Mark 16:9-20 – The Great Commission

Early Sunday morning the risen Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene. In all four Gospels she was recorded as the first witness to the Lord’s resurrection. Here Mark tells us that this was the Mary from whom seven demons that possessed her were cast out. This Mary was also the first to herald the news of Christ’s resurrection to all those who had been with Christ. But they refused to believe her

Verses 12-13 and Luke 24:13-35 are talking about the same two people whom the Risen Christ appeared to. Mark gave us a summarized form while Luke told it in greater detail. Here we are told that Christ appeared to them in a different form. That accounts for why they did not recognize Jesus initially. They only recognized Him after He had broken bread with them. When these two reported to the disciples, they did not believe them either. We are told in verse 14 that the Lord Himself then appeared to the disciples while they were having a meal. And there He rebuked them for not believing what was told them by those whom He had appeared to.

The Lord then gave them the Great Commission to go into all the world and preach to all creatures. The Lord emphasized the world, telling them and us today that the Good News is not meant for Jews only, but for everyone in the world. Since baptism is a public proclamation of one’s acknowledgement of Christ’s Lordship, it should be a new believer’s initiation into the family of believers. As believers of Christ, we not only have peace as a sign of our relationship with Christ, we also have power for ministry. The manifestation of the power will be seen in the eviction of demons, speaking in tongues, healing the sick with the laying on of hands and preservation from dangers of serpents and poison. The last two were given not for Christians to boast, but to demonstrate the power of God’s keeping grace. It should not be exercised boastfully to demonstrate that one has greater power than others. Christians must not deliberately pick up serpents or drink poison to prove the reality of Christ.

Verse 19 summarizes the Lord’s ascension into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God. Obediently, the disciples then went forth and proclaimed the Good News and the Lord attested to the truth by signs that followed. The ending of Mark had been disputed. Some felt that it ended in Mark 16:8 and insisted that the rest after verse 8 are later additions. We are not here to debate these issues but we need to know that the longer version testify to us that the New Testament church is called to be a witnessing community.     

As believers we are challenged to trust Christ, not just for now but also for the future. We who embrace the message of the Gospel are expected to proclaim the full Gospel i.e. that Christ is Savior, Lord, Baptizer of the Holy Spirit and our soon coming King. And as we go about proclaiming the Good News, we have the power to pray and heal the sick and cast out demons. Let’s just do it!