The Three Days of Easter

If you have your Bibles this morning, please find Mark 15:42.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “The Three Days of Easter.”

 

As you are finding our text, I am reminded of Brother Billy when he preached his Easter sermon at Main Street BC.  He asked the children, “Can anyone tell me what happened on Easter?”  There was complete silence.

 

He persisted by saying, “Now I know that someone here knows what happened on a long time ago for us to celebrate Easter today.”  Again, there was total silence. 

 

Now frustrated, Brother Billy exclaimed, “Somebody please tell me about Easter Sunday!”  Little Johnny slowly raised his hand and said, “They killed Jesus!”  Brother Billy praised Johnny, “That’s right.”

 

“And then what?”  Johnny answered again, “They put him in the ground, and he was there for three days.”  Brother Billy had now gone from frustrated to excited, “Right Johnny.”

 

“And then what?”  Johnny said, “And on Easter morning, Jesus came out of the ground!”  “Wonderful,” Brother Billy exclaimed. 

 

Then Johnny blurted out, “And if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.”

 

Johnny’s account of Easter is mostly true.  However, I want to remind you of the Easter story that is completely true, and it revolves around the three days of Easter.

 

 

1. A Forgetful Friday, Mark 15:42-47

42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 

For us, we celebrate Good Friday, and it was good that Jesus died on the cross in our place and for our sins.  However, His first disciples certainly didn’t see it that way.

 

First, Jesus literally died.  Because we know that the Sabbath started at sundown on Friday and went until sundown on Saturday, we know that Jesus died on the cross on Friday. 

 

He was put on the cross at approximately 9 AM.  We know it got dark around 12 noon.  We know Jesus died, and the temple veil was torn in two at approximately 3 PM.

 

Finally, we know that He had to be taken down sometime before 6 PM.  Why?  See Deuteronomy 21:22-23.

 

22 “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.

 

Therefore, it seems to be probably between 3-4 PM, and in verse 43, we are introduced to Joseph of Arimathea.  He was a prominent member of the Jewish Sanhedrin or council. 

 

Mark said he was waiting for the kingdom of God.  Therefore, we know had recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah. 

 

Joseph was also very courageous because he came to Pilate to request Jesus’ body.    Pilate was not a fan of the Jews and felt like the Sanhedrin forced him to execute an innocent man.

 

In verifying that Jesus literally died, the Roman centurion in verses 44-45 confirmed that Jesus was dead, and Joseph wrapped His dead body in linen and placed Him in a previously unused tomb.  Therefore, we have at least three individuals who confirmed that Jesus literally died: Pilate, the Roman centurion, and Joseph. 

 

Not only did Jesus literally die, but Jesus was also literally buried.  Scripture tells us that Joseph and Nicodemus prepared Jesus’ body with probably close to 100 pounds of grave clothes and placed Him in a family tomb belonging to Joseph. 

 

Thirdly, Jesus literally died and was literally buried, and that tomb was literally sealed.  The stone was circular and on a track and was rolled down an incline and into place to protect the body from grave robbers and wild animals. 

 

It was not as difficult to get the tomb sealed.  However, it would take a supernatural act to move that stone.

 

For the first-century disciple, Friday was awful.  It was terrible.  It was one to be forgotten.

 

 

2. A Silent Saturday, Mark 16:1

1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

 

On Saturday, we don’t hear a single word from Jesus.  Do you know why?  Because He was dead.

 

However, we do read about the first female disciples on Saturday night.  Because they didn’t understand His resurrection and therefore presumed Him to still be dead, they bought spices on Saturday night to anoint Jesus’ body on Sunday morning.

 

How would they know where He was?  Go back to 15:47.

 

47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid. 

 

As I said a moment ago, I believe Jesus was dead on Saturday.  Therefore, I don’t believe He went to hell to preach to those there for whatever reason. 

 

Through the years, some pastors and preachers have tried to prove this speculation with their incorrect understanding of certain passages in Ephesians and 1 Peter.

 

 

3. A Spectacular Sunday, Mark 16:2-8

2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”  8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

 

Verse 2 says they came to the tomb on Sunday morning, the first day of the week.  Again, the end of chapter 15 says they saw were Jesus was laid.  Therefore, they knew where to go.

 

As they were on the way to the tomb, they began to get worried about who would move the stone.  As I said previously, this would have been a round stone that would have been rolled down an incline into a track.  Therefore, while it was easier to put in place, it would have been difficult to move and would have required the efforts of multiple men.

 

Matthew’s gospel tells us that a localized earthquake dislodged the stone, and an angel to move it.  Keep in mind that Jesus was already gone.  Therefore, moving the stone was to allow the witnesses in, not to let Jesus out.

 

When they arrived, the stone had been rolled away, and they were greeted by an angel.  Again, the other gospels tell us there were two angels, but only one of them spoke.  However, these women were deathly afraid which is the common human response to interactions with angels in the Bible.

 

Beginning in verse 6, we see the angel’s conversation with the women. He informed the ladies that Jesus was in fact alive.  The Jesus they were seeking, who had been crucified, had been raised. 

 

The NKJV says He is risen.  That is better translated, “He has risen.” 

 

Like the stone, an outside forced raised Jesus.  He didn’t raise Himself.  God the Father brought Him from the tomb.  He was no longer there. 

 

The angel then invited the ladies to look at the place where Jesus had been laid.  He was gone.  He was not there.  He had risen. 

 

Then in verse 7, he told the ladies to go and tell the disciples that Jesus would be awaiting them in Galilee.  Not only was He alive, but they would get to see Him again. 

 

Verse 8 says they left the tomb amazed at the prospect of Jesus, whom they saw die with their own eyes, living again.  Therefore, these women came and saw and were sent.

 

I want to share one final point with you and then conclude.  Look back at verse 7.  Remember that this is really Peter’s gospel that was written down by Mark.  That is the same Peter back in Mark 14 who denied any association with the Lord on three occasions.

 

However, in this verse, we see the foreshadowing of Peter’s restoration from a mistake and for ministry.  Again, Peter didn’t just deny the Lord once or even twice but three times. 

 

That was a huge mistake, but the Lord wasn’t done with Peter.  He would later use him mightily in the book of Acts preaching and seeing thousands saved and as a prominent leader in the early church.

 

Some of you are here today and the devil has told you that your time and opportunity of the Lord using you is done because of mistakes in your past.  I want you to know that the Lord can and will restore you for future ministry if you let Him. 

 

Tell the Lord that you’re sorry for those mistakes and ask for His forgiveness.  Then, ask Him to restore you and use you again in ministry for His Church. 

 

 

Invitation

I have two invitations this morning to give to you.  If you are a follower of Christ, I invite you to come again to the empty tomb on the pages of Scripture and see that Jesus is alive and live sent…sent to tell others the good news of the gospel.

 

My second invitation is for those who have never believed.  Today, I invite you to come to the empty tomb on the pages of Scripture and see that Jesus alive and call on Him this morning to save you.