The Resurrection From The Dead Of The Humble King Series

MARK 16:1-8-9

THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD OF THE HUMBLE KING

What we find in Mark as in the other gospels, though all have different details, an account of women finding that Jesus’ tomb was empty and receiving a message that he had risen. All other evidence that Mark has recounted to substantiate the claim that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, falls short of being the Good News without the conclusive fact of the Resurrection. Therefore, he reports the event through the eyes of the women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, who have also been firsthand witnesses of Jesus’ Crucifixion and burial.

A tragic Friday had given way to a sad Sabbath day. The One in whom they believed, the One to whom they had clung, their Hero, their Leader, their Friend was no longer with them. Their experience was not theoretical or theological, but real. They loved Jesus personally. They enjoyed being with this One who was so gracious, who forgave so freely, who spoke so truthfully. [Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (p. 290). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.] He who engendered such love and hope was crucified, dead and buried.

Their hope seemed lost, but a new dawn, the dawn of a new day was coming and renewal and hope was in the wings of this new sun rise. The Light of new age, the hope of a new covenant was rising with this new day.

I. THE ARRIVAL [THE WOMEN’S ARRIVAL AT THE TOMB], 1-5.

II. THE ANNOUNCEMENT [THE ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT], 6-7.

III. THE RESPONSE [THE RESPONSE] TO THE GOOD NEWS, 8.

The setting in verse 1 for the discovery is remarkably down-to-earth with the women coming to fulfil the previously omitted duty of anointing Jesus’ body with perfumes. “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.

Sabbath ended at nightfall on Saturday. The shops would have opened then so the women could have bought the spices needed for burial. To embalm the body of Jesus they had to wait until it was daylight on Sunday morning (known ever since to Christians as ‘the Lord’s day’). These preparations are the strongest proof that even Jesus’ closest disciples were not expecting the resurrection and so would not have made the story up. Why did they buy spices or come to embalm him, if they believed that he was going to rise? Why worry about moving the stone from the door?

While Jewish corpses were not embalmed in the technical Egyptian sense (see Gn. 50:2–3 for the lengthy process this involved), aromatic spices and ointment (Lk. 23:56) were used as a mark of respect and perhaps to keep the corpse fresh for as long as possible. The women’s intention indicates that Joseph had been unable to honor Jesus’ body in this way in the hurry of Friday evening. [France, R. T. (2002). The Gospel of Mark: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 677). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.]

Thus equipped, the women are ready at sunrise the next morning (Sunday) to set out to complete the burial formalities interrupted by the Sabbath. Verse 2; “And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.”

The unusual double reference to the time as very early in the morning at sunrise emphasizes that the women went as soon as they could, as night became morning. “I love them that love Me,” the Lord says, “and those that seek Me early shall find Me” (Proverbs 8:17). Expecting to see nothing more than Jesus’ dead body, in their time of depression, discouragement, defeat, sadness, and confusion these women rose early. How much more, then, should we be willing to get up early to seek the living Lord? This isn’t an obligation—it’s an opportunity available to each of us on any given day. If you feel as though you’re in the dark now, be like these women. Rise early and seek the risen Lord—for these who sought Him early would be the first ones to understand and experience Resurrection Sunday. [Courson, p. 290.]

In verse 3 we find the women worrying about how they were to get into the tomb. “And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

If Jesus had not risen, this stone would have been a real problem. The women knew well which tomb Jesus had been laid in (15:47); there was no chance of any mistake. They must have known how heavy the stone was and that three women would have been unable to move it. (Preparations for burial were usually done by women). [Cole, R. A. (1994). Mark. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., pp. 976–977). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.]