He Rose Again from the Dead

HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD

An Exposition of Mark 16:1-20

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: December 19, 2021

Series: Mark: Knowing and Following God’s Son

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Holy Scripture says:

¹ When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵ And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶ And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]

⁹ [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. ¹¹ But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

¹² After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. ¹³ And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

¹⁴ Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

¹⁹ So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]] (Mark 16:1-20)

WALKING THROUGH THE TEXT

There is a lot of movement, a lot of action and interaction, in this passage. Let’s walk through it by calling attention to six sequential movements.

Movement #1: The Approach (v. 1-4)

I call the first movement the approach (verses 1-3): three women approach the tomb. These are the very same women identified in the previous chapter (Mark 15:40). Now they put into action their plan to visit the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid to rest two days earlier. Their names are Mary Magdalene, another Mary identified as “the mother of James”, and Salome. These three had witnessed the crucifixion of our Lord (Mark 15:40), and two of them had also witnessed our Lord’s burial (Mark 15:47).

Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried on a Friday, one day before the weekly seventh day Sabbath. The Sabbath Day was a day of resting from one’s ordinary labors. But the Sabbath Day after Jesus died was also a high feast day as the annual Passover Celebration and Feast of Unleavened Bread was in full gear on this particular Sabbath. Rest and festivity were on the table; ordinary labor and marketplace transactions were off the table.

But “[when] the Sabbath was past,” these three women “bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.” Their intent was to honor their deceased and beloved Lord with a proper anointing, treating His body with profound respect. With the sun rising in the eastern sky, “they went to the tomb.” As they made their way, they anticipated a great logistical challenge: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Mark 15:46 told us that a stone was rolled “against the entrance of the tomb.”This was a “very large [stone],” not so easily moved. This tomb – and other tombs like it – was designed to have a large stone rolled in front of it in order to seal it. It would have been somewhat easier to roll the “stone against the entrance of the tomb” (Mark 6:46) in the first place, but more difficult to roll it back.

But as they finally neared the tomb, “they saw that the stone had been rolled back”. The great logistical challenge immediately comes off the to-do list, but this rolled-away stone opens the door to perplexities that far exceed their limited expectations. They are now just moments away from entering the tomb.

It is obvious that these women expected Jesus’ body to remain in the same state as the bodies of their ancestors. Their expectation was that Jesus’ body would be present in the tomb and therefore that they would be able to anoint His body with spices. They had ordinary expectations, not extraordinary ones.

Remember Noah. When Noah was born back in the days of Genesis 5, his father Lamech had great expectations for his newborn son: “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” (Genesis 5:29) Lamech had hope that Noah would be the one who delivers mankind from the pain of our cursed world. Although Noah had a remarkable life, after 950 years he died (Genesis 9:28-29). And he stayed dead.

Remember Abraham. With the judgment at Babel in the background, the Lord made a fresh start with Abraham. The Lord chose Abraham to be a conduit of blessing to the whole world. Abraham received the promise and the covenant and the miracle of Isaac in his old age, but by God’s design the development of His plan was slow-going. Abraham only got to greet God’s promises from afar, and still believing those promises, after 175 years he died (Genesis 25:7-8). And he stayed dead.

Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph was a man of sterling character who endured much hardship on his leg of the race. Jacob’s favorite son was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and selfishly forgotten – until just the right time. Then this dear son, who had become a mistreated slave and prisoner, was rescued out of the pit and exalted to become the prime minister of Egypt. The Lord raised Joseph to that high position in order that he might preserve and provide for Jacob’s family during a harsh and prolonged period of famine. Joseph was a great man and a great leader, but after 110 years he died (Genesis 50:25-26). And he stayed dead.

Joseph’s future distant cousin, and one of Abraham’s most famous descendants, was David, who became king. This man after God’s own heart won great military victories for God’s people, and He also has inspired the worship of faithful believers for millennia because he poured out His heart to God in many poems and songs (which we call the psalms). He trusted God in the midst of great afflictions, and time and again experienced the Lord’s help and deliverance. But after serving forty years as king, “David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.” (1 Kings 2:10) And – you know the pattern – he stayed dead (Acts 2:29).

Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and David – that is elite company, spiritually speaking. But I would be remiss not to add one more: John the Baptizer. John the Baptizer was great before the Lord, a no-nonsense holy man who proclaimed the Word, urged people toward repentance, and prepared people for the arrival of the Messiah. John was fearless and did not neglect to reprove King Herod for his adulterous affair. Eventually, and similar to what Pontius Pilate did to Jesus in Mark 15, in Mark 6 King Herod chose self-preservation over righteousness and had John beheaded. “When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.” (Mark 6:29) And he stayed dead.

Noah and Abraham and Joseph and David and John the Baptizer were faithful and righteous and mighty men, and became so by God’s grace. And yet, they were not faithful enough and righteous enough and mighty enough to reverse the power of death. Here in Mark 16, these three goodhearted women did not expect any different outcome than the outcome of their forebears. Their clouded minds had underestimated the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

Movement #2: The Astonishment (v. 5-8)  

So then, we come to the second movement, which I call the astonishment (verses 5-8): the women are overwhelmed and afraid by what they see and hear in the tomb. Verse 5 brings us right into the tomb: “And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.” Just a half hour ago they had expected to see a corpse in the tomb. But now they are standing face to face with a God-appointed messenger – Matthew calls him an angel from heaven, whereas Mark calls him “a young man”. I assume that he was an angel from heaven who looked like a young man.

What did these women see? Not the Lord’s dead body laying horizontal, but a messenger sitting upright. Not the veil of death in the darkness of a tomb, but the vitality of youth and the brightness of “a white robe”. Unexpected and disorienting: “and they were alarmed.” Then this white-robed young man opens his mouth and makes a stunning announcement.

The Heavenly Messenger Proclaims the Gospel

In Luke 2, an angel brought the “good news of great joy” of our Lord’s birth to frightened shepherds at nighttime. Now in Mark 16, an angel brings the good news of great joy of our Lord’s resurrection to frightened women in the morning:

“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” (v. 6-7)

This mysterious young man, a messenger from heaven, gets the privilege of proclaiming the gospel. If you had to reduce the message of the gospel to three words, ‘He has risen’ is difficult to improve upon. Unlike all the patriarchs and prophets who preceded him, Jesus didn’t stay dead. He came back to life, body and all. “God raised [Jesus] up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:24) Jesus entered into the reality of death, and from inside the belly of death He dealt death a death-blow, and then He rose from the dead as the one and only conqueror of the grave.

Furthermore, the Lord Jesus had told this to His disciples beforehand: “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly.” (Mark 8:31-32) And just three nights ago He had told them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” (Mark 14:27-28) Thus in Mark 16 the young man says to the three women, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” How wonderful it will be to see the Lord Jesus after the confusion and sorrow of the previous two days. And everything is happening according to the Father’s plan, which Jesus Himself announced ahead of time: “just as he told you.”

We must appreciate the singling out of Peter for special attention: “tell his disciples and Peter”. While it is possible that Peter is singled out because he functioned as the lead apostle, it is impossible not to remember that this same Peter had just recently fallen by denying that he even knew the Lord. What wonderful grace, therefore, to single out this fallen disciple and to make sure that he of all people hears the good news that Jesus will keep His promised appointment to go to Galilee and there meet with His frail followers. Peter doesn’t get written out of the story because of his failure; instead, the Lord’s sovereign grace keeps Peter very much in the story.

“Do not be alarmed.” That is the counsel given to the alarmed women in verse 6. Isn’t it beautiful counsel? “Do not be alarmed” my sisters and brothers, but get used to living in fellowship with the One who has conquered death. But it will take a little time for the disoriented women to process the good but unexpected news that they have just heard. For now, the thrown-for-a-loop experience continues: “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

Movement #3: Three Appearances (v. 9-14)

The third movement I call three appearances (verses 9-14): the risen Jesus appears to His followers. Jesus actually appeared to and conversed with various individuals or groups many times during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension. In Mark 16:9-14 we learn about three of these appearances. These appearances are not dreams or visions, but physical in-person appearances.

The First Appearance

First, Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene”. There is so much grace here, we must not miss it. Of all the people that the Lord might have visited first after His resurrection, it is remarkable that He chose Mary Magdalene. The two Marys and Salome witnessed Jesus’ death (Mark 15:40); the two Mary’s witnessed Jesus’ burial (Mark 15:47); both Marys and Salome witnessed the empty tomb and heard the announcement that Jesus has risen (Mark 16:1-6); and now Mary Magdalene herself is the first human being to see the risen Lord. In giving women front row seats to the most eternally significant events in the history of the universe, and in not failing to highlight this fact in the inspired text, the Lord of glory demonstrates the high value that He places on women.

Further, the Lord’s appearance to Mary Magdalene is so remarkable because it is manifestly evident that Mary didn’t earn this privilege. Apart from Jesus, Mary Magdalene was a shipwreck on a stormy sea, tossed about and tormented by seven demons. She had been set free and given a renewed mind by the power and grace of Jesus. Jesus had redeemed her and qualified her for participation in His spiritual family. By God’s grace, Mary had become a disciple and now a witness of the risen Lord.

Having seen the Lord, she went and told the good news to the sorrowing disciples (v. 10). But they did not believe her report (v. 11).

The Second Appearance

The second appearance is recounted in verses 12: Jesus “appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.” This must be referring to Jesus’ visit with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, which is described at length in the Gospel of Luke. The phrase “in another form” might refer to the fact that according to Luke 24 these two disciples were prevented from the realization that they were talking to Jesus. They saw Jesus and spoke with Him, but they didn’t know it was Him. Jesus seemed to them like someone else, until their eyes were opened at the end of their conversation. But before their eyes were opened to see Him, to them it was as if He was disguised “in another form”. In any case, these two disciples went and told the good news to the other disciples, “but they did not believe them.” (v. 13)

The Third Appearance

The pattern that unfolds in verses 9-13 is that the disciples who had not yet seen the Lord did not believe the good news when it was proclaimed to them. They ought to have believed the testimony of Mary Magdalene and of their two fellow disciples, but they didn’t. Once again, we realize that the disciples were ordinary and flawed men, much like ourselves.

Their unbelief sets the stage for their personal meeting with Jesus in verse 14: “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” Although they must have had joy when they saw their Lord, the tone of verse 14 is quite sober. The “hardness of heart” that they had exhibited earlier in the Gospel of Mark is still present in them, although – if we peak ahead to the Book of Acts – we understand that the grace of the risen Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit will soon transform their lives and make them faithful participants in the Lord’s mission.

Even so, it is another indication of grace that the risen Lord entrusts the global mission of gospel proclamation, which He is just about to do in the next verse, to deeply flawed individuals – to the kind of individuals who are prone to “unbelief and hardness of heart”. All human beings are, in fact, deeply flawed. And it is good for us to see right here in verses 14-15 that the Lord bestows His grace on undeserving sinners. And this grace doesn’t leave us in our sin, but calls us out of our sin, which is why the Lord “rebuked them”. Jesus reproves them in verse 14, and then in verse 15 He redirects them into a life of mission. It is all grace.

Movement #4: The Assignment (v. 15-18)

Jesus’ appearance to the eleven leads immediately into the fourth movement, which I call the assignment (v. 15-18): the risen Lord entrusts and explains His global mission to His disciples.

The primary task is given in verse 15: “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”” The primary task of Christian mission is proclamation: “proclaim the gospel”. The proper venue of gospel proclamation is the entire world: preach the good news everywhere, and to everyone.

Gospel-proclaiming disciples must understand what is at stake in their evangelistic work. What is at stake is nothing less than the eternal salvation or eternal condemnation of their hearers: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (v. 16) The fundamental demand of the gospel is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust Him and to bank on His promises. Genuine faith is not merely getting a set of right ideas squared away in your head; genuine faith is so trusting Jesus that you are ready to be identified with Him and to marshal all your energies to follow Him. The initial God-appointed way to identify with Jesus and demonstrate your faith is to submit to water baptism. Believe and be baptized. Trust and obey. “Repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). People who treat baptism like a ‘take it or leave it add-on’ haven’t reckoned with the fact that Jesus commands His followers to be baptized. Do you believe that Jesus is Lord? Do you believe that Jesus commands His followers to be baptized? Have you been baptized? If not, then do not delay!

After giving us the primary task, the global venue, and the high stakes of gospel mission in verses 15-16, Jesus then assures His followers that He will confirm His powerful presence with His believing people through various signs:

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (v. 17-18)

In this context signs are miracles that “accompany those who believe” (v. 17) and “[confirm] the message” that is to be believed (see v. 20). The primary and central task of Christian mission is proclaiming the gospel (v. 15). To put it in terms of music, gospel proclamation plays first fiddle. Then, in relation to gospel proclamation, the mighty deeds of verses 17-18 play second fiddle. And yet, these mighty deeds are part of the orchestral presentation of God’s beauty, grace, and power to our discordant world. These mighty deeds are done in Jesus’ name. Verse 20 goes on to say that these mighty deeds are actually done by Jesus. Which means that the risen Lord is doing these things through His people as they trust in Him and walk in His authority. We recall that throughout the Gospel of Mark, the Lord Jesus casted out demons and healed the sick. Further, the disciples did likewise in Mark 6:13. Now we are told that they will continue to do such things.

The confirming signs of verses 17-18 may be summarized in the following way: supernatural power to restore others (casting out demons, healing the sick); supernatural power to manifest God’s presence and truth (speaking in new tongues); and supernatural protection from harm (handling serpents and drinking poison without being hurt). The Book of Acts verifies what verses 17-18 say about casting out demons, speaking in tongues, and healing the sick. Also, Paul’s strange encounter with a viper in Acts 28 echoes the promised protection from serpents in verse 18.

That said, we must remember that the Bible makes an important connection between “demons” and “serpents”. The idea is not that Christians will go around like zoo-keepers who have a keen interest in keeping and handling snakes, with the added bonus that they are assured immunity from venom. In Luke 10, after a report that the seventy-two had cast out demons and thus that Satan’s power had been diminished, Jesus told them His followers: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) Similarly Psalm 91 says: “You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.” (Psalm 91:13)

So here is the encouragement: as you participate in the gospel mission to rescue people from the domain of darkness, you can have confidence that the Lord will protect you from demonic attack and, at the same time, the Lord will work through you to deliver others from Satan’s grip. Further, you can have confidence that the Lord will preserve your life from the venom and poison that the enemy throws at you until you have completed the work that the Lord has assigned to you, and at the same time the Lord will work through you to bring life and health to others, which includes not only the gift of eternal salvation but also (at least on some occasions) physical healing.

As we go forth to proclaim the gospel and as a believing community is formed around that gospel, expect the Lord Jesus to be powerfully present with us: He will protect and sustain us so that we can accomplish His work, and He will make us a tangible blessing to others. This will happen, not on some prosperous path of plenty and ease, but on the path of self-denial, cross-bearing, suffering all kinds of loss for the gospel’s sake, facing persecution and imprisonment, and eventually dying, with some believers dying as martyrs. As we embody and carry His gracious presence now, we become a little signpost that anticipates the great glory that will be revealed when Jesus comes again:

“No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as the curse is found.”[1]

Movement #5: The Ascension (v. 19)

Earlier I said that there is a lot of actual movement in Mark 16, and this is especially true of the final two verses. The fifth movement is, simply put, the ascension (v. 19): the risen Lord ascends into heaven and sits down at God’s right hand.

The Gospel of Mark has prepared us for this moment. Jesus is Messiah and Lord, and in Mark 12 Jesus taught us that the Lord Messiah will sit at God’s right hand until God puts all of His enemies under His feet. Then in Mark 14, when Jesus stood trial before the Jewish High Council, Jesus affirmed that He is the Messiah and then He told the high priest, “[And] you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power….” Now Mark 16:19 brings the Lord’s promise to the moment of fulfillment: the risen Lord is “taken up into heaven”. Jesus wasn’t the first man to be taken up into heaven. The prophet Elijah and righteous Enoch were also afforded that privilege. But Jesus is the first man who died and rose again to be taken up into heaven. And unlike Elijah and Enoch, Jesus wasn’t just welcomed into the general company of heaven, but was seated in the position of highest honor: he “sat down at the right hand of God”. The “right hand” signifies the place of highest honor and blessing and power, and that place belongs to the true King, the beloved Son, the Crucified One who shed His blood in order to redeem His people. The Father has entrusted universal Lordship and kingly authority to Jesus, the King who died for others. And the Lordship of Jesus Christ is the truth with which every person must come to terms. It is for this reason that Jesus commissioned His followers to take His gospel to everyone, everywhere – because His gospel brings salvation to those who believe. “[But] whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Movement #6: The Advance (v. 20)

As we come to verse 20, notice the progression: the upward movement of Jesus into heaven where He is enthroned as King of kings and Lord of lords, is immediately followed by the outward movement of Jesus’ followers into all the earth. I call this sixth and final movement the advance (v. 20): Jesus’ disciples go and proclaim the gospel everywhere.

Notice how verses 15-20 fit together: gospel proclamation happens (v. 15, 20) and the confirming signs happen (v. 17-18, 20) as a result of Jesus’ exaltation at God’s right hand (v. 19). Under the sovereign authority of Jesus (v. 19), and at His direction (v. 15), and with His powerfully present help (v. 17-18, 20), the disciples go forth to do the work assigned to them: “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.” (v. 20)

The work of global evangelization is not yet complete, and the full number of God’s elect has not yet been brought into fellowship with the Lord. Therefore, we also go forth under His authority, at His command, and with His help, and in this manner we proclaim His gospel everywhere.

THE GOSPEL OF THE RISEN LORD

Brothers and sisters, we must proclaim the gospel. Mark 16 proclaims the gospel: the Crucified One has risen and is now seated at God’s right hand. And Mark 16 tells us to “proclaim the gospel” (v. 15) and reports that the first disciples actually did so: “they went out and preached everywhere” (v. 20). In fact, the entire Gospel of Mark has been proclaiming the gospel, as the very first verse says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) Let’s recall and cherish the gospel as it is presented to us in the Gospel of Mark.

This gospel is the gospel of the risen Lord who is seated at the right hand of God. It is profoundly right in our Christmas hymns to sing “Glory to the newborn King”[2] and to declare “Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.”[3] Yes and amen. And yet, in an even richer way we must sing ‘Glory to the risen King’ and declare ‘Jesus, Lord, at Thy ascension.’ The ascension bids us to look up. Look up to the highest echelon of power over the entire cosmos, and there you will see One who entered our world, One who endured temptation, One who sacrificed comfort, One who extended grace. Where did He extend grace? Here, in this sin-sick broken world of ours. “O little town of Bethlehem… in thy dark streets shineth / The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years / Are met in thee tonight.”[4] The Lord comes, and the light shines! Gospel means ‘good news’, and the good news is that Someone entered into our broken world and did something to fix it.

We look around with 21^st century eyes and see the signs of brokenness all around us: fears and false hopes, mental illness and drug addiction, broken families and corrupting entertainments, political expediency and empty religiosity, and parents burdened for their children. Spiritual leaders are often as out of touch as were the chief priests, elders, and scribes who opposed our Lord. And political leaders continue to fit the mold of Pontius Pilate and King Herod. Of course, human beings like to throw glorified band-aids, lofty social programs, and boatloads of tax money at these problems of ours, which fools a lot of people into thinking that we are addressing our problems. But the root problem remains the same: bondage to sin, alienation from God, and the judgment to come.

Whether the 21^st century world, or the 1^st century world into which Jesus came, there is nothing new under the sun. The first part of the gospel is the simple grace that He came. He came, not with a toolkit of band-aids, programs, and money, but with the power and grace of His own life, and the inexhaustible bounty of His Father’s resources. He encounters a leper (Mark 1:40-45), a demoniac (Mark 5:1-20), a hemorrhaging woman (Mark 5:24-34) – and He brings grace to heal and restore. The grace of Jesus means that the unclean can be cleansed so that they can live in fellowship with God and with other people. He encounters a paralyzed man whose paralysis went all the way down into His heart, and He said: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5) He encounters religious nobodies like tax collectors and other publicly recognized sinners, and He eats with them, assuring us all that He didn’t come to congratulate the self-righteous on their outward show, but that He came for real sinners who need a physician who can cut deep and then heal the inner man (Mark 2:13-17). He encounters parents who are burdened for their children, one daughter (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43) and one son (Mark 9:14-29) who been taken captive by the powers of darkness, and another daughter (Mark 7:24-30) who had succumbed to death. The Lord speaks, and in speaking He sets the prisoner free and raises the dead to life (see the three passages referenced in the previous sentence).

These gracious gifts are free to the sinner, but they cost Him everything. The Old Testament teaches us very clearly that death is the consequence of sin. So if anyone is going to reverse the power of death, the debt of sin must be paid in full. Setting slaves free from the law of sin and death can only be done at a steep price.

Is anyone willing to pay that price? Is anyone able to spread a table of grace in this barren wilderness that our world is? Is there an answer for the desolation of sin and death?

In Mark 6, in a desolate place, with only five loaves and two fish, Jesus fed five thousand men: he “said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people.” (Mark 6:41) The Lord’s grace in a desolate place.

In Mark 8, in another desolate place, with only seven loaves and a few small fish, He fed four thousand: “he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people” (Mark 8:6). The Lord’s grace in a desolate place.

In Mark 14, in a large upper room, surrounded by soon-to-be-scattered sheep, and with a far greater desolation in mind,

“he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”” (Mark 14:22-24)

About twelve hours later, He was nailed to the tree and entered into the place of ultimate desolation, which is being forsaken by the Father (Mark 15:33-37). This is desolation: when and where God pours out the cup of His judgment, and withdraws the light of His favor. It could be no other way. This is why He came: “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The beloved Son became the sin-bearer who bore our punishment in our place. He is the bread of life: His body is broken apart in order to give us life. He is the Redeemer who purchases the blessings of the new covenant with His very own blood. The blessings of the new covenant include the gift of knowing God, having fellowship with God, having your sins forgiven, and having your heart wonderfully renewed in accordance with God’s character. These blessings were secured by the King, who loved us and gave Himself for us. The Lord’s grace in a desolate place. He entered into the desolation on our behalf, so that all who trust Him can enter into His bountiful kingdom. 

Friends, look up to the highest echelon of power, and there you will see a Man: the man Christ Jesus, who gave His life as a ransom for many, who is now seated on the heavenly throne. Look up to the highest echelon of power, and there you will see a Man who is not only truly human, but also truly divine and equal with the Father in blessing and honor and glory. Jesus, the God-Man, bears our sin, our accursedness, and our judgment, and enters into the grip of death itself. But when the Holy One shed His own blood in order to satisfy the sentence of death imposed upon the guilty ones, He perfectly satisfied the demand of God’s justice. And when the debt of sin is paid in full, the power of death is vanquished. Thus our Lord Jesus “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10). For His incomparable holiness and sacrifice and love, He alone is worthy to sit on the throne, save His people, and judge the world. This worthy King gives the cup of eternal salvation to everyone who believes in Him. And every thirsty soul who has discovered that Jesus is the fountain of living water, will never be put to shame.

Friend, leave your heart-sick, sin-dominated, satanically-harassed, and death-bound existence, and trust in the Crucified One who has risen and is now enthroned in heaven, and follow Him on the path of discipleship. Lose everything for the surpassing joy of knowing Him, and participate in His mission. 

Church, although we are weak and frail, let us look up one more time and remember the good news that the King who sits at God’s right hand has indeed made perfect satisfaction for our sins, and He loves us still, and He still commissions us to go, and He still works with us and through us as we proclaim His gospel. Therefore, let’s sing of our Savior’s worth. And let’s go forth with His message on our lips, so that more and more people will have their eyes opened to the splendor and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ENDNOTES

[1] From the hymn “Joy to the World!” by Isaac Watts.

[2] From the hymn “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” by Charles Wesley.

[3] From the hymn “Silent Night! Holy Night!” by Joseph Mohr (translated by John F. Young).

[4] From the hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Phillips Brooks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.

James W. Voelz, Mark 8:27–16:20 (Concordia Commentary). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2019.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.