Scripture Study: Mark 16

From: Young Christian: Volume 6, 1916

Mark 16 • 4 min. read • grade level: 8

Mark 16

Mark 16:1-2¹And 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. ²And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. (Mark 16:1‑2). In Matthew 28:1¹In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (Matthew 28:1). The women visited the grave at dusk of the Sabbath, just as the first day commenced. They had bought sweet spices and ointments before the Sabbath (Luke 23:56⁵⁶And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. (Luke 23:56)), and early in the morning of the first day they go to complete their work.

Mark 16:3³And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? (Mark 16:3). They think of the difficulty of that great stone in the way. “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?”

Mark 16:4⁴And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. (Mark 16:4). “And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.” How often we, like them, anticipate difficulties in what we do for the Lord, and how often we are made to prove that He goes before us to order the way (Prov. 3:5-6⁵Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5‑6)).

Mark 16:5-7⁵And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. ⁶And 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. ⁷But 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. (Mark 16:5‑7). On entering the sepulcher they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. He speaks to them, calming their fears, and tells them the one they sought. Jesus of Nazareth, was risen. He is not in the grave. “Behold the place where they laid Him.” He gives them a message to His disciples and Peter to meet Him in Galilee (Matt. 26:32³²But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. (Matthew 26:32)).

Mark 16:8⁸And 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. (Mark 16:8). The women went out quickly and fled from the sepulcher, fear keeping them silent about what they had seen. Afterward they met the Lord Himself and received the message anew (Matt. 28:9⁹And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. (Matthew 28:9)). How comforting this message would be to Peter, who could see in it that the Lord had not cast him off, but still called him “Peter” – his new name (Matt. 16:8⁸Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? (Matthew 16:8); John 1:42⁴²And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:42), margin). Peter had thrice denied that he knew the Lord, but the Lord would not deny Peter (2 Tim. 2:13¹³If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)).

Mark 16:9-11⁹Now 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. ¹⁰And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. ¹¹And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. (Mark 16:9‑11). Tell of Mary Magdalene, to whom he appeared first, after He was risen, and of the blind unbelief of the disciples who refused to believe in His resurrection.

Mark 16:12-13¹²After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. ¹³And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. (Mark 16:12‑13). Tell of another occasion, and again how slow their hearts were about this truth of resurrection.

Mark 16:14¹⁴Afterward 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. (Mark 16:14). And when with the eleven He upbraided them about this same unbelief, this truth of resurrection. How important it is! Man’s natural mind refuses it, for resurrection bears witness to the almighty power of God, and stamps the work of Christ as that work that has glorified. Him and that has glorified the Son in return (John 13:31-32³¹Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³²If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. (John 13:31‑32)).

Mark 16:15-16¹⁵And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15‑16). Their commission here is, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

Mark 16:17-18¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They 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. (Mark 16:17‑18). Are the signs witnessing that they were sent by God (Heb. 2:4⁴God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? (Hebrews 2:4)). It was power able to deliver from Satan; to speak with new tongues, and thus to convey the gospel to nations in their own languages – the proclamation of grace to all men; death could not touch them without the Lord’s permission; and diseases would yield to the authority in trusted to them.

Mark 16:19-20¹⁹So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. ²⁰And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:19‑20). The Lord was eventually received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.

In the history of the progress of the gospel we see that all was not fulfilled at once. The apostles did not go from Jerusalem till they could stay there no longer. History outside of the Bible tells us that then they went to different places and labored, and the Lord worked with them. Peter was used to open the door to the bringing in of the Gentiles in Acts 10 as he had done also for the Jew in Acts 2. But it was Paul that took the lead as the apostle to the Gentiles in preaching the gospel to every creature (all creation). Which means that no nationality was excluded, it went beyond the Jews, to all men.

In answer to the Lord’s prayer upon the cross (Luke 23:34³⁴Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (Luke 23:34)), another offer was given to the Jews as a nation in Acts 3 that if they repented then the Lord would come back and set up His kingdom, thus fulfilling the unfulfilled prophecies. Instead of repenting, they abused His servants; and stoned Stephen, sending him after His Master (Luke 19:14¹⁴But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:14)). Stephen sees Jesus standing on the right-hand of God, as if waiting to come. That offer is closed with Stephen’s death, henceforth the gospel was to individuals. And the Church was scattered abroad from Jerusalem, except the apostles, and those scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:1,4¹And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Acts 8:1)
⁴Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. (Acts 8:4)).

And the Lord worked with them also. May we know, too, what that means, “The Lord working with them,” in our service.

The word is now established: signs are not needed in this day, to make us see that the gospel is from the living God.

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