Author: Bill Hall

Luke 1:3 “it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,”

   Many have strongly suggested that this Theophilus is a reference to lovers of God in general. This is consistent with the name in Greek. And, the idea is quite pleasant. It is not without support. The accounts from Luke, his gospel and Acts, do not read like a personal letter.
   However, without trying to pour cold water on a good thing, I must point out a few reasons why such a scenario is not likely. For one, the accounts, both Luke and Acts, are addressed to the same name. They read as if they are what they are presented to be, something of a running narrative. The dedication, if you will, is what we find here. We wouldn’t expect to find references to Theophilus in other places in the account as you would with a regular letter. Thus it seems consistent with what it claims to be. Another point is that the chief reason we might accept the general addressing of the narrative is that we do not know the identity of Theophilus if indeed he was a specific person. Well, that doesn’t prove much. There are many personalities in Scripture that we know little to nothing about.
   Finally perhaps the biggest reason to see this as a reference to a specific person is the way he is addressed. Luke uses the appellation ‘most excellent’ as if this man might have been a political appointee. He further says in the next verse that this person has been instructed concerning the things about Christ. So we would tend to take this as a specific reference to a specific person because that is how it presents itself. It would not be outlandish to expect a name like Theophilus to be given.

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your work in each of our lives. Just as with Theophilus, You seek to make Your Truth known to us. What a mercy! Thank You for Your grace! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:2 “just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,”

   Luke was not a first-hand witness. Indeed, unlike many of the authors of Scripture, he wasn’t even Jewish. And yet, reading this gospel we will find no way in which it is substandard. Luke listened well to those who told him the story of Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us a complete account of the life of Christ. It blesses or souls. We will praise you forever for Your Word. It will stand when all else fails. And, it will hold us up when nothing else can help. We praise You for Your great wisdom! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:1 “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,”

   Luke has an unparalleled exactness. His concern for detail is immediately obvious. And, of all the Gospel authors, Luke gives us the most detail concerning the early life of Christ. In his logical and encyclopedic style, Luke begins with an explanation of his motive and intention.
   We are told this is a narrative. And indeed, it reads as such. It will pull you in and engross your attention completely if you will allow it. Almighty God has chosen to use a variety of human authors, and Luke is among the most exacting.

Heavenly Father, Your wisdom is always perfect! Your choice of the authors the Holy Spirit wrote through was just right. Luke is an excellent choice, as are the rest. Thank You for illuminating the text as we read. It blesses us every day in so many ways. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:20 “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”

   The accompanying signs are the miracles just mentioned. The key thing to see here is what it says about the Lord working with them. The Lord still works with His people today. But, we have to leave the signs to Him. We are not called to work miracles, we are called to preach the gospel. If the Lord, working with us, brings forth miracles, that is His choice. We must not, however, try to force Him to do so.
   For example, let’s say I was witnessing for Christ in a wilderness area, and through no fault of my own I was bitten by a viper. It would not shock me at all if the venom of the beast were to have no ill affect against me. Or, if I were to be brought an antidote more quickly than would usually be expected. But, I have no plan to bring a cobra to church and let it bite me so that people will believe. That would be foolish.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word! Mark had always been a blessing to me. It is short, but powerful. It lays the gospel out before us just as it is. Your work with us as we try to spread the gospel is so awesome! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:19 “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.”

   The right hand is a place of power and authority. Jesus has His physical, glorified body in heaven. This does not limit His Presence. Unlike us, Jesus is God. As a member of the Trinity, He has a Habitation and a Presence. As a physical person He also has a physical location. His physical location is in heaven, and not on the earth, at this time. But, His Habitation is here. His Habitation is in the saints in His church. His Presence, due to His Omnipresent nature in His divinity, permeates the entire universe. As He by Whom God has made all things, His Presence actually holds the cosmos together. The Word of His Power accomplishes this.
   The ascension, like the resurrection and crucifixion, is a crucial part of the gospel. Many will claim to believe in the efficacy of the atonement on the cross, and then deny the specific reality of Christ’s literal physical location at the right hand of the Father at this present time. This is confusing and misleading. We must accept Mark’s account at face value.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Presence and Habitation among us. But thank You also for the physical hope we have in the glorified Christ. We understand that His resurrection is the precursor to our own. We will have a physical location in a real, albeit perfect, body throughout eternity. And we are looking forward to it! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:18 “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

   As the gospel has spread, the servants of Christ have faced many challenges. Nature is cursed by the fall. So, both the animal and plant worlds can pose dangers. Beyond this, the microscopic world of disease is downright deadly. Despite these obstacles, the gospel marches on.

Heavenly Father, may we never let the obstacles keep us from proclaiming Your truth. Thank You for giving us the truth! We will treat it as it should be, as a precious gift that was meant to be shared. We will praise You for Your mighty power as the gospel is spread to all the world. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;”

   Many will read these verses and their incredulity will rear its ugly head. However, please pay close attention to the things Jesus mentioned. Though we do not necessarily see these things being done by the church today in the same way as it was in the first century, each of these signs is connected to an obstacle. What are these obstacles? Obstacles to the gospel traveling to the whole world. And indeed, that is what Jesus is talking about in this context.
   In this verse we see the demons mentioned. Spiritual darkness has not prevented the progress of the gospel. Also tongues are listed. Language differences have not prevented the progress of the gospel. These things are obstacles, barriers. But Jesus is saying that the hallmark of His witnesses will be to forge ahead, right through these barriers. And we can see the truth of this in the story of the spread of the good news throughout history.

Heavenly Father, thank You for approving of our ministry by breaking down barriers. Your work goes on regardless, and we are privileged to be part of it. We will praise You for bringing Your gospel to this hemisphere, through many obstacles. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

   Some will say that Jesus requires baptism for salvation. And His words here seem to indicate that. However, He also allows the salvation of the thief on the cross, who had no opportunity for baptism. Thus, we must seek the proper balance to our theology. From the indications we find throughout the New Testament, believer’s baptism is the best position to espouse theologically. But, I will say, being a Baptist, often we put too little emphasis on the importance of baptism. A truly saved individual who has the opportunity to be baptized will indeed do so, and in a timely fashion.
   Notice the either-or feel of this verse. Jesus does this over and over again in the gospels. He gives an either-or choice. It’s either choose Him, or be condemned to eternal hell. He doesn’t leave a middle ground. And why? Why be so specific, so exclusive? Because it is the wrath of Eternal Almighty God that must be satisfied, and only His sacrifice on Calvary can do that. This is why to believe in Him is the only alternative.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us a clear choice. Although many times it causes offense, that is our fault, because of our sin. It is a clear choice, it is an honest choice, it is a choice based on truth. Thank You for working in our lives to bring us to that right choice. We will praise you forever for your salvation! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

   Now Jesus was revealing to them that the second hand witness plan was how the gospel was to reach the entire world. He wanted his disciples to go to all the world and tell them what they had seen and heard. All the world was to be expected to believe this eyewitness account. And, this is the activity Christianity is still up to today.
   It is this command that causes many of us to value what we call evangelical Christianity. And what is evangelical Christianity? It is Christians who actually believe we should follow Christ’s command. We should be witnesses for him of what the disciples saw and heard. The resurrection is the single most important event in all of history. And it is our job to share it with the world. We are to share it with love, we are to share it with kindness, we are to share it with humility. But, we are to share it without shame. It is important, and we cannot voluntary silence ourselves. We must not spread this message by force. But we must be willing to give our lives for the right to share it.

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day and another opportunity to share the glorious message of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a privilege, it is an honor. We will not take it lightly. It is the nicest thing we can do for anyone, to show them that Jesus has died for them and that You love them so very much. Thank You for Your beautiful plan of salvation! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:14 “Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”

   Regardless of what our sentiments might be, Jesus expected us to believe His witnesses. Even at the very beginning, when He could just appear to them and relive all doubt, He expected belief through the witnesses.
   This has always been true, by the way. God has put things, and people, into our lives to tells us of Him. Natural and special revelation show us the truth. And we are expected to believe without God sending an angel to our living room. He will resist those who feel that a second hand account is not sufficient. Looking for a first hand experience before accepting the second hand report will lead one down the road to destruction.

Heavenly Father, help us to be faithful witnesses! You alone may give us the power we need for this awesome task. We must not shirk it. To witness of the Creator is to be a fulfilled creation. It is our best task. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.