Jesus Rules
Mark 16::14-20
June 1, 2025 anno Domini
As King David lay dying his sons vied for the Kingdom. David’s son Adonijah convinced the commander of David’s army Joab and the priest Abiathar to join him in his plan to become King. Then he invited his brothers together and all the royal officials of Judah to declare the news, “I will be King.”
Nathan and Bathsheba were worried that Solomon would not be King so they warned David about Adonijah. They convinced him to keep his word that Solomon would be King. Solomon was put on the King David’s Mule, anointed with oil, and the trumpets were blown as the people declared, “Long live King Solomon.” When Adonijah’s guests heard the trumpets and learned the new they left their quasi-coronation party and hid. Adonijah himself fled to the tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar hoping Solomon would spare his life.
That’s how it works in the Kingdoms of this world. In the last days of an empire, kingdom, or presidency, everyone swoops in to get what they can before it is gone. Criminals are pardoned, appointments are made, favors are cashed in. It’s like a political garage sale. You’d better hurry. You don’t know what you’ll find. The deals won’t last long. Jesus described it well in one of my favorite proverbs, “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
Why did Adonijah try to take the throne? Why were Solomon’s supporters worried? They were afraid of losing power, of not having the life they were entitled to. That fear of scarcity, losing what want or think you deserve rules the world. That’s why the vultures gather. That fear is good. It teaches you what your sins have achieved. Nothing. Instead, your sin costs you everything. You cannot be certain what the political powers will give or take. You might rejoice when your party is in power or you might despair because the State of Minnesota takes away funding for non-public schools. You cannot be certain of your health or the number of your days. You could wake up tomorrow with some ailment that might never go away. A car accident or aneurism could end your life in a moment.
That’s why our Lord’s Ascension is essential for your faith. The Kingdom to which you belong is not a Kingdom of scarcity or fear because it is the Kingdom that does not end. When Jesus leaves His power does not go with Him. It not only remains, it grows.
The first word of the text from Saint Mark is afterward. After what? After the women found the tomb empty. After they looked inside and saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. After the young man said, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” After Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. After He walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. After the eleven had heard all these reports, Jesus appeared to them.
And he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw Him after He has risen. Those 11 were about to be ordained as apostles. Jesus would order them to preach the Gospel, to declare to the world, “Christ Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead.” That first Easter Sunday they heard that news again and again from the witnesses, “The tomb is empty. I have seen the Lord. Jesus is not dead. He is risen.” But they did not believe. Their hearts were hard.
Be warned by this. Your unbelief is strong. Your heart is easily hardened. There is much that is working against your faith – your selfish heart, all that you see in the world, and the Devil’s lies, but also be comforted. In this text eleven more men were added to the list of witnesses to the resurrection. If the History channel existed back in 33 AD, they could have called Mary Magdalene, Clopas, Peter, James, John, Andrew, Thomas, and interviewed them. They all would have said the same thing. Yes, Jesus of Nazareth was dead. The Roman spear left no doubt. And three days later and over a period of 40 days we saw Him alive. Mary would have said, “I hugged him.” Thomas would have said, “I touched His wounds.” The eleven would have said, “He ate with us several times. He was not ghost or figment of our imagination.” Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead as He said and is alive.
That risen and alive Jesus then ordained, ordered those 11 men reclining at table, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”
Jesus ordered them to preach what they had heard, to give what they had received. Jesus of Nazareth died for the sins of the world, for your sins, and on the third day He rose again. This man did what He said and said what He did. He’s worth listening to because He beat the grave. He’s worth trusting because He did this for you. He’s worth believing in because He is God.
Since that day, the Apostolic Church has done what Jesus ordered her to do – proclaim the Gospel to all creation. The eleven left Jerusalem. It is said Thomas ended up in India. Peter in Rome. Matthew to Ethiopia. They proclaimed the news that a man had died and been raised to life. They baptized people into His death and resurrection. Dying Sinners were born again to life life everlasting. Selfish people were made charitable. Greedy moneygrubbers were made generous. Drunkards were made sober. Abortions were outlawed. Orphanages were established. Hospitals were built. Slavery was ended. Women were given human rights.
All of that was accomplished through the Word of a single man, who rose from the dead. Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be God in human flesh and He proved it. After putting His men under these orders He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. This man, your Savior, your brother in the flesh, who has done for you what you could never do, put an end to everything that troubles you, is now at the right hand of God. He sits in power over all creation, governs all history, exercises complete control over heaven and earth, for His church, for the Apostolic Word, for the Gospel.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Those words should make you unafraid and rejoicing in the abundance the Lord has given you. What’s the worst that can happen to you? You can’t die – Jesus beat death for you. You don’t have to worry about who’s in power. He’s in power. You don’t have to fear for His church – it’s been getting bigger every day since He ascended into heaven. You don’t need to fear losing what you have – it’s all rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ.
Whoever does not believe will be condemned. Those Words should inspire you to work, to speak God’s Word because the majority of people in your neighborhoods, perhaps even in your family do not believe. They don’t know what sin is. They are so distracted by the world they cannot believe death is coming. They are vultures on a carcass, consuming dead stuff until the die. They have no desire for heaven or eternal life, because they have no desire for God. They don’t want to be saved because they don’t know they are lost.
One way we can confess to this unknowing culture is not to act like they act. We should not be surprised when we lose things, when our ears go deaf, our hips give out, when cancer comes. We don’t want this to happen, but why are we surprised? We shouldn’t be. Why do we always think it will go away. It won’t. We should confess in the face of loss and death, “I’m only getting what I deserve, but thanks be to God I know a man who’s has saved me. My brother, Jesus of Nazareth, sits at God’s right hand. He rose from the dead after dying for my sins. I was baptized into His death and resurrection. I believe He is not only God, but He is my Lord. Don’t worry about me. He’s got me.” Then tell your unbelieving children or friends, “I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about you. I want you to believe and be baptized in the name of Jesus.” Amen.