THE GREATEST "I TOLD YOU SO" EVER

July 1, 2010

THE GREATEST "I TOLD YOU SO" EVER

Mark 16:1-8

Rachel Shelton

Central Truth

We, too, should go and tell others. Life is and will be just as Jesus said.

"But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'" (Mark 16:7)

The Resurrection

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?” 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. 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.

When I hear the words, "I told you so," there is usually a whiny tone to them. It takes me back to elementary school when I doubted someone or something. Those words would echo from the lips of someone around me (and always with a crinkled nose) in a sing-songy rhythm, "I told you so!" And that was all. They were right. I had doubted.

I can't help but think of those words when I read these eight verses. But the tone is very different. Instead of a mocking, prideful tone, the angel's words seem reaffirming and hopeful.

The women who came to anoint Jesus' body got up long before the crack of dawn. Concerned about how they would roll the stone away, they were surprised to find that the stone was already rolled to the side of the tomb's entrance. There inside the tomb sat an angel. He told them not to be alarmed, and then he told them so. It was just as Jesus had said: He had risen. Probably the greatest "told you so," ever!

So, then what?

We see that the angel (verse 7) tells the women to go and tell others. Go tell people that it is just as Jesus said. Jesus had gone ahead of them to Galilee, as He promised.

What I remember when reading this passage is that Jesus is right. What He said is 100% accurate. He said He would rise again, and He said He would see them again in Galilee (Mark 14:28). And He did (John 21:1-19). So knowing that, I should be quick to share with others what Jesus said. I need to go. I need to tell others. Jesus is a trustworthy Savior, and I can count on His promises. I need to trust His promises and share them with others, encouraging them it will be so.

1. Have you ever crinkled your nose and said in a sing-songy voice, "I told you so," to someone else?

2. What are some specific things Jesus said? (Promises, statements, etc.) How have you seen them come to pass in your life?

3. Which promises of Jesus are you still waiting on? How should you live in the "waiting" time?

4. What is holding you back from going and telling others about what Jesus said?

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you remember what Peter had done in Mark 14:66-72?

2. Who does the angel tell the women to go tell that Jesus had risen from the dead?

3. Why was Peter singled out?

4. The angel was showing that Peter was still loved by Jesus. Have you ever done something for which you thought God would not forgive you? Have you confessed this to God and asked for His forgiveness? Can you now be free to know that God loves you?