He is Risen! – Mark 16
“Don’t be alarmed… You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.
He has risen! He is not here…” ~ Mark 16:6 (NIV)

Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia! Mary Magdalene and the women with her found the stone rolled away and Jesus’ body gone! Can you imagine? In their grief, they had planned to offer one final gift to their Lord and Master—to tenderly care for His abused, tortured body, properly preparing it for burial. It was all that was left to them. Not only had their hopes for His Messianic rule been dashed, but they had also lost someone very dear to them. So, to find His body gone must have been very distressing. They must have gone from grief to dismay (maybe anger) and then to…shock and bewilderment when an angel speaks to them!
Mark ends the story of the Resurrection abruptly—with the women fleeing from the tomb “trembling and bewildered” and too afraid (at first) to speak of what they had seen (v. 8). Though most Bible translations include verses 9-20, these were not in the earliest manuscripts we have of Mark and were likely added in the first part of the second century. The annotator to Mark’s gospel likely thought that more information was needed, and verses 9-24 include events covered in other gospel accounts. (See below* for a timeline that incorporates all the gospel accounts of the Resurrection.)
The spareness of Mark’s Resurrection account and its abrupt ending reflect the shock and bewilderment of the women. This goes to show that the people closest to Jesus were not expecting the Resurrection at all. Jesus had been predicting His death and Resurrection, but no one had understood—not even His disciples. The idea that the Messiah would come to die and rise again was too different from their expectations—and too amazing!
But our incredible, loving God is full of surprises. Roman oppression was not His people’s biggest problem—slavery to sin and death was. So, He took care of it—for all of us…for you.
After the women left the tomb, Jesus eventually appeared to all His disciples so that they would all come to believe and to understand that His death was not an unforeseen tragedy, but God’s plan to rescue us. Our God is a God of Redemption and Resurrection! If we do not lose faith, He will never abandon us to death and darkness. Jesus’ Resurrection is our proof.
Rejoice with your risen Savior today! Rest in the knowledge that whatever difficulties you face in your life are temporary. This broken, sinful world is passing away, and Jesus has offered redemption and resurrection for those who would believe in and follow Him. Thank Him for that, and cast all your cares on Him, knowing that He is faithful to His word to care for you. He will see you through any darkness into His perfect light, and your future is secure in the One who conquered sin and death on your behalf!
*A Timeline of the Gospel Accounts of the Resurrection
(1) Mary Magdalene and at least four other women (Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna, and “others”) leave for the tomb early Sunday morning (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1, 10).
(2) Meanwhile at the tomb, there is a violent earthquake, and an angel of the Lord rolls the stone away. The guards faint (Matthew 28:2-4).
(3) When the women arrive at the tomb, they see that the stone has been rolled away, and Jesus’ body is gone! (Mark 16:4; Luke 24:2-3)
(4) Mary Magdalene is shocked and runs off to tell Peter and John (John 20:1-2).
(5) The other women enter the tomb and encounter two angels, one of whom speaks to them (Matthew 28:5-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-7).
(6) The women run from the tomb, too frightened at first to speak, but, eventually, they tell the rest of the disciples (Matthew 28:8; Mark 16:8; Luke 24:9-10). (Mary had already gone to tell Peter and John, who were in a different place from the rest of the Eleven.)
(7) Mary tells Peter and John, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Peter and John run to the tomb, and Mary follows. John outruns Peter and looks in the tomb, but Peter runs by and goes straight in. John follows, sees, and believes, though Peter is left wondering. Both go back to where they were staying (John 20:2-10; Luke 24:12).
(8) After Peter and John leave, Mary stands outside the tomb crying. As she weeps, she looks into the tomb, sees the two angels in white, and speaks to them. Then, she turns and encounters Jesus, thinking at first that He is the gardener. (This is the first encounter anyone has with the risen Lord.) Jesus tells Mary to go to the other disciples (John 20:14-17; Luke 24:11).
(9) Mary Magdalene goes after Peter and John with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18)
(10) Meanwhile, as the other women are on their way to tell the rest of the disciples, Jesus appears to them, too. He meets them “suddenly” (Matthew 28:9-10).
(11) Later that day, Jesus appears to Cleopas and his friend on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).
(12) Either before or right after Jesus appears to Cleopas and his friend, Jesus also appears to Peter, but Scripture doesn’t tell us where (Luke 24:34).
(13) Later that day, Peter and the rest of the disciples (except Thomas) gather with a bunch of other believers, and Cleopas and his friend join them. Jesus appears to them all then (Luke 24:33-49; John 20:19-23).
(14) A week later, Jesus appears to His disciples again, and this time, Thomas is with them (John 20:26-29).
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