The Inescapable Story of Jesus 16 | A Dragon’s Lair No More

Introduction

One of the physical responses to fear is the inability to speak. When you are frightened, you tighten up. When you are flustered, words come with difficulty. Fear leads to silence. If monsters are on the prowl, you put your hand over your mouth. You hide in terror. You pull the blankets over your head. But what happens when the fear passes away? You suddenly find your outdoor voice.

The Text 

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. […]
Mark 16:1ff

Summary of the Text

The high Passover Sabbath being over, the group of women introduced at the end of chapter 15 attempt to perform the necessary burial ceremonies as the sun arises on the first day of the week (vv1-2). They are troubled with the difficulty of how to remove the heavy stone which had been rolled in front of the entrance (v3, 15:46). Upon arriving, they are met with three increasingly marvelous wonders. First, the great stone was already removed (v4); second, a young man with a white garment was inside the tomb (v5); third, he declared to them that Jesus was risen, he was no longer where Joseph of Arimathea had laid him a few days before (v6). The man instructs them to go and tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus was going before them to Galilee (Cf. 14:28), and they were to go see Him again there (v7). The women quickly flee the tomb, trembling with amazement, telling no man of these things, for they were afraid (v8). Some manuscripts end on this uncertain note of trepidation and fear. And no doubt Mark intended to leave his hearers on the edge of their seats.

Was this angelic messenger right? Could their crucified leader really be alive again? To answer this, Mark commences with a rapid fire description of the Lord’s appearances. First, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene; a woman who had been possessed with seven devils which Jesus had delivered her from (v9). She then rushes off to tell the disciples, as they wept and mourned, but they don’t believe her witness (vv10-11). Jesus then appears to two of his followers, but the disciples don’t believe their witness either (vv12-13). At last, He appears to the eleven and reprimands them for not believing these 2-3 witnesses (v14). How are they to be apostles if they are so slow to believe the very thing which Jesus had been revealing to them all along? That His death would bring about a new creation, and as such, He would rise again to reign over that new creation (Mk. 4:21-41). 

Nevertheless, despite their slow faith, He calls them once more and sends them out; He had sent them out in Mark 6:7-13 & 30-32 on an apostolic mission to Israel. Remember that mission had consisted of three things: calling people to repent, confirming this by the twofold sign of driving out devils and administering healing to the sick, and pronouncing judgement on the unbelieving. Jesus again sends them on a similar mission in content, but far more massive in scope. They are sent into all the world to preach the Glad Tidings of the risen King to every creature (v15); those who believe these tidings are to be baptized as a sign of their salvation, whereas those who do not believe shall receive damnation (v16). The Lord promises certain signs that would accompany the believers and serve as a warning to those who believed not; the apostles would proclaim this Gospel in languages they had not learned, demonic spirits and sorrowful illnesses would flee before the Church, and neither serpents or cups of death would do them harm (vv17-18). All of this is evidenced in the book of Acts, and while certain of these signs have ceased, the substance of these signs have continued, for wherever the Gospel goes, the demons flee, the sick are ministered unto, the Word is translated into all languages for all peoples of the earth, dominion is exercised over the beasts, and the deadly schemes of our enemies do not thwart Christ’s Kingdom.

Having spoken all these things to His disciples, Jesus does what He said He would do: He takes up the throne of David at the Father’s right hand (v19). But His work was not done, for as the Apostles went forth in obedience to preach this Gospel everywhere the Lord worked with them, confirming His Word by accompanying it with the glorious sign of a trail of crushed serpentine skulls (v20).

Manuscript Cliff-Hangers

A few of the oldest manuscripts that have come down to us simply stop at verse 8. Not only that, but they stop with a preposition. Talk about a cliff-hanger. To oversimplify, we have four sorts of manuscripts. The oldest ones end at verse 8. A few have another verse or so of text that resembles parts of the longer ending. One manuscript includes another lengthy verse within the longer ending, but it is, to put it mildly, a bit off-kilter. Lastly, the majority of the manuscripts contain the longer ending which we have in our Bibles.

While such a discussion is best suited for an academic setting, it’s worth pointing this out  in a sermon for two reasons. First, our doctrine of Scripture’s inspiration isn’t a belief that golden scrolls fell splat into the lap of the prophets and apostles. Rather, we believe that the Holy Ghost inspired the human authors of Scripture and carried them along in their work of composing and compiling the text of Scripture. So-called manuscript problems are only a problem if your conception of authoring a book conforms to modern publishing standards and practices; making and maintaining scrolls/codices in the ancient world held vastly different challenges.

Which leads to the second reason for pointing this out at all. The shorter ending really is a cliff-hanger. Mark clearly intended that section to end abruptly. But why some manuscripts end there is a question we can’t fully answer. What we do have is a broad witness that eventually the church received the longer ending as the authentic––and I would add, fitting––conclusion.

Bruise in Us the Serpent’s Head

Many have pointed out the significance of Jesus’ first appearance being to a woman in a garden. A woman whom He had delivered from seven devils. All four Gospels testify to this episode. The picture should not be lost on us: Eve beguiled by a serpent, Mary Magdalene beholding the Resurrected Christ. His resurrection was the decisive overthrow of all the devil’s wicked schemes. 

The disciples were scattered. Peter had denied Jesus. Even as witnesses testify to His resurrection they were slow to believe. But Jesus was risen. Jesus gathers them. Jesus calls them. Jesus sends them out on a mission to crush devils. He began His earthly ministry by preaching the Good News of His coming Kingdom as well as contending with wild beasts and demonic serpents; now He gives to the church, the new Eve, the task of doing the same as He had done. Earth is no longer a lair for dragons. Their forked tongues will be silenced.

The gravest temptation for those who profess faith in Christ is to live as if the Resurrection did not take place. When you look at your own track record of sin you might be tempted to think this is just the way you will always be. A cold and joyless marriage is all you can expect. Your parenting mistakes are now set in stone. Your habits are unbreakable. The shame of your sin will follow you all the days of your life. But that is not the Gospel of the Resurrected Christ.

Silent No More

Fear convinces you that your sin and shame should keep you silent. Fear drives you to imagine that the dragons and monsters are too big and scary. “Stay quiet sinner. How can you dare to speak?”

Despite your sin and shame Christ calls you into His resurrection. By His resurrection serpents, poison, sickness, and sorrow are all passing away. The silence of your fears is replaced by the song of your faith. Jesus insisted on keeping the messianic secret until after His resurrection. Now, He calls His Church to herald this Gospel. Man was sick, Jesus healed every part of him. Man was afflicted by unclean spirits, Jesus drove them out. The remarkable and inescapable story of Jesus is not finished, it carries on louder than ever in our songs, our “Amens”, our baptism, our partaking of bread & wine, and our confession: Jesus Christ is the Risen Son of God.

CHARGE & BENEDICTION

Mark composed his Gospel in such a way that it is easily heard, memorized, and then retold. It is to be told loudly and urgently. It is to be told with certainty that in the telling of it people will be called by the voice of Christ, their evil will be commanded to flee, and they will be cleansed by hearing and receiving this Gospel Word. So, having heard this inescapable story of Jesus, go forth to tell it loudly.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. Amen.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17