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?” 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.
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.
Comment: I don’t know, and I guess seriously that none apart from God, who is the same ‘yesterday, today and forever’ knows exactly when Mark wrote this gospel . As I read it (and this is my thought, which I have never heard it expressed elsewhere, although it may have been, I think that it went something like this! That young man who ran away naked from the garden was in fact Mark the author of this book. He wasn’t one of the twelve close disciples who became Apostles (apart from Judas, the traitor) but probably knew them all but Peter especially well. I think that he was literate and wrote records of what he heard and what he was told as he followed somewhat closely in the path of Jesus. As you know in the found manuscripts of Mark’s gospel some end with this passage, and some end with the extra verses, which we will look at tomorrow. I suspect that Mark was so excited that Jesus had been seen and known to be alive that he scribbled this in haste but accurate ending and hastily had it sent around to a few friends. Later he had, and relatively soon after wrote the few remaining verses and sent them to his friends. I suspect, from his initial introduction that he had both traditional and Greek thinking Jews for friends and was intent on getting the message to both groups! Some time, probably a few days later he added the extra verses and sent out further copies including both portions! Maybe you think this is all my fancy but we all know just excited and bubbly young people can be when they have discovered the secret of LIFE – which Mark had found in Jesus! The ESV includes as a marked entry the following
– (ESV) Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8; others include verses 9-20 immediately after verse 8. At least one manuscript inserts additional material after verse 14; some manuscripts include after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. These manuscripts then continue with verses 9-20
The passage is brief considering the relevance of the materiel but contains the key highlights of the Easter message! the people went to finish the embalming; they are surprised to see the heavy stone covering the entrance rolled away; they find an empty tomb; Jesus is announced as risen and the disciples are to be informed; Mary met Him and told the disciples, who initially wouldn’t believe. Don’t blame Mark in his enthusiasm to get the news out, I often have to add addendums! Thanks to God that we have the other three gospels as context for this important event.
A quote from Karen Glass, an author, talking about reading in general – Well, that’s where the context comes in—right there on the same pages. I urge you to read the full context for yourself. – this is obviously not a Biblical quote but certainly applies to reading the Bible!
Prayer: Help me to read Your book, Father, sincerely, thoroughly and well. Please let me see Your meaning for my life and the world!
As I read it! 