When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
As you may have noticed, the four gospel accounts differ in the details of the resurrection: the number of angels, the women, the angel’s words and even whether the stone has already been rolled back. Given such an extraordinary event, this probably should not surprise us. Indeed, detectives often note that people remember things very differently. The main points, however, remain clear.
We noticed in the previous chapter that the women followed Joseph of Arimathea and witnessed Jesus’ body being put in the tomb on Friday. Now, they return after the sabbath, on Sunday morning, to finally give the body proper preparation for burial. They worry about how they will move the large stone in front of the tomb but, when they arrive, discover that it has already been moved. To make matters even stranger, when they enter the tomb, they don’t find a body. Instead, an angel, in the shape of a young man (although unlike in the other gospels, he is not specifically called an angel) tells them not to be afraid. Note that the most frequent command that God gives humans in the Bible is not to be afraid. We should all reflect on what this means about how we should live our lives.
Jesus had said several times that he would rise again so, in theory, they should have expected it. However, throughout the gospel, the disciples continually had problems grasping Jesus’ teaching. This time is no different and so God sends an angel to help them understand what has happened.
The empty tomb means a new beginning for the disciples. The angel tells them to return to Galilee, where the mission originally began and there they will meet him. They will leave behind Jerusalem and all its horrible memories. When all hope seems to be lost, they discover that Jesus is alive and they will see him. Note that Peter, whom we last saw weeping with shame, is specifically mentioned. We can imagine what this meant to him: he is forgiven and still loved.
We can easily understand how terrified and overwhelmed the women felt. Any of us would feel the same way in such a situation. However, we must wonder why they did not tell anyone, in spite of the fact that angel instructs them to do so. Obviously they did eventually say something for we know the story of the resurrection. But there is no denying that this passage, the original ending of Mark’s gospel, is highly unsatisfying.
St. Joseph's Paris: Bible Study Website