Mar 16:19 | KingComments | STEP | After the Lord had given His command to preach, He has fully accomplished His service. He handed His task over to His disciples. As proof of the approval and appreciation of His work by God, He is received up into heaven. He is received up into heaven, which means that this happens to Him. God does that. At the same time He is also aware of His own dignity. This is evidenced by the fact that it is not God Who places Him in the place of honor at His right hand, but that He Himself sits down there. In , the second last verse of this Gospel, the Lord Jesus is called “Lord” for the first time and in , the last verse, for the second time. The disciples follow the Lord’s command. At the same time He also remains in heaven, in the place of honor, the perfect Servant. He co-operates with His servants on earth, that is, He does the actual work by blessing the preaching and confirming it by giving visible evidence that it is indeed His Word that is being preached ( ; ). Nowhere in Scripture are signs a goal in themselves, but always have the purpose of supporting the preached Word ( ). This additional evidence was necessary because the Word of God was not yet complete. We now have the complete Word of God. Proofs beyond that are no longer necessary, although God can give them in His grace where it pleases Him.

‏ Mark 16:19

The Ascension

After the Lord had given His command to preach, He has fully accomplished His service. He handed His task over to His disciples. As proof of the approval and appreciation of His work by God, He is received up into heaven. He is received up into heaven, which means that this happens to Him. God does that. At the same time He is also aware of His own dignity. This is evidenced by the fact that it is not God Who places Him in the place of honor at His right hand, but that He Himself sits down there.

In Mk 16:19, the second last verse of this Gospel, the Lord Jesus is called “Lord” for the first time and in Mk 16:20, the last verse, for the second time. The disciples follow the Lord’s command.

At the same time He also remains in heaven, in the place of honor, the perfect Servant. He co-operates with His servants on earth, that is, He does the actual work by blessing the preaching and confirming it by giving visible evidence that it is indeed His Word that is being preached (Acts 14:3; Heb 2:3-4).

Nowhere in Scripture are signs a goal in themselves, but always have the purpose of supporting the preached Word (Heb 2:3-4). This additional evidence was necessary because the Word of God was not yet complete. We now have the complete Word of God. Proofs beyond that are no longer necessary, although God can give them in His grace where it pleases Him.