Congregational Bible Experience Day #15: Mark 14-16

Congregational Bible Experience Day #15
Bible Reading: Mark 14-16

Introduction:  Our reading today draws Mark's Gospel to a close: the tension mounts through chapters 14-15 as the familiar events leading up to the Cross unfold; the climax of the Gospel is told simply but - as the additional notes show - in a way that no-one need be in any doubt as to the significance of the death of Jesus; and finally, what happened next? The resurrection as Jesus had promised, but described in an unexpected low-key manner…
Read, and be encouraged, be assured, be blessed, and then pass the good news on: Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ will come again!

In our sprinting through Mark, we arrive once again at the final hours of Jesus' earthly life.  It's all here for us to read and prayerfully meditate on:  Jesus' anointing, the last supper, the prediction of Peter's denial, Gethsemane, the betrayal and arrest, the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the denials, the mocking and the beatings, the crucifixion, His death and burial, and finally His… what?  We'll come back to the surprise in a moment.

For now, just concentrate on verses 37-39.  As you read these verses imagine watching them portrayed on a cinema screen or TV.  Verse 37:  as a film director and editor, Mark focuses our attention on Jesus' final moments, and "with a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last".  Immediately, verse 38, the scene changes and we see we're taken back inside Jerusalem, back to the Temple, to the Holy of Holies to watch "the curtain of the Temple being torn in two from top to bottom." And immediately after that, verse 39, we're back at the foot of the cross to hear the Centurion's commentary on what he has just seen and heard as Jesus dies before him, "Surely this man was the Son of God".

What's going on?  First, verse 38 - the tearing of the Temple veil downwards, is Mark's way of drawing our attention to the significance of what happened when Jesus died (v37):  through Jesus' death, we now, all, have direct access into the presence of God; the barriers have been removed - by God HImself; our sin has been dealt with once and for all; anyone may come near to God through Christ (see Hebrews 10:19-22).

Second, remember how the Gospel began?  "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus (the) Christ, the Son of God" (1:1). About half way through the book at the end of Act 1, we drew your attention to how Mark gathered his evidence to prove that Jesus was the 'Christ', God's appointed and anointed Servant (8:29).  Now at the end of the second Act, at the climax of the story, by how He died, a Gentile recognises Jesus to the 'Son of God' (15:39).  This is the sort of God we too are too worship: a God who bears His own judgement for His people.  As the Apostle Paul will later write: "…the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

And the surprise? In Chapter 16, Jesus is not present.  We're told "He has risen!" (v6), but there's no conversation with the risen Christ as we find in the other Gospels. That's probably the reason someone added in additional verses (v9-20) sometime later to give the Gospel a more upbeat conclusion.  However, for a number of reasons, most trusted Bible scholars agree that these latter verses were not part of the original text. Nevertheless, it is not as downbeat as you might think, it's still an amazing end to an amazing story.  Here's the sermon outline I used for this passage a year or two back:  

Because of the Resurrection… (16:1-8)

• Problems can be solved (v3)
• Surprise can be expected (v4)
• Hope can be given (v6)
• Grace can be received (v7a)
• Comfort becomes a commission (v7)
• Promises can be trusted (v7)
• Fears may be aroused (v8)
• Decisions must be made - Jesus has risen from the dead, how will you respond?