God’s Word for You

Mark 16:14 The rebuke

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Thursday, April 11, 2024

14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining to eat. He rebuked them for their unbelief and their stubbornness, since they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

This probably happened on Easter Sunday evening, or else a week later when Thomas had rejoined the others. Mark draws attention to the Apostles as an important example of those who reacted to the Lord’s resurrection by saying “the Eleven themselves,” using the intensive pronoun just as he did when he said “Herod himself” in Mark 6:17 (note also Mark 12:36-37).

Just as when they had eaten other meals (such as at the home of Simon the Leper in Mark 14:3, and the Last Supper in Mark 14:18), they were reclining. This was the usual posture for eating the evening meal, although just as in our culture, they might not even sit down if they were just grabbing a quick bite (Luke 6:1). It was then, during the meal, that Jesus appeared to them. This is an important point: they were not napping or sleeping, so that one of them, waking from a dream, might have convinced the others that they had all had the same vision. No, right when everyone would be wide awake and paying attention (that is, at meal time), Jesus was suddenly with them, and he spoke to them. Mark tells us that one of the things he said was a rebuke about their unbelief. We are warned: “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). For what is the account of Lot’s wife to us except “a pillar of salt standing as a monument to an unbelieving soul”?

Before we continue with our Lord’s message, it might help to draw back out of Mark’s account and look at the general message of each Gospel at this point. While it has been my intention to take Mark’s Gospel by itself throughout this study, here it will help us to see what each of the Gospels says about Jesus’ first meeting(s) with his apostles after the resurrection.

Matthew 28:16. After describing Jesus’ encounter with the women at the tomb, Matthew describes the report made by the guards about the empty tomb. From there, he says nothing else about Easter Sunday, but only reports the meeting of Jesus with the Apostles in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20).

Mark 16:14. In Mark’s account, Jesus preaches the Law to his disciples on account of their unbelief. The evangelist then takes us to Galilee for a brief account of the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-18) and back to the Mount of Olives for the ascension (Mark 16:19-20).

Luke 24:33-49. Luke’s account carries the story of the Emmaus disciples into the room with the Apostles on Easter evening. Jesus had already appeared to Simon Peter (Luke 24:34). Suddenly, Jesus appeared with them in the locked room. His words include the rebuke (24:38), an invitation to believe (24:39), and the proof of the nail-prints in his hands and feet (24:40). Furthermore, Jesus ate a piece of fish to show that he has both body and soul and was not merely a spirit (24:42). This is followed by other encouraging words (24:43-49).

John 20:19-29. John recalls the story of Thomas and his doubt, and includes the giving of the keys of forgiveness to the whole Christian Church (20:21-23). The chapter that follows is John’s account of the Galilean appearances of Jesus (21:1-25).

The very first thing Jesus says in Mark is: “The time has come and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Now, returning from the dead, Jesus once again calls his disciples to repentance. The whole matter of doubt had to be addressed. The risen Jesus could not just ignore their apprehension, since dropping the matter could easily mean that some of them would not drop their doubts. God does not want us to doubt or stubbornly to refuse to believe in him.

The early Christian Fathers addressed the problem of doubt many times. Often they call it unbelief or stubbornness.

“Don’t be stubborn” (Didache 3:6). “I have held out my hands to an obstinate people who refuse my righteous way” (Barnabas 12:4).

“If we do not serve him because we do not believe the promise of God, we will be miserable” (2 Clement 11:1). And in the same letter, we read: “They will say, ‘Woe to us! It was you, and we didn’t know it, and we did not believe! We did not believe the elders when they told us about our salvation’” (2 Clement 17:5).

The worst dangers in the hearts of Christians are described this way: “The first (that is, the worst) is unbelief, the second is self-indulgence, the third is disobedience, and the fourth is deceit.” (Hs 9,15,3). In these ways and more the ancient pastors and preachers called their people to put an end to doubt and unbelief, and to recognize the truth of the Scriptures. Unbelief is a mortal danger, for, Jesus is about to say: “Whoever does not believe will be damned” (Mark 16:16).

But there is more to repentance than pointing out or confessing sin or doubt. The Lord also holds out the gospel of forgiveness, and he calls us back to him. Jeremiah had prophesied: “‘Return, unfaithful people, I will heal your infidelity.’ ‘Yes, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God!’” (Jeremiah 3:22). Luther explains: “Repentance and forgiveness are to be joined together. Repentance without forgiveness has no value, and, on the other hand, forgiveness without a recognition of sin is weak, which is why Christ says, ‘Preach repentance and forgiveness of sins’ (Luke 24:47).”

Take to heart what Jesus invites us to do here: “Believe those who had seen him after he had risen.” It is not the testimony of the empty tomb that is the most important witness, but the words of the witnesses who saw the risen Christ. They are to be believed: Mary, the other women, the Emmaus disciples. And now, the Eleven Apostles, too. Peter, James, and the five hundred brothers that Paul mentions, are also part of this cloud of witnesses. Believe them! They saw him, and their testimony is true (John 21:24).

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

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