He Has Risen! (Mark 16:1-20)

He Has Risen!

 

Mark 16:1-20

 

Today’s passage tells us the story that Jesus rose from the dead and ascent to heaven. Jesus’ resurrection is the completion of the gospel. Without Jesus’ resurrection, all of Jesus’ teachings, his miracles, and his sacrifice on the cross for us are meaningless. In 1Corithians 15:17 as well, Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” This verse is said with the conditional clause, “If Christ has not been raised.” This clause may be rephrased, “If you don’t believe that Christ has been raised.” That is, if we cannot believe that Jesus has risen, all the other faiths we have are useless and we are still in our sins. In this sense, Jesus’ resurrection is not only “the completion of the gospel” but also “the completion of our faith.” Today’s text tells us about Jesus’ resurrection, but it is focused more on how the resurrection was witnessed, and how the news was spread and received. To those who loved and followed the Lord, Jesus’ resurrection is truly good news of great joy. But today’s passage doesn’t show any word indicating their joy. Rather, their responses are “alarmed,” “trembling and bewildered,” and “afraid.” Especially for Jesus’ disciples, it is mentioned several times that they “did not believe” despite the witnesses’ clear testimonies (11, 13, 14). This was a great challenge. It was because the disciples not only should believe Jesus’ resurrection but also should spread the news to the world. This is the greatest task that Jesus gave to his disciples and to all who believe in him.

 

Resurrection is “God’s power.” Romans 1:4 says, “and (his Son) who through the Spirit of holiness was declared to be the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus was declared to be the Son of God in “power” through his resurrection from the dead. And this power is “God’s power.” Because we are not familiar with this power, however, the power of resurrection sounds like a myth or a fairytale. On the other hand, we are very familiar with the power of death. We have been living with it for many ages. Our life has always been a journey walking together with death, pondering over death, and moving toward death. Death feels so friendly, and resurrection and life feels far away. Why is it so? It is because we have been away from God for a long time. I would like to compare God’s power of resurrection

to “electric power.” Electric power existed since God created the world, but it was only from 1878 when Edison invented the practical lightbulb that people began to use electric power. It is known that Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, is the one who found the existence of electricity for the first time. Through an experiment using a kite to which a wire was connected, Franklin demonstrated that lightning is electricity. Based on this observation, he invented the lightning rod. A lightning rod is a metal rod or wire fixed on top of a tall building or structure that attracts lightning and diverts it harmlessly into the ground. When Franklin invented the lightning rod, people hailed it as a lifesaver, but “some religious leaders objected that Franklin was attempting to interfere with one of God's most effective methods of punishing sinners.” In Korea, electricity was introduced first in 1887 with the opening of an electric power station at Gyeongbok Palace. When the light was turned on with the electric power, people called it “ghost light.” These days, of course, electricity is an essential part of people’s life, and we cannot imagine the world without electric power. It is because people understand the principles of electricity, and based on the understanding, we are able to utilize the power in various ways.

 

Like electric power has its principles about how it happens, flows, is stored, and is applied, God’s power also has its principle. We can get a glimpse of it in Genesis 1:3-4a. “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good.” This word shows us the principle of how God’s “power of creation” is implemented. We can understand this word as follows:

God’s power basically comes from God himself. God reveals his will in “word.” When God’s will is manifested in word, “the Spirit” works to make the word happens as it is said. And the outcome of the work of the Spirit reveals “God’s glory.” This principle is repeated everyday of God’s creation work. For example, God created plants and trees on the third day. “God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1: 11-12). These words emphasize that God’s word is fulfilled exactly as it is said. We can see the same emphasis in the records of Jesus’ resurrection in the Gospels. In Matthew 28:6, the angel from heaven said to the women, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” In Luke 24:6 as well, the men in snow-white garments said, “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee.” In Luke 24:25-27, Jesus appeared to two of his followers who were going to a village called Emmaus, and reminded them that his resurrection is “must-happen thing” by explaining the words of the Scriptures. “He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” To the other disciples as well, Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures by saying, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44-45). Moreover, St. Paul introduced the gospel he had preached, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1Corinthians 15:3-4). In these ways, Jesus’ resurrection is the fulfillment of God’s word through God’s power, and through this, Jesus entered God’s glory.

 

In fact, Jesus himself is “the Word.” Hebrews 1:1-2a says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” This means that Jesus is God’s Word fully revealed. Especially Jesus lifted up on a cross said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus’ cross is “God’s will.” By taking up the cross, Jesus obeyed God’s will completely. Jesus on the cross carries in his body all the holy wills and beautiful virtues of God, justice, love, forgiving grace, humility, faith, and victory over evil powers. Therefore, “Jesus dying on the cross” is “the Eternal Word of Living God.” Jesus on the cross is like a “lightning rod” standing high on the top. Through the Word, God’s power comes down to earth and works for the revival of the dead. 1Samuel 3:1 says, “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” Here, “visions” mean the visible manifestations of God’s presence and God’s works as in miracles performed by Moses. When the boy Samuel was ministering before the Lord under Eli, there were few visions as such. And the reason was because “the word of the Lord was rare.” This suggests that miracles are the actualizations of God’s word. In these last days, however, God speaks to us through his Son Jesus Christ. The visions shown to us by Jesus, the Word, are countless. And Jesus’ resurrection is the climax of the visions. Jesus’ resurrection is the best and final vision that God showed to us through Jesus, “the Word of God,” and by the work of the Holy Spirit, “the Power of God.” Now God has built a gigantic “power station” on earth through which God can exercise his power of salvation freely throughout the world.

 

Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe the witnesses’ message of Jesus’ resurrection. And the Lord commanded them to go to the world and preach the good news to all the people, and added, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” As mentioned above, St. Paul said, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” This is the completed perfect gospel, and the eternal gospel. Now what is left to us is repenting our stubborn heart and receiving this gospel with full confidence, and preaching the good news to the world. Still it looks a difficult task for us to believe Jesus’ resurrection. For this, again, we should follow the principle of how God’s saving power works on the soul of each individual. To those who don’t believe that Jesus on the cross is the Word of God, Jesus’ resurrection may look like “ghost light.” In fact, the disciples, arrested in fear, saw risen Jesus and thought that they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:37). Jesus was lifted up high on a cross like a “lightning rod,” and the power of God came down onto him like “lightning” and raised him from the dead. In the same way, when we have Christ Jesus, the Word of God, in us, God’s Spirit comes down into us powerfully and works on us with the saving power. Romans 8:10-11 says, “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Yes, it is. Like a lightning rod attracts flashes of lightning, like thread follows the needle, it is a matter of course that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and he revives us as long as Christ, the Word of God, is in us. Like we live on electric power every day, we live on this gospel every day in the Kingdom of God. This gospel is a gigantic power station generating the power of salvation in us with no limit. May the Lord help us to have Jesus on the cross as the fully revealed Word of God, so that we may join his glorious resurrection through the Power of God!!!