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(Excerpt from NIV Application Commentary: Mark [eBook] by David E. Garland.)
God is a God of beginnings. The good news of Mark is that God begins again with the chosen people by sending his Son.
At the end of the Gospel ... things look far more gloomy. The women slink away from the empty tomb and are mute from fear [See Mark 16].
They thought the story was over. Instead they found an empty tomb, and a new part to play. See Mark 16.
Failure, denial, and fear are not the end of the story, however. When things seem to end, there is a new beginning. The gospel is good news because one can begin again.
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God is the one who consistently makes something out of nothing. |
One may wonder how these discredited disciples could ever emerge as leaders of a growing church and fulfill their mission, but we know that their failure was not fatal. Neither is ours. God is the one who consistently makes something out of nothing. What seems like the end, and a pathetic one at that, is only a new beginning. God will continue to work with and revive the people.
Mark makes it clear that "the church exists because of what God has done in Christ, not because of any outstanding abilities in its first members." The gospel proclaims that the one "who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6)...
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How will we continue the story? |
Christianity is not a closed book, and Christian readers are the latest chapter in a continuing story of God's good news. The question for us is ... the same as it was for those early disciples, "Where do we go from here?" The next stage is up to us. How will we continue the story? Will we cower in fear or boldly proclaim the glad tidings of Jesus to the world?
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Learn more about NIV Application Commentary: Mark eBook
Question for Discussion: Did the first disciples have any advantages over us in sharing the gospel? Do we have any advantages over them? Leave your comments on this post.
- Adam Forrest, Zondervan
(Images & some styling above are web-exclusive features not included in the text of NIVAC Mark eBook. Image attribution: From "An Illustrated Commentary on the Gospel of Mark" by Phillip Medhurst. Section Z. the empty tomb. Mark 16:1-8. By Philip Devere [FAL], via Wikimedia Commons. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)
What I wouldn't give to be able to see, Jesus with my own eyes--to eat with him, listen to his teaching, laugh with him, talk with him, give him a hug. But they also watched him be carted off for execution. And they couldn't fast-forward the scene, nor could they skim to the last chapters in the book of Mark to find out what happened. The advantage I have over the disciples is that I can read and re-read his story--all the way to the end. And someday, in heaven, I will see him face-to-face, along with all his faithful disciples.
Posted by: Sharon | January 30, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Sharon, that is so well said. Thank you for sharing.
-Adam
Posted by: Adam Forrest (Zondervan employee) | January 30, 2012 at 10:50 AM
At first I was going to say that the first disciples had no advantages compared to Christians today. However, after seeing Sharon's comment I realized that they did have one huge advantage and that was that they had seen Jesus face to face! They had literally walked and talked with Him, they had a front seat to every message he ever spoke, they saw Him during down times when He was just living life day to day, and my favourite, they saw all those miracles He did. However, I think that the advantages stop there. Yes the disciples had the Holy Spirit come upon them in an amazing way for the first time ever, and they did miracles. But they were also hunted down and persecuted for sharing the good news. We have an amazing advantage in that many other Christians have gone and preached before us; we have pastors and sermons and books all helping us to share the gospel. We get to live in our homes instead of leaving everything and being hunted down like dogs. And most of all, we aren't persecuted when we share, a great many people even believe the same things we do. Really when you look at it like that, there really is no reason in the world for us not to share Jesus with others! What are we so afraid of!
Posted by: brandi | January 30, 2012 at 04:38 PM
I do not think that they had any better advantages then sharing the gospel than us. i don't think that we have any advantages over them because we can share the gospel just like them.
xo Elise
Posted by: Elise Arkills | January 30, 2012 at 06:22 PM
Elise: I think what you say is very true. You know what comes to mind? Right before the resurrected Christ leaves earth, he says "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you... he will guide you into all the truth." John 16:5-15 http://zndr.vn/zl7Jzw.
Brandi: You're right, we have a lot of resources to draw from and enjoy - from past thinkers and books and *being able to read*, to the support system of our churches, to the western culture that for all of its imperfections, still allows us to share our beliefs with little chance of penalty. Thanks for adding your perspective,
Adam
Posted by: Adam Forrest (Zondervan employee) | January 31, 2012 at 12:10 PM