“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]
[[9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]”
What goes through your mind when you hear that Jesus is God?
This is something people have struggled with, including the people who knew Jesus in the flesh. The women come to Jesus’ tomb early Sunday morning with a simple purpose: to finish preparing His body for burial.
They had watched Him die. They knew where He was buried. And now they were bringing spices to anoint His body.
But there is something interesting about their plans.
Jesus had told His disciples several times that He would be killed and rise again on the third day. The women had heard Jesus’ teaching, too. Yet they weren’t going to the tomb expecting to find it empty. They were going to care for a dead body.
As they walked, their biggest concern was who would roll away the large stone covering the entrance.
They weren’t expecting a resurrection.
Neither were the men.
When the women arrive, the stone has already been rolled away. Inside, they find a young man dressed in white who tells them something extraordinary.
“You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.”
Imagine what must have been going through their minds.
They had seen Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, and even raise the dead. They may not have realized it at the time, but these miracles were both revealing that Jesus was God and the eternal life that He would bring for those who believe in Him. They had heard Him predict His own resurrection. Yet now, standing in an empty tomb, they are overwhelmed.
Mark tells us that they flee, trembling and astonished, and that they are afraid.
It’s a striking way to end the account.
We might expect the women to immediately celebrate, shouting for joy that Jesus is alive. Instead, they are terrified.
But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. They have just encountered something beyond anything they had ever experienced. Their understanding of reality has been turned upside down.
The One they watched die is alive!
They had gotten used to Jesus in the flesh. He is God, but He is also man. He hungered, slept, and bled. He walked with them and taught them. It would be easy to get comfortable and familiar with Jesus and forget there’s something more.
Back in Mark 4, the disciples had a similar experience when Jesus stilled a raging storm with two words. They were terrified.
If you’ve heard the account of the death and resurrection for years, maybe your whole life, it can become familiar, too. We can lose the awe of the moment. We can become a little too comfortable with Jesus, but we need to remember, He is God…all-powerful, perfectly holy, creator and judge of all.
Even those who walked with Jesus struggled to understand and believe His promises.
But notice that Jesus did not abandon them.
In fact, the messenger specifically tells the women to tell the disciples, “and Peter,” that Jesus is going ahead of them into Galilee.
Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, is specifically included in the invitation.
Jesus has risen, and His mercy toward His failing disciples has not changed.
You may notice that some Bibles include a note after verse 8 explaining that the earliest manuscripts of Mark do not contain verses 9–20. These verses, often called the longer ending of Mark, summarize Jesus’ appearances after His resurrection and His commission to proclaim the Gospel. Although there are questions about whether Mark originally wrote these verses, the central events they describe are also taught elsewhere in the New Testament.
And those events remind us that the resurrection was not the end of Jesus’ work through His disciples.
It was the beginning of their mission to proclaim what He had accomplished.
Throughout this series, we have watched Jesus reveal Himself as the Son of God. He came to serve sinners, gave His life as a ransom for many, and rose victorious over death.
The women came to the tomb expecting death.
Instead, they encountered the greatest news the world has ever heard, even if it terrified them.
Jesus is alive!
Personally, I like the short ending better. The abrupt ending forces use to be left with the moment. And we should sit with this moment for a while. Don’t let it pass you by. If this is all new to you, this Gospel is for you. Jesus’ promises are for you. His death and resurrection secured the gift of your salvation. Receive that gift in faith.
If you’ve heard the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection many times, let it sink in again. Let the awe of the moment return. The God of the universe took on flesh in order to die for your sins and rise again.
And because He lives, sin has been paid for, death has been defeated, and everyone who trusts in Him has the promise of eternal life.
The same Jesus who called His first disciples to follow Him now calls us, calls you, to believe His Word, trust His promises, and share His good news with the world.
Let’s pray…
Risen Lord Jesus,
Thank You for conquering sin and death through Your death and resurrection. Forgive me for the times I doubt Your promises or become complacent in my faith. Thank You for Your patience and mercy toward those who struggle to believe. Strengthen my faith through Your Word, fill me with the joy of Your resurrection, and help me share Your good news with others.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
