April 12, 2020
Mark 16:1-6
In Jesus, God entered the boxing arena where evil seems to have
the upper hand. He took the worst blows of the enemy, being subject to the
powers that conspired to destroy him. He was beaten, abused, and eventually
knocked out. But just when the match seemed lost, Jesus arose; and in his
resurrection he dealt a finishing blow to the forces of evil, sin, and death.
Christ became the Victor. With his victory all humankind was offered the
opportunity to join forces with him; to be set free from the power of evil,
sin, and death; and to live lives of hope, freedom, and love (Excerpt from 24
Hours That Changed The World by Adam Hamilton, pages 126–127).
Read Mark 15:42-46. Imagine you are Joseph of Arimathea. You are
about to handle the lifeless body of Jesus and transport him to a burial place
you own. Not a single one of those who followed Jesus when he was alive is
around to help you. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What
are you thinking?
Read Mark 16:1-6. Imagine you are Mary Magdalene. You saw the
lifeless body of Jesus and watched Joseph of Arimathea take it away. But now
you have arrived at the tomb, and the stone is rolled away from the entrance.
Someone is telling you that Jesus is alive. You stumble away in shock. What do
you see? hear? feel? What are you thinking?
The Gospel writers acknowledged that even those who saw the empty
tomb struggled to understand Jesus’ resurrection. Why do you think that this is
the case?
Why do you believe that the resurrection is this important?
What metaphor would you use to describe Christ’s victory over sin
and death? What meaning could the Christus Victor theory of the Atonement have
in your life?
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