Mark 16
CHAPTER 16
Mark 16:1-20 . ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE WOMEN ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, THAT CHRIST IS RISEN--HIS APPEARANCES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION--HIS ASCENSION--TRIUMPHANT PROCLAMATION OF HIS GOSPEL. ( = Matthew 28:1-10 Matthew 28:16-20 , Luke 24:1-51 , John 20:1 John 20:2 John 20:11-29 ).
The Resurrection Announced to the Women ( Mark 16:1-8 ).
1. when the sabbath was past--that is, at sunset of our Saturday.
Mary the mother of James--James the Less (see Mark 15:40 ).
and Salome--the mother of Zebedee's sons (compare Mark 15:40 with Matthew 27:56 ).
had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him--The word is simply "bought." But our translators are perhaps right in rendering it here "had bought," since it would appear, from Luke 23:56 , that they had purchased them immediately after the Crucifixion, on the Friday evening, during the short interval that remained to them before sunset, when the sabbath rest began; and that they had only deferred using them to anoint the body till the sabbath rest should be over. On this "anointing,"
2. very early in the
the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun--not quite literally, but "at earliest dawn"; according to a way of speaking not uncommon, and occurring sometimes in the Old Testament. Thus our Lord rose on the third day; having lain in the grave part of Friday, the whole of Saturday, and part of the following First day.
3. they said among themselves--as they were approaching the sacred spot.
Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? . . . for it was very great--On reaching it they find their difficulty gone--the stone already rolled away by an unseen hand. And are there no others who, when advancing to duty in the face of appalling difficulties, find their stone also rolled away?
5. entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man--In Matthew 28:2 he is called "the angel of the Lord"; but here he is described as he appeared to the eye, in the bloom of a life that knows no decay. In Matthew he is represented as sitting on the stone outside the sepulchre; but since even there he says, "Come, see the place where the Lord lay" ( Matthew 28:6 ), he seems, as ALFORD says, to have gone in with them from without; only awaiting their arrival to accompany them into the hallowed spot, and instruct them about it.
sitting on the right side--having respect to the position in which His Lord had lain there. This trait is peculiar to Mark; but compare Luke 1:11 .
clothed in a long white garment--On its length, see Isaiah 6:1 ; and on its whiteness,
and they were affrighted.
6. he saith unto them, Be not affrighted--a stronger word than "Fear not" in Matthew ( Matthew 28:5 ).
Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified!--"the Nazarene, the Crucified,"
he is risen; he is not
behold the place where they laid
7. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter--This Second Gospel, being drawn up--as all the earliest tradition states--under the eye of Peter, or from materials chiefly furnished by him, there is something deeply affecting in the preservation of this little phrase by Mark alone.
that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said unto
8. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre: for they trembled and were amazed--"for tremor and amazement seized them."
neither said they anything to any man; for they were afraid--How intensely natural and simple is this!
Appearances of Jesus after His Resurrection ( Mark 16:9-18 ).