Mark: The Appendix [Mark 16:9-20]

Mark: The Appendix []

Stand for the reading of the word of God []

As we come to the end of Mark’s gospel, that we started a while ago August of 2018, we find ourselves in a section that has some controversy surrounding it. Now don’t be alarmed about this, but I wanted to mention this to you so you’d be aware of it.

The ending of Mark, verse 9-20, has been the topic of discussion between scholars in recent years…the discussion is whether it is actually the original ending of Mark’s gospel or an appendix added later. Depending on what translation of the bible you have, there may be a note about verses 9-20 being omitted from the original text. Let me explain briefly why that is in there.

With the discovery of older manuscripts in recent years scholars have discovered some differences in earlier manuscripts to later manuscripts…don’t be alarmed…these differences are very technical matters and they don’t affect our understanding of the scripture. But, these differences do trouble some people and bring up arguments amongst believers…this shouldn’t be if we take time to understand the differences.

For example, because of these differences there has been division among some believers whether we should trust more contemporary versions of the bible or trust the KJV only. I remind people that to get caught up in trusting this translation or that translation only, that is a weak argument because it is just that…a translation and not the original language. There are many translations that are wonderful and very accurate. What we need to know is that regardless of what translation you read, which is derived from different manuscripts…there is no item of Christian belief or practice that differs.

In Mark’s gospel, verse 9-20 is the longest variation there is from different manuscripts. The earliest manuscripts we have dating back to the 4th century end in verse 8. While later manuscripts, from the 5th and 6th century have a longer ending. So which is the actual ending? This is where the debate comes in for scholars. For our sake, we are going to treat verses 9-20 as if it is a part of the original text. I’m not saying it is or isn’t, I have my own opinion on the matter, but my opinion doesn’t matter for this study.

The fact is, either ending works just fine and if have the longer ending or not, nothing is taken away or added to the text that we don’t have in the other gospels. This ending doesn’t affect essential Christian doctrine. There is nothing here that is not verified by the other gospel accounts. So the controversy shouldn’t even be one and I probably shouldn’t have even brought this up, but I wanted you to be aware of this. Moving on. You can follow in your bulletins the outline. This section in Mark provides summary information about some of the appearances of the risen Lord Jesus and indicates how the disciples responded. There were a number of appearances of the risen Lord these are just a few.

Appearances of the Risen Lord []

1. To Mary Magdalene [v.9-11]: Mary was the first to see the risen Lord. John’s gospel tells us this. After reaching the empty tomb with the other ladies, Mary M. left the other ladies to go and tell the disciples. After telling them she returned by herself, as tells us, and the risen Lord appeared to her. Why Mary M. first? Mark gives us some indication to the devotion she had for Jesus in verse 9. Jesus had cast out 7 demons from her.

Mary had been apart of a great deliverance from the Lord therefore her devotion to Jesus was great…great deliverance=great devotion. Mary’s love for Jesus was great because of the great love Jesus had showed her. While Mary’s exorcism is not recorded for us in the gospels others are, like the casting out of legion from and man living in the graves. He was outcast, not able to live among people, he scared people, and no one wanted to be around him…but Jesus changed all that. The same could be said of Mary, who had 7 demons. This is a great testimony to the fact that no one is to lost for Jesus to save! Even a person possessed by seven demons can be saved by our Lord Jesus.

Mary delivered the report to the disciples who were mourning, but notice they did not believe her. The crucifixion of Jesus had dashed all their hopes and like the women who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, they did not expect a resurrection. In spite of the fact the Jesus told them He would rise, their grief brought doubt and their doubt was stronger than their belief.

The disciples had failed Jesus by abandoning Him in the garden…but their failure worsened as they refuse to believe what Jesus had told them before…that He would indeed rise from the dead.

2. To the disciples [v.12-13]: Jesus appears to two of his disciples…this is Mark’s brief version of Luke’s account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in . In that account Jesus appeared to the two disciples, they did not recognize Him, and as they traveled He explained all the OT scripture concerning Him to them. After Jesus revealed Himself to them they went and told the other disciples and the all sang… I love you Lord and I lift my heart??? No verse 13, But they did not believe them either! Another report of Jesus being risen and they refuse again to believe.

3. To the eleven [v.14]: The third post-resurrection appearance of Jesus was to the eleven disciples, verse 14. Notice this appearance, as they sat at the table…i.e. they were having dinner [bodily resurrected]. Jesus rebuked their unbelief and their hard hearts. The language Mark uses is strong…it suggests a mind that stubbornly resists or cannot be penetrated with the truth.

The disciples’ unbelief and lack of understanding were two sides of the same coin, and Jesus did not spare them the rebuke they needed. The fact that they had not believed eyewitness reports that Jesus was alive illustrated the fact that their minds were closed, and they desperately needed to be shaken awake. Many today are in the same boat as these disciples…having heard the reports and evidence for the risen Lord and yet refuse to believe…This testifies to the fact that only God can change the hearts of rebellious people. Don’t give up on that person you know who refuses to believe…God can take a heart of stone and give it life. He can take a stubborn person who refuses the truth and penetrate their life with the gospel. Never give up on someone.

The commission of the Risen Lord []

1. The great commission [v.15]: In typical Markan fashion, he moves from one thing right to the next scene with little information. After the disciples have been with Jesus and seen Jesus risen the Lord gives them the commission. Mark uses the same participle as , the “Go” in the commission is literally “going” it is subordinate to the main imperative verb “preach” or “proclaim”. i.e. Preaching the gospel to all cannot take place apart from going. The commission is simple, share the gospel everywhere to everyone. This applies to us…as we are going about our daily lives we should be living witnesses to Jesus Christ if we are His followers. If we are not witnessing of Jesus everywhere and often…why not?

Just an interesting note…this command to go serves as a sandwich for the entire gospel of Mark…Mark emphasized in 1:14 Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. The gospel is the good news of access into the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. The whole purpose of Mark’s gospel is to tell us that the kingdom of God became accessible to all through Jesus Christ and we can enter that kingdom through repentance and faith in Him. That literary sandwich also serves to connect the commission to Christ’s mission…preaching the gospel. We are to carry on the mission of Christ, sharing the good news.

2. The promise of salvation [v.16]: The result of the commission is the promise of salvation. The proclamation of the gospel demands a response. As the great commentator Cranfield put it… “The gospel message brings either life or death for men; according as they respond to it with faith or unbelief they will inherit salvation or be condemned in the final judgment.”

Let me take a second to note what Mark says in verse 16. Some suggest that baptism is essential to salvation and will use a verse like this to prove their position. While I don’t have time to fully develop this, let me just say baptism is not essential to salvation.......it is essential if we want to be fully obedient…but not essential to salvation. One only has to note the second half of this verse to see Mark doesn’t connect condemnation to baptism, he only connects unbelief to being condemned.

Baptism is an outward expression of faith, though not faith itself…an expression of it. an outward sign of an inward reality. Repentance and faith are required for entrance into the kingdom of God…baptism is the visible acknowledgement of that sin and need for cleansing of sin that is essential for repentance as well as faith. The more important question of the nature of salvation is… “what is this faith?” What do people believe in order to be saved.

Faith or having faith involves commitment to and confidence in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In faith we believe that we are transferred into the kingdom of God through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The NT Epistles develop further…but this is the starting point; faith in the gospel message, in Christ, the Son of God, who had died and rose again as the savior of the world. This is the starting point, faith in the completed work of Christ.

3. The gift of signs [v.17-18]: Mark mentions signs in verse 17-18. The questions surrounding these signs are… one, are these signs permanent activities practiced by all believers or, two, are they temporary works associated with the apostles. Once again, this topic is too large to develop in depth here. but I believe along with many trusted scholars that, as Cole put it… “these miraculous gifts and signs were meant, from the start, for the apostolic age, serving as signs to attest the truth and authority of the apostle’s message in a time when the NT text itself was in process and incomplete.”

These gifts served as

The signs were necessary then, to attest to the coming of the Spirit…but ended with the apostolic age. The word of God is sufficient for all our needs today…when you see people today performing these type of signs…it should raise serious concern.

The ascension of the Risen Lord []

1. The risen Lord spoke to the disciples [v.19]: Once again Mark gives the barest of statements concerning the ascension of the Lord. No precise time, or statement to what He said is given, for more details on the ascension we must go to Luke and Acts.

2. The risen Lord ascended up into heaven [v.19]: Mark says, the Lord was “received up” or “taken up” into heaven. This was visible, bodily, and glorious. The power lifting Him was God’s and He was received in Heaven by God. This too serves to complete the bookends tying the gospel together. In , at Jesus baptism the heavens were opened up and the Spirit descended, accompanied by the voice of the Father in Heaven proclaiming Jesus as Son. Now at the end the heavens are opened again, and Jesus ascends and is received there by the Father.

3. The risen Lord sat at the right hand of God [v.19]: Jesus literally took a seat at the right hand of God. In effect, Jesus’ being seated implies, His lordship and equality with the Father, as well as his position as mediator to the Father, which he had purchased by his sufferings and obedience. Taking a seat also indicated the work was done, nothing else needed to take place for men and women to be redeemed.

The apostle’s obedience []

1. The apostles went out as commanded [v.20]: The apostles proceeded to do what they were commissioned to do. They were to go…they went…they were to proclaim the gospel…they proclaimed it everywhere.

2. The apostles preached everywhere [v.20]: The book of Acts records for us in great detail the work the Lord did with and through the apostles. Here is a marvelous truth...

3. The Lord worked with and through the apostle’s [v.20]: Notice Marks’s words… “the Lord working with them and confirming the word through them.” There is a pattern and a promise in this that fits us today.

First, the pattern: Jesus said go and they went… Jesus said proclaim and they preached everywhere…they were fully obedient to the charge of Jesus. This pattern is the foundation for the mission of the church as well. The pattern of outreach is going. This is not just what is NFBC doing for outreach…that’s important…but this is more personal. What are you individually doing to reach the lost? The church, the body of Christ, individuals that make up that body, has a mission... go everywhere and proclaim the good news of Jesus to everyone.

As long as we have life, as long as we are still on this earth, as long as Jesus has not returned…are mission is go everywhere and preach to everyone! Are you proclaiming the good news of Jesus to your co-workers? To your family members? To your friends? To your neighbors? The charge is a simple one…proclaim the good news everywhere to everyone. We tend to make evangelism to difficult, it’s not difficult, if you are saved tell someone how you got saved and why you believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The more you share Jesus with others the more confident you get doing so the more often you will do it. The pattern is simple…go, proclaim.

The promise is beautiful: The Lord worked with and through the disciples…the same is for us today. We do not have to accomplish God’s work in our own power, we can’t, but the beautiful promise is, Jesus “co-works” with us to empower us to fulfill His mission. I’ve heard many people tell me, “I don’t witness because I’m not confident in what to say” I give this encouragement… study God’s word and trust Him to work through you and with you. You don’t have to be a bible scholar to witness to someone…you just have to be willing to be used by God and obey Him.

Are you willing to be used by God? Will you trust and obey Him? Jesus wants to work with you and through you, He’s simply waiting for you to respond in trust and obedience.

If you’ve never trusted in Jesus as Lord as Savior do so today.

If you’ve not responded in obedience to His call and commission do so today.