Day Five Mark 16:9-20
9 After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.
12 Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. 13 They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.
14 Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.
15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They 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 they will be healed.”
19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. – Mark 16:9-20 (NLT)
Discover
1. How do people respond to stories of the resurrected Jesus (verses 11 and 13)?
2. How does Jesus handle their unbelief in verse 14?
3. Compare verses 15 and 16 with Matthew 28:18-20.
Respond
Nearly every modern translation of the Bible has a footnote for these last verses in the book of Mark, stating that “the earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not include verses 9-20.” When faced with head-scratching passages like this, it’s important to remember a few key things: 1. We can rest assured that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and it is reliable. With more than 5,500 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the Bible is the greatest preserved document with no close second. 2. This questionable passage is still theologically sound when interpreted correctly. 3. While small discrepancies may exist in the Bible, not one of them changes any key Christian truth or doctrine. Spend time now thanking God for His Word and ask Him to provide you with an opportunity to share about your resurrected Savior with someone today.
For Further Reading: Should Mark 16:9-20 Be in the Bible?
For Families with Kids at Home
The last thing Jesus tells His followers to do is to “go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” That doesn’t just mean adults; that means kids too! Ask your kids if there’s someone in their life who needs to know that God loves them and that they can know Him for themselves. Pray with your kids that they would have the courage to tell their friends about Jesus.
*TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.