Summary
Passage – Mark 16:9-20 God and his sense of humour when it comes to timing. Today is Pastor Brent’s last day prior to his 2 month sabbatical. It is also our last day of the Mark series – a series that he initiated two years ago. What are the odds?
Discussion on the translation’s note before verse 9 through 20. We need to have confidence in the Word of God. So why is this here? It is important to understand that these translation notes are here to give transparency regarding the formation of the Bible.
The Mark 16:9-20 debate. Mark might not have written this portion of the chapter. This is part of the debate because very early copies of Mark’s letter didn’t include this section. Also, the tone changes. Also, Mary is reintroduced like a new eye witness as if she hasn’t been mentioned before. Also, Jesus is referenced as “Lord”, which is isn’t done in any other section of the book of Mark.
There is debate on why Mark might have stopped his writing at verse 8.
- Argument for a shorter version. Mark might have wanted an open ended letter so people can come to their own conclusion. Yet this wasn’t a literary writing style of the time.
- Argument for a longer version. There is a section of Mark missing. This is called the codex theory. A codex is like a book and not a scroll. The final page has gone missing. Thus another writer added a summary of the ending back into the text.
What can we draw from all these theories and speculation? It is always important to understand what the rest of God’s Word says about the same issues and topics that we are questioning. Thus the section of Mark 16:9-20 is all corroborated or affirmed in the other Gospels as well as the book of Acts. Thus, regardless of the author, the message matches the rest of God’s Word.
The eleven are rebuked by Jesus. Brent compares Jesus’ reaction to the disciples disbelief of his resurrection to that of people in our live’s that think we are crazy for believing in Jesus’ resurrection.
The good news. That God loves us so much. That Jesus has taken on the penalty of our sins. We don’t have to do anything except believe and accept Jesus’ gift.
Our challenge from Jesus: To proclaim what God has done in our life. We are to proclaimed that Jesus died for us, and proclaim what God is doing in our lives! Proclaim the change that God has caused in our lives. Those who will believe will be saved and will be baptised. Those who don’t believe you will be condemned (essentially rejecting God’s message).
An equation Mark provided us: Go + Preach = Experience God
We are the witnesses God has left on this earth and we must go, preach, and experience God. We must remain “on mission.”
Going is hard. Going out and proclaiming is hard but God hasn’t told us to stop. Our mission is clear. And Jesus says that we should do all of this in Jesus’ name. We must do all our efforts in Jesus’ name. That is where the Power Is! (Mark 16:17)
About the Speaker
Brent Chapman is the lead pastor at SouthRidge Church in Langley. As a young man he was a painter–the kind that painted walls not canvass. Then God tapped him on the shoulder and changed the direction of his life forever.
About the Mark Series
The Mark Series was started in January of 2013 with the purpose of learning about the man who claimed to be God’s son. This series of messages will cover Jesus’ life, his values, his teachings, his actions, and his claim to be the saviour.