What is the meaning of Mark 16:18? They will pick up snakes with their hands Jesus promises supernatural protection for His messengers as they go into the world preaching the gospel (Mark 16:15). • Acts 28:3-6 shows this literally when Paul survives a viper’s bite on Malta; the islanders expect him to die, yet “he suffered no ill effects.” • Luke 10:19 echoes the same authority: “I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions…” • Psalm 91:13 foretells, “You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.” The point: God is able to override normal dangers whenever His servants are engaged in His mission. The sign is protective, not prescriptive; believers are not instructed to seek out snakes, but to trust God if danger arises. If they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them Just as with the snake promise, this speaks of divine safeguarding when hostile forces attempt to silence gospel witness. • 2 Kings 4:38-41 recounts Elisha neutralizing poisonous stew so the prophets remain unharmed, illustrating God’s power over toxins. • Revelation 8:10-11 portrays wormwood-tainted waters killing many—reminding us poison is normally lethal, which magnifies the miracle when it is not. • Daniel 3:27 depicts Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerging from the furnace unsinged; different threat, same protective principle. In hostile territory, believers may face attempts on their lives. Christ assures that nothing can terminate their ministry until He says so (John 7:30; Acts 12:11). They will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well The final sign shifts from personal protection to compassionate outreach. • During His earthly ministry, Jesus often touched the sick (Mark 1:41; 5:41), setting the model. • The apostles continue this pattern: “They drove out many demons and anointed the sick with oil, and they were healed” (Mark 6:13). • In Acts 3:6-8 Peter lifts a lame man; Acts 9:17-18 Ananias lays hands on Saul; Acts 28:8-9 Paul heals Publius’s father, then many others. • James 5:14-15 instructs the church: elders pray and lay hands; “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick.” Healing validates the message and expresses the kingdom’s mercy, pointing forward to the day when sickness is gone forever (Revelation 21:4). summary Mark 16:18 assures believers that, while advancing the gospel, God can grant visible signs of His kingdom—protection from otherwise fatal threats and power to heal the afflicted. These signs are gifts, not gimmicks, underscoring Christ’s victory over the curse and His active presence with those who obey His Great Commission. |
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