Now, turning your Bible once
again to Mark, the 15th chapter, as we conclude this 15th chapter
of Mark, I want to emphasize the fact and the witnesses that
are given to us here that indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ did indeed
die. He died for the sin of His covenant
people, that He indeed was buried because He was dead. And these that we read about
here give testimony, powerful evidence, that the Lord Jesus
Christ did indeed die for His people. And the death of our
Lord Jesus Christ as a sinner's substitute to put away our sin
by the sacrifice of himself is the most important fact of human
history. It is. All other events pale
in comparison to this day, this event, the coming of the Lord. He is dying for our sins. His dying and His death for our
sins is the central point, the heartbeat of the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's all about Christ. How He
died for our sins. How He died for our sins. According
to the Scripture, He suffered once the just for the unjust
that He might bring us unto God. I pray that we can see The immense
necessity and importance of this fact. The dying of the Lord Jesus
Christ. What does that mean? What does
that mean to us? What does it mean to the gospel?
Everything. Everything. All our hope of forgiveness
from our sin hinge upon His death. The shedding of His blood. the
putting away of our sin. All our hope of a justifying
righteousness before God, focus on His dying, His crucifixion. All our hope of eternal salvation,
eternal glory, center upon this tremendous, glorious fact, truth,
Christ died for our sins. I want to emphasize that. Turn
over here to Romans, the fifth chapter. Chapter 5, and read with me beginning at
verse 6, Romans 5 verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength, he got it, Romans 5 verse 6, in due time Christ, the Lord
Jesus Christ, died, died for the ungodly. Verse 7, for scarcely
for a righteous man will one die, yet for a good man some
would even dare to die. But God commends His love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died. He died. Sin demands payment. Sin demands death. Christ died
for us. Much more than being now justified,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him, for if when we were
enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son,
much more being reconciled, we shall be saved because He ever
lives to make intercession for us." Now, here's why I'm emphasizing
this. If His death, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, if
it's not real, if it's not actual, if He has some skeptics Atheists
suggest that he slipped into a coma or became unconscious
and was revived three days later, then we are of all men most miserable. And that's what the enemies of
the gospel say. He didn't really die. He just
kind of swooned into a coma for a while, and then three days
later they fetched him out of the grave. Now listen, if his
death is a hoax, then we are yet in our sins. And we must
face God in judgment because we have no Savior. It would prove
the Lord Jesus Christ to be an imposter if His death is a hoax.
It would prove Him to be a phony. It would prove Him to be a pretender.
It would prove Him not to be a real Savior if His death is
not real. You see what I'm saying? Did
He really die? For our sin, oh yes. Yes, my friend. I believe the
record of Holy Scripture, don't you? His death was a real death. He was really, actually made
sin for us. That's what brought death. God
laid on Him our iniquity. And when iniquity was found on
Him, sin demands payment. He died for our sin. And in His death, He really accomplished
salvation. He really did put away our sin. Taking our sin to Himself, He
bare our sin away forever. That's our hope. That's our hope. Now in our study today, God in
His great, wise, overruling providence, gives us the body of evidence
beyond all dispute that our blessed Savior really did die, that He
really was buried. We have given to us three or
four witnesses here that we've read about. You remember the
truth of Holy Scripture? In the mouth of two or three
witnesses, every word must be established. And God, on purpose
in His wise providence, establishes the fact that the Lord Jesus
Christ, our blessed Redeemer and Savior, did really die for
His people and did really put away their sin. He did really
obtain for us eternal redemption with His own blood. He did in
fact redeem us, wash away all our sin. Now here's the four
witnesses we read of in Scripture. The Roman soldiers, witness number
one. Number two, the many women that
followed from Galilee, they stood and watched him breathe out his
last breath. They watched as they took his
lifeless body down from the tree. And then we see these two disciples
named Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who retrieved his body
took it down from the cross, wrapped it carefully, prepared
his body for burial because he was dead. And then the tomb itself,
the tomb itself is a witness to the fact that the Lord Jesus
Christ really actually died and in doing so put away our sin. Now let's consider those four
things. is these Roman soldiers. Look at verse 39. The Roman soldiers
bear true witness that our Savior really did die. Look at verse
39 again. When the centurion which stood
over against Him, that is, near to the cross, saw that He so
cried out and that He yielded up His life, he confessed that
this man that I just nailed to a tree is indeed God. manifest in the flesh, the Son
of God. You remember over in Matthew
27, we read there last week, when not only the centurion watched
him die, but they sat down that band of soldiers and they all
watched him die. These men, these soldiers, led
by the centurion, who had participated in mocking him, participated
in beating him, participated in nailing him to the tree. You
remember they sat down and they watched this man, this one whom
they mocked, this one whom they put a crown of thorns on his
head, this one to whom they spit in his face and said, hell King,
this is the one they nailed to the tree. They watched this man
die. These soldiers were not rookies
at execution. They had executed many, many,
many countless people in the past. It was their business.
They had killed many before. They had watched many die before
their eyes in the past. They knew the death, the look
of death when it came on the face. They knew the grim and
gloomy, horrible look of death. And they watched this look come
upon the Savior's face as He gave His life. for our sins. The Scripture said He became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, several
things happen here that give us powerful evidence to the testimony
of these soldiers it being true. Turn back to John 19. You remember
in John 19, verse 32, to hasten death, they didn't want the bodies, exposed to shame on the Sabbath
day. They came and they break the
legs of those two thieves that when they came, verse 33, to
the Lord Jesus and saw that He was dead already, they did not
break His legs. What did they see? This man was
dead. The Lord Jesus Christ really died for His people. Now, something
else. The soldier took his spear and
rammed it through the heart of the Lord Jesus and came out blood.
There came out blood and water. This was done that the Scripture
might be fulfilled, but this soldier, not knowing that God
had decreed that this would happen, he took that spear and out of
malice in his heart, to make sure this man was dead, he rammed
that spear through his heart. to make sure that this man was
indeed dead. Yes, he was. Yes, he was. Back in Mark 15, turn back over
there, when Pilate wanted evidence and needed evidence, when Joseph
came in, Joseph of Arimathea came in and asked for the body,
begged for the body, craved for the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pilate would not give up that
body unless he was convinced that he was already dead. So, to convince him, in verse
43 and verse 44, when Joseph came in and craved boldly unto
Pilate. He came before Pilate boldly
and craved the body. Pilate marveled if he were already
dead, and called unto him a centurion. He said, wait a minute now, Joseph.
Let me call my Roman soldier, my captain, and make sure the
captain says that he's dead. So he called the centurion and
asked whether he had been dead a while. And verse 45, and when
he knew it, when Pilate was convinced, when he knew it, when he heard
the testimony of the soldier, when he knew it, he released
the body and gave the body. Pilate was so convinced, he was
convinced and confessed indeed that the Savior was dead. He
knew it and he commanded the body to be released. Let this testimony, my friend,
ring loud and clear in our heart. And let us be convinced by God
the Holy Spirit that the Lord Jesus Christ indeed tasted death,
that is, He experienced death for all His covenant people. He accomplished our salvation
by putting away our sin in His death. He shed His blood to obtain
for us eternal redemption when He had by Himself purged our
sin. Now, listen to me. It's just
not that He died. It's how did He die and what
did He accomplish? Did He make salvation a possibility? Or did He actually accomplish
salvation for His people? My friends, He declared, it is
done. It is finished. By the one offering
He has perfected forever them that are set apart, sanctified
unto that one offering. He appeared once in the end of
the age of put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. No, He didn't make salvation
just a possibility. He made salvation an absolute
certainty for those for whom He died, His covenant people. The angel from heaven declared,
Call His name Savior Jesus, for He shall save. His people from
their sins. How did He save them? He died
for their sins. Satisfied God's holy law that
was against us, that we had broken, that we had sinned against, established
a perfect righteousness for us, shed His blood to put away our
sin. Yes, my friend, His death is
real. We have a real atonement. We
have a real Savior who loved us and died for us. Here's the
second testimony. That's convincing, isn't it?
Those Roman soldiers, they knew what death was. They killed many. And they gave powerful evidence
that indeed the Lord Jesus Christ had died. Now here's the second
thing. The testimony of these faithful
women that followed. In Mark 15, look at verse 40. There were also women looking
on afar off among was Mary, among them was Mary Magdalene, you
remember the Lord cast seven demon spirits out of her? Mary,
the mother of James Aless and Josie and Salome, verse 41, who
also when he was in Galilee followed him, ministered to him, verse
41, and many other women. There was a host of women, many
other women which came up with him from Galilee unto Jerusalem. Here's the testimony of these
faithful women. They saw him die. Over in verse 47, in this same
chapter, Mary, Magdalene, and Mary, the other Mary, they beheld
where he was laid in the tomb. They followed the body to the
grave. They were convinced that he was
dead. I wonder, where was Peter? Here's these women in their boldness
and brightness standing there and watching. Where's Peter?
And all the disciples who so foolishly bragged about going
to judgment and death with the Lord, and yet when He's taken,
they all forsake Him and flee. Flee away. Even John, who at
first did, but later came back and stood at the foot of the
cross and was told by the Lord Jesus Christ to take care of
Mary. Remember? Oh, but these faithful
women. Where are all the men? Good question,
isn't it? What's Peter thinking about at
this time? Oh, but these faithful women
stood near the cross and watched Him give His life for their sin. What a scene! What a sight! They watched as they nailed Him
to a tree. They watched as they pierced
His side They watched as His blood flowed from His body. They watched as they came back
and took His lifeless body, His limp body down from the cross.
And then they followed as they prepared the body and they followed
to the tomb and were eyewitnesses of His glorious resurrection
on the first day of the week. These faithful women. How they
loved the Lord Jesus Christ. And how they looked to Him with
full expectation of full pardon from all their sin. Now, two
things are said about these women. They did stand and watch the
Lord Jesus Christ die. Look at verse 41. Two things
are said about these faithful women who were witnesses to His
death. Verse 41, it says here, they followed Him. They followed
Him. Having heard His Word, His teaching,
having experienced His saving grace, being converted by His
glorious power, being made new creatures in Christ, they followed
the Lord. Even when it wasn't a popular
thing to do. Even when all the men had fled,
they followed the Lord. What an example of faith. to
follow the Lord Jesus Christ. They believed Him. That's why
they followed Him. This is what faith does. This is what faith is. It follows
the Lord Jesus Christ. It follows Him at all times.
They followed Him. Him. Not a creed. Not a tradition. Not a ceremony. Not a denomination. They followed
Him. They were interested in His person
for salvation in Him. Not in a denomination. Not in
a creed. Not in a feeling. They weren't
following their feelings, were they? They were following Him. They were looking to Him. You
see, this is the hallmark of faith. Safely following the Lord. Turn over here to 1 Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, I
followed the Lord. This is what faith does. Notice
in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 4, Knowing, brethren, beloved,
your election of God. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were
among you for your sake. And you became followers. Followers of us. Followers of
us preaching the Lord and of the Lord, having received the
Word in much affliction, yet with joy, and you became an example
to all that believe in Macedonia and other places." Followers. Believers are followers of the
Lord Jesus Christ. I remember the story of Joshua
and Caleb. You know what, Caleb? It's said
in Scripture several times about Caleb, that he followed the Lord
fully. You know what the name Caleb
means? I have a son named Caleb. We
have a young man in our congregation, his name is Caleb. The name means
faithful dog. Faithful dog. You remember when
Israel was about to take Canaan, and they sent out those spies
and they went out to spy the land? And they came back and
ten of those twelve spies said, there's giants in that land,
we can't take the land. But Joshua and Caleb came back
and said, we believe the Lord. Joshua being a picture of the
Savior, And Caleb being a picture of the sinner, here's the Savior
and the faithful dog. You know those were the only
two that were above 20 years of age that came out of that
Egyptian bondage that entered into the Promised Land? The Savior
and the dog. It says at least five or six
times that Caleb fully followed the Lord. I want to be a follower
like Caleb. I want to follow the Lord. So
something else about these women, they not only followed him in
verse 41, they ministered unto him. They ministered unto him. Now this ought to encourage all
you women to follow the Lord and to minister where the Lord
gives you opportunity to help others. They ministered unto,
now watch this, they ministered unto him, unto him. to the Lord. They served Him.
They served His purpose, His people, His cause, His gospel,
His glory. They served Him. There is a great
service women can give to the cause of God and truth. While
they are not to conduct public worship or preach the gospel,
they certainly do participate in public worship. They can and
do support the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with their
prayers, with their presence, and with their praise unto the
Lord. that many women followed Him,
many women ministered unto Him. We read in Scripture of faithful
women called the elect ladies, women who followed the Lord and
served the Lord like Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, Lydia, Dorcas,
Phoebe, Lois, Eunice, and countless others who in whom the grace
of God abounded, causing them to love and serve him by serving
one another, by serving his people. I thank God for the faithful
elect ladies in this congregation. I thank God for you and for the
grace that God has given in your hearts. and how they and how
you do bear testimony to the gospel of the Lord Jesus, that
it is so. It is true. And here's a third
witness, old Joseph of Arimathea. Turn back to Mark 15, look at
verse 42. And now when the evening was
come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
that is, the day before the Sabbath, the day of preparation, Joseph,
of this city of Arimathea. It says here he was an honorable
man, a counselor, which also waited, waiting on the Lord,
waited for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly unto
Pilate and craved the body, the dead body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he seemed like a most unlikely
character. to participate in burying the
special honor of preparing the body and burying the body of
our blessed Savior. Seems like a most unlikely character
to make a bold appeal in the Pilate for the corpse of the
Lord, the body of the Lord. This is the only time he's mentioned
in Scripture and he's not heard from again. There's not another
word about Joseph. He appears on the scene and accomplishes
that purpose that God had intended, and then melts away. We don't
hear from him again. We don't know a lot about this
man, but we do know a few things that are revealed in Scripture. Certainly, he was a testimony.
He gave testimony to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It
says in Mark 15, verse 43, that he was an honorable counselor. In Luke 23, verse
50, it says he was a good man. As far as the standard of men,
he was a good man, he was a just man. It also says over here in
verse 43 that he was waiting for the Kingdom of God. That
is, he was looking for the coming of the Messiah. Does that remind
you of another man? who was in the temple, an old
man waiting for the consolation of the Lord. Simeon, when they
brought the Lord Jesus Christ in, just as a babe, eight days
old, to circumcise Him according to the law. And Simeon took that
baby and lifted Him up, the baby, the Lord Jesus, the body of this
baby, and lifted Him up and looked in His face and said, Lord, let
me die in peace. I've seen Your salvation. He
was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was waiting for
the coming of the Messiah, just as this man, Joseph, was waiting
for salvation. Behold, my eyes have seen thy
salvation. Something else we know about
Joseph over in Matthew 27, verse 57, it said he was a rich man. It says also that he was a disciple
of the Lord. We did read in John 19.38 that
he was a secret disciple for fear of the Jews, but when the
time came to demonstrate his faith, he boldly, openly showed
himself to be a true disciple of the Lord. It says also in
Luke 23 that he had consented not unto their counsel to put
him to death. He was an opposer in that day. Verse 46, it says,
Look at verse 46 in Mark 15. And he bought fine linen and
took him down and wrapped him in the linen and laid him in
the grave which was hewn out of rock and rolled a stone unto
the door of the sepulcher. He took that special linen that
he had bought wrapped up the body of the Lord. Now, Almighty
God used this man for a specific purpose, to bury our blessed
Redeemer, His body. Generally and normally, when
the Romans crucified people, they didn't normally take the
body down after death. It was normally left up on the
tree, on the cross, being crucified, as a display of Shame to deter
crime. Normally, the bodies were hung
on the cross till the flesh rotted away, till the bones crumpled
to the ground. No wonder this place is called
Golgotha, the place of the skull, for it was a boneyard. Many people
had perished on this hillside. Had it not been the preparation
for the Sabbath, those two thieves They would have remained there
until their body corrupted to nothing. But the Lord Jesus Christ
must be buried. He not only must die for our
sins, but he must be buried. Buried. To fulfill Scripture,
we studied in Psalm 16, his body must be put in the grave. Psalm
16 declares, our Lord said, thou will not leave my body in the
grave and suffer thy holy one to see corruption. He must be
buried, but he cannot stay there. Isaiah 53, 9 declares, he made
his grave with the wicked, with the rich in his death. Joseph,
it says in Matthew 27, laid him in his own new tomb. He really did die. Joseph was a witness to his death
and his burial. God raised this man up for this
purpose. Now, two things I want to mention
on this point. The Lord our God always raises
up men, chosen vessels, to carry out His purpose at specific times. Sometimes, sometimes some of
the most unlikely men. Let me give you an example. There was a young prince in Egypt. His name was Moses. God raised
up a Moses and made him a prophet. He took
a prince in Egypt and made him a prophet of God to deliver his
people out of bondage. How about Peter, James, and John?
Mere fishermen. Made apostles of God. Sent to preach the gospel. Most
unlikely men. Fisherman. God took a God-hater
named Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of believers, persecuted believers
unto death. And God, by His powerful grace,
made that man a new creature and raised him up to preach the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. A great preacher to the Gentiles.
And then here's Joseph and even old Nicodemus. who heard the
message of the Lord Jesus. Nicodemus, you must be born again.
And here come Nicodemus with Joseph and they come and they
take the body of the Lord Jesus Christ and prepare his body for
burial. You see, my friend, the eternal
purpose of God is never in danger of failure. God cannot fail. The purpose of God must be accomplished,
for it says in Isaiah 14, the Lord has sworn, saying, Surely
as I have thought, so shall it come to pass. As I have purposed,
so shall it be done. God's will is never hindered
by anything. It's never hindered by anything.
He works all things after the counsel of His own will. God's
work is never overturned. It's never frustrated. Known
unto God are all His works from the beginning. God's cause is
never in jeopardy of being reversed. All things work together for
good to them who love God, to them who are called according
to His purpose." God raised that man up for this purpose. Now,
here's the second thing I want to mention about this man. Much might be said of Joseph's
weakness and failures. For he remained a secret disciple
for a while. I'm always suspect of a secret
disciple. As a matter of fact, I've made
this statement many times. I don't believe there's any secret disciples
of the Lord. But at the appointed time, at
the appropriate time, he shows himself to be a real, genuine
believer. Even so much walking boldly into
Pilate's hall and demanding the body of the Lord. He demonstrated His faith, didn't
He? Openly. He craved the body of the Lord. At the time when the Lord's disciples
had all forsaken Him, Joseph went in and boldly demanded the
body of Christ. Saving faith craves Christ. At the time when many were shamed,
of Christ crucified, Joseph went and retrieved the body, the dead
body, from the cross and prepared it for burial. Others identified
and confessed Christ when He was working miracles, when He
fed the 5,000. Joseph believed and honored Him
and identified with Him when His body was dead, cold, covered
with blood. He was looking beyond that dead
body to the living. Lord God Almighty, this is what
saving faith does. Without faith it is impossible
to please God. For those that come to Him must
believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently
seek Him. Joseph then prepares the body
for burial in fine linen and places it in the tomb. Even the
fine linen here that our Lord's body, mangled and bloody, is
wrapped in. Even this fine linen is an emblem
of the Savior's purity and the righteousness that believers
have in Christ Jesus. For read this Scripture with
me. Turn to Revelation 19. This fine linen, an emblem of
His righteousness. It's an emblem of that righteousness
that's imputed to believers in Revelation 19. Verse 7, Let us
be glad and rejoice and give honor to him. For the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness
of the saints. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth righteousness without works." Joseph bears testimony
that the Lord Jesus Christ really died for sinners. Here's the
last thing. The last testimony to our Lord's
real and actual death or our sin is the tomb itself. The tomb itself. It says over
here in verse 46, they wrapped his body up and laid it in the
grave and put a rock on the door and covered the dead body. Our Lord put special honor upon
the grave. Now, all of us have done this.
All of us have been to the cemetery. All of us have buried loved ones. But our Lord here put special
honor upon the grave by allowing His body to be put in the grave.
Our forerunner has died for us, was buried, but my friend, He's
risen for us. The Lord has taken away the sting
of death for us. For the believer, we no longer
fear the grave. We no longer fear death. It's
a plain fact. This body is going to die. It's
appointed and the man wants to die. But for the believer, death
and the grave has lost its victory. The coffin, the funeral, the
corruption of the body back to the dust, all painful things
to think upon. But as our Lord rose victorious,
we too, believers, shall be raised up from the dead to be with the
Lord forever." Read this with me. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15.
1 Corinthians 15. I think every funeral that I
have conducted, I have read this at the cemetery. When we commit
the body back to the dust, 1 Corinthians 15, verse 54, So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, this mortal shall have put on
immortality, speaking of a resurrection, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting
now? O grave, Where is your victory? The sting of death is sin. He
put away sin. The strength of sin is the law.
He satisfied the law. Now look at verse 57. Thanks
be unto God who has given us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. In closing, these all bring powerful
testimony, powerful witness, strong witness to the Lord's
victorious accomplishment of our salvation. May God give us
grace to turn a deaf ear to any skeptic, any agnostic who denies
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And may He be pleased
to give us grace to believe the record of Holy Scripture, and
grace to trust Him for all of our salvation, and grace to make
this publicly known that Christ is my Savior, that Christ is
my Redeemer. How does a believer do that?
by doing this, by publicly identifying with the Lord Jesus Christ and
believers baptism. For baptism pictures His death,
burial, and resurrection. Back in Mark 15, or rather Mark
16, verse 15, turn there. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. Let's read this verse together.
Mark 16, I want you to see this here. Mark 16. He said to them,
go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. Now preach
the gospel. The gospel of God. The gospel
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And preach it to every creature
indiscriminately. Preach it to all. He that believeth
believes what? The gospel. Now not another.
The gospel. And confesses that. Is baptized. shall be saved. He that believeth
not shall be damned." Now, baptism is not essential to salvation.
Christ is essential to salvation. But I tell you this, baptism
is essential to obedience unto the Lord. May God give us grace
to confess Him publicly and own Him as our Lord. and as our Savior.