ASTER! April 20/21, 2025 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Mark 16:1-8 “THE EMPTY TOMB—A PLACE OF LIFE!”

 

EASTER!   April 20/21, 2025

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 16:1-8

 

“THE EMPTY TOMB—A PLACE OF LIFE!”

1.     Jesus is alive!

2.     Angels are alive!

3.     We have new life!

 

Mark 16:1-8 (EHV) “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint Jesus. ² Very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. ³ They were saying to each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb for us?” ⁴ 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 He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ 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.’” ⁸ They went out and hurried away from the tomb, trembling and perplexed. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”

 

          Cemeteries are not normally known as places of life. Graves are there. Tombs and crypts are there. Put it crassly, dead people are there. To overcome that stigma, most cemeteries choose names that make you think of something else. Memorial Garden. Resting Place. Second Home. Forest Home. I know of none called place of death. I also know of none named place of life. And yet that is exactly what the cemetery or tomb of Jesus should be named. Jesus’ Empty Tomb, place of life!

          It was the place that Jesus came alive. In case you missed Good Friday’s services let me catch you up to speed. Ever since sin came into the world the plan for Jesus to die went into action. Sin is rebellion against God. Every sin is a terrible crime and just like human justice demands that there be payment for crime, God’s justice does too. But unlike human justice that believes that penalty for crime can be made up in time served or fines paid, crimes against God has a more severe penalty. Death. The death penalty for every sin. But don’t just think of death as the ending of earthly life. When the Bible uses the word death, it means separation and the death penalty for sin is separation from God for good. You really can’t pay that. You suffer it. But God’s love for all people is so great He came up with a plan to maintain justice and spare sinners. He would send His Son Jesus to be the substitute for people. The holy and perfect Son of God would take the place of sinners and be separated from God. Justice. Those who believe in Him would be free from the awful eternity they earned and receive the gift of eternal life instead. Love. If you were here for Good Friday, you heard again that everything went according to God’s plan. Jesus, true God and true man was truly separated from the Father and paid for the sins of all people in full. He died physically too. His body was buried. Jewish Sabbath which forbids any extra work goes from our Friday at 6 PM until Saturday at 5:59 PM. Because of that Jesus’ followers were not able to prepare His body for burial as was proper. Their first daylight opportunity was Sunday morning.

          “Very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. ³ They were saying to each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb for us?” A practical question. The last these women had seen was Jesus’ dead body placed in a tomb that was sealed with a large stone. Similar to this. PICTURE Too much for them to handle, as long as Jesus was dead. But He wasn’t. “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 He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” Jesus’ Tomb was empty! It had become a place of life. In so many ways. The empty tomb of Jesus is God’s standing proof that Jesus lives. Thousands of Jews were crucified by the Romans at the time of Jesus. Thousands of bodies were tossed in pits or buried in tombs. All stayed there. Except Jesus. He is risen! And look at what this means. He died to pay for sin. He rose because payment was over. The living Jesus is God’s proof that you are forgiven in full. No death penalty for you. And because Jesus lives every single one of your loved ones who has died in the Lord lives with Him too. Jesus promised that. Everyone of us who has experienced the death of a loved one and especially you who have had that experience most recently know that there is a sting to death. It hurts. It brings tears to our eyes. By living, Jesus pulled that stinger out of us. Does it still hurt? Yes. But the venom, the poison of death, does not last! Jesus took it out of us and because Jesus lives I can guarantee a new and best chapter of your life with your loved ones is on the way.

          But before we go further, just how did that big stone get rolled away? Angels did it. Here we find more life at the empty tomb of Jesus. Angels are alive. Really. We need to hear this because most, if not all of us, come from a culture that pays lip service to this truth. Yes, the Bible says angels are real. But then when something happens that can’t be explained naturally, we will run through every possible rational explanation before grudgingly accepting the obvious. Angels are alive and God sends them to help us. So the next time you hear of some miraculous rescue where the kind soul who stopped to help is later nowhere to be found, praise God for His living angels. When something urges you to check that fire again or look one more time before you cross don’t thank your lucky stars, thank your loving Lord for sending angels to watch over, to roll your stones away just like they did for the women at the empty tomb of Jesus, a place that shows us angels are alive.

          And a place of new life for you and me. How much do you suppose one second is worth? Seriously. What would you pay for one second? How about 233,000 dollars? That’s how much one second of advertising cost in the Super Bowl this year. There are over 86,000 seconds in each day. How could one second become so valuable? It’s just a second. But when it has a purpose, when the message proclaimed is considered important, all of the sudden it’s super valuable. Jesus’ empty tomb gave new life to some women and made them super valuable. He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ 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.’” See Jesus great love for His people. Imagine being one of Jesus disciples. Last time Jesus saw you, you turned tail and ran while He was arrested. How close were you to His cross? Imagine being Peter. Can you imagine how he felt? Jesus knew how they felt and what they needed. He singles out Peter and gives the women new life. Jesus lives! A message they needed to hear. A message, which if true, Peter would gladly have paid more than $233,000 a second to hear. And it was true.

          It is true. Jesus has made you super valuable. Like the Easter morning women going to anoint Jesus dead body for burial we too can often think Jesus needs us to serve Him some way and He makes us more valuable than we can imagine. You may think Jesus wants you to serve by being a kind and reliable CNA or other health care worker, by helping your neighbor with their trash can or mail, or giving a ride to someone without a car, or helping an aging parent. Literally everything we do in life can be service to the Lord. But watch for those opportunities the Lord gives you to be super valuable and tell hurting hearts what they need to hear. Jesus lives. So there is hope. There is no unfaithfulness to Jesus, no denial He didn’t die to pay for. And now He lives. There is no problem that is hopeless that will not be resolved in this life or the next. He lives. And you get to tell people that. I get to tell people that. Jesus knows what they need to hear and when they need to hear.        

Now, I don’t know that God did or worked in your life to bring you here today or have you tune in. Maybe he used a family member or friend. Maybe you got a postcard in the mail. Maybe you remember it was something you used to do as a kid and it felt good. Don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Here is what I do know and does matter. God loves you. He cares for you. He knows what you are going through. He knows what you need. He will take care of it in the right way and right time. How do we know? Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Amen.

 

MAUNDY THURSDAY

April 17, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 14:12-26 (EHV)

 

THE LAST SUPPER—A PLACE OF REST

1. Rest from having to have it all figured out.

2. Rest from the sting of betrayal.

3. Rest for souls weighed down by sin.

 

          For our special services in Lent and Holy Week we have been pausing at places of the Passion. Today we go back to where we started over 40 days ago, the Upper Room. When we paused there the first time our focus was on service. Tonight, it is rest. Everybody needs rest. In the perfect world God blessed Adam and Eve with rest. As God ceased His creation on the 6^th day He blessed the 7^th day and made it holy. A day of rest. When sin ruined the world there came the need for more rest. People don’t just get physically tired, they get emotionally tired and spiritually tired. Jesus is the one who said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” As we join Jesus and His disciples in the Upper Room see how He fulfills that gracious promise in several ways.

          “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³ He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house that the Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” ¹⁶ His disciples left and went into the city and found things just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.”

          It was the week that all of God’s people celebrated the Passover meal. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of extra people, were in Jerusalem for this special meal. It was a very practical question the disciples asked. “Where are we going to eat our Passover meal?” Practical, but unnecessary. Jesus had it all figured out. Find some random guy carrying a water jar and he will lead you to the house where the owner will gladly bump you to the front of the line for large upper rooms already prepared for the Passover. Yeah, right. Yeah right! Jesus had it all figured out and here, brothers and sisters, is the first blessing of rest you get because you have Jesus as your Savior. You don’t have to have it all figured out. That is not a burden you need to carry. It is true that the Lord does want us doing planning and preparing for things under our control. Yes, students, you do need to do your homework. You do need to prioritize time so you can study and do chores before your fun. But for the big things in life, rest. You don’t have to have it all figured out. What will my life be like? Where will I live? What about this family problem? What about this health issue I can’t control? Let it go! Concern yourselves only with those things the Lord has placed in your control. For all the rest, rest. Jesus has it figured out.

          There’s more. “When it was evening, he arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸ While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and said to him one by one, “Surely not I?”²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping bread with me in the dish. ²¹ Indeed, the Son of Man is going to go just as it has been written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

          Betrayal. Emotionally it does not get much worse. Someone you have every reason to expect loyalty from is disloyal. What do you suppose happened when Jesus said, “One of you who is eating with me will betray me?” Did Judas’ face flush? Or was his control that good that he should have been playing on some world poker tour? We don’t know what Judas did other than join the others in saying, “Surely not I?” But Judas is not important here. Jesus is. How does He handle the hurt of betrayal? He cares for the betrayer! He warns. He prays. He does not stop him. He does not punish him. He trusts His Father’s plan and by doing so He gives us rest. We are sinners living among a bunch of sinners. The chances that we will not have to deal with some kind of betrayal are nil. Learn from Christ to rest. To keep loving, to keep praying, and to let it go like Jesus let Judas go.

          And go to Christ regularly for more rest in His Supper! “While they were eating, Jesus took bread. When he had blessed it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take it. This is my body.” ²³ Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them. They all drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many. ²⁵ Amen I tell you: I will certainly not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” The Lord’s Supper. You know what it is. Jesus tells you exactly. He took bread. “This is my body.”  Not a representation, symbol or picture. Is means is. A miracle. He took the cup filled with grape wine. “This is my blood.” Not a representation, symbol or picture. Is means is. But wait there’s more. It is the blood of the new testament or covenant. This is the covenant God has made with us, to forgive us our sin and remember them no more. Here is rest! Rest for souls that struggle with guilt, that fear God is treating them as their sins deserve. Rest for souls that struggle to fight sin and feel keen disappointment when they fail again. “Here,” says Jesus, “here is the proof you need, something you can see, taste, touch to prove to you again, you are fully forgiven. Rest guilty soul. Rest worried soul. Rest disappointed soul. You have my forgiveness.”  

The Upper Room is a place of rest. Jesus said He eagerly desired to be there with His disciples. He eagerly desired us to be here too. Jesus keeps His promises. All of them and He has promised rest. But our journey is not over. We still need to visit the cross and the empty tomb tomorrow and Sunda. Even then our journey will not be over. Jesus said He would not drink of the cup until that day when he drinks again in the kingdom of God. Look ahead! Feasting is coming. Banqueting, When we finally get to be with Jesus our journey will be over and we will be blessed with eternal rest! Amen.

pril 2, 2025 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Luke 23:26-31 THE WAY OF SORROWS—A PLACE OF TEARS

 

MIDWEEK LENT 5       April 2, 2025        Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Luke 23:26-31

 

THE WAY OF SORROWS—A PLACE OF TEARS

 

          So when it the last time you had a good cry? What was it about? Kind of depends on what season of life you are in. For you children tears come easy and often. Physical pain brings tears. Frustration can bring you to tears. A mean classmate can bring you to tears. Disappointment will cause tears. And when you get a little older, loss brings you to tears. People cry when they are temporarily separated from a loved one going off to college or overseas for a job. People cry when they are temporarily separated from a loved one at death. There are many reasons for tears. Our Lenten journey with Jesus brings us to a place of tears. It’s called the Way of Sorrows. If you visit Jerusalem you can walk it. While likely not the exact path, it marks the path that Jesus walked from the place of His sentencing to the place of His death. As was Roman custom those sentenced to die by crucifixion carried their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, one last Roman cruel joke. At some point the soldiers compelled a man named Simon from Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross for him. If you watch the Passion of the Christ move it suggests the reason for this was that Jesus was already too weak from loss for blood from the cruel scourging and crown of thorns. Likely a good guess.

          The Way of Sorrows became a place for tears. “A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.” We aren’t told who this large number of people were. Were they followers of Jesus who knew Him already? Were they citizens of Jerusalem who regularly protested Roman cruelty? Were they Passover passerbys who got caught up in the spectacle? We don’t know. We do know what they were doing. Shedding tears. For Jesus. Compassion is a great quality. Compassion for Jesus, appropriate. It is difficult to feel no compassion for Jesus on Good Friday. That is the day when we spend time with our Savior, remembering His time on the cross. The words. The hymns. “Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted. O Sacred Head now wounded. Were you there?” Whether the tears come or do not, if you feel no compassion for the Holy Son of God who takes your place, you may very well have a heart of stone.

          And yet in a way that only the Lord Jesus could do on the Way of Sorrows, a place of tears, Jesus says that tears for Him are misplaced!  Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰ Then they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ³¹ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” What’s up with that?

 

THE WAY OF SORROWS—A PLACE OF TEARS

 

          Sorrow over Jesus is admirable yet there is a different kind of sorrow that Jesus wants. Basically He said to these women, “If you want something to mourn and wail about, don’t look at me. Look at yourselves. Look at your sins and their consequences.” Jesus pointed them to the time when the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. It was the consequence God announced for the peoples’ rejection of their Savior. After Jesus died, rose and ascended to heaven, faith in Him spread among the Jews. Those who rejected Jesus persecuted believers, so they left. An action God used to spread the Christian faith even further. The Jewish Zealots who had rejected Jesus because He didn’t rebel against the Roman government led their own rebellions. Rome came with her legions. They trapped the normal 500,000 citizens of Jerusalem plus 600,000 additional Jewish pilgrims in the city and starved them. Food became scarce. People looked at each other in ways they should not look at each other. Blessed are the barren women. Those who have no babies to eat or be eaten. When the walls were breached the Roman soldiers had their way. “Mountains, fall on us. Hills cover us!” The Jewish historian Josephus reports that 1,100,000 Jewish people were slain. Jesus’ cryptic words became clear. If this is how they treat me, the green living tree, the way the truth and the life, how do you think it’s going to go for the spiritually dead rejecters of God? You see while the destruction of Jerusalem was great, the eternal unending destruction and despair that awaits the spiritually dead rejecters of Christ Jesus is far worse.

          So while sorrow for Jesus’ suffering is admirable it is sorrow over sin and its consequences that He would rather see. Do we do that? We give ourselves plenty of opportunities. Children disobey and are mean to each other. Even if we are pretty good at controlling our actions our words condemn us. God’s name is abused, misused or not used when it should be. Even if we cut out all filthy talks there are the times when we should have spoken up to defend another or to testify on the side of Gods’ truth but didn’t. Even if we always speak up our hearts betray us for the Lord sees that the NFL’s draft day, baseball’s opening day, March madness, and Spring clearance sales cause our hearts to beat much faster than the thought of worshipping His Son.

          And that is why Jesus walked the Way of Sorrows. So there will come a time when there are no more tears. I know that Johnson and Johnson Baby shampoo promises such a thing. Only Jesus delivers. He walked the Way of Sorrows to Golgotha, a place we will talk about next week. He walked the Way of Sorrows to put the Good into Good Friday by pay for our sins in full to open heaven to all believers so the time can come for each of us that there will be no more tears but only Heaven, a place of happiness. PICTURE Thank you, Jesus! Amen.