Curtain Call: Stepping Into the Next Act
The Gospel of Mark is like a fast-paced, gripping drama. From the very first line—“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah” - we’re launched into a story that wastes no time. Mark moves with action and urgency. Scene after scene unfolds like a tightly edited movie: Jesus appears, is baptized, driven into the wilderness, calls His disciples, and begins healing and teaching. It’s breathless and bold, like a stage play that demands your attention and never lets go.
Yet as a church, we’ve spent almost eight months walking slowly and deeply through the Gospel of Mark, culminating on Easter Sunday this past weekend. What a gift it has been to pour into every chapter and to see the fullness of Jesus from start to finish. Back in August, I was privileged to write the devotional for the very first week of this journey entitled, “The Art of the Opening Scene.” And now we’ve come to the closing scene. Jesus, risen from the grave, appears to His disciples one last time before ascending into heaven. The camera slows, the music swells, and we’re drawn into the final dialogue: Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…(Mark 16:15-16).
It’s not the end of the story—it’s a handoff. Jesus steps off the stage, but the spotlight now shifts to the disciples. And to us.
To fully grasp the weight of this final scene, it helps to look back at two key moments that frame Mark’s Gospel. The first happens in Chapter 1, during Jesus’ baptism, when the heavens were torn open (Mark 1:10). Not gently opened, but torn. It’s as if God is ripping through the divide between heaven and earth to declare, This is My Son! The divine is stepping into the story.
And then, near the end—Mark 15:38—the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Another tear. This time, God is removing the barrier that separated us from His presence. Access is granted. The way is open. God is breaking in—and breaking us out. It’s no wonder the final words of Jesus are an order: Go.
The story of Jesus didn’t end at the tomb. It didn’t even end at the ascension. It continues every time we live out His calling. We are the next scene. The movement continues through our obedience, our faith, our courage. The heavens have been torn open. The curtain has been torn down. The stage is set. The lights are on. The curtain hasn’t closed. It’s our turn to accept God’s challenge of living for Him in this me-centered world.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for tearing open the heavens and tearing down every barrier that separated us from You. We are grateful for a church that takes the time to deeply study Your Word - week by week, verse by verse - so we can know You more fully and follow You more faithfully. Help us live with the urgency, faith, and purpose that Mark’s gospel inspires. Let our lives reflect the continuation of Your story. In Jesus’ name, amen.
~ Originally from PA, Jennifer Korinchak became smitten with the Lake Norman area back in the early 2000s. She has lived here since 2014 and has been attending LIFE Fellowship with her husband Nate, and son Caleb since 2020.