Continuation. Acts 1:1-5.In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God. While staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;” For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  Dear Children of the Heavenly Father, Today we embark on a new journey in the Acts of the Apostles. This…

Ascension. Mark 16:19-20.So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.  Dear Citizens of Heaven, The gospel of Mark concludes with the departure of Jesus for his heavenly home. The visible departure was important in the communication to the disciples that Jesus was now depending on them to further the extension of the Kingdom.  Position (v. 19). Jesus was not only taken up to heaven, he “sat down at the right hand of God.” This is symbolic of the position of power and authority. Kings would have the crown prince sit at the right hand when they held…

Commission. Mark 16:14-18.Afterward, he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; “They will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Dear Household of Faith, Jesus finally showed himself…

Incredulous. Mark 16:9-13. Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After these things, he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.  Dear Ambassadors of the Risen King, That the disciples did not believe the reports of the resurrection should not surprise us. Their own perception of what Jesus was meant to be and what he came to do blinded their eyes…

Resurrection. Mark 16:1-8.When the Sabbath was past, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back – it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid…

Burial. Mark 15:42-47.And when evening had come, since it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary…

Aftermath. Mark 15:38-41. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many women who came up with him to Jerusalem.  Dear Ambassadors of Christ, The things that took place the moment Jesus died to tell us a lot about what his death meant to those around him.   Access (v. 38). The rather casual mention of the rending of the temple belies…

Demise. Mark 15:33-37.And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold he is calling Elijah.”And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.  Dear Friends of Jesus, Jesus had already been on the cross for three hours. Experts have determined that crucifixion was one of the most brutal methods of execution, because of the excruciating,…

Derided. Mark 15:29-32.And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,” save yourself and come down from the cross!”So also the chief priests and the scribes mocked him to one another saying, “He saved others, he cannot save himself. “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.  Dear Saints, Mark paints the picture of a lonely Jesus on the cross, mocked by everyone.  Passers-By (v. 29-30). The people who happened by and possibly also curious observers and idlers based their mockery on a misrepresentation of Jesus’ statement “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”…

Crucified. Mark 15:21-27.And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews. “And with him, they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.  Dear Family, The procedure for the crucifixion was well laid out. Things proceeded pretty much as they would have with the…