples and
Peter.
Maybe it's
better understood
if it went
something like
that.
But go
tell his
disciples,
especially
Peter.
Remember
where we
left Peter
at the end
of Mark
14.
Let me
just point
you there.
Mark
14,
verse
72.
The
verse
before
Peter,
third
denial,
he makes
it big.
He calls
down a
curse on
himself,
and he
swears,
I do
not know
this man
of whom
you speak.
Cock-a-doodle-doo.
Do you
remember?
Do you
remember?
Peter
breaks down
and weeps
because
Jesus'
words to
him in
30 have
come to
pass.
He has
denied
Jesus three
times
before the
cock crowed
twice.
he's
been
exposed
as the
complete
and utter
failure
that he
is.
So he
breaks down
and weeps.
In the
empty tomb,
this angel
speaks
words
that are
full
of
grace.
Forgiveness.
Restoration.
Regathering.
They would
all see
him again
in Galilee,
including
these women.
They would
all be
with him
and he
would forgive
them and
restore them
and regather
them,
even
recommission
them to
go to the
nations,
proclaiming
that he
is a
crucified
and risen
king.
I just
want to
pause here
for a
second.
This is
surprising.
In the
tomb,
this angel
speaks
words full
of grace.
Anyone
in the
room
come into
this
place
this
morning
thinking
that you
are
somehow
unworthy,
that you've
done something
so awful,
so terrible,
that it
is beyond
God's
grace,
that you've
been
permanently
disqualified
from following
Jesus,
that somehow
because of
something you've
done,
you bear the
black mark
in Jesus'
eyes,
and now you
are at
best second
class in
the family
of God.
Anybody
come in
like that?
That you
don't measure
up?
why would
Jesus want
to bother
with me?
I'm a
mess.
I've
sinned
too much.
From the
bloody cross
and the
empty
tomb
issues
forth
some
really good
news for
you.
God's
grace
is greater
than your
failure.
God's
grace is
greater than
your
failure.
It's a
surprise
in the
surprise.
From the
empty tomb,
this angel
speaks words
full of
grace.
If he can
restore Peter,
he certainly
can restore
me.
He can
certainly
restore you.
God's
grace
is greater
than your
failure.
That's
nothing.
There's
more.
You want
to see
another
surprise?
this angel
says,
there you
will see
him just
as he
told you.
Just as
he told
you.
Wait,
Mr.
Angel,
are you
saying that
Jesus told
his disciples
that he
would see
them in
Galilee after
he's been
raised up?
That's
exactly what
he's saying.
Turn back
to Mark
chapter 14
verse 27,
and Jesus
said to
them,
you will
all fall
away for
it is
written,
I will
strike the
shepherd and
the sheep
will be
scattered.
Look at
verse 28.
This is
Jesus
speaking.
But after
I am
raised up,
I will
go before
you to
Galilee.
Do you
know what
this means?
Jesus
knew all
of his
disciples would
abandon him.
and he
factored it
in.
His plan
all along
factored in
their failure
and his
forgiving them
post-resurrection.
Recommissioning
them to
take this
good news
of a God
who became
man and
was crucified
for sins
and raised
victorious
over sin
and death.
to take
that to
the nations.
It's all
according to
plan.
And if
he's able
to factor
in the
failures of
those early
disciples,
he is able
to factor
in our
failures too.
In fact,
our God
specializes
in pouring
out grace
on failures
to accomplish
his glorious
purposes.
Keeps us
humble,
doesn't it?
There's one
more
surprise
and that
is
go tell
his disciples
that he is
going before
you to
Galilee.
Aslan's
on the
move.
He's on
the move.
This empty
tomb is full
of surprises.
One surprise
after another
he is
alive.
He is
restoring
grace.
And he's
on the
move.
Which brings
us to
scene three.
Coming out
of the
tomb.
And they
went out
and fled
from the
tomb for
trembling
in astonishment
had seized
them and
they said
nothing to
anyone for
they were
afraid.
I mean,
seriously,
could you
imagine being
these three
women at
this moment?
They're
expecting to
find his
corpse,
but they
find an
angel
announcing
that he
is risen
and then
they're
like,
go tell
his
disciples
that you
all are
going to
see him
in
Galilee.
Just like
he said,
you're
like,
what?
They went
to the
tomb
mourning
and they
come out
of the
tomb
in
awe.
Something
happened.
all
these
surprises
lying
within
the
empty
tomb.
What's
going on
here in
verse 8?
There's
trembling,
which literally
means shaking,
astonishment,
they're totally
overwhelmed,
they've been
seized by
these feelings,
which means
they're
controlled by
them,
they're
saying
nothing to
anyone,
which means
they're
speechless
in that
last phrase,
for they
were afraid.
What kind
of fear
is this?
Let's
rule out
a couple
things.
Well,
they're
obviously
not
overjoyed,
happy
ladies,
are they?
We can
rule that
out.
But they
didn't
run out
of the
tomb
screaming
in terror,
did they?
What kind
of fear
is this?
We come
across a
similar phrase,
they were
afraid,
in Mark
chapter 5.
Jesus
has just
released
a man
who has
been ruled
by a
legion of
demons
for who
knows how
long,
and nobody
in that
region could
subdue him.
Word gets
out to the
people in the
surrounding city
and countryside,
they come to
him,
they see
Jesus,
they see
this man
who they
could not
subdue,
sitting next
to Jesus,
clothed in
his right
mind,
and you
know what
their response
was?
They were
afraid.
They
actually begged
Jesus to
leave at
that point.
These three
women,
they come out
of the empty
tomb,
full of
surprises,
he has
risen,
and they
are speechless
in awe.
Because they
are realizing
that what
Jesus has
repeatedly
said about
himself has
come to
pass.
I'll be
raised on
the third
day.
This is not
disbelief,
this is not
unbelief,
this is
speechless,
fear and
trembling awe.
They have
heard,
and have
begun to
believe that
Jesus is
alive.
They went
to the
empty tomb
grieving,
and they
flee the
tomb in
hopeful
awe,
expecting to
see a
risen Jesus
in Galilee.
The empty
tomb is full
of surprises,
isn't it?
It changes
people.
It changes
people.
Jesus is
alive,
he's on
the move,
they will
see him
soon,
just as
he has
said.
What does
this mean
for us?
What's the
point?
The point are
just really
three words.
He has
risen.
Let me say
that,
you respond.
He has
risen.
Which means
Jesus is
alive today.
Today.
this surprise
announcement of
this angel in
the empty
tomb, it
speaks of a
reality that
changes everything,
and it changes
everything for
all who believe
it.
Do you
believe that
Jesus has
been risen
from the
dead?
Do you
believe that
Jesus is
alive today?
These three
little words
change
everything.
He has
risen.
It's a
surprising
fulfillment.
This is
according to
the scriptures
of Psalm
16 and
Isaiah 53
again,
verse 10.
His day
shall be
prolonged.
It's all in
accordance with
the scriptures,
but not just
Old Testament
scriptures.
This is
fulfilling of
what Jesus
himself has
said five
times in
Mark.
He said
he'd be
raised from
the dead.
Do you
know anybody
like that?
Not only
know you're
going to
die,
when you're
going to
die,
but then
you're
going to
be raised
and then
it happens.
Who is
this guy?
If all
this is
true,
if he died
for our
sins and
was raised
from the
dead and
he's alive
today,
if that's
true,
then Jesus
is unlike
anyone else
in existence.
not just
surprising
fulfillment,
but surprising
grace.
I mean,
restorative
grace.
These words
full of grace
come out of
the tomb.
Isn't that
good news
for us?
I needed
to hear
that.
If Jesus
can restore
Peter,
he can
restore you
and me.
This is a
surprising
claim.
he has
risen.
It's a
surprising
claim.
People don't
rise from
the dead.
This is a
God-sized
miracle.
And all
of Christianity
falls or
rises on
these three
words.
He has
risen.
He's either
alive today
or he's
long dead.
We're given
a surprising
glimpse that
Jesus is
on the
move.
Aslan
is on
the move.
Today,
he's at
work all
around this
globe calling
a people from
every tribe,
tongue,
and nation to
himself because
he's been
given a
dominion,
a kingdom,
everlasting
and indestructible
because he is
the son of
man.
Surprising
glimpse.
His
resurrection
defeated sin.
His
resurrection
defeated death.
His
resurrection
defeated the
devil.
And if you
believe in
him, you
are brought
into that
victory over
sin, death,
and the devil
too.
His bloody
cross and
his empty
tomb are
good news.
Behold your
risen king.
risen.
How do we
respond?
These three
words, he
has risen,
which means
for us he's
alive today.
How do you
respond to
that?
Well, if you're
not a Christian
in the room,
you've got to
come to terms
with these
words.
They're either
true or
they're not.
Jesus is either
presently alive
or he's
long dead.
All of
Christianity
rises or
falls on
it.
If he
wasn't raised
from the
dead, don't
waste your
time with
Christianity.
But if he's
been raised
from the
dead, his
claims of
being the
Christ, his
claims of
being the
Son of
Man and
the Son
of God,
the great
I Am,
man, that
means he's
the king
of all.
God's
only way
of salvation,
the way to
respond to
that is
Romans 10
9.
If we
confess with
our mouth
that Jesus
is Lord,
King, and
believe in
our hearts
that God
raised him
from the
dead, you
will be
saved, you'll
be rescued,
you'll be
brought into
the kingdom,
and the way
that we
respond to
this great
news is
confessing
him and
then denying
ourselves,
taking up
our cross,
and following
him for
the rest of
our lives.
There's a
group of
people in
the room
that I'm
concerned
about that
I just
want to
say, let
me help
you think
this through
a little
bit.
If you've
grown up
in the
church, and
you've heard
this good
news over
and over
again, do
you know
when it's
possible to
respond to
it?
It's
possible to
respond this
way.
Yeah, I
believe that's
true, but
you never
actually
commit to
following
Jesus.
You think,
yeah, I
agree with
that, but
you're still
living for
yourself.
According to
the New
Testament,
those who
confess Jesus
as their
king, then
deny
themselves, take
up their
cross and
follow him.
They commit
to him.
if you're
not a
Christian, or
you think
you're a
Christian, but
you're not,
you need to
decide whether
or not the
resurrection
actually happened,
is it true or
not, and
then you need
to decide,
will I
commit to
following
Jesus?
For those
of us who
are Christians,
isn't this
just wonderful
to hear?
Our king's
alive.
Our Aslan,
the Lion of
Judah, is
alive.
It's easy
to forget.
It's easy
to fall
asleep,
to drift,
to lose
sight of
what matters
most.
In those
three words,
he has
risen.
They're
like smelling
salts to
our souls.
They wake
us up.
They help
us to
not just
stay awake,
but stay
awake looking
for our
king,
anticipating
his return.
Jesus went
to the
tomb dead
and came
out of the
tomb alive
so that we
would be
wholehearted
followers of
him.
To
treasure
Jesus above
all else.
To
obey him
in all
that he
commands.
To
magnify him
among all
people.
We no longer
make a name
for ourselves,
nor do we
seek to
protect our
reputations
when it
comes to
him.
We magnify
him.
We speak
of our
crucified and
risen king,
and we
belong to
him with
all who
treasure him.
He is
forming a
new family
of faith
and we
are bound
together by
a love
that is
born of
the spirit.
Blood
bought,
blood bound,
spirit
empowered love
for one another
in the family.
We belong to
one another
regardless
of our
backgrounds,
regardless of
skin color,
regardless of
salary rates,
education,
you name it.
We belong
to him with
all who
treasure him.
We're the
new family
of faith
doing his
will.
Jesus went
to the tomb
and came out
so that we
would treasure,
obey,
magnify,
and belong
to him.
Because he's
our one
consuming
passion.
He's our
all governing
reality.
and we
stay awake.
In the
Lion,
the Witch,
and the
Wardrobe,
after Aslan
comes back
to life,
he travels
throughout
Narnia
breathing his
life-giving
breath on
all his
own that
were turned
to stone
by the
White Witch.
He gives
them life,
gathers
them together,
and together
they follow
Aslan.
There's no
one like
Jesus.
The Gospel
of Mark,
over and
over again,
there's no
one like
him.
He's the
Christ,
the Son
of Man,
the Son
of God,
the incarnate
I Am,
crucified and
raised.
Jesus is
alive today.
Do you
know how
we respond?
Deny
ourselves,
take up
our cross,
follow him,
and together
follow Jesus.
Christ the
King Church,
as we head
into Christmas
season,
behold your
King,
rejected,
crucified,
and raised.
He is alive.
Let's pray.
God in
heaven,
Lord Jesus,
we know
you're hearing
us now.
Thank you
for what you've
done for us,
for both in
your death
and resurrection.
Lord Jesus,
would you be
about your
work and
would you
graciously
allow us
to be a
part of
what you
are doing
for your
namesake?
Amen.