Today's reflection marks the final and 100th post on the Gospel of Mark. Since October 2nd, 2008, I've posted a reflection each week.
Mark concludes his gospel with two simple statements, paraphrased here:
- After Jesus had finished speaking to them, He ascended up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19)
- The disciples obeyed Jesus' command and preached everywhere (Mark 16:20)
It almost sounds like a fairy tale... "and they lived happily ever after." But there is far more to the story, and it continues today.
You can take many paths to learn more about Jesus Christ and the history of Christianity:
- You can read the other gospels (Matthew, Luke, and John) to get a more complete picture of the Gospel
- You can read many books which have undertaken the task of combining all four gospels into a single, chronological gospel. I've read:
- The Merged Gospels, by Gary Crossland
- A Harmony of the Four Gospels: The New International Version
- Or you can pursue the details Mark alludes to in Mark 16:20 by undertaking a full reading of the Acts of the Apostles, the 5th book of the New Testament, written by Luke, who also penned the Gospel that bears his name.
Whatever you do, I pray that you will read the Bible every day - both Old and New Testaments and that you will pray every day for understanding and the protection of the Holy Spirit to keep you from falling away. If possible, find a church that teaches the Bible as literal truth and does not water it down with rationalizations and worldly philosophies.
And get into a fellowship of believers with whom you can study the Bible. As you know by now, I always recommend Bible Study Fellowship in addition to a good church. BSF now has eight years of studies in the Bible, which span 32 weeks each from September to May for each study. In 2010-2011, you can study the Prophet Isaiah.
God be with you in your journey.