Mark 16 v 1 - 20

It is important to note that Mark's Gospel originally ended at verse eight of the sixteenth chapter, the other verses do not appear in any of the manuscripts discovered and are a later addition which either replaced the original ending which was lost or completed the Gospel due to Mark's death before he was able to finish it. Jesus died on Good Friday and the next day was the Sabbath, so the women followers had to wait until early the day after to anoint the body. They set out but were apprehensive that they might not be able to gain access to Jesus because the tomb had a huge stone sealing it which they did not have the strength to move. However, when they reached the tomb, the stone was moved and when they entered the tomb they didn't see a corpse, but a young man, an angel. He gave them the news that Jesus was no longer there, He had risen from the dead! We can know for certain that, if Jesus had not returned from death, we would never have heard of Him. The Christian Church would not exist and the transformation of His followers from mourning to joy would never have been witnessed. Because we believe in the resurrection, certain things follow: 1. Jesus is a living presence, not just a historical figure whose life was recorded in a book. We must meet Jesus to know Him, not just about Him. 2. He is not a memory but a presence. 3. There is an endless quality about the Christian faith, never standing still. There are new wonders and truths to be discovered because Jesus is alive! 4. The call is to ''GO!'' We are to tell others that He is alive in the same manner as the women were called. Note that Peter is specifically named, Jesus has unfinished business with Him! The final verses give us the commission of the Church, echoing Matthew 28. The Church has various tasks: preaching, healing body and mind; the Christian has a source of power to cope with all the challenges of life and it is never left alone to do its work. The Christian life is lived in the presence and the power of Him who was crucified and rose again. Thank you for following this blog and I will be in contact again on Tuesday April 19th. God bless you