DAY #83: March 24, 2009 - Mark 16:14-Luke 1:4

Finally, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples together (Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, had killed himself). Once again, Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief. Every time he had told them he would die, he had also told them that he would rise again. In spite of all they had seen and heard, somehow they just couldn't believe.

While the book of Mark closes, the gospel (Good News) does not end. Rather, it continues in the lives of Jesus’ followers. Jesus’ command is to go everywhere and preach the Good News. This is called the Great Commission. God had given Jesus authority over heaven and earth. On the basis of that authority, Jesus told his disciples to make more disciples as they preached, baptized, and taught. With this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell everyone everywhere the Good News.

The disciples were commanded to baptize people because baptism unites a believer with Jesus Christ in his or her death to sin and resurrection to new life. It is not the water of baptism that saves, but God’s grace accepted through faith in Christ. Baptism does not save you, rather it symbolizes submission to Christ, a willingness to live God’s way, and identification with Christ's death, burial and Resurrection.

As the disciples stood and watched, Jesus was taken up into heaven. Jesus’ physical presence left the disciples, but the Holy Spirit soon came to comfort them and empower them to spread the gospel. Jesus’ work of salvation was completed, and He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand where he has authority over heaven and earth. While Jesus’ work on earth was completed, the disciples’ work was just beginning. These doubting, stubborn disciples turned into powerful preachers who went everywhere and preached. God worked with them—giving them peace, strength through persecutions, and confirmation of their message with miraculous signs.

Mark’s Gospel emphasizes Christ’s power, as well as his servanthood. Jesus’ life and teaching turned the world upside down. The world sees power as a way to gain control over others. But Jesus, with all authority and power in heaven and earth, chose to serve others. He held children in his arms, healed the sick, acted patiently with his hardheaded disciples, and died for the sins of the world. Following Jesus means receiving this same power to serve. As believers, we are called to be servants of Christ. As Christ served, so we are to serve.

Luke opens his Gospel with the explanation that, though he was not himself an eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry, he wanted the eyewitness accounts to be preserved accurately and the foundations of Christian belief transmitted intact to the next generations. This is evident in his Gospel, for thirty percent of it is new information—not contained in the other three Gospels. As you read this Gospel, watch the way Luke carefully presents all the evidence surrounding Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to Theophilus, a Gentile Christian.

Luke perceived a need to put the facts from these other written sources into an account written especially for a Gentile believer who needed to understand Jesus’ story. Believers today owe the Gospels and the book of Acts to writers who, like Luke, took the carefully preserved oral information from eyewitnesses and wrote it down.

Theophilus literally means “one who loves God.” While this may be a general term for all believers, it is a proper name and with the title, most honorable, indicates a person of some rank or distinction. The book of Acts, also written by Luke, is likewise addressed to Theophilus.
Luke, as an educated Gentile believer and a medical doctor, paid attention to details: he carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, and then wrote a careful summary. Luke wanted to reassure Theophilus of the truth of all he had been taught.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I must tell others the Good News of Jesus. What is the Good News? He came, He died and He rose again.

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NIV)

This is the time for the church to stand tall. This is the time for the people of God to speak up. The hope for the world is Jesus Christ. Lord, put that on the hearts of the people of COV. Give us the courage to invite people to hear that message and receive that hope. Burden our hearts with the lostness of people. Break our hearts with the things that break your heart.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10 (NIV)

"When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:36-38 (NIV)

Lord, raise up people to go out and bring in the harvest.