Mark 16

The women at the tomb (vs. 1-8)—Mark’s account of the resurrection is brief and to the point. None of the gospel writers go into a whole lot of detail or discussion of the matter; if they had gone on and on about it, one would wonder if they were trying to obscure something with verbosity. So, in a few words, they present what happened. If people aren’t going to believe on the evidence submitted in the four gospels, they aren’t going to believe, period. But keep in mind that none of the writers endeavors to tell the whole story. Each adds details the others don’t have. No two people will ever tell of an event in the exact same way, but that doesn’t mean they are contradicting each other. Different details don’t mean falsehood.

In Mark’s account, very early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome (James’ and John’s mother) went to the tomb to complete Jesus’ burial procedures (vs. 1-2). This indicates that they had no thought that He was going to be resurrected. They were concerned that they might not be able to move the stone that had been placed in front of the tomb (v. 3). But when they arrived at the gravesite, they noticed that the stone had already been rolled away (v. 4). Upon entering the tomb, “a young man clothed in a long white robe” told them that Jesus had been raised from the dead, and that they should go and tell His disciples that He was going to Galilee (vs. 5-7). Especially tell Peter, probably because he would be so shaken over his own denial of Christ that he would figure the Lord would never want to see him again. The women were astonished at what they heard; it took them a little while to wrap their minds around something that was so foreign and incredible to them, something that they had never considered possible, regardless of Jesus having told His disciples several times about His resurrection.

Jesus’ appearances (vs. 9-20)—He appeared first to Mary Magdalene (v. 9). She went and told His disciples, but obtuse as always, “they did not believe” (v. 11)—that was their initial reaction. Jesus then appeared to two disciples “as they walked and went into the country.” Luke records this appearance in detail in Luke 24:13-35. He then appeared to the eleven and “rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart” (v. 14). This is apparently the appearance mentioned in Luke 24:36-49 and John 20:19-23. After this, He gives them the “Great Commission”: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (vs. 15-16). The apostles would be more qualified to do this after the Holy Spirit came upon them in Acts 2. They would also be able to work the miracles He mentions in verses 17-18. Those miracles were designed to confirm the message that they preached (v. 20). After He told them this, He ascended up to heaven “and sat down at the right hand of God” (v. 19). A simple and succinct historical rendition of the resurrection of Jesus.

There are some “scholars” who argue that Mark 16:9-20 was not written by Mark and thus not in the original text. Two of the oldest manuscripts of the Bible, and a few others, don’t have Mark 16:9-20 in them, though the vast, vast majority do. It’s really irrelevant. Even if Mark is not the author of these verses, they were obviously written very early by someone who was in a position to know the facts, and they are the words the Lord wants in the text. So, the debate is a lot of hot air over nothing, as most such debates are.