2BeLikeChrist Bible Commentary - Mark Chapter 16
Commentary - Mark Chapter 16
Mark 16:1-2
Mar 16:1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
Mar 16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
When the Sabbath day had past (Saturday ended and Sunday began), 3 women went to the tomb bearing spices and with the intent of anointing Jesus’ body.
John 19:39 tells us Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes.
This was probably part of the typical burial practice.
Why was this being done 3 days later?
If you remember from chapter 15, Jesus body had to be taken off the cross somewhat quickly because the Sabbath day was approaching.
Joseph of Arimathea probably wouldn’t have had time to complete the full entombing routine.
These nice women who had ministered to Jesus during His life, also cared for Him in His death.
Luckily for us, these women never accomplished what they came to do.
But I want to take a moment to admire their intent.
I’ve never been around dead bodies but I know they decompose quickly.
Jesus’ body had been torn to shreds by the whip and the nails and was now 3 days decomposed.
I’m sure these women could have found a more pleasant way to spend their Sunday.
What they were about to do couldn’t have been pleasant.
This text shows off the beauty of their hearts and the honor they gave to Jesus.
Mark 16:3-4
Mar 16:3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”
Mar 16:4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.
On the way, they questioned how they were going to roll the large stone away from the door.
It must have taken several able bodied individuals to move the stone and they had yet to work out who they could get to help them.
But when they arrived at the tomb, the stone had already been rolled away.
Mark 16:5-8
Mar 16:5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
Mar 16:6 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.
Mar 16:7 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.”
Mar 16:8 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.
When the women arrived, they saw a young man in a white robe sitting.
Matthew tells us the young man was an angel.
The angel tells the ladies Christ had risen and the place in the tomb His body had once occupied was now vacant.
He tells them to find the Apostles and let them know the Lord will meet them in Galilee just as He had promised.
Jesus had mentioned this while eating the Passover meal.
Mat 26:31-32 - Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” (see also Mark 14:27)
You notice the angel specifically mentions Peter in verse 7.
Can you imagine betraying your friend in the last hours of his/her life.
The regret and sadness you would feel when you remembered they had to go to their death with your knife in their back.
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the emotional anguish Peter endured, but I think we can say with confidence it was significant.
The resurrection gave Peter an opportunity to remedy a mistake he never thought he would be able to fix.
Mark 16:9-11
Mar 16:9 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.
Mar 16:10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
Mar 16:11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
The Lord appearing to a group of women first is a significant detail that is easy to overlook.
In most modern countries, the testimony of a woman is worth just as much as a man.
But in ancient Judaea, it wasn’t.
The testimony of a woman was worth significantly less than a mans.
It is a sign of the Bible’s authenticity that it records Jesus appearing first to a group of females.
If someone had made up the resurrection account, it is highly unlikely they would write the story this way.
Another interesting detail added by Mark is the fact that Mary Magdalene at one point was possessed by 7 demons.
This goes to show Jesus did a lot more during His time on earth than just what is recorded by the gospel writers.
Joh 21:25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
When Mary found the Apostles they were morning and weeping over the Lord’s death.
She told them what she had seen but they did not believe her.
Mark 16:12-13
Mar 16:12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.
Mar 16:13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
These two verses are a short summary of the extended account found in Luke 24:13-33.
Interestingly, Jesus initially appeared to these two disciples in “another form.”
The two disciples were unable to recognize Jesus until He revealed His identity to them.
They too went to the Apostles and told them about their encounter, but they did not believe them either.
Mark 16:14
Mar 16:14 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.
Finally, Jesus appeared to the 11 Apostles.
Jesus was upset with them about their unbelief.
If anyone should have believed Jesus rose after 3 days it should have been the Apostles.
No one had been given clearer insight into Jesus’ plans.
Mar 8:31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mar 9:31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
Mar 10:34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”
Mark 16:15-16
Mar 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Mar 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Although they needed a rebuke for their hardness of heart, it did not disqualify them from the work for which Jesus had been preparing them.
APPLICATION: Don’t wait until you’re perfect to start working for the Lord.
If you wait till you’re perfect to get to work, you’ll never get to work.
God doesn’t ask perfect people to work for Him (that was Jesus’ job). God uses imperfect people for His purposes.
If we described someone as unbelieving and hard-hearted in one sentence, we probably wouldn’t turn around and give them the most important job in the world in the next sentence.
But that is what Jesus just did.
Being an effective worker in the Lord’s service doesn’t require perfection.
And having room to grow in one area doesn’t invalidate your ability to work in all other areas.
The Apostles are given a simple but profound mission in verses 15-16.
They are to go out into the world and preaching the gospel (good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection) to the entire world.
Why is that good news?
Because Jesus death on the cross happened because He was paying the price for our sins by stepping in as a sacrifice.
And because Jesus resurrection means we too can be resurrected to new life and overcome death (which is a consequence of sin).
Anyone who believed them and was baptized would be saved (saved from sin and death.
Why baptism? What does getting dunked in water have to do with anything?
Paul gives us a bit more insight into the image of baptism in the book of Romans.
Rom 6:3-6 - Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Baptism is a picture of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected to new life.
In baptism we die to our old sinful lives, are buried like Christ (in water), and then are “resurrected” to a new life of service to God.
Our old sinful self dies, it’s buried, and we are born again to live for God.
SIDE NOTE: I wonder if the Apostle’s own disbelief made them more compassionate on those who struggled to believe the gospel message.
It took them at least three times to convince them Jesus had resurrected.
They were probably more patient with others because of it.
There may also be a lesson here for us about persistence.
If it took the Apostles this many times to believe, we should be open to the idea it may take multiple attempts to reach people we are trying to teach.
Mark 16:17-18
Mar 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
Mar 16:18 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.”
It is one thing to make a truth claim…
It is another to prove it!
God gave the Apostles the power to prove their “good news” came from God.
They would be given miraculous power as an evidence to the truth of their message.
Mark 16:19-20
Mar 16:19 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.
Mar 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
Again, we see Mark, in typical Mark fashion, summarizing hugely significant events in a small amount of words.
Jesus leaves earth and ascends back into heaven where He takes His position of honor within the Trinity.
Mark then concludes his book by telling us the Apostles took the gospel and spread it “everywhere” using the miraculous signs to confirm their message.
