(Mark 16:1-8)- THE MESSAGE OF THE EASTER ANGEL
Intro: Throughout the Bible, God used angels to make special announcements to humans. For instance, He used an angel to:
1. Send a message of destruction to Lot in Sodom – Gen. 19
2. Announce the birth of Samson – Jgd. 13
3. Announce the birth of John the Baptist – Luke 1
4. Announce the conception of Christ – Luke 1:11
5. Announce the birth of Christ – Luke 2:8-14
It seems that when God has an announcement of extreme importance, He often sends that message through an angel. From reading the Bible, it  makes you wonder if angels ever get a day off!  In our text, we are presented with an angel that made an announcement that still echoes throughout the universe almost 2,000 years later.  On that first Easter morning, as dawn was breaking on a world that was forever changed, a special angel delivered a message that is still vital today.   This little band of women were afraid and sad as they made their way through the still and dark streets of Jerusalem early that Sunday morning. They were going to the tomb of the man they had all believed to be the Messiah, a man for whom they had left all other things behind. The man who had promised life to all who came unto Him, had been dead for days; and certainly these ladies were confused as they came near the tomb. They had concerns about the huge stone that covered the door into the tomb...(The stone at todays garden tomb was over 16 feet tall!)  How would they ever gain access to the body?  They were up early in the morning to FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED, which was to finish the preparations for burial of the body of Christ. As they came within sight of the tomb, they were astounded to see the stone rolled away and the Roman guards lying like dead men all around the mouth of the tomb. Seeing this, they ran to the tomb and looked in, only to find that the body of Jesus was gone. Jesus had FINISHED WHAT HE HAD STARTED!   Perhaps they feared that the Jewish rulers or the Romans had taken the body to prevent His Disciples from faking His resurrection. Maybe they suspected that grave robbers had taken the body and would use it in some extortion plot. Whatever the doubts and concerns that may have filled their hearts, they were short lived. Because, suddenly, the women noticed a "young man" sitting upon the stone, Matt. 28:2-3. This angel sees their fear and begins to speak to them. In doing so, he delivers a message of hope that still has the power to change lives this morning. Let’s listen in and hear for ourselves "The Message Of The Easter Angel."
It is a message of:
(1)-(v. 6a)-PEACE ("Be not Affrighted")-- The fear these ladies must have felt upon seeing the angel...but the first words from his the angel's lips are words of peace. Yet, this is how the Lord always deals with His people – 2 Tim. 1:7.   It is very appropriate that His resurrection should be attended with a message of peace....because 2,000 years later, His resurrection from the dead is still bringing that same message of peace to the hearts of all who believe in Him!   *Notice just a few of the areas of life where His resurrection gives peace:  1. Salvation – Heb. 7:25    2. Death – John 11:25-26   3. Life Itself – John 14:16-18.  4. Eternity – John 14:1-3 (John saw a glimpse of the glorified Christ and He is doing well!)- Rev. 1:13-18
(2)-(v. 6b)-POWER ("He is Risen!")--Jesus wasn’t the first man to get up from the dead, (Lazarus – John 11; The Widow of Nain’s son – Luke 7; Jairus’ daughter – Mark 5), but He was the first to ever get up to die no more! (All the others were just resuscitations, Jesus accomplished a true resurrection.)   

Because He was able to conquer death, all those who receive Him as their personal Saviour become partakers of that same resurrection power.  (This is that "abundant life" which Jesus spoke of, John 10:10.)  All this great resurrection power will be ultimately realized when Jesus returns and raises the dead in Christ.  When Jesus got up that Easter morning, the bodies of many dead people got up and walked into Jerusalem appearing unto many!!!  Imagine one day as all those departed saints since then are resurrected from the dead and glorified to live forever with Jesus! (1 Thes. 4:13-18)   If God’s people will take the time to look around them and see what the Lord has done in saving the lost and changing the lives of the redeemed, it becomes plain that the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus is active all around us today. 
(3)-(v. 6c)-POTENTIAL ("He is not Here!")
After Jesus rose from the dead, He immediately disappears and appears to be busy doing something important. (His appearance to Mary Magdalene – John 20:11-18. Jesus forbids Mary from touching him that morning because He was on His way to the Father.). As The Great High Priest, Jesus would be the One required to make the offering of the blood upon the mercy seat that would atone for the sins of the world-(Heb. 9:6-14).
This work of the risen Lord is forever finished, Heb. 10:12.   The word "FINISHED" is not a LAZY word!   Things are said to be FINISHE when someone remains as an active participant who remains busilly incharge of things!  You might ask "In what ways"?:
1. Acting as our Intercessor – Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34
2. Watching over us always – Heb. 4:13; (He feels our daily pain – Heb. 4:15) (He is more concerned about our own lives than we are –He stood up when Stephen was stoned. The needs of God’s people literally move Heaven – Acts 7:55.
3. Acting as our Advocate – 1 John 2:2
4. Preparing a place for Us – John 14:1-3
5. Waiting for the Father to send Him after His Children – Heb. 10:13.
(4)-(v. 7)-PROMISE ("Ye shall see Him")--The angel closed his message to these women by reminding them of the Lord’s promise. They would see him again. This word from the Lord must have lifted their hearts. They had come to the tomb that morning expecting to see a dead body, they left it with the promise that they would look upon His living face.  
The truth is, they don’t have a thing on us this morning! We may not be able to see the risen Lord there in Galilee, but we have a promise that may be just a bit better. You see, we too shall see His face, Rev. 22:4, not in Galilee, but in Glory!   In fact, we will see Him first of all in the RAPTURE as we gather in the clouds above the earth, 1 Thes. 4:16-17. Then, we will see Him RETURNING in glory, Rev. 19:11-16. Then, we will see Him RULING this earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Rev. 19:15. Then, we will see His RADIANCE forever in all His glory in Heaven above.  When we see Him in heaven, we will forever be REMINDED of the awful price He paid for us at Calvary – Rev. 5:6.....He is still a "Lamb as it had been slain!" And, forever, in His body, He will bear the marks of His love for us!   *Conc: This Easter angel preached  the most important message ever delivered by an angel to humanity.  Because what the angel said is still true, "He is risen, He is not here!"  And because of this you MUST ask yourself, "Do I need something from the living Christ this morning"?