Faithful Finishers and New Beginnings Text: Acts 12:25
Introduction: The Hinge of History
The book of Acts is a book of explosions. The gospel explodes out of Jerusalem, then out of Judea, then out of Samaria, and is now making its way, like an unstoppable fire, to the uttermost parts of the earth. But this movement is not chaotic. It is an orderly, divinely-orchestrated invasion. And like any good narrative, it has moments of quiet transition that are packed with more significance than a casual reading might suggest. Acts 12:25 is one such verse. It is a hinge. It closes the door on one phase of the apostolic mission, centered in Jerusalem, and opens the door onto the next, the great Gentile mission launched from Antioch.
On the surface, it is a simple travel update. Barnabas and Saul delivered the famine relief, and now they are heading home. But tucked into this verse are three profound themes that form the very backbone of Christian life and mission. We see the nature of completed work, the necessity of raising up the next generation, and the quiet beginnings of a ministry that would turn the world upside down. This is not just about geography, moving from Jerusalem to Antioch. It is about the gospel moving from a primarily Jewish context to a global one. It is about the baton being passed. It is about the faithfulness of God in preparing His men for His mission.
We live in a culture that despises finishing. We love to start things. We are infatuated with grand openings and ribbon cuttings, but we are allergic to the grind of faithfulness over the long haul. We are a generation of spiritual sprinters, not marathon runners. But the kingdom of God is built by plodders. It is built by men who fulfill their ministry, who do the job they were given, see it through to the end, and then look for the next task. This verse is a quiet monument to that kind of dogged, unglamorous faithfulness. And it is a reminder that when we are faithful in the small things, God is preparing us, and others around us, for the great things to come.
The Text
"And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, fulfilling their ministry, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark."
(Acts 12:25 LSB)
Fulfilling the Ministry
The first thing we must see is the simple, profound statement that Barnabas and Saul were "fulfilling their ministry."
"And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, fulfilling their ministry..." (Acts 12:25a)
The ministry in question was a practical one. A prophet named Agabus had predicted a great famine, and the church in Antioch, full of new Gentile believers, responded with robust generosity. They collected an offering and sent it to the elders in Judea by the hand of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:27-30). This was not a preaching tour. It was a delivery run. It was a ministry of financial aid, of mercy, of practical love. And they fulfilled it. They completed the task.
This is the bedrock of all effective Christian service. God gives us a task, and we are to see it through to completion. Paul would later exhort Archippus, "See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord" (Col. 4:17). And at the end of his own life, his great boast was not in his successes, but in his perseverance: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). The crown is for finishers.
We must disabuse ourselves of the romantic notion that "ministry" only happens in a pulpit or on a foreign mission field. Your ministry is the task God has put in front of you right now. For these men, it was carrying a bag of money. For you, it might be raising your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, being a faithful employee, caring for an aging parent, or showing hospitality to your neighbors. All of it is ministry if it is done in faith for the glory of God. And all of it is to be fulfilled, completed, and seen through to the end.
Notice also the direction. They returned from Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the mother church, the apostolic headquarters. But the energy, the momentum, is now flowing outward. The future is not in Jerusalem; it is in places like Antioch, and from there, to the ends of the earth. They fulfilled their ministry to the saints in Jerusalem, and in so doing, were released for their next assignment. Faithfulness in one task is God's prerequisite for the next. If you want God to use you in a big way, start by being faithful in the small, unglamorous delivery runs He assigns to you now.
Taking Along the Next Man
Having completed their task, they did not return alone. This is where the future of the church is secured.
"...taking along with them John, who was also called Mark." (Acts 12:25b)
This is not just a footnote. This is discipleship in action. Barnabas and Saul were not just a task force; they were trainers of men. They were looking for the next generation. John Mark was the son of a woman named Mary, in whose house the Jerusalem church was praying for Peter's release just a few verses earlier (Acts 12:12). He was Barnabas's cousin (Col. 4:10). He grew up in the heart of the Jerusalem church, and now, he is being brought into the apostolic mission.
This is the biblical pattern. Ministry is not a solo performance. It is a relay race. You are always to be looking for the man you can hand the baton to. Paul told Timothy, "what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). Here we see it happening. Barnabas, the great "Son of Encouragement," is doing what he does best. He is investing in a young man, giving him a front-row seat to what God is doing.
And it is a good thing he did. We know, from later in Acts, that this first foray into ministry would not go smoothly for John Mark. On the first missionary journey, he would desert the team and go home (Acts 13:13). This would later cause a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas. Paul, looking at the demands of the work, saw an unreliable quitter. Barnabas, the encourager, saw a young man who needed a second chance. And because Barnabas took him along, mentored him, and refused to give up on him, John Mark was restored. He would go on to write the Gospel of Mark, and would later be called "useful" for ministry by the very apostle who had once rejected him (2 Tim. 4:11).
This is a profound lesson in the grace of God. The church is not a museum for saints; it is a hospital for sinners. It is a place for failures who get back up. And it is the responsibility of the older generation to be like Barnabas, to invest in the John Marks of the world, to take them along, to dust them off when they fall, and to believe in what God's grace can make of them. The future of the church depends on this kind of gritty, grace-filled, intentional discipleship.
The Unseen Preparation
Finally, we must see what is happening behind the scenes. This verse is the quiet setup for the next great act of God.
"And Barnabas and Saul returned... taking along with them John, who was also called Mark." (Acts 12:25)
They are returning to Antioch, and in the very next verses, the Holy Spirit will say, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2). This mercy mission to Jerusalem was their final exam before their world-changing apostolic mission began. God was testing their faithfulness, their humility, and their heart for the whole church. They passed the test.
God is always preparing us for what He is preparing for us. Your current circumstances, your current trials, your current mundane tasks, are all part of His curriculum. Saul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, is here concluding a season of quiet preparation. After his conversion, he had spent years in Arabia and Tarsus, largely out of the limelight. Barnabas had to go find him and bring him to Antioch. Now, having served faithfully as a teacher and a delivery boy, he is about to be launched.
And John Mark is at the very beginning of his training. He is being taken along, brought into the orbit of these great men, to watch, to learn, and to serve as their assistant. God is laying the foundation for the second gospel to be written. He is preparing the man who would be a comfort to Paul in his final imprisonment. All of this is coiled up, like a great spring, in this simple transitional statement.
Conclusion: Your Ministry, Your Mark
So what does this mean for us? It means, first, that we must be people who fulfill our ministry. Whatever God has called you to do, do it with all your might, as unto the Lord. Finish the task. See it through. God honors faithfulness, not flashiness.
Second, it means we must always have a John Mark we are "taking along." Who are you investing in? Who are you mentoring? Who are you encouraging? The Christian life is not about personal achievement; it is about generational faithfulness. You are to pour what you have learned into others, who will then be able to teach others also. This is particularly true for those who fail. We must be a people of the second chance, a people of restoration, because we serve a God of restoration. We are all John Mark, in one way or another.
And last, we must trust God's unseen preparation. You may feel like you are in Tarsus, in a season of obscurity. You may feel like you are just on a delivery run, doing a task that seems insignificant. But if you do it in faith, God is using it to prepare you. He is weaving your story into His grand, redemptive purpose. The men who are faithful in the Jerusalem run are the ones God sends to the ends of the earth. Fulfill your ministry, take someone with you, and trust the God who is always working, even in the quiet transitions.