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INTRODUCTION

We are taking a break from our Gospel of Mark series because today is Resurrection Sunday. Easter.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 16:2

“And when the Sabbath passed, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

²And very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

³And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴And looking up, they *saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was very large. ⁵And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.

⁶And he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, the place where they laid Him. ⁷But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

⁸And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment were gripping them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

I. DAWN OF A NEW CREATION

a. The Resurrection was on the first day of the week.

i. We see from scripture that the resurrection took place on the first day of the week.

1. One of the many reasons the disciples, as well as today’s Body of Christ, meet for services on the first day of the week, Sunday.

ii. But we should not think that this is coincidental, or merely chronological to the crucifixion.

iii. It is theological.

Genesis 1:1-4 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ²And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. ³Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. ⁴And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.”

1. Just as the original creation began with light breaking into the darkness, so now the new creation begins with Christ emerging from the grave.

2. Jesus steps into the darkness, and God once more separates light from the darkness.

3. The resurrection is not only victory over death, but it is the inauguration of a new order.

4. The old week ends in death and rest, the new week begins with life.

b. The resurrection takes place in a garden

i. John’s Gospel deliberately frames the resurrection in a garden.

John 19:41 “Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.”

John 20:15a “Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Whom are you seeking?” Thinking Him to be the gardener…”

1. Mary’s assumption was not accidental, but symbolic.

ii. In the Garden of Eden, the first Adam failed, bringing death into the world.

iii. Here, we see the last Adam standing alive in the garden, having conquered death.

1 Corinthians 15:45 “So also it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

iv. The garden is no longer the place of exile. It is the place of restoration!

c. They found the stone rolled away.

i. The stone was not moved, so Jesus could exit. He had already risen. It was moved so that witnesses would enter the tomb and see.

ii. What is the message here?

iii. Salvation is not achieved by human effort in removing barriers. God Himself removes what no man can move.

iv. As the heavy stone rolled away by God’s hand to change the hearts of those who witness, it reminds us of the verse in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

v. Whatever seemingly immovable obstacle within you that may be keeping you from God can be easily rolled away by the power of God.

vi. The tomb is evidence of this.

II. THE EMPTY TOMB AND THE FOLDED LINEN

a. Order, not chaos

John 20:6-7 “And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but folded up in a place by itself.”

i. What does this scene tell us?

ii. A detective would say this was not the scene of a grave robbery. It is marked by deliberate order, not chaos.

iii. Death leaves disorder, decay, and breakdown of flesh and cloth.

iv. Resurrection introduces order, intention, and peace. The careful arrangement of the grave clothes silently testifies that this was no hurried escape.

v. It reflects the character of God seen from the very beginning.

I Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace…”

vi. The risen Christ leaves behind not chaos, but a testimony of divine composure and authority.

b. The breaking of bread

Luke 24:30-31 “And it happened that when He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and after breaking it, He was giving it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him…”

i. We see the sacramental overtones of the Last Supper.

ii. What did we see in the garden?

Genesis 3:7 “Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked;”

iii. There, the opening of eyes led to shame because of sin. Here, the opening of eyes leads to revelation and communion with the Lord.

iv. What was lost in the disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit is now received through the obedience of communion with the risen Christ.

CONCLUSION: Living in the reality of the resurrection

Resurrection Day is more than Jesus rising from the tomb alive. The New Creation has now begun!

· The curse of Eden is being reversed

· God has acted where man could not

· Order is replacing chaos

· The humble are lifted

· Fellowship with God is restored

The question is not whether or not we recognize all of the symbols of resurrection day, but whether or not we are living them in our lives.

Romans 6:1-7 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? ²May it never be!

How shall we who died to sin still live in it? ³

Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

⁴Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷for he who has died has been justified from sin.”

What is the new creation, newness of life, what is born again?

To understand what it is to be born again, we must first look back to Genesis.

Genesis 2:7 “Then Yahweh God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and so the man became a living soul.”

John 20:21-22 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²²And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

First man receives a soul through the breath of God, making him alive. When we are adopted into the family of God through salvation, we then receive the Spirit of God, making us a new creation.

Not just an updated human. Human 2.0, rather, a New Creation because Christ imparted to us the Holy Spirit of God.

When Jesus appears to His disciples, He retains His wounds.

John 20:27 “Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’”

The scars are not removed. They are transformed.

This carries profound meaning. Redemption does not erase the cost of salvation. It displays it. The marks of suffering become the testimony of victory.

This fulfills what was foretold:

Zechariah 12:10
“…so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced…”

The risen Christ is not unrecognizable from the crucified Christ. He is the same Lord, now glorified. The wounds speak eternally of the price paid.

Revelation 19:13
“And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”

FINAL THOUGHT

The resurrection is not one event among many. It is the axis upon which all history turns.

What began as a quiet morning outside a tomb has unfolded into the defining reality of redemption. Every detail, every movement, every word spoken that day carries theological weight.

The light of the first day has broken into the darkness permanently.

So the question remains,

Are we still living as though the stone remains in place?

Are we still standing outside the tomb, or have we entered and seen?

Are we holding to the old order, or walking in the new creation?

The risen Christ does not simply invite admiration. He calls for transformation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

The symbolism of resurrection morning finds its fulfillment in resurrected lives.

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Thursday, April 9, 2026

Resurrection Sunday 2026 Resurrection Sunday: First Day of a New Creation