The resurrection not only witnesses the power of death overcome and the perfect condition of man before God, suitable to heaven, but, as regards things here below, it is for him that believes the true solvent of all difficulties. Jesus never was vindicated thoroughly till the resurrection. There was, of course, a rich and mighty testimony before; but it was one which might be gainsaid even by those who saw the miracles—not rightly, but through the power of Satan. Even the practical infidel, the sensual man could say that his brethren would believe if one came to them from the dead. But we shall find that the unbelief of men is beyond even resurrection unless there be the grace of God giving it effect.
In this chapter we have the women coming to the grave of Jesus with love but no intelligence of resurrection, and consequently in grievous perplexity. They had “bought sweet spices” that they might come and anoint Him. The Lord had told the disciples distinctly that He was about to rise from the dead. So small was the faith even of these saints of God that on the very day He had prepared them to expect His rising, they were occupied with that which was only suitable to a dead Christ, not the risen and living One. “Very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?” But it was done already. “When they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.” Such is the virtue of resurrection, such the power which accompanies it. The hindrance was beyond their capacity to remove; the atone that blocked up the grave was very great. But this made no difference to God; and it was now rolled away. “And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified; he is risen; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him.” Thus their terror vanishes: such is the use the angels make of the resurrection of Christ. Fear is natural to man in a ruined world where sin reigns. Adam had no reason for fear till the fall: what just ground has a believer now for fear, since Christ who died for him is risen? He has ample grounds to judge self and its ways, but none to doubt the triumphant results of Christ's work. The whole substance of a believer's blessing consists of and depends on Christ, and in proportion as you mix up self in any way with Him, it is unbelief. If I allow the sense God gives me of my own badness to hinder my peace in Him, it is almost as wrong as the vain dream of my own goodness. It is all a mistake to think Christ can ever mix with the first Adam. It must be either Christ or self, both can never be an object of trust. When we have found Christ, there are certain effects produced by Him through the Holy Ghost; but they are effects, not a cause. Unbelief makes things done by us a cause, but this is invariably false. (Ver. 1-6.)
Now the resurrection proclaims the victory. Although these women were there in presence of angels, they were really in presence of a greater than angels whom they saw not—of Jesus risen from the dead. Even the saints are called to blessing greater than angels. Why should they be affrighted? The saints are brought into nearness to God that angels never did or can possess. The saints will reign with Christ: angels never do. Thus Satan has been totally defeated in all his thoughts and plans. If his pride was wounded at the divine purpose of raising man above the angels, God nevertheless has raised man (already in Christ, soon in His body the Church), not only above angels, but so high as to unite him who believes now with Christ, the Head of all principalities and powers. Even the world will shortly see the saints glorified with Christ and sharing the same glory with Him. “The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them.” The millennium will be the display of all this, which makes the idea of such an era brought in by the gospel so monstrously false as well as defective. It makes the glory of the bride to consist in what she is and does in the absence of the Bridegroom, instead of holding out God's glory displayed in Christ, and the Church glorified and reigning with Him. If it was, therefore, a sight painful and unsuitable that these women, heirs of such glory, should be affrighted in presence of an angel, let us bear in mind that, though converted then, they had not yet received the spirit of adoption; and what power can there be without that? There may be the instincts of a new life; but no peace nor spiritual energy. “Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth.” He knew that their heart was right.
It is beautiful to see that, as in Mark where we have the fall of Peter more fully than elsewhere, so we have the Lord's special consideration of Peter. “Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulcher; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they anything to any man; for they were afraid.” They little knew the power of resurrection yet: they knew the fact but not the power. (Ver. 7, 8.)
But now we have the scene looked at from another point of view, that is, of service: all is ruled by this great truth. “Now when Jesus was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.” (Ver. 9.) It is not only the angelic message and the proofs of His being risen; but now it is Himself seen as risen first by Mary Magdalene. There is a remarkable putting of circumstances together here. Mary Magdalene had been mentioned before; but here only it is added to her name, “Out of whom he had cast seven devils.” These two things are mentioned together. The Son of God comes, as we know, to destroy the works of the devil: He was manifested for that purpose. The defeat of Satan's power, even before this in the case of Mary Magdalene, was yet more confirmed by this, that the risen conqueror of Satan appeared first to her. The great fact is all that is given us here. In John's Gospel there is the beautiful unfolding of the way in which He takes her out of Judaism. “Touch me not,” He says to her, “for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” Thus henceforth the disciples were going to know Him—no more after the flesh. “But go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.” Do not be looking at Me now as a visible Messiah, destined King over all the earth. I am going to take another place in heaven and to put you in My relationship on earth, as sons of My Father and your Father, as redeemed to My God and your God. He declares His name unto His brethren; and on that as the basis and form of relationship, He next gathers them together and praises in the midst of His brethren. He comes there and fills them with joy. “Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.” For Christ is not only the Object, but the Leader of praise. He communicates both the material and the strain of praise to the disciples. Christian worship is in truth His worship transferred to us, and so carried on as we worship His and our Father and God in spirit and in truth. But this theme belongs rather to John.
Here it is simply said (Ver. 10, 11), “She went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.” It is very remarkable the simplicity with which the Evangelists relate the proofs of the incredulity of the disciples. there is no attempt to gloss it over. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, all tell it out plainly. They knew not the Scriptures, says John, that He must rise from the dead. They saw the fact, but did not take in its connection with the revealed counsels of God.
It was believed on in the intelligence of evidence before their eyes, not yet entered into in faith as it was soon about to be.
“After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.” (Ver. 12, 13.) This is the journey to Emmaus, which is given fully and characteristically in Luke.
“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” (Ver. 14.) In their case it is evident that hardness of heart is laid to their door, as the root of their rejecting the testimony concerning Jesus. Yet it is to them that the Lord shortly after (the evangelist omitting other matters which might distract) says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” What a wonderful process for fitting those men to preach to others! It must be by being made nothing of in their own eyes. Repentance always goes with faith and humiliation; the finding out what we are, specially towards God and His word, is God's way of making us useful to others. The sense of our own past unbelief is used of God when He sends us out to call others to believe; we can understand their unbelief and feel for them in it, having been so unbelieving ourselves. This is not man's way in what he calls ministry, but it is God's. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” After what you have proved of yourselves, be confident in God, not in man, but in the God who was so patient with you, and sent you testimony after testimony, till you were compelled to come in. That same God deigns to use you in His work on behalf of others, and as you have proved how persistent God has been in His goodness to you in your unbelief, so do you go on patiently in His service. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Ver, 16, 17.) It is not enough for you and for Christ's glory that you believe: “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Baptism has this importance (not, of course, saving the man before God, for the essential point as to this is believing that which is unseen of men), but baptism is an open sign and witness of this before men. Thus a man stands to what he believes and confesses it publicly. He does not say, My heart believes in Christ, but there is no need that I should say anything about it. Baptism is the initiatory testimony that one believes in Christ. It is founded upon His death and resurrection. “So many of us as were baptized unto Jesus Christ, were baptized unto his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Not according to the first Adam, who mistrusted God and sinned and became a dead man; but as Christ was obedient unto death and has brought us life everlasting righteously through His own death. Baptism acknowledges this, and is as good as saying, I renounce all I am, and every hope from man; I know the first Adam, and myself as a child of his, to be dead: all my hope is in the last Adam. When a man is really brought to this, he is a true believer, and baptism outwardly sets forth the truth of Christ. Thus baptism has a decided value as a testimony before God and men. No wonder therefore it is said by Peter, that “Baptism [while he carefully eschews any 'ex opere operato' efficacy in the same sentence] also doth now save us.” If a man refused to be baptized through shrinking from the shame of it, he could not be owned as a Christian at all. Paul, in writing to the Gentiles, shows that the great thing is what has taken place in Christ. Peter insists upon baptism, though he expressly guards them from thinking too much about the outward act: but the grand point is the demand of a good conscience towards God by Christ's resurrection.
Hence it is said here, “He that believeth not shall be damned.” Unbelief was the fatal evil above all to be dreaded. Whether a man was baptized or not, if he did not believe, he must be condemned. There could be no promise of salvation, spite of baptism, if he did not believe. This makes baptism simply consequent on believing: but when we hear of condemnation, it is on the ground of not believing. Alas! millions will be condemned who have been baptized, yet so much the worse because they do not believe.
“And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues: they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” (Ver. 17, 18.) There is not a word here as to time. It is not all who believe, but “them that believe:” and, further, it is not said of them that believe even to the end of the age. Nothing of the kind is intimated. When, on the contrary, the Lord in Matthew commands them to disciple all nations, baptizing and teaching them, He vouchsafes the assurance of His presence with them to the end of the age. The Lord abides with the disciples till the age is completed—all implied in “Lo, I am with you all the days.” But it is not so with these signs of Mark. Our Lord's word was fully accomplished to the letter in the particular epoch when these signs were given: but there was no bond of perpetuity. In this way the contrast with Matthew is striking, and the mouth of the objector or deceiver is stopped.
“In my name shall they cast out devils.” He begins with power over Satan. They were to go forth in the power of His resurrection. Although He was going away, so far from thereby losing power, they would rather gain in this respect. “Greater works than these shall be do, because I go to my Father.” The notion of the Jews was that all the great works were to be done when Messiah was on the earth. Not so. In His name, during His absence, His servants should cast out devils, &c. “They shall speak with new tongues.” What a wonderful testimony of God's grace towards all men! They were to speak now of His wonderful works (Acts 2) in the tongues wherewith God had confounded men at the tower of Babel. This was fulfilled, first on the day of Pentecost to the Jews, then to the Gentiles in due time. “They shall take up serpents” —the outward symbol of the power of Satan in this world—that which man instinctively hates since the fall, unless be so besotted as to worship it. “And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.” The power of nature, of things inanimate as well as animate, could not avail against them; but, contrariwise, “they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” The beneficial power of good in His name overcomes evil and banishes it.
“So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God.” (Ver. 19.) The work was done: He sat down. With His great earthly work over, He was the great Servant who could say, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” So He sat down at the right hand of God, the place of power. “And they went forth and preached everywhere.” (Ver. 20.) Is the Lord then inactive? Nay, “the Lord working with them.” So true is it from the first verse of Mark to the last. Jesus is the One that doeth all things well, working for men in His life, or rather working for sinners; suffering for sins in death; even now working with His servants when He is gone up to heaven. He is the servant of God throughout our Gospel. Even seated at God's right hand, He is the Servant, but “the Lord, working with them and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”