Ryle on Mark 16:19-20

Imported boundary: J. C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on Mark from the Internet Archive DjVu OCR for the 1858 Robert Carter St. Mark volume. Title pages, preface, contents, running heads, page numbers, OCR boilerplate, and indexes are not mirrored. The source includes Ryle's printed Scripture text and exposition; this scan-derived text remains needs-verification.

Primary passage: Mark 16:19-20.

Source Text

19 So then after the Lord had spo- ken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preach- ed every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. These words form the conclusion of St. Mark's Gospel. Short as the passage is, it is a singularly suitable con- clusion to the history of our Lord Jesus Christ's earthly ministry. It tells us where our Lord went, when He left this world, and ascended up on high. It tells us what His disciples experienced after their Master left them, and what all true Christians may expect until He appears again.

Let us mark, in these verses, the place to which our Lord went when He had finished His work on earth, and the place where He is at this present time. We are told that " He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." He returned to that glory which He had with the Father before He came into the world. He received, as our victorious Mediator and Redeemer, the highest position of dignity and power in heaven which our minds can conceive. There He sits, not idle, but carrying on the same blessed work for which He died on the cross. There He lives, ever making inter- cession for all who come unto God by Him, and so able to save them to the uttermost. (Heb. vii. 25.) There is strong consolation here for all true Chris- tians. They live in an evil world. They are often care- ful and troubled about many things, and are sorely cast down by their own weakness and infirmities. - They live in a dying world. They feel their bodies gradually fail- ing and giving way. They have before them the awful prospect of soon launching forth into a world unknown. - What then shall comfort them ? They must lean baok on the thought of their Saviour in heaven, never slum- bering, and never sleeping, and always ready to help. They must remember that though they sleep, Jesus wakes - though they faint, Jesus is never weary - though they are weak, Jesus is Almighty - and though they die, Jesus lives for evermore. Blessed indeed is this thought ! Our Saviour, though unseen, is an actually living person. We travel on toward a dwelling where our best Friend is gone before, to prepare a place for us. (John. xiv. 2.) The Forerunner has entered in and made all things ready, No wonder that St. Paul exclaims, " Who is He that condemneth ? It is Christ that died ; yea, rather that is 369 risen again - who is even at the right hand of God - who also maketh intercession for us." (Rom. viii. 34.) Let us inark, for another thing, in these verses, the blessing which our Lord Jesus Christ bestows on all who ivorh faithfully for Him. We are told that, when the disciples went forth and preached, the Lord " worked with them," and u confirmed the word with signs fol- lowing." We know well from the Acts of the Apostles, and from the pages of church history, the manner in which these words have been proved true. We know that bonds and afflictions, persecution and opposition, were the first fruits that were reaped by the laborers in Christ's harvest. But we know also that, in spite of every effort of Satan, the word of truth was not preached in vain. Believers from time to time were gathered out of the world. Churches of saints were founded in city after city, and country after country. The little seed of Christianity grew gradually into a great tree. Christ Himself wrought with His own workmen, and, in spite of every obstacle, His work went on. The good seed was never entirely thrown away. Sooner or later there were " signs follow- ing." Let us not doubt that these things were written for our encouragement, on whom the latter ends of the world are come. Let us believe that no one shall ever work faithfully for Christ, and find at last that His work has been altogether without profit. Let us labor on patiently, each in our own position. Let us preach, and teach, and speak, and write, and warn, and testify, and rest assured that our labor is not in vain.

We may die our- 10* selves, and see no result from our work. But the last day will assuredly prove that the Lord Jesus always works with those who work for Him, and that there were " signs following," though it was not given to the workmen to see them. Let us then be " stedfast, im- movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."

We may go on our way heavily, and sow with many tears ; but if we sow Christ's precious seed, we shall " come again with joy and bring our sheaves with us." (1 Cor. xv. 58 ; Psal. cxxvi. 6.) And now let us close the pages of St. Mark's Gospel with self-inquiry and self-examination. Let it not con- tent us to have seen with our eyes, and heard with our cars, the things here written for our learning about Jesus Christ.

Let us ask ourselves whether we know any thing of Christ" *Slwelling in our hearts by faith " Does the Spirit " witaess with our spirit" that Christ is our's and we are His £ Can we really say that we are " living the life of faith in the son of God," and that we have found by experience that Christ is " precious" to our own souls ? These are solemn questions. They demand serious consideration. May we never rest till we can give them satisfactory answers ! " He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John v. 12). THE END.