Today we are reading from Mark 16: 9-20:

9 [[Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

14 Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.  15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 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. 20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.]]

As we mentioned yesterday, not all the oldest manuscripts of Mark have this ending, that is why yesterday was called the “shorter” ending and today is called the “longer” ending.  As is the custom for Mark, we see a lot of action packed into a few verses.  We see Jesus appear to Mary, her tell, Emmas, the locked room, the great commission, and then the ascension, all in 11 verses!  

This follows the theme of Mark; go.  Go and do. Go and serve. Go and be faithful.  Act and serve. Take the good news with you. Be the hands and feet of Jesus. Go and be His disciples. 

This Gospel is a call to action. This Gospel is a call to be faithful. This Gospel demands that we “do” something.  This Gospel says this – Jesus is Lord.  

If Jesus is truly Lord, what will we do about it?  How will live into it? How does it effect us?  

Today, take some time to think about what it means to say that Jesus is Lord.  Do you believe that?  Do you live that? And does that change your life? 

If you’d like to get each day’s daily scripture reading sent to your phone along with this reading guide, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up!