The Ascension of Jesus Christ into the Father’s eternal glory was not the end of the Savior’s direct and personal involvement with our salvation. Rather a new chapter was opened in the ongoing mission of leading humankind back to the love of the God, henceforth with the followers of Jesus as evangelizers proclaiming the Gospel to the whole world (Mark 16:15-20).
The Gospel
These concluding verses of Saint Mark seem to have been added early on to his original text as an inspired summary of what followed in the Christian community after Jesus was raised to heaven. The final mission He entrusted to His disciples is to “proclaim the gospel to every creature.” They are to “go to the whole world” to do this. And what they are to communicate to the world is the very person of Jesus, not merely a body of doctrines, for in Mark’s writing the gospel is Jesus Himself (1:1). The object of the proclamation is Jesus who is the salvation of humanity.
That is why “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” The centrality and indispensability of Jesus is unmistakable. His coming and incarnation signified the presence of the kingdom of God and indicated the fulfillment of the prophecies of old (1:14-15). This salvific event demands repentance and faith, trust in the person of Jesus, re-orienting oneself totally according to Him, living in communion with Him. Baptism is the symbol and sacrament of such a new life of personal intimacy with Jesus. To refuse to entrust oneself to Jesus cannot but mean to reject salvation, to condemn oneself to isolation from God.
The church
The body or assembly of the followers of Jesus, the ecclesia/iglesia (katipunan), is principally to be concerned with evangelization, the mission of announcing to the whole world Jesus’ gospel of salvation. Christians are literally to be the embodiment of Jesus Christ and His sacrament in the world today. Hence their words must be in accord with and replicating His Word, their actions imaging and concretizing his love and mercy, their ministry an extension of his service. The church is not about herself; she is of Jesus and for Jesus. Her mission is not just to build herself up, but to spread to all the world God’s kingdom in and through Jesus.
Believers who live in union with Jesus are his kindred spirits (kadiwa). Without authentic faith, they cannot possibly do their appointed task. But in the Spirit of Jesus they can today accomplish what the disciples did then, preaching everywhere and accompanied with signs of wonder and might, as Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will be accompanied by deeds confirming the Word. In words and deeds, Jesus continues today the work of salvation in and through the ministry of His followers, and this will be till the end of time. All believers are tasked to share the faith they have; evangelized, they are called to be evangelizers—every generation with their own methods and expressions and vigor. For instance, one should be able to choose any saints of the modern times or any apostolic group of today and narrate of their proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of their acts of heroic love and mighty deeds.
Alálaong bagá, Jesus Christ in heaven is glorified by His followers’ commitment to share and proclaim to the world His Gospel of salvation. This Gospel of life means not only words but deeds of Christ-like love and compassion for all especially for the needy and the little ones. Here and now, as evangelizers and bearers of the Word of salvation to the whole world, we cannot detach ourselves from the social and political realities and challenges around us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is addressed to humankind integrally, and we do not witness to it with only declamation of doctrines, but particularly with our corresponding lives of love and fidelity.
Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.