Getting More Than We Deserve
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, we know that Jesus’ death and resurrection was not just for a few, select disciples who lived 2,000 years ago, but that He died for the sins of the world! I praise You that You love us so much that You were unwilling to leave us in a state of death and separation from You! As I read today’s Scripture, I am reminded that once Jesus rose from the dead, He sent the disciples out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation in Jesus that gives eternal life. I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit right now that I may be a faithful witness of Your truth, love and salvation. Let me be a messenger of the Good News with my family, my friends, with everyone I meet. Empower my thoughts, words, and actions to draw people to You. These things I pray in the powerful name of Jesus! Amen.
God’s Word Today – Mark 16:1-18
1The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus’ body. 2Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. 4But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone—a very large one—had already been rolled aside. 5So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, 6but the angel said, “Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!” 8The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk.
Then they reported all these instructions briefly to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.
9It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10She went and found the disciples, who were grieving and weeping. 11But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.
12Afterward he appeared to two who were walking from Jerusalem into the country, but they didn’t recognize him at first because he had changed his appearance. 13When they realized who he was, they rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.
14Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their unbelief—their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
15And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. 16Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17These signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages. 18They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
What does it mean to you that Jesus’ death and resurrection is for the “whole world”? How does this impact the way you think about your relationships with others, whether family, friends, acquaintances or even strangers?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
Today’s Scripture is known as the “shorter” ending of Mark. Many of the early manuscripts of Mark end with verse 8. The longer ending, which we will be considering the remainder of the week, is found in many of the manuscripts of Mark, but not the ones considered the “earliest.” It is possible that verses 9 and following are a later addition to the Gospel. In any case, they message is consistent with other information found in the Gospels of John and Matthew. If Mark’s gospel did end with verse 8, what difference would it make?
Understanding God’s Purpose for Us
What does Jesus’ sending out of the apostles from “east to west” tell us about God’s purpose for us?
Applying God’s Word to Our Purpose
Today’s Scripture makes it clear that we are called to share the Good News with others. Take some time right now to list five family members, five friends and five acquaintances who need to hear the Good News of Jesus’ salvation. After you have written their names below, invest some time in prayer asking God to bring them to Himself, and for Him to give you opportunities to share the Good News with them:
Thoughts—Jesus Sent them…
Jesus did not come to die for a few followers, or even several hundred followers, or even just the nation of Israel. Jesus came to die for the sins of the world! Jesus came to bring salvation to people of every nation, tribe, kingdom and people as the book of Revelation puts it. Mark Geppert always reminds us that two thirds of GOD is GO! Today’s Scripture makes it clear that the final word of Jesus is GO! Here in Mark’s gospel, in what is referred to by scholars as the “shorter ending” of the gospel, Jesus sends his followers out from east to west—that is ALL over the planet. The call is to go out and share the message of salvation that gives eternal life with people everywhere. That is still our charge today! The Easter account of Jesus’ victory over sin and death does not end with a party in Jerusalem. It ends with the disciples dispersing from Jerusalem to take the Good News to the “uttermost” part of the earth. That task remains incomplete in our day—nearly 2,000 years later. We must always remember that as we go about our daily lives, part of our commission as followers of Jesus is to share the message of salvation that gives eternal life. We dare not let the task to someone else, because ALL of us are called to be witnesses. Jesus gave the “Great Commission” to the disciples in Matthew 28, but we see that here in Mark there is also a commission---AND there’s one in Luke, John and Acts. Every book that records Jesus’ final time on the earth, records His commission to go out and share the message of salvation with the world. As we go about this day, may we take seriously that call to share the message of salvation. We can do it in words, in actions, in our prayers—but we MUST do it. Consider every interaction with another person an opportunity to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission. We may know that someone is a believer when we interact with them—in that case let’s use the conversation to encourage each other to faithfulness. When we aren’t sure, let our thoughts, words and actions be “salted” with Jesus’ message of salvation!