Mark 16
COMMENTARY:
: 2 And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. (3419 “sepulcher” [mnemeion] means grave, tomb, monument, or burial tomb.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel set Saturday or the Sabbath aside as the LORD commanded to worship the LORD. On that day they could do no work. On that day they didn’t cook. On that day they were supposed to rest and worship the LORD.
The children of Israel didn’t do very well keeping the Sabbath even in the wilderness. They were told not to collect manna on the Sabbath but many went out to get some. When they were in the Promised Land they were buying and selling on the Sabbath. So the worship of the LORD was only genuinely done by those who stayed faithful to the LORD.
Jesus came and preached on the Sabbath. HE also healed on the Sabbath. HE made them realize that doing good on the Sabbath was approved by the LORD. They had polluted the Sabbath by their false worship.
Now we worship the LORD on the first day of the week which is Sunday. We celebrate the resurrection of the LORD. Here we find the women going to the tomb on Sunday morning to apply more spices to the body of Jesus.
They rose up early in the morning and headed for the tomb. One thought came to mind as they were approaching: “Who was going to roll the stone away.” When they arrived it was already rolled away. They were met by Jesus.
Today we are to worship the LORD on Sunday to help us remember HIS resurrection which provided us with eternal life in heaven. Our time of celebration should be always looking to the LORD and saying thank you for HIS provision.
What does the hour you spend in church each Sunday accomplish in your growth in your appreciation of what the LORD has done for you? How is that manifested during the rest of the week? Remember that the gospel which is the death, burial and resurrection is to be preached not only by pastors and church leaders but by everyone who claims to be a follower of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: What are you going to do this week to spread the gospel to the rest of your world? What if Jesus were to come at the end of this week? Would HE say “Well done you good and faithful servant?”
:11 And they, when they had heard that HE was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. (2198 “alive” [zao] means to have life, be alive, come back to life, quick, lively, breathing, or be among the living.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever had someone doubt what you say? Have they ever called you a liar when you were telling the truth? It hurt you. It is no fun not having people believe what you say is the truth but they think is a lie.
Mary Magdalene came back from the tomb saying that Jesus was raised from the dead and that she had seen HIM. What as their response? They didn’t believe her. These were the disciples of Jesus that HE had told that HE was going to die and be raised from the dead.
There are going to be many people that you talk to about a change that happened in your life once you became a believer in Jesus. You can tell them that HE has made a great joy come into your heart and you had to share that joy.
CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to be a witness to the resurrection of Jesus not only on Sunday but all of the week
: 12 After that HE appeared in another form to two of them, as they walked, and went to the country. (3444 “form” [morphe] means a particular mode in which something is existing, visual form, shape, outward appearance, comeliness, being of that nature, or character.)
: 13 And they went and told it to the residue: neither believed they them.
DEVOTION: Here we have the account of two men who said they had seen Jesus after HIS resurrection. They came back from a journey out of town with Jesus talking to them but they didn’t recognize HIM at first. They only recognized HIM after HE blessed the food they were going to eat.
They ran to tell the disciples the good news. They told them but they didn’t believe it. Now they had listened to Mary and these two men and still didn’t believe anyone. Jesus had told them before HIS death that HE was going to come back to life. They didn’t believe HIM.
We tend to be a doubting people. Even after there are so many witnesses to what the LORD can do in our lives if we only trust and obey HIM. The disciples were not doing that right after the resurrection and we tend to do the same even now.
CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to trust and obey that we serve a risen Savior who can provide all that we will ever need. We need to stop doubting and believe HIM.
: 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. (1453 “risen” [egeiro] means to awake, to raise up, to cause to appear, or to bring before the public.)
DEVOTION: Jesus had told the disciples on a number of occasions that HE was going to die and come back to life after three days. They wondered what HE was talking about to them. Peter told HIM that he wouldn’t let it happen. Jesus did die. The disciples didn’t seem to remember all of HIS warnings regarding HIS death. They still didn’t believe that someone could come back from the dead. They had seen it happen but still didn’t believe in HIS power.
Well, HE was no longer in the tomb. HE sent the women to tell them that he was coming. HE sent two men who had walked home in sorrow, and came back telling them that HE was alive again. They didn’t believe either of these testimonies.
HE appeared to them and they still didn’t believe. In this verse HE was reprimanding them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. HE had trained them for three years and they still were not good believers. They had a mindset that only thought of HIM as reigning as a king immediately. Nothing else pleased them. Therefore their mind was set that HE could not rise from the dead and walk around and talk to people.
Before HE ascended into heaven HE commanded them to go out and preach. After HE left that did go out and preach. They were finally willing to change their mindset and realize that HE was coming a second time as the King of Kings. Their message was about HIS dead, burial and resurrection.
We have many in our churches who are not good believers – even after many years of being in the church. It is sad but true. Many who used to know much about the Bible seem to remember little. If we believe in that Christ is at the right hand of God right now, we should be out spreading the news. We serve a resurrected Savior. HIS command to the eleven disciples still applies to today. Are we obeying HIS command?
CHALLENGE: Take one bulletin each week and give it to someone who lives near the church you attend. Do this each week for a year. Pray for those you visit. Watch God work
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