Mark 16:1-8 Every Step Is Joy: Christ Freed Us From Sin

The Text

Mark 16:1–8 (CSB)
¹ When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him.

² Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise.

³ They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?”

⁴ Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away.

⁵ When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed.

⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him.

⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’ ”

⁸ They went out and ran from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid.

The Devotion

Romans 6:1–14 (CSB)
¹ What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?

² Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

³ Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

⁴ Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.

⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,

⁷ since a person who has died is freed from sin.

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him,

⁹ because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him.

¹⁰ For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.

¹³ And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.

¹⁴ For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

Because Christ has lived the perfect life because we have fallen so short.

Because Christ has absorbed the wrath of God that was meant for us.

Because Christ has died the death that we should have.

Because Christ has risen from the grave.

Because Christ looked upon you before Genesis 1:1 and set his affections upon you.

Because Christ loved you with an everlasting love.

Because Christ knew you could not sin even on your best day.

Because Christ did it all so that you would be saved from your sins.

You no longer a slave to sin but a son of God.

You are no longer dead in your trespasses and sin but alive in Christ.

You are no longer forgotten but you are redeemed by God.

You no longer subjected to Satan and sin but you now get to obey God.

You are free. God himself does not condemn you.

Go and sin no more. Amen.

Every step that Christ took towards the cross was in complete joy and satisfaction because every step he took was one step closer to completely, satisfactorily, perfectly, definitely, absolutely, forever "save his people from their sins."