Don’t you like delivering good news? Like: “you got the job!” or “Yes, I’ll marry you” or “It’s a girl!” Here in Mark 16 we get the best news of all—the best news ever delivered to mankind. Though Jesus our ultimate action hero died, He came back to life victorious over sin, the Devil, and death. But I like how Jesus did it, instead of bursting forth from the tomb in a huge flash and taking over, He came out quietly, invisibly, and then slowly introduced His people to a reality that would blow them away!
1
These two Mary’s had witnessed the crucifixion along with Salome. The two had followed Joseph and Nicodemus to see where they laid Jesus’ body. The practice of bringing spices is akin to bringing flowers to a grave. Since Joseph had already wrapped the body in spices they likely were simply going to do some external application. Of course, they faced three problems: the guard would stop them, the stone would stop them, and the body would have already started to decompose. That didn’t matter to these women, who loved Jesus so much that nothing would stand in their way. What stops you in your pursuit of Jesus? Are there barriers like what would your friends and family say, what you might have to give up, or what if He asks me to do something I am uncomfortable with?
If you are considering Jesus think about how He pursued a relationship with you by coming to earth and going through the cross. Jesus would let nothing stand in the way of loving you—perhaps pursuing Him and leaving other things behind is worth it?
2 – 4
The three recognized that they could not roll the stone from the entrance and wondered who would do it for them. Notice that it didn’t stop them. Sometimes we face severe obstacles as Christians in sharing the gospel. Our job, like these women, is to continue on with the task, perhaps wondering how it is going to be accomplished, but not let the impossibility of it all be a deterrent.
When they arrived they noticed the stone was already out of the way—not for someone to get out, for people to get in to see that Jesus had risen. Matthew tells us that an earthquake had occurred; an angel had moved the stone and sat on top of it.
5
Matthew and Mark mention one angel, Luke says there were two. It’s just the different perspectives of the gospel writers and their sources. Mark seems to focus on the angel that spoke. Notice he appears like a young man. Angels appear to us as humans, though for most people it is a frightening experience—so frightening that most people fall down in fear. Here the women are “amazed and alarmed” but don’t fall to the ground like the guards in Matthew 28:4 who saw this same angel and “became like dead men.” I guess it just matters which side you are on.
6 – 7
First the angel puts them to rest—“don’t be alarmed.” Then he tells them that they are in the right tomb. Then the greatest four words probably ever spoken “He has been resurrected!” Not resuscitated, but resurrected. This is the main difference between Christianity and all other religions. Others may have great precepts and philosophies, but none other has God becoming human, dying for his people and then raising from the dead—proving that the sacrifice took and that the same power that raised Christ from the dead will give new life to us who belong to Him!
The angel told them to go to the disciples. Luke 24:10-12 says that when they did it, no one believed them, except that Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. The charge was that they would meet in Galilee but the men were so frightened that they stayed in Jerusalem and that is where they first saw Jesus.
8
It says here they told no one, but it could mean they didn’t stop to talk to anyone on the way to the disciples, or at first didn’t do anything but later went and did as the angel had told them.
This is where Mark’s gospel ends. Verses 9 through 20 may not be a part of the original autograph. The most ancient manuscripts don’t contain this ending and the early church fathers indicate Mark ended in verse 8. That didn’t stop scribes in the Second Century from adding various endings. The one we have here is the most popular since it seems to pull words and events from other gospels and from the book of Acts.
9 – 11
The fact that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene should be encouraging to us: she was a woman, a sinner, and had a troubled past. Such was her devotion to Jesus that after everyone was gone from the tomb, she remained. This story is found in John 20:16.
12 – 13
This the story of the guys on the road to Emmaus found in Luke 24:13-35. They knew about the empty tomb but were walking away from the place where the resurrected Lord was! After what must have been an incredible Bible study, Jesus revealed Himself to them and then disappeared! Then the two went back to Jerusalem but were also met with unbelief.
14
Jesus told his disciples over and over again that He would be crucified, buried, and then rise from the dead. They should have been expecting it. But how often does Jesus tell us things that are too hard or too wonderful for us to believe. They were also rebuked for not believing eye witnesses, which is how we have inherited the gospel. People who literally saw Jesus the risen Lord told others who told others who eventually either wrote it down or told you!
15 – 16
This is, of course, the Great Commission. Our job is to keep telling that witness of the risen Lord to anyone who will hear. Jesus is not saying that people who are not baptized will be condemned, but those who do not believe. The thief on the cross was not baptized but Jesus promised Him eternal life.
17 – 18
Here I think some in the church err. Jesus said that these signs will “accompany” those that are preaching the gospel to authenticate it. Jesus told his disciples that they would receive power to be witnesses, not to experience power or be able to wield it. In fact, the man that sought after power for powers sake ended up rebuked when he tried to buy the power (Acts 8:9-24).
Driving out demons was already something they had done. Speaking in tongues was given on the Day of Pentecost, and laying hands on the sick was something they had seen Jesus do countless times and had done themselves. The picking up of snakes or drinking poison was never meant as a sign to be summoned up at will but had in mind incidents like in Acts 28 where Paul is collecting firewood and gets a snake bite. To the snake handlers of today I would simply say what Jesus said to Lucifer when Satan wanted Him to jump off the pinnacle of the Temple: “Do not tempt the Lord thy God.”
19 – 20
This is the event in Acts 1, after Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples. After He left they went out and did exactly what He commanded, which is just what we are to do: preach the gospel and make disciples.
Conclusions
So why is the resurrection important to us individually?
It means what Jesus did as our ultimate action hero worked
If Jesus had not been resurrected then the Father would not have accepted His sacrifice on your behalf.
It means God’s plan for salvation worked.
No longer does Satan and death have ultimate dominion over your life or your destiny. We are now more than conquerors with Christ.
It brings sense to tragedy
Knowing that Jesus came back from the dead means that nothing can happen to you that God does not direct and will not turn to good for His kingdom
It gives us a real witness
Christianity isn’t just a set of nice principles but the reality of a risen Lord who rules the universe and is coming back for all those who belong to him and to fight all those who are opposed.
It gives us real power over evil in our own lives.
No longer do you have to let sin have sway in your life. You have the power to overcome sin and the old self.
Just as Jesus came out of the tomb quietly, he might just be sneaking up on you. If you have found yourself thinking about Him, considering the cross the resurrection and what it means to you, maybe it’s time to say like Thomas did a week after the crucifixion: “My Lord and my God.”
