Mark has just told us that Jesus has been taken up into heaven and has sat at God's right hand. And now, we come to the very final statement in the Gospel of Mark. And it is the natural and logical result of what he has just told us. "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it".  – Mark 16:20

Jesus has just given his disciples what we call today “The Great Commission,” the instruction to preach the gospel to the whole world. The Gospel of Mark is coming to its dramatic end. "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven, and he sat at the right hand of God". – Mark 16:19

Jesus has just told his disciples to go into all the world and to preach the Gospel to all creation and that he who believes will be saved. What he tells them next is really striking. "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.”"  – Mark 16:18

Jesus has just told his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. And now he tells them why this is so important. "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned". – Mark 16:16

The risen Lord has appeared to his followers as they are gathered together, and he has rebuked them for their stubborn refusal to believe. Now, he is going to tell them what the next steps are. I wonder what instructions he’s going to give them? "He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation". – Mark 16:15

Mark continues to recount the list of the initial eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Christ. Finally, he appears to the eleven. I wonder what he will say to them. “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”. – Mark 16:14

The disciples haven’t believed the report of Mary Magdalene that Jesus is alive. So, Jesus tries again. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. – Mark 16:12-13

The risen Jesus has just appeared to Mary Magdalene. She is the first to see him, and she returns and tells the disciples. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. – Mark 16:10-11

Mark tells us that when the angel announced to the women that Jesus had risen, they fled in fear and confusion, and they initially didn’t tell anyone. From the other Gospels, we know that there was one exception: Mary Magdalene. She went and told the disciples, and then followed Peter and John back to the empty tomb. When they left, she stayed behind, and that’s when Jesus appeared to her. – Mark 16:9

On Sunday morning, the women have arrived at the tomb to find the stone rolled away, and an angel who has told them that Jesus has risen from the dead. If you had been with the women that morning, how would you have felt? The reaction of the women was only natural. Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. – Mark 16:8