So we're reading from Mark chapter 16, verse 9 to 20.
It's on page 1024 in the Red Bible.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told those who had been with him
and who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that Jesus was alive
and that she had seen him,
they did not believe it.
Afterwards, Jesus appeared in a different form
to two of them while they were walking in the country.
These returned and reported it to the rest,
but they did not believe them either.
Later, Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were eating.
He rebuked them for their lack of faith
and their stubborn refusal to believe those
who had seen him after he had risen.
He said to them,
Go into all the world and preach the good news to all 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 drive out demons,
they will speak in new tongues,
they will pick up snakes with their hands,
and when they drink deadly poison,
it will not hurt them at all.
They will place their hands on sick people
and they will get well.
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them,
he was taken up into heaven
and he sat at the right hand of God.
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere,
and the Lord worked with them
and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied us.
Thank you.
Just to make a note here,
you'll see,
and I'm sure it's in most of your Bibles,
between verse 8 and verse 9,
you've got this small little sentence in print,
small print,
and it says in my Bible anyway,
and something similar in yours as well,
the earliest manuscripts
and some other ancient witnesses
do not have Mark 16,
verses 9 to 20.
I'm not going to get into a big commentary
on the pros and cons
and what it's all about.
If you want to know more about that,
please speak to me afterwards,
other than to say this,
that any of the accounts that we have of the Gospels,
we don't have any of the original ones.
We do have some very early ancient witnesses
and accounts,
at least 10,000 different accounts
of Mark's Gospel,
some of which do have
these last few words,
from verses 9 to 20,
some do not.
The reason why I'm going to follow it
is because it doesn't contradict anything
that Mark has said so far,
and it doesn't contradict anything
of the other Gospels.
In fact, I think it concludes
Mark's Gospel well.
If you want to know for other reasons
and more in-depth reasons,
then as I say,
please do ask me afterwards.
I'll be very happy
to go through that all with you,
but I don't want that to be a distraction,
but we treat what we have here
as God's Word to us today.
Well, with that introduction,
let's now pray and ask for God's help.
He said to them,
Go into all the world
and preach the good news
to all creation.
Father, we are reminded
that you came
and through the angels
announced the good news
that Christ had come,
and we pray that we,
as your people in that same tradition,
would be people who announce
the good news
of Jesus Christ.
Father, may this news
be wonderful to us again today.
May it excite us.
May it thrill us.
May it continue to change us.
and may it motivate us
to pass on this wonderful message
to those that we will meet
this coming week
and that it would cause us
to change our lives
so that we enable this good news
to go out into all the world.
Father, may your word to us now
help us in regards to that.
We pray for your help amongst us
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, we all love a good story,
don't we?
The best ones are the ones
that we desperately want to be true.
Stories that tell us perhaps
about a hero
who comes and takes on
the powers of darkness,
fighting evil,
destroying evil,
good winning the day.
We love the stories
where a hero comes
and who goes into the heart
of the battle
and sacrifices his life,
wounded and dying
on the battlefield
so that others can be free
and live happily ever after.
Well, last evening,
I went with my family
to watch The Hobbit,
good movie, by the way.
And as I came out of the cinema,
there was a part of me
that was so excited,
I longed that it was true.
I wanted to be Bilbo Baggins,
the Hobbit,
who left the peace
and the happiness
of the Shire
and entered into another world
to take on the evil forces
of Smaug,
the breathing dragon,
the fire-breathing dragon.
I dreamed of a world
where everything
could be made good again
and everything
would be beautiful,
no more evil,
no more darkness.
The problem is,
as my family would have to remind me,
is I'm not a Hobbit.
And it's not true.
It's just a made-up story.
It's all fantasy.
But look what we have here.
Look what we're thinking about this week.
Think of the true story of Christmas.
It's all about a hero, isn't it?
The ultimate hero,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
the God-man who left
the security of heaven
and who came down
into this world
to rescue us,
the one who came
with absolute power
and supreme authority
to restore broken lives
and to renew
this disordered world.
The angels announced
the hero's coming.
You see it there on your screen.
We read it,
first of all,
this morning.
I bring you good news
of great joy
that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David,
a saviour,
the rescuer,
has been born to you.
He is Christ the Lord.
Jesus, our hero,
came into this broken world,
a world that has been ruined by sin.
He came to a world
that was overcome
with the powers
of darkness
and evil.
And in sacrificial love,
he entered into
the heart of the battle
for you
and for me.
And in one of those
greatest scenes
of the story,
we see our hero
hanging on a cross.
And it seems like
that evil
has won.
Our hero
has died.
Our hope
seems to have been destroyed.
But,
the story
continues on.
You see,
just when we think
the hero is dead,
look at verse 9.
Jesus rose
early
on the first day
of the week.
The saviour,
the rescuer,
the one who was born
into this world,
the one who lived
and who died,
still lives.
The story
continues on.
Three times
Jesus told us
he would die
and rise again.
Look back at
Mark chapter 8,
verse 31.
Verse 31.
Mark chapter 8,
verse 31,
the last part of it.
Talking about himself,
he said,
he must
be killed
and after
three days
rise again.
Look at
chapter 9,
verse 31.
He said to them,
the son of man,
that's speaking
of himself,
is going to be
betrayed into
the hands of men.
they will kill him
and after
three days
he will rise.
Chapter 10,
verse 34.
They will
mock him,
spit on him,
flog him
and kill him.
Three days
later,
he will
rise.
And now
in keeping
with this
great promise,
he now
appears
to his
followers
to prove
he is alive.
So look at
chapter 16,
verse 9.
We read there
that he appeared
first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom
he had driven
seven demons.
In verse 12,
afterwards,
Jesus appeared
in a different
form to two of them
while they were
walking in the country.
in verse 14,
later Jesus
appeared
to the eleven
as they were
eating.
You see,
none of them
believed
that Jesus
would rise again.
None of them
had expected
a resurrection.
They had all
gone home
and given up.
For them,
the story
had finished.
It was over.
The book
was closed.
But now
the risen
Jesus appears
physically
proving to them
that he is alive
and that they
can believe.
The story
of Jesus
who was born
and died
has risen again.
So the story,
the Christmas story
continues on.
Do you believe
that the story
continues?
Or did it just
stop with some
baby who was born
and that was it?
Are you like those
in verse 11?
When they heard
that Jesus
was alive
and that she
had seen him,
they did not
believe it.
Perhaps you're
thinking right now,
well, if Jesus
turned up here
right now,
then I would
believe it.
If he appeared
right now,
if he appeared
and walked
through those doors
and sat down
beside me,
then I would
accept this
story about
Jesus.
Well, look what
Jesus said to
his disciples
in verse 14.
When Jesus
appeared to the
eleven as they
were eating,
he rebuked
them for
their lack
of faith
and their
stubborn
refusal to
believe those
who had seen
him after
he had been
risen.
You see,
Jesus is
saying,
the fact
that people
saw me
is evidence
enough.
Jesus did
not appear
to everyone,
he appeared
to some
people so
that they
might testify
to everybody
else the
fact of his
resurrection.
And that's
the same
message that
comes to
us today.
Believe,
not because
Jesus walks
through the
door at our
demand,
believe because
people did
see him and
their eyewitness
account is
recorded for
us in
Mark's gospel.
In fact,
read through
one of the
earliest accounts
in 1 Corinthians
chapter 15 and
it tells us
there that he
appeared to
over 500
people, all
who were
living at the
time, so
people could
go and check
out to see
if it was
true.
This isn't
fantasy.
This isn't
the stuff
of legends.
This is the
true story
of Jesus
Christ,
our hero
who was
born,
who died,
and who
rose again,
and who
lives forever.
The story
of Christmas
is not
finished.
It continues
on.
Which leads
to the
second point,
that this
story must
be told.
Verse 15,
he said to
them,
go into
all the
world and
preach the
good news
to all
creation.
The good
news that we
are to tell
is the true
story of
Jesus.
We are to
tell the
Christmas
story to
people.
Look back
to the
very first
verse of
Mark's
gospel with
me.
Chapter 1,
verse 1.
This is
what he
says.
This is
how he
introduces
his
gospel.
The
beginning
of the
gospel.
Gospel
simply means
good news.
the
beginning
of the
good news
about
Jesus
Christ,
the
Son of
God.
Now
there's
something
that I
want us
to notice
here,
a connection
that I
want us
to make.
Mark's
introduction
here is
very similar
to the
very first
book of
the Bible,
the very
first verse
we find in
the Bible.
You know
how the
first verse
goes in
Genesis
chapter 1,
verse 1?
In
the
beginning
God.
And
Genesis
records for
us how
the earth
was formless
and empty.
There was
disorder and
chaos and
then God
intervened.
He bought
order and
design.
He created
the world
into something
that was
very good
and beautiful.
And now
look where
Mark introduces
his gospel.
He starts
it like this,
the beginning
of the
gospel.
He's
saying to
us,
can you
see that
connection?
There's a
disorder and
a chaos in
our lives
and in
our world
and it
all needs
to be put
right.
And God
has intervened
through Jesus,
our hero,
not to create
the world,
but to renew
the world,
to bring about
a new creation
in the lives
of people.
So,
Mark chapter
1 verse 14,
we read this,
after John
was put in
prison,
Jesus went
into Galilee
proclaiming
the good
news of
God.
The time
has come,
he said,
the kingdom
of God
is near,
repent and
believe the
good news.
Jesus
proclaimed to
the people
as he walked
on this
earth,
he was
telling people
that he
was God's
chosen king,
he was the
Messiah,
the promised
one,
he was the
one with
absolute power
and supreme
authority,
he was born
to be the
saviour and
the rescuer
of mankind,
he was the
one who came
to die for
us,
the one who
came to
take our
sin for
us,
so that
through
repentance
and faith
we might
enter into
God's
kingdom,
a world
ruled by
peace and
justice,
the world
that we all
dream of
and long
for.
This is
the story
that he
told and
this story
is too
good to
be kept
for you
and me
just to
talk about
amongst
ourselves.
So at
the end
of Mark's
gospel,
having
introduced
the story,
the good
news,
he concludes
it by
telling us
in chapter
16,
verse 15,
go into
all the
world and
preach this
good news
to all
creation.
This story
is so
great,
this story
is so
amazing
that he
doesn't just
say,
oh by the
way,
when you
have time
or if
you
feel like
it,
go.
It's a
command.
Do it.
Tell the
good news
to all
places on
this planet
and to
all people
on this
planet.
Nobody,
not one
race,
not one
people group
is to be
excluded
from hearing
this
amazing
story.
The
world
is still
looking for
a hero.
We all
long for
someone who
can change
this world,
who can
transform
lives,
who can
forgive and
make things
right again.
While all
of that
longing and
all of those
dreams,
they become
a reality
in the
true story
of Jesus
Christ.
Now let's
be clear.
This story
is serious
and it
requires a
response from
people.
Look at
verse 16.
Whoever
believes
and is
baptized,
baptism
being that
outward
expression
of your
faith in
Christ.
Whoever
believes
and is
baptized
will be
saved,
but whoever
does not
believe
will be
condemned.
You see,
if we're to
believe this
story,
and if
people are
to believe
this story,
they are to
make it
their own
story.
We've got
to live it.
We've got to
personalize it.
We've got to
make it about
us,
because this
is a story
about people
like you and
me.
People who
have entered
into this
world,
rebelling
against our
creator,
God,
people who
have lived
and loved
themselves more
than their
creator,
and we are
in desperate
need of
forgiveness
and rescue.
And this
story is
telling us
that if I
have faith
in Jesus,
then I
can be
forgiven,
that I
can be
saved,
that I
can be
rescued,
that I
can be
delivered from
condemnation,
will escape
God's
judgment.
That is
the wonder
of the
story.
And of
course,
to ignore
the story,
it has
consequences.
Look at
the end
of verse
16.
But whoever
does not
believe
will be
condemned.
You see,
if this
good news
is all
about Jesus,
who is
born into
this world,
to renew
broken lives,
to restore
the disordered
world,
to bring
forgiveness,
it makes
sense that
the kind
of people
who will be
part of
that eternal
kingdom are
those who
see their
sin,
and those
who see
their failures,
and turn to
Jesus,
and follow
him.
Not because
they're perfect,
but because
they know
they're not,
and they
look to
Christ.
But if
people want
to continue
to rebel
and to
fight against
him,
if people
long to
be free
of God's
rule and
just live
however they
want to
live and
do whatever
they want,
then there
will be no
place in
God's
kingdom.
They will
be condemned.
end.
We must,
and I
underline,
we must
tell this
story because
it is a
matter of
heaven or
hell.
that is
the reality
of Christmas.
And third,
we must be
encouraged
that this
story has
power to
change
people's
lives.
Verse
19,
After the
Lord Jesus
had spoken
to them,
he was
taken up
into heaven
and he
sat at
the right
hand of
God.
Now to
sit at
the right
hand of
God is
not just
kind of
a location,
a position,
it's telling
us something
much bigger
and much
greater.
To sit
at the
right hand
of God
is to
be given
the highest
position
possible.
This is
the place
of all
power and
all authority
and this
is the
place where
Jesus
reigns
and rules.
Now get
this,
the power
and the
authority
that Jesus
has
goes
with
his
disciples
as they
tell the
story.
It goes
with them
as they
tell the
story.
Look at
verse 20,
Then the
disciples
went out
and preached
everywhere
and the
Lord
worked
with
them.
The
risen
Lord
Jesus
with
all
his
power
and
authority
is not
absent
now
from
his
disciples
but he
is now
present
with
them
through
the
Holy
Spirit.
He
hasn't
abandoned
them.
He
is now
working
with
them.
You see
the desire
of
Jesus
is that
all
people
everywhere
hear the
story
and
believe
the
story.
That's
what he
wants.
He wants
people to
know the
true story
of Christmas.
It's his
desire that
people know
about him.
And
sometimes
supernatural
things happen
to make
that
possible
so that
people
everywhere
hear the
story
and so
that people
believe
the story.
Look at the
end of
verse 20.
Well let's
read verse
20 again.
Then the
disciples went
out and
preached
everywhere
and the
Lord
worked
with them
and
confirmed
his
word
by the
signs
that
accompanied
it.
Now in
verse 17
to 18
we get a
description
of some
of these
supernatural
signs.
And if
you were to
read through
on in
the story
if you read
through Acts
and through
the letters
you will see
some of
these things
there.
Sometimes
as people
spoke
they drove
out demons
that God
was saying
that he
does have
power and
authority
over Satan
and over
evil.
people
sometimes
they did
speak in
tongues
or in
different
languages
so that
people could
hear the
message
and the
good news
in their
own language
so that
people
could
believe.
We also
read that
sometimes
they were
protected
as they
brought the
good news
to dangerous
and hostile
places.
So in
verse 18
we read
they will
pick up
snakes
with their
hands
and they
will drink
deadly
poison.
It will
not hurt
them at
all.
And through
time
God has
kept his
messengers
to bring
the good
news
to distant
places
and to
hostile
and difficult
places
and he
has protected
his messengers
as they
have brought
the good
news.
Sometimes
they were
able to
heal the
sick
to
convince
the
most
cynical
and the
hardened
of
people
so that
they
would
be
convinced
that
the
story
of
Jesus
was
true.
We read
that at
the end
of verse
18.
They will
place their
hands on
sick people
and they
will get
well.
And those
who had
no belief
whatsoever
were
convinced
it was
confirming
the word
that this
was real.
Of course
these signs
are not an
absolute
guarantee
that they
continue to
happen or
happen all
the time.
We only
need to
read on
in the
story
where we
read of
many who
did bring
the good
news of
Jesus and
they were
persecuted.
They did
die for
their faith.
People who
were sick
weren't
healed but
yet they
still believed.
And we
can read
this throughout
the rest
of the
New
Testament.
But the
point still
stands and
this is what
I want us
to take
away.
That Jesus
still uses
his power
and his
authority in
the lives
of his
people to
make sure
that his
story is
heard in
all the
world and
that people
believe in
Jesus Christ.
He still
works with
us through
the power
of his
Holy Spirit
to see
lives changed
so that
people are
convinced of
who he
is.
It changes
people's
lives.
And this
week we are
going to
celebrate
Christmas.
We will
remember on
Wednesday that
Jesus Christ,
our true
hero, came
into the
world to be
our saviour.
and as we
celebrate
Christmas and
as we sing
our Christmas
carols as we
have done
today, let's
remember this.
This week
2.91
billion people
or 7,292
people groups
on our
planet will
not celebrate
Christmas
because they
have never
heard the
good news
of Jesus.
Get your
head around
those numbers.
2.91
billion people
will not
celebrate
because they
have not
heard the
good news
of Jesus.
Think of
these countries
that we hear
about in the
news, so
ruined and
broken.
The
Qashqai
people of
Iran, the
Bedouin
people of
Iraq, the
Tamanai
people of
Afghanistan.
Think of
the brutal
regime in
North Korea,
people like
you and
me, never
heard and
do not
know.
The world
longs for
a hero.
People are
still looking
for someone
who will
renew broken
lives and
restore this
disordered
world.
People long
to be
finding a
saviour,
someone who
will forgive.
Well, you
know what?
We know
that story.
We've heard
it.
And he
tells us
in verse
15,
go into
all the
world and
preach the
good news
to all
creation.
God's
salvation.
So this
Christmas,
may God
give us
every
opportunity
to tell
the story
to those
who have
not yet
heard and
to those
of our
friends and
our family
who have
not yet
believed.
That is the
reality of
Christmas.
We've got
good news.
We have a
message to
tell.
Let's pray.
In the
quietness,
each of us
just think
of someone
who we know
we're going
to meet
over this
coming week,
a friend,
somebody
within our
family,
perhaps
they've
heard the
good news
and they
have not
yet
believed.
Pray for
them now
that God
will use
you to
be the
person who
shares
through
conversation,
or through
giving a
book.
Pray that
God would
by the
power of
his Holy
Spirit
convince
people of
its truth,
opening up
their blind
eyes
and blocking
their deaf
ears
to the
truth
of
Jesus
Christ.
Just pray
for that
right now.
Just pray for that
right now.
Thank you.