Mark 16

Mark closes out his gospel with the shortest account of Jesus's ressurection. In Mark we don't get many details of the various interactions that Jesus had with everyone, we only get hints that those interactions happened.

Mark ends with a version of the great commission that could easily lead people astray if they are focused on the signs instead of Jesus. He records Jesus as telling us to preach the gospel to every creature, or all creation (depending on your translation). And saying that there are signs that will accompany or identify true believers - driving out demons, speaking in tongues, handling snakes, drinking deadly poison without being harmed, and healing the sick by laying on hands. The key to all of this is not the sign itself, but doing it in the name of Jesus. And doing it in the name of Jesus doesn't mean just saying "In Jesus's name," it means working as His representative in truth and spirit. Many people have been led astray - even to the point of drinking poison - by people who say they must "prove" that they are saved by displaying these various signs. The signs are not for us to compare ourselves to each other - they are for Jesus to work through us for the glory of God.

Overall, Mark has been a brief account of the life of Jesus - even though he probably had Peter with him as he wrote it. I think Matthew and Luke may have used Mark's gospel as a base for their own because it was authoritatively backed by Peter - but they both obviously felt the need to expand and elaborate on it for thier particular audiences. Just a thought.