We love stories that end well don’t we?
When all the trouble and evil has been dealt with at the climax of the story, and all the loose ends are woven together. “They lived happily ever after” is the line we love. 3 of the 4 stories of Jesus conclude with some kind of resolution. Matthew has Jesus, resurrected and on a mountain, commissioning his disciples to go make disciples of the world. Luke has Jesus, resurrected and commissioning his disciples in a way that prepares us for the next part of the story, Acts! He even includes Jesus taking a leisurely walk with two pilgrims from Emmaus to unpack the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah…of Him! John has the resurrected Jesus having fish and chips with his disciples, and the famous re-instating of Peter after his 3-fold denials of Jesus. The story lines are rich, the climax has been achieved, and the story comes to a close. The End.
But not with Mark’s gospel.
Marks gospel doesn’t have the “right” kind of ending. It doesn’t really end at all. And perhaps that’s the point.
Listen in as we explore Mark’s “ending” to his Jesus story and why it is just as powerful for you and me, as it was for the initial readers.