Is Jesus Lord over your life?
Notes
Transcript
I’ve had the privilege of going to many different cemeteries and grave sites in the course of ministering to families in funeral and memorial services. I’ve even been to the graves of several of my own family members. On those occasions at cemeteries, I’ve taken some time to look at the markers and reflect a bit on the dates of peoples lives and other things that might be written there. But one thing that I don’t think I’ve ever really done is to go back and visit a grave site after the funeral or burial. I know that some people have the tradition of going and laying flowers on the grave on special dates. That is just not something that I have done - at least not yet.
This week, as we have been reflecting back on the events of the first passion week, we have been asking the question, “What is Jesus Lord over?” Last week, we began by considering our religious practices and patterns by asking “Is Jesus Lord over your religion?” On Friday, we reflected on all that Jesus experienced on His way to the cross and briefly considered the question “Is Jesus Lord over your sin?” Today, as we celebrate the resurrection and Jesus’ victory over death and the grave, we do so by asking “Is Jesus Lord over your life?” or said another way, “Is Jesus your Lord?”
As we consider that question today, we get to do so by observing what happened on that first resurrection day as several women went to the grave site. Now, they didn’t necessarily go to lay flowers. In many ways, they went to finish some un-finished business. They went to embalm Jesus because he was their Lord.
Open your bible to Mark 16. We’ll be looking at the passage that Austin read in light of the question “Is Jesus Lord over your life?” As we look at this scene, it seems there are four observations that we can make when Jesus your Lord.
When Jesus is your Lord…
When Jesus is your Lord…
First of all…
He is your delight and joy.
He is your delight and joy.
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
Jesus had died in the afternoon on Friday. By the time they got him down off of the cross and carried him to this tomb, there was not sufficient time to properly embalm his body. Saturday was the day of rest or the Sabbath - so they would not have done this kind of work that day. And so we pick up the narrative on Sunday.
they had spent a couple of years with him, learning, growing, serving. Now he was gone
the women rose early to care for Jesus’ body - they wanted to honor him - they wanted to treat him with all of the dignity and respect that they felt he deserved. After all, he had done so much for them.
For them, it was worth losing sleep and delaying other responsibilities in order to demonstrate their delight in him.
Learning from their example, when Jesus is your Lord, enjoying him, delighting in him
means taking time to be in His Word - not simply to read or hear it, but to soak it in and apply it. These women had learned from him.
it means seeking to give him the honor he deserves in how we spend our time, how we speak, how we think and act.
Secondly, when Jesus is your Lord…
The impossible becomes possible.
The impossible becomes possible.
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 that 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 was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.
It seems like these women were so eager to go to the tomb that they hadn’t worked out all of the details of how they were actually going to get into the tomb. By the time they got there, the impossible task of opening the tomb was made possible. Mark makes an understated remark by noting that the stone was very large. It was huge and would have taken several men to move it.
But more than than, Jesus was alive! The angel or man dressed in white, confirmed women’s intention -
they were seeking Jesus - check,
he was crucified - and died - check, check,
he was laid here in this tomb. - check
He testifies that he who was dead is now alive - he had risen from the dead. The impossible made possible.
So often in our lives we have a way of predicting or anticipating certain outcomes. In my own life, when I feel I need to do or say something - the outcome feels impossible. What’s more, when it comes to death - death is the end that so many of us fear, it’s final. Our view is a bit skewed in watching movies or playing video games. We might see an actor or actress die in one show, only to be alive as a different character in another show. Or in video games - if we lose a life - we can just respawn and come back.
However, with Jesus conquering the impossible - coming back to life from the dead - without the aid of modern medicine or illusions - he helps us see that the impossible concept of life after death is now possible.
As one of my favorite songs says: What is our hope in life and death, Christ alone!
If Jesus could come back to life after being dead a couple of days, what other impossible things can he make possible?
Broken relationship
financial turmoil
fear
sickness
Jesus may not make these impossible things go away, but it doesn’t mean we can’t trust him through them. One other impossibility that faces all of us is holiness, walking truly upright lives.
living the life that God intends - Jesus fulfilled all of the obligations of the law on our behalf.
Thirdly, I think we see in what these women encounter that when Jesus is your Lord…
Priorities change.
Priorities change.
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.
These women expected to mourn by caring for his body. That was their priority. They wanted to honor him.
They went to mourn. He gave them a mission - go and tell the disciples and Peter. The man in white helped the women to see that a new mission, that this moment was more than catharsis, it was cataclysmic - it would change everything.
As followers of Christ, the Good News of the Gospel should be our priority. The message Jesus’ forgiveness of sins and eternal life that he offers is our priority. Living life Jesus’ way - walking in the hope of the resurrection changes our priorities here.
Now, if you noticed, Mark’s account said that these women fled in trembling and astonishment and they said nothing to anyone. In light of what we see in the other gospel accounts, it seems like they fulfilled their mission to get the word to the disciples, but did not say anything to anyone else.
Finally, when Jesus is your Lord…
Life and death have a new meaning.
Life and death have a new meaning.
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
We often think of life as being from conception to death. And it is - at least our mortal, earthly lives.
Jesus rising brings new hope, a renewed promise for eternal life
Life here and now becomes preparation for eternity - as Rick Warren says. We are either preparing for eternal life with God or eternal death/separation from fellowship with God forever.
Belief and baptism result in salvation
notice - he says it in that order - believe first, then be baptized - baptism becomes a sign, evidence of belief.
Lack of belief results in condemnation
These women and then eventually the disciples fulfilled their mission. Their job was to get the word out to as many as possible.
So, Is Jesus Your Lord?
So, Is Jesus Your Lord?
Have you believed in his …
life - all that he taught and came to do
death - the death that he did not deserve but willingly took on in your place and in mine
resurrection - providing hope for eternal life for us?
Are you living life surrendered to his leadership?
Do people know that you follow him?
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