Mark: According To

Part 80

Mark 16:19, 20

Ascending to the Right Hand of God

So the, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was receive up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Christ’s great commission proclamation was given to the disciples 40 days after his crucifixion. For the next 10 days, the disciples and according to Acts they were 120 believers strong spent their time in prayer. They spent so much time together and in prayer that Acts tells us they were “all of one accord,” or mind.

So, what happened when Christ went back to heaven and why did the disciples spend 10 days in prayer before starting their work.

The Passover was established in Egypt just as the children of Israel were about to leave. The Passover says what it implies. Those that put blood of a lamb on the door post and lintel of the door, would be passed over by the angel of death who had been sent to perform the tenth miracles (or plague) in Egypt, the killing of the first born.   The blood that was placed upon the door post, represented Christ’s blood and all those that accepted this symbol of Christ’s blood were spared the tenth plague.

This plague finally caused Pharaoh to allow the children of Israel to go free. For them it meant freedom from slavery. Notice the symbolism employed. The blood sprinkled on the door posts caused the angel to Passover those that believed. Until this point the children of Israel had been slaves, but upon accepting this symbol of Christ’s atoning sacrifice by his blood being sprinkled symbolically they were set free. No longer were they slaves to Egypt which the symbol of Egypt represents idolatry.

Fifty days later, the Children of Israel stand before mount Saini as the Pre-incarnate Christ thunders out the 10 commandments to the people. The word Pentecost means fifty. So fifty days after the Passover would come Pentecost, which was first celebrated at Mount Saini with the giving of the law of God. A law by the way which has always been in effect and always will.

What does this have to do with our study of Mark? It does because the last two verses of Mark tell us that Jesus went to sit at the right hand of God in heaven.

Christ had promised the disciples that after He returned to heaven, he would send another, the comforter (Holy Spirit) to the disciples to guide and direct them. But on the day Jesus ascended to heaven, there is no record of the Holy Spirit having come down to fulfill what Jesus had said would happen.

God does things for a reason. He called the giving of the 10 commandments Pentecost which came 50 days after the Passover to emphasize the importance of the event. Christ told His followers to go back to Jerusalem and to wait and prepare themselves. And So they did.

Acts chapter 2 tell of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the effect it had on the disciples as they went out and began to preach the gospel message in Jerusalem. But in order for this to happen on earth, something must have happened in heaven.

Indeed, it did and Revelation chapters 4 and 5 give us a picture of the coronation of Christ as our Heavenly High Priest and King. That day was when Christ was coronated in heaven was the day of Pentecost. And as the coronation was taking place in heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit upon the small band of believers that made up the New Testament Church. It was the Holy Spirit and not the disciples and other followers that gave the message its power. Sure, they were witnesses and could testify to what they had seen and heard. But that testimony was accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit that also opened the ears of the many visitors to Jerusalem, so that they could hear the gospel message in their own native language. No need for interpretation for the Holy Spirit did the interpreting for the disciples.

So powerful was this message that nearly 3000 people became followers of Christ.

As the Holy Spirit was given to mankind as a comforter, to guide and direct in bringing people to Christ, Christ was ushered into the Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary that is made without hands and there sat down at the right hand of the Father. Christ not only became our King and High Priest, but he became our advocate against the accuser and that accuser of the saints is none other but Satan. Satan stand as it were before the Father pointing out our sin, but Christ as our King, High Priest and Advocate sits and states to the Father, my blood, which was symbolized by the sprinkling of blood of a lamb on the door post in Egypt, by accepting of Christ spilt blood for the remission of sins, then my blood, my sacrifice, stands in their place. They are free from the slavery of sin.

The plan of salvation was complete, the sacrifice of Christ had been accepted by the Father and all power in heaven and earth was given to the Son, who is Christ Jesus.

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the ages. Matthew 28:19, 20.

The book of Mark, written by John Mark, as told to him by Peter, tells us of the type of person Christ is looking for. Not that he is excluding anyone from His heavenly kingdom, but as Christ came to serve mankind, the book of Mark calls each of us to serve mankind as Christ did. And with the aid of the Holy Spirit we too can preach or teach the gospel message with conviction and power to a world that is starving for want of the gospel.

Christ through the Holy Spirit is always present, always near to give us strength, courage and wisdom in heavenly things so that we might serve all mankind as Christ served while he was on earth, drawing men and women to the Kingdom of God.

Therefore even so, come, Lord Jesus!

This concludes out study on the Gospel of Mark. I hope you all have enjoyed!

Blessings to you all

Pastor Lester