“Resurrection” – Mark 16:1-8

Have you ever watched a movie or TV show, been entertained by it and really into it, only to get to the end and think, “Is that it? That was a terrible ending.”

Or maybe you reached the end and thought to yourselves, “I never saw that coming. That was a great ending.”

As Mark came to the end of his gospel account, we can say that Mark ended it well or not well at all. Regardless of how Mark ended his gospel account, though, Jesus’ resurrection is an exclamation point of an ending. In the resurrection, we see not just an ending but a beginning.

As we look at today’s passage, we will see that the news of Jesus’ resurrection left those who first heard with mixed emotions.

Background

Almost from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and into Judea, He was followed by not just His disciples, but several women. These women supported Jesus financially as well as played an important part in His ministry. We are first introduced to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, the mother of the disciples James and John, early in the gospel accounts. From these accounts, we believe Jesus healed at least some of the women from various illnesses. Mary Magdalene was freed of demons that possessed her.

As we come to the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, we find that He has been abandoned by His disciples. The men had fled in fear that they, too, may be arrested and perhaps suffer the same fate as Jesus. Only the women remained behind to watch Jesus die on the cross and be buried.

Now we read that the women had not abandoned Jesus even after His burial. The women were preparing to finish the burial preparation that had to wait until after the Sabbath. As we shall see, they arose before the sun in order to be at the gravesite as quickly as possible.

Central Truth: Being the first to learn that Jesus was resurrected caused mixed emotions in the women.

Jesus’ resurrection

1. Was preceded by plans and questions (1-5)

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

Last minute preparations can be stressful. It seems that there is a lot of running around, gathering things that are needed for whatever needs to happen. Stress levels rise and we scurry about, hoping we have done enough to make the new plans successful.

From the moment of Jesus’ arrest to His burial had been in less than a day. News of His arrest would not have been well known until the time of His crucifixion. Crucifixions can last days, but with Jewish laws and the Passover Sabbath falling on the heels of Jesus’ crucifixion, it was reasonable to assume that Jesus would be dead before the sun went down that night.

The women had stayed with Jesus throughout His ordeal. They had watched His crucifixion, His death and His burial. As Jesus’ body was being laid to rest, the day was almost over and there were things that needed to be done. It is doubtful the women could see what exactly had been to Jesus’ body prior to His burial, so the women probably assumed that they would need to fully prepare the body for burial, including the necessary aromatic spices that would be interred with the body.

Somehow, the women had gathered the necessary herbs and spices and were waiting for the Sabbath to be over and for the sun to rise. We know that the Sabbath ended at sundown on Saturday, but the women would need the daylight to be able to see what they were doing. Still, they didn’t want to wait too long, since the body would have already had a day to begin decomposing.

So they left as the sun was beginning to rise, and the main concern on their minds was not whether the body would be there or not, but how would they roll away the stone to get to the body. They were unaware that Pilate had posted guards at the request of the religious leaders, so they had no way of knowing that someone might be there to help them.

Imagine their surprise, relief and concern as they neared the tomb to discover that someone had already rolled away the stone. They were surprised because they expected to see the stone in place. They were relieved because they wouldn’t have to move the stone themselves. They were concerned because they didn’t really fully understand why the stone had been rolled back. Had someone else already come to finalize the burial preparations? Had they come to pillage the tomb? Had someone taken the body? The women came expecting to see a sealed tomb. Now, seeing the opened tomb, they had new apprehensions and questions, the chief of which was what would they find once they went inside the tomb?

It would not surprise me to think that the women entered the opened tomb carefully, unsure of their safety and what they would find. What they did find amazed and frightened them. There, they found what they assumed was a young man, according to Mark. Other gospel accounts let us know that the young man was an angel sent from God to proclaim the news that the women were about to hear. Soon, their questions would be answered, but they would raise new questions.

2. Was explained with startling news (6-7)

“Don’t be alarmed, “he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.”

When we have questions that concern us, we want answers, and we generally want them fast. We want the information to be accurate and clear to understand. The angel within the otherwise empty tomb did the job exceedingly well.

First, the angel addressed the women’s first concern: Where was Jesus? He identified Jesus as from Nazareth, a reminder that first, Jesus was a common name at the time, and second, this Jesus they were seeking is the same One he is telling them about. This is Jesus from Nazareth, and He had been crucified. The angel let the women know they were at the right place.

Second, he answered the question of where was the body. He is risen. The women were the first eyewitnesses of a historical event. No one had ever died and then come back to life, certainly not after three days. Jewish custom was that the spirit would remain near the body for three days before departing for the afterworld. This was now the third day. (The three days being portions of three separate days. Jesus was buried late Friday, was in the tomb all day Saturday, and was risen sometime after Sunday had begun.) The statement that Jesus had risen was to let them know that the same Christ who laid down His life for us had now taken it up again, just as He declared to His followers.

The fact that Jesus had risen led to the third statement of the angel: He is not here. When we wake up from sleeping, we generally get up and get going. Jesus had risen. He had returned to life, bringing with Him the assurance of eternal life for all who believe in Him. And because He had risen, He had gone on to other places. The angel invited the women to look around the tomb to confirm that Jesus’ body was no longer there.

Anticipating the next question, the angel told the women that Jesus was going to Galilee and would see His disciples there. The women’s task was to tell the others, particularly Peter, possibly because he was guilt-ridden over his denial of Jesus. The words were to give assurance to those who had followed Him, to let them know that He still had things to tell them and that they were about to start a new journey with Him. The new journey would begin where the last journey began: in Galilee.

3. Raised fears and questions (8)

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

What would you do if you were in the Marys’ shoes? Realizing that nothing like this has ever happened before and hasn’t happened since, how would you react? All the events that Mark described in the first seven verses have now come to what will the women do with the information they now have.

Mark wrote that the women were trembling and bewildered. Trembling can be a sign of excitement or fear, of anticipation or dread. Bewilderment is only natural in light of what the women have taken in in just a few moments. Now they have to make a decision.

Mark wrote that the women said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. Yet the other gospel accounts note that the women—at least, Mary Magdalene—spoke to the disciples about Jesus’ resurrection. In the Gospel according to John, Mary said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him” (John 20:2b). It was later when she returned to the garden that she met the risen Christ and then went to the disciples with the news that she had seen Jesus.

So why would Mark write that the women said nothing? Part of the reason is that they were afraid. They were afraid at what they had experienced, and they were afraid of what people would say about them. Women were not considered reliable witnesses to events. Can you imagine the reaction to women telling the world that Jesus was alive and risen? So, yes, they were afraid, but the other gospels let us know that they overcame their fears and told the disciples about the risen Christ.

Conclusion

“Gospel” is Old English for “good news.” And that is exactly what the gospel is. It is the good news that Jesus, by His own volition and in obedience to the Father, allowed Himself to go to Calvary where He was crucified. He died and He was buried. This in and of itself is good news because in doing so, Jesus paid the price for our sins. His sacrifice made atonement for our sins and redeemed us. But the even better news is that Jesus rose again, and with His rising He ushered in the promise of eternal life. Jesus told us in John 17:3 that eternal life is to know the Father and the Son. By picking up His life again, Jesus allows you and me to be in immediate fellowship with the Father and the Son through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. And if that isn’t good news, what is?

And yet . . .

The women’s reactions are not so different from our today. Today we are called to share the good news of Jesus with others, but how many of us do so? How many of us remain silent out of fear?

Isn’t it time we overcome our fear with the faith that allows us to walk with God? Isn’t it time we truly celebrate what Easter really is all about?