Session 13
Mark 16:1-14
Memory Verse: Mark 16:6
The disciples who followed Jesus had seen Him die, so they struggled with reports of a resurrection—even though He had told them on multiple occasions that He would rise from the dead after three days. But the evidence presented by the empty tomb could not be ignored, and the appearances of Jesus after His resurrection validated the stories they had heard. He really was alive!
Mark’s Gospel assures believers that the empty tomb underscores the truth of Christ’s resurrection. He is still alive! As you study the Easter story outside the traditional Easter season, celebrate the hope that has unified Christ followers and made them “Easter people” for more than two millennia. And reflect again on the impact His resurrection should have on your life each day.
When you return an unwanted item or defective merchandise to a store, what is often the first thing you are asked? Most of the time it is, “Do you have a receipt?” You can explain that you bought the item at that store, and the managers may extend you courtesy, but the proof of purchase is the surest way to get them to believe you made the purchase from their store. (PSG, p. 118)
After His arrest, Jesus faced a series of trials before religious and political leaders. His first came before the Sanhedrin, the Jews’ religious governing body (14:53-65). Jesus had conflicts with various members of this group during His ministry. They had tried to humiliate and discredit Him, but they always failed. Many of them hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him.
The Sanhedrin eventually determined that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy, but they had a problem. Legally, they could not put a person to death. For that, they needed the Roman governor. So, after a brief explanation of Peter’s three denials (14:66-72), Mark recounted Jesus’s next trial, this time in front of Pontius Pilate.
While Mark offered a shorter account of Jesus’s time with the governor (15:1-5), he made two things clear. First, Pilate was intrigued by Jesus. Throughout the interrogation, the Lord never defended Himself. For the most part, He remained silent. Second, Pilate recognized that Jesus was not guilty.
When the Jewish leaders protested, Pilate tried a different tactic. Relying on a tradition designed to demonstrate Roman generosity, he offered the crowd a choice: release Jesus or a revolutionary and murderer named Barabbas (15:6-15). Spurred by the religious leaders, the crowd incredibly chose Barabbas and demanded Jesus’s crucifixion. So, Pilate released the murderer and sent the innocent man off to be tortured.
Even after Jesus had been mocked and beaten by Roman soldiers, the crowd still was not satisfied. The religious leaders had whipped them into a frenzy, and they continued to call for Jesus’s execution. Pilate finally gave up on trying to do the right thing and delivered Jesus over to be crucified (15:16-41).
Mark identified two supernatural events associated with Jesus’s death. The first was darkness, representing the sin that Jesus carried on the cross (15:33). The second was the tearing of the temple veil, representing new access to God through Jesus (15:38).
With the Sabbath looming, Jesus’s body was quickly prepared and placed in a tomb. A group of women noted the grave’s location so they could finish the process after the Sabbath (15:42-47). But when they returned on Sunday morning, they found the tomb was empty. An angel informed them that Christ had risen from the dead and that they should tell His disciples the news, especially Peter (16:1-8).
Mark 16:9-20 represents what some have called Mark’s “longer ending.” While these verses do not appear in the oldest manuscripts, they do provide descriptions of post-resurrection appearances by Jesus. In one case, He spoke with Mary Magdalene (vv. 9-11). In another, He walked with two followers on a country road (vv. 12-13). Despite these testimonies, the disciples refused to believe until they encountered Jesus on their own (v. 14). The Gospel closes with a version of the Great Commission (vv. 15-18) and a description of Jesus’s ascension (vv. 19-20).
As you read Mark 16:1-14, look for evidences that attest to the reality of the resurrection.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4 Looking up, they noticed that the stone — which was very large — had been rolled away.
(v. 1) Sabbath: For observant Jews, Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and ends on Saturday evening at sunset. In his Gospel, John wrote that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had anointed Jesus’s body with some spices immediately after the crucifixion (John 19:38-40). But because the Sabbath was beginning, they were not able to complete the task. They put Jesus in a tomb owned by Joseph, and the women came early Sunday morning to finish the job once the Sabbath had passed.
Mary Magdalene, Mary . . . and Salome
While the four Gospel writers identified different combinations of women at the tomb (though Mary Magdalene is common to all), they all agree that the first witnesses to the resurrection were female. In a time when the testimony of women was invalid in legal settings, the Gospel writers acknowledged that the women saw the empty tomb and shared what they saw with Jesus’s disciples. This actually validates the truth of the resurrection account. If the disciples had made up the story, they would have identified witnesses who were considered “reliable” in the eyes of the world.
(v. 1) Spices: In Jewish burial practice, spices were not used for everyone. However, they were commonly used for people who were considered special. Such anointing provided a symbol of one’s love and affection toward the deceased person. Jewish customs did not allow embalming, so the spices, similar to modern perfumes, were poured over the body to cover the smell of decay.
The women had seen Jesus’s crucifixion and had noted the place where He was buried (Luke 23:44-56). The fact that they were headed to the tomb to anoint His body highlights the fact that they didn’t expect the tomb to be empty, even though Jesus had taught them about His resurrection multiple times.
(v. 3) Roll away the stone: The women were concerned about who was going to move the large stone so they could enter and anoint the body of Jesus. The stone, along with the governor’s seal and an armed guard, was part of the religious leaders’ plan to foil any attempted grave robbery (Matt. 27:62-65). It is possible the women did not know that soldiers were guarding the tomb; or, if they did know, they might have assumed that the Romans would not help them. Without assistance, moving the stone would be a tremendous challenge for them.
(v. 4) The stone . . . had been rolled away: Most Jews in that era started their day around 5:30 a.m., so it was not unusual for them to be up and active before sunrise. While Mark suggested that it was dark outside when they began their journey (v. 2), the sun was up by the time they arrived. As they approached the tomb, they could see that their concerns about the stone were unfounded. It had already been moved, and the tomb was open.
It is important to understand that the stone was not rolled away so that Jesus could get out of the tomb. Instead, the stone was moved so witnesses could come in and see that He wasn’t there.
5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’” 8 They went out and ran from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid.
(v. 5) They entered: Since the stone was no longer a concern, the women went inside the tomb to anoint the body. The tomb would likely would have been a cave hollowed out of a hillside. Matthew’s Gospel states that Jesus’s tomb was cut into rock (Matt. 27:60). Tombs typically had an outer room (called the antechamber) with a passage that led to an inner chamber where the bodies would have been placed on a shelf or slab in the rock. Once the bodies had decomposed, the bones could be moved to another area to make the best use of space. This was called a “secondary burial.”
(v. 5) Young man: Mark recorded that once the women were inside, they realized that they were not alone. A young man was already sitting in the tomb. While Mark never referred to the man as an angel, Matthew did (Matt. 28:1-3). In his Gospel, Luke shared that two “men” were in the tomb (Luke 24:1-4). John’s Gospel notes that Mary Magdalene saw two angels on a second trip to the tomb later that morning (John 20:11-12).
(v. 6) Don’t be alarmed: When angels appeared to humans throughout Scripture, they initially spoke to calm the people’s fears. The angel in the tomb, seeing that the women were shaken up and distraught, simply encouraged them to not be alarmed. Instead, he encouraged them to take a closer look and see for themselves that Jesus was not in the tomb. He had risen, just as He told them He would.
The angel confirmed that the One they were seeking, Jesus of Nazareth, was the One who had been crucified. He had died on the cross just as they had seen with their own eyes. While His body had spent time in the tomb, though, He had been raised. He was now alive.
(v. 7) Go, tell: The angel gave the women an important job. They were to go and tell Jesus’s disciples what they had seen and to let them know that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. The region of Galilee was in the northern part of Israel, and it was the area where Jesus had spent most of His ministry. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus had predicted that His disciples would scatter. But He also said they would regather in Galilee after His resurrection (Mark 14:27-28).
(v. 7) Peter: It is interesting to note that the angel specifically mentioned Peter when he spoke of the disciples. In the time between the crucifixion and the resurrection, Peter may have assumed that his denials of Christ had disqualified him for service. This could have been a foreshadowing of his forgiveness and restoration in John 21:15-19.
(v. 8) Ran from the tomb: Mark used a Greek word (pheugo) that can also mean “escape.” The idea is that the women were trying to get away as quickly as possible. It’s easy to understand why they would have run. They were overwhelmed as they processed what they had just seen and heard.
Mark recorded that they told no one. Most likely, they were still shocked and more than a little confused. It had been a crazy morning for them as their emotions swung from grief to fear to amazement to joy. While they needed a little time to collect themselves, Scripture confirms that they did eventually obey the command and tell others about the empty tomb (Matt. 28:8; Luke 24:9; John 20:2).
9 Early on the first day of the week, after he had risen, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and reported to those who had been with him, as they were mourning and weeping. 11 Yet, when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it. 12 After this, he appeared in a different form to two of them walking on their way into the country. 13 And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either. 14 Later he appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen.
(v. 9) First day of the week: The Jewish week closed on Saturday, the Sabbath. So, the first day of the week was Sunday. In remembrance of the resurrection, this became known as the “Lord’s day” (Rev. 1:10), the day when the early church would gather (see Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).
(v. 9) Appeared first: While early manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel do not include verses 9-14, all other Gospels have records of Jesus being seen in person on several occasions following His resurrection. Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She had gone back to the tomb while it was still morning when Jesus appeared to her. Following His revelation to Mary, she shared that she had seen the risen Christ with those who had been followers of Jesus, including, but not limited to, the eleven disciples (v. 10).
However, they refused to believe her story (v. 11). This account is also presented in John’s Gospel, where Jesus appeared to His followers twice to prove that He was alive (John 20:19-29). Matthew’s account also notes that Jesus revealed Himself to the two other women on the first Easter, as well.
(v. 12) In a different form: While Mark didn’t share the identity of the two disciples in verse 12, they were probably the same followers who were walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-34. Apparently, the form that Jesus took while talking to them was not one they readily recognized.
It is possible that something about Jesus’s post-resurrection appearance was different from what the two disciples were used to seeing in Him. Like the women who had seen Jesus earlier in the day, when the two reported that they had seen the risen Jesus, the disciples didn’t believe them either.
(v. 14) Appeared to the Eleven: After living in denial—or possibly confusion—most of the day, the disciples got a confirmation of the resurrection that they could not reject. Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating their evening meal. Luke and John also recorded a resurrection day appearance of Jesus to His disciples, though John stated that one disciple (Thomas) was initially absent and saw Jesus later
(John 20:19-29).
(v. 14) Rebuked their unbelief: The word translated rebuked (oneidisen) was an extremely strong verb that was not used by Jesus anywhere else in the Gospels. The disciples had a history of not understanding the things Jesus was trying to teach them in the past. While this wasn’t the first time that Jesus would rebuke the disciples, it was, based on Mark’s wording, the most severe.
This rebuke could have been the result of their earlier doubts about the resurrection or an ongoing lack of faith on their part—or both.
Hardness of heart
Along with a general lack of faith, the disciples also demonstrated what Jesus deemed a hardness of heart. It was the kind of stubbornness that Jesus had once associated with the Jews in a discussion about divorce (Matt. 19:8; Mark 10:5). The term suggests a systemic obstinacy that borders on rebellion. The disciples had dismissed out of hand any and all reports of Jesus’s resurrection appearances, even though those reports came from multiple sources at multiple times.
Thankfully for the disciples, their hardness was not a permanent condition. As a result, Jesus commissioned them to go into the world and to spread the good news of the gospel (Mark 16:15-16).
God the Son
Christ was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Ephesians 1:20.)
Use other Scripture to help understand a Bible passage.
While each of the four Gospels include the accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, all four are unique in their accounts. Read the following passages to help you gain a better understanding of this account: Matthew 27-28:10; Luke 23-24:49; and John 19-20:29. Compare these accounts to Mark 16. Record any differences you find. In what ways do the four accounts give you a fuller understanding of the events and significance of the resurrection?