The Commission & Ascension (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note
Exam code: 8062
14 Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it. (Mark 16:14–20)
The commission
Jesus appeared to his disciples several times after his resurrection
There were eleven disciples now, after Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus
The eleven disciples were given a commission by Jesus, meaning they were given work to undertake on his behalf
The instructions Jesus gave were to “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.”
Clearly, Jesus was telling them to preach his message as widely as they could
He told the disciples to baptise people as believers and warned the disciples that those who did not believe would be “condemned”
Jesus was warning about the judgement that would come at the end of time
The disciples and anyone who believed would be given great powers, including the abilities to heal and drive out demons
Jesus told the disciples that the sick could be healed by believers laying their hands upon them
Those believers would “speak in new tongues”, meaning that they would be able to communicate in new languages
The book Acts of the Apostles records that this event happened on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were given the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower them in their mission
This enabled them to preach the gospel to people from many nations
Finally, Jesus said that people would be able to pick up snakes or drink deadly poison without being harmed
This was a call for them not to be afraid and to have faith that they would be free from danger
The ascension
Mark’s gospel ends with an account of Jesus’s ascension, or his entering into heaven
This event is significant because it shows that Jesus was not going to die again — he was entering heaven to be with God
The account describes that Jesus was going to heaven where he “sat down at the right hand of God” (the place of honour), just as he had said during his trial before the High Priest
The disciples are described as doing exactly what Jesus had commissioned them to do: to spread the good news
The work they did resulted in the founding of what became the worldwide Christian Church
Attribution:
Romero Saint Columbkille Church (Wilmington, Ohio) - stained-glass, nave, Acts of the Apostles I v. 9, Ascension of Christ by Nheyob is licensed under CC BY 4.0
The mission in Christianity today
Many Christians today try to follow the same commission that the disciples were given
They try to proclaim the good news as disciples through the way they live, work and relate to others
Different Christians do this work in different ways, such as:
Preaching
Teaching
Entering the religious life
Careers in caring professions
Charitable work
Missionary work
Everyday discipleship
Worked Example
What was the main task Jesus gave to the eleven disciples in his final commission?
A. To go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation
B. To remain in Jerusalem and worship at the Temple each day
C. To build churches for Gentiles so they could gather for worship
D. To write down his teachings immediately so they would not be forgotten
[1 mark]
Answer:
A. To go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation
Jesus told the disciples to spread his message as widely as possible.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
sections of this topic in your answer. For example:
Explain two ways in which the idea of discipleship found in Mark’s Gospel is important to Christianity today. Your answer should refer to Mark’s Gospel. [5 marks]
In your response, you need to include:
Two clear points (from Mark’s Gospel)
Development of each point (why it matters for Christians today)
Reference to the text (quotes or examples from Mark)
For this question:
Pick one example of discipleship from Mark:
E.g. the call of the first disciples (Mark 1:16–20), when Jesus said “follow me”, shows that discipleship involved leaving everything to follow Jesus
This matters today because some Christians still give up careers or comfort to follow their religious vocation (e.g. becoming a priest, monk or missionary)
Pick a second example:
E.g. the cost of discipleship (Mark 8:34–38) shows that discipleship involved being prepared to “take up your cross” and be ready for sacrifice
This matters today because Christians may face ridicule and persecution or have to live against materialistic values
Look at how short the above quotes are. Despite their length, they still count as a direct use of Mark’s Gospel, and you will get credit for including them.
Try writing your answer to this question using the above points.
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