Mark 16

9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils--There is some difficulty here, and different ways of removing it have been adopted. She had gone with the other women to the sepulchre ( Mark 16:1 ), parting from them, perhaps, before their interview with the angel, and on finding Peter and John she had come with them back to the spot; and it was at this second visit, it would seem, that Jesus appeared to this Mary, as detailed in John 20:11-18 . To a woman was this honor given to be the first that saw the risen Redeemer, and that woman was NOT his virgin-mother.

11. they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not--This, which is once and again repeated of them all, is most important in its bearing on their subsequent testimony to His resurrection at the risk of life itself.

12. After that he appeared in another form--(compare Luke 24:16 ).
unto two of them as they walked, and went into the country--The reference here, of course, is to His manifestation to the two disciples going to Emmaus, so exquisitely told by the Third Evangelist

13. they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them, &c.

15. he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every

16. He that believeth and is baptized--Baptism is here put for the external signature of the inner faith of the heart, just as "confessing with the mouth" is in Romans 10:10 ; and there also as here this outward manifestation, once mentioned as the proper fruit of faith, is not repeated in what follows ( Romans 10:11 ).
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned--These awful issues of the reception or rejection of the Gospel, though often recorded in other connections, are given in this connection only by Mark.

16. He that believeth and is baptized--Baptism is here put for the external signature of the inner faith of the heart, just as "confessing with the mouth" is in Romans 10:10 ; and there also as here this outward manifestation, once mentioned as the proper fruit of faith, is not repeated in what follows ( Romans 10:11 ).
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned--These awful issues of the reception or rejection of the Gospel, though often recorded in other connections, are given in this connection only by Mark.

17, 18. these signs shall follow them that believe . . . They shall take up serpents--These two verses also are peculiar to Mark.

The Ascension and Triumphant Proclamation of the Gospel Thereafter ( mark 16:19 mark 16:20 ).

19. So then after the Lord--an epithet applied to Jesus by this Evangelist only in mark 16:19 mark 16:20 , when He comes to His glorious Ascension and its subsequent fruits. It is most frequent in Luke.
had spoken unto them, he was received up into
and sat on the right hand of God--This great truth is here only related as a fact in the Gospel history. In that exalted attitude He appeared to Stephen ( Acts 7:55 Acts 7:56 ); and it is thereafter perpetually referred to as His proper condition in glory.

20. they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen--We have in this closing verse a most important link of connection with the Acts of the Apostles, where He who directed all the movements of the infant Church is perpetually styled "THE LORD"; thus illustrating His own promise for the rounding and building up of the Church, "LO, I AM WITH YOU alway!"