This is a devotional with my thoughts added to verses from the Bible. I highly encourage you to dig into the word with your own thoughts. The Daily Devotion series is one way to do this. However, I know that sometimes we want to read other people’s ideas about Bible passages, so I am starting the Everyday series. I hope and pray that these posts will draw you nearer to Jesus.
DAY 4–Remember to pray before you begin.
Mark 16:5-8 They Were Afraid
Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’” They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.
Three women started out for the tomb, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, but somewhere along the line Mary Magdalene became separated from the others. Maybe, she had arranged to meet the other two women at the tomb and was traveling there alone, or maybe, she had left them in order to try to find someone to roll away the stone. In any case, when the two other women arrived, they were surprised to find the stone already rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side dressed in a white robe. There must have been something strange and alarming about him that caused the women to fear. He calmed them down and told them that Jesus was not there and gave them a mission. He told them to tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus was going to Galilee to meet them. This is the second time that Mark mentions that Jesus was going to be reunited with them in Galilee. The appointment in Galilee must have been for a special purpose. However, Jesus would actually meet with the disciples several times before Galilee even though it is this meeting in Galilee that is emphasized.
Mark seems to imply that the women delayed their mission out of fear. However, Matthew 28:8-10 says that they were hurrying to tell the disciples when they met up with Jesus. “They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.” According to Matthew, the women were running to tell the disciples when Jesus appeared to the women while Mark says that they said nothing to anyone.When we see these kinds of apparent contradictions, we need to consider possible explanations that would explain the facts. Both passages say that the women were afraid. However, the difference is in whether they were hiding fearfully or announcing Jesus’ resurrection. The key word might be “anyone.” Does this include the disciples, or is it referring to the general public? Mark’s point may have been that instead of shouting out the news of their Rabbi’s resurrection to the world at large as they rushed to inform the disciples, they acted as if they had a secret message that they needed to hide from outsiders. Jesus felt it necessary to appear to them and reassure them that there was no need to be terrified. They needed to have faith that He was more than capable of dealing with the feared religious leaders and the Romans.
Another detail that can be confusing is that people commonly say that Mary Magdalene was the first to inform the disciples because of Mark 16 and John 20 while Matthew 28 implies that the two women were the first to inform the disciples. This is no contradiction. It could be that John and Peter were staying at a different location from the other disciples. Thus, two sets of messengers were sent so that all of Jesus’ loyal disciples could be told the good news. There may be other explanations as well. The point is that apparent contradictions will always have a logical explanation. Do not ignore contradictions. Embrace them and consider the possibilities that they open up for deeper study and understanding. An angel gave the message of the resurrection, yet Jesus felt it necessary to show himself to the women. Why? Was it simply that Jesus’ felt compassion for their fear? Or did He believe that they needed more than an angel to strengthen their faith when they were about to be challenged by the disciples’ disbelief? The pitiful aspect of this situation was that instead of rejoicing at the women’s message, the disciples reacted with skepticism rather than happiness. “‘Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb; and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of us went to the tomb, and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.’ He said to them, ‘Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!’” (Luke 24:22-25). We speak of doubting Thomas, but there were others who doubted as well. The women needed confidence to face such a skeptical reception with their unbelievable announcement.
DAY 5–Remember to pray before you begin.
Mark 16:9-11 The Dawn of Joy
Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.
Jesus was in the tomb on Preparation Day and the evening and morning of Sabbath followed by the evening and morning of First Day. He rose early on the first day of the week. Imagine how the angels had been waiting with anticipation during those three days. Their beloved Leader had been absent from heaven for 33 years. They had been forced to watch as He walked in enemy territory in the form of a helpless mortal man. They had been amazed at how badly Jesus had been treated by the religious leaders and others who claimed to serve God, yet how miraculously Jesus had drawn sinners away from the enemy’s chains and freed them to be part of the kingdom of heaven again. The heavenly beings had strained against the limitations imposed upon them as they watched Jesus’ last day on earth, but now, finally, in just a few more hours, they would have their beloved Master back with them and out of reach of the enemy.
John 20 tells us that Peter and John were the disciples that Mary Magdalene informed of the empty tomb. Mark tells us that they had been crying and grieving for Jesus. Peter and the others were devastated not just because a cause that they had believed in had been crushed, but because the Man they loved with all their hearts was dead. They were weeping for Jesus and missing Him. Emptiness filled their hearts. Jesus had been the center of their lives, yet they had still kept one foot in the world. Now, they were mourning for the lost chances that they missed to show their love. They were devastated by all the what ifs and what should have beens, but most of all they were simply missing the love of their Master.
There are several reasons why the disciples were skeptical of Mary Magdalene’s announcement. First of all, they were not expecting Jesus’ resurrection. In John 20 it says, “For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:9). They simply had not processed the predictions that Jesus had given them about His resurrection. Second, Mary was a woman, and the disciples were products of their own society, which did not believe a woman’s testimony was credible or legal. There may also have been a bit of ego that thought that if Jesus was going to rise, He would appear first to one of His official disciples. Third, Mary was only a singular witness at this time. In a short while, the other two women would announce Jesus’ resurrection also, but at this point, there was only one person bearing witness to Jesus’ resurrection. The law of Moses required two witnesses for proof, and this requirement was ingrained into their psyche. Fourth, Jesus being alive was simply incomprehensible to them. They had seen Him die in a painful and public way. There was no doubt of His death. They had been grieving for Him for a day and a half. It was almost impossible to turn that kind of knowledge and emotion around on the say-so of someone else who was not credible and had no backup information.
It is easy to understand the disciples’ distrust of Mary’s story. Most of us would not have believed her either. Often, our lack of faith in the scriptures or our inability to turn around our thinking interfere with our ability to accept the messages that God is giving us. Modern society has transformed many of us into cynical skeptics, which also acts as a barrier to receiving communication from the Holy Spirit. This needs to change. True, in Matthew 10:16, Jesus advised us to be “wise as serpents” so that we do not become gullible dupes spreading false information. In this day and age of fake news and partisan information, a healthy dose of skepticism is wise. On the other hand, the same verse says to be “innocent as doves”. We still need to maintain our childlike trust in God rather than becoming cynical and worldly. It is good for Christians to be skeptical to some extent as Satan has many deceptions that he uses on followers of Christ; however, it is also important not to take that skepticism so far that we refuse to believe the messages that God Himself is sending to us.
DAY 6–Remember to pray before you begin.
Mark 16:12-14 Stubborn Unbelief
After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either. Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
It is important to understand that Mark was giving a condensed account of the post resurrection appearances. This is not a comprehensive list of all the interactions between Jesus and other people after the resurrection. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 about other appearances. “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also” Jesus continued to interact with people for forty days after the resurrection. During this time period, He finally had that meeting in Galilee that both he and the angels had emphasized (Matthew 28:16).
The two disciples mentioned in this verse are the two travelers walking to Emmaus spoken of in Luke 24:13-35. The name of one of them was Cleopas, but we are not told the identity of his companion. After their meeting with Jesus, the two witnesses raced back to Jerusalem to inform Jesus’ disciples, friends, and family who remained there. When the Cleopas and his companion arrived back in Jerusalem, their story was treated with skepticism just as the women’s witness had been. Mark says that the rest did not believe that Jesus was risen even after this second group of witnesses gave their testimony. This implies that Peter’s testimony was also doubted because Luke tells us that when Cleopas and company reached the eleven and their companions, they were already discussing Jesus’ appearance to Simon. “They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them, saying, ‘The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’ They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread ” (Luke 24:33-35). Who were the ones who did not believe? Mark may not have been specifically speaking of the eleven remaining disciples alone since Luke mentions “the eleven and their companions.” Some of those companions were Jesus’ own family. The unbelievers did not need to be all of the eleven chosen disciples but could have been referring to many of the larger group of Jesus’ followers who still did not trust the witnesses who claimed that Jesus had risen from the grave.
Like the disciples, we have all been doubters of the truth at some point in our lives. Even though God wants us to believe with the first evidence that He provides for us, He knows that we may need more. God will give us all the evidence necessary for belief. However, we have a part to play in overcoming doubt. Many times, we must choose to trust God despite our doubts. We must act in faith even before we have certainty. And when we simply cannot overcome those doubts, we need to cry out as the father of the demon possessed boy did to Jesus, “I believe. Help my unbelief.” Jesus may rebuke us for our lack of faith, but He will provide the assurance and evidence that we need to revive our faith in Him.
We are not told the names of many of the people who witnessed Jesus after His resurrection. Our inclination is to think that if we do not know their information, they are not important. We tend to believe that only the most famous and prominent people of the scriptures are significant to God. However, Jesus did not only appear to Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. There was also an unnamed believer walking on that road. Jesus explained His lessons to both of them. We do not know who that unnamed follower of Christ was, but Jesus thought that it was important to appear to him/her. We also do not know what happened to Mary Magdalene after Jesus ascended to heaven, but we can be sure that she continued to serve her Lord, and He loved her. We do not know who the 500 were, but we can be certain that they were loved by Jesus. In the same way, just because you are less well known than others and not in a favored position of leadership, it does not mean that God loves you any less than His famous leaders. He loves you and has a place for you in His work.
DAY 7–Remember to pray before you begin.
Mark 16:15-20 Go to the World
He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.
Jesus gave His disciples their mission. We also are His followers, so it is our mission also. We are to go everywhere and tell the good news to everyone. If they believe and are baptized, they will be saved. If they do not believe, they are condemned. Notice that not being baptized does not condemn a person. Baptism is important, and it is a command from Jesus for those who believe in Him, but baptism is not the essential element that saves or condemns us. Belief is the necessary component. Belief means that we are listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a sign that we are following those promptings. Both of those elements—hearing and obeying—demonstrate that we are connected to Jesus through the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, hearing the good news and choosing not to believe it means that we are resisting the promptings of the Holy Spirit and refusing to be connected to Jesus. That is certain death.
We often misrepresent the situation of humanity. God does not condemn us because we hear and do not believe. Instead, the key message is that we are already condemned before we receive the good news. The gospel informs us that we do not have to remain under that condemnation. Jesus has provided a way out of death. Then after being offered life, if we refuse rescue, we have killed ourselves by not connecting to our Creator. We were born separated from God. We only have a certain amount of life in us at birth. The only way to have eternal life is through a connection to the source of all life—God. Choosing to believe allows the Spirit to link us to Jesus and through Him to the Father. Believing reestablishes our intimate relationship with the One who provides healing and restoration. With the life provided by our Savior flowing through us we can survive and thrive in God’s presence when His glory would have destroyed us otherwise.
The passage says that the Lord kept working with the disciples and confirming the message by signs. In John 14:18, Jesus told the disciples that He would not leave them as orphans. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus continued to teach His beloved students. This passage tells us that the disciples still had a strong connection to their Lord even after He had ascended into heaven. The apostles knew that Jesus was with them, and they heard the messages that He wanted them to deliver. They experienced the miracles that He had promised and more. They knew themselves to be simply weak humans who could do nothing alone, yet miraculous events were occurring through them. They had not suddenly become Superman with strange new powers. They were still the same as always, except that they were connected more strongly to heaven through the Holy Spirit, and their Rabbi was sitting at the right hand of God.
All these signs were demonstrated by the apostles as they traveled from place to place. However, in modern times, it often seems as if miraculous signs no longer accompany us as we tell the good news of Jesus. Why? Maybe because the signs would not be useful to us today. Currently, with AI generated creations and photoshopped fantasies, the signs would often be viewed as trickery used to deceive people for a profit. In addition, the apostles had been trained in humility so that when they received great power, it did not go to their heads. How many modern Christians would be able to handle such power and still maintain their dependence and childlike trust in Jesus? Finally, appearances can be deceiving. Miraculous signs have been accompanying Christians who step forward to spread the gospel in all the generations since the disciples died, but those signs have not always been recorded or if they were, we simply view them as entertaining stories rather than communication handed down directly from heaven.
Signs can be important to gain attention, but once the listener is focused on the message, it is Jesus who fills the empty place inside a person’s heart. It is Jesus who draws humanity in with His compassion and mercy. Without Jesus at the center of our message, signs are empty symbols that can never transform hearts or bring life to sinners. It is the Word that is important. It must be preached. He must be spoken of. Signs are only provided as confirmation, not the main event. The gospel is Jesus.
Epilogue
It has been almost 2,000 years since Mark sat down, dipped his reed pin in ink, and wrote out the Spirit-inspired lifegiving words of his gospel. He ended his account of Jesus’ life with the gospel commission to spread the knowledge of God’s love to the world. That is the time that we have been living in for so long, but the day is coming (I believe it is almost here) when the era of spreading Jesus’ offer of life will draw to a close. Then Jesus will come in the clouds and take His people home to those mansions that He promised (John 14:1-3). Our Savior will raise up the dead from their graves into life everlasting. He will transform His living followers into glorified beings who will never die. What joy to feel life flowing through our veins instead of the death, aches, and pains that we exist with presently. However, that joy will be nothing compared to the beauty of living closely with our God for eternity. No more separation. No more isolation. No more emptiness. We will be in the presence of our Creator with no barriers for the first time since Eden. Nothing will separate us from God’s love ever again.