[English Sermon 영어 설교]
Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025 - Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn
Jesus has risen again (Mark 16:1–16)
2025. 4. 20. 부활절 주일예배 설교
본문: 마가복음 16:1-16
제목: 예수 다시 사셨습니다
설교자: 손진국 목사
Today is Easter. Let us greet one another—"Jesus has risen again!"
How does the fact that Jesus has risen again sound to you? Do you believe it? Do you really believe it?
Is this something that can be easily believed? No, it is not.
1. “I can’t believe it”—It is natural not to believe the resurrection.
Look at today’s passage. There were women who went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning, the day after the Sabbath. Why did they go to the tomb? There were things they brought and things they did not bring. What did they bring, and what did they not bring? According to verse 1, they brought spices. Why spices? When a body decays, it emits a foul odor. Spices are used to cover that odor by sprinkling them over the body. Sprinkling spices on the corpse of a loved one was the last expression of love.
But there was something they did not bring with them to Jesus’ tomb—that was faith in Jesus’ words. They brought human affection and duty toward Jesus, but they did not carry with them faith in Jesus’ words that He would rise again.
Before He was arrested, Jesus repeatedly told them that He would suffer, be killed, and rise again on the third day. Yet neither the disciples who followed Him throughout His public ministry nor these women believed His words about resurrection at all.
It’s the same today. The idea of a dead person coming back to life is beyond belief. There may be cases where someone stops breathing for a moment and then breathes again, but how can anyone believe that someone like Jesus—whose body was bruised from scourging, flesh torn off, thorns from a crown pressed into His skin, thick nails driven through His hands and feet, and a spear thrust into His side—came back to life?
Imagine these women.
[Mark 16:5] As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
Seeing a young man dressed in white—an angel—sitting inside the tomb, “they were alarmed.”
When the angel told them Jesus had risen: [Mark 16:8] Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. [Mark 16:9–10] 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. She went and told those who had been with Him and who were mourning and weeping.
Verses 9–10 tell us that Mary Magdalene, who met the risen Jesus, informed the disciples. And how did the disciples respond to her report?
[Mark 16:11] When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe it.
Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. When they returned and reported it, what was the other disciples’ reaction?
[Mark 16:13] These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
Later, Jesus appeared to the disciples when they were gathered: [Mark 16:14] 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.
Especially Thomas, who was known for his doubts, was not there when Jesus appeared to the other disciples. Despite everyone saying they had seen the risen Lord, he did not believe.
[John 20:25] So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
In short, he said, “Don’t talk nonsense.” To that Thomas, the risen Jesus appeared.
[John 20:27] Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.”
And from Thomas came a great confession: [John 20:28] Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
I hope everyone here can confess with the same faith as Thomas: “You are my Lord and my God.”
Let us confess to one another—"Jesus is my Lord and my God."
That same doubting Thomas is known to have traveled the farthest among the disciples to spread the gospel, eventually being martyred. He went to India, and in eastern India, he was tortured on a heated iron plate by local tribesmen and thrown alive into a blazing furnace. But when the flames did not consume him, the people killed him by thrusting a spear into his body. (AD 70) (image)
Dear beloved saints, the fact that Jesus, who died on the cross, came back to life is in itself something awe-inspiring and terrifying—it is only natural that it would be hard to believe.
But remember what Jesus said after receiving Thomas’s confession:
[John 20:29] Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
I hope you believe that we are more blessed than the disciples. They believed because they saw, but we have believed because we heard the gospel, even without seeing.
Faith is what goes beyond the limits of doubt. It transcends worldly logic, human reasoning, and knowledge. I hope you believe that the resurrection is God’s work that surpasses all common sense, knowledge, and worldly expectations.
[Application] Is there any work of God in your life that you cannot understand or accept because you are bound by the limits of worldly logic and expectation?
2. “Now I believe”—Jesus’ resurrection is my resurrection.
Among all the miracles in this world, what is the greatest miracle? It is that Jesus rose again. It is the miracle of Jonah.
If you believe that Jesus rose again, His resurrection becomes your resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is the promise of resurrection for all who believe.
[1 Corinthians 15:21–23] For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.
You and I belong to Jesus. When Jesus comes again, we will all be clothed with resurrection bodies.
May this resurrection faith be our true faith.
Let me share with you a story about Jeremy, which deeply moved me.
Jeremy was a 12-year-old boy. He had polio and was intellectually disabled. On top of that, he was terminally ill with a disease he had from birth.
His Christian parents enrolled him in a Christian elementary school so that he could have as normal a life as possible. Though he was 12, he was in the second grade, far behind the other children in learning ability. His homeroom teacher, Doris Miller, often lost her temper because of Jeremy. He sat sluggishly like a slug, drooled, and constantly muttered unintelligibly. Occasionally, he would speak clearly and intelligently, but most of the time he did not follow instructions.
One day, unable to bear it anymore, Ms. Miller called his parents and told them that Jeremy needed to attend a special school.
Jeremy’s mother wept, and his father pleaded with tears, “This is the only school Jeremy has left. He loves going to school more than anything. If he can’t attend, it will devastate him. Please keep him.”
After his parents left, Ms. Miller prayed, “Lord, compared to their suffering, mine is nothing. I complained. Please help me to have more patience with Jeremy.”
She tried to ignore his disruptions.
One day, Jeremy limped up to her desk and loudly declared, “I love you, Ms. Miller!”
The whole class burst into laughter, and Ms. Miller, blushing, stammered, “Th-thank you, Jeremy. Now go back to your seat.”
As Easter approached, Ms. Miller told the children about Jesus and new life. She gave each child a large plastic egg and told them to bring back something that symbolized new life.
Jeremy stopped muttering and stared intently at her. He seemed to understand, but Ms. Miller worried. Did he understand the death and resurrection of Jesus? Did he even know what the assignment was? She intended to call his parents that night, but other things came up and she didn’t.
The next day, the eggs were on her desk.
The first had a flower. “Yes, a flower symbolizes new life.”
The second had a detailed butterfly model. “We know caterpillars become butterflies. New life!”
The third had a mossy rock. “Moss is also life.”
Then she opened the fourth egg—and was shocked. It was Jeremy’s egg. It was empty.
Assuming he hadn’t understood, she discreetly set it aside.
But then Jeremy cried out, “Ms. Miller, why didn’t you talk about my egg?”
Flustered, she said, “Your egg is empty, Jeremy.”
Jeremy looked at her and gently replied, “Yes, but Jesus’ tomb was empty too.”
Time seemed to stand still.
“Why was the tomb empty?”
“Jesus was nailed to the cross and buried there. But God brought Him back to life and took Him to heaven.”
Ms. Miller turned away, silently shedding tears.
Three months later, Jeremy’s illness worsened, and he went to heaven.
At his funeral, there were 19 plastic eggs on his casket—all of them empty.
Jeremy believed in Jesus’ resurrection. Though born with a disability and living only 12 years, he lived with faith in the resurrection and hope in heaven.
May we live with resurrection hope like Jeremy.
Tell the person next to you—“Jesus’ tomb is empty.” “Jesus has risen again.”
[Application] Do you believe that Jesus’ resurrection is directly connected to your resurrection? When you think about your own death, what emotions arise?
3. “I Will Go.” Resurrection Faith Transforms Me.
Today’s passage shows that even the disciples found it difficult to believe the fact that Jesus had risen again. That’s why, after encountering the risen Lord, the disciples were completely transformed. Before that, they were fearful and had all abandoned Jesus and fled. They hid behind locked doors, terrified of being discovered. But after meeting the risen Lord, they boldly proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ.
Even Jesus’ younger brothers James and Jude had once thought their brother was mad, but after seeing the risen Jesus, they believed. James became the top leader of the Jerusalem church, and each of them went on to write the Book of James and the Book of Jude in the New Testament. The resurrection is proof that all people can believe.
[Acts 17:31] “For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
To the disciples who experienced this resurrection — which is proof all people can believe — Jesus spoke these words:
[Verse 15] “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”
And in fact, they did go on to boldly proclaim Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, even unto martyrdom.
Dear beloved congregation, we are those who believe in the risen Lord. To us who believe in the resurrection, the Lord also says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” When someone hears the gospel we proclaim and crosses beyond the limits of worldly wisdom, knowledge, common sense, and doubt to believe, the life of Jesus comes upon them, and His resurrection becomes their resurrection.
I bless you in the name of the Lord, that we — who believe in the risen Christ — may all go to the ends of the earth to proclaim His death and resurrection, and be people who bring life.
[Application] Where or to whom is the “end of the earth” or soul that the Lord is calling me to go to today? How have I been transformed through the power of resurrection faith?
하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.
Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.