The Resurrection of Jesus

16:1 WHEN THE SABBATH WAS OVER. Because Christ died so close in time to the Sabbath, the burial customs of the Jews could not be completed. Therefore, these faithful women went as early as possible to complete the rites of burial (Sparks 2008, 1357). SPICES. Spices may not have been used for everyone but were often used for the bodies of special persons (e.g., Herod). They reduced the immediate stench of rapid decomposition in the hot Mediterranean days (Keener 1993, Mk 16:1). How have you seen people process grief?

16:3 who will roll away the stone for us? The women’s concern about the stone is almost humorous: they had made their other preparations but had forgotten this elementary obstacle. Rather than arranging with Joseph’s servants to come back with them, they were now trusting to luck that someone would be around to help. But their anxiety is important as the foil to their discovery that the problem was already solved (France 2009, 678). When have you seen God solve a problem you were worried about?

TOMB. Typically, such tombs had a large antechamber, with a small two-foot-high doorway at the back which led into the six-or seven-foot burial chamber proper (Coleman 2019, 1632).

16:4 the stone. The disk-shaped stone rolled in a groove across the entrance to a tomb, and several strong men would be needed to roll it back. Tombs were normally opened only for the secondary burial of bones a year later and for subsequently deceased family members to be buried there (Keener 1993, Mk 16: 3–4). Had already been rolled back. The Son of God would not necessarily need the stone removed to exit the tomb. Rather, the stone had been rolled away to allow the witnesses and us to look in and see that the tomb was empty (Sparks 2008, 1357). Have you witnessed a miracle that convinced you of God’s presence and reality?

16:5 a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting. The young man is seated, the traditional posture for teaching or speaking with authority. Mark’s description lends a supernatural impression: he is wearing white, and the women are terrified. White clothes were, of course, a mark of festivity or of a formal occasion such as a wedding, but for clothes to appear white in the darkness of the burial chamber they would need more than everyday whiteness (France 2009, 678). Have you ever encountered an angel, or a messenger from God?

16:6 He is not here. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus has been on the move; nothing changes after his resurrection. He is not in the tomb for the women to cling to and embrace. Yet the story cannot end with a joyful reunion because the resurrection is only the beginning of the gospel that must be proclaimed throughout the world. The women must go to the disciples, who must in turn go to Galilee. This command is the first time that Jesus’ followers are told to tell something about him. The crucifixion and the resurrection, therefore, mark a turning point. There is no need for silence or secrets now (see 9:9). Whereas before those events Jesus commanded secrecy and open proclamation was disobedience, now Jesus commands open proclamation and secrecy is disobedience (Garland 1996, 614). Where do you see God on the move now? Where might God be calling you to go?

16:7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter. God does not disclose the Resurrection fact except to enlist people in a task (Garland 1996, 613). What might God be calling you to do?

The fact that Jesus still has a message for the demoralized disciples, including a promise of a post-resurrection meeting, overcomes their self-despair. Clearly, Jesus did not expect their desertion to be more than temporary. Even Peter’s spectacularly public failure has not written him off. Both for Peter and for the rest of the eleven remaining disciples, the message sent by the women implies an assurance of forgiveness and restoration, the more impressive for being left unsaid (France 2009, 681). Do you ever experience self-despair? Has anyone ever forgiven you and restored you back to relationship?

Women. The first witnesses of the resurrection were women. In first-century Judaism, women had low social status and no legal right to serve as witnesses. If the empty tomb were an invented legend, its inventors surely would not have had it discovered by women, whose testimony was considered worthless. If, on the other hand, the writers were simply reporting what they saw, they would have to tell the truth, however socially and legally inconvenient (Kreeft and Tacelli 1994, 192). What does the fact that the first Christians were unashamed about their failures and ignorance tell you about how Christians should live today?

HIS DISCIPLES AND PETER. Peter is the first and last disciple mentioned in the Gospel (1:16; 16:7). The resurrection revokes death and destruction, and it also revokes sin. This special nod to Peter hints at his full restoration despite his extraordinary breach of faith. Jesus does not give up on his disciples, no matter how great their failure or how many their faults (Garland 1996, 614). The disciples may have abandoned Jesus, but he has not abandoned them (Coleman 2019, 1632). How does Jesus’ steadfast faithfulness encourage you today?

16:7 he is going ahead of you. The verb used here does not simply mean that Jesus has gone on ahead of his disciples. It is a term used for leading troops forward, and for a commander making an advance (Garland 1996, 614). Will you follow Jesus as he advances?

16:8 Terror. All of Jesus’ followers, male and female, falter. If the disciples were unfaithful because they could not come to terms with Jesus’ death, the women proved unfaithful precisely because they were unable to come to terms with his life (Garland 1996, 628). What holds you back from embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ fully?

amazement had seized them. The women are unprepared for the good news. They come to the tomb wondering how the stone can be moved; they leave wondering how the stone could have been moved. They come to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus; they learn that he has received a higher anointing from God (Garland 1996, 612). In what ways does God amaze you?

THEY SAID NOTHING. Eventually, of course, the women did report what happened (Mt 28:8; Lk 24:10) (Coleman 2019, 1633). The shorter (and likely more authentic) ending of Mark touches on the problem that fallible humans must live with failure. The way of discipleship is not a triumphant procession through the world, like a hot knife cutting through butter. It is a way pocked by personal failure after personal failure. It may seem that the Gospel ends on a pessimistic note because Mark does not report that the women successfully fulfill their commission. Mark’s story, however, is not about the disciples’ foolishness and failure. The gospel is about the power of God, which overcomes human dysfunction and disaster. We know that Jesus’ resurrection was proclaimed and is being proclaimed throughout the world, just as Jesus said it would. God’s will and Jesus’ promise have been fulfilled despite human disobedience (Garland 1996, 626). Have you experienced personal failure in your discipleship under Jesus? How does Mark’s Gospel bring encouragement for you?

THEY WERE AFRAID. This was the same sort of fear that the disciples felt on the Sea of Galilee when they discovered that Jesus had power over the elements themselves (4:41). This is how human beings respond in the face of the supernatural. Thus Mark’s Gospel ends on this note of astonishment and fear which was so characteristic of how he described people’s reaction to a miracle or supernatural event (2:12; 4:41; 5:15, 33, 42; 9:6) (Coleman 2019, 1633). Do you feel like you have an appropriate level of fear of God?

CONSIDER (VV. 1–8): Based on the actions of these women, how did they feel about Jesus? Who was the “young man” they spoke with? Why is Jesus’s resurrection a crucial doctrine in the Christian faith?

Jesus Commissions the Disciples

16:16 BAPTIZED. Baptism is a sign of union with and commitment to Christ (Ac 2:38; Rm 6:3–4) (Coleman 2019, 1633).

16:17–18 Although no mention is made of such signs in the other Gospels, such things did happen in the early church (Ac 2:43; 4:30; 5:12; Heb 2:4) (Coleman 2019, 1633). How open are you to the supernatural and miraculous? What purpose do miracles serve?

CONSIDER (VV. 14–18): What commands did Jesus give “the Eleven”? Do those commands apply to all Christians? Explain. How should we understand Jesus’s instructions in verse 18?