Mark 16
Angel tells women of resurrection of Jesus verse 1- 5
And when the Sabbath was past – Mary Magdalene – Mary
the mother of James and Salome
had bought sweet spices
that they might come and anoint HIM
And very early in the morning – the first day of the week
they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun
And they said among themselves
Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?
And when they looked – they saw that the stone was rolled away
for it was very great
And entering into the sepulcher
they saw a young man sitting on the right side
clothed in a long white garment
and they were affrighted
Message of angel to the women verse 6- 7
And he said unto them – Be not affrighted
You seek Jesus of Nazareth
which was crucified – HE is risen – HE is not here
BEHOLD the place where they laid HIM
BUT go your way – tell HIM disciples and Peter that HE goes
before you into Galilee
there shall you see HIM – as HE said to you
Initial reaction of the women verse 8
And they went out quickly – and fled from the sepulcher
FOR they trembled and were amazed
neither said they any thing to any man
FOR they were afraid
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene verse 9- 11
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week
HE appeared first to Mary Magdalene
out of whom HE had cast seven devils
And she went and told them that had been with HIM
as they mourned and wept
And they –when they had heard that HE was alive
and had been seen of her BELIEVED NOT
Jesus appears to men on road to Emmaus verse 12- 13
After that HE appeared in another form unto two of them
as they walked and went into the country
And they went and told it unto the residue
neither believed they them
Jesus rebukes disciples for unbelief verse 14
Afterward HE appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat
and upbraided them with their UNBELIEF
and HARDNESS OF HEART
BECAUSE they BELIEVED NOT them which had
seen HIM after HE was risen
Jesus gives disciples assignment verse 15- 18
And HE said unto them
Go you into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature
he that believes and is baptized shall be saved
BUT he that BELIEVES NOT
shall be damned
AND these signs shall follow them that believe
In MY name shall they cast out devils
they shall speak with new tongues
they shall take up serpents
AND IF they drink any deadly thing
it shall not hurt them
they shall lay hands on the sick
and they shall recover
Ascension of Jesus verse 19- 20
So then – after the Lord had spoken to them
HE was received up into heaven
sat on the right hand of God
And they went forth – and preached everywhere
the Lord worked with them
and confirming the word with signs following
AMEN
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. (3419 “sepulcher” [mnemeion] means grave, tomb, monument, or burial tomb.
DEVOTION: The children of Israel set Saturday or the Sabbath aside as the LORD commanded to worship the LORD. On that day they could do no work. On that day they didn’t cook. On that day they were supposed to rest and worship the LORD.
The children of Israel didn’t do very well keeping the Sabbath even in the wilderness. They were told not to collect manna on the Sabbath but many went out to get some. When they were in the Promised Land they were buying and selling on the Sabbath. So the worship of the LORD was only genuinely done by those who stayed faithful to the LORD.
Jesus came and preached on the Sabbath. HE also healed on the Sabbath. HE made them realize that doing good on the Sabbath was approved by the LORD. They had polluted the Sabbath by their false worship.
Now we worship the LORD on the first day of the week which is Sunday. We celebrate the resurrection of the LORD. Here we find the women going to the tomb on Sunday morning to apply more spices to the body of Jesus.
They rose up early in the morning and headed for the tomb. One thought came to mind as they were approaching: “Who was going to roll the stone away.” When they arrived it was already rolled away. They were met by Jesus.
Today we are to worship the LORD on Sunday to help us remember HIS resurrection which provided us with eternal life in heaven. Our time of celebration should be always looking to the LORD and saying thank you for HIS provision.
What does the hour you spend in church each Sunday accomplish in your growth in your appreciation of what the LORD has done for you? How is that manifested during the rest of the week? Remember that the gospel which is the death, burial and resurrection is to be preached not only by pastors and church leaders but by everyone who claims to be a follower of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: What are you going to do this week to spread the gospel to the rest of your world? What if Jesus were to come at the end of this week? Would HE say “Well done you good and faithful servant?”
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
:11 And they, when they had heard that HE was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. (2198 “alive” [zao] means to have life, be alive, come back to life, quick, lively, breathing, or be among the living.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever had someone doubt what you say? Have they ever called you a liar when you were telling the truth? It hurt you. It is no fun not having people believe what you say is the truth but they think is a lie.
Mary Magdalene came back from the tomb saying that Jesus was raised from the dead and that she had seen HIM. What as their response? They didn’t believe her. These were the disciples of Jesus that HE had told that HE was going to die and be raised from the dead.
There are going to be many people that you talk to about a change that happened in your life once you became a believer in Jesus. You can tell them that HE has made a great joy come into your heart and you had to share that joy.
CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to be a witness to the resurrection of Jesus not only on Sunday but all of the week
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: 12 After that HE appeared in another form to two of them, as they walked, and went to the country. (3444 “form” [morphe] means a particular mode in which something is existing, visual form, shape, outward appearance, comeliness, being of that nature, or character.)
: 13 And they went and told it to the residue: neither believed they them.
DEVOTION: Here we have the account of two men who said they had seen Jesus after HIS resurrection. They came back from a journey out of town with Jesus talking to them but they didn’t recognize HIM at first. They only recognized HIM after HE blessed the food they were going to eat.
They ran to tell the disciples the good news. They told them but they didn’t believe it. Now they had listened to Mary and these two men and still didn’t believe anyone. Jesus had told them before HIS death that HE was going to come back to life. They didn’t believe HIM.
We tend to be a doubting people. Even after there are so many witnesses to what the LORD can do in our lives if we only trust and obey HIM. The disciples were not doing that right after the resurrection and we tend to do the same even now.
CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to trust and obey that we serve a risen Savior who can provide all that we will ever need. We need to stop doubting and believe HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. (1453 “risen” [egeiro] means to awake, to raise up, to cause to appear, or to bring before the public.
DEVOTION: Jesus had told the disciples on a number of occasions that HE was going to die and come back to life after three days. They wondered what HE was talking about to them. Peter told HIM that he wouldn’t let it happen. Jesus did die. The disciples didn’t seem to remember all of HIS warnings regarding HIS death. They still didn’t believe that someone could come back from the dead. They had seen it happen but still didn’t believe in HIS power.
Well, HE was no longer in the tomb. HE sent the women to tell them that he was coming. HE sent two men who had walked home in sorrow, and came back telling them that HE was alive again. They didn’t believe either of these testimonies.
HE appeared to them and they still didn’t believe. In this verse HE was reprimanding them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. HE had trained them for three years and they still were not good believers. They had a mindset that only thought of HIM as reigning as a king immediately. Nothing else pleased them. Therefore their mind was set that HE could not rise from the dead and walk around and talk to people.
Before HE ascended into heaven HE commanded them to go out and preach. After HE left that did go out and preach. They were finally willing to change their mindset and realize that HE was coming a second time as the King of Kings. Their message was about HIS dead, burial and resurrection.
We have many in our churches who are not good believers – even after many years of being in the church. It is sad but true. Many who used to know much about the Bible seem to remember little. If we believe in that Christ is at the right hand of God right now, we should be out spreading the news. We serve a resurrected Savior. HIS command to the eleven disciples still applies to today. Are we obeying HIS command?
CHALLENGE: Take one bulletin each week and give it to someone who lives near the church you attend. Do this each week for a year. Pray for those you visit. Watch God work
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sabbath verse 1
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Gospel verse 15
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Jesus on right hand verse 19
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verse 6, 9
Jesus of Nazareth verse 6
Crucified verse 6
Risen – first day of week verse 6, 9, 14
Alive verse 11
Appeared in another form to two of them verse 12, 13
told others but they didn’t believe them
Appeared to the eleven verse 14
Upbraided disciples for unbelief
and hardness of heart verse 14
Commanded disciples to
Go you into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature verse 15
Believe in MY name verse 17- 18
In MY name shall they cast out demons
They shall speak with new tongues
Shall take up serpents and if they
drink any deadly thing
it shall not hurt them
Shall lay hands on the sick
and they shall recover
Lord verse 19, 20
Received up to heaven verse 19
Sat on right hand of God verse 19
Lord confirmed word of disciples verse 20
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Young man in sepulcher verse 5
Devils verse 17
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
World verse 15
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Believe not verse 11, 13, 14, 16
Unbelief verse 14
Hardness of heart verse 14
Believe not shall be damned verse 16
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
First day of the week verse 2, 9
Amazed verse 8
Believe verse 11, 16, 17
Go verse 15
Preach the gospel verse 15, 20
Baptized verse 16
Saved verse 16
Signs verse 17, 20
Cast out devils (fallen angels) verse 17
New Tongues verse 17
Take up serpents – no harm verse 18
Drink deadly things – no harm verse 18
Lay hands on sick – made well verse 18
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mary Magdalene verse 1, 9
Jesus had cast out seven demons
Mary the mother of James verse 1
Salome verse 1
Three women above bought sweet spices verse 1
went into the sepulcher
were to tell the disciples of resurrection
and that HE was going before
them into Galilee
trembled and amazed and afraid
Galilee verse 7
Church (New Testament people of God)
First day of the week verse 2
Disciples verse 7
Peter verse 7
Mourned and wept verse 10
Believed not verse 11
Eleven verse 14
He that believes and is baptized shall be saved verse 16
Signs verse 17
Disciples went forth and preached every where
the LORD working with them and
confirming the word with signs verse 20
Last Things (Future Events)
Damned verse 16
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QUOTES regarding passage
17–18 The promise of signs (v. 17) is not limited to the apostles. They will accompany “those who believe.” These include the converts of the apostles. The apostles had already been given power to exorcise demons; now this power was to be shared by other believers. Speaking in tongues is not mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels and seems to reflect a post-Pentecost situation. Luke 10:19 speaks of trampling on snakes but not of picking them up with one’s hands (Mk 16:18; cf. Acts 28:3–6). The drinking of poison without harm is unknown in the NT. Anointing the sick with oil is mentioned in Mk 6:13, but no laying on of hands by the apostles occurs in the Gospels. Paul, however, lays hands on Publius’s sick father (cf. Acts 28:8). Superstitious use of this verse has given rise to the snake-handling and poison-drinking sects of Appalachia. (Wessel, W. W. (1984). Mark. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 790). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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16:17–18. Most of the signs listed here took place in the days of the apostles, and they are recorded in the Book of Acts. The closest thing to taking up snakes was Paul’s experience on Malta (Acts 28:3–6). But other than that, there is no biblical record of people purposely picking up snakes. Also, the drinking of poison is not recorded in Scripture either. There is no doubt that God has performed many wonders that are not recorded in Scripture. The context seems to be referring to the apostles. In order to establish the credibility of their message, they needed to be able to perform miracles. Yet, as we continue to read in the New Testament, miracles became less prominent and living out the principles of the faith became more important.
Just a word of caution. The person who takes up snakes to prove his or her faith is yielding to the temptation Satan presented to Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple in Matthew 4:5–7. Satan said, in effect, “Cast yourself down and see if God will take care of you.” Satan wants us to “show off” our faith and force God to perform unnecessary miracles. Warren Wiersbe puts it well: “Jesus refused to tempt God, and we should follow his example. Yes, God cares for his children when, in his will, they are in dangerous places; but he is not obligated to care for us when we foolishly get out of his will. We are called to live by faith, not by chance, and to trust God, not tempt him” (Wiersbe, p. 155). (Cooper, R. L. (2000). Mark (Vol. 2, p. 277). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
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16:17–18. These verses list five kinds of signs (sēmeia; cf. comments on 8:11) which would attend those who believe. “Signs” are supernatural events attesting the divine origin of the apostolic message (cf. 16:20). The signs authenticated the faith the early believers proclaimed, not the personal faith that any one of them exercised. In light of this and historical evidence it is reasonable to conclude that these authenticating signs were normative only for the apostolic era (cf. 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3–4).
In fulfilling their commission (cf. Mark 16:15) believers would be given the ability to do miraculous things in Jesus’ name (cf. comments on 6:7, 13; 9:38–40). They would drive out demons, thereby demonstrating Jesus’ victory over Satan’s realm. The Twelve (cf. 6:13) and the Seventy had already expelled demons, and this ability continued in the apostolic church (cf. Acts 8:7; 16:18; 19:15–16). They would speak in new tongues, presumably a reference to intelligible foreign languages not previously known to the speakers. This was demonstrated at Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:4–11) and later in the life of the early church (cf. Acts 10:46; 19:6; 1 Cor. 12:10; 14:1–24).
In the Greek the first two clauses in Mark 16:18 may be understood as conditional clauses with the third clause as the conclusion. An interpretive rendering would be, “And if they be compelled to pick up snakes with their hands and if they should be compelled to drink deadly poison, it shall by no means (ou mē, emphatic negative; cf. 13:2) harm them.” This promise of immunity by divine protection in either situation refers to occasions when persecutors would force believers to do these things. This does not warrant voluntary snake-handling or drinking of poison, practices not attested in the early church. Since Paul’s encounter with a snake at Malta was unintentional (cf. Acts 28:3–5), the New Testament records no actual instance of either of the experiences described here.
As a final kind of authenticating sign they would put their hands on sick people and they would get well. Healing by this means is mentioned in Acts 28:8 and the gift of healing was exercised in the early church (cf. 1 Cor. 12:30). (Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 196). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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In this commission, Jesus pointed out our message and our ministry, and then backed it up with the miraculous credentials that only He could give. The message is the Gospel, the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The ministry is to share this message with the whole world.
A superficial reading of Mark 16:15–16 would suggest that sinners must be baptized to be saved, but this misinterpretation disappears when you note that the emphasis is on believing. If a person does not believe, he is condemned, even if he has been baptized (see John 3:16–18, 36). It was expected in the early church that believers would be baptized (Acts 2:41; 10:44–48).
When God sent Moses to challenge Pharaoh in Egypt, He gave him special miracles to perform as his divine credentials, proving that he was sent from God (Ex. 4:1–9). This was also true of some of the prophets (1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 2:14–25). The Apostles were also given special “signs” that enforced their message (Acts 19:11–12; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3–4). Of themselves, miracles do not prove that a person has been sent by God, for the message must also be true to God’s Word (see 2 Thes. 2; Rev. 13).
Most of the signs listed here did take place in the days of the Apostles and are recorded in the Book of Acts. The closest thing we have to taking up serpents is Paul’s experience on Malta (Acts 28:3–6), but we have no biblical record of anyone drinking poison and surviving. No doubt God has performed many wonders for His own that we know nothing about, but we shall learn about them in heaven.
It is tragic when well-meaning but untaught people claim these signs for themselves and then die because of snake bites or poison. Of course, the excuse is given that they did not have enough faith! But whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23); therefore, they should not have done it in the first place.
The person who takes up serpents just to prove his or her faith is yielding to the very temptation Satan presented to Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple (Matt. 4:5–7): “Cast Yourself down and see if God will take care of You,” Satan said in effect. He wants us to “show off” our faith and force God to perform unnecessary miracles. Jesus refused to tempt God, and we should follow His example. Yes, God cares for His children when, in His will, they are in dangerous places; but He is not obligated to care for us when we foolishly get out of His will. We are called to live by faith, not by chance, and to trust God, not tempt Him. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 167–168). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
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16:9–20 The external evidence strongly suggests these verses were not originally part of Mark’s gospel. While the majority of Gr. manuscripts contain these verses, the earliest and most reliable do not. A shorter ending also existed, but it is not included in the text. Further, some that include the passage note that it was missing from older Gr. manuscripts, while others have scribal marks indicating the passage was considered spurious. The fourth-century church fathers Eusebius and Jerome noted that almost all Gr. manuscripts available to them lacked vv. 9–20. The internal evidence from this passage also weighs heavily against Mark’s authorship. The transition between vv. 8 and 9 is abrupt and awkward. The Gr. particle translated “now” that begins v. 9 implies continuity with the preceding narrative. What follows, however, does not continue the story of the women referred to in v. 8, but describes Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene (cf. Jn 20:11–18). The masculine participle in v. 9 expects “he” as its antecedent, yet the subject of v. 8 is the women. Although she had just been mentioned 3 times (v. 1; 15:40, 47), v. 9 introduces Mary Magdalene as if for the first time. Further, if Mark wrote v. 9, it is strange that he would only now note that Jesus had cast 7 demons out of her. The angel spoke of Jesus’ appearing to His followers in Galilee, yet the appearances described in vv. 9–20 are all in the Jerusalem area. Finally, the presence in these verses of a significant number of Gr. words used nowhere else in Mark argues that Mark did not write them. Verses 9–20 represent an early (they were known to the second-century fathers Irenaeus, Tatian, and, possibly, Justin Martyr) attempt to complete Mark’s gospel. While for the most part summarizing truths taught elsewhere in Scripture, vv. 9–20 should always be compared with the rest of Scripture, and no doctrines should be formulated based solely on them. Since, in spite of all these considerations of the likely unreliability of this section, it is possible to be wrong on the issue, and thus, it is good to consider the meaning of this passage and leave it in the text, just as with Jn 7:53–8:11. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mk 16:9–20). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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The traditional longer ending to Mark was composed by someone (perhaps in the second century) who drew from the other Gospels and Acts. The writer’s mention that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene (16:9) parallels John 20:11–18. However, the writer then goes on to say that Mary went to the disciples and told them that she had seen the risen Christ (16:10–11). This doesn’t concur with John 20:1–2 or any of the other Gospels, where Mary first went to tell the disciples only that the tomb was empty. Jesus had not yet appeared. The writer then tells us that the disciples did not believe Mary (16:11). This note of a lack of faith parallels Luke 24:11, but in Luke, the angelic appearance and the empty tomb are not believed.
Following this, the writer of the longer ending wrote, “Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country” (16:12). The Emmaus Road appearance is recorded in Luke 24:13–35. The idea that Jesus had “another form” comes from the fact that initially the two disciples on the way to Emmaus did not recognize him. The writer then says, “They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them” (16:13). This summarizes Luke 24:33–35, but the note of unbelief is distinct and may come from 24:34, because in Luke, the Emmaus report is trumped by the report of an appearance to Peter. There is no indication in Luke that the report was not believed.
In 16:14, the writer says, “still later he [Jesus] appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together.” This apparently alludes to Luke 24:38–41. The text continues, “He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.” This does not allude to a specific text, but it is similar to Luke 24:11 and resembles the doubting Thomas scene (John 20:24–29). After this, Jesus told the disciples to “go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (16:15). This is the longer reading’s equivalent of the Great Commission recorded in Matthew 28:18–20. In the longer ending, however, Jesus says, “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned” (16:16). The remark is very similar to John 3:18, 36. The text, probably a second century addition, indicates the importance of baptism in the early church.
The writer then moves to a number of items pertaining to miraculous signs. Jesus says, “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages” (16:17). The passage underscores the miraculous signs believers would employ in support of the gospel message. Texts such as John 14:12 and Acts 5:12 may be in view, as well as the accounts of Acts 2:3–4; 10:46; 16:18; 19:6. Some curious words follow: “They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed” (16:18). The reference to snakes reflects the language of Acts 28:3–6 and Luke 10:19. The events of Acts 3:7 and 9:12, 17 point to the laying on of hands for healing.
The writer of the longer ending then records the ascension, based on Luke 24:50–53 and Acts 1:2, 9–11. He concludes with the words, “And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs” (16:20). This final verse of the long ending notes the fulfillment of the commission, in that the disciples obeyed the call of 16:15 by preaching the gospel. Furthermore, what Jesus predicted would happen (16:17–18) was now happening—the Lord was confirming the disciples’ work with many miraculous signs. (Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (pp. 557–559). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
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The great commission was not given at one time only, but on several occasions, and in each instance there are differences that are of deep interest. Here He set forth His program of world evangelization in no uncertain terms. “Preach the gospel to every creature.” They were to carry the good news of an accomplished redemption, not only to Israel to whom the message of the kingdom had been largely confined during the Lord’s earthly ministry (Matt. 10:6), but “into all the world.” Every barrier was to be thrown down that the river of grace might flow out to all.
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Those who received the message in faith were to witness to it by being baptized, thus declaring themselves openly as His disciples. There was no saving virtue in the ordinance itself, but it was the expression of subjection to Christ. Those who refused to believe would be judged (see R. V.). Note that He did not say, He that is not baptized shall be judged.
“These signs shall follow them that believe.” These were what Paul calls “the signs of an apostle” (2 Cor. 12:12). These miraculous powers were given to the authoritative messengers in order to accredit them as Christ’s representatives (Acts 4:30–33; 5:12). But they were not displayed by any who did not believe, and we have already seen that, even among the Twelve, “some doubted.” It is a mistake to suppose that the signs followed those who believed the messengers. That is not the thought. To some, indeed, who themselves became witnesses publicly, such gifts were granted (1 Cor. 12:7–11), but this was according to the sovereign will of God.
“He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” Mark does not tell us how much time elapsed after this commission was given ere the ascension, but the other records indicate that nearly forty days transpired. At the appointed time the Man Christ Jesus was received up into glory (1 Tim. 3:16), where He now shares the Father’s throne (Heb. 1:3).
“They went forth, … the Lord working with them.” All that His servants accomplished for Him is actually done by Him as He works in and through them in the energy of His Holy Spirit. We are told, “They went forth, and preached everywhere.” We know from the book of Acts that they were slow in doing this. It was some time before they could divest themselves of their Jewish prejudices in order to be free to go into all the world and make known the good news to the Gentiles. But as time went on they entered more fully into the mind of the Lord and so went everywhere as He had bidden them.
This work of world evangelization is in progress still, and will not be completed until all men everywhere have heard the message of the grace of God going out to a lost world. Interest in missions is not an elective in God’s university of grace. It is something in which every disciple is expected to major. We who are saved have been entrusted by our risen Lord with the glorious privilege of carrying the gospel to the whole world. It is for this very purpose we have been left in this scene. As far as our own salvation is concerned, we were as secure as God could make us the first moment we trusted in Christ. We might have been taken home to heaven immediately. But in the infinite wisdom of God we have been kept down here that we might be witnesses to His saving grace and that through us many more might be brought to share the blessings that are ours in Christ. Had the Church been faithful to its commission, the Body of Christ might long since have been completed and the Lord’s return hastened, for it is because of His concern for the salvation of men He seems to delay (2 Peter 3:9).
I do not dwell on the critical question as to the authenticity or otherwise of the last part of this chapter, verses 9 to 20. It is not found in two of the most ancient manuscripts, but it bears the stamp of inspiration, and the book of Acts and the history of Missions attest its credibility, so that I see no reason to assume that it is other than a part of that God-breathed Scripture which is for our instruction and blessing.
Mark does not go on to describe the ascension, but he closes his account with the risen Lord as the Servant still working with His followers as they go forth in obedience to His Word. (Ironside, H. A. (1948). Expository notes on the Gospel of Mark. (pp. 248–251). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
God led them in the wilderness for forty years, to humble them and test them (Deut. 8:2); and they usually failed the test. (p. 148)
Praising the Lord in times of “wilderness,” pain, and trial can open doors and hearts and give us a harvest. (p. 149)
The world system today is a vast wasteland that doesn’t make our pilgrim journey easy. Peter describes the world as “a dark place,” and the word translated dark means “dirty, murky, miserable, squalid,” like a dangerous swamp (2 Peter 1: 19). But we have the Word of God that shines in this dark and dismal world and shows us the way, just as the cloud and fire guided the way for Israel. (p. 149)
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TOZERSPEAKS by A. W. Tozer
The moral fool who goes to hell will be surprised indeed to find that hell has its own ways of singling out a man, isolating him from everything that would be a comfort. I am convinced that the lost man who spurns the call of God in this life will suffer all alone in his lostness in hell – completely alone and unsupported and uncomforted! (p. 588)
These are the things I want you to notice: the beggar was not saved because of his poverty and certainly the rich man did not go to hell because he was a rich man! (p. 591)
God is not mixed up, though. God is not confused! God continues to watch the human scene and He has His own process for sorting things out. Many a person receiving the praise and plaudits of the world today will be sorted out when God’s time comes. He does not sort them out down here in our time and He did not even sort them out when His twelve disciples were with Him. (p. 594)
Throughout this troubled old world, God has His saints and He knows them. They are washed in His blood, born of His Spirit. They are begotten of the Word of Truth, saved by the miracle of redemption. He will call them all home when the time comes. (p. 597)
The wise voice of God and Abraham said, “No, it is no use. A church officer who can receive communion and handle funds and lead in prayer and hear the Word of God preached and still resists Me – even if I sent a dead man back he would not listen!” (p. 598)
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Don Hinkle writes:
Robert Jeffress is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas. This “hit” piece on the front of the Dallas Morning News’ front page on its website today is grabbing a lot of attention. Could this be the beginning of a targeted assault against the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination? Not only is Jeffress attacked, but a cheap shot is taken at the late W.A. Criswell as well.
It is important to understand the significance of this. First Baptist Dallas is considered the “mother church” of what became known as the Conservative Resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention. The Conservative Resurgence was the effort by theological conservatives to save the Southern Baptist Convention from theological liberalism that has caused the decline of Mainline Protestant churches. Criswell, the former long-time pastor of First Dallas, is considered one of the greatest Bible preachers ever to grace a Southern Baptist pulpit.
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Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week – at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ. (Quiet Walk)
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THE DIVINE SEED
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him. 1 John 3:9
The power of sin is not immediately destroyed in us. God has chosen to do this work gradually. This word “seed” is rather significant. Does that not simply mean God’s method and plan in every realm? In the realm of nature you sow the seed, but it may be weeks and months and perhaps years before you get the full bloom. Why does God do it like that? My answer is, I do not know, but that is God’s method; it is His way, and it seems to me that is what we are taught in the Scriptures. We are taught about being “babes in Christ,” we are taught about growing and developing, we are taught about “growing in grace.” John has already dealt with that when he said, “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).
It is a process, a development, and surely if we do not interpret a section like this in that way, then it means that we are denying what he has already told us in the first chapter: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (verse 8).
John’s object in writing is “that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father” (2:1). But why is that if the Christian is immediately delivered and made perfect? This is a great mystery. It is not for us to understand, but we must face the facts. We must realize that experience, the experience of the greatest saints, denies the teaching of sinless perfection, and we see that it is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.
John exhorts us to strive to purify and cleanse ourselves and to interpret Scripture in our daily lives. We do not just have to submit and resign ourselves in order to be made perfect; we are to understand the Scriptures and their doctrine. We are to see their implication and to implement them in our daily lives.
A Thought to Ponder: Sinless perfection is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.
(From Children of God, pp. 79-80, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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We Are His Image
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (Colossians 3:10)
Man’s body is made of the same “earth” material (Genesis 2:7) as the animals (v. 19) and as the earth itself (Genesis 1:10). Furthermore, he shares the created “soul” (Hebrew nephesh) and “spirit” (Hebrew ruach, same as “breath”) with the animals (compare 1:21; 7:15, where nephesh and ruach respectively are used of the animals). However, he shares the created “image of God” (1:27) only with God Himself.
Ever since Adam and Eve first sinned, all people have been born in innate rebellion against Him. The image of God in man has been grievously marred, and we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).
However, as our text reminds us, the image of God in man can be “renewed” through the great miracle of the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). And this includes more than just our soul/spirit nature, for we have His gracious promise that our own resurrection bodies will be “fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21) when He comes again.
Evidently, God had all this in mind from the very beginning, when “in the likeness of God made he him” (Genesis 5:1). That is, He foreknew that He would one day become man, in the person of Jesus Christ, and so He created man in the image and likeness of that body/soul/spirit complex that He Himself would eventually assume.
In some mysterious way, Christ Himself is, in His eternal and glorified human body, the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), and God amazingly has even predestinated us “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29), and “we shall be like him” when we finally “see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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A dispensation is from God’s viewpoint an economy; from man’s a responsibility; and in relation to progressive revelation, a stage in it. (p. 36)
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The Bible interpreter must observe carefully this progressiveness of revelation, and dispensationalism helps promote accuracy in this regard. (p. 37)
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Nondispensational interpreters (of the covenant theology school) have been guilty of reading back (and sometimes forcing) the teaching of the New Testament into the Old, especially in an effort to substantiate their doctrine of salvation in the Old Testament. (p. 37) (Dispensationalism by Charles C. Ryrie)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture Weekend Scripture: Psalm 135
Prince Phillip, Husband to Queen Elizabeth, passed away today. Over the next several days we will see some of solemn pomp and pageantry of royalty as the British people say goodbye to a representative of their heads of state. This solemn process of grieving will remind us of how protocol and tradition is preserved.
Psalms 135-150 are almost all praise psalms that have been used by both Jewish and Christian congregations through the centuries. Only recently, have these psalms been replaced by the popular hymns, songs, and choruses of our current worship culture. Psalm 135 is marked by the statement, “Praise the Lord”, at the beginning and end of this psalm. It is translated from the Hebrew words hallelu jah, which we contract into the single word “hallelujah. This word is often used in the final psalms and in psalms 145-150 it begins and ends each of these psalms. This summons, “Praise the Lord”, in these psalms have resulted in these psalms being called the Hallel (or Praise) Psalms.
As we go through these final psalms, worshipping the Lord a recurring theme. A good place to begin that worship is to determine to be with God’s people in God’s house on the Lord’s day. Worship occurs best with a group of people who are united in mind and heart, focusing together to honor our Savior. May we “Praise the Lord” in worship this Sunday!
With an Expectant hope, Pastor Miller
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