DON’T LET YOUR MINDSET HOLD YOU BACK
When a hurricane hits, too often, lives are lost because of mental barriers, “It won’t happen to me.”
Ignoring the warning signs of a coming crisis can be deadly.
Welcome back! This is part 13, the last of our 13-part series on our study of the Book of Mark and its relevance to our lives today.
When Jesus was arrested, tried, sentenced to death, and executed, where were his disciples? Did their mindsets keep them from being prepared?
We examine the mistakes the disciples made in preparing for their coming crisis to see how we can be prepared for any crisis.
So, please stay and continue this journey with us.
But, before we begin, as always, let’s Pray.
Inviting God’s Presence.
Holy Father, remove the mental blocks that prohibit us from being prepared in times of crisis. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
The Book of Mark
(Lesson 13)
The Risen Lord
Part 1 Introduction
You have seen the news after a hurricane hit.
Lives lost, people trapped in flooded homes, people calling 911 in the height of the storm for someone to come and help them, emergency water rescues by boats and helicopters, people stuck on flooded highways, people stuck on their roofs or attics –heartbreaking.
The sad truth is that many of these crises may have been avoided if they had been prepared.
What stopped them? Often, it’s their mindset, their preconceived ideas, their biases, their mental barriers, the thinking they have that “It won’t happen to me” or “I’ve made it through storms before; I’ll be fine this time.”
“We are just going to ride this one out.”
These thoughts can be dangerous to ourselves and others.
Our mindsets can interfere with our need to take immediate action.
But supposed people took the hurricane warnings seriously every time.
They stocked up on supplies, had an evacuation plan, and made every effort to keep their families safe before the impending crisis.
But too many let their own beliefs and biases keep them from acting until it’s too late.
Their world is turned upside down overnight.
Fear, confusion, and despair take over.
When Jesus was crucified, His followers, His disciples, lost all faith and hope. It appeared as if it was the end for them.
It was a dark and weary weekend as they not only struggled with what to do next after their Master’s death, but now, as indicated in John 20:19, they feared for their own lives.
In the book of Mark, especially in its final chapter, Mark 16, we uncover the events after the darkest day—Jesus’ death.
This chapter not only closes the story of Jesus’ earthly ministry but also opens our understanding of the power of overcoming preconceived notions in the face of a coming crisis.
As the sun rose on that first day of the week, something miraculous occurred that was hard for His disciples to believe:
Jesus woke up, Jesus woke up from the dead.
Jesus, who had been laid to rest in a tomb, was no longer there. He had risen!
The angel at the tomb declared, according to Mark 16:6,
‘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’ ” (Mark 16:6, NKJV).
This was a critical moment. Jesus’ followers had spent the previous days overwhelmed by fear and grief.
They even feared for their lives; their leader, whom they believed would restore their nation, was dead.
All seemed lost. But there was a twist in the story they hadn’t anticipated.
How often, like the disciples, we hold tight to our fears and doubts when trouble hits.
We expect the worst. But that resurrection morning teaches us something different. (
While many focus on the resurrection morning to support Sunday’s sacredness, Seventh-day Adventists acknowledge the importance of the Sabbath. Yet they recognize that Sabbath observance doesn’t negate the rejoicing that comes with the Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead. It’s the day that turned despair into hope, fear into faith.
We examine Mark 16, exploring it to reinforce the idea that a crisis can become an opportunity for renewal, faith, and mission.
We conclude this study with a challenge for all of us.
To review any of our previous recording, go to SabbathSchoolDaily.com
The empty tomb is a testament that preconceived notions can blind us to the miracles right before our eyes. (Pause)
May we not be so caught up in our fears that we miss out on the resurrection moments in our lives or even the great resurrection when Jesus returns to raise His sleeping followers from the grave.
Therefore, let us now prepare ourselves and encourage others to prepare for the coming crisis just before Jesus returns.
Even death itself could not keep Him in the grave. Jesus’ resurrection was a surprise to everyone.
It says in the Desire of Ages that “ In the garden, Mary had stood weeping, when Jesus was close beside her. Her eyes were so blinded by tears that she did not discern Him. And the hearts of the disciples were so full of grief that they did not believe the angels’ message or the words of Christ Himself.” (The Desire of Ages, p. 79)
Why the misconception? Today, there is another misconception.
What is it? Read Mark 15:42–16:6
Then continue to Part 2: Rejoicing in the Resurrection
The Book of Mark
(Lesson 13)
The Risen Lord
Part 2: Rejoicing in the Resurrection
The world grows dark and dreary as the One Who Had Promised Life is buried Friday, preparation day, before sunset.
From despair to rejoicing, Jesus’ resurrection is our hope and guiding light today.
What happened from that dreadful Thursday evening to that miraculous Sunday morning is crucial to our salvation.
The events of Mark 15:42 to Mark 15:47 unfolded during what is known as Preparation Day, a time from sunset Thursday to sunset Friday.
It is the time when the people readied themselves for the Sabbath.
According to Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:54, Jesus died late Friday afternoon and was hurriedly buried before the Sabbath began.
Mark 15:42
42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, (Mark 15:42)
Luke 23:54
54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. (Luke 23:54)
In fact, all four Gospels agree that Jesus died on Friday, “preparation day.”
We see this in Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31 and 42.
Therefore, most Bible commentators agree that preparation day begins at sunset on Thursday and ends at sunset on Friday.
Thus, Jesus died late on Friday afternoon and was quickly buried before sunset. (Pause)
During the Sabbath, something insightful happened.
Jesus rested in the grave, and Luke 23:56 tells us that His disciples also rested on the Sabbath according to the commandments.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:56)
This observance is significant—it shows that even in the face of great loss and uncertainty, Jesus’ disciples still honored God’s command to keep the Sabbath.
This shows that Jesus had not lessened the obligation to keep the fourth commandment.
Then, as Saturday night fell, the women who followed Jesus prepared spices.
At the dawn of Sunday, with the desire to complete the typical burial process, they went to anoint His body, only to find an empty tomb.
Mark 16:6
6 And 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, here is the place where they laid Him. (Mark 16:6).
Why is this account vital? It signifies that Jesus gained victory over death and the grave.
This sequence of events—Jesus’ death, the Sabbath rest, and the resurrection is our surety of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Consequently, a hundred years after these events, early Christians conceived Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday as significant.
This misconception influenced them to honor Jesus’ resurrection by establishing Sunday as the sacred day of rest in the place of the Sabbath.
However, it’s important to be clear that the New Testament does not in any way teach that Sunday, in honor of Jesus’s resurrection, was to replace the Sabbath, the original day God established as His day of rest since Creation.
How, then, do we honor Jesus’ resurrections?
Colossians 2:10–12 offers baptism as a memorial of Jesus resurrection.
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 2:10-12)
As expressed in Romans 66:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans. 6:4, NKJV).
This act offers us a personal relationship with Jesus through His death, burial, and resurrection, symbolizing a new life in Christ when we are raised from the watery grave.
Thus, laying aside any preconceptions, we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection joyously, recognizing it as a pivotal moment in history and in our personal faith journeys.
Jesus’ victory over death is not just about a moment in time; it’s a promise of renewal and eternal life for all who believe.
We embrace this truth, living out our baptismal promise and sharing this hope with the world.
Remember, from the darkness of the tomb emerged the everlasting light of hope—He is risen indeed!
The notion that someone could rise from the dead is difficult for many.
Some people find it incredible that Christians believe in a risen Lord.
What evidence do Christians have that Jesus, in fact, rose from the dead?
Read Mark 16:1–8 and 1 Corinthians 15:1–8.
Then, View the next segment of this video, Part 3: The Stone was Rolled Away
The Book of Mark
(Lesson 13)
The Risen Lord
Part 3: The Stone Was Rolled Away
The resurrection of Jesus isn’t just a claim; it’s the truth verified by multiple cross-witnesses.
Cross-witnesses are individuals or pieces of evidence that can be used to support or challenge a witness’s testimony in a legal or investigative context.
They serve to verify or refute the facts presented by a primary witness during a trial or inquiry.
The resurrection account appears in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Each presents a different perspective on it, but they all contain the core concepts also found in 1 Corinthians 15.
The resurrection narrative contains four points:
(1) Jesus died, (2) was buried, (3) rose again, and (4) was seen by many.
In Mark 16, we read a vivid account of the women who went to the tomb early on that Sunday morning, only to find it empty and an angel announcing in Mark 15:6, “He has risen; he is not here” (Mark 16:6).
They were directed to go and tell the disciples, with a specific mention of Peter, that Jesus would meet them in Galilee; this we observe in John 21.
Turning to 1 Corinthians 15, Paul recites an early Christian creed that affirms these events, and He lists those who witnessed the risen Christ.
He emphasizes that Jesus appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve, and then to more than five hundred followers at once, many of whom were still alive and could corroborate the story at the time.
Why does this matter to us today? Both accounts underscore the historical reliability and divine nature of the resurrection.
The empty tomb in Mark and the multiple eyewitnesses in Corinthians serve as compelling evidence of the truth of Jesus’ resurrection.
Consider this: the same God who created the universe out of nothing in Genesis 1 and 2 brought Jesus back from the dead.
This isn’t just a belief; it’s a testament to God’s miraculous power over life and death.
The God who made the universe and everything in it could certainly bring Jesus back to life.
Next, the tomb where Jesus was placed was definitely empty.
Even historians who don’t believe in God agree with that.
If Jesus’ body had still been there, the story of His coming back to life would not have made sense.
Moreover, the explanation that His disciples stole the body does not fit.
The impossibility of the disciples stealing Jesus’ body—guarded as it was by Roman soldiers—and the willingness of these early Christians to die for their testimony solidify the authenticity of their accounts.
The reality is the religious leaders knew that the disciples had not stolen Jesus’ body.
There are many more reasons. How can we understand the growth of the Christian church started by people who said they saw Jesus alive after He died?
Why would these folks risk their lives for something they knew was a lie?
Their strong and unchanging stories told just after His death, as in Acts 3:15, and years later, as in 1 Peter 1:3, show that Jesus came back to life.
In Acts 3:15, they call Jesus the “Author of life” and say that even though He was killed, God brought Him back to life.
In 1 Peter 1:3, Peter discusses the great hope Christians have because Jesus came back to life.
The accounts of these witnesses give us powerful evidence of Jesus’s resurrection.
Hence, we conclude beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus’s resurrection isn’t a legend; it’s the cornerstone of our faith, validated by consistent testimonies of credible witnesses across multiple sources.
Let this assurance deepen your faith and confidence and dispel any misconception or false ideas about Jesus and God’s ability to raise him from the dead.
If God raises Jesus, we can also have hope that He can raise us as well.
Therefore, let us stand on the solid rock of this truth and move forward, filled with the confidence to share and live out the miraculous reality: Christ has risen; His death and resurrection “offers hope and eternal life to all who receive Him and believe in Him.” (Pause)
Therefore, we must not keep silent; read Mark 16:1-8 about how the women first responded when they discovered that Jesus was not dead but had risen from the dead.
Then, Continue to the next segment of this video, Part 4: The Women at the Tomb
The Book of Mark
(Lesson 13)
The Risen Lord
Part 4: The Women at the Tomb
In the quiet hours of a Sunday morning, a group of faithful women approached a tomb with heavy hearts and spices in hand.
Their actions set the stage for one of the greatest revelations in human history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This moment, recorded in Mark 16:1–8, isn’t just a story of surprise and fear; it shows how our mindset can hold us back from doing what God instructs us to do.
The book The Desire of Ages tells us: “The women who had stood by the cross of Christ waited and watched for the hours of the Sabbath to pass. On the first day of the week, very early, they made their way to the tomb, taking with them precious spices to anoint the Saviour’s body. They did not think about His rising from the dead. The sun of their hope had set, and night had settled down on their hearts. As they walked, they recounted Christ’s works of mercy and His words of comfort. But they remembered not His words, ‘I will see you again.’ John 16:22.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 788.
So, we find in Mark 16:1-8 that as the day dawned on the first day of the week, the women reached the tomb with expensive perfumes to perform a final act of service to the one they believed dead.
But the tomb was open and empty.
An angel awaited them with news that defied human logic: “He has risen; he is not here” (Mark 16:6).
These women, confused and terrified, ran away.
Initially, they were too scared to share what they had seen, so they said nothing.
From the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, Mark makes it clear that Jesus is the Messiah.
As readers of the Gospel, we know that Jesus is the Messiah, but Mark’s record of the first non-demon-possessed person proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah is Peter in Mark 8:29.
And this profession does not occur until halfway through the book of Mark.
Throughout Mark’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly instructed those He healed to keep His identity secret.
He told them not to tell anyone about His healing them.
In Mark 1:44, He tells a leper to tell no one of his healing.
In Mark 5:43, He tells Jairus and his wife to tell no one about Him raising their daughter from the dead. Pause
In Mark 7:36, He tells a group not to tell people about His healing of a deaf and mute man.
And in both Mark 8:30 and Mark 9:9, Jesus gave these same instructions to His disciples.
In Mark 9:9, this instruction was given to Peter, James, and John as they descended the mountain after witnessing the Transfiguration, where Jesus appeared in radiant glory along with Moses and Elijah.
He told them to keep the vision secret until after He had risen from the dead. (Pause)
This ensured that His mission could unfold at the precise time as prophesied in Daniel 9:24–27.
Despite His attempts to prepare His followers, when the moment of truth arrived regarding His resurrection, they were unprepared!
So, even after they had been told that Jesus had risen, the women, fearful and amazed, ran away from the tomb.
Therefore, at first, they kept quiet about what they had seen and heard.
But they did not stay silent for long.
For, In Mark 16:20 it says
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. (Mark 16:20 NKJV).
Hence, the pattern of remaining silent about Jesus, who He is, and what He has done is broken.
The Gospel of Mark ends with them preaching “everywhere.” (Pause)
Although the women’s experience at the tomb ends on a positive note, it underscores a vital lesson: our preconceived notions and our mindsets can blind us to reality, especially in times of crisis.
The women, focusing on their immediate grief, were unprepared for the resurrection despite direct promises from Jesus that He would rise again. (Pause)
Their initial silence upon witnessing the empty tomb speaks volumes about the overwhelming power of encountering the unexpected. With God, we can expect the unexpected; however, we must, by faith, be prepared and respond accordingly.
Like the women at the tomb, we often face situations that defy our preconceived notions.
Yet, their story doesn’t end at the grave. Just as Jesus rose, defying all expectations, we too can embrace the unforeseeable with faith rather than fear.
May we move forward, prepared to see beyond our assumptions and be ready to embrace the miracles that await us.
Just as the women eventually spread the word of Jesus’ resurrection, we are also called to share the incredible news of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.
Remember, when we let go of our doubts and open our hearts to God’s possibilities, we prepare ourselves not just to witness miracles but to proclaim them. Therefore, we must not keep silent about Jesus and what He has done for us.
After His resurrection, Jesus also appeared to Mary Magdalene, of whom He had cast out seven demons and He appeared to others. How did their mindset affect their response? Read: Mark 16:9–20
Then, continue to the next segment of this video: Part 5: Appearing to Mary and Others
The Book of Mark
(Lesson 13)
The Risen Lord
Part 5: Appearing to Mary and Others
Have you had this happen to you? Early in the light of a new day, you come to a new reality.
Something happens that challenges everything you thought you knew.
This is what happened to Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus rose from the dead, the first to see and tell of it were not the expected leaders or respected figures of that day.
They were instead women. These women’s testimonies transformed the lives of those in disbelief.
What happened challenges us to set aside our own preconceived notions (our mindsets) and be open to receiving the truth, even in a crisis.
After Jesus’ crucifixion, His disciples (His followers) were engulfed in despair, with no anticipation of the miracle that was to come.
Mark 16:9–20 unfolds with Mary Magdalene being the first to encounter the risen Savior.
On a side note: speaking of corroboration, meaning the testimonies of the witnesses support each other, thereby strengthening the overall account of events, nearly all of Mark 16:9–20 parallels with other passages in the four Gospels.
For instance, Mary Magdalene’s seeing Jesus at the tomb is corroborated in Matthew 28:1, 9, 10; John 20:11–18; and Luke 8:2.
The account of the two disciples seeing Him in the countryside is confirmed in Luke 24:13–35.
The 11 disciples receiving their commission from Jesus are corroborated in Matthew 28:16–20, Luke 24:36–49, and John 20:19–23.
Thus, in a court of law, the Gospel of Mark testimony would be received as a credible account of the various encounters with Jesus after His resurrection.
Again, it is significant to point out that women were the first people to see the risen Lord.
This is out of the ordinary because women during that day would not necessarily be seen as credible witnesses.
This builds a strong case for Jesus’s resurrection.
If the intent was to create a false story, it would have been more convincing to say that men were the first witnesses to see Jesus.
Nevertheless, Jesus’s encounter with the women was no ordinary meeting; it was a pivotal moment that defied societal expectations for that day.
Though Mary would not be considered a credible witness, she was the first to see and proclaim Jesus’ resurrection.
She goes to tell the good news to the disciples, but, not surprisingly, they do not believe her testimony, most likely because it seemed too good to be true and also, unfortunately, because she was a woman.
The disciples themselves struggled with doubt and fear.
Even when multiple women brought news of an empty tomb and a risen Lord, their mindset about women and about Jesus’ ability to rise from the grave created doubt and disbelief, which presented a barrier, blinding them to the reality before them.
Mark candidly portrays the disciples’ shortcomings, not to criticize them but to illustrate a profound truth: even those closest to Jesus needed a different mindset to fully grasp His resurrection.
Moreover, if the gospel writers were making the story up, why would they have made themselves look so bad?
Jesus had to rebuke them for their “hardness of heart.”
The Gospel accounts, from Jesus’ arrest on Thursday evening to His appearances after the Resurrection, portray the followers of Jesus in a very negative light.
They run away after he is arrested; Peter denies Him; they do not believe that He has risen from the grave.
It is human nature to put ourselves in a positive light.
Thus, it makes no sense if the account of Jesus is merely a made-up story.
Since it is not a made-up story, now would be the time to change your mindset if you are a skeptic.
This narrative isn’t just about a past event; it’s a call to each of us today.
How often have our doubts and preconceptions blocked us from seeing the truth, especially in times of crisis?
Let’s learn from the disciples and the faithful women at the tomb.
The Bible is the Word of God; it is our only certainty.
Even though some things in it may seem hard to believe, we must trust God’s word and His power to save.
Remember, every expression of doubt leads to unbelief, but every word of hope and affirmation strengthens our faith.
It was only after the disciples changed their mindset that they were later able to boldly and unwaveringly proclaim the risen Christ, offering hope to everyone who would believe and providing powerful evidence for the validity of their claims.
Let us choose to put away our preconceived notions and disbelief, commit ourselves to the Risen Christ, and proclaim not just with our lips but through our lives that He is risen indeed.
What did Jesus say to His disciples when He appeared to them, and what do His words mean to us today? Read Mark 16:14–20.
Then, continue to the next segment of this video, Part 6: Go Into All the World
The Book of Mark
(Lesson 13)
The Risen Lord
Part 6: Go Into All the World
Once dead, Jesus appeared alive to His followers, challenging their doubts and transforming their mindset.
This pivotal moment teaches us a vital lesson: our preconceived notions can often blind us to the truths right before our eyes, especially in times of crisis.
After Jesus’ crucifixion, His followers were swamped with despair, not expecting the miracle of His resurrection.
When Jesus appeared to them, as recounted in Mark 16:14–20, He first rebuked them for their hardness of heart and disbelief.
Despite having witnessed His miracles and hearing His prophecies about rising on the third day, they struggled to believe He had truly returned from the dead.
This question of unbelief shows us that it is not simply a modern problem.
As we have seen, and is confirmed in Matthew 28:17 and John 20:24-29 even the original disciples of Jesus struggled with unbelief, and they were with Jesus in the flesh and saw him perform miracles repeatedly.
Jesus affirmed his resurrection by physically appearing to his disciples after his death, allowing them to touch his wounds, and even eating food in their presence, giving them tangible evidence that he was not a spirit but was alive; this is most notably described in the story of “Doubting Thomas” where he was able to touch Jesus’ wounds to confirm his belief in the resurrection.
Once confirmed, Jesus commissioned His followers to spread the Good News worldwide to everyone.
He explained that those who believed would be saved, while those who did not would be condemned.
Jesus also describes the signs that would accompany their work.
They were given the power to cast out demons, speak new tongues, heal the sick, and be protected from evil.
However, Jesus’ promises of protection in Mark 16:18 were not to be misinterpreted as including deliberate and reckless acts to prove God’s power, such as picking up poisonous snakes.
Instead, Jesus’s promise was to be a promise of divine protection against harm, as demonstrated when Paul was unharmed by a viper’s bite in Acts 28:3–6. (Pause)
And then, after doing all He did here, “He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19, NKJV).
Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God, the place of supreme power, for Jesus had defeated all the forces of evil.
They did not go alone as they went “everywhere,” preaching the gospel. It says in Mark 16:20
“The Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mark 16:20, NKJV).
What comfort can and should we take from this promise as we, too, seek to proclaim the gospel “everywhere”?
Despite their firsthand experiences with Jesus, the disciples’ initial unbelief highlighted a common human frailty—the struggle to accept what seems impossible.
This skepticism wasn’t just a fleeting challenge; it was a barrier that kept them locked in fear even after hearing of His resurrection.
Today, we stand with the same call to overcome our doubts and embrace faith in the face of the unknown.
The same commission Jesus gave to his disciples after his resurrection, he gives to each of us.
In a world clouded with darkness and disbelief, He bids us go and spread the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
As followers of Christ, we are equipped with light to lighten this dark world and push away ignorance and despair just as surely as the dawn dispels the night.
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