Sermon
Mark 16:1-8
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Christ is risen.
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He is risen indeed.
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! I discovered recently about a man called Harry Meadows.
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! Harry Meadows spent 87 years of his life unknown,
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! unreported in the paper or TV or anywhere else.
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He was in a home for the elderly, for lots of old folk in Great Yarmouth.
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Harry Meadows got a bit bored.
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So he rented a costume, a fancy dress costume.
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He rented a Grim Reaper costume.
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And Harry Meadows accessed a scythe for cutting things down
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and he thought he'd have some innocent fun in the old people's home.
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He stood outside tapping the windows of some of the old people in his costume,
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peering in from the outside.
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And then according to the press, so it's got to be true,
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three people died.
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Now there's a practical joke that's gone wrong, isn't it?
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There were a few other shenanigans in that old people's home in Great Yarmouth
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and then it was shut down.
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Not all publicity is good publicity.
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And as you've heard already this morning as I read it,
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it's an unusual thing, isn't it, that Christianity is born in a cemetery.
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It's a very unusual thing for good news to come trumping out of a graveyard.
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But that's the claim of the first witnesses,
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the first Christians who wrote down their accounts.
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That Christianity is birthed and understood as coming out of a cemetery.
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Three words in Mark 16 verse 6.
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Can you see them?
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He has risen.
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He has risen, this young man says.
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Is that true or is that simply a lie?
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Now some people might say, well it's a nice lie.
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I'm not sure it is a nice lie.
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The trouble is that statement has caused huge, huge issues, huge problems.
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Many hundreds and hundreds, hundreds of thousands of people have died for that statement.
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He has risen.
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They believed it to be true that Christ rose from the dead.
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Is it fake news?
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Or is it true and serious good and happy news?
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Professor Josh McDowell said that after more than 700 years of studying this subject,
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I've come to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ
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is either one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever fostered
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on the minds of human beings,
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or it is the most remarkable fact in history.
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And I think he's right.
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It's one or the other.
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It's not a nice myth.
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It's either true or false.
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Blaise Pascal, a mathematician, said either the disciples of Jesus were deceived
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or deceivers,
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or it's true.
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Well let's look at Mark 16.
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Matthew, Luke and John have got more substance to their stories, more details.
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And Mark is very brief, isn't he?
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He just ate verses.
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And you may have noticed that when it was read,
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there's not an account of Jesus appearing in Mark 16.
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It's the promise that he will soon after appear.
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It's unusual, Mark 16.
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It's intriguing.
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We're meant to feel quizzical at the end of Mark's gospel.
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And so today's sermon is brought to you by the letter R.
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All right?
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And so firstly, we're looking at somebody who is risen.
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Who is risen.
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It's the backbone of Christianity.
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The cross and resurrection make up this powerful message that's been changing lives all around the world.
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And here today, all over the globe, he has risen.
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And the resurrection is the backbone of it all.
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It's not a happy ending to a sad story or an epilogue that you could do without.
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It really is the climax and the destination of the whole thing.
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If this ain't true, the whole story is rubbish.
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And what we're doing here is a waste of time, perhaps worse.
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The early Christians saw this.
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There's a hard-headedness about real Christianity.
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And so Jesus asks us twice, we have reckoned,
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give us proof that you say who you are.
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And both times in Matthew and in John, he refers to his resurrection.
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That'll be the proof, he says.
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The Apostle Paul, who was the first organizer of persecutions of Christians,
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wrote about 25 years after Jesus' death and resurrection.
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And he says, if Christ had not been raised,
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we would be, well, people to be pitied.
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If Christ had not been raised, our faith is worthless.
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And you're still in your sins.
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We're going to hear more about that tonight.
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If Christ had not been raised, we're liars.
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But here we have a messenger in a tomb saying,
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he has risen.
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And he says it to the women.
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And you might have noticed,
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as you've gone through the accounts of the last few days,
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if you're familiar with the Gospels,
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that women are mentioned at the cross,
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and the burial, and the empty tomb.
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And people have rightly noted that the men,
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at the end of the Gospels,
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have been marked failures.
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Perhaps John was at the cross,
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but all the other disciples are hiding.
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And when the women finally find the men on Resurrection Sunday,
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the men are in a locked room.
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They're not out doing anything other than trying to stay safe.
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And the women are the only ones publicly identifying with Jesus.
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It's the women who go to the tomb.
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Sincis was a Greek philosopher.
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He hated Christianity,
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and he studied it to attack it.
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He wrote a book outlining why he thought Christianity was rubbish.
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And one of the things that he said
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was that it was based on the gossip of women.
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It varied in different parts of the Empire,
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but generally speaking,
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in some parts of the Roman Empire,
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women couldn't even witness in court.
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It's a bit like today,
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making up a story and having four-year-olds as your key witness.
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No one making up a story in Jesus' day
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would have had the key witnesses as women.
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It's an embarrassment.
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It was used against Christians.
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And so here are these women.
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They are heading off to the tomb.
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They're in the midst of grief and sorrow.
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They're not thinking there's been a resurrection.
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In the same way that you and I would go to a gravesite
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and lay flowers on a fresh grave.
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And as they walk to the tomb,
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for a moment they think,
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remember there's a great rock in front of the tomb.
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The rock would have weighed probably as much as a minibus would have,
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but it wouldn't have had wheels which were rubber.
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And so how are you going to get into the tomb?
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The women have got spices to finish the burial process,
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but when they get there, the stone has already been moved,
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and so they go and they have a look.
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I don't think the stone was removed to let Jesus out.
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It was removed to let people in so that they could see.
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And so slightly terrified, they walk into this tomb,
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and there is a man, a young man,
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who we know from other passages,
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passages from other gospel accounts,
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is an angel.
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The word angel just means messenger.
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And the angel says to them,
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can you see what he says?
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He says, verse 6,
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do not be alarmed.
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You seek Jesus of Nazareth,
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who was crucified.
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That's really helpful.
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It's really helpful because
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it indicates that he knows what they're looking for.
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That they're looking for Jesus,
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and there's two features about him.
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We're told that this Jesus they were looking for,
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he's from Nazareth,
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and he was crucified.
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That tells you where he's from,
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and what did he do?
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And what's the main thing he does?
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He is crucified.
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That's the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ.
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He was born to die.
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He came into this world to save sinners like you and I.
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You are born to live, aren't you?
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You're born to live.
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Sadly, you do die, though.
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But Jesus was born to die.
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He says he was crucified.
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The messenger knows why he was there.
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And what's the next thing?
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He is risen.
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And quite literally,
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it says he was crucified,
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and then the next word is risen.
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It's very blunt.
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The crucified one has become the risen one.
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And those are the two things to know about Jesus.
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Both are true historically.
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Both happened.
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And what the angel then says is,
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this messenger,
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he says,
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you are going to see him.
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Go back,
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tell the disciples
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that you'll see him in Galilee.
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He's going ahead of you.
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And the word would be used
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of a military leader,
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a military leader who would be sent
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in front of the army,
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and he would be there preparing the way.
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He's going ahead of you,
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and you will meet up with him
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there in Galilee.
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That's where you'll see him.
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All the other Gospels
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have accounts of the disciples
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meeting him.
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There are accounts of people
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who didn't become believers
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in the resurrection,
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and they met him.
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It's a very important thing
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that Christ is risen bodily.
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He didn't rise so that
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he would have a spiritual
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kind of influence on you.
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The word resurrection
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literally means standing up.
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It is the standing up
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of a corpse.
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It's crystal clear
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that the resurrection
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of Jesus
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is not about
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an ongoing spiritual
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influence on him,
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on you,
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because the messenger
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says,
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doesn't he,
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he is risen,
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he is not here.
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See the place
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where they laid him.
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The body is gone.
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You might not like that.
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You might not
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be interested in that.
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You might think
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that's a little bit creepy.
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But what it's saying to you
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is that God is absolutely
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committed to his creation.
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The promise of the Bible
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is the promise
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of a new body
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in a new heavens
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and a new earth.
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And Jesus is the first fruit.
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He is the taster,
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if I can put it like that.
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That is where he is gone.
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And so is Jesus risen?
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Or isn't he?
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Is it just a filthy lie?
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I read this week
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that the shortest sermon,
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and you see I do try,
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the sermon title
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was called
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Killing Jesus.
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That was the heading
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of the sermon.
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And the sermon went,
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didn't work.
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It's not a great sermon.
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The sermon title
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should have been
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Getting Rid of Jesus.
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And you could say
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that didn't work
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because Jesus
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really did die.
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The Romans killed
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hundreds of thousands
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of people
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by crucifixion.
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And they killed
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so many people
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by crucifixion
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that there were no trees
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left outside Jerusalem.
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It was a nightmare.
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Now let me say
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Jesus' resurrection
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matters
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because it is impossible.
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The one thing
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that we know about you
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and the one thing
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you know about me
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and the one thing
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that you know about
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everyone you love
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and care about
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and everyone
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who is famous
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and worthwhile
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and everyone
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who is a loser
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and has done great harm
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is that we all die.
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So people will say to you
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no one can come back
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from the dead.
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Absolutely.
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That's absolutely the case.
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The one thing we know
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is that in the end
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we all get beaten
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by death.
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That's why we don't
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talk about it
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in our culture
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do we?
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Because we've got
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no answer for it.
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But what this is saying
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is no, no, no.
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There is one person
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who said
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that he would defeat death
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and then has left us
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very good evidence
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that he did.
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And I don't mean it
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to be rude
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but there is simply
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no one else
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who makes this claim.
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Jews don't suggest
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do they
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that Moses
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defeated death.
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Muslims
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don't suggest
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that Muhammad
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defeated death.
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Buddhists
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don't claim
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that Buddha
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defeated death.
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It's actually
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a very unusual claim
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and yet there's
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very strong evidence
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for it.
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In fact
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if you've never
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had the chance
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to look at the evidence
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there are books
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there are films
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which can give you
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the evidence.
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Some books
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have been written
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where the author
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has set out
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deliberately
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to debunk
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and disprove
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the resurrection
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and ended up
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writing a book
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in support of the resurrection.
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So convincing
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has been the evidence.
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They found it
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overwhelming.
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The evidence
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is not very strong
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though
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if you haven't
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looked for it.
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it's not very strong
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if you haven't
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looked at it
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which is true
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of most people.
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He is risen.
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Either that
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or
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the whole of
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Christianity
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is a filthy lie.
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The second
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R
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is
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the word
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Ruthful.
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There are
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some underused
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words.
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I didn't know
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that word
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until Wednesday
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this week.
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Do you use
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the word
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Ruthful?
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I've never used
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it before.
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I've never used
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it in conversation.
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It's the opposite
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of ruthless
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and to be
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Ruthful.
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I drop it in
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this afternoon
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to talk to someone.
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It means to be
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merciful,
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to be kind.
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the opposite
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of being
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ruthless,
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to be
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Ruthful.
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It's where
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you don't
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give people
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what they
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deserve
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when it's
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punishment.
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You give
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them mercy.
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And Jesus
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we see here
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even at that
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moment of
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his risen
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glory
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when he
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overpowers
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death
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is thinking
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of small
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people.
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He's
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Ruthful.
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He's thinking
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of people
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who need
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mercy.
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He's thinking
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of those
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who are
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failures,
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who are
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weighed
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down
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and
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heavy
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laden.
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He's
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thinking
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of his
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disciples.
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Can you
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see what
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this
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messenger,
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this angel
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says?
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He's given
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a message
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by Jesus.
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The message
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that he's
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given by
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Jesus in
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verse 6.
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He says,
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do not be
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alarmed.
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You seek
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Jesus of
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Nazareth
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who was
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crucified.
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He was
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crucified.
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He has
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risen.
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He's not
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here.
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see the
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place where
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they laid
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him.
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But go
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tell his
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disciples
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and Peter
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that he's
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going before
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you to
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Galilee.
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So the
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women,
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like the
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angel,
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are given
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the message.
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As you've
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read the
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gospels,
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the disciples
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are an
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abysmal
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bunch.
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Jesus
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talks about
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his death
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and so they
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talk about
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who is
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going to
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be the
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greatest.
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as you
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read the
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gospel of
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Mark,
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you see
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how awful
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they are,
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how slow
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they are,
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how much
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like me
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they are.
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Appallingly
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egocentric
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in the face
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of beautiful
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things.
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Tim Keller
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as a preacher
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in the US,
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he says this,
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it's interesting
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what Jesus
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could have
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said.
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He could
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have said
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this,
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you go and
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tell the
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disciples those
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arrogant,
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boastful,
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egocentric,
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ambitious,
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cowardly
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backstabbers
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that if
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they'll
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really get
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on their
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knees and
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repent,
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I might
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meet them
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in Galilee.
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He could
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have easily
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said,
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you are
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kidding.
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Not one
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of them
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stood by
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him.
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All of
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them ran.
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And yet
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Jesus'
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words are,
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can you
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see them
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in verse
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seven?
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Go and
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tell my
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friends.
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He's got
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every ground
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doesn't he
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to say it's
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over,
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our friendship
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is over,
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you're dead
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to me.
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And yet
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Jesus says
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tell my
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friends.
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And the
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part that I
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particularly
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love are
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these two
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words that
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are there
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in verse
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seven after
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disciples and
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Peter.
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Why not
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tell my
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disciples and
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John?
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Why not
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tell my
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disciples and
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James?
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Why does
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Peter get a
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special mention?
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Go and
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tell his
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disciples and
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Peter that
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he's going to
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see you in
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Galilee.
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Galilee,
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Peter is one
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of the
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disciples.
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Why single
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him out?
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Why mention
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him directly?
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If you
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read through
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the chapters
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before,
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it would be
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great to do
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that maybe
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today,
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there's a
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dialogue that
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goes on
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between Jesus
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and Peter.
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And Jesus
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is warning
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his disciples,
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he says to
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them,
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you will
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all desert
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me.
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And Peter
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stands up and
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says,
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they may,
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but I
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won't.
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they may
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run,
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but I
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will die
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for you.
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They are a
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pretty scummy
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bunch,
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Lord,
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and I
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don't even
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really know
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why you
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chose them,
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Lord,
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but I
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will stay
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true,
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I will
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stay
-
loyal.
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Even if
-
everyone else
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goes,
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I'll be with
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you,
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Lord,
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you can
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trust me.
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And Jesus
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says to him,
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no,
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Peter,
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before the
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cockle crows
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three times,
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you will
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deny me
-
three times.
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Peter gets
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the warning
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and he
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still argues
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back with
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Jesus,
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he's still
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correcting
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Jesus,
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he says,
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no,
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Jesus,
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you're not
-
right.
-
And
-
remember
-
that publicly
-
denying
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Jesus is
-
a pretty
-
big deal.
-
According to
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Jesus in
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Mark chapter
Mark 8 chapter mention
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8,
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Jesus said,
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if you
-
deny before
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men,
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I will
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deny you
-
before my
-
father.
-
If you're
-
not willing
-
to own
-
my relationship
-
with you,
-
don't expect
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me to own
-
your relationship
-
with me
-
on judgment
-
day.
-
And so
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Peter has
-
committed a
-
grade A
-
sin,
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not once,
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not twice,
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but three
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times.
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Three times
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on one
-
night.
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And despite
-
being forewarned
-
and forearmed,
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Peter has
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sinned with a
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high hand
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deliberately.
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And yet
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Jesus wants
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to make
-
sure that
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Peter is
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there.
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Because you
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can imagine
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that hearing
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the news
-
that Jesus
-
has risen
-
from the
-
dead,
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Peter would
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quite rightly
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think to
-
himself,
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you go
-
fellas,
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I'm clearly
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not part of
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the team
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anymore.
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I've really
-
blown it.
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Good luck
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to you.
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But I'm
-
out.
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In a rugby
-
game,
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there are
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two cards
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disciplinary
-
things.
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There is a
-
yellow card,
-
which if you
-
get shown
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the yellow
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card,
-
you're off
-
for ten
-
minutes.
-
You're put
-
in the
-
bin.
-
You sit
-
on the
-
side,
-
and after
-
ten minutes,
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you can
-
come back
-
into the
-
game.
-
But there's
-
the red
-
card,
-
and if you're
-
shown the
-
red card,
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you cannot
-
come back
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on.
-
You have
-
to leave
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the pitch,
-
you go into
-
the changing
-
room.
-
You can't
-
come back
-
on.
-
You're
-
off
-
permanently.
-
It's
-
game
-
over.
-
And I
-
want to
-
suggest to
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you that
-
when Jesus
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says,
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tell my
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disciples and
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Peter,
-
he's saying
-
that because
-
Peter would
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almost certainly
-
think that
-
he's red
-
carded
-
himself.
-
That it's
-
game over.
-
That Peter
-
would be
-
completely
-
aware of
-
how weak
-
he was.
-
And in
-
spite of
-
many warnings
-
from Jesus,
-
Peter has
-
denied him.
-
And so
-
Jesus tells
-
the angel to
-
tell the
-
women, to
-
tell Peter,
-
I want to
-
see him, I
-
want him to
-
be there.
-
And I
-
want to
-
reveal myself
-
to him.
-
And I
-
think we
-
have a
-
tendency in
-
churches
-
sometimes to
-
take our
-
sin more
-
seriously than
-
we would
-
take the
-
grace and
-
the mercy
-
of God.
-
It's
-
right, it's
-
right to
-
take our
-
sin and
-
our rebellion
-
seriously.
-
But your
-
sin is
-
never as
-
big as
-
the mercy
-
and love
-
of God.
-
The message
-
of Christianity,
-
the message of
-
the good news
-
of the Lord
-
Jesus is that
-
where sin has
-
abounded,
-
grace has
-
much more
-
abounded.
-
the risen
-
one is
-
full of
-
ruth.
-
He is
-
ruthless.
-
Give us
-
more
-
R's, you
-
say.
-
The risen
-
ruthless
-
one is
-
a rock.
-
It's good
-
news, isn't
-
it?
-
The
-
messengers
-
look at
-
verse 7,
-
but go tell
-
his disciples
-
and Peter
-
that he is
-
going before
-
you to
-
Galilee,
-
there you
-
will see
-
him.
-
And here's
-
the point,
-
just as he
-
told you,
-
he doesn't
-
need to say
-
those last
-
words,
-
does he?
-
It doesn't
-
add anything
-
in terms of
-
direction,
-
but it does
-
say something
-
really,
-
really wonderful,
-
just as he
-
told you.
-
The messenger
-
wants to say
-
to the women
-
and to the
-
disciples,
-
he's doing
-
just what he
-
told you
-
beforehand.
-
If you
-
would just
-
listen to
-
what he
-
said,
-
you could
-
have saved
-
yourself
-
an enormous
-
amount of
-
pain and
-
confusion.
-
Jesus is
-
a man of
-
his word.
-
He does
-
as he
-
says.
-
Even if
-
no one
-
believes
-
him,
-
and none
-
of his
-
disciples
-
did,
-
interestingly,
-
if you look
-
at Matthew's
-
gospel,
-
which we're
-
not looking
-
at today,
-
Matthew is
-
at least
-
the high
-
priest has
-
listened.
-
The people
-
who put him
-
to death,
-
they had
-
heard Jesus
-
and they
-
took him
-
seriously
-
and they
-
asked for
-
a guard
-
to be
-
put on
-
the tomb
-
because
-
they were
-
worried
-
that he
-
might rise.
-
In fact,
-
they weren't
-
worried about
-
that.
-
They thought
-
he was a
-
liar,
-
but they
-
thought that
-
his disciples
-
might come
-
and steal
-
the body,
-
so they
-
put an
-
armed guard
-
on the
-
tomb.
-
But none
-
of the
-
disciples
-
think to
-
themselves,
-
well,
-
he did
-
say he'd
-
come to
-
Jerusalem,
-
he'd be
-
arrested,
-
he'd be
-
handed over,
-
he'd be
-
executed,
-
and on the
-
third day,
-
he'd rise
-
again.
-
Maybe we
-
should just
-
go and look
-
at the tomb
-
on Sunday
-
morning.
-
Maybe we
-
could go
-
for a
-
morning walk
-
near the tomb.
-
None of them
-
think that
-
took his
-
word seriously.
-
Everything
-
that he'd
-
said about
-
him,
-
so powerful
-
and yet
-
dying,
-
it just
-
seems so
-
weird.
-
They didn't
-
even take
-
the repeated
-
promise.
-
You can
-
read it in
-
Mark 8,
-
Mark 9,
-
Mark 10,
-
where Jesus
-
tells them
-
exactly what
-
he's going
-
to do.
-
That he
-
will go to
-
Jerusalem,
-
he will be
-
arrested,
-
he'll be
-
tortured,
-
he'll be
-
executed,
-
and then
-
he'll rise
-
again.
-
But the
-
angel wants
-
to underline
-
it.
-
He told
-
you this,
-
he's only
-
doing what
-
he told
-
you.
-
He will
-
keep his
-
promise.
-
He never
-
makes a
-
promise he
-
doesn't
-
keep.
-
In fact,
-
he does
-
more than
-
keep his
-
promises,
-
doesn't he?
-
I was in
-
a meeting
-
recently where
-
people were
-
told to
-
under-promise
-
and over-deliver.
-
I'm sure
-
you've heard
-
that in
-
business,
-
under-promise
-
and over-deliver.
-
Promise less
-
than you think
-
you'll deliver
-
and then try
-
to make sure
-
that you
-
give more
-
than you
-
promise.
-
And Jesus
-
says,
-
I'll meet you
-
in Galilee.
-
He actually
-
also meets
-
them in
-
Jerusalem.
-
They do
-
meet him
-
in Galilee.
-
There are
-
a number
-
of times
-
up north,
-
but he
-
comes to
-
them actually
-
on Easter
-
night.
-
and then
-
for at
-
least a
-
month,
-
Jesus
-
over-delivers
-
on his
-
appearances.
-
And so
-
you can
-
absolutely
-
trust Jesus'
-
word.
-
Do you?
-
I'm not
-
asking if you
-
go to church.
-
I'm not
-
asking if
-
you're
-
religious.
-
I'm not
-
asking if
-
you've
-
got respect
-
for Jesus.
-
I'm
-
asking,
-
do you
-
listen to
-
those things
-
that Jesus
-
says in
-
his word?
-
In Mark
-
13,
-
just a few
-
chapters before,
-
Jesus says
-
this staggering
-
statement.
-
He says,
-
heaven and
-
earth will
-
pass away,
-
but my
-
word will
-
never pass
-
away.
-
Not everyone
-
believed like
-
modern science
-
does today,
-
that the
-
universe one
-
day will
-
pass away.
-
They tend
-
to think the
-
universe was
-
eternal.
-
Heaven and
-
earth will
-
pass away,
-
but my
-
words will
-
never pass
-
away.
-
Who says
-
that?
-
This little
-
man in
-
Palestine,
-
his words are
-
absolutely
-
solidly,
-
eternally,
-
endearingly
-
true.
-
And we
-
save ourselves
-
an enormous
-
amount of
-
pain and
-
worry and
-
fear and
-
anxiety when
-
we believe
-
his word,
-
when we
-
cling to
-
his promises.
-
He is
-
risen,
-
he is
-
ruthless,
-
he is
-
the rock.
-
You wouldn't
-
bet against
-
him,
-
would you?
-
He says
-
he's going
-
to come
-
again.
-
I wouldn't
-
bet against
-
Jesus'
-
truthfulness.
-
He said
-
he would
-
rise again,
-
and he
-
has.
-
And the
-
last point
-
is that
-
the risen
-
Ruthful
-
rock is
-
in the
-
business
-
of
-
recruiting.
-
They are
-
reluctant
-
when he
-
first meets
-
them.
-
He doesn't
-
say to
-
them,
-
come and
-
follow me,
-
let's have
-
some fun
-
together.
-
He says,
-
come and
-
follow me,
-
and I
-
will make
-
you fishers
-
of men.
-
that was
-
what he
-
said to
-
them.
-
He hints
-
to them
-
then,
-
that's what
-
their calling
-
would be.
-
Here the
-
women are
-
the first
-
to hear
-
the news
-
because
-
they're
-
the ones
-
at the
-
tomb,
-
and they
-
are told,
-
go,
-
tell his
-
disciples,
-
and Peter
-
that he's
-
going before
-
you to
-
Galilee.
-
And there
-
you will
-
see him
-
just as he
-
told you.
-
And the
-
women are
-
given a
-
job to
-
do.
-
Mary
-
Magdalene
-
has often
-
been called
-
the apostle
-
to the
-
apostles.
-
And in
-
the end,
-
she is the
-
first one
-
to take
-
the apostle's
-
message.
-
He is
-
risen.
-
And they're
-
slow on
-
the
-
uptake.
-
And so
-
we look at
-
verse 8,
-
don't we,
-
and we
-
think that's
-
a really
-
bad ending
-
to a
-
gospel,
-
don't we?
-
The
-
gospel clearly
-
ends at
-
verse 8.
-
There are
-
two or
-
three other
-
endings that
-
people have
-
added because
-
it looks
-
like a
-
bad ending,
-
but the
-
best
-
manuscripts
-
all end
-
at verse
-
8.
-
And
-
actually,
-
as you
-
read Mark's
-
gospel,
-
it makes
-
sense to
-
end at
-
it's such
-
an odd
-
ending,
-
isn't it?
-
The
-
women are
-
told,
-
it's
-
fantastic,
-
you're
-
here,
-
girls,
-
go and
-
tell the
-
boys.
-
Verse 8,
-
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.
-
In
-
verse 8,
-
who knows
-
about the
-
resurrection at
-
this point?
-
Well,
-
God does,
-
the devil
-
does,
-
Jesus
-
does,
-
the young
-
man does,
-
the women
-
do.
-
That's it.
-
And the
-
disciples would
-
really,
-
really like to
-
know that
-
he is risen.
-
And the
-
women have
-
been told
-
to tell
-
the
-
disciples.
-
They're the
-
only people
-
who've been
-
told to
-
tell.
-
And I
-
don't blame
-
them,
-
frankly,
-
for how
-
they respond.
-
To use a
-
technical term,
-
they've been
-
discombobulated,
-
haven't they?
-
You know
-
what that
-
word means?
-
It means
-
when you've
-
been rattled
-
by things
-
that you
-
can't
-
function
-
properly,
-
they are
-
discombobulated.
-
I don't
-
blame the
-
women,
-
just trace
-
the emotional
-
journey that
-
the women
-
have been
-
on.
-
They've
-
come up
-
with Jesus,
-
the disciples
-
are abandoning
-
Jesus and
-
betraying him,
-
and
-
Judas
-
has left
-
them,
-
who they
-
knew and
-
they loved.
-
And Jesus
-
has not just
-
been killed,
-
he's been
-
tortured to
-
death,
-
that's what
-
crucifixion is,
-
it's humiliating.
-
They would
-
have been
-
emotionally
-
shattered and
-
they go to
-
finish the
-
burial process
-
and then
-
somebody's
-
messed around
-
with the
-
tomb.
-
It's no
-
wonder that
-
they're
-
shattered.
-
And the
-
words in
-
verse 8 of
-
Mark 16
-
are really
-
strong words,
-
they are
-
trembling,
-
bewildered,
-
afraid,
-
and they
-
don't speak.
-
And if you
-
know Mark's
-
gospel,
-
like we've
-
been going
-
through on
-
Tuesday
-
lunchtimes,
-
you will
-
know that
-
this is a
-
reversal.
-
Because all
-
through Mark's
-
gospel,
-
when Jesus
-
has healed
-
with someone,
-
he has said
-
to them,
-
don't tell
-
anyone.
-
One time
-
Jesus healed
-
a leper and
-
Jesus is
-
really strong
-
with him,
-
he basically
-
says,
-
shut up
-
about it,
-
don't say
-
anything.
-
But they
-
can't keep
-
it to
-
themselves.
-
Because
-
something
-
wonderful and
-
exciting has
-
happened.
-
And even
-
when Peter
-
works out that
-
Jesus is
-
the Messiah,
-
he's told
-
don't tell
-
anyone yet.
-
But here
-
the women
-
at the end
-
of Mark's
-
gospel are
-
told,
-
he is
-
risen.
-
Death has
-
been beaten,
-
but they're so
-
shattered they
-
just say
-
nothing.
-
saying.
-
It's quite
-
clear that as
-
time goes on
-
they change
-
their mind.
-
This gospel is
-
written probably
-
for Christians
-
in Rome.
-
And they
-
would have
-
all known
-
that Jesus
-
is risen
-
from the
-
dead.
-
That he
-
would have
-
appeared to
-
the disciples.
-
Because that
-
was the message
-
that the
-
apostles preached,
-
isn't it?
-
You killed
-
him,
-
God raised
-
him,
-
we've seen
-
him.
-
That's how
-
we know
-
he's Lord.
-
And so here
-
the women are
-
told to speak,
-
but at first
-
they don't.
-
And I take it
-
they repent
-
and they
-
are told.
-
And I think
-
one of the
-
reasons why
-
Mark includes
-
it and he
-
ends it in
-
this way is
-
because this
-
is the
-
temptation
-
always for
-
Christians.
-
For the
-
church,
-
because we
-
get the
-
fact that
-
he is
-
risen and
-
forgiveness
-
is on
-
offer and
-
you can
-
know Jesus
-
in the
-
present tense,
-
not just
-
in the
-
historical
-
tense.
-
And you
-
can know
-
him as a
-
living presence
-
in our
-
lives.
-
And instead
-
of answering
-
people and
-
telling people,
-
well I find
-
the temptation
-
is to be
-
quiet and
-
to get
-
nervous.
-
And I
-
think Mark's
-
gospel is
-
ending in
-
the way it
-
is to say
-
to us,
-
do not be
-
silenced,
-
speak in
-
fear.
-
It's why
-
the apostles
-
in the New
-
Testament,
-
they prayed
-
didn't they,
-
for courage
-
to open
-
their mouths.
-
He is
-
risen.
-
He is
-
alive.
-
As I
-
round up,
-
if you're
-
still not
-
sure this
-
morning if
-
this is a
-
lie or
-
fake news,
-
there is
-
very good
-
evidence for
-
it.
-
Take a
-
look at
-
it.
-
You think
-
Jesus is
-
lying and
-
the early
-
Christians were
-
lying and
-
the whole
-
of Christianity
-
is based
-
on a
-
lie.
-
Or will
-
you realise
-
this morning
-
he is
-
risen from
-
the dead
-
and he
-
is alive.
-
And I
-
want to
-
urge you
-
to check
-
out the
-
evidence.
-
And if
-
you're a
-
person more
-
likely who
-
believes
-
this,
-
you need
-
to let
-
this truth
-
give yourself
-
a chance
-
this Easter
-
Sunday to
-
let this
-
truth move
-
from your
-
head,
-
which you
-
know about,
-
into your
-
heart.
-
death.
-
Because this
-
is very,
-
very exciting
-
stuff.
-
That death
-
does not
-
have the
-
last word.
-
There is a
-
person who
-
when you
-
go into
-
death will
-
go with
-
you and
-
he will
-
give you
-
the last
-
word and
-
the last
-
laugh on
-
death.
-
And so
-
can I
-
suggest to
-
you doing
-
something that
-
I've never
-
suggested before
-
in the pulpit
-
and I'm
-
pretty certain
-
that no
-
IPC minister
-
has ever
-
suggested
-
before.
-
And that
-
is,
-
listen to
-
Dolly Parton.
-
Because as
-
bizarre as it
-
is, I
-
discovered a
-
song this
-
week by
-
Dolly Parton
-
called
-
He's Alive.
-
Anybody
-
listen to it?
-
It's absolutely
-
remarkable.
-
She didn't
-
write it.
-
There's a
-
choir at the
-
end.
-
It's
-
magnificent.
-
And as
-
you listen
-
to it,
-
as I've
-
inflicted it
-
on my
-
family this
-
week,
-
meal time,
-
you get a
-
sense of
-
the fact
-
that He's
-
alive.
-
She tells
-
the story
-
of Peter
-
and the
-
resurrection.
-
And you
-
get a sense
-
of the
-
wonder.
-
He is
-
alive.
-
He's
-
alive and
-
I'm
-
forgiven.
-
Jesus
-
said,
-
I am
-
the living
-
one.
-
I was
-
dead.
-
And now
-
behold,
-
I'm alive
-
forever and
-
ever.
-
Christ is
-
risen.
-
Let's
-
pray.
-
desde
-
desde
-
desde