After Jesus' death, the people left behind are concerned with earthly matters.
For all the extraordinary things that happen in the gospel of Mark, the beginning of Mark 16 feels rather ordinary. By now, Peter, James, and John, and all the rest of the disciples have fled (Mark 15:50). Jesus has been betrayed, arrested, humiliated, crucified, and laid in a tomb. The women who had followed Jesus with such loyalty now go to the marketplace, purchase spices, and prepare to anoint Jesus' lifeless body (Mark 16:1). They are tending to the business of death. Their focus is earthly and material. In Mark 16:3 (NIV) their concern is a practical one. "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
These are not the actions of women filled with hope and optimism. Quite the opposite! These are women whose hopes have been shattered, who feel they are faced with an insurmountable obstacle. These are women who feel lost and alone, abandoned by God. They are disillusioned by Jesus' death, filled with pain and sadness, and outraged by the violence perpetrated against innocence.
Sometimes it's easier to tend to business than to untangle the complex web of anger, grief, and confusion we feel. I think this is what Christmas has become for so many-- not a season of hope, but a season of distraction, a season of busyness, and a season of fleeting happiness, instead of a season of deep, abiding joy. The best thing we can invent for ourselves is a material hope-- a Christmas filled with material things. These are things that don't ultimately matter.
Sometimes our obstacles feel larger than God himself.
What matters most is what we don't talk about-- the insurmountable obstacles looming over us. These are obstacles that feel larger than God himself. These are obstacles that rob us of hope and joy.
• I think of James and John in Mark 1, destined to living out their days on the Sea of Galilee, tending to their father's business. They were restless inside. They had higher aspirations in life than sorting through stinky fishing nets. Every day they must have asked, "How can we get off this boat?"
• I think of Simon Peter's mother-in-law who had a fever. Or I think of the countless people in Mark who were sick and suffering from various diseases, demon possession, leprosy, and paralysis.
• I read a story about this young lady who was excited to get married. Her girlfriends decided to throw a bachelorette party the night before her wedding. As a prank, one of her best friends jokingly pushed her into the pool-- a prank they'd pulled on one another a dozen times before. But this time it ended in tragedy. The bride fractured her neck on the edge of the pool and is paralyzed for life.
• I think about Jairus, the synagogue ruler, whose 12-year old daughter lay dying at home. Or I think about the woman whose chronic medical condition prevented her from having children.
These are all obstacles that seem larger than God himself. The gospel of Mark is filled with stories where people have reached the end of themselves.
• In Mark there are countless people who are demon-possessed. Talk about feeling hopeless! What do you do when your son or daughter comes under the influence of spiritual forces you cannot begin to understand, let alone protect them from? I don't know that I've met any demon-possessed children, but I've met parents who thought their kids were! What do you do when there's just no explanation for a loved one's behavior. "This is how they're talking, this is how they're acting, this is what they're doing. Is it mental illness, a chemical imbalance, ADHD, drugs, or what?"
• There are the disciples on the Sea of Galilee late one night, fearing for their lives, about to be swallowed up by a great storm, with the wind and the waves smashing over their boat bow.
• There are the disciples trying to figure out how to feed the crowd of 5000, and later the crowd of 4000. Every week we have people calling Lakeside because they're hungry, living in their cars, cold and without a coat, or have no money to pay their heat bill. The disciples wondered how they could feed so many people. They thought it would take a whole year's wages.
• We haven't even begun to talk about the self-centeredness and foolishness of the disciples, the greed of the rich young ruler, the pride of the Pharisees, the treachery of the chief priests, or the violence and injustice of the Roman soldiers. What do you do when you don't feel forgiven or forgiveable? What do you do when you cannot heal your character or shattered self?
We celebrate Christmas in the shadow of insurmoutable obstacles.
The ultimate obstacle, of course, is death itself. If there is one thing that feels bigger than God himself, it would be death, symbolized by the massive stone rolled in front of Jesus' tomb. We don't conquer death, but we deal with the business of death. Go to the market, get the spices, go to the tomb, move the stone, anoint the body, settle the affairs of our loved one, and grieve.
We celebrate Christmas in the shadow of insurmountable obstacles-- obstacles that steal our joy and deflate our hope. But it's in the shadow of these obstacles that God meets us and surprises us with joy. Mark 16:4-7 (NIV) says, "But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee.' There you will see him, just as he told you.' "
God never leaves standing us in the shadow of our obstacles. Instead, he invites us to begin a journey of faith. The women are relieved to see the stone removed, and utterly alarmed to see an angel dressed in a robe. But notice what the angel says, "But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee.' There you will see him, just as he told you."
This is the thing about our God. He's always going ahead of us, preparing a way for us. Our obstacles aren't a stopping point. They're not a dead end. They're not the conclusion of the story. They're not the end of all hope. Instead, they're a starting point, a new beginning, and a place where true faith is to begin.
What is faith?
How does Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) define faith? "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The women still had not seen Jesus, yet they were invited to believe and to have faith. "He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they laid him. He is going ahead of you. You'll see him just as he told you!"
In other words, believe on Jesus! Believe on his resurrection! Believe on his words! Believe on his promises! Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him! Come and see!
In the act of following Jesus, we overcome our obstacles and discover joy.
It's in the act of following Jesus, not remaining where we are, but truly following Jesus, going into Galilee, going wherever Christ is leading us next, that we discover deep, abiding joy. The disciples had to leave their nets in order to follow Jesus. Jairus had to leave his daughter and pursue Jesus. The woman bleeding for twelve years had to push her way through the crowds to have her womb healed. The crowds had to keep trusting Jesus and following along him, despite their hunger and extreme need. The women were to go into Galilee.
Mark 16:8-14 (NIV) continues the story. "Trembling and bewildered, (most translations say amazed), the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen."
Allow me to share some practical lessons about faith.
First, life is filled with insurmountable obstacles. Look at your own life. Look at all the stuff you are going through. Every week a big group of us goes over the prayer requests that are written on the communication cards. The reason we pray is because there are things we cannot fix, things we cannot overcome, and things we cannot solve in our own wisdom.
Second, nothing is impossible for God. If you have any doubts about the power of God, contemplate these words, "He has risen!" It's not the birth of Jesus that gives us hope; it's the resurrection. Here's a sound bite for you. Romans 8:11 (NIV) says, "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 through his Spirit, who lives in you."
Third, life is a journey of faith. I used to believe that faith was a destination. "I've arrived! I believe!" In reality, faith is a life-long journey of following Jesus. We'd do well to remember that Jesus is always going ahead of us. He goes ahead of us in character, inviting us to imitate his perfect life. He goes ahead of us in suffering, inviting us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. He goes ahead of us in death. He goes ahead of us in the resurrection. Colossians 1:18 (NIV) says, "...he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."
Our place is trust Christ every step of the way, no matter how impossible a situation may seem. We can trust Jesus absolutely. Jesus trusted the Father absolutely in life and in death, setting an example that we might follow when following in his steps.
Last, God always vindicates our faith. He never disappoints us. We should be deeply encouraged by the angel's words in Mark 16:7 (NIV). " 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee.' There you will see him, just as he told you." It's as we follow Jesus that he shows himself to us. He shows himself to us as we trust him, as we obey him, and as we begin the journey. Have you begun your journey?