Mark 16

1. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3. They were saying among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"

4. for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.

5. Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed.

6. He said to them, "Don't be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!

7. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.'"

8. They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.

9. Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

10. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11. When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.

12. After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country.

13. They went away and told it to the rest. They didn't believe them, either.

14. Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn't believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15. He said to them, "Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

16. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

17. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;

18. they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

19. So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

20. They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

Notes and References

Note from Colin Ayres:
In verse 15 we are told to go and tell the good news to ALL CREATION, also translated as ‘all creatures’ in some translations (eg. NKJV)
It is something in society today that the cruelty present in Biblical accounts can be glorified by some and allowed to distract their faith into ways that are not of truth and life, but this verse really is a very plain instruction to preach to all creation that we should not be diverted from.

As Jesus is fulfilling the covenant of the Old Testament as described in Hosea 2.18 to all creatures, creeping things as well as stopping the sword killing humans.

Jesus came to redeem all creation and all in creation who can believe. God’s power is over all creation, and He is the one loving God. This is power enough to lift up even a serpent.

In Jeremiah 8.7 even a stork knows the hour of their death.

The donkey in Numbers 22.23 believed in the angel before the human companion, Balaam, did.