On last Lord’s day, Pastor Fisher was teaching what God did through His Son Jesus Christ to provide those who believe in Him a status of having their sins considered by God to be Paid In Full. So, as we continue our trek through St. Mark, open your Bibles, listen, take a few notes today as we return to our study as our teacher Pastor Fisher shares in a teaching which he calls “Raising Up The Good News”.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2:1 – 5 (KJV)
Isa 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. Isa 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isa 2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Mark 16:1 – 20 (KJV)
Mark 16:1 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? Mark 16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. Mark 16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. Mark 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. Mark 16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. Mark 16:8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. Mark 16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. Mark 16:11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. Mark 16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. Mark 16:13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) As we view the final events of the First Advent of Messiah, we can tell that the things required that could only be provided by God and were performed on earth by Jesus, have been done so that believers between the first Advent and the Second Advent might be fully equipped to disseminate the gospel to the masses with full assurance of the reality of the resurrection as the hope of all people.
#2) There was an abundance of extremely good news, which started out hazy and became more clear as the day went on, on that first day of the week just after the Sabbath on which Jesus had suffered and was laid in Joseph’s borrowed tomb, as those who really loved Him went to attend to Him fearing that His burial arrangements were lacking only to find out that Jesus was yet victorious just as He has spoken, and now they had witnessed the best news of all time.
#3) It is wonderful to know that God anticipated the fact that believing in the resurrection would not be easy so Jesus continued to teach His disciples even after He was risen and committed to these feeble eleven men the privilege of raising up the good news before an unbelieving world and commissioned them to do so even to the end of the world and to all the nations.
