Mark 16:15-18
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The very day Jesus Christ rose from the dead in eternal victory, He began the process of preparing His disciples for His departure. Jesus knew that He would be ascending back into Heaven, and He did, 40 days after He rose from the dead. Jesus knew that when He left, His followers would be tasked with the mission of continuing His work in the world. They would be given the task of carrying the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. If they were going to carry out that mission, they needed an understanding of exactly what that mission would require. They needed to know that there would be successes, and they needed to know that there would also be failures. They needed to know that some people would believe their message, while others would reject the same message. They needed words of comfort, words of hope and words of instruction. That is exactly what they heard from Jesus that day.
The focus of this study is on that parting message of Jesus to His disciples. As we focus on the Lord’s Parting message to His disciples, we shall look at it from the angle of the requirement for the saints, the responsibility of the sinner, and the recognition of His servants.
1. The Requirement for the Saints
Mark 16:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4
A. Our Message – The disciples are told to “preach the Gospel.” They are to go into the world bearing the “good news” of salvation to all who will hear it. The word “Gospel” means “good news”, and that is exactly what the “Gospel” is. The disciples were given a message of “good news” for all people. What is the message they were to preach? It is clearly articulated by the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 15:3-4, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…”
B. Our Mission Field – The disciples were to take the “good news” into “all the world”. No place was off limits. No people-group was left out. It did not matter how wicked the people were, where they lived, or what they looked like, they were to be given this message. Our mission field is still everywhere that there are people. The phrase “every creature” refers to every individual who bears the image of God. Every human being, regardless of their sinfulness, the color of their skin, or their religious background, is a candidate for the “good news”. Whether we tell the “good news” across the ocean or across the street, we are to tell it. When we open our mouths and tell it to others, or when we send our dollars to missionaries so they can tell where they are, we are engaged in missions.
C. Our Method – The Lord’s command is “Go ye…and preach”. The phrase “go ye” is a command. It is not a suggestion for optional ministry. It is a call to action! We are not to debate whether or not we will share the Gospel, we are just to go and share it. That phrase is interesting because it is written in a tense that suggests this reading: “As you go…” In other words, as we move through this life, we are to be in the business of telling the “good news” to others. We are to tell it with our lips. That is clear from the word “preach”, which means “to act as a king’s herald”. We are to take the message of our King to this world with authority and assurance. We are to tell them what we know about Him. We are to tell the message with the assurance that He will empower us to tell this world what He has done for us – Acts 1:8. The Gospel is a message designed to be communicated orally. God has chosen preaching as the method of giving His message to a lost world – Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21. We are also to tell the story with our lives. That is, we are to live in such a way that the lost people living around us will see the difference in our lives and will know that God has done something in us. Phil 1:27; Matt. 5:16.
2. The Responsibility of the Sinner
Mark 16:16,17
The saints have a responsibility to share the Gospel of grace. Sinners also have a responsibility when it comes to the Gospel. Their responsibility is three-fold.
A. To Answer – “He that believeth” – When a sinner hears the Gospel message, that person is individually responsible to believe that message. Salvation occurs when a lost sinner hears the “good news” of salvation, is convicted of sin and believes the message that Jesus died for him and rose again from the dead. The sinner believes the message, looks away by faith and is instantly converted. Salvation is a work of faith in the heart of a lost sinner, who looks to Jesus by faith, and is instantly transformed by His saving grace and power. Salvation never comes from a person’s good works, good deeds, or good lifestyle. Neither does salvation come from religion or ritual. Salvation is always “By grace through faith”, Eph. 2:8-9.
B. To Act – “Believeth and is baptized” – This verse has been misunderstood and misapplied by many who want to add baptism to faith as the condition for salvation. So many people feel that baptism is an essential component of salvation. However, the teachings of Christ demonstrates that baptism comes after salvation. It was never a criterion for salvation.
C. To Accept – “He that believeth not shall be damned” – The lost sinner has the opportunity to believe the Gospel and be saved. He also has the right to reject the Gospel and remain lost in sin. The sinner must understand that if he or she rejects Jesus Christ and the Gospel of grace, they must face the consequences of that decision. If a person rejects the salvation that is offered by God through Christ Jesus, there is no other hope of salvation available to them, Heb. 2:3. Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to get to God, John 14:6; Acts 4:12. To reject Him is to reject forgiveness. It is to reject hope. It is to reject salvation. It is to reject God, Christ and the Holy Ghost. It is to reject holiness and embrace sin. It is to reject life and embrace death. It is to reject Heaven and embrace Hell. If you reject Jesus Christ and refuse to believe the Gospel, you will go to Hell, and you will have no one to blame but yourself, John 8:24; Matt. 7:21-23; Rev. 20:11-15.
3. The Recognition of His Servant
Mark 16:17,18
Jesus ended His words to His disciples by telling them that “signs” would follow the true believers. The word “signs” refers to “a token; or that which separates.” This word means that God will put a difference between His people and the people who remain lost in sin. The word “follow” means “to accompany.” “Tokens,” marks of separation, or proofs of salvation, will “accompany” the lives of the redeemed.
God has chosen to reach the world through preaching, 1 Cor. 1:21. He has saved us and set us apart. He has given us the “sign” of a new life, 2 Cor. 5:17. There is still a mark on those who are saved by grace. It is the mark of a changed life! The Lord Jesus promises to authenticate those who are His. He does this by changing their lives and recreating His life within them, Gal. 2:20; Rom. 4:29; Eph. 4:13-15.
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