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- What did the people do to Jesus before they crucified Him?
-They whipped and mocked Him.
-They beat Him and spit on Him.
-They put a crown of thorns on His head.
- What was the crown of thorns a sign of?
-The crown of thorns was a sign of the curse of God.
- When the soldiers put the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head, what was this a sign of?
-A sign that Jesus would carry the curse of God.
- Why was there complete darkness over all of the land for three hours?
-The three hours of darkness was a sign.
- What was the sign of the three hours of darkness over all of the land?
-God the Father was abandoning Jesus on the cross.
- Why did God the Father abandon Jesus?
-God the Father was punishing Jesus for your sins, my sins, and the sins of all people.
-Jesus had been buried for three days and three nights.
-Early in the morning at the end of three days and three nights, some of the women who believed that Jesus was God the Savior went to His tomb.
Let’s read Mark 16:1
1-When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
-Why did these women go to Jesus’ tomb?
-The women wanted to anoint Jesus’ dead body with spices.
-It was the custom of the Jews to anoint dead bodies with spices before burial.
-Because Jesus had been buried in a hurry, the women were not able to anoint his dead body with spices.
-What did the women see when they arrived at the tomb?
Let’s read Mark 16:2-4
2-Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb
3-and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
4-But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
-Who had rolled away the large stone which closed the tomb?
-God had sent an angel to roll away the stone.
-When the women entered the tomb, what did they see?
Let’s read Mark 16:5
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.
-As the women entered the tomb, they saw an angel.
-What did the angel say to the women?
Let’s read Mark 16:6
6-“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
-What did the angel say about Jesus?
-The angel said that Jesus was not there.
-Why was Jesus not there?
-Because Jesus had risen from the dead.
-The angel said that Jesus had risen from the dead just as Jesus said.
-The angel also told the women to go and tell Jesus’ disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Let’s read Mark 16:7-8
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-Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
-The women were so frightened that they did not tell the disciples at first.
-Later, one of the women, Mary Magdalene, went to tell the disciples.
Let’s read Mark 16:9-13
9-When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
10-She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.
11-When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
12-Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.
13-These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
-Even though Mary Magdalene and two other men told the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead, the disciples did not believe them.
-Therefore, Jesus Himself appeared to the disciples.
Let’s read Mark 16:14
14-Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
-Why did Jesus rebuke the disciples?
-Because the disciples did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
-Then Jesus gave the disciples a command.
Let’s read Mark 16:15
15-Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
-What was the command that Jesus gave to His disciples?
-To go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation.
-What is the Good News?
-The Word of God.
-Did Jesus give this command only to His disciples?
-No.
-Jesus gave this command to His disciples and to all people who believe in Him.
-Jesus wants all people who believe in Him to go and tell others the Word of God.
-Jesus loves all people, and wants to save all people from the power of sin, death, and Satan.
Let’s read John 3:16
16-Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
-This is why I have come to tell you the Word of God.
-So that you do not have to die and go to the fire and everlasting punishment.
-Why did Jesus have to die?
-Did Jesus sin?
-No.
-Then why did Jesus have to die?
-Because all people have sinned, we must pay God’s punishment for sin.
-What is God’s punishment for sin?
-Death.
-Because all people have sinned, the holiness of God demands that our sin be paid for by death.
-There is no other way to pay for sin except death.
-Yet, because God loves us, God does not want us to die.
-How can our sin be punished with death, yet we still live?
-Jesus, God the Savior, died in our place.
-Jesus, God the Savior, died so that we can live.
-This is what the disciples did not understand.
-The disciples did not understand that Jesus would die and still save them.
-The disciples did not understand that Jesus’ death alone would save them.
-The death of Jesus on the cross was the death that paid for our sins.
-The blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross was the blood that paid for our sins.
-Why did God accept Abel’s sacrifice and reject Cain’s sacrifice?
-Because Abel brought the blood of a lamb and Cain did not.
-Why did God kill the firstborn of the Egyptians and pass over the firstborn of the Israelites?
-Because the Israelites covered the doors of their homes with the blood of lambs.
-Jesus is the Lamb of God.
-God the Father sacrificed Jesus as a Lamb in order to pay for our sins.
-Jesus shed His blood to save us and pay for our sins.
-When Jesus died on the cross, He said, “It is finished.”
-What did Jesus mean when He said, “It is finished”?
-Did Jesus mean that His life was finished?
-No.
-What did Jesus mean when He said, “It is finished,” on the cross?
-Jesus meant that the work that God the Father had given Him to save us was finished.
-Why was the work that God the Father had given Jesus finished?
-Because Jesus death had completely paid for the sins of all people.
-Because Jesus’ blood had completely paid for the sins of all people.
-How do we know that Jesus’ work to save all people was finished?
-Because Jesus’ death was a perfect sacrifice for all people.
-Because Jesus’ blood was a perfect sacrifice for all people.
-How else do we know that Jesus’ work to save all people was finished?
-Because God the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
-If Jesus’ work to save all people was not finished, then God the Father would not have raised Jesus from the dead.
-If God was not satisfied with Jesus’ perfect payment for sin, then God the Father would not have raised Jesus from the dead.
-Here is an illustration:
-A man steals a cow and must stay in prison for a year.
-At the end of the year, he is released from prison.
-If the police see the man outside of prison, will they send him back to prison?
-No.
-Why not?
-Because the man stayed in prison for a year, and completely paid for stealing the cow.
-Because Jesus had completely paid for the sins of all people, God raised Jesus from the dead.
-When Jesus died, why did God tear the curtain in the temple in two?
-God tore the curtain in two to show that there was no more separation between God and man.
-Why is there no more separation between God and man?
-Because Jesus has completely paid for the sin of all people that separates us from God.
-After Jesus had commanded His disciples to go and tell others the Word of God, Jesus returned to heaven.
Let’s read Acts 1:9
9-After Jesus said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
-Just as God said through the prophets many years ago, the Savior would return to heaven.
Let’s read Acts 1:10
10-The disciples were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
-Who were the two men dressed in white who stood beside the disciples?
-They were two of God’s angels.
-What did the angels say to Jesus disciples?
Let’s read Acts 1:11
11-“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
-The angels said that Jesus would return to earth.
-When Jesus returns to earth, what will He do?
-Will Jesus return to earth to save us from the power of sin, death, and Satan?
-No.
-Why not?
-Because Jesus has already finished the work to save us from the power of sin, death, and Satan.
-Do you remember what Jesus said to the high priest when he asked whether Jesus was the Christ?
Let’s read Mark 14:61-62
61-But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, The Son of the Blessed One?”
62-“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
-When Jesus returns to earth, Jesus will not return as Savior, but as Judge.
-When Jesus returns to earth, Jesus will return to judge all of those who have not believed in Him as Savior.
-When Jesus returns to earth, Jesus will send all of those who do not believe in God to the Lake of Eternal Fire.