Confirming His Words

Continuing on with my post-Easter reading, Mark's Gospel is interesting.

Mark 16:14-20 NIV:
[14] "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. [15] He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. [16] Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. [17] And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [18] 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.” [19] After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. [20] Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

In my first quick read of these verses, the things that stood out were the lines about snakes and poison, neither of which are common in our Christian experience. It was like I wanted to disbelieve the whole section because of the unusual topic. However as I thought about it, I remembered how Paul was bitten by a deadly snake and was unaffected (Acts 28:4-5). I also remembered several stories of early saints who did drank poison and were unaffected, there are also stories of many other miraculous escapes or savings from sure death, all of which confirm Jesus' words here. (There are many stories of miracles associated with the Early Christian martyrs available to read on the internet or in books like Foxes Book of Martyrs)

After I got over my first bit of unbelief, I reread the verses and saw the common themes of being sent out to the world to preach the Gospel, baptism, and a ministry filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. All of these are awesome, but my favorite verse is the last verse - Mark 16:20 "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

I love the encouragement of the fact that the "Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it." Can we expect anything different in our experience in following Him and speaking His words. I think not! These signs, as described by Jesus , and the many others we see listed in Acts and the rest of the New Testament, should be normal in our experience. I think we must demand of ourselves an expectation and pursuit of seeing these signs, as they confirm the truth of that which we are called to speak, namely the Kingdom of God. Anything less will be marginally effective at best, for then it just sounds like the teachings of another man. We must settle for nothing less then Jesus working with us and confirming His words through signs and wonders.

Lord, I pray that You will work with us, and confirm Your Words, that the world may know that You are not just a man, but are truly God, and that You have power over sin and death, and all authority.