The news is filled with events that are concerning. There is a sunken ferry boat in South Korea that may have a death toll of over 300 persons. Rescue has turned into a recovery. A Malaysian flight is still missing and the global community is trying to find its whereabouts and discover what happened. Concern over the Ukraine/Russia conflict is resulting in U.S. sanctions and the possibility of troops deployed into the area.
Many concerns are distant and our action is minimal. Each of us has concerns that are closer and affect our lives much more emotionally. Those concerns provoke us to action. The Easter story in the Bible tells of two groups of people, their concerns about Jesus following His death on the cross and the actions they took.
The Chief Priest and Pharisees were concerned the disciples would take Jesus’ body and make it look like He had risen from the dead. The action they took was to get a guard posted at the tomb.
Matthew 27:62-64
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
Three women going to the tomb were concerned about who would move the stone so they could get to Jesus’ body. Their action was talking to one another about this dilemma.
Mark 16:1-3
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. 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?”
Their problem was solved when they got to the tomb, but they were faced with a new concern.
John 20:1-2
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”
The concern was that someone stole Jesus’ body, so Mary’s action took her to the disciples. Her next action was to stay at the place where she saw Jesus last.
John 20:10-16
Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get Him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Three concerns people have about Jesus:
1. People will make Jesus will look real.
a. Action: guard – mind, reason, emotions, heart.
2. Feeling they cannot get to Jesus. Perhaps because of too much sin or something else.
a. Action – keep moving toward Jesus.
3. Jesus is gone, life is not working out.
a. Action: Seek help from others and stay at the place you last saw Jesus.
What is your concern about Jesus?
What actions are you taking?
Many concerns are distant and our action is minimal. Each of us has concerns that are closer and affect our lives much more emotionally. Those concerns provoke us to action. The Easter story in the Bible tells of two groups of people, their concerns about Jesus following His death on the cross and the actions they took.
The Chief Priest and Pharisees were concerned the disciples would take Jesus’ body and make it look like He had risen from the dead. The action they took was to get a guard posted at the tomb.
Matthew 27:62-64
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
Three women going to the tomb were concerned about who would move the stone so they could get to Jesus’ body. Their action was talking to one another about this dilemma.
Mark 16:1-3
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. 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?”
Their problem was solved when they got to the tomb, but they were faced with a new concern.
John 20:1-2
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”
The concern was that someone stole Jesus’ body, so Mary’s action took her to the disciples. Her next action was to stay at the place where she saw Jesus last.
John 20:10-16
Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get Him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Three concerns people have about Jesus:
1. People will make Jesus will look real.
a. Action: guard – mind, reason, emotions, heart.
2. Feeling they cannot get to Jesus. Perhaps because of too much sin or something else.
a. Action – keep moving toward Jesus.
3. Jesus is gone, life is not working out.
a. Action: Seek help from others and stay at the place you last saw Jesus.
What is your concern about Jesus?
What actions are you taking?
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