There are some things which are so far outside of our experience or our expectations that we find them extremely difficult to believe. Even though Jesus clearly told His disciples that He would rise from the dead, they did not expect Him to do so. When Jesus’ tomb was found empty they still could not bring themselves to understand or believe the truth. After all, who ever heard of someone raising himself from the dead? One of the strongest proofs of Jesus’ resurrection is the disciples’ transformation from unbelief to a burning faith which changed the world. Let’s read about in Mark’s account starting in chapter 16, verses 9 through 14.
“Now when he had risen 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. When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved. After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either. Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen..”
Mark writes that Jesus’ companions were still mourning and weeping on the Sunday morning following His crucifixion. Their beloved friend, teacher and master was dead. Not only had they lost someone very dear to them, their own personal hopes and aspirations died with Jesus. In light of this, Mary’s news that Jesus had risen from the dead should have been welcome. They should have been filled with joy that their decision to follow Jesus was not in vain. Instead, they refused to believe. In spite of seeing Jesus raise the dead, they could not imagine Him overcoming His own death.
The disciples still would not believe when two men confirmed Mary’s report by relating how they had met the resurrected Jesus. It wasn’t until Jesus, Himself, appeared to them and rebuked them for their refusal to believe the other eyewitnesses that they accepted the truth.
The cross proved that the disciples’ ideas about the Kingdom of God and what it meant to follow Jesus were wrong. Christ’s resurrection reversed the verdict handed down by the religious authorities who had Him executed. The resurrection undid the shame and condemnation of the cross. But how would Jesus’ resurrection change the day-to-day lives of the disciples? Clearly, it was unreasonable to think that Jesus would continue His ministry as if the crucifixion never happened. For one thing, Jesus no longer was with them in the same sense as He had been before. He would suddenly appear among them then, after a short while, would disappear from their sight. We know from another account that some of the disciples thought about going back to their former occupations. However, Jesus had other ideas. In verses 15 through 18 Mark tells us what instructions Jesus gave the disciples.
“He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.”
What is this ‘good news’ Jesus told His disciples to preach? By the means of Jesus’ death on the cross and the resurrection, God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Because we have sinned against God we are worthy of death. By His death Jesus took the burden of our sin upon Himself and paid our penalty. By means of Jesus’ resurrection we also can be raised up into new life from the death we have incurred by our sin. Truly this is good news. But how will people learn about it? Jesus instructed His disciples to go into all the world and proclaim this good news to everyone. This is why even today the followers of Christ go everywhere, to all lands and tell people from all walks of life that through Jesus’ death and resurrection they, too, can have life.
What must someone do in order to receive this life? How can they be saved? Jesus said that those who believe and are baptized will be saved. Believe what? We must believe in the resurrection of Jesus. We already saw how the disciples refused to believe and how Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. It was only after they believed that Jesus had risen from the dead that He could use them to proclaim the good news. Similarly, we also must believe.
However, belief is far more than acknowledging certain facts. True belief will always result in action. Belief which results in salvation will cause us to submit to baptism. Baptism is being fully immersed in water in the name of the Father (that is, God), the Son (that is Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere Scripture explains, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4 NIV) Have you believed been baptized so that you may be saved? If you do not believe, as Jesus said, you will be condemned.
Jesus told His disciples that they would have the ability to perform miracles. What was the reason for this? The miracles were signs that the good news the disciples preached was genuine. In Scripture we have many examples of the miracles the disciples did while they proclaimed the good news. Now, however, when we have the written testimony of who Jesus is and what He did we no longer need miracles to confirm the message.
In spite of this, many people still claim to perform miracles. Yet, if the miracles do not point to Christ or confirm the good news of the resurrection of Jesus, then the one who performs them is bearing a false message.
Mark ends his account with these words, “They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.” The question we should ask ourselves is whether we, too, are obedient to Christ.