Mark 16

Mark 16:1

VIII. THE SERVANT’S TRIUMPH (16:1-20) A. The Women at the Empty Tomb (16:1-8) 16:1-4 On Saturday evening the two Marys and Salome came to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus with spices. They knew it would not be easy. They knew a huge stone had been rolled across the mouth of the tomb. They knew about the Roman seal and the guard of soldiers. But love leaps over mountains of difficulties to reach the object of its affection. Very early on Sunday morning, they were wondering out loud who would roll away the stone from the door of the tomb. They looked up and saw that it was already done! How often it happens when we are intent on honoring the Savior that difficulties are removed before we get to them. 16:5, 6 Entering the tomb, they saw an angel with the appearance of a young man in white. He quickly dispelled their fears with the announcement that Jesus had risen. The tomb was empty. 16:7 The angel then commissioned them as heralds of the resurrection. They were to tell His disciplesand Peter that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. Notice that Peter, the disciple who had denied His Lord, was singled out for special mention. The risen Redeemer had not disowned him but still loved him and longed to see him again. A special work of restoration needed to be done. The wandering sheep must be brought back into fellowship with the Shepherd. The backslider must return to the Father’s house. 16:8 The women fled from the tomb with mingled shock and panic. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened. This is not surprising. The wonder is that they had been so brave and loyal and devoted up to now. Because two major ancient manuscripts of Mark lack verses 9-20, many modern scholars believe they are not authentic. However, there are strong arguments for their inclusion:

1. Virtually all other Greek manuscripts and many church fathers do contain this passage.
2. Verse 8 is a most strange conclusion, especially in the Greek where the last word is (gar, for). This word is scarcely ever near the end of a sentence, much less of a book.
3. If, as some teach, Mark’s original ending is lost, and this is a later summary, then our Lord’s words about preservation (Mat_24:35) apparently have failed.
4. The contents of the passage are orthodox.
5. The style, and especially the vocabulary, closely parallel the first chapter of the book. This would illustrate the structure called chiasm, in which the beginning and the end of a work are parallel (abcd dcba).

Mark 16:9

B. The Appearance to Mary Magdalene (16:9-11) 16:9 The Savior’s first appearance was to Mary Magdalene. The first time she had met Jesus, He had cast seven demons out of her. From then on she served Him lovingly with her possessions. She witnessed the crucifixion, and saw where His body was laid. From the other Gospels we learn that after finding the tomb empty, she ran and told Peter and John. Coming back with her they found the sepulcher empty, as she had told them. They returned to their home but she stayed at the empty tomb. It was then that Jesus appeared to her. 16:10, 11 Again she went back to the city to share the good news with the sorrowing disciples. For them it was too good to be true. They did not believe it.

Mark 16:12

C. The Appearance to Two Disciples (16:12, 13) 16:12 The full account of this appearance is found in Luk_24:13-31. Here we read that He appeared in another form to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. To Mary He had appeared as a gardener. Now He seemed like a fellow-traveler. But it was the same Jesus in His glorified body. 16:13 When the two disciples returned to Jerusalem and reported their fellowship with the risen Savior, they met the same disbelief that Mary had encountered.

Mark 16:14

D. The Appearance to the Eleven (16:14-18) 16:14 This appearance to the eleven took place that same Sunday evening (Luk_24:36; Joh_20:19-24; 1Co_15:5). Although the disciples are referred to as the eleven, only ten were present. Thomas was absent on this occasion. Jesus rebuked His own for their refusal to accept the reports of His resurrection from Mary and the others. 16:15 Verse 15 records the commission that was given by the Lord on the eve of His Ascension. There is thus an interval between verses 14 and 15. The disciples were commanded to preach the gospel to the whole creation. The Savior’s goal was world evangelization. He purposed to accomplish it with eleven disciples who would literally forsake all to follow Him. 16:16 There would be two results of the preaching. Some would believe, be baptized and be saved; some would disbelieve and be condemned. Verse 16 is used by some to teach the necessity of water baptism for salvation. We know it cannot mean that for the following reasons:

1. The thief on the cross was not baptized; yet he was assured of being in Paradise with Christ (Luk_23:43).
2. The Gentiles in Caesarea were baptized after they were saved (Act_10:44-48).
3. Jesus Himself did not baptize (Joh_4:1-2)a strange omission if baptism were necessary for salvation.
4. Paul thanked God that he baptized very few of the Corinthians (1Co_1:14-16)an impossible thanksgiving if baptism were essential for salvation.
5. Approximately 150 passages in the NT state that salvation is by faith alone. No verse or few verses could contradict this overwhelming testimony.
6. Baptism is connected with death and burial in the NT, not with spiritual birth. What then does verse 16 mean? We believe it mentions baptism as the expected outward expression of belief. Baptism is not a condition of salvation, but an outward proclamation that the person has been saved. 16:17, 18 Jesus here describes certain miracles that would accompany those who believe the gospel. As we read the verses, the obvious question is, Do these signs exist today? We believe that these signs were intended primarily for the apostolic age, before the complete Bible was available in written form. Most of these signs are found in the Book of Acts:
7. Cast out demons (Act_8:7; Act_16:18; Act_19:11-16).
8. New tongues (Act_2:4-11; Act_10:46; Act_19:6).
9. Handle serpents (Act_28:5).
10. Drink poison without harmful effectsnot recorded in Acts but attributed to John and Barnabas by the church historian Eusebius.
11. Lay hands on the sick for healing (Act_3:7; Act_19:11; Act_28:8-9). What was the purpose of these miracles? We believe the answer is found in Heb_2:3-4. Before the NT was available in completed form, men would ask the apostles and others for proof that the gospel was divine. To confirm the preaching, God bore witness with signs and wonders and various gifts of the Holy Spirit. The need for these signs is gone today. We have the complete Bible. If men won’t believe that, they wouldn’t believe anyway. Mark did not say that the miracles would continue. The words to the end of the age are not found here as they are in Mat_28:18-20. However, Martin Luther suggested that the signs here spoken of are to be used according to need. When the need arises, and the Gospel is hard pressed, then we must definitely do these signs, before we allow the Gospel to be maligned and knocked down.

Mark 16:19

E. The Servant’s Ascension to God’s Right Hand (16:19, 20) 16:19 Forty days after His resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. This is the place of honor and of power. 16:20 In obedience to His command, the disciples went forth like flaming fires, preaching the gospel and winning men to the Savior. The power of the Lord was with them. The promised signs accompanied their preaching, confirming the word they spoke. Here the narrative endswith Christ in heaven, with a few committed disciples on earth burdened for world evangelization and giving themselves entirely to it, and with results of eternal consequences. We are entrusted with the Great Commission in our generation. Our task is to reach every person with the gospel. One-third of all the people who have ever lived are living today. By the year 2000, one-half of all the people who have ever lived will be living then. As the population explodes, the task increases. But the method is always the same devoted disciples with unlimited love for Christ who count no sacrifice too great for Him. The will of God is the evangelization of the world. What are we doing about it?