LANGUAGE:
A Strange Ending: Mark’s Final Postscript
(Mark 16:9-20)
I invite you to open your Bibles to the 16th chap of Mark’s Gospel. This will be the last of our studies in the gospel of Mark. I was going to skip these last verses of Mark, and start a new series, but then I realized that you are all thinking people and would start wondering why we didn’t actually finish Mark's gospel. The reason I was thinking of ending with v8, of chap. 16, is because the final verses are suspect as to actually coming from Mark himself. Biblical research scholars have noted that these verses are not in the most reliable manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel, and the style of writing doesn’t fit Mark. If that is so, that would mean that Mark ends his gospel on a cliff-hanger note.
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. ‘So now go’ and tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee, and there you will see him, just as He told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing. (Mark 16:6-8)
By ending that way, did Mark intentionally want to leave us hanging as to the mystery of it all, raising some serious questions in the mind of his readers.[i]
As we delve into the conclusion of Mark’s Gospel, several things we need to keep foremost in our minds.
As a recap, we’re told that the women fled the tomb in total astonishment, overwhelmed by soldiers laying on the ground as if dead, the huge stone rolled back opening the tomb for whoever, then the missing body and a real live angel telling them “See the place where they laid Him. He is not here, He has risen. Now go and tell . . . The women went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."
Obviously these women were profoundly astonished. Mark describes the women as trembling (tromos) astonished (ekstasis), and afraid (phobeo). John MacArthur writes: these are strong words that capture the terrifying bewilderment that gripped their minds as they wrestled with the angels announcement that Jesus had come back to life.[iii] The point, these women were completely speechless.
Mark wants us to understand the enormity of that moment. Words could not capture what was swirling around in their heads. The staggering truth of it all was beyond comprehension, and so they left the tomb in bewilderment. They fled from the tomb gripped by fear, and said nothing to anyone. The abruptness of v8 creates a dramatic suspense for us—
Such abruptness prods our imaginations to finish the story. As one commentary writes: It forces us into the story itself, pushing us back into the narrative to rehash in our minds as to what Jesus had previously told His disciples[iv]
The way Mark wrote V8 is meant to capture for us the wonder, the awesomeness and the mystery of Jesus’ resurrection.[vi] As Paul points out for us in 1 Corinthians 15:9, if we miss it, all we’ll get out of Jesus is a little inspiration for a few short years, making us a pretty sorry lot.[vii]
That brings us to v9. Perhaps not so striking for us, but beginning with v9, the vocabulary and Mark’s writing style changes.
What seems to have happened here is that at some point in the copying of Mark, some scribal copiers were uncomfortable in the way Mark ended, and felt they had to finish the rest of the story 'for future readers'.
Because there is a question as to the reliability of these verses, in many of our Bibles you’ll notice that v9 begins with a bracket, and v20 ends with a bracket, meaning that present biblical scholarship has serious questions about these verses.[x] But know that despite the doubtful originality of these verses as being directly from Mark’s pen, almost everything said did indeed happen following Jesus’ resurrection. Though these verses are doubtful as coming directly from Mark’s pen, I want to suggest for our consideration that God, in His provincial care, has kept them in place.
One of the highlights of these verse is that they summarize the initial unbelief of Jesus’ followers as to His resurrection. His resurrection was a huge leap for them, and I believe, like the early disciples, it is a huge leap for us also. Like them, we struggle with the wonder and mystery of it all. But the Bible makes it clear that Jesus’ death and resurrection is the rock bed upon which we anchor our faith.[xi]
What these verses do for us, is that they highlight the post resurrection experiences of Jesus’ followers. So let’s take a closer look.
First off we are faced with the overwhelming unbelief that characterized the followers of Jesus.
First comes Mary Magdalene, v9, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. By highlighting her past—being possessed by seven demons—tells us why she was so devoted to Jesus.[xii] Imagine the turmoil she must have been in, then she met Jesus. It is to this woman that Jesus makes His first appearance following His resurrection.
In John 20 we are told that at first she did not recognize Him. Her grief blinded her when she first saw Him. Standing in the garden was out of character. After all she had seen Him die and participated in His burial. But then He spoke her name. Only one thing was necessary to break through her grief—He called her by her name. No one would have pronounced her name the way Jesus did.[xiii] John Piper writes: Deeper than knowing God is being known by God. What defines us as Christians is not that we have come to know Him, but that He took note of us and made us His own. Being known by God brings comfort in the darkest of nights.[xiv]
V10, she goes directly and tells the disciples in hiding, who were grieving and crying. She tells them straight up “He’s not dead, He’s very much alive. I’ve seen Him. I’ve talked with Him!!!” V11, ‘but’ they did not believe her when they heard that He was alive and that she had seen Him. I doubt that’s what she expected. But listen carefully, a resurrected Jesus was not foremost in their minds.
Then in Vs12-13 we’re told about Jesus joining two guys on the road to Emmaus. These verses are a summation of Luke 24.
13On the same day (that would be Sunday), two of His disciples were heading to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They were talking to each other about everything that had happened. 15While they talked, Jesus came along side and began walking with them, 16But they did not recognize him. 17He asked them, “What are you discussing?” They stopped and looked very sad. 18One of them, Cleopas, replied, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has happened recently?”
19Jesus responded, “What happened?”
They said to him, “We were discussing what happened to Jesus from Nazareth. He was a powerful prophet in what He did and said in the sight of God and all the people. 20Our chief priests and rulers had Him condemned to death and crucified. 21We were hoping that He was the one who would free Israel. What’s more, this is now the third day since everything happened. 22And get this, some women of our group startled us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23and didn’t find His body. They told us that they had seen an angel who said that He’s alive. 24Some of our men went to the tomb and found it empty just as the women had said, but they didn’t see Him.”[xv] 16:13 (GW) They went back and told the others, and they did not believe them either.
Jesus’ resurrection was a hard pill to swallow. Until everyone could testify beyond a shadow-of-doubt that Jesus was absolutely dead. Hope for the future was gone, gone, gone. Because the resurrection was not in their thoughts, it was a huge leap for them to move forward.[xvi]
V14 (GW) Later Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples while they were eating. He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed the testimony of those who had seen Him after He had risen.
This is most likely a summation of John 20:19-29. Jesus shows up through locked doors, and you can imagine their shock. Doors and windows barred, everybody is whispering for fear of being found. Suddenly Jesus appears in their midst, and rebukes them for refusing to believe, despite reports by the women and the Emmaus road disciples that He had risen from the dead.[xvii]
Notice, Jesus rebuked them because of their unbelief and hardness of heart.[xviii] Jesus’ rebuke is more severe than any of the other of His rebukes to the disciples.[xix] Fear, anxiety and doubt ruled their minds.
Their fear, anxiety, and doubt blinded them. Unbelief placed them in a very dark place. Jesus rebuked them soundly because He had foretold them a number of times that despite His impending death He would raise from the dead. Every time He told them He would die, He also told them that he would rise again. On the road to Emmaus He showed them that The Old Testament prophesied clearly what had happened to Him and spoke of his resurrection. So the disciples had no excuse for their stubborn refusal to believe. They should have accepted the news with joy and gone on to Galilee where Jesus had said he would meet them (14:28). Instead, they coward in hiding, and Jesus had to meet them in a stuffy room, behind closed doors.[xxii]
The point for us is, unbelief prevents us from getting a gripe on the truth of God’s word. God requires faith. When there is unbelief our faith is cold and unfruitful. To refuse to accept the resurrection of Jesus shuts us out of His saving grace.[xxiii] So Romans 10:9-11 we are told we must believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead.
That brings us to V15 and a change of scenery. This happens 40 days later on a hill in Galilee, and is a summation of Matthew 28:16-20. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
The disciples had now been trained well. They had seen the risen Lord, and now given authority over heaven and earth by the Creator King Himself. On the basis of that authority, He tells His disciples to make more disciples as they went about their business by preaching and baptizing. It is with this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell others the Good News and make disciples for the kingdom.[xxiv] 2 Corinthians 5:20 we are ambassadors for Christ . . . we beg you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. One does not need a law degree, only a heart consumed by the resurrection immersed in faith to be an effective ambassador for God.
Vs19–20 (GW) 19After talking with the disciples, Jesus was received into heaven and ‘now’ sits at the right hand of God. These words are a summation of Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:9-11. The disciples did just as they were instructed: They spread the Good News everywhere. The Lord worked with them. He confirmed his word by the miraculous signs that accompanied it.
Though Jesus’ work of sacrificial atonement was finished on the cross, His work of redemption does not stop. He was raised for our justification and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God to intercede for us. We have a living hope and a living Savior, one who is praying every day at the throne of God that our faith will not fail.[xxv]
While Jesus’ work on earth was completed, the disciples’ work was just beginning. These doubting, stubborn disciples turned into powerful preachers who went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere. God was with them—giving them peace, strength through persecutions, and confirmation of their message with miraculous signs.[xxvi]
Whether these words come from Mark’s pen or not, they provide an effective closure to his gospel. Acts 4:29-33(GW) tells us that they were so fired up that they refused to let the authorities interfere with the business of proclaiming that there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”[xxvii] But as they did, they experienced powerful resistance. And so they prayed, 29“Lord, pay attention to their threats now . . . but allow us to speak your word boldly. 30Show your power by healing, performing miracles, and doing amazing things through the power and the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31When they had finished praying, their meeting place shook. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s word boldly.
You know what drove them? 33With great power the apostles continued to testify that the Lord Jesus had come back to life. The wonder, the mystery and the power of the resurrection consumed them. …
You know what is interesting? If the textual critics are correct as to Mark’s gospel ending at v8 (GW) 8They went out of the tomb and ran away. Shock and trembling had overwhelmed them. They didn’t say a thing to anyone, because they were afraid.
If we jump over to John’s Gospel, chap 20, v8(GW) we read John’s personal testimony: He and Peter had a foot race. John won. When he arrived at the tomb first, went inside. He saw and believed. What did he see? Just some cloths that Jesus had left behind. We are like John at the tomb—there is evidence. Either we see it or we don’t. Do we see?
In John’s Gospel, chap 20 we’re told that the disciples were hiding behind locked doors. Suddenly Jesus materializes in their midst. His first words to them were “Peace be with you”. The peace Jesus offers is peace that comes from what He did on the cross, followed by His resurrection. After greeting them, He showed them His hands and His side.
In effect He was saying, I am the one who died. I am the one you abandoned. And I am the one who was “pierced for your transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). And the reason I can offer you peace is because by my blood I have covered all your sins. Peter would later write in 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV) 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Do you get it?
Let’s close in prayer: Sovereign Risen Lord, be our resurrection and life. By Your radiant and magnificent resurrection, You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a conqueror. You reconciled Heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us.
Your sacrifice on the cross for us and Your resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence, and brought us joy. We can now face the past with all its regrets, we can now face the present with all its struggles, and we can now face the future with all of its uncertainties. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your love! May thoughts of Your resurrection power sweep over us to the point that we say with Paul, we long to know the power of Your resurrection from the dead. Amen. …
(No Song transiton . . . we’ll go right into The Lord’s Table)
THE LORD’S TABLE
So let’s come to the Lord’s Table in response to God’s Word, realigning our lives to His calling as we refresh our memory in accords with Romans 6, that we have a share in all that He did, so that what is true of Him is true of us: He died, and we died in Him; He rose and we arose with Him, and are now alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11)
John 11:25–26 (NASB95) 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Listen again as I read for us 1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (NASB95) 23For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as we bow before You in humility, we ask that You examine our hearts today. Show us anything that is not pleasing to You. Reveal secret pride, unconfessed sin, rebellion or unforgiveness that may be hindering our relationship with You. We know that we are Your beloved children, having received You into our hearts and accepted Your death as penalty for our sinfulness. The price You paid covered us for all time, and our desire is to live for You.
As we take the bread representing Your life that was broken for us, we remember and celebrate Your faithfulness to us and to all who genuinely know You. We can't begin to fathom the agonizing suffering of Your crucifixion. Yet You took that pain for us. You died for us! Thank You for Your extravagant love and unmerited favor. Thank You that Your death gave us life—abundant life now, and eternal life forever. As You instructed Your disciples, we, too, receive this bread in remembrance of You.
Fill us today with Your powerful Spirit. As we leave this place, help us to hold this fresh remembrance and the story that never grows old close to our hearts. Help us to share its message faithfully as You give opportunity. Amen
Passing of the bread
After we take the bread, turn to the person next to you and say to them--The body of Christ, broken for you . then the person next to you will repeat . . . the body of Christ broken for you . . . then we eat the bread together
Ricardo: Scripture & Prayer
1 Corinthians 11:25-26 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (ESV)
Pray
After we take the cup, turn to the person next to you and say to them—This is the blood of Christ poured out for you then the person next to you will repeat . . . This is the blood of Christ poured out for you. . . then we will drink the cup together
[i] Walter W. Wessel,
“Mark,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 788. James Tabor, The “Strange” Ending of the Gospel of Mark and Why It Makes All the Difference, (Mark 16:9-19) https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/the-strange-ending-of-the-gospel-of-mark-and-why-it-makes-all-the-difference/ This ending is not found in our earliest and most reliable Greek copies of Mark. In A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Bruce Metzger writes: “Clement of Alexandria and Origen [early third century] show no knowledge of the existence of these verses; furthermore Eusebius and Jerome attest that the passage was absent from almost all Greek copies of Mark known to them.”1 The language and style of the Greek is clearly not Markan, and it is pretty evident that what the forger did was take sections of the endings of Matthew, Luke and John (marked respectively in red, blue, and purple above) and simply create a “proper” ending. Elijah Hixson, Was Mark 16:9-20 Originally Park of Mark’s Gospel,
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/was-mark-16-9-20-originally-mark-gospel/ Once we look beyond the question of ℵ01 and B03 against the other 1,600-plus Greek manuscripts of Mark, the picture becomes more complicated. At least 23 Greek manuscripts that include Mark 16:9–20 also have anomalies like extra endings or notes that express doubts concerning the authenticity of these verses. One important fourth-century Old Latin manuscript has a short addition after verse 8 and then ends without verses 9 to 20. A valuable Old Syriac manuscript from the fourth century also ends Mark at 16:8. A Sahidic Coptic manuscript (probably from the fifth century) ends Mark’s Gospel at 16:8 as well. In 1937, E. C. Colwell identified 99 Armenian manuscripts of Mark (of 220 surveyed) ending at 16:8, and a further 33 containing 16:9–20 but with notes expressing doubt about the verses’ authenticity. At least 23 Greek manuscripts that include Mark 16:9–20 have anomalies like extra endings or notes that express doubts of the authenticity of these verses. Further, though more than 99 percent of manuscripts available to us now contain Mark 16:9–20, it may not always have been this way. A Christian named Marinus wrote to Eusebius (c. AD 265–339) to ask for help resolving a perceived contradiction between Matthew and Mark. Marinus asked why Matthew (28:1) says Jesus appeared “late on the Sabbath,” but Mark (16:9) says Jesus appeared “early on the first day of the week.” usebius responded that one possible solution to this problem was simply to reject Mark 16:9 as not part of Mark’s Gospel. “[T]he accurate ones of the copies define the end of the history according to Mark [at 16:8] . . . in this way the ending of the Gospel according to Mark is defined in nearly all the copies.” Think about that. Eusebius told a Christian whose Bible contained Mark 16:9–20 that “nearly all the copies” of Mark, including “the accurate ones” lacked these verses, so they might not be inspired Scripture. And Eusebius didn’t have a problem saying that! This was just life as a Christian in an age when copies of infallible Scripture were made by fallible hands. This was pastoral textual criticism, not some empty academic exercise. J.R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: MacMillan, 1927), pp732-33 Internal evidence points definitely to the conclusion that the last twelve verses are not by St. Mark. For, (1) the true conclusion certainly contained a Galilean appearance (Mark 16:7, cp. 14:28), and this does not. (2) The style is that of a bare catalogue of facts, and quite unlike St. Mark's usual wealth of graphic detail. (3) The section contains numerous words and expressions never used by St. Mark. (4) Mark 16:9 makes an abrupt fresh start, and is not continuous with the preceding narrative. (5) Mary Magdalene is spoken of (16:9) as if she had not been mentioned before, although she has just been alluded to twice (15:47, 16:1). (6) The section seems to represent not a primary tradition, such as Peter's, but quite a secondary one, and in particular to be dependent upon the conclusion of St. Matthew, and upon Luke 24:23f. See also Bruce Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (Stuttgart, 1971), pages 122-126. https://www.bible-researcher.com/endmark.html
[ii] Elijah Hixson, Was Mark 16:9-20 Originally Park of Mark’s Gospel, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/was-mark-16-9-20-originally-mark-gospel/
[iii] John MacArthur, The Fitting End to Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:9-20), https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/41-85/the-fitting-end-to-marks-gospel
[iv] David E. Garland, Mark, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 616.
[v] (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language)
[vi] David E. Garland, Mark, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 629. We cannot allow the resurrection account to become a faded cherished memory to be placed in a photo album and taken out once a year and admired. What happens next is up to us as believers
[vii] 1 Corinthians 15:19 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language)
[viii] David E. Garland, Mark, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 616.
[ix] John MacArthur, John MacArthur, The Fitting End to Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:9-20), https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/41-85/the-fitting-end-to-marks-gospel. we have all kinds of manuscript evidence to know that was added later. I told you the two most important manuscripts, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, both end at verse 8, as do the other ancient manuscripts. Our translations are based on the most ancient Greek manuscripts, and they don’t have that short ending, and they certainly don’t have that long ending, verses 9 through 20. In the fourth century, for example, two of the fathers (Eusebius and Jerome) wrote that almost all Greek manuscripts of the New Testament end at verse 8. if you happen to have a King James Bible or a New King James, you will find verses 9 to 20 in the regular flow of text without brackets because the King James and the New King James are based on a medieval text - a medieval text - based on later texts. However, since that time, we have discovered the earlier texts, so all the later translations, NAS, NAS Update, ESV, NIV, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, are all based on the more ancient texts. That’s why if you have any of those, it’s bracketed, because the earlier texts omitted it.
[x] James Keith Elliott, Textual Criticism of the New Testament, https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780195393361/obo-9780195393361-0124.xml. https://www.tyndale.com/sites/tyndalebibles/article/what-text-and-manuscripts-were-used-in-translating-the-old-testament/ This is where we have to understand and trust what is called textual criticism which involves the discovery and reading of manuscripts, cataloging their contents, collating the readings against other copies of manuscripts. The task of the textual critic can be divided into a number of general stages: (1) the collection and collation of existing manuscripts, translations, and quotations; (2) the development of theory and methodology that will enable the critic to use the gathered information to reconstruct the most accurate text of the biblical materials; (3) the reconstruction of the history of the transmission of the text in order to identify the various influences affecting the text; (4) the evaluation of specific variant readings in light of textual evidence, theology, and history. If you happen to have a King James Bible or a New King James, you will find verses 9 to 20 in the regular flow of text without brackets because the King James and the New King James are based on a medieval text - a medieval text - based on later texts. However, since that time, we have discovered the earlier texts, so all the later translations, NAS, NAS Update, ESV, NIV, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, are all based on the more ancient texts. That’s why if you have any of those, it’s bracketed, because the earlier texts omitted it. William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 682. David E. Garland, Mark, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 616. The longer ending’s vocabulary and style differ strikingly from that found in the rest of Mark
[xi] Romans 10:9–11 (NASB95) 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (NASB95) 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. Vs13–19 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
[xii] Luke 8:2 (NASB95) 2and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
[xiii] 1 Corinthians 8:3 (NASB95) but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. Galatians 4:9 (NASB95) 9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?
[xiv] Davie Furman, Being ‘Known’ Bly God Changes Everything, https://relevantmagazine.com/faith/power-known-god/ John 10:27 (NASB95) 27“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; Luke 12:4–7 (NASB95) 4“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! 6“Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. J.I. Packer writes in Knowning God, What matters supremely is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it—the fact that He know me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind
[xv] Luke 24:25–35 (GW) 25Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are! You’re so slow to believe everything the prophets said! 26Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27Then he began with Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets to explain to them what was said about him throughout the Scriptures. 28When they came near the village where they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29They urged him, “Stay with us! It’s getting late, and the day is almost over.” So he went to stay with them. 30While he was at the table with them, he took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Weren’t we excited when he talked with us on the road and opened up the meaning of the Scriptures for us?” 33That same hour they went back to Jerusalem. They found the eleven apostles and those who were with them gathered together. 34They were saying, “The Lord has really come back to life and has appeared to Simon.” 35Then the two disciples told what had happened on the road and how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.
[xvi] Matthew 28:17 (NASB95) 17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ; Mark 16:11–13 (NASB95) 11When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. 12After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. 13They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.; Luke 24:11 (NASB95) 11But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. V41 41While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”; John 20:25 (NASB95) 25So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
[xvii] John 20:19–29 (NASB95) 19So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23“If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” 24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
[xviii] Jean-Paul Agidi, The Enemies of Faith: Causes of Unbelief or lack of faith, https://nobiblenobreakfast.com/2022/05/18/the-enemies-of-faith-causes-of-unbelief-or-lack-of-faith/
[xix] Walter W. Wessel, “Mark,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 789–790.The rebuke Jesus gave his disciples is particularly severe—more severe, in fact, than any other rebuke he gives them elsewhere in the Gospels. Neither of the words used here, apistia (“without faith”) and sklērokardia (“stubborn refusal to believe,” “obtuseness”) is ever used by Jesus of his disciples. Taylor (pp. 611–12) concludes that the rebuke “can be understood only by the supreme importance attached to the Resurrection by the writer, who has in mind the conditions of his day.”
[xx] Matthew 8:25–26 (NASB95) 25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Matthew 14:22–33 (NASB95) 22Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
[xxi] Philippians 4:6–7 (NASB95) 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
[xxii] Bruce B. Barton, Mark, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994), 486.
[xxiii] Romans 10:9–11 (NASB95) 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
[xxiv] Bruce B. Barton, Mark, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994), 487.
[xxv] https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/the-intercession-of-christ, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/the-intercession-of-christ. Romans 8:34 (NASB95) 34who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB95) 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Hebrews 7:23–28 (NASB95) 23The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. 1 John 2:1–2 (NASB95) 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
[xxvi] Bruce B. Barton, Mark, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994), 490.
[xxvii] Acts 4:12 (NASB95) 12“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”