The most ancient manuscripts of the book of Mark don't contain the verses that we are going to study today. It is believed that something happened to the original manuscript and that another author wrote the concluding remarks. Verses 9 through 20 read like a summation of what must have once been part of the manuscript but they are written by someone whose Greek vocabulary differs somewhat from that of Mark's. Nevertheless, verses 9 through 20 line up with the other gospels and we need not be concerned that these events didn't take place.
"When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe it." (Mark 16:9-11) The Apostle John relates this account to us in John 20:11-18.
"Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either." (Mark 16:12-13) Luke describes this encounter between Jesus and two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35.
"Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen." (Mark 16:14) Luke tells us that while the two disciples were still telling the others, Jesus appeared in their midst. They were desperately frightened and believed they were witnessing a manifestation of a spirit, but Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your minds? Look at My hands and My feet. It is I myself! Touch Me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:38-39) To further prove that He is a living, breathing human being, Jesus asked them to give Him something to eat, and He ate a piece of broiled fish in their presence. (Luke 24:41-43)
The Apostle John records more post-resurrection appearances of Christ than do the other gospel writers. He tells us of an early morning fishing expedition and a meeting with the Lord on the shore in which Jesus reinstated Simon Peter by asking him three times if he loved Him. At Peter's each affirmative reply, Jesus commissioned him to feed the flock, signifying that he was to preach the word of God and the truth of the gospel to a world that hungers for hope. (John 21:15-17)
The Apostle Paul, while preaching the truth of the resurrection, invited his listeners to question the witnesses themselves. To paraphrase the verses of 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul said, "Don't just take my word for it! The risen Christ appeared to Peter privately because they had some things to talk about that needed to be kept just between the two of them. Peter is now a great preacher of the gospel because he believed the proof that was right in front of him: Go and ask Peter if you don't believe me. Jesus also appeared privately to His brother James, who is now a leader of the Christian church at Jerusalem because he too believed what he heard and saw. Go and ask James if he hasn't seen the risen Lord. Jesus appeared to all the disciples as a group, and they are now all working hard to share the great hope of the gospel with the world. These men, who previously hid terrified in a locked room, are now boldly telling the world that Jesus Christ is risen. Before His ascension, the Lord appeared to a gathering of more than five hundred believers, and nothing on earth can convince them they did not see the risen Lord. Most of them are still alive; go and ask them what they saw and heard. Last of all, He appeared to me on the road to Damascus, and I too believe. I risk my life daily for what I know to be the truth: that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son Of God, that He died for our sins, that He rose from the dead, and that He is alive forever."
Mark tells us about the great commission. "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'" (Mark 16:15) This is what we are to be doing today. Every human being on the face of the earth needs to hear the good news of the gospel of Christ.
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16) Unbelief is the only unpardonable sin. It is belief that saves and unbelief that condemns. Some have used verse 16 to insist we are saved by baptism, but clearly the author is saying we believe first and then are baptized. Should we have any doubts about that, as we move on into the book of Acts we will see things taking place in that exact order. The hearers of the gospel believe first and then are baptized. Baptism should not be neglected, but it should take place as an outward display of what has already taken place in our hearts.
Verses 17 and 18 have been used contrary to their original purpose. These verses are speaking of the signs of the apostles, the signs that would be displayed by those who had seen the risen Lord, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." The apostles were able to cast demons out in the name of Jesus. The apostles could lay their hands on the sick and heal them in the name of Jesus. The prophecy about "new tongues" was fulfilled in Acts 2:1-12 when on the day of Pentecost the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to tell the truth of the gospel in various other languages so that the foreigners and pilgrims visiting Jerusalem heard the gospel in their own tongue. An unfortunate translation is made in some versions of the Bible by saying they spoke in "unknown tongues" which has led some to think the believers spoke in languages no one knew, perhaps very ancient and extinct languages, but this is not the case. The believers spoke in languages unknown to them, but the languages themselves were not unknown. Visitors to Jerusalem heard the gospel in their own languages and were able to understand the words the apostles were speaking.
The Lord Jesus is not telling us to handle snakes or drink poison. He's saying to the apostles that until their mission is complete, nothing will be able to harm them. The Apostle Paul once picked up a snake while gathering kindling for a fire. The poisonous snake bit him but he suffered no side effects. (Acts 18:1-6) Paul picked up the snake by mistake, not on purpose, and we are not going to find any examples in the Bible of the apostles deliberately performing acts like this. The Scriptures don't mention any of the apostles being given poison, but considering how many enemies they had, it's safe to assume there were numerous plots against their lives. None of the apostles would have drunk poison on purpose, but I wouldn't put it past some of their enemies to slip something poisonous into their food or drink. If so, the plot must have failed.
"After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it." (Mark 16:19-20) The proof that the apostles have seen the risen Lord, and the proof that the gospel is true, is that they are able to do in Jesus' name the type of things Jesus did. They heal the sick, cast demons out, and raise the dead. People bring the sick and place them where just the shadow of an apostle might fall on them, or they bring an item belonging to the sick person for an apostle to touch it. This is how powerful the signs were that accompanied the preaching of the apostles. We don't see this type of thing in our times, not because we lack the faith, but because these signs were meant to accompany the apostles. The apostles have all gone on to be with the Lord, and you and I may not be able to lay our hands on the sick and heal them, but we are able to do something even more important: tell the gospel to the world. This is the great commission. There is no greater commission than to tell a lost and hopeless world that Jesus Christ loves them and gave His life for them and rose from the dead so they can have eternal life with Him.
Join us tomorrow as we move on into the book of Acts and study how the apostles taught the great hope of the gospel to a world that desperately needs to hear it.
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