GOSPEL OF MARK: GOD’S SERVANT IN ACTION
GREAT COMMISSION AND ASCENSION
4/19/20 – Garfield
Good morning, Family.
I hope and pray that you and your family continue to be healthy and safe. And I hope during this time that we are having to shelter in you have been spending time in God’s Word and in prayer.
Today marks the fifth Sunday that we are unable to worship together as a family, and, sadly to say, we will not be meeting next Sunday either. However, I do believe that we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel until we are together again. There may still be some restrictions and precautions in place, but we can get through this. Preaching with a MASK may be a little strange. And you HUGGERS out there will just have to get used to AIR HUGGING six feet apart—I’m talking to you Mike P.
Whatever PRECAUTIONS we need to take, will be worth it to be back TOGETHER again as a FAMILY worshipping our Father in Heaven. Can you imagine what that first Sunday is going to be LIKE? Get ready for the Holy Spirit to do His thing!! I whole-heartedly believe that a REVIVAL is coming! And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to MISS it!!
So, once we are allowed to back at Garfield Christian Church worshipping together, PLEASE BE THERE!!
A. Let’s get started with our LESSON today. We now come to a part of this Gospel that has created much
CONTROVERSY: Mark 16:9-20.
1. If you use the NIV translation as I do, you will see a parenthetical statement added by the publishers
stating: [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.]
a. I am spending only a brief time on this CONTROVERSY because whether or not these verses were written by Mark’s own hand, they DO NOT contain anything that CONTRADICTS other
writings found in the New Testament.
b. Mark 16:9-20 (READ)
2. As you know, there are literally THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of complete and partial New Testament MANUSCRIPTS that were copied and re-copied by different people over centuries with a
whopping 99.5% accuracy rate, according to EXPERTS.
a. The PROCESS was very simple.
COMMENT:
The churches that received a GOSPEL or a LETTER from the original writers, would, in turn, METICULOUSLY COPY it and send it on to the NEXT CHURCH where it was PAINSTAKINGLY COPIED again and sent on to the NEXT CHURCH and so on. Thus, the MANUSCRIPTS were PASSED DOWN from one GENERATION to the next, all with very few DIFFERENCES in content.
b. The only explanation that I can think of for such ACCURACY is that God guided the hands of
those SCRIBES to preserve His writings throughout the AGES.
3. Of the 1600 plus MANUSCRIPTS that we have on the Gospel of Mark, a whopping 99% of them
contain vv. 9-20 as the writings of John Mark.
a. Effectively there are only two Greek manuscripts that DO NOT contain these 12 verses, but they
are the OLDEST of the MANUSCRIPTS that we have from the FOURTH CENTURY.
b. However, we do have early CHURCH FATHERS from the second century, such as Irenaeus and
Justin Martyr, who quote from these verses and accredit them to John Mark.
COMMENT:
As I email this VIDEO SERMON, I will include a link from Apologetics Press written by Dr. Dave Miller for you to STUDY and draw your own conclusions regarding the AUTHENTICITY of
this section from Mark’s GOSPEL.
4. But, if Mark DID NOT include vv. 9-20, he certainly ENDED his GOSPEL rather strangely with
the “women leaving the EMPTY TOMB, afraid.” THE END.
a. If v. 8 is the ENDING, Mark is the only Gospel writer who doesn’t say ANYTHING about Jesus
APPEARING before His disciples after His RESURRECTION.
b. So, for my LESSON today I am treating this section of Scripture as written by Mark himself, and will include other New Testament passages as CONFIRMATION to the TRUTH of these words.
B. Remember, “the women who were at the TOMB were told by the ANGEL to tell the disciples and,
specifically, Peter that Jesus had RISEN from the dead and would meet them in Galilee”– Mark 15:7.
1. As the WOMEN make their way to TELL the DISCIPLES what they saw, Jesus appeared.
a. Mark 16:9 states that “Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene.”
b. Matthew 28:9-10 states that “Jesus appeared to all the women”, which must have happened
shortly after appearing to Mary Magdalene.
c. John’s Gospel speaks only of “Mary Magdalene seeing and speaking with Jesus in the garden
after His resurrection”- John 20:10ff. (Which Mike Gritt shared with us last week.)
d. And Luke’s Gospel doesn’t MENTION any of the WOMEN seeing Jesus after His resurrection, but instead puts the EMPHASIS on “two DISCIPLES that Jesus APPEARED to on the Road to
Emmaus”- Luke 24:13ff.
COMMENT:
Although each of these AUTHORS were inspired by Holy Spirit when WRITING their GOSPEL account of the LIFE of Christ, they were allowed by God to insert their own PERSONALITY, PERSPECTIVE and EMPHASIS as they recorded the FACTS of the EVENTS that took place. That’s why it’s IMPORTANT to study all four Gospels to get the complete accounting of the EVENTS that took place in the LIFE of Christ.
2. As we conclude the Gospel of Mark study, today I want us to FOCUS on Christ’s Great Commission and His Ascension into HEAVEN.
MESSAGE:
I. CHRIST’S GREAT COMMISSION- Mark 16:13-18
A. After Jesus’ RESURRECTION He remained on the earth for 40 days TEACHING His disciples, FELLOWSHIPPING with them, EATING with them, PREPARING them for His departure and the COMING of the Holy Spirit to be upon them.
1. During the 40 days, Jesus met with the remaining 11 apostles TOGETHER and SEPARATELY.
a. In fact, Paul tells of one occasion where “Jesus APPEARED to more than 500 of His
FOLLOWERS at the same time”- 1 Corinthians 15:6.
b. So, there were many EYE-WITNESSES who were able to GAZE upon Jesus, to SPEAK with Him, and to TOUCH Him after His RESURRECTION.
2. At some point during this time, probably near the end of His 40 days on the earth, Jesus gives His
apostles what we know as “The Great Commission.”
a. Now, most of us have been taught that after Jesus gave the GREAT COMMISSION to the
apostles He immediately ASCENDED into heaven, because one event directly follows the
other in the GOSPEL WRITINGS.
COMMENT:
However, there is actually a TIME-LAPSE between the two events—at least 2 to 3 days that
we know of.
b. Mark doesn’t say where they are when Jesus gives them The Great Commission, but Matthew
tells us that “they are on a mountain in Galilee”- Matthew 28:16.
c. Then we learn from Luke that “the ASCENSION takes place in Bethany” (Luke 24:50), which is a 2 to 3 days journey from Galilee—depending on which mountain they were on.
B. Knowing that He will soon RETURN to the Father, Jesus tells the apostles that His WORK on earth
is not FINISHED and that they are to CARRY ON His ministry that He began three years before.
1. Listen to both Mark’s and Matthew’s account of THE GREAT COMMISSION:
a. Mark 16:15-16- “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
b. Matthew 28:19-20a- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”
2. Now, let’s look at the both the SIMILARITIES and DIFFERENCES from both accounts—starting
with the SIMILARITIES:
(1). In BOTH accounts, we find Jesus using the word “GO”. “Go into all the world and
preach…” and “Go and make disciples of all nations…”.
COMMENT:
Many believe that this VERB is an IMPERATIVE COMMAND from Jesus to His apostles and subsequent followers “TO GO”. Yet, Jesus is not COMMANDING His DISCIPLES to “GO”, but is taking for GRANTED that they are GOING. The Greek verb tense literally means, “As you GO” or “As you are GOING…”
Jesus is saying to the Apostles and to us as His FOLLOWERS, “AS you are GOING out into the world… AS you are GOING to work… AS you are GOING to the grocery store… AS you are GOING to the movies… AS you are GOING to watch your kids play softball… (NOT NOW, BUT AFTER THIS SOCIAL DISTANCING THING IS OVER) …AS you are GOING . . . TELL others about Me.”
We have a God-given RESPONSIBILITY to SHARE the GOOD NEWS of Christ wherever we GO and wherever we ARE. Just let people know what Jesus Christ has done for you.
(2). Also notice that in both accounts Jesus uses the word “ALL”. “Into ALL the world . . . ALL
nations.”
COMMENT:
Jesus makes it very clear that God’s MERCY and GRACE is for EVERYONE—NO ONE is EXCLUDED. The EARLY CHURCH took Christ’s COMMISSION to heart and presented the
SAVING MESSAGE of Christ everywhere they WENT to anyone who would LISTEN.
They didn’t teach only those who were of the same ETHNIC GROUP as they (the gift of LANGUAGES enabled them to bring the gospel to any RACE). Nor did they teach only those of the same SOCIAL STANDING (they were not reluctant to go into the PALACES of
KINGS or in the SLUMS of the CITIES to SHARE the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ).
They knew that Jesus died for the WHOLE WORLD—for every person, and they took it upon themselves to make sure that no one was EXCLUDED from at least HEARING what Christ did for them.
(3). Both Mark and Matthew emphasize the essentiality of “BAPTISM”.
COMMENT:
If BAPTISM wasn’t necessary for SALVATION and making one a DISCIPLE, do you think Jesus would have commanded His apostles to BAPTIZE all those who accepted and obeyed
the Gospel? Why include that STEP if it’s not ESSENTIAL?
Mark began his GOSPEL with the BAPTISM of Jesus by John, and ended it with Jesus Christ commanding His APOSTLES to carry on that PRACTICE wherever they GO to SHARE the GOSPEL MESSAGE—the DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ, which is exactly what BAPTISM is for every believer- Romans 6:3-7 (READ and COMMENT).
As you read through the book of Acts, you find the apostles OBEYING Christ’s GREAT COMMISSION by TEACHING and BAPTIZING people into Christ wherever they went.
3. Okay! Now, let’s look at the DIFFERENCES of Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts of THE
GREAT COMMISSION:
(1). Only Mark’s account emphasizes the need to “BELIEVE”. “Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
COMMENT:
Mark’s entire GOSPEL is about BELIEF that Jesus is the Son of God. Throughout our STUDY we have seen Jesus REBUKING His disciples on many occasions for their UNBELIEF. It’s no surprise that Mark also emphasizes BELIEF as part of The Great Commission of Christ.
BAPTISM without BELIEF (FAITH) that Jesus is Son of God who came to this earth to LIVE among us and DIE for our SINS, and was BURIED and ROSE from DEAD on the third day . . . means nothing—you’re just GETTING WET—taking a BATH.
1 Peter 3:21- “And this water [through which Noah and his family were saved] symbolizes baptism that now SAVES you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
The POWER to SAVE us is not in the WATER, but in the BLOOD of Christ—believing that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and are BAPTIZED, we are CLEANSED by His BLOOD and, thus, SAVED from our SINS.
The same power that RAISED Jesus from the DEAD is what saves us. Colossians 2:12- “Having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your FAITH in the power [working] of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
(2). Only Matthew emphasizes the need to continue TEACHING after one is BAPTIZED. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to OBEY everything I have commanded you.”
COMMENT:
How many times have people been BAPTIZED into Christ, only to FALL-AWAY shortly thereafter? This is where many churches FAIL. We TEACH, we BAPTIZE, and then leave a new Christian—a baby in Christ—all ALONE. Yet Jesus said that we are to TEACH, BAPTIZE, and continue TEACHING the new Christians to be OBEDIENT to His Word.
(3). Only Mark writes about the SIGNS that will ACCOMPANY the APOSTLES as confirmation that they are from God: “Speaking in tongues, picking up deadly snakes and
surviving if bit, drinking deadly poison and not getting ill or dying, healing the sick.”
COMMENT:
With the exception of “DRINKING DEADLY POISON,” in the book of ACTS we have EXAMPLES of every one of these SIGNS accompanying the apostles confirming the Word of God that they PREACHED. Including the “Apostle Paul being bit by a deadly viper on the island of Malta, and not being hurt”- Acts 28:1-6.
II. CHRIST’S ASCENSION- Mark 16:19-20- “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.”
A. Again, Luke records that the ASCENSION of Christ took place in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem,
a two to three day journey from Galilee where Jesus gave the apostles The Great Commission.
1. None of the GOSPELS go into much DETAIL about the ASCENSION of Christ, other than “He
was taken up into Heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God.”
2. But this doesn’t mean that the MINISTRY of Jesus is COMPLETE.
COMMENT:
Jesus is not sitting on His throne in HEAVEN just twiddling His thumbs. He is right here AMONG us in the midst of His church, DIRECTING its events, PLANNING its strategy, CARRYING it unto the farthest reaches of the WORLD.
B. It began with the APOSTLES who ESTABLISHED the church in Jerusalem, who, in turn, were SCATTERED throughout Judea, and then throughout the rest of the rest of the world, SHARING the GOOD NEWS of Jesus wherever they went.
1. Jews and Gentiles—people from all NATIONS all over the WORLD now make up the church of Jesus Christ.
2. After giving The Great Commission, Jesus told His apostles: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus Christ is WITH us and WORKING through us to fulfill His purpose for the church until the Day He returns to take His Bride—the church—up into heaven.
C. Next Sunday we will revisit Acts 2 as we study about the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost.
PRAYER
