The Resurrection (Mark 16:1-8)
The three women who had witnessed Jesus’ take his last breath came early, on the first day of the week, to anoint his body with spices. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. When a name like Mary is used for two persons a modifier is needed to distinguish them. The first Mary mentioned is called Magdalene, “a surname derived from Magdala, the place of her birth.” (Easton Bible Dictionary) The idea that this Mary was the unchaste woman from the story in Luke 7:36-50 comes from a notation. (Mark 16:9) The second Mary mentioned is the mother of Jesus but the text does not say that, it says Mary the mother of James. It was well known in the early church that James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem was the Lord’s brother. The third woman was Salome the mother of the apostles James and John. These women wanted to anoint the Lord’s body but did not know how they might roll the stone away from the entrance but then noticed something miraculous. The stone was rolled away and inside the tomb was a young man wearing a white robe. The robe must have been brilliant because they were amazed. He told them that Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified, has risen and is not here. He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you. He also told them to go tell it to his disciples and Peter. I do not know why Peter is separated from the other disciples, perhaps, because he denied the Lord, but the young man who is obviously an angel and he includes him with the command to go tell.
The Remainder of the Chapter (Mark 16:9-20)
Early manuscripts do not include these verses. They are only found in later manuscripts. There is much speculation of how this came to be, but I think it safe to say that no one should use this text for doctrinal purposes. You will find what is said in the text, several other places in Scripture, so use what is said there. It is as if someone wrote out a summary of what can be found in the other gospel accounts and in Acts. Some how their summary was transcribed with the later manuscripts. My saying this is not to cause doubt about the validity of Scripture, but quite the opposite; it is well known among Bible scholars, that this passage is not found in the early manuscripts. The ending at Mark 16:8 seems odd when the other gospel accounts include the Lord’s appearances. Perhaps Mark ended his gospel this way because you and I have not seen the risen Lord with out own eyes and neither did those for whom Mark first wrote his gospel account. We must trust the promise of the Lord, that we will see him, on the last day, at his second coming. The three women did not see the Lord, the tomb was empty, they had to trust the Word of the Lord, that they will see him, just just he told them.
