If Tombs Could Talk

IF TOMBS COULD TALK

MARK 16:1–6 WHEN THE SABBATH WAS OVER, MARY MAGDALENE, MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES, AND SALOME BOUGHT SPICES SO THAT THEY MIGHT GO TO ANOINT JESUS’ BODY. 2 VERY EARLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, JUST AFTER SUNRISE, THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO THE TOMB 3 AND THEY ASKED EACH OTHER, “WHO WILL ROLL THE STONE AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOMB?” 4 BUT WHEN THEY LOOKED UP, THEY SAW THAT THE STONE, WHICH WAS VERY LARGE, HAD BEEN ROLLED AWAY. 5 AS THEY ENTERED THE TOMB, THEY SAW A YOUNG MAN DRESSED IN A WHITE ROBE SITTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AND THEY WERE ALARMED. 6 “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.

INTRODUCTION: I HAVE OFTEN HEARD SOMEONE START A SENTENCE WITH, “IF ONLY THE WALLS HAD EARS.” OR “I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN A MOUSE IN THE CORNER.” WELL, THIS EASTER SUNRISE, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF THE TOMB WHERE THE SAVIOR WAS LAID COULD TALK. WHAT WOULD IT SAY?

THIS MORNING, IF WE COULD INTERVIEW THAT TOMB, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE A FEW THINGS TO TELL US.

I. THE TOMB WOULD TELL US THAT THE WOMEN THOUGHT THEY WERE COMING EARLY, BUT THEY WERE LATE!

WHEN THE SABBATH WAS OVER, MARY MAGDALENE, MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES, AND SALOME BOUGHT SPICES SO THAT THEY MIGHT GO TO ANOINT JESUS’ BODY. 2 VERY EARLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, JUST AFTER SUNRISE, THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO THE TOMB

a. DID YOU EVER NOTICE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET UP IN THE MORNING?

i. MAYBE WE ARE NOT MORNING PEOPLE

ii. MAYBE WE STAYED UP TOO LATE

iii. MAYBE WE HAD A LONG WEEKEND AND DID NOT WANT IT TO END

iv. FOR MANY OF US, MORNINGS ARE TOUGH

b. WHAT DRIVES US TO GET UP IN THE MORNING

i. RESPONSIBILITIES – PERHAPS YOU HAVE A JOB THAT STARTS EARLY AND SO YOU NEED TO GET UP EARLY IN ORDER TO GET THERE ON TIME

1. PROVIDING FOR YOUR FAMILY

2. SECURING YOUR FUTURE

ii. CONDITIONS AND SITUATIONS

1. WE ARE SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION

2. INSOMNIA

3. SLEEP APNEA

4. REFLUX DISEASE

5. WE ARE GETTING OLDER

6. FOR SOME HERE, YOU MIGHT BE GETTING UP EARLIER BECAUSE YOU ARE PREGNANT

7. AND THERE ARE OTHER REASONS, BUT FEW WILL STOP HERE

c. MARY, MARY, AND SALOME HAD A DIFFERENT REASON

i. FINISH THE PREPARATION OF THE BODY OF JESUS

ii. THE SABBATH HAD MADE THIS IMPOSSIBLE

iii. THEY FELT THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THIS

iv. THEY WANTED TO GET THERE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO PERFORM THIS IMPORTANT TASK

THESE WOMEN THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING THERE EARLY, BUT THEY REALLY GOT HERE TOO LATE

d. WHY WERE THEY LATE?

i. THEY DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING

ii. THEY DID NOT ASK FOR HELP IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING ABOUT HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION.

iii. BECAUSE THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND OR TAKE TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS WAS TALKING ABOUT, THEY REVERTED BACK TO THEIR DEFAULT POSITION

1. SOMETHING WE ALL DO

2. A SPIRITUAL FRANK SINATRA MOMENT

3. WHEN WE DO NOT TAKE TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD IS SAYING, WE REVERT BACK TO, “I DID IT MY WAY.”

iv. WHEN WE ARE IN DEFAULT

1. WE MISS THE BLESSING OF GOD. WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN LIKE, HAD THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING? THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE TO ANOINT HIM BUT TO SEE HIS EXIT!

2. BLESSINGS ARE MISSED WHEN WE DO NOT GRASP WHAT GOD IS SAYING.

3. PERHAPS THAT IS WHAT GOD HAD IN MINDS WHEN HE TOLD THIS TO JOSHUA –

a. JOSHUA 1:8 DO NOT LET THIS BOOK OF THE LAW DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH; MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT, SO THAT YOU MAY BE CAREFUL TO DO EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN IT. THEN YOU WILL BE PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL.

b. THE WORD MEDITATE IS USED 25 TIMES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND THE VAST MAJORITY THEIR USE REFERS TO SOME SORT OF VERBAL ACTIVITY.

c. GOD WANTED JOSHUA, AND US TO KEEP RECITING HIS WORD WITH THE RESULT OF HAVING A LIFE – WALK WITH HIM THAT WAS PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL

d. CAN YOU THINK OF ANY BETTER DEFINITION OF THAT KIND OF LIVING THAN KNOWING GOD’S WORD WELL ENOUGH TO FOLLOW IT?

SO THIS EASTER, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO BECOME A GOD LISTENER. HERE IS HOW YOU CAN DO THAT

• BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS TO SPEAK TO YOU. HE DOES. BUT AT TIMES WE ARE TOO BUSY TO LISTEN!