"Resurrection" Devo - Mark 16: 1-8

April 12th, 2020

Devotional

“Resurrection!” - Mark 16: 1-8

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Monday: “Anoint” - Mark 16: 1

Jesus died around three o’clock in the afternoon on Friday. As the Sabbath was about to start at sundown, in a mere three hours, no one had time to properly prepare Jesus for burial. Instead, Joseph of Aramathea, a member of the Sanhediran, volunteered to give Jesus’ followers a place to lay the body of the one whom they loved. He and Nichodemus, brought over 100 pounds of precious oils and salts to prepare the body, but simply left them to be applied until after the celebration of the Sabbath.

Sunday morning, at the breaking of dawn, three of the women who had followed Jesus approached the tomb with more spices. They intended to give their Lord the proper burial he deserved. No one else had dared to visit the tomb over the Sabbath - Pilate had went as far as to post a guard in front of it at the prompting of the Jewish leaders to make sure that Jesus’ followers did not try to come and steal his body in order to claim that he had risen. The eleven were in hiding, fearing their own arrest and sorely disappointed themselves for abandoning Jesus in his time of need, just as he had predicted.

But the women were brave as they went to honor Jesus memory that morning in the best way that they knew how - by burying him properly.

How do we honor Jesus today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we want to honor you. We think of the woman who anointed your with her tears and the women who went to give you a proper burial as a final act. May we live our lives with such passion and dedication in a way that lifts high your name. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Roll the Stone” - Mark 16: 2-3

Mary the mother of James, Mary Magedline, and Salome took their spices and went to the grave. As they approached they started to wonder who would roll away the heavy stone for them. But a surprise awaited them at the tomb that morning as the sun rose in the sky - the stone had already been rolled away. A stone too heavy for one or two grown men to roll on their own was aside and a young man, in a white robe, a messenger from God, was there and told them that Jesus has been raised and that he had been raised! Just as Jesus predicted!

They were commanded to go and tell the disciples, telling them that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. They would have to leave their place of hiding in Jerusalem and follow Jesus, once again. But instead the women did not tell anyone, because they were afraid.  

What amazes us about Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that sometimes we are overwhelmed by the power of the resurrection story like the women long ago. Speak to us over and over again your story of redemption and love until your roll away the stones blocking our hearts and we can receive your gift. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Alarmed” - Mark 16: 4-5

Jesus had been raised from the dead was unbelievable to those who heard it. It even alarmed the women. Even to those who experienced the empty tomb with their own eyes and heard the messenger from God. Jesus had told them time and time again that this would be the case - that the grave would not even be able to hold him three days, but they still did not believe it.

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that possibly the most important story in the gospels spoke of this unbelief. Because there are times in my life that I don’t understand the Resurrection either. Times when I struggle with the empty tomb because I did not see it with my own eyes; times when I have to remember that even those who saw the tomb had doubts.

  But that is part of our faith story as well, isn’t it? Even in the midst of unbelief we are beckoned to believe the unbelievable, because we worship a God who does not simply do what we expect or what we want or even what we are able and willing to believe. We worship a God who is bigger than our expectations! We worship a God who is found in the midst of the absurd and through that absurdity transforms people! Praise God!

What emotions do you experienced when you hear the Easter story?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that we can bring our whole selves before your throne of grace. All of our doubts and fears. All of our amazement and alarm. Thank you for not giving up on us, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Go” - Mark 16: 6-7

The story of who Jesus is in our lives and what the cross and empty tomb means in our lives. Are we willing to be unlike those whom we have studied the past several weeks, who were silent out of fear - the Sanhediran members who knew that those in their group were doing the wrong thing, the disciples that fled from Gesthme, Peter who denied Jesus three times, Pilate going with the crowds instead of what he thought was right, the people in the crowd who joined the cry to crucify Jesus and let Barrbas go, even if it wasn’t what they believed. Are we willing to stand up and boldly proclaim our story with Jesus, even if we don’t have it all figured out, even if we do not believe every little detail. Are we willing to share our story as Easter people!

Is that good news for you? If it is, would you please share it? Not in a pushy way, but in a way that is you telling your story, your experience. For God gave humanity an uncontinable gift with the empty tomb, but we still must choose it. We must choose to let go of being slaves to sin and death. And there are those that we know, those whom we love and care for, who do not even know that they have a choice. Why would you keep that good news from them? We are forgiven and offered a priceless gift. What a message to share! Because of that we truly have a hope in Jesus. In the words of Frederick Buechner, a theologian, “Resurrection means the worst things in life will never last.”

How do you share the Good News with people?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you send us out to tell others about your Kingdom with our lips and our lives. May your Word shine through us in a way that proclaims your Kingdom come! Amen!

Friday: “Bewildered” - Mark 16:8

The cross and empty tomb mean something to us. The empty tomb may not be as easy to portray in a picture or on a piece of jewelry, but it is just as important to our faith as the cross, for they go hand in hand. With the empty tomb, Jesus conquered death so we can say, “death where is your victory, O’ death where is your sting?” The empty tomb gives us hope, even in the midst of hopeless situations. It is why we can sing, as we have time and time again through this Lenten season that “we have a hope in Jesus that all things will be well in the Lord!” The empty tomb proclaims into the darkness that God has victory over the powers of evil and sin and all that separates us from God.

Even when we doubt, even when we do not understand, we gather as a statement that the life, death, and resurrection of Christ matter and that on this day, the third day, all of the injustice in the world and power of hell, were defeated We gather together to live out our faith, and transform lives with our service and message. I can think of nothing else so exciting. I can think of nothing else that has transformed the world in such a powerful way. 

Do we need to understand everything about the Gospel in order to share it?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that we do not need to have all of the answers in order for you to use us. Thank you for sending us forth to be bearers of your light and hope in the world. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “You Shall Be My Witnesses” - Acts 1: 1-14