A Sure Foundation (Lk. 6:46-49)

Hear

Good morning, BCC!

Jesus is alive!

The grave is empty!! He is not there!

This is the day the Lord has made. A day of great rejoicing and celebration!

Grab your Bibles and go with me to the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark.

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Sought After (Mk. 16:1-4)

Mark 16:1–4 NKJV

1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.

Just a few days earlier, Jesus rode into Jerusalem in peace on the back of a donkey. He cursed a fig tree, drove out the moneychangers from the temple, and spoke against the oppressive and hypocritical leadership of the Pharisees. He celebrated the Passover with the Twelve, washing their feet, and was betrayed by Judas. That betrayal led to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter, probably His most loyal follower, denied Him. But Peter wasn’t the only one; all of the disciples denied and abandoned Him when He needed them most. Soon after this, He was accused of crimes He hadn’t committed and upon those trumped-up charges He was flogged, stripped of His clothing, mocked, and spit upon. A crown of thorns was mashed onto His head and He was murdered by being nailed to a cross where He would eventually die. All of this had been prophesied since the beginning of the existence of the nation of Israel.

It was over!

What He had come to accomplish for us was finished!

But that wasn’t the end of the story.

The author of Hebrews says,

Hebrews 9:26–28 NKJV

26 ...He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

According to Mark 16:1-4, it was the day after the Sabbath and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome were heading to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. It was the third day since His crucifixion. Mark tells us that they were bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ body. As they travelled, these women were discussing how they were going to get the stone moved so that they could go into the tomb, but when they got there, they noticed that the stone had already been moved, as John records (Jn. 20:1).

When these women set out on their journey to the tomb, it was still dark, according to John’s record (Jn. 20:1), but Mark adds that when they arrived at the place where the Lord had been buried, “the sun had risen.”

Dr. Mary Healy, Catholic professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, writes in her commentary on Mark that,

Mark’s mention that the sun had risen is the first hint that the darkness accompanying the death of Jesus (15:33) - the apparent triumph of evil - has been definitively overcome.[1]

Not only is that worth noting, but we should also pay attention to the significance of Jesus’ resurrection happening at the beginning of the week. That this happened on the first day of the week points us back to the Hebrew Bible where we can learn of the importance of the sheaf offering (Lev. 23:9-12; Rev. 5:6).

In the Torah it states this,

Leviticus 23:9–12 NKJV

‍ ‍9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12 And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord.

‍The late Merrill Unger, pastor, theologian, and Bible scholar shares this insightful connection between Jesus’ resurrection and the offering of sheaves. 

The sheaf of the firstfruits of the barley harvest first typifies Christ in resurrection, and then those who are His at His coming (1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). The Father was waiting for [Jesus’] presentation (His sheaf ‘being waved’) after His resurrection, and He stood before the empty tomb and then in God’s presence, not for Himself personally as much as for us. The firstfruits were a pledge of the coming harvest, Christ’s acceptance is the basis of our acceptance.[2]

‍Folks, this is the foundation of our Christian hope. Because Jesus lives, we also will have life!

1 Corinthians 15:14–17 NKJV

4 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.

16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.

17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

‍A week ago on Palm Sunday, as I was tucked in my warm bed struggling to fall asleep because I was thinking about today and all that this day means for us. As I tossed and turned, I could hear the lyrics of the popular Christian anthem, Firm Foundation, we were all singing with great enthusiasm and my heart was overwhelmed with joy.

Christ is my firm foundation
The Rock on which I stand
When everything around me is shaking
I've never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
'Cause He's never let me down
He's faithful through generations (yeah)
So why would He fail now?
He won't (no, He won't, no, He won't)
No, He won't (He won't, He won't, He won't) [3]

‍That’s why we are here: to remind ourselves that the confidence of our faith rests upon the power of God revealed in the resurrection of Jesus!

We trust in a God Who is very much alive!

Turn with me to the Gospel of Luke.

2 Foundations

Luke 6:46–49 NKJV

46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:

48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

Two types of people are mentioned in this one story: those who hear God’s word and respond with trust and obedience, and those who hear God’s word and respond with doubt and rejection. I am confident that both of these people are with us today in this sanctuary and my friends, I want to encourage you to pay close attention to what the Lord is saying in this place that you might build your life on a foundation that will never fail.

What is a foundation?

I did a little research this past week on foundations and I discovered some very helpful information.

According to the website Projectinfrastructure.com,

In the simplest terms, a foundation is the part of a structure that transfers loads from the building or infrastructure above into the ground below. It is the interface between a structure and the earth, and its job is to provide stability, support, and safety.

There are two main categories of foundations:

Shallow Foundations

Built close to the surface, they spread the load horizontally.

Deep Foundations

Extend deep into the ground to transfer loads to stronger soil or bedrock. Used when surface soils are weak or compressible.[4]

This is right in line with what Jesus told His disciples about those who hear His teachings and either obey them or ignore them, but I want to take this into the arena of the Resurrection which, as we well know, is the foundation of our Christian faith.

Our entire reason for having hope in this world is because we trust in a Savior who has overcome the most formidable opponent of all mankind - death.

Pastor John Piper once said,

The keys of death were hung on the inside of Christ’s tomb.[5]

In His revelation, Jesus declares with great power and confidence,

Revelation 1:18 NKJV

18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

A life built upon this foundation will never fall.

Shallow Foundations

When a foundation is shallow, that generally means it is built close to the surface where the load is spread horizontally.

Shallow foundations, in spiritual terms, would be the equivalent of trusting in worldly things and people.

These are things the Bible says will surely pass away.

1 John 2:16–17 NKJV

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

A life that is built on the shifting sands of worldliness is a life without the necessary stability, support, and safety for weathering the storms of life. This is why Scripture instructs us not to put our trust in people. As a matter of fact, Yahweh declares by the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah,

Jeremiah 17:5 NKJV

5 Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.

The foundation of your life is crucial. What you build your hope on in this world matters.

Just about four years ago, these beautiful, brand new homes were built in Nephi, Utah. Several young families were moving in excited about the possibility of raising their kids in this new community. On the surface, everything looked great, but in just a short period of time the homeowners began to notice

…huge cracks in the drywall, particularly in the corners of doors and windows; floors that have sloped; doors that no longer latch, and fissures in basement floors that are allowing “dangerous levels of radon” into the homes.

What was later discovered is that the company hired to build the home had not laid the foundation properly and this led to the major problems in these homes. But they looked good.[6]

Did you notice that in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t say that anything is wrong with the house. He doesn’t even say that anything is necessarily wrong with the building materials. The house is not the problem, nor are the materials used to construct the house. The problem is the foundation. The problem is what the house rests on.

You could be working with good building materials. Your house might be the most beautiful one in the entire county, but if the foundation is too shallow, then you have a major problem.

And this is how many people live their lives. On the surface, they look like they have it all together, but underneath is a shallow and compromised foundation.

Lots of people are wasting their time building their lives on love — love is a good building material. But if your love is for the world it’ll leave you heartbroken and disappointed.

Some people are trying to build their lives on hope — hope is good, but if your hope isn’t in Jesus it can’t support you.

It’s as simple as this: build your life on the right foundation and you will survive. Build your life on the wrong foundation and you will surely suffer.

Deep Foundations

Thankfully, there’s another type of foundation which Jesus mentions in Luke six - a deep foundation. One that reaches all the way down to the bedrock. Deep foundations are used when the surface you want to build on is too weak and incapable of supporting what you place on it. So, you have to go beneath the surface to the stronger ground - the bedrock.

It is what Yahweh called a “sure foundation” in the prophecy of Isaiah.

Isaiah 28:16 NIV

16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.

The apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us that this “sure foundation” is none other than the Resurrected Savior Himself - Jesus (1 Pt. 2:4ff).

What are you building your life on today?

Is it in the people and achievements and acquisitions of this life? Or is it the finished and redeeming work of God proven in Jesus to overcome sin and death?

The apostle Paul reminds us of the value and significance of having Christ as our bedrock.

1 Corinthians 3:10–11 NKJV

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ

The resurrection of Jesus is the verifiable proof that your life was meant to be built on more than the shallow ground of what this world has to offer - verifiable because thousands of years later, still no one has produced a body to prove otherwise, not to mention the hundreds of eyewitnesses who testified to seeing Him alive post-resurrection.

New Testament scholar, Stephen Harris, notes that the Gospel writers considered Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection,

...not only the most important event in world history but also the crucial turning point in humanity’s relation to God.[7]

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead enables us to have confidence in every promise that He has spoken in His Word.

Because He rose, we can trust Him when He says that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6).

We know that He has not abandoned us to this world, but that He has gone to prepare a place for us to be with Him (Jn. 14:3, 18).

We have confidence that, “whoever callson the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

Because He lives, trials are not forever.

Pain doesn't dictate His love.

Suffering doesn't hinder His grace.

Hope doesn’t end in despair.

Death is not the final word.

Because Jesus is alive, we have the fullness of assurance that one day, the sky will crack, the trumpet will sound, the graves will open and the dead in Christ will rise to new life never to die again.

As the Gaithers would say,

Because he lives
I can face tomorrow
Because he lives
All fear is gone
Because I know he holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because he lives [8]

Remember, you can have good building materials and still end up with a poor structure because your foundation isn’t deep enough. It can’t support you. But when you trust in a Savior who has won the victory over sin, over death, over the grave then you know that you have a reliable source.

You’ve tried to build your life on achieving your goals — having goals are good building materials, but if your aim is not the abundant life for which Christ died for you, accomplishing your goals will never fully satisfy.

You may have built your life on doing for yourself and working hard, those are good building materials, but if your life is not built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ’s blood and righteousness, then you have a house of cards!

Without a properly designed foundation, even the most carefully engineered building would eventually shift, tilt, or collapse.[9]

You may be propping up your life with healthy living — and healthy living is good. But if you don’t find life in Jesus, it doesn’t matter how low you get your cholesterol, how many steps you get in a day, or how much weight you can lift, you will be too weak to stand on the day of judgment.

There is no other Name that saves men from the consequences of sin than the Name of Jesus. He is the Resurrection and He is the Life.

Respond

Jesus told His disciples that the man who hears God’s word and does it is wise. The man who hears and does not do it is foolish.

So here’s what God’s word says,

Matthew 11:28 NKJV

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Romans 10:9 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Today is the day of the Lord’s salvation.

If you don’t know Him, then I want to invite you to come and place your hope in Jesus.

You can trust Him, because death couldn’t hold Him.

All you need to confess is this: God, I am a sinner. I recognize that You have given Your Son to save my life, that You have raised Him up so that I can have life as well. Jesus, set me free.

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Tre Clark

Britton Christian Church

4/5/2026

Resurrection Sunday

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[1] Mary Healy, The Gospel of Mark, p328

[2] Unger’s Commentary on the OT, p173

[3]Cody Carnes - Firm Foundation (He Won't) Lyrics | AZLyrics.com

[4]Foundations in Civil and Structural Engineering: A Complete Guide - Project Infrastructure; https://projectinfrastructure.com/foundations/

[5]John Piper, The Passion of Jesus Christ, 100

[6] https://www.fox13now.com/news/fox-13-investigates/these-utah-houses-are-less-than-4-years-old-and-sinking

[7] Stephen Harris, The New Testament: A Student’s Introduction, 182

[8]Because He Lives, Hymnlyrics.org

[9] Foundations in Civil and Structural Engineering: A Complete Guide - Project Infrastructure; https://projectinfrastructure.com/foundations/

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