Year 5, Day 163: Mark 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Obedience

• Obedience: Genuine and satisfying obedience comes out of our identity.  Our true identity comes only from our Father.

Yesterday we talked about obedience with respect to the Son.  What is neat about the Gospel stories – and the subsequent story in Acts – is that Christ’s obedience spreads.  We see it hear, albeit somewhat imperfectly.  After all, we are only human.

Jesus appears to Mary and the other women.  He tells them to go and proclaim the Gospel to the disciples.  They go.  At first they say nothing because they are afraid.  But we do know that eventually they muster up the courage to tell the disciples what they saw and heard.

Jesus appears to a few disciples on the road.  They immediately turn around and go tell the disciples what they saw.  Here is another example of obedience.

Of course, we are told that the disciples didn’t believe at first.  Much like the women, who said nothing for a while as they wrestled for understanding, the disciples wrestle with their own understanding.  But then Jesus comes among them and rebukes them.  He affirms what they’ve heard and then commissions them.  And as the Gospel of Mark comes to a close, we are told that the disciples do go around and tell the world about Jesus and salvation.  They are obedient as well.

Jesus inspires obedience.  When we consider what all He has done for us – and the manner in which He did it – we cannot help but be inspired into obedience.  We might occasionally struggle and wrestle with understanding what God is doing in our midst.  But in the end the followers of God are obedient as the Son was obedient.

<><