Jesus - or Signs and Wonders? - Mark 15:40-16:8

Sermon Series: Spare Me the Details – Just Give Me Jesus

I bet that most of us had a crush on one of our teachers growing up.  In fact, I bet we can probably all remember his or her name and the subject that he or she taught.  But I’d also bet that if I asked you who your favorite teacher was growing up that you would name someone else.  You would probably name the teacher who made the biggest impact on your life – the teacher who maybe helped point you towards a certain career path, spent a lot of time investing in you, and who demonstrated that he/she really did care about you.  The teachers who really transformed our lives probably weren’t the best looking ones we had a crush on but the ones who invested in us and who demonstrated their care for us.  Too often we don’t realize this until many years after we have graduated and moved on from school. Then we look back and wonder why we were so infatuated with our crush who really didn’t impact our lives.  As we get older we realize that what we needed growing up wasn’t a good looking teacher.  Instead, the one thing each of us really needs is an individual who will love us and who will help shape and transform our lives.  And the great news is we all have One, who is even better than a teacher, who loves us and who can radically shape and transform our lives.  His name is Jesus and He can produce in us a life changing and transforming faith that nothing else can do.  That is certainly a bold statement and one that probably begs the question, “What is it that produces strong, life-changing faith?  How can we be sure that Jesus can do this?”  Mark supplies us with the answer to that question in this week’s text and I’ll do my best to answer it as we work through the text.

As Mark concludes chapter 15 and begins chapter 16 once again we see him using his literary sandwich technique.  Mark begins a specific narrative and then right in the middle he interrupts the narrative and inserts a different narrative – just like two pieces of bread with some meat thrown in between.  And as we have noted before, it is the middle narrative that sheds light on the meaning that Mark wanted his readers to understand.  In the same way that we define a sandwich by what is in the middle rather than by the type of bread that is used, it is the middle narrative that is instructive and sheds light on the narrative on the ends.

Mark begins verse 40 with a group of women, three in particular, who were watching what was taking place with Jesus on the cross.  The three women were Mary Magdalene, a woman that according to Luke 8:2 had had seven demons cast out of her by Jesus; Mary, “the mother of James the younger and of Joses” who we understand from Mark 6:3 to be Jesus’ mother; and Salome, who according to Matthew 27:56 is the mother of Jesus’ disciples, James and John.  Apparently there were other women there as well looking on, but Mark does not mention who those women are.  What stands out in these first two verses is their distance from Jesus.  Mark has used physical distance throughout his account of Jesus’ suffering and death to symbolically shed light on the quality of one’s faith and discipleship.  In verse 39 we saw the Roman centurion who was the first human to make the profession of faith that Jesus was God’s Son standing close to Jesus, facing Him.  But in contrast to this Roman centurion, these women are watching Jesus from a distance, a description that should cause us to remember Peter and how he chose to watch Jesus from a distance after Jesus had been arrested and led to the home of Ciaphas to be tried by the Sanhedrin.  We saw in that passage that in an environment in which the only testimonies that were being given of Jesus were false ones, Peter had three opportunities to rightly bear witness for Christ, but each time he chose to distance himself from Jesus and deny Him.  These women, according to verse 41 had previously involved themselves in serving Jesus while He was in Galilee, where there was little persecution for following Jesus.  But in this environment, when their faith and discipleship was really being put to the test, these women chose to distance themselves from Jesus and just watch.   

Mark interrupts the narrative about the women in verse 42 and inserts a narrative about a man named Joseph.  Joseph was a man from Arimathea and he was one of the members of the Jewish religious council, the Sanhedrin.  Verse 43 emphasizes the fact that he was a respected member of the Sanhedrin.  So among the Jewish religious leadership, Joseph was a key member.  Mark identifying Joseph as a member of the Sanhedrin also tells us some very important things.  As a member of the Sanhedrin Joseph would have spent most, if not all of his time in Jerusalem.  That’s important because in Mark’s gospel all of Jesus’ miracles are performed outside of Jerusalem.  That means we have no evidence that Joseph would have ever been a first-hand, eyewitness to one of Jesus’ miracles.  Joseph’s encounters with Jesus in Jerusalem would have been limited to Jesus’ teachings, parables, and His responses to challenges of His authority.  There is a good chance that Joseph would have been present when Jesus drove out livestock from the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple in chapter 11.  There is a good chance that Joseph would have heard the curse that Jesus pronounced on the temple and it’s leadership at that time.  There’s an excellent chance that Joseph would have been present when Jesus was challenged by the chief priests at the end of chapter 11 and that he heard Jesus’ parable which He told at the beginning of chapter 12.  There’s an excellent chance that Joseph was present when the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the scribes each took a turn challenging Jesus’ authority in chapter 12 and that he heard Jesus’ unmatched wisdom and authority to each of the questions that was presented.  It is also almost certain that Joseph would have been present at Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin after Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane.  He surely would have heard the false claims made against Jesus, but He also would have heard Jesus’ clear answer to the high priest, Ciaphas, when He was asked if He was the Messiah and the Son of God.  While Joseph may have heard about some of Jesus’ signs and miracles, the only first hand encounters with Jesus that Joseph would have had were centered around the person of Jesus and His teachings.  And this made a huge difference in Joseph’s faith and discipleship.

In the second part of verse 43 we begin to learn about Joseph’s faith and the quality of his discipleship.  Unlike the rest of the Sanhedrin who enjoyed their power and authority over the Jews and the prominence and wealth that came with their positions, Joseph wasn’t looking to continue to elevate himself and his position – Mark says that he was looking for the kingdom of God.  Joseph’s faith was in God and his hope was in the promised Messiah which was announced in the OT.  We also find in verse 43 that Joseph’s faith was one that prompted him to take courage – for he was getting ready to do a very brave thing.  Roman custom was to not only use the cross as a means of punishment, but also as a scare tactic to promote submission to Roman rule and authority.  So the Romans would typically leave the bodies of criminals on the cross until their bodies began to decay, unless the family members or friends of the criminal were granted permission to take the individual’s body off of the cross.  This didn’t mesh with Jewish custom because Jewish law prescribed that individuals be buried after death.  Deuteronomy 21:22-23 says, “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.”  Joseph knew the Law but he was also a part of the very council that had taken Jesus to Pilate in order to have Him condemned to death.  As a member of this group, which hated and detested Jesus so much that they were willing to have Him executed for no crime at all, could he now go to Pilate and ask for Jesus’ body so that he may give Him a proper burial?  What would the response of the rest of the Sanhedrin be?  But that is exactly what Joseph does.

In verse 44 we find that Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus had already died.  As we mentioned last week, most individuals would survive a handful of days on the cross.  Jesus had only been on the cross about six hours.  So Pilate summoned the centurion, who confirmed that Jesus had in fact died, and then Pilate granted permission for Joseph to take Jesus’ body.  (Some people don’t believe that Jesus actually died on the cross but believe that He just passed out.  They then suggest that the resurrection of Jesus wasn’t an actual resurrection, but that it was more of a resuscitation that took place in the tomb.  But according to Mark, not only did Joseph believe Jesus to be dead, but the Roman centurion confirmed it and gave an account that caused Pilate to believe it as well.  It is also interesting to note Mark’s change in terminology, not saying that the ‘body’ of Jesus was granted to Joseph, but that it was the ‘corpse’ that was granted to Joseph.)  Verse 46 then tells us that Joseph bought a linen shroud that would have been used to take Jesus’ body down from the cross and then wrapped Jesus in that shroud, and then placed Him in a tomb. 

Having walked through Mark’s interrupting narrative about Joseph in verses 42-46 allow me to draw your attention to the faith of Joseph.  As we mentioned above, all Joseph knew of Jesus was his personal encounters with Him and what He taught.  Joseph didn’t know signs and wonders, he only knew Jesus.  Then in these verses we see Joseph working out his faith when all that he asks for is Jesus.  He goes to Pilate and in a great demonstration of his faith, his courage, and his discipleship, he simply says “give me Jesus.”  Joseph had not been drawn to the miracles of Jesus.  Joseph had not been attracted to His wonders.  Joseph had encountered the person of Jesus and as a result that was all he was wanting – Jesus.  His faith in the person of Jesus enabled him to act in great courage and to prove the quality of his discipleship when we see him drawing close to Jesus and simply seeking Him.

In verse 47 Mark turns his attention once again to the women.  In verse 47 he gives his readers a very important detail – that the women “saw where He was laid.”  It was late Friday afternoon, and in the hurry to get Jesus’ body off the cross and into a tomb prior to the Sabbath beginning the women did not have the opportunity to purchase and anoint Jesus’ body with perfumes (as was the custom).  But the women noted well where Jesus’ body was so that they could return and anoint the body of Jesus after the Sabbath (which was Friday at sunset through Saturday at sunset) when work was prohibited.  Chapter 16 begins early on Sunday morning, where we find the three women returning to the tomb to finish the anointing of Jesus’ body which they were unable to do on Friday afternoon.  We notice in verse 3 their concern about who would roll the stone away from the tomb’s entrance (a question that would not have been a concern if Jesus’ disciples hadn’t been too busy hiding).  But verse 4 tells us that wasn’t an issue when they arrived at the tomb, because the large stone had already been rolled away – the first of three amazing things they would see and experience in the upcoming verses.  Upon entering, verse 5 tells us that they encountered an angelic being – the second miraculous thing they would encounter – and Mark says that they were alarmed.

In verse 6 we read what is quite possibly the greatest announcement ever made!  The angel, perceiving their alarm says to them, “Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has risen; He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.”  The proclamation of the angel that Sunday morning was extraordinary news of God’s goodness and faithfulness!  And it is still the news that gives us the greatest hope we could ever have.  Jesus was no longer in the tomb!  Jesus was no longer dead!  Jesus had risen!  He was alive again and is still alive today!  He took on death and emerged victorious.  He took on the sins of humanity and paid for them all.  He arose showing that He was once again alive and well and would remain that way for the rest of eternity.  That’s good news.  God’s goodness and faithfulness to us goes beyond paying for our sin debt.  God demonstrates the greatness of His goodness and faithfulness by raising Christ from the dead assuring that we not only have a Savior but also a living intercessor.  Jesus, God’s Son, is sitting at the right hand of God the Father where He is daily making intercession for those who have trusted in Him as their Lord and Savior.  I can’t imagine a greater proclamation, a greater hope, or a greater demonstration of God’s goodness and faithfulness then when the angel said, “He has risen; He is not here.”

In the last part of verse 6 we hear the angel say to the women, “See the place where they laid Him.”  This would have been the third miraculous sign that these women would have beheld, after having seen the stone rolled away and the angelic being.  15:47 tells us that the women saw where Jesus had been laid in the tomb.  So it wasn’t as if they were simply in the wrong place, that they had entered into another tomb by mistake.  When the angel said to them to look at the place where they had laid Him, they would have been able to recognize the spot, having seen Jesus’ body laid there not long before.  The last time they looked at this particular spot Jesus’ body had been lying there.  Now as they found themselves looking at the same spot, Jesus’ body was missing.  Unlike Joseph of Arimathea, who had never witnessed a miracle of Jesus firsthand, these women had.  In Galilee they had probably been present for many of Jesus’ miracles.  Mary Magdalene was actually one of the people Jesus had cured when He cast the seven demons out of her.  In addition to those miracles, these women had now beheld other miraculous signs – the stone which had been rolled away, the angelic being, and the empty tomb.  But apparently these signs and wonders did not produce a strong and courageous faith, like Joseph of Arimathea’s.  Instead we find that signs and wonders produce shallow faith at best.  Had these women been willing to serve Jesus in non-threatening times?  Sure they had.  But when Jesus was on the cross, they kept themselves at a distance.  And now, when the angel gives them specific instructions, we find them fleeing in fear.  The angel tells the women in verse 7, “But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee.  There you will see Him, just as He told you.”  But that’s not what the women do.  Verse 8 says, “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”  While Joseph had taken courage and boldly asked Pilate for the body of Jesus, demonstrating the quality of his faith and discipleship, the women chose instead to flee in fear, saying nothing.

Consider some very revealing NT texts.  Romans 10:17 states very clearly “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  So often we tend to think that if we can just see evidence of God through some miracle in our present day that it would strengthen our faith and make us believe in Him even more.  But the reality is, miracles in the NT gave proof to the people in the 1^st century that Jesus was God’s Son – but it wasn’t the signs and miracles that transformed people’s lives.  It was the message of Jesus and encountering the person of Jesus that was so life changing.  I don’t think there is any better evidence for this than in the 4^th chapter of John’s gospel.  The 4^th chapter of John’s gospel begins with Jesus traveling through a region called Samaria and encountering a woman at a well.  In that encounter, Jesus doesn’t perform any signs for miracles, but simply has a conversation with her.  Throughout the conversation Jesus methodically works to draw the woman away from what she is seeing (i.e. a Jewish man talking to a Samaritan woman; and physical water at the well they are present at) to engaging Him and listening to Him.  As a result of the conversation, the woman ultimately comes to believe that Jesus is the Savior.  She then returns to town to tell everyone else that the Savior is in their midst.  The people themselves come out to listen to Jesus, and then notice what takes place in John 4:39-45.  Many people from the town put their faith in Jesus.  The faith of these Samaritans was the result of what they heard Jesus proclaim – not because of the works which they had seen.  But then Jesus returned to Galilee – a place where Jesus is without honor.  Why is He without honor?  Not because they had heard Jesus message and engaged in a relationship with Him, but verse 45 says, because they had “seen all that He had done.”

When we work through Mark’s literary sandwich in 15:40-16:8 and see the narrative of the women in light of the narrative about Joseph of Arimathea.  We see that trusting in Jesus and the message of the gospel produces strong, life transforming faith in people, while looking to signs and wonders can only produce a shallow faith at best.  Seeing those truths as Mark presents them should cause us to ask several questions of ourselves.  What is our faith built upon?  And where are you in relation to Jesus?  Maybe you believe in God.  Maybe you believe that Jesus is God’s Son.  But when it comes to encountering God or Jesus, you just prefer to keep your distance.  Maybe you’re willing to go to church, but before you go through the doors you throw your defenses up.  Are you saying to yourself, “I’m willing to come and be a part of a service, but I don’t really want to encounter Jesus and have a relationship with Him.”  Or are you willing to pray and ask God to bring you healing when you’re sick or to provide you safety when you travel, but unwilling to ask God to help you love Him and treasure Him more.  Guys, looking only towards signs and wonders and what you can see God do in your life will only produce a shallow faith at best.  Then when things get tough and life gets hard and people question our beliefs in Jesus we are going to distance ourselves from Jesus and flee in fear.

But when we look to Jesus and the good news of the Gospel – when we listen to the message that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to become our substitute for sin and that because of Jesus’ death on the cross for us we can have a relationship with God, then we will find a strong and courageous faith and discipleship.  We won’t want anything other than Jesus, Himself.

Questions for Small Group Discussion

1. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are full of miracles and signs that Jesus performed in His earthly ministry.  But if we said that we aren’t to build our faith on the signs and miracles of Jesus, but on a relationship with Jesus and the message which He proclaimed, why are His signs and wonders so significant?  Why was it so important for these men to include the many signs and wonders of Jesus in their gospel accounts?  What are the dangers if we focus on Jesus’ signs and wonders exclusively?  Is there anything else in regards to Jesus that we should be giving great consideration to, and if so, what and why?

2. Why is it easier sometimes to try and build faith on signs and wonders rather than on a relationship with Jesus?

3. Is our faith marked more by fear and distance from Jesus, like the women in this passage, or more by a courageous pursuit of Him, like Joseph’s?  If our faith and discipleship looks more like the women’s, is there anything we can do to help it become more like Joseph’s?

4. What step of faith does this passage of Scripture require us to take as individuals and as a small group?  How do we work this out on mission?