A Blossom Bible Podcast
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A Blossom Bible Podcast
Mark 16:9-20
Mark 16, verse 9. We've been through almost every required part of the story, I would think the life, the ministry of Jesus, his willing death on the cross for the sin of the world and his promised resurrection. We find ourselves in verse 9. Now, before we complete the gospel here, starting in verse 9, we have a little bit of controversy here. Most of your Bibles might let you know that the earliest documents do not include verses 9 through 20. And many Bible scholars agree that that probably wasn't in the earliest manuscripts and was likely not written by Mark. Now, these aren't liberal scholars, these are very conservative scholars and they believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. But here they would say this probably isn't Mark who wrote these final verses and they have different evidences for this, that it's not in the oldest documents. And they mention that these verses that we're about to read don't represent the style of the rest of the book of Mark. They even point to some of the content here. Notice in verse 9, mentioned here Mary Magdalene, out of whom he cast seven demons. So it seems like an introduction here to Mary Magdalene, giving us this information that seven demons were cast out of her. But this isn't the first time we've met Mary Magdalene. You would think that would be something that Mark would say at the beginning when he first introduced her. So a few different reasons. So a few different reasons. But we wonder, why are these verses here? And we don't know, we don't have Mark to ask. We assume that it's because God wanted them to be there. Now we're going to go over some reasons why they ought to be here, but let's read what we have here. Well, actually, let's back up to verse 6. I want you to see this. This is the last bit of what we know. Marlboro, verse 6. They said to them Do not be alarmed. This is the angel saying you see Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they have laid him. But go tell Now.
Speaker 1:In many scholars' minds, this is the final verse of the book of Mark, and you could see why. This would just, you know, get on people's nerves. Because what happens? Jesus rises from the dead. The angel says go and tell everybody this wonderful thing. And verse 8, they went out quickly and fled from the tomb. They trembled and were amazed, and they said nothing and won, for they were afraid. That sounds like a horrible way to end the book. Right, they just all locked themselves in the room and they're scared to death and, as far as we're concerned here, they don't do anything about it. Now you can tell why. This would get under people's skin as they read this.
Speaker 1:But perhaps we don't know, we don't have Mark to ask, but perhaps this was exactly what he wanted you to feel. Well, that's not right. How can you just sit there? Jesus is alive, don't be afraid, he's alive. Go and tell everybody. And we know what to do. And I think maybe I don't know I can't say for certain, of course but maybe this was Mark's plan all along. Hey, you go finish it, you go take it out. You feel that in your heart that you need to tell the world. Go and do it.
Speaker 1:But for whatever reason, it seems like Mark stops there and perhaps many people just didn't like that and perhaps many people just didn't like them as this ending starts to come up around 100 years after Mark. Maybe they just said you know what I'm going to write the end of the book of Mark. I'm going to put down some thoughts. Now we look and we go. That's not good. Don't add God's word. We know that you shouldn't be just making up your own scriptures. People 100 years after Mark, and that's true. But what I want you to see as we go through this is that none of this information is new to us. All of this information, except for a tiny little bit, is really included somewhere else. As you read through Matthew and Luke and John in the book of Acts, you get all these things that are brought up here in verses 9 through 20. So there's nothing new here. It's nothing like the new gospel of Jesus like the Mormons have. It's not that, it is just the facts that we know actually did happen. So it's not bad and certainly it ministers to people. But let's just go on and look at it here in verse 9. Verse 9.
Speaker 1:The post-appearances of Jesus after the resurrection. Post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. Now, when he arose early on the first day of the week, jesus that's, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, who cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him as they mourned and wept, and when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. All right. So first Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. She's from a place called Magdala, and in John 20, verse 1, we see this is the truth right. In John 20, verse 1, she finds the empty tomb. In verse 2 of John 20, you can see she runs to tell Peter. They come back and see In verse 11 of John 20, mary stays at the tomb and has her first encounter with Jesus that we read about here.
Speaker 1:She runs back and tells the disciples. And verse 11 lets us know here in Mark that they heard it but they didn't believe. Right, and this is kind of a little bit of a theme they see these things and they don't believe. Now, verse 12. Notice, after that Jesus appeared to him in another form, to two of them as they walked and went into the country, and they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. So here we see two walking down the road. Now Luke's got this one.
Speaker 1:Luke 24, verse 13 through 35, as we read about it, it's two men on the road to Emmaus and it's pretty cool. But here we see that he appeared to them in another form. Now I have no idea what this is like, you know. Was it like some heavenly disguise? You know where Jesus is like? No, it's me. You know what was it? Maybe because they didn't believe they would see him, they didn't recognize him as Jesus? We're not so sure.
Speaker 1:But in Luke 24, they're walking along the road and Jesus, he unites with their little group. They're talking. They're talking about everything that happened in Jerusalem, how Jesus died. And Jesus comes up and says guys, what are you talking about? Well, we're talking about everything that happened. But what happened? They're like don't you know, you haven't heard. And they began to tell him it's like Jesus. We thought he was the Messiah, but obviously he's not, because he died on the cross and he's dead.
Speaker 1:And Jesus, in Luke 24, verse 25, he says this, picture it. And he said to them oh, foolish ones, slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. I, after Christ, have suffered these things and to enter into his glory. And, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounding to them all of the scriptures, the things concerning himself. So Jesus links up with these two walking and he says you guys, you don't get it. The Messiah would suffer. And Jesus gives them a Bible study, seemingly from Genesis to Malachi, on all the ways that the Messiah was predicted and how he fulfilled it. What an amazing Bible study, that would be right. The whole Old Testament by Jesus about Jesus.
Speaker 1:And as they walk along, it starts to get late. They're in Luke 24. And they say let's stop, stop here. And they encourage Jesus to stop with them. And then it says it was in the breaking of bread that they recognized him. I don't know what it was, how he broke the bread. Maybe they remembered, you know, the Last Supper when he did that. Maybe he had a special way of doing it. We're not so sure. Maybe they saw the prints in his wrists, but they recognized him and he— disappears from the midst. And so Mark here gives us the abbreviated story of that. But notice verse 13,. These two go to the disciples and didn't believe them either. Right, Pretty sad, oh ye, of little faith.
Speaker 1:Now verse 14, we see Jesus appears to the rest of the disciples and gives them what's known as a great commission. Let's read it. Later he appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of hearts because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And Jesus said to them Go into all the worlds, preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe in my name. They will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will make hands on the sick and they will recover. So here Jesus appears to the 11. That's the 12 minus one, judas, and he rebukes their hard hearts and their unbelief and then gives them, in verse 15, what we know as the Great Commission. This is our job as Jesus' disciples.
Speaker 1:All the Gospels have something like this in there. As Jesus sends out his disciples into the world, the book of Acts begins with the same kind of commission to go out into Jerusalem, judea, samaria and the uttermost parts of the world with this good news Notice there, go. It's a command to go into all the world and preach. Now some would look at this and say, but I'm not a preacher. You might be a preacher, but I'm not a preacher. Well, the word preach there just means to proclaim or to herald. Right, picture it. Hear ye, hear ye. The war is over. That's a preacher. Right of peace. Right, Hear ye, hear ye, the captives are free. That's a preacher, someone who takes the message and declares it. So we're all called to preach in one sense or another.
Speaker 1:But notice there, it's preach, the gospel, the good news. The good news is a proclamation of everything that God has done. It's that message again Sin is dealt with and wiped away, death is defeated, the debt is paid. All those things are part of the good news of what God has done for us. And check it out. That should be the natural response of every believer. When we see what God has done for us, we ought to tell others. And so here's the commission.
Speaker 1:Notice again in verse 15, going to all the world. Now that also might seem a little daunting for you Because you think about missions. Well, where should I go? Should I go to Africa? That seems to be the default. I'll go to Africa and tell them. I'll go to Africa and tell them, I'll go to China and tell people there about Jesus. You could, but in Acts, chapter 1, you can turn there. Let's turn there because we've got to turn.
Speaker 1:Turn to Acts, chapter 1. Acts is the continued story of Jesus' work through his disciples. Acts, chapter 1, jesus is just about ready to ascend to the Father. There in Acts, chapter 1, verse 8. And there's some questions that the disciples ask, but jesus doesn't really answer verse 8. He says this you shall receive power when the holy spirit has come upon you. And that's a story all of its own, isn't it that god wants to empower us to spread the good news, the holy spirit in us. But notice verse 8, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witness to me in Jerusalem, in Altidia, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
Speaker 1:So if you were to look at this as a map, jerusalem was where they were at At that very moment. They were right outside the city of Jerusalem, on the hillside there, the Mount of Olives, right outside the city of Jerusalem. And so Jesus could have pointed and said you'll be my witness in Jerusalem, right where you're at, and that is always the best place to start right where you're at. You could go to the outermost parts of the world, and that's fine, but there are people right where you're at that need to know the good news that sin can be forgiven, that there's hope in this life, that you can have peace with God. It's your family, right, it's the people you work with, it's the people that live down the street from you. That's the mission field. I know we say that all the time, but that really is true. When Jesus says go into all the world, start where you're at In Jerusalem, judea, samaria, and that are most parts of the world it expands, it can expand. Start where you're at and notice here back in Mark, chapter 16, that's the commission Go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of things we could tell people, right, have you ever thought about therapy? Now, there's probably a time and place for therapy, sure, but we need, like the good news, what God's done, the hope that there is in that. There's so many things we could point them to a book, some music, right, but really the good news of what God has done for us has to be the center of it all. Now, notice, he sends them out and he says in verse 16, he who believes in me and is baptized will be saved. Now, we do have a hard time with this, right, because the word we probably focus on most is baptized. Be baptized and you'll be saved. We focus on it and some would. You must be baptized to be saved. Some would say you must be baptized in my church to be saved. Very special. But this is also why infant baptism exists in some churches, right, because if you have to be baptized to be saved, then we better get those babies baptized or else they're in trouble, right?
Speaker 1:But baptism can't be a necessity of salvation. We look very simply to the thief on the cross, right? Jesus said to him today you'll be with me in paradise. And it's always pointed out that he's never had an opportunity to be baptized. And yet Jesus said you'll be with me in paradise. But this idea that you're saved by baptism goes against everything that the Bible says about the need for faith.
Speaker 1:Paul's message in Ephesians 2, 9, that we're saved by grace through faith 2, 8, 9, saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves but the gift of God. It's not a verse and you can circle back and underline that there is no amount of works that you can do to be saved. You can't be a good person and be saved. You can't clean yourself up and then you'll be saved. You're only saved by trust, simple trust in what Jesus has done for us. Now baptism quickly here.
Speaker 1:Baptism is an outward sign of what's happened in our hearts. You look at Romans, chapter 6, and that's the picture right, that we died with Christ and we're risen again with him to newness of life. Baptism is really. It's obedience, for sure, but it's a picture of what's happened in my heart. It's not my life anymore. I'm dying to who I was. It's a new life in him. That's what I want, and we're telling the world that Now this word meant a lot more for the early church right, this early church.
Speaker 1:Because you know the story in the book of Acts as they would come down to the water and be baptized, they were essentially saying I don't care what you do to me and this happens in many countries today where it's illegal to be a Christian. Talk about Jesus. They would basically be saying I don't care what you do to me, I don't care if you take my job, I don't care if you put me on the outside of society, I don't care what you do to me, I don't care if you take my job, I don't care if you put me outside of society, I don't care if you kill me. I believe in Jesus, and so when they would get baptized so many times, it was a death sentence to them, and so baptism, though, was telling the world exactly what Jesus had done. Now notice what Jesus says in verse 16. I think it makes a little more clear he who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. Because that really is the issue. It's the belief. It's not necessarily the outward path. It's the belief in our hearts that saves us, and so Jesus tells them go out and preach the gospel, baptize them.
Speaker 1:Now. Notice verse 17. Some more slightly confusing things to come here. Verse 17, it's signs that will follow those who believe right and notice they'll cast out demons. Well, you look at the book of Acts, and that is true. They get from time to time cast out demons. In Acts, chapter 5, verse 16,. Acts, chapter 8, verse 7, and Acts, chapter 16, verse 8, paul is in Philippi, and he casts out a demon from a little slave girl, and her life is changed, and the church in Philippi is born from that kind of thing. But they did cast out demons, showing that God was stronger than demons. Notice verse 17,. And they will speak with new tongues. Well, that happened in Acts, chapter 2. We could talk about that for a long time, but we're not going to. It happened in Acts, chapter 2. We could talk about that for a long time, but we're not going to. It happened in Acts, chapter 2, right, so this actually did happen.
Speaker 1:Now, notice, this is where it gets a little different. They will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. Now, one of these is actually listed in the book of Acts, but it's surprising which one it is. They picked up serpents from time to time. You'll remember the end of the book of Acts not on purpose, I have to put that down. Not on purpose.
Speaker 1:In Acts 28, paul gets off of the shipwreck and he's on the shore with all these shipwrecked people, and they start to. On the island of Malta, they start to collect sticks to put on the fire and Paul not too good to help. He picks up a bundle of sticks and he throws them on the fire. As he throws them on the fire, it's a nightmare, it's my nightmare. Right, a viper jumps out of that packet of sticks that he threw on and attaches itself to Paul's arm and Paul being the tough guy that he was, he shook it off in the fire and he went on working and you're like Paul, you're so tough man I want to die right then and there. And the people were surprised when they saw Paul didn't get sick, he didn't die from that venomous snake, he was fine and they got pretty excited about that, but God took care of him.
Speaker 1:Now I'm sure church tradition is filled with people who drank things that were poisonous or many water that was contaminated, and they didn't die. But here it's one of the things that is listed here. Notice also at the end of verse 18, they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover Acts of healing. The book of Acts is filled with those kinds of things as well, from crippled people to people with disinentery healed by laying on of hands. Now that shouldn't be surprising to us, that God can heal the sick, that God can cast out demons, that God can keep us safe from venomous snakes. But here's the problem. Notice there, notice in verse 17, how these are all listed and these signs will follow those who believe. So it's not to say that every one of these signs will follow people that believe God. Could you know, work these things in your life? No big deal, he's got it. But notice it says they will follow those who believe.
Speaker 1:Now, the problem in our world today, where this gets a little crazy to us, is that now listen is that believers tend to follow these things. Not these things follow believers, but believers follow these things. Oh, we're going to have a miracle meeting tonight and God can heal, and that's great. But many believers will follow these kinds of things from time to time. The gift of tongues Now Paul says you can study up on it in 1 Corinthians 14, that not everybody speaks in tongues. But in today, today's church, so many of us will follow that. That's what we want. We want that kind of thing. We want some tongues, something tingly, something amazing and and even some, you know, we don't ever talk about here in home church because people have the wrong idea to begin with. But some actually handle snakes in order to get bit by the snakes and believe that God will keep them from dying. Now I think that's putting God to the test unnecessarily. I honestly think, as I've seen videos of this, it's satanic because Satan wants to kill, to steal and destroy. God never said go handle snakes and it'll be fine. But yet they do and many times people die. Now people follow all of these things, but these things potentially could follow those who believe and it's a sign not to the believer but to the unbeliever in these things when they happen. We'll look at verse 19 and we'll close it up.
Speaker 1:Then, after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, acts chapter one. This happens Jesus is sharing with his disciples, saying message go into all the world to be my witnesses. In Jerusalem, judea, samaria and the most parts of the earth, the Holy Spirit will come upon you. And as he's talking in Acts chapter 1, he begins to ascend into heaven. It's like he's on one of those booms, you know, and it's like, and just he starts going up and they don't say anything. Right, you're not going to interrupt him while he's talking and they just watch him as he goes into the palace to where a couple angels have to say hey, men of Jerusalem, why are you looking in the air? You know the same Jesus that went is going to come in like fashion and go right.
Speaker 1:And in verse 20, and they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying of sons, amen. And so we get the ending that many probably thought the book of Mark should have. And so they all went and they told the world this good news of what Jesus had done, and we're part of that right. That's always the end of the story. The end of the Book of Acts is that it continues on with us, that God has the same message for us, the good news and we all are complicated, I think I know I do right, but the good news that God has provided a way to be saved, he's provided hope in this hopeless world. All those things, all those things that we should know, and that's our message, simply to get out. And he finishes with the word Amen. So be it. Let's pray.
Speaker 1:God, thank you for this time that we've had in the book of Mark and we don't want to stop seeing you in the things that we read. And there's no way, if we read your word, that we won't see you. But, god, I pray that you would help these things to be real in our life. God, like your disciples, we would go out and make a difference in the world. That you put each one of us in God. It's easy to find ourselves probably more likely in verse in just afraid and locked down. But, god, you want us to go. You really do want us to go into all of our world and share these truths with others. So, god, help us the power of your spirit to be who you want us to be and love this world around us. I would love you to thank God for all this things in Jesus name. Amen. Love you and thank you for all this things in Jesus' name. Amen.