This is a remarkable passage, with some remarkable statements made by our remarkable Lord! That His powerful works, in and through the lives of those disciples, would come about as a direct result of their faith in the Master (vs. 12a); and that their prayer lives would result in Jesus’ hearing and doing (vss. 13,14); and that their love for Him meant keeping His commands to them/demands on them (vs. 15); and that another Comforter would be coming to them/for them (vs. 16). And so you have the connection...faith, power, prayer, obedience, all coming together in the comforting presence of Holy Spirit...and what else might you expect? So if you find yourself among the missing today, give these words of His, some sober second-thought.
Now let’s go all the way back to vs. 1 for just a minute, where we begin to see three (of course) chief points concerning the comfort that our Lord promises. We read that He had been teaching that He would be going to His Father’s house, and that He would be preparing a place for them, and that He would come again to receive them to Himself...forever! But then, He had been interrupted by Thomas and Phillip, so now He’s telling them that there was no way they (we) could understand these spiritual truths until after Holy Spirit was given to them, as we begin to read in vs. 16. And by Holy Spirit power He would be in them, and they, in Him, vs. 20. And it would then be Holy Spirit...not Jesus in person, who would be their Helper, and by Holy Spirit they would finally make the connection, as they called to remembrance His teaching, vs. 26. Now that’s where we are on this day...at the “verily, verily”, or “truly, truly” of vs. 12...sit-up-and-take-notice words. These are critical teachings for us as well as for the twelve, and it’s critical today that we pay them heed. Now, of course, there’s little doubt here that Jesus is speaking of His own miraculous works...that is, those which prove He is, Who He has said He is. And for us, those works which prove we are who we say we are, as well.
Now Mark has recorded that “certain signs will follow them that believe”. So we must, as Jesus and the Father already have, determine once and forever, whether we do or do not, believe. Well, I must confess that to my knowledge, I’ve never performed any miraculous works such as Jesus promises here, or seen (m)any of the signs referred-to in Mark 16. But if you and I are in the same boat there, we mustn’t beat ourselves up over it, because Jesus, in that passage, was speaking to apostles-to-be.
I’m a firm believer, as I trust you are, in examining the context, and not simply accepting the record as a matter of fact, if not a prophecy of, or a command for a certain expectation for behaviour of future believers...us. So it could very well be, considering the context, that what is recorded in vss. 12 and following was directed to the twelve to whom He spoke, as what is recorded in Mark 16 must have been directed to the eleven, to whom He spoke. Most certainly, the promise of answered prayer and of giving Holy Spirit has been a part of the church’s doctrine since its beginning. We have complete trust in Holy Spirit’s power to make us new in Jesus, and that the second birth brings us into a new family and a new life!
Now having said that, it is perfectly clear from the New Testament record, that truly saving faith was directly connected with miraculous events. If we go back to Luke 10.19, when Jesus specifically commissions the seventy disciples to missions, He tells them that neither serpents, nor scorpions nor the power of their enemies, would hinder them in their God-given duties. You have to take a commission like that, and believe it and make it personal, just as those seventy seem to have done, in order for Holy Spirit power to percolate, resulting in names being recorded in heaven! We have to remember that these disciples were in the very presence of Jesus! But of course many, like Judas Isacriot, being under the influence of the world, the flesh and the devil, aren’t satisfied with the presence of our Lord. And in that case, they, like Judas simply cannot be and will not be, a force for the Lord God Almighty. So it’s no wonder that the twelve were questioning and doubting, even if they did have enquiring minds. I believe it might be a good idea for any of us to empty our lives of the things of the flesh occasionally, in order that Jesus be heard...good reason for a Fast! And verses 15 -21 give us pretty clear teaching as to how critical it is to make certain to have open ears and open hearts to receive and obey the words of Jesus.
We know today that Jesus’ teachings have been, or will be fulfilled to the tiniest detail. The eleven would believe Him, and they would be filled with Holy Spirit power, and He would use them to the fulness of His own spiritual potential...far beyond their wildest dreams. In fact, as we read in vs. 12, “...he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and even greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father.” But what could be greater, you might ask. Well anything that is done in the mighty, saving Name of Jesus, that results in the salvation of a lost soul, would be a great place to start! The turning of the worm of sin, and the threat of destruction and eternity lost, is where the first and greatest need lies, in our Lord’s estimation.
We mustn’t let Satan distract us, or to deflect us from our mission. Always remember that the Father’s priority is to draw lost souls into the Kingdom...and His house has many mansions. The Father has honoured the Son, and He has honoured us too, by His eternal, internal Holy Spirit presence. You, my Brethren and Sistern in Christ, have through Him been given the Power... and He has a Name. And He is eveready to give us the spark we need to get the fire of belief ignited in unbelieving and dark souls!
Thank you Jesus, for your great and good gift to those who would hear and respond to Your call to salvation.
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