RESURRECTION, COMMISSION, AND ASCENSION
Text: Mark 16:1-20
16 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
9 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.
10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
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.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 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.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
1. The Resurrection (vv. 1-14)
- The importance of the resurrection cannot be overstated. The resurrection is as important to the gospel message as the substitutionary
Without the resurrection there would be no salvation.
The resurrection of Jesus is not only the proof that salvation is available to sinners; the resurrection is the great sign that God’s Word is
We can believe the gospels, the firsthand accounts of the witnesses.
The women who were the
Verses 9-14 emphasize the disciples’ lack of
- Of all people who should have believed the simple message of the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, it should have been the men who were told before He died that He would rise again.
2. Commission (vv. 15-18)
In Mark’s version of the Great Commission, Jesus points to the message to be shared, the ministry to be engaged, and the miraculous credentials that only He could give.
1) The message (vv. 15-16)
- The message is the Gospel of the good news of salvation through
- A superficial reading of these verses could lead you to think that baptism is necessary in order for a person to be saved.
A close look, however, shows that the emphasis in on
Jesus does not say that if you are not baptized you will be condemned. He is not saying baptism is necessary to salvation, but that the person who is saved will be baptized.
- In the early church it was without exception that the expectation was that every believer would be
2) The ministry (v. 15)
The ministry is to share the gospel with the
The book of Mark is all about action. Now Jesus is telling His church to get to it, go to work, act on this commission, tell the world that Jesus saves!
- This same thing could be said to us today: get to work, go to it, share the gospel with everyone in the whole world.
- We need to be people of action.
3) The miraculous credentials (vv. 17-18)
The miracles performed by the apostles were to
Most of the signs listed here did take place in the days of the Apostles and are recorded in the Book of Acts.
While this promise was made and no doubt kept by Jesus (i.e. with regards to these miraculous signs). We saw them fading away even before the end of the first century.
- J. Vernon McGee: “Even before the end of the first century, the sign gifts were no longer the credentials of the apostles. The test was correct doctrine (see 2 John 10). It is the Word of God that is the great sign in this hour.”
- The message is the Gospel of the good news of salvation through
3. The Ascension (vv.19-20)
- The ascension marked the
- Jesus is seated. His finished His work of offering Himself a sacrifice for sin.
He is like Melchizedec. He is both Priest and King. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in a place of honor.
Another of Jesus’ heavenly ministries is His
It is fitting that the Gospel of Mark concludes with the Great Servant referencing work.
Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus works in us, to us, through us, and for us.
- His Apostles laid the foundations of the church, and we should continue to build upon that work.
- Jesus is the great Servant. Let’s allow Him to work in us and through us to further the building of His Church for His glory.