Sun, Apr 9, 2023 – “Why do you Seek the Living Among the Dead?” (Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:1-7, 17-26; 1 Peter 1:3-7)
Scott Wakefield
Part of Easter Sunday 2023

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“Easter at NPAC”


Follow Along with Today’s Sermon Manuscript (sort of, mostly, kind of)

  • Our preachers don’t always follow word for word, (especially Scott, Lead Pastor), but it will help you follow the train of thought and prepare for your study below.
  • Scott


Daily Bible Readings
On Sun-Fri, the first passages listed (before the semicolon) are related to this sermon, while the second passages listed help you read through the whole book of Exodus each week. The Sat reading is for the next day’s sermon, to help you prepare.

Sermon Notes

Today’s Sermon – “Why do you Seek the Living Among the Dead?”
(Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:1-7, 17-26; 1 Peter 1:3-7)


1 Peter 1:3-5 – 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.


“You can believe in resurrection without believing in a bodily resurrection: Faith is more than adherence to rigid dogma.”
—Seminary President, Heretic (2019)


Before the Resurrection, and because of sin, eternal condemnation and death was the expectation, even for the first followers of Jesus. But after the Resurrection, they began to understand that what Jesus had accomplished for them, in His death, burial, and resurrection, was their victory that results in a new and transformed eternal life—a life no longer animated by what brings death.

Mark 16:1-3 – 1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”


16:4-6 – 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.


16:7-10 – 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.


16:11-14 – 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. 12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.


Luke 24:1-3 – 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.


24:4-5 – 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?


24:6-8 – 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words,


24:9-12 – 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.


Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.


Romans 5:15-17 -But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.


Romans 6:4-5 – 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.


1 Corinthians 15:1-7 – 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.


1 Corinthians 15:17-26 – 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.


1 Peter 1:3-7 – 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Inductive Bible Study Questions

To prepare for Life Group, Pillar breakout groups, or personal use, answer the following inductive study questions based on the sermon and a few other resources we suggest (See “Mostly Trusted & Free Resources” below.)

Inductive Bible study is about going from particulars to principles by prayerfully studying the details—both in the text and the larger Scriptural context of a passage—and allowing them to determine meaning and application.

Observe: What does the text say?

  1. Read the passage at least once, preferably multiple times.

  2. Answer the 4 Ws: Where? When? Who? What? (Ex: author, location, original audience, cultural setting, etc.)

  3. Are there any literary cues worthy of note? (Ex: key words/phrases, transition, repetition, parallel, comparison, contrast, etc.)

  • It’s helpful at this point to consult a few resources: Study Bible notes, commentaries, Bible dictionaries/encyclopedias, etc.


Interpret: What does the text mean?
  1. How does the wider context help inform our understanding of this passage?

  2. Are there any other passages that help provide a framework for understanding?

  3. What are the passage’s main points?

  4. What is the one main principle God intends to communicate to the original audience?


Apply: What is the text saying to us?

  1. What doctrinal or theological truths does this text teach or reinforce?

  2. What questions does it elicit for you?

  3. Which of FCC’s 7 Habits (or a spiritual habit/practice) does the principle in “Interpret” #4 highlight most?

  4. What is the most important application of this passage to… the original audience? Our world? Our church? Your relationships, family, marriage, parenting, etc.? Your plans, career, schooling, etc.?

  5. What is God trying to tell you?

  6. What is your Next Step of “everyday boring faithfulness”? Or, when it comes to the 7 Habits (or the aforementioned spiritual habit/practice), what do you need to stop doing, keep doing, start doing?




For Further Study: Mostly Trusted & Mostly Free Resources

  • ESV Study Bible – Our #1 recommendation. The English Standard Version, which we use for preaching, has really good Study Notes, maps, introductions, mini-systematic theology, etc. Available in hardcopy at cost in The Hub at every campus (or for Logos Bible Software below.) The ESV Bible text is free on our app under “Bible” or at ESV.org, where the Global Study Bible Notes are also free.
  • NETbible.org – Free Bible (various versions, incl ESV with lots of helpful textual notes and a few decent resources and commentaries.
  • IVP New Bible Commentary – Good basic one-volume commentary. Available in The Hub at any campus.
  • Logos Bible Software – Download 40+ free resources here to get started, incl 6 Bible versions, ESV Audio Bible, Faithlife Study Notes, Lexham Bible Dictionary, and Easton’s Bible Dictionary, as well as some classics like Charles Hodge’s Systematic Theology, JFB Commentary (Critical/Explanatory on Whole Bible), Matthew Henry Concise Commentary, Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions, Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Augustine’s Confessions. ESV Bible and Study Notes available for purchase at logos.com, along with basically any other important biblical and theological resource you could possibly imagine. (Scott’s favorite resource. He says, “I’m in and out of Logos two dozen times a day.”)
  • Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem – Good overall and highly readable introduction to Christian doctrine. Available at cost in The Hub and also for Logos Bible Software. This is what Scott and Mark Liebert often use as a guide on our biweekly Brown Bags & Bibles podcast.
  • Free Online Whole Bible Commentaries (By Dead People) – Albert Barnes, John Calvin (missing some books), Adam Clarke,