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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.

Mark 16:13 “And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.”

   Sometimes our unbelief can be quite comical. These two guys went all the way back to the rest of the disciples. They changed their plans to make this report. And, yet, still unbelief was the result.
   It was difficult for the disciples to accept the idea of the resurrection. And, this is still hard for people to understand. But, to dismiss things out of hand is not the right course. If we have a hard time believing, we can always think it over, or pray about it. Just letting unbelief take root immediately is not good.

Heavenly Father, we know You are the Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent. May Your Name be praised! We will believe You. And when we are tempted to doubt, we will remember Your mighty hand. We trust You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:12 “After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.”

   This is most likely the two on the Emmaus road. Imagine having an intimate meeting with the risen Son of God. He taught them about Himself as they walked along. I’ve wondered why He chose to meet these two. Maybe He wanted them to return to the other disciples, which they did. Or, maybe He was testing the others once again by sending them witnesses without appearing to all of them at once yet.

Heavenly Father, so often our unbelief causes us to miss the significance of the opportunities that You give us. We fail to avail ourselves to Your power and Your provision because we think we need to survive without them. But You are ready to use us in the ministry if we will trust Your leading and wisdom. Thank You for stretching out faith! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:11 “And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.”

   It is easy to be hard on the disciples here. They should have believed. In fact, it is this kind of testimony that must be believed for salvation to occur now. We cannot be at the cross ourselves. We have to rely on those who tell us what they have seen. Like the disciples in this instance, we have to believe the testimony of one who has experienced the facts rather than witnessing them ourselves.

Heavenly Father, You know all of the things we want to know. But, then, even though we know that, we fall to believe and act upon the things You choose to reveal to us. Because You don’t give us everything all at once, we tend to fail to accept the little bit You give us along the way. You are the big picture. To trust You is the best way to move forward. Your greatness is ever before us. That is what we need, dependence upon the information You give us. You love us. And we will love You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:10 “She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.”

   Though their belief took time, their grief was real. Grief is easier for us to muster in our own power. It is to be a passing thing that takes its time on the stage and then moves on. But like other short-term feelings, it can lead to dangerous sins. Worry, doubt, fear, and depression are always just around the corner. Grief is fine for a time. There is a time for it to play it’s part. But then it must pass, or else these other actors may slip in and steal the show.

Heavenly Father, give us victory over the sins that grief may lead to if not kept in check. Remorse can do the same. We must remember You are at the center of all we are as Christians. We will give You the praise by living in the victory You provide. You are able, we are weak. But in You we may be strong. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 16:9 “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.”

   We do not know much about Mary Magdalene. However it seems obvious that Jesus knew she would be the first to believe in the resurrection because of her past. Her initial meeting with Christ had changed everything in her life.
  Mary apparently decided to hang around in the area of the tomb though the other women had already left. It is then that Jesus meets her.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your personal interest in us. You are not unfeeling and distant. Your work in our lives is personal and vital. You care for each of us and know us by name. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.