
He isn’t here!
He is risen from the dead!
Day 8: The Resurrection
Easter Sunday
Mark 16:1-20 NLT
1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened. Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.
9 After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.
12 Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. 13 They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.
14 Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.
15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
Our entire faith is based on what happened three days after the crucifixion. We do not serve a dead God, but a living God.
The resurrection reminds us that Jesus has authority over life and death. None of us decides when we will come into this world or when we will die; none of us has the power to say, "I am coming back to life." But that is precisely what Jesus did, and if he was resurrected, then he has absolute authority over life and death.
The resurrection also reminds us that Jesus has authority over sin and Satan. We all die as a consequence of sin, and the wages of sin is death. However, Jesus is the only one in all of human history who died without sinning; so why did he die? Jesus died for our sins, in our place. After His death, Jesus rose from the grave, not only in victory over death, but in victory over sin so that we can live free from sin. His authority is so great and powerful that He even took the keys of hell. He conquered and now we can live more than conquerors.
Since Jesus has authority over all of this, this also implies that Jesus has authority over my life. Scripture says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The question isn't whether Jesus is Lord or not; the question is, "Will you submit to Him as Lord now or when it's too late?"
Jesus loves you so much. He is alive. Receive the life He has for you and go share this good news. There are people around you who need Christ.
REFLECT: What impact does the resurrection have on your daily life and your relationship with God? How does the resurrection challenge you to live a life of purpose and meaning? How do you personally relate to the hope and joy the resurrection brings? Have you fully submitted to God? How can you share the good news of the gospel with others?
Take a few minutes to think about this and right your reflections in a notebook or in your notes app.