Go to all the world and preach the gospel! (Mark 16:9-20)

[Stephan Choe]

November 25, 2025

Key verse 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel of all creatures.”

Today's news on television or the Internet is not happy news. We hear about terror, war, natural disasters, oppression, etc. In the face of such news, we feel insecure and pessimistic.

But we can expect a good future for good reason, because we will rise and live in glory.

How do we know that? We know this through the resurrection of Christ, for he is the first fruits of the resurrection, and we will follow him.

Christ's resurrection account in this chapter explains this good news to us. 

1. Appearance of the Risen One (20:9-13)

The angel said to the women, “But go and tell his disciples and Peter that he will go before you to Galilee; there you will see him as he told you. And they went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and horror had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

According to the account of the Gospel of John (John 20:11), Mary of Magdala, who had been driven by seven demons through Jesus, returned to Jesus' tomb. Then the risen Jesus appeared to her. So Mary Magdalene was the first resurrection witness ever.

What were Jesus' disciples doing in the meantime?

Verse 10 tells us, “And she went and announced it to those who had been with him, suffering and weeping.”

The women in the end, despite their fear, carried out the angel's commission in verse 7 “Go and tell his disciples and Peter that he will go before you to Galilee; there you will see him.”

The apostles “wore suffering and wept.”  That is, they kept the laments for the dead Jesus away from the public and in secret. Yet Lord Jesus has already risen! So it is today: Jesus has long since risen and works through the Holy Spirit, and many Christians believe that the cause of Jesus is lost.

So it says in verse 11Ö “And when they heard that he was alive and had appeared, they did not believe.”

Verses 12 and 13 report another encounter with the Risen One: “Afterward, he revealed himself in a different form to two of them on the way as they walked overland.”

These verses most likely report on the encounter of the Emmaus disciples with Jesus (Lk. 24:13-35). The risen Jesus appeared at one time like a gardener (John 20:15), at another time like a strange traveler (Luke 24:18) or similar to a spirit (Luke 24:18). 24.37).

2. The World Mission Order (14-20)

Jesus had told his disciples several times before his death that he would be killed and then resurrected from the dead. Mary of Magdala and then the Emmaus disciples testified to the eleven about Jesus' resurrection. But they did not believe. How did Jesus help them?

Verse 14 tells us: “Finally, as the eleven sat at the table, he revealed himself to them and shook their unbelief and hardness of heart, that they had not believed those who had seen him as the Risen One.”

The risen Jesus appeared to them in person when they were at table. He rebuked them for their unbelief. He had been gentle and kind to all weak or deficient people and had not rebuked them. But he rebuked his eleven disciples for their unbelief.

Why is her disbelief bad?

Therefore, because unbelief is the cause of all evil. Adam, e.g., sinned because he did not believe in God's love. Another example: the chief priests did not believe in God's promises of blessing in the Bible. Therefore, they made the temple a department store to become rich (see John’s Gospel Chapter 2). Unbelief makes people spiritually incapable and sick. He makes people enemies of God.

What did the risen Jesus say to the disciples? He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel of all creatures!” (Verse 15).

Jesus gave the world mission command to those who had no excellent faith in Jesus' resurrection. Although his disciples had weak faith in his resurrection, he commanded them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all people.

Why did he give them this assignment?

Because the gospel of Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection is the truly Good News for all the people of the world.

Death came into the world because of Adam's fall. And all men have sinned. Thus, death and damnation into hell are the result of sin. And not a single person is without sin. Therefore, all people would have to die and be condemned to hell. This is truly a tragedy.

But God came into the world as a man named Jesus, and Jesus Christ died for our sin instead of ours. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, all sins are erased from all people who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and Christ.

After that, Jesus rose from the dead for our resurrection to the kingdom of heaven. All who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and Christ receive eternal life, will rise from the dead after physical death and enter the kingdom of heaven and live happily with Christ forever and ever.

Jesus once said, “I give you a new commandment that you love one another as I have loved you…” (John. 13.34).

The risen Jesus commissioned his disciples to go out into all the world and preach the gospel to people because he loves everyone. He wants to lead all people to faith in him so that they can receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life and live happily. Obeying the world mission command is the practical way to pass on Jesus' love to others.

Because Jesus sent out the disciples who were still weak in faith to all the world, he believed that God would strengthen them with divine power. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said to his disciples, “All power in heaven and on earth is given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… And behold, I am with you every day until the end of the world” (Matthew 28:18b-20).

And Jesus said to his disciples, whom he sent out into all the world, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (literally: saved); but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (16).

Those who believe in the gospel will be saved from eternal damnation, have eternal life, and come to the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does not believe will be condemned; that is, he will be judged by God and condemned to hell. Faith in the gospel means eternal life, but unbelief means eternal damnation.

Jesus calls his disciples the signs of those who believe: “But the signs that will follow those who believe are these: In my name they will cast out evil spirits, speak in new tongues, lift serpents with their hands, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt; they will lay their hands on the sick, so it will be better with them.”

In these verses, Jesus promised those who obey his world mission command that he would give them the help, protection, and strength they needed to successfully carry out the mission. For example, they can cast out evil spirits, heal the sick, preach in a foreign language, etc.

“After the Lord Jesus spoke to them, he was lifted up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”

That Jesus sat down at the right hand of God–this means that the risen Jesus has become the true King. He will come again and judge the dead and restore the perfect kingdom of God.

How did the disciples react to the world mission command?

Verse 20 tells us succinctly, “But they went out and preached in all places. And the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the signs that followed.”

When the disciples obeyed Jesus' command despite their weak faith, they were able to learn that He was indeed the risen Lord Jesus with them and seemed powerful through their preaching and Bible study. Amen!

(27. November 2025)