(Vv. 1-3) For the third time, we encounter these devoted women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They had apparently purchased sweet spices to anoint the Lord’s body after the Sabbath. While unbelief might expect to find the Lord’s body in the grave, the Spirit of God delights in showcasing their devoted love that motivates them to bring the spices and visit the grave at dawn.
As they made their way to the grave, they wondered aloud, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?” To the natural mind of the natural man, Christ’s grave presents a significant barrier. Fallen humanity struggles with the truth of resurrection. Although Greek philosophers, like many today, may accept the idea of the soul’s immortality, they typically reject the concept of bodily resurrection. It is easier for people to believe that their souls persist after death than to acknowledge that God’s power is necessary for raising the body. Dismissing God makes resurrection impossible; however, when we include God and His power, all obstacles disappear—the stone is rolled away.
(Vv. 4-7) When the devoted women arrive at the grave, they discover that God has gone before them—the stone has been rolled away. This was not done so that the body of the Lord could exit the grave, but rather so that the disciples might enter and see that the tomb was empty. No stone, however great, could keep the body of the Lord in the grave.
Upon entering the grave, the women are immediately confronted with a heavenly messenger who reassures their hearts and calms their fears. The messenger tells them, “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him.” They were genuinely seeking Jesus, and despite their ignorance and unbelief, all would ultimately be well. This raises a crucial question for us: What are we seeking? Is Jesus the primary focus of our hearts? As J.N.D. once said, “It is the consecration of the heart to the Lord that brings light and intelligence to the soul.” Our blindness to truth and our inability to distinguish between right and wrong often stem from a lack of focus on Christ as our One Object.
Frequently, we pursue our own desires and ambitions instead of seeking Jesus and His glory. The extent to which we “seek Jesus” directly correlates with the light we receive. We may seek many good things, such as saving souls, serving others, or promoting the welfare of the saints. Still, if we focus on “seeking Jesus,” everything else will fall into place, illuminating our path. As these women sought Jesus, they received light from heaven and were commissioned to serve the Lord.
They were tasked with delivering the message to “His disciples and Peter.” It is particularly touching that, in the gospel detailing Peter’s significant failure, his name is specifically mentioned. Had the message been directed simply to the disciples, Peter might have thought, “It cannot include me; I am no longer a disciple.” However, the special mention of Peter’s name dispels any doubt. The disciples were to understand that, despite all having forsaken the Lord and fled—Peter having denied Him—the Lord’s loving heart toward them remained unchanged. Just as He did during His earthly ministry, He would “go before” His disciples to lead the way, assuring them they would “see Him,” and that everything would unfold “as He said.”
In a broader sense, despite the church’s current state of responsibility and the scattering and failures of God’s people, we can look forward to the time when He will gather all His sheep around Himself—our risen, glorious Lord—and we will see Him face to face, with every word He has spoken fulfilled.
Although they had seen the empty tomb and listened to the angel, they had not yet seen Jesus. As noted in the Gospel of Luke, “Him they saw not.” Without Christ Himself, the great stone rolled away, an empty sepulcher, and the vision of angels can only leave us trembling and amazed.
In verses 9-11, we learn that the Lord had already appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. The one who witnessed the Lord’s power over demons now becomes a witness to His power over death, carrying the joyful news of His resurrection to the grieving disciples. Unfortunately, although they heard the message, they did not believe it.
Verses 12-13 briefly refer to the Lord’s appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, highlighting that their witness, too, went unrecognized.
In verses 14-18, we find a record of the Lord’s appearance to the eleven disciples as they were eating. He rebukes them for their unbelief, which is attributed to the hardness of their hearts. We must ask ourselves: Could much of our own unbelief be traced back to the hardness of our hearts, which are often unresponsive to His love and unimpressed by His words?
In spite of the exposure of their hearts, the Lord immediately sends them forth to preach to others. It may seem that their unbelief and hardness of heart would disqualify them from preaching, yet this very exposure in His presence prepared them for service. It is when we begin to understand the nature of our hearts and recognize our own nothingness that God can use us to bless others.
They were commissioned to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” It is essential to note that this passage does not imply that baptism has any saving power in the eyes of God. The essential truth is belief in the gospel. The verse does not say, “He who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned.” As one has pointed out, “Unbelief is the greatest evil to be feared. Whether a person is baptized or not, if they do not believe, they will be condemned.”
Baptism serves as an outward sign of one’s faith before others. A person who professes to believe yet refuses to be baptized is essentially attempting to hide their faith to maintain worldly relationships. We may question the authenticity of such a person’s faith. A true believer will openly confess their faith by separating from the world. Baptism symbolizes death, marking the believer’s transition from the world to the Christian community among God’s people.
The Lord tells His disciples that signs will follow those who believe in Him. In Christ’s name, they would cast out demons, speak in tongues, and heal the sick. It is essential to note that the Lord does not state that these signs will follow every believer or that they will persist indefinitely. We should distinguish between the sign-gifts mentioned by the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 and the nourishment gifts described in Ephesians 4:11. The sign-gifts in Corinthians were given to the early church as a man’s testimony to attract the attention of an unbelieving world. The nourishment gifts, however, come from the ascended Head of the church.
Since the church has failed in its responsibilities, the Lord no longer calls attention to a broken church through outward, miraculous signs. However, even though the church is shorn of her outward ornaments, the Lord continues to love and nourish His body. Thus, the gifts described in Ephesians persist until the end.
In verses 19-20, after giving His commission to His disciples, the Lord was taken up into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. His work on earth as the perfect servant is complete. Nonetheless, He continues to work alongside His disciples, confirming the message they preach with accompanying signs.
Chapter 16: The Resurrection and Ascension
(Vv. 1-3) For the third time, we encounter these devoted women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They had apparently purchased sweet spices to anoint the Lord’s body after the Sabbath. While unbelief might expect to find the Lord’s body in the grave, the Spirit of God delights in showcasing their devoted love that motivates them to bring the spices and visit the grave at dawn.
As they made their way to the grave, they wondered aloud, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?” To the natural mind of the natural man, Christ’s grave presents a significant barrier. Fallen humanity struggles with the truth of resurrection. Although Greek philosophers, like many today, may accept the idea of the soul’s immortality, they typically reject the concept of bodily resurrection. It is easier for people to believe that their souls persist after death than to acknowledge that God’s power is necessary for raising the body. Dismissing God makes resurrection impossible; however, when we include God and His power, all obstacles disappear—the stone is rolled away.
(Vv. 4-7) When the devoted women arrive at the grave, they discover that God has gone before them—the stone has been rolled away. This was not done so that the body of the Lord could exit the grave, but rather so that the disciples might enter and see that the tomb was empty. No stone, however great, could keep the body of the Lord in the grave.
Upon entering the grave, the women are immediately confronted with a heavenly messenger who reassures their hearts and calms their fears. The messenger tells them, “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him.” They were genuinely seeking Jesus, and despite their ignorance and unbelief, all would ultimately be well. This raises a crucial question for us: What are we seeking? Is Jesus the primary focus of our hearts? As J.N.D. once said, “It is the consecration of the heart to the Lord that brings light and intelligence to the soul.” Our blindness to truth and our inability to distinguish between right and wrong often stem from a lack of focus on Christ as our One Object.
Frequently, we pursue our own desires and ambitions instead of seeking Jesus and His glory. The extent to which we “seek Jesus” directly correlates with the light we receive. We may seek many good things, such as saving souls, serving others, or promoting the welfare of the saints. Still, if we focus on “seeking Jesus,” everything else will fall into place, illuminating our path. As these women sought Jesus, they received light from heaven and were commissioned to serve the Lord.
They were tasked with delivering the message to “His disciples and Peter.” It is particularly touching that, in the gospel detailing Peter’s significant failure, his name is specifically mentioned. Had the message been directed simply to the disciples, Peter might have thought, “It cannot include me; I am no longer a disciple.” However, the special mention of Peter’s name dispels any doubt. The disciples were to understand that, despite all having forsaken the Lord and fled—Peter having denied Him—the Lord’s loving heart toward them remained unchanged. Just as He did during His earthly ministry, He would “go before” His disciples to lead the way, assuring them they would “see Him,” and that everything would unfold “as He said.”
In a broader sense, despite the church’s current state of responsibility and the scattering and failures of God’s people, we can look forward to the time when He will gather all His sheep around Himself—our risen, glorious Lord—and we will see Him face to face, with every word He has spoken fulfilled.
Although they had seen the empty tomb and listened to the angel, they had not yet seen Jesus. As noted in the Gospel of Luke, “Him they saw not.” Without Christ Himself, the great stone rolled away, an empty sepulcher, and the vision of angels can only leave us trembling and amazed.
In verses 9-11, we learn that the Lord had already appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. The one who witnessed the Lord’s power over demons now becomes a witness to His power over death, carrying the joyful news of His resurrection to the grieving disciples. Unfortunately, although they heard the message, they did not believe it.
Verses 12-13 briefly refer to the Lord’s appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, highlighting that their witness, too, went unrecognized.
In verses 14-18, we find a record of the Lord’s appearance to the eleven disciples as they were eating. He rebukes them for their unbelief, which is attributed to the hardness of their hearts. We must ask ourselves: Could much of our own unbelief be traced back to the hardness of our hearts, which are often unresponsive to His love and unimpressed by His words?
In spite of the exposure of their hearts, the Lord immediately sends them forth to preach to others. It may seem that their unbelief and hardness of heart would disqualify them from preaching, yet this very exposure in His presence prepared them for service. It is when we begin to understand the nature of our hearts and recognize our own nothingness that God can use us to bless others.
They were commissioned to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” It is essential to note that this passage does not imply that baptism has any saving power in the eyes of God. The essential truth is belief in the gospel. The verse does not say, “He who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned.” As one has pointed out, “Unbelief is the greatest evil to be feared. Whether a person is baptized or not, if they do not believe, they will be condemned.”
Baptism serves as an outward sign of one’s faith before others. A person who professes to believe yet refuses to be baptized is essentially attempting to hide their faith to maintain worldly relationships. We may question the authenticity of such a person’s faith. A true believer will openly confess their faith by separating from the world. Baptism symbolizes death, marking the believer’s transition from the world to the Christian community among God’s people.
The Lord tells His disciples that signs will follow those who believe in Him. In Christ’s name, they would cast out demons, speak in tongues, and heal the sick. It is essential to note that the Lord does not state that these signs will follow every believer or that they will persist indefinitely. We should distinguish between the sign-gifts mentioned by the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 and the nourishment gifts described in Ephesians 4:11. The sign-gifts in Corinthians were given to the early church as a man’s testimony to attract the attention of an unbelieving world. The nourishment gifts, however, come from the ascended Head of the church.
Since the church has failed in its responsibilities, the Lord no longer calls attention to a broken church through outward, miraculous signs. However, even though the church is shorn of her outward ornaments, the Lord continues to love and nourish His body. Thus, the gifts described in Ephesians persist until the end.
In verses 19-20, after giving His commission to His disciples, the Lord was taken up into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. His work on earth as the perfect servant is complete. Nonetheless, He continues to work alongside His disciples, confirming the message they preach with accompanying signs.
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