INTRODUCTION

"Christ died for our Sins according to the scriptures" [I Corinthians 15:3]. His burial, testifies to the rea1ity of that death, and His resurrection to the defeat of death. Emphasis on the death of Christ must not be permitted to obscure the glorious fact of His resurrection. If He was "delivered for our offenses," it is equally true that He "was raised again for our justification" [Romans 4:25].

Satan's denials of the resurrection are most cunningly effective when they accept the word but deny the substance. Let us be very plain. The New Testament doctrine of the resurrection is the resurrection of the physical body of Jesus. A so-called spiritual resurrection of Christ which leaves His body under the power of death is an invention of Satan and his false religions.

New Testament history must not be confused with, the silly Easter superstitions which have been tacked on to popular Christianity. Easter is not in the New Testament; the word in Acts 12:4 (KJV) is a false translation. Let us rest our faith on the historical records of God's own Word, the Bible, and have nothing to do either with the superstitions of ancient heathenism or with the mythologies of modern religions.

This lesson includes part of Mark's account. Outline follows:

1. Waiting, Mark 15:42-27. 
a. Burial prophesied, 42-43 
b. Burial permitted, 44-45. 
c. Burial performed, 46-47. 

2. Walking, Mark 16:1-8. 
a. Vigil at the tomb. 
b. Visit to the tomb, 1-4. 
c. Vacancy in the tomb, 5-6. 
d. Victory over the tomb, 7-8 

NOTES ON THE TEXT:

WAITING, Mark 15:42-27.

"As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" [Matthew 12:40]. The length of time that body lay in the tomb would not seem important if Jesus Himself had not given it as a sign. But in this as in other details the prophetic Scriptures must be fulfilled.

Burial Prophesied, 42-43.

"He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death" [Isaiah 53:9]. The provision of a rich man's tomb for the burial of Jesus' body was in accord with prophecy. His enemies would have let His body be cast out with those of common criminals, but God appointed for it treatment appropriate to the King of the Jews. A holy boldness came upon Joseph of Arimathea, so that he found courage to ask Pilate for the dead body of Jesus.

Burial Permitted, 44-45.

Death must be certified before the body could be taken down from the cross and permission given for burial. The suspicions of infidels were anticipated. Certification of death by the Roman centurion was sufficient evidence for Pilate, who made sure that he would have no further trouble with the Jews over this case. The modern theory of a mere swoon or fainting spell at Calvary could not be entertained for a moment by those familiar with the realities of the crucifixion.

Burial Performed, 46-47.

Love took over after hate had done its worst. Loving treatment and care for the dead body could not change the fact of death, but it was an indication of the respect and love for the departed Teacher which took some comfort in ministering to His remains.

From Mark 6:3 we know the identity of "Mary the mother of Joses," called in 16:1 "Mary the mother of James"; though a certain delicacy kept the inspired writer from referring to her here as "Mary the mother of Jesus."

WALKING, Mark 16:1-8. It is of course only in a figurative sense that we speak of "waking" from death. So Jesus spoke of waking Lazarus out of sleep, though in plain words Lazarus was dead [John11:11-14].

Vigil at the Tomb.

This point is not found in our printed lesson, but is covered in Matthew 27:62-66. It is referred to here to complete our outline. The enemies of Jesus took every possible precaution to guard the tomb containing this dead body, to prevent a fraudulent claim of resurrection. But they could not prevent the genuine resurrrection which took place according to God's schedule.

Visit to the Tomb, 1-4.

Joseph and Nicodemus [John 19:38-42] had given the body a proper burial, with an abundance of spices for embalming purposes. But the women now had bought additional spices, which they wished to add to those provided by Nicodemus. They did have one problem: they knew that the stone at the door of the tomb was far too big and heavy for them to move. But, as is often the case with our greatest problems, God had already taken care of this one before they had to face it: the angel of the Lord had rolled back the stone [Matthew 28:2], and the sepulcher was standing open.

Vacancy in the Tomb, 5-6

Where the body had lain there was now only a vacant space, as pointed out by the "young man" or angel. The promise of resurrection which the diciples had forgotten or had failed to believe, but which their enemies had remembered [Matthew 27:63], had been fulfilled.

Victory over the Tomb, 7-8.

Commanded by the angel to report the facts to the disciples, the women were too amazed and frightened to tell anyone anything for a while. A series of repeated appearances finally persuaded God's chosen witnesses of the reality of the resurrection. When they were finally convinced of the truth, they became willing to stake their lives on this testimony. Through the centuries, Jesus' victory over the death which He endured for His people has inspired His followers with the faith which overcomes the world [I John 5:4].

CONCLUSION [II Timothy 2:8]

False gospels may forget, ignore, or try to explain away the bodily resurrection of Christ; but those who believe the gospel preached by Paul must remember this historical fact. It was not only the Son of God that rose from the dead; it was "Jesus Christ of the seed of David." That is, He arose in a glorified human body; and so shall we who believe in Him.
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[From Ashland Avenue Baptist paper, April 8, 1977, p. 2. pp. 2-3. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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