Our text in Mark 16 will be taken
from verse 7, but I'd like for us to just look at the verses
leading up to that. At verse 1 we read again, and
when the Sabbath was passed, when the Sabbath was passed,
a new day had dawned. Verse 2, and very early in the
morning, the first day of the week. That's when Christ arose. As the angel said, he's not here. So much meaning in those three
words, he's not here. And even more so in the next
three words, he is risen. In Matthew's account of our Lord's
resurrection and the ladies coming to the tomb, in chapter 28 of
his gospel we read, as it began to dawn toward the first day
of the week, the Sabbath being ended as it began to dawn toward
the first day of the week. You know what the literal reading
of that is? as it began to dawn toward the
Sabbath. That's how it is literally. Meaning this, leaving the bondage
and the curse of the law, we are now, by God's grace, entering
into the rest of those reconciled to God by the death of his Son. That's the Sabbath spoken of.
That's the rest that a child of God enters into, the rest
of perfect salvation in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is
there a better rest than that? Is there a better rest than that?
Is there a sweeter, more comfortable rest than that in the arms of
our dear Redeemer? The Old Testament Sabbath is
over. The law has been fulfilled by
our glorious Redeemer. The Sabbath day of grace begins. Turn, if you will, to Romans
chapter 7. This is what the apostle tells
us here concerning the relationship of the believer to the law. We're
told we're dead to the law by the body of Christ. Christ didn't
come to destroy, but he did fulfill on the behalf of his people as
their substitute. What he did in life, he did as
their substitute as well as in death. In Romans 7, verse 4,
wherefore my brethren, believers, redeemed, You also are become
dead to the law, how? By the body of Christ, that you
should be married to another, even to him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Look a
few pages over in Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Look what Paul says at verse
4. For Christ is the end of the law, the consummation of the
law, the fulfillment of the law. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believeth. One more place,
Galatians chapter 3. Let's look at that together.
Galatians chapter 3, Paul writing along the same line, the believer's
relationship to the law, in Galatians 3 verse 24. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster,
Galatians 3 and 24. Here's the purpose of the law.
Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that
we might be justified by faith. The law shuts us up to Christ,
but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster,
for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. I remember some years ago, a
preacher confronted me about the believer's relationship to
the law. He insisted that the law was
the believer's rule of faith and practice, as he put it. And
he said, we need that. A Christian needs that to know
how to live. And he said, you don't believe
that, do you? And I said, I sure don't, and I don't preach it.
We are not under the law in any sense whatsoever. And he said,
well, how do we know how we should live? I said, the same grace
that calls us out of darkness teaches us that. He said, where
is that in Scripture? I'm glad you asked. Look in Titus
chapter 2. Could words be any plainer than
this? Paul writes in Titus 2 concerning our relationship to the law of
God, concerning the grace of God,
in Titus 2, verse 11. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, teaching
us affectionately, that denying ungodliness and worldly lust,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world,
looking for that blessed hope, Oh, what a hope it is, looking
for that blessed hope, that blessed reality, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. What people fail
to realize is that the child of God that's been called to
Christ by grace is a new creature in Christ. He's been given a
new heart. He's been given a new nature.
Christ in you, the hope of glory. Therefore, he doesn't need the
whip of the law. He's been redeemed from the law's
curse, from all the law's demands, and every sense of the word,
we're dead to the law. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law, and we very happily sing, as the old hymn
writer put it, free from the law. That's a happy condition. Free from the law, oh, happy
condition. Jesus had the bled and there
is remission. Jesus Christ. is our Sabbath. He's our rest. He himself said,
the weary, heavy-laden, burdened sinners, come unto me, all ye
that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will what? Give you rest. Rest. You've heard me say it
before, but is there anything that is more tiring, more draining
on a person than just religion. Religion without Christ, never
rest, never enough. Always, as Paul said concerning
his brethren, always working, striving, establish their own
righteousness before God, in doing so, they cannot rest. They can never have peace because
they can never reach a place where they can say, that's enough.
That's enough. Oh, but come to Christ. And he
says, I'll give you rest. Enter into the Sabbath that he
alone can give rest in the accomplished perfect redemption of the Lord. His perfect righteousness, His
absolute completeness, and we are complete in Him. Does that
not give the believer rest? Turn, if you will, to Hebrews
chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4, and then we'll
come back tomorrow. It speaks of the rest of the
child of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 4, verse 10,
It says, for he that is entered into his rest, that is Christ,
he also hath ceased. He has ceased from his own works. He has ceased trying to establish
his own righteousness before God. He has ceased trying to
work out his own salvation. He has learned that it's not
of works, but it's coming to Christ, the one who alone can
give rest. for he that is entered into his
rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from
his." We enter into and find rest and perfect peace with God. The rest of God's acceptance
on the grounds of the total satisfaction of his holy law by the Lord Jesus
Christ. By Christ alone was justice satisfied. By Christ alone was righteousness
fulfilled. And in Christ alone is the only
place where a sinner can find rest for his troubled soul, can
find peace with God by being reconciled to him through the
Lord Jesus Christ. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Is it not? Just from sin and
self-decease. It's when we do that, when we
don't cease to trust in self and sin that we don't have rest. Oh, but when we trust in him,
just from sin and self-decease, just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest and joy and peace, just to fall back into the everlasting
arms of our glorious Redeemer. Now back in Mark chapter 16,
verse 2. And very early in the morning,
the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the
rising of the sun. Does that not typify our Redeemer
as well? The rising of the sun. Is that
not a picture of he who arose, the son of righteousness with
healing in his wings? Look at verse 3, another needful
lesson for me. They said among themselves, who
shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
Another hymn writer said, Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear.
Needless where? Our Lord in his sermon on the
mount said, Take no thought what you shall eat. Wherewithal shall
ye be clothed? Consider the lilies. Consider
the sparrows. Are you not of much more value
than they? Can you add one cubit to your
stature by wearing? They were worried about something
that had already been taken care of. Who shall roll away the stone? Look at verse 4. Their concern
was groundless. And when they looked, they saw
that the stone was rolled away for it was very great. It had
already been taken care of, verse 5. And entering into the sepulcher,
they saw a young man, an angel, sitting on the right side, clothed
with a long white garment, and they were affrighted. But they
need not fear that as well, did they? In Hebrews 1, we're told
that the angels were ministering spirits sent forth to minister
to those who shall be heirs of salvation. We won't know. We can't know. It's not possible.
until we enter heaven, how much we owe to these ministering spirits,
God's angels who are sent to protect, guard, keep his elect,
and even escort them to glory. Our Lord said in that day he'll
send forth his angels together from the four corners of the
earth, all of his elect. Oh, what a comfort. This angel
ministered to them on this occasion. Look what he says at verse 6. And he saith unto them, Be not
affrighted. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, which
was crucified. He is risen. He is risen. He is not here. Behold the place
where they laid him. What comfort that must have ministered
to their troubled hearts. How those words must have been
such great comfort to them. He is risen. It's not possible
to overestimate the importance of our Lord's resurrection. Remember
what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15. If Christ be not risen, what? If Christ didn't arise from the
dead, if he be not risen, Paul said, ye are yet in your sins. If Christ's not risen, that's
evidence, that's proof that God didn't accept his sacrifice.
And if God didn't accept his sacrifice, then our sins weren't
put away. If Christ didn't bear our sins
away in his own body on the tree, then they remain on us. If Christ
be not risen, ye are yet in your sins. Paul said it in the very
next verse. But now is Christ risen from
the dead. Proof positive that God Almighty
is satisfied. Our sins are gone. And God proved
his satisfaction by raising his son from the dead. That's evidence
that our sins have been put away forever. Turn, if you will, to
Romans chapter 4. This is a verse I often ask you
to look at. But look what Paul says here.
He tells us plainly that we've been justified. In verse 25 of Romans 4, Paul
writes, who, that is Christ, who was delivered for, because,
who was delivered because of our offenses and was raised again
because of our justification. not in order to be justified,
but raised again because we were already justified. He bore all
the sins of all of his elect away forever. And now let's look
at verse 7 in Mark chapter 16. The angel went on to say to these
women, but go your way and tell his disciples and Peter, and
Peter, And I need not tell you why he emphasized Peter, because
Peter had denied his Lord three times. Three times. Oh, when Peter ran out into the
dark weeping, weeping, my soul, I can only imagine the thoughts,
the torment, the troubled heart and mind he had during those
three days. What have I done? No hope for
me, no hope for me. Mary, you go tell the disciples
and Peter, don't overlook Peter, make sure you tell him that the
Lord is risen and goeth before you into Galilee, there shall
you see him. With that message, go tell his
disciples, he's telling us, he's telling them, nothing's changed. Nothing's changed. I'm still
your Savior. You are still my people. You pursued me, it's true. You
denied me, it's true. But nothing's changed. I haven't
changed my love to you. Go tell them all is well. All is well. Isn't that comforting? Isn't that comforting? Oh, in
those times that we've failed our Lord so often, Oh, to be
reminded that Jesus Christ is the same. He cannot change. He need not change. He's the
same yesterday, today, and forever. If he loved me yesterday, oh,
that's... That doesn't express it right,
does it? He's loved me with an everlasting love. There's never
been a time that he didn't love me. There'll never be a time
that he won't love me. There'll never be anything or
anyone, today, tomorrow, that can ever separate me from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. You go tell them. They're
troubled, they're weeping, they're heartbroken, they're ashamed,
they're hiding out in fear, but you go tell them, take this message
to them, nothing's changed. Nothing's changed. The hymn writer
again said, change and decay all around I see. Just before service, I asked
Terry how he was feeling. And I said, it doesn't take much
to bring us down. He said, well, it just comes
with old age as we grow older. And I said, well, that's what
they tell me. No, I know it as well. I know it by experience. Oh, yes, change and decay all
around I see. Oh, but that one. That one who
holds my life, my immortal soul, that one on whom depends where
I spend eternity, that one who I would want more than anyone
else never to change his feelings toward me, Never the change is
faithfulness to me. That one who I need more than
anyone else in life or in death, now or in the life hereafter,
that one who changes not has promised to abide with me. I'll
be with you always, even until the end of the world. Nothing's
changed. When you sin, you have an advocate
with the Father. Nothing's changed. The blood
of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. Nothing's changed. The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.
Therefore, with cords of love have I drawn thee. Nothing's
changed. Nothing changed. What a blessed
Redeemer. Thou art the same. Thou changest
not. His forgiveness is without strains
attached. No small print, no fine print,
no disclaimers in the covenant of God's everlasting grace. It
says, I shall and they will. Oh, there are no strings attached. His forgiveness is free, full,
and forever. Nothing's changed. He wants to
meet you in Galilee just like He said He would. Turn back the
page in your Bible to Mark chapter 14. Just before our Lord went to
the garden where He was betrayed, He spoke these words in verse
27. And Jesus saith unto them, ye
shall all be offended. You'll all stumble because of
me this night. For it is written, I will smite
the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. And the shepherd was smitten,
and the sheep were scattered. Arise, O sword, against the man
who is my shepherd, the prophet said. smite the man who is my
fellow. But that's not all, is it? That's
not the end of the story. Verse 28, but, but, oh blessed
word of grace, but after that I am risen, not if I'm risen,
But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."
It was here that Peter said, well, everyone else will deny
you, but I won't. I'll go with you. I'll even die
with you. But you go tell my disciples
and Peter, nothing's changed. All what glorious, everlasting
love. I go before them into Galilee,
and there shall ye see him. He goeth before you, the angel
said. Is this not what he always has
done? As the great and good shepherd
of his sheep, has he not always gone before them? Turn, if you
will, to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. This is what
he says here. The faithful shepherd of his
sheep goes before them. Takes the lead, so to speak. In John 10 verse 1, our Lord
is speaking to the Pharisees here. after he'd healed the blind
man, and then found him after he'd been cast out by the Pharisees. Our Lord is speaking to them,
those who claim to be the shepherd of the people, but he says, Verily
I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,
but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber,
that was them. but he that entereth in by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and
the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name. He knows every one of them. Knows
every one of them, John. Knows them better than they know
themselves. He calleth his own sheep by name,
and he leads them out. Follow me. And when he putteth
forth his own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow
him, for they know his voice. Look at verse 11. I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. Yes, he did. He has gone before
into the tomb and now into heaven itself. As we read in Hebrews
9, he's entered into heaven itself now to appear in the presence
of God for us as our advocate before the Father, our advocate
before God, our intercessor, our mediator, our high priest,
We are well represented, are we not? Well represented. God looks to Him. Not you. Not me. He doesn't look to the
sheep. He looks to the shepherd. He
looks to the shepherd. The shepherd's responsible for
the sheep. It was into the hands of the shepherd that God entrusted
his sheep. Our Lord in John 17 said, they
were yours, but you gave them to me, and I've lost none. With David we can say, he leadeth
me beside the still waters. In the Hebrew, the word is this,
he leadeth me beside waters. of rest, still waters, waters
of rest. He has gone before us from everlasting,
has he not? Do the scriptures not teach us
that he was set up from eternity as the savior of his people?
When the question was heard, who shall I send and who shall
go for me? the eternal Lamb of God, that
one who was slain from the foundation of the world comes forward and
says, here am I, send me. Did he not go before us in the
covenant of God's grace when he agreed in the fullness of
time to come to assume the nature of his brethren that we may like
unto them and to do everything God required for their eternal
salvation? in all that he undertook, in
all of his engagements as our surety, he went before us. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter 10. This is what we read here. Hebrews 10 verse 4. The writer says, "'For it is
not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take
away sin.'" Not possible. Wherefore, when he, who? Christ. When he cometh into the
world, he saith, and this is our Redeemer, our substitute
speaking to the Father who sent him, Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings
and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I,
Lo, I come, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of
me, to do thy will, O God." To do God's will, to do it perfectly,
to do it completely, to offer full satisfaction to God's justice. I love that passage. in John
chapter 18. Another example of him, the great
shepherd, always going before us, always leading his sheep.
They come to the garden. Whom seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth.
I am he. If it's me you seek, take me.
Take me, but my sheep go free. You can't take me and them too. And all when he was made sin
for you and I, when the sword of God's Holy justice was plunged
into the heart of his dear son, and he was made sin. The sheep
have to go free. Joe, they have to go free. If
God is just, if God is faithful, if God is true to his own word,
the sheep go free. Take me, take me, but they go
free. And then, in the actual experience
of grace, When the Great Shepherd comes to us and calls us to Himself,
does He not go before us? He came to us before we came
to Him. He sought us before we ever sought
Him. He loved us first, and He found
us first, and He called us first. Jude said, you're preserved in
Christ Jesus and called. Preserved and called. Kept until we were called. Kept until that time he came
to us and said, live, live. John Kent, a man who lived many
years ago, wrote this old hymn, one of his hymns. It says this,
preserved by Jesus when? My feet made haste to hell, and
there should I have gone, but thou dost all things well. Thy love was great, thy mercy
free, which from the pit delivered me. Before thy hands had made
the sun to rule the day, or earth's foundation laid, or fashioned
Adam's clay, what thoughts of peace and mercy flowed to thy
in thy great heart of love, O God. A monument of grace, a sinner
saved by blood, the streams of love I trace up to the fountain
God. And in his sovereign counsel
see eternal thoughts of love to me." Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? Loved with
an everlasting love. And is it not true today that
he goes before us every day? Every day, he leads his dear
children along. I'm quoting a lot of hymns tonight.
One of my favorites, He Leadeth Me. The hymn writer wrote, He
Leadeth Me. Oh, bless it all. I don't know
what tomorrow brings. Don't know what tomorrow holds.
Oh, but bless God, something better. I know who holds my tomorrows,
Lester. He holds them all in his mighty
hand. He leadeth me, O blessed thought,
words with heavenly comfort fraught. Where I go, where I be, still
tis God's hand that leadeth me. And he promises, I'll never leave
you. I'll never forsake you. He has
gone before us and removed the sting of death. Turn, if you
will, to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 55. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, but he was made sin. And the strength
of sin is the law. He fulfilled the law. But thanks
be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ. He took the stinger out of death,
did he not? He bore our sins away and the
curse of the law no longer exists for God's people. Again, can
we not sing with David? Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou
art with me. Listen to this sweet promise
from God's Word in Isaiah chapter 43. But now thus saith the Lord
that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called
thee by thy name, thou art mine. You're mine. When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shall not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. Now, last of all, back in our
text, he goeth before you, as he said, into Galilee. There
shall ye see him. There shall ye see him that night.
In John 16, before he went to the garden, he said, This night
the world shall rejoice, but ye shall lament. And ye shall
have sorrow, but I will see you again. But I will see you again,
and your sorrow shall be turned into joy. And so shall we. So shall we see. These are they,
we read, in Revelation 14, which follow the Lamb whethersoever
he goeth. Where is he gone? He's ascended
up on high at the right hand of God. We'll follow him there. He said, I will, Father, that
they also whom you gave me be with me where I am, where I am. that they may behold my glory. There shall ye see him. They
saw him betrayed. They saw him beaten. They saw
him crucified. Oh, but soon they would see him
risen from the dead, alive forevermore and exalted forever, and so shall
we. He's gone before us, but he will
bring us to be with him, and there we shall see him just as
he said. Let's look at one more verse
or two in John's Gospel chapter 14. Very familiar passage, but
so full of comfort. John, we could quote it, you
probably know it by heart as well, but John chapter 14, I
think it's Important to notice, sometimes the chapter breaks
are put in unfortunate places. Our Lord, let's ignore the chapter
break. Read verse 38 of 13, John 13. He tells Peter, Jesus answered
Peter, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied
me thrice. Let not your heart be troubled. What grace, what mercy, what
love? Nothing's changed. Let not your
heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself. that where I am, there ye may
be also. Where I am, there ye may be also. What a blessed, glorious promise. Amen.