We are now winding down the study through the Gospel according to Mark. Last time we covered the story of the crucifixion. It is a story so well known that on re-reading it we can easily miss something, involuntarily skipping something, because we assume we know every detail. But that is true of the whole Gospel, isn’t it? Mark’s version is short, compact, and every word, every scene, counts.

Mark 15:40-41 And there were women also looking on from afar off, among whom were both Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him and ministered to him; and many others who came up with him to Jerusalem.

Did you notice that last phrase? “And many others who came up with him to Jerusalem.” The gospel already told us a while ago that Jesus had set His mind on going to Jerusalem, knowing full well what was awaiting Him. He not only knew what His enemies planned (and that they would accomplish it ) but He also knew what would happen every step of the way.

He knew that a crowd would gather around Him as they recognized Him and realized He was on the way up to Jerusalem. He knew that that crowd would continue to grow town by town. He knew that, when He stayed overnight at Jericho and therefore allowed everyone else that wanted to join in to catch up. And, through it all, He knew that His closest friends – not only His twelve disciples – but all the others that listened to Him faithfully, that loved Him, that owed Him their lives, that dutifully and joyfully ministered to Him… He knew that they would all join in.

What did they think when they saw that boisterous crowd shouting Hosanna as it approached the gates of the city? How did they feel? Were their hearts bursting with expectation? Were they smiling, as we say, from ear to ear, that now, finally, the people were finally recognizing, accepting, proclaiming, Jesus as their Savior?

I can imagine how I would have felt. I cannot speak for them. But Jesus certainly knew.

He heard every prayer of thanksgiving and praise lifted to God by all those in that crowd that (like old Simeon at His dedication) had longed for the redemption of Israel. He knew how “high” they felt then…

And He knew how far down every one of those hearts was about to come crashing down in a few short days.

And many others who came up with him to Jerusalem…

They came with Him, followed Him, surely expecting the greatest Passover celebration in history, and then He led them instead to the cross.

Talk about a “downer”.

How would you have felt?

His suffering at the cross has been talked about throughout Church history; even though we can hardly imagine a fraction of what it would have been like… to be the infinite Son of God, the Creator of Life and Love and everything, and then to choose to become humanly finite for the sake of saving your creation, only to be rejected, humiliated, beaten, tortured, and killed by that very creation… We cannot conceive what it would be like to be Holy, the perfect Righteous One, the Law-maker, the definition of Good and Justice itself, only to end up having the sins of the whole world, of every human being ever born and ever to be born, placed upon you… the sins and their consequences, the pain and the punishment, all of it to bear all the way down to the only possible end.

From plus infinity through absolute zero to minus infinity… we cannot imagine.

But there is something we can imagine; and we seldom talk about it: What it was like for His disciples that followed Him in the midst of a crowd that slowly and surely, over that week, mutated from total adulation to a murderous rage… And they could do nothing about it. They were caught in the proverbial “train wreck in slow motion”.

Can you imagine the horror? Can you imagine the pain, as they looked from afar off at that cross and the end of all their hopes?

And as you think about this, does the thought cross your mind: Couldn’t Jesus have spared them? Couldn’t He have told them to stay home; told them not to follow Him this time?

It seems almost cruel.

But then Jesus has been preparing them – and us – for this from the beginning:

Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed they who are persecuted on account of righteousness, for *theirs* is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are ye when they may reproach and persecute you, and say every wicked thing against you, lying, for my sake. Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens; for thus have they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Coming face to face with the reality of the offense.

Faith is only born within our hearts when we come to the crossroads: when we are faced with the true cost of following Jesus; when we are faced with the reality that, in this world, that choice will bring us no advantage, no power, no riches. But on the contrary, as Jesus told His audience at the Sermon on the Mount – and repeated to His disciples several times – if we choose to follow Him, if we choose to take His side, the world that hates Him will also hate us.

I know that seems passé to us today, especially in our country, in the US, where we proudly proclaim we have freedom of religion… and where, if anyone threatens that freedom. we are willing and able to find lawyers to take that fight to court.

And therefore, we don ‘t think persecution could happen to us today.

But if that is true, how did we accomplish that feat? Have we finally, after 2000 years, learned to live such rightful lives that we finally defeated the world and took away its power? Have we accomplished by human intellect and might what Jesus Himself could not do when He was here in person? What do you think?

And if that is true… and we have nothing to worry about on that account, then why did Jesus spend so much time warning His disciples and us about persecution on account of His Name? Is it possible that the Son of God did not see the Constitution of the United States coming?

Yet we cannot deny that Jesus warned us over and over: Remember the parable of the Sower; the seed that fell on rocky ground? It sprouted immediately full of joy at receiving the Word; but then, because it had no depth for its roots, no foundation, it withered… But, what caused it to wither? He gave us the answer:  (Mark 4:17) …  having no root in themselves, they are but for a time: then, tribulation arising, or persecution on account of the Word, immediately they are offended.

Persecution on account of the Word, on account of the fact that we claim to love and follow and obey Jesus: that, Jesus says, will challenge our “faith”, will make us question our assumptions, and can even lead us to say: “Wait a minute, this isn’t fair, I did not sign up for this… what good is a ‘God’, a ‘Savior’, that brings ruin to my life?”

Maybe the very fact that we hardly give a thought to persecution is why we are in such danger today… Because when it happens, we will be all the more shocked, all the more confused, disillusioned, and – yes – even angered.

This whole concept of overcoming the offense is central to Kierkegaard’s thought. It is better said in his own words:

“Let me once again clarify the phrase ‘on account of the Word.’ When in sickness I go to a physician, he may find it necessary to prescribe a very painful treatment— there is no self-contradiction in my submitting to it. No, but if on the other hand I suddenly find myself in trouble, an object of persecution, because, because I have gone to that physician: well, then there is a self-contradiction.

“The physician has perhaps announced that he can help me with regard to the illness from which I suffer, and perhaps he can really do that— but there is a BUT that I had not thought of at all. The fact that I get involved with this physician, attach myself to him— that is what makes me an object of persecution; here is the possibility of offense.

“So also with Christianity. Now the issue is: will you be offended or will you believe. If you will believe, then you push through the possibility of offense and accept Christianity on any terms.”

(From Søren. Kierkegaard’s Practice in Christianity. Translated by Hong and Hong; Princeton University Press.)

Is persecution coming?

I am not going to prophesy… But if Jesus warned us about it, I would think it wise to take it to heart.

What form will it take? I don’t know. But I am fairly certain that if we truly abide by Jesus’ requirements in everything we do in our lives, while the rest of the world does and gets everything it wants by playing by its own rules – rules that flagrantly violate the teachings of Christ – then sooner or later that world will notice; sooner or later the rules we live by and the rules the world lives by will come into conflict, and then we will come to the crossroads: Which way will we choose to live? And if we choose Christ’s way and not the world’s, then what price will we be willing to pay?

And if the price is more than we bargained for, far more than we thought, and when we cry out to heaven to deliver us or at least help us pay the price… and that help never arrives in this world… how will we react? Will we think it cruel? Will we be offended?

We may not think this will happen to us in our time but we cannot deny that it came true for many of Jesus’ followers. Those of His friends that came with Him, all the way to Jerusalem that day, understood the reality of persecution full well. His disciples ran and hid.

Sometimes the best way to overcome the offense is perseverance

Of all those followers, the women, the ones we would have thought most vulnerable, physically, even emotionally, were the ones that persevered through it all. They did not run away. Neither did two older men, who up to that point may have been “secret” disciples…

Mark 15:42-45 And when it was already evening, since it was [the] preparation, that is, [the day] before a sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable councillor, who also himself was awaiting the kingdom of God, coming, emboldened himself and went in to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and having called to [him] the centurion, he inquired of him if he had long died. And when he knew from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

From John’s gospel we know that Nicodemus was with Joseph of Arimathea and that they hastily, but properly, wrapped Jesus’ body with linen strips and burial ointments (like an Egyptian mummy) …

Mark 15:46-47 And having bought fine linen, [and] having taken him down, he swathed him in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was cut out of rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre. And Mary of Magdala and Mary the [mother] of Joses saw where he was put.

The women watched and they decided to act. We know from the other gospels that they made a plan; they determined to give their Lord the burial honors He deserved. They got the spices, they got more linens, and then they waited for the Sabbath to be over.

Mark 16:1-3 And the sabbath being [now] past, Mary of Magdala, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, bought aromatic spices that they might come and embalm him. And very early on the first [day] of the week they come to the sepulchre, the sun having risen.

And they said to one another, Who shall roll us away the stone out of the door of the sepulchre?

(I love this detail because they are so human… like you and me: They planned for everything… so they thought; but they were so focused on doing what was right that they didn’t think about any of the obstacles. They did not think about the soldiers guarding the tomb or even about how they could open it. Oh, how I wish we could be that way: so focused on doing God’s will that the obstacles (the “practical”, human, worldly obstacles) never cross our minds. Why should they? From the viewpoint of the Kingdom of God they are but incidental details… God can take care of them. In fact, He loves to do that. No big deal.)

Mark 16:4 And when they looked, they see that the stone has been rolled [away], for it was very great.

Perseverance overcomes the offense because by it we keep our mind fixed on the will of God; and whatever power the world may have, soon fades away into insignificance.

And with its vanishing, the offense is defeated…

Faith wins our heart, and then God is more than happy to step in.

Mark 16:5-7 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right, clothed in a white robe, and they were amazed and alarmed; but he says to them, Be not alarmed. Ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, the crucified one. He is risen, he is not here; behold the place where they had put him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, he goes before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said to you.

Ok. We need to stop here and think about this; put ourselves in their place and try to understand all that they – we – have experienced. They came to Jerusalem with Jesus, hoping that His triumphal entrance into the city would finally usher in the Kingdom of God. But instead, they saw their Lord tortured and murdered. That was not what they had prayed for. That was not what they had longed for. All their dreams came tumbling down.

Why? Because they were worldly dreams. Yes, they were dreams based on God’s promises but worldly dreams nevertheless… because they were focused on this world. They expected, they wanted, Jesus to change their world. But that is not what Jesus came to do. He came to save people.

Those dreams had to die so that they, and us, would finally be able to look away from them and see God carrying out His Plan. And remember: He had already revealed that plan; Jesus had told them all about it. But because Jesus’ rising from among the dead after three days could not possibly fit our dream of the Conquering Messiah taking His throne in Jerusalem and wiping out all His enemies, they (we) never saw it coming.

But now they witness it. And the fulfillment of this Reality that they never even imagined is more marvellous, more glorious than any dream they could ever have dreamed… (maybe even almost more than they could handle…)

 Mark 16:8 And they went out, and fled from the sepulchre. And trembling and excessive amazement possessed them, and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.

So, Mark tells us that the women left that tomb so shocked, that they could not talk about it. But we know from the other gospels that they eventually turned around and went and told the disciples.

We also know from the other gospels that back there, at verse 4, when they saw the stone had been moved out of the way, and were therefore able to look in through its entrance and see that Jesus’ body was no longer there (the way they had seen it was there when Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea left) that Mary of Magdala turned around and started running to find Peter and John. And then, eventually, after Peter and John see the empty tomb and return to the house, Mary finally comes back by herself, sees the angels sitting inside and then meets Jesus outside:

Mark 16:9 Now when he had risen very early, the first [day] of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala, out of whom he had cast seven demons.

Again, from the other gospels, we know that Jesus then appeared to the other women, and it was then that they turned around and ran to tell the disciples. Mary Magdalene then goes back to Peter and John and the rest.

Mark 16:10-11 *She* went and brought word to those that had been with him, [who were] grieving and weeping. And when these heard that he was alive and had been seen of her, they disbelieved [it].

They disbelieved… because their dreams too had been focused on this world. But God gave them all the witnesses they needed to finally understand:

Mark 16:12-15 And after these things he was manifested in another form to two of them as they walked, going into the country; and *they* went and brought word to the rest; neither did they believe them.

Afterwards as they lay at table he was manifested to the eleven, and reproached [them with] their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him risen. And he said to them, Go into all the world, and preach the glad tidings to all the creation.

This is the end of the Gospel according to Mark.

It is brief and to the point. And to me, the central point is this: The kingdoms of this world are decaying and dying. They won’t admit it. They won’t admit that what they can only offer us in the end is despair and hopelessness. And they will do anything in their power to suck us into their way: what they claim is reality. But God has known all about this since the beginning. And He prepared a way back for us, a way to satisfy our deepest Hopes, a way that will last forever. He made a perfect Plan and Jesus, as His Son, agreed to fulfill it.

Taking that path will not be easy because we will have to make that choice while still living in this world, the enemy’s territory.  But we all can make that choice.

Sometimes all we need to do is persevere.

Final parenthesis

You may find notes in Study Bibles or Commentaries that point out that some of the oldest manuscripts we have found – to date – do not have the last verses of chapter 16, from 9 through 20. That is what happens when you are dealing with manuscripts from almost 2000 years ago.

Is anything in those verses contrary to Scripture or the other gospels? Not at all:

Mark 16:15-20 …Go into all the world, and preach the glad tidings to all the creation. He that believes and is baptised shall be saved, and he that disbelieves shall be condemned.

And these signs shall follow those that have believed: in my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they should drink any deadly thing it shall not injure them; they shall lay hands upon the infirm, and they shall be well.

The Lord therefore, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God. And they, going forth, preached everywhere, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word by the signs following upon [it].

The book of Acts of the Apostles bears witness to many of these miraculous signs occurring as stated here. In fact, even the strange one, about snakes, happened to Paul when he and a shipful of castaways ended up on the shores of Malta. He went to work gathering wood for kindling a fire to keep them all warm and he happened to grab poisonous snake among the stick. The snake did not like it and bit him. And yet, Paul did not die. That event opened the eyes and ears of many of the people of Malta to listen to what this prisoner, follower of Jesus, had to say.