Scripture: [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.] Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. Mark 16:9-20 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Mark presents the second miracle found uniquely in his gospel. Its setting is Bethsaida, located on the east bank of the Jordan River, where it flows into the Sea of Galilee. Some villagers led him to Jesus and “begged” the Lord to touch and heal him, and Jesus obliged but led him away from the onlookers. In privacy, he spat and laid hands on his eyes. But unlike the other healings, Jesus heals in two steps. Questioning whether the man could see anything (of which the man reports seeing people walking, but undefined like trees), Jesus again touches his eyes, and immediately the blind man sees perfectly. Finally, Jesus warns the now-sighted man to return home and avoid the village.
Today, we take a giant leap to the end of Mark’s Gospel. As noted in the three previous Daily Focus devotions, Matthew covers over 90% of Mark. Thus, we have reviewed just these four stories/parables excluded from Matthew. So today’s reading ends our brief review of Mark with its questionable ending (see below for further explanation). Its three sections include:
- Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
- Jesus appears to two of the disciples
- Jesus appears to the Eleven
The first appearance partially aligns with Matthew and John’s accounts. However, Matthew (28:8-10) indicates that Mary, the mother of James, was also present, and John (20:14-18) provides additional details about her encounter. Still, both omit how the disciples reacted, but Luke (24:8-11), who does not mention Jesus appearing to the women, states the apostles did not initially believe the women.
The second paragraph seems to be a truncation of Luke’s Road to Emmaus story (24:13-35), albeit Luke does not say Jesus appeared in another form but that Cleopas and his traveling companion did not recognize Jesus until he broke bread with them.
The last two paragraphs present the editor’s version of the Great Commission and the ascension. Unlike Matthew, he places the first event at a table rather than a mountainside in Galilee. And similar to Luke, he adds that Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief (albeit Luke presents a gentler approach, see 24:36-43). However, John says that Jesus admonished Thomas for his unbelief but not the other ten (20:24-29). And while all the Gospels close with a commissioning of sorts, none, except this questionable addition to Mark, claim Jesus promised miraculous signs of speaking in tongues, handling serpents, and drinking deadly poison without harm to authenticate true believers (more said below).
Regarding the ascension, Luke provides two accounts that align with this later addition to Mark: Luke (24:50-53) and Acts (1:6-11). And Mark’s editor ties the bow on his epilogue by again emphasizing signs to confirm the veracity of the disciples’ outward-bound message.
Takeaway: The earliest-dated and most reliable manuscripts end the book with verse 8, while other later-dated manuscripts include verses 9-20 (above). Some scholars speculate the original letter likely had a less abrupt ending that the copyists or their recipients lost. So a later generation of church scribes added the above text to harmonize with the three other Gospels. All but one verse (18a, “they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them”) reasonably align with the breadth of New Testament writings, but as you might guess, these supposed manifestations of true believers have led to abuses through the ages.
In our generation, perhaps the Jonestown Massacre stands out as the best evidence against relying on this questionable late addition to our Gospels. Founded by Jim Jones, The Peoples Temple gained a significant following under his charismatic leadership. When alarmed families of loved ones trapped in this cult sought media attention and government intervention, Jones and his community relocated to Guyana in 1978 to create Jonestown. After hearing that Congressmen Leo Ryan and an investigative team were en route to Jonestown, Jones and his armed guards took action. Appealing to this questionable passage at the end of Mark, they coaxed and coerced 918 people who either died by drinking the cyanide-laced punch or being forcefully injected with cyanide. And they assassinated Leo Ryan and four from his team.
On a positive note, the translators’ notation preceding verse 9 demonstrates the integrity of our Gospels. While other religions have deleted or notably redacted the unpalatable segments of their founders’ original writings, the Christian community has and will continue to be intentionally transparent. That said, we see in each of these four Gospels how the author’s personality and life experiences shape their perspective of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, thus providing us a full-orbed view of our glorious Lord’s life and ministry. Indeed, as Paul notes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV).
Our takeaway? Guided but not overridden, that’s how we can understand the seeming contradictions when details are highlighted by some and omitted by others. For the Holy Spirit chose to work through fallible, sinful people like you and me to ensure this treasure we possess (at the cost of thousands of lives over the past two millennia) will continue to equip us for every good work. And the only sign we need is our growing love for Jesus.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for your Son, who willfully followed your directives to complete his mission perfectly. And we thank you for your Holy Spirit, who guided the authors of our Gospels and all the books of the Bible, and the saints who risked their lives through the centuries to ensure Scripture’s uncompromising preservation. So would you please inspire us to read, reflect, and absorb their life-giving truths so we might find all we need to do every good work you have prepared for us in Christ? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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