Mark 16:9-20
More Appearances and the Ascension

“[The earliest manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.]”
•over 5,700 complete or fragmented Greek manuscripts,
•10,000 Latin manuscripts and
•9,300 manuscripts in various other ancient languages including Syriac, Slavic, Gothic, Ethiopic, Coptic and Armenian.

Compared to other writings of antiquity the New Testament shows itself more than credible

Whether it was Mark or another, does it change what the Bible teaches?
v.11 they refused to believe it (Luke 24:10–11);
v.12–13a two returned and told the others (Luke 24:13–35);
v.14 appeared to the Eleven (Luke 24:36–43, John 20:19–29, 1 Cor 15:5);
v.15 Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8);
v.16 salvation and judgement Acts 2:38, 16:31–33);
v.17a cast out demons (Luke 10:17, Acts 5:16, 8:7, 16:18, 19:12);
v.17b speak with new tongues (Acts 2:4),
v.18a pick up serpents (Luke 10:19, Acts 28:3–6);
v.18c lay hands on the sick (Mark 5:23, Acts 6:6, 9:17, 28:8);
v.19a ascension of the Lord Jesus (24:51, John 20:17, Acts 1:2, 1:9–11);
v.19b sat down at the right hand of God, (Acts 7:55, Rom 8:34, Eph 1:20, Col 3:1);
v.20 confirmed the word by the signs that followed (Acts 14:3).

V.8-9
Matt 28:8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings, he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.

V.9-14 Appearances

V.10 Sums up the attitude of the disciples
Luke 24:20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

So much for the “wishful thinking” theory

•V.11, 13 •Where’s the body?

Did he die? Did He appear? Then He rose.

V.15 Acts 1- 40 days with His disciples

What did He communicate?

“preach the good news” -Equipping, giving, sending, praying, encouraging, going.

V.16 Baptism. A bold move.

Do you have to be baptized in order to be saved?

•thief on the cross. •Disbelief not a failure to be baptized See V.16b1 Cor 1:14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel-not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

The Bible on faith alone for salvation? (Eph.2:8-9)

John 6:28 Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? 29 Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.

Acts 16:31 They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.

Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

V.17-18 fulfilled in the lives of the apostles in the first century
v.17a cast out demons (Luke 10:17, Acts 5:16, 8:7, 16:18, 19:12);
v.17b speak with new tongues (Acts 2:4),
v.18a pick up serpents (Luke 10:19, Acts 28:3–6);
v.18c lay hands on the sick (Mark 5:23, Acts 6:6, 9:17, 28:8)

“Anyone thirsty for some strychnine?”

Matthew 4:7 Jesus says, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Quote from Deut. 6:16

V.19 Ascension, “He was taken up into heaven”

What is He doing?

Heb 7:23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.