Title Opened Stone Gate/Mark 16:1-11
Contents The opened stone door / Mark 16:1-11
1. Humans prone to despair: verses 1-3
Jesus and his disciples as they entered Jerusalem were confident that Jesus would use his mysterious power in Jerusalem to take over the Romans and rebuild Israel. Instead, Jesus was taken captive by those sent to the high priests and elders, and as a political prisoner, he was handed over to Pilate, the governor. Everything went smoothly, and Jesus was sentenced to death and executed on the cross.
The dignity the disciples had when they entered the city of Jerusalem turned into despair within just a few days. When the disciples saw that Jesus, who had performed all kinds of miracles, was crucified, they were so absurd and afraid. The disciples were leaving Jerusalem with discouragement and despair, from which they had come in just a few days before. Our confidence, our peace, are fragile. Humans are prone to become discouraged when they say, 'Now everything is over'. Life is to despair and be discouraged because everything is easily over, even if you fail in an exam, no matter what other people say, no matter how small financial difficulties you may face. Because this weakness is life, we must always walk with the resurrected Jesus. If you don't, you'll be discouraged by this and that, and you'll stumble into despair.
2. Not the end, but a new beginning: verses 6-8
Excited about the fact that when they entered the city of Jerusalem, they would now overthrow all Roman rulers and take over the power, the disciples were puzzled when Jesus was arrested. Still, the disciples continued to have the expectation that Jesus would display His power in a wonderful way at this time and then. However, the power of Jesus did not appear until Jesus was arrested, tried and executed on the cross. Then I put my hope that Jesus would show us something in the process of being buried in a tomb. However, nothing happened until the moment Jesus was buried in the tomb and the massive stone tomb was closed. The moment the stone door closed, the disciples concluded that everything was over.
The disciples were confused as to how Jesus, who performed countless miracles, healed the sick, fed 5,000 people, and walked on the sea could fail to the end and die without strength. But the moment the disciples concluded that everything was over, God did His work. God raised Jesus to life with the power of life to defeat the power of death, and opened that massive stone door. There is only an end to man, but no end to God. The disciples were convinced that everything was over, and they had no expectations. When Jesus was buried in a heavy stone tomb and the door closed, it was thought that all dreams and expectations had come to an end. But for God, it was not the end. Under these circumstances, God began a new work.
God began a new work of resurrection by resurrecting the disciples who thought everything was over. Resurrection is God's new work. We experience God's new work in our lives. The end of man is the new beginning of God. When the limits of our abilities are exposed, God reveals His new work in our lives. Resurrection is God's new work. We experience God's new work in our lives.
3. Lift up your eyes and look: verses 4-6
When the other disciples of Jesus were scattered in despair, there were three women who were discouraged and not scattered. They were Mary Magdalene and Mary and Salome, the mothers of James. They too were disappointed and discouraged the moment Jesus was crucified, buried in a tomb, and the massive tomb was closed. However, they wanted to put perfume on the body of Jesus, so they prepared a perfume for Jesus' body and headed to the tomb. The three women preparing perfume and bringing them to Jesus at dawn are imaginary, but Jesus in their hearts was locked in a stone tomb and stuck. At that moment, Jesus was the master of the helpless tomb, unable to do anything to them. Their hearts were suppressed by the fact that they were so weak that they could neither move the stone gate nor influence the soldiers guarding the tomb.
??Why am I in despair? Or is it missing?
??Have you ever thought that my situation was over? Let's share what God has done in our lives at that moment.
??Let's pray that God's hope and the fragrance of heaven will fill our homes, workplaces, and churches by lifting up our eyes to the Lord in our desperate situation.