Restoration through Resurrection | Mark 15:40-16:8
Notes
Transcript
Have you ever watched a movie that had a really confusing ending? You get to the end and you are left wondering....wait....is that it? That’s the end? Surely that cannot be the end.
One of my favorite movies is Inception. The basic plot of the movie is that a group of men set out to plant an idea in someone else’s mind. They do this by causing a person to go to sleep and then using a certain device they too can go to sleep and enter into the dream world of the person. The twist is that the dream world can feel so real that it can be easy to get lost in the dream and if you die in the dream you die in real life. You never wake up. There are ways to figure out if you are still dreaming, but that takes intentionality and careful planning.
If you haven’t seen the movie I’m about to say some things that might be considered a spoiler, but the movie came out in 2010, so you’ve had time to watch it. As you come to the conclusion of the movie, it seems that things are beginning to fall into place and we are going to get a happily ever after ending, right up until the question is raised at the very end of whether or not the main character has made it back to reality or if he is still dreaming. At the exact moment when we as the audience would get an answer to that question, the screen goes black, and the credits roll.
So we as the audience are left wondering. Wait. What happens? The story is incomplete! There is more to learn! More to see! You seriously cannot be ending the movie right there!
I believe the Gospel the Mark has a similar ending. If you look at your bible into Mark 16, you may notice a few things depending on your translation. First, you may notice that Mark 16 appears to have 20 verses. Second, you might notice that your bible puts brackets around vss 9-20 with an explanatory note that reads something along the lines of “the earliest mss did not contain vss 9-20.”
I pointed out last week that vs 28 of chapter 15 is treated in a similar fashion. In some translations they remove it from the main text and drop it into the foot note. in others they put it in brackets.
Last week I teased that there would be similar issues in Mark 16, and that I plan on going into a larger discussion about these things in future weeks. Today, I am once again going to defer the majority of that discussion until July. It’s a big topic that will take serious time, and I want us to be able to focus in on what Mark says and not the issue of what is called textual criticism.
Just so you aren’t left completely wondering what is going on, I believe that the Gospel of Mark, as originally written by Mark, ended with Mark 16:8. But if you read verse eight, it’s not exactly the conclusion that we’ve all come to expect with stories and is very different from how the other authors end their Gospel accounts. Some believe that Mark is incomplete with vs 8, and so there must be more to the story.
However, there are many reasons to conclude that vs 8 really was the end. For the sake of time, I’ll just give a condensed list right now.
There are three possible endings that have been found in different manuscripts over the years that take us beyond vs 8. There is one ended that adds one more verse. Another that adds several. And then the long ending that is in most Bibles. If this long ending is original, why do we have what appears to be multiple attempts to “finish the story”
The longer endings are just as rough as having the Gospel end with Vs 8. The flow from 8 to 9 is confusing and unlikely.
There are a handful of words and phrases in the long ended that 1) don’t show up anywhere else in Mark, although we might expect them to, and 2) don’t show up anywhere else in the NT. It is almost certain that it was an addition from a later time period.
Finally, Mark has a particular style, and ending with vs 8 actually fits his style way more than any of the other possible endings.
Ancient writers are not obligated to give us the happily ever after ending we’ve come to expect. Mark’s audience already knows how many things turned out from the story. It’s not like they never found out what happened. But Mark has a purpose in writing, and to accomplish that purpose he does something we would not expect and ends the story with vs 8.
We’ll get more deeply into these issues in July.
For now, let’s get into the text and see what Mark wants us to learn.
We left off last week with the death of Christ and the stunning confession from the Centurion that this truly was the Son of God.
We now pick things up in 15:40.
There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
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.
For the first time in Mark’s Gospel we are introduced to women who apparently have been with Jesus the entire time during his ministry. They too, were disciples, they were followers of Jesus. They traveled with him and ministered to him, that is, they likely spent time caring for many of the practical needs as Jesus and the disciples carried out their ministry.
Nearly all the characters in chapter 15 are presented as opposed to Jesus in some way. The religious leaders accuse him before Pilate and later mock him. Pilate’s seems to be sympathetic, but is ultimately indifferent and defers to the whims of the crowd. The crowd shouts for his execution in lieu of Barabbas’. The soldiers mock and crucify him. The passers by mock, those crucified with him revile.
The first person to seemingly see Jesus for who he is is the Roman centurion. Of all people, it was not Peter, who denied him, it was not one of the other disciples who fled in fear, it was Roman Centurion.
The next group of surprising characters is this group of women. Vs 40-41 speak of these women with remarkable commendation. These women looking on from a distance, but close enough be witnesses. Where are the other disciples? Why aren’t they reported to be there?
Mark seems to be presenting these women as another indictment on the faith of the disciples. They all ran away. But these women. They were there at his death. They were there at his burial. And they will be the first to be at the scene of His resurrection.
As a side note, I want to make a comment about how women are treated by the Scriptures. Many today claim that the biblical understanding of how God made men and women degrades women and tries to keep them down. While there may have been some people who have made erroneous applications from the biblical text, it is clear that God highly honors the role women throughout all the Scriptures.
In the culture of the day when these events took place, women were not permitted to serve as witnesses in court. But Mark has then listed as the primary witnesses to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The Bible does not degrade women, but gives them their proper honor.
There are others, however, who look at passages like this and the pendulum swings really far to the other direction. They see the women at the tomb, see that they were commissioned to tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen, and they conclude that these women were the first preachers, and thus it is okay for women to serve as pastors in a local church context.
It’s a bad application from a faulty understanding of this text and ignores what the rest of the Scripture teaches about the roles God has given men and women in the home and church. Women are highly honored, and the teachings about the roles of men and women must be maintained. We hold both tho be true, and there really is no tension between them.
I say all that because of the confusion of the world in which we live on these topics, but it is a side road that Mark wasn’t intending us to travel. So let’s get back to the narrative.
Who are these women? First, Mary Magdalene. Luke tells us that Mary had seven demons cast out of her, and then each of the Gospel writers note her presence at crucifixion and beyond. And that’s all we really know. She was someone delivered from the devil by Jesus and had apparently devoted her life to his service and followed him.
We also have Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses. Some have tried to say this is Mary the mother of Jesus, because Jesus had half brothers by the same name. It seems more likely that Mark would have just said Jesus’ mother, but he didn’t. This is another Mary.
And finally Salome. Salome is mentioned just two times in all the Scriptures. Mark 15:40, and 16:1. We know nothing else except what vs 41 tells us.
They followed Jesus. They were also disciples. followers. learners.
They ministered to Jesus. The word could also be translated, they served him. It’s from the same word group that gives us the word deacon. They likely looked after many practical matters of food and shelter as they traveled around. Mark notes their faithfulness and loyalty to Christ.
With the conspicuous absence of Peter and the rest of the male disciples, here are these faithful women observing all the proceedings.
Next we have Joseph of Arimathea.
Because Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and runs to sundown on Saturday. To leave a body on the cross would have been inappropriate in their customs.
So Joseph, a man who is a respected member of the Sanhedrin, but also someone who was looking for the Kingdom of God, decides to act.
Joseph appears to be a man of genuine faith in the promises of God. Whether we believed that Jesus was the Messiah is not entirely clear. He may have acted more out of respect than faith.
Either way, he chose to give Jesus a proper burial, at least in what time they had before the Sabbath began.
Be takes courage. Some translations say he boldly when to Pilate. Often the Romans would leave the dead bodies on the cross for days and they would decompose right on the cross. Asking for the body risks revealing yourself as a criminal sympathizer. He summons his courage and he does it.
Pilate is surprised that Jesus could have died so quickly. Often criminals would hang for days before dying. Jesus was dead in a matter of hours.
Pilate confirms that Jesus was in fact dead, surrenders the body, and Joseph buries him, and the two Mary’s see where he is placed.
Again, where are the disciples? Still in hiding.
And so we come to chapter 16. After the Sabbath ends, the Marys and Salome have mad preparations to anoint Jesus’ body. This was usually done during the burial process, but they likely did not have time because of the approaching Sabbath on Friday evening. So they are determined to go back and provide the proper spices.
As they come near they are faced with a dilemma. Wait a second. How are we gonna move that giant stone?
The text says they looked up. They were were looking down in sorrow, but now look up to see something wonderful. The stone has moved. They go inside. And there was what appeared to be a young man there and they are alarmed.
Our English alarmed is an understatement. This is the same word that is used to describe Jesus’ distress in the Garden as he prays that the cup might pass from him!
They are distressed! Alarmed!
Imagine the confusion. Imagine the emotions. Put yourself there in that moment and imagine the range of emotion you would feel.
The man you’ve been following around the country for several years has been wrongfully convicted, brutally beaten, and publically executed. This man you believed to be the Messiah is now dead, or so you think.
You show up to his tomb and would be surprised to see the stone had been moved. You enter, perhaps still thinking body would be there, because why wouldn’t it be. And instead of a dead body there is this man in white.
I think you and I would be confused, and yes, alarmed! Greatly distressed!
This man reassures them. Don’t be alarmed! Why? Because there is good news!
Mark 16:6 “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.”
You seek Jesus who was crucified. It’s as if the man, whom we know to be an angel, is first letting them know, yes, you’ve come to the correct tomb. You aren’t lost! This is the spot.
And then he drops the glorious bombshell on them: He has risen; he is not here.
He’s alive! Jesus Christ is Alive! You can look for him all you want in this tomb, you can examine the previous location of his body, but you will not find him, and why would you? He’s a living man, and this is where the dead are.
And now that you have this good news, there is something you must do.
Mark 16:7 “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.””
It may not seem like it, but this is one of the most glorious verses in all of Mark.
Go tell his disciples and Peter.
Why is Peter singled out like this? Isn’t he already included in the group of the disciples? Go tell his disciples. That includes Peter!
Another way to translate this is “Go tell his disciples, even Peter.” which gives it the force of “especially” Peter.
Why? Why this emphasis on Peter?
Do you remember what happened the last time we saw Peter in this narrative?
The last time we saw Peter was at the end of chapter 14.
But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”
And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Last we saw Peter he was a broken man. He was a man uttering curses and swearing, and then weeping bitterly over his own denial.
Giving special emphasis on Peter at this moment in the resurrection narrative serves the crucial purpose signalling restoration.
Peter. You denied Christ. But that isn’t the end of your story! You let your Lord down, but he isn’t letting you down. Your Messiah was crucified, yes, but it was necessary and now he has been raised to life again. There is new life. And because there is new life in the Messiah, there is new life for all who follow Him. There is restoration that can come because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What an encouraging moment this is! You, me, we have all failed our Lord. We have sinned in grievous ways. We have failed to follow him in areas of our lives.
But because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ there is restoration available to you! You don’t have to be defined by your failure, but you can be defined by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ!
Perhaps you lost sight of Christ because of your sin, but you can see Him again! You can have fellowship with Him again!
What Love could remember no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum.
Thrown into the sea without bottom of shore,
Our sins they are many, his mercy is more
Praise the Lord! His Mercy is more!
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sin, they are many, His mercy is more!
Rejoice in the life that you have in Christ today! Rejoice in the resurrection of Christ and the restoration that is available to you!
Looking back at our text I also love how the angel concludes:
Jesus is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.
This takes us back to the predictions of Christ. Jesus knew
After the transfiguration on the Mount we see this.
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
When James and John asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand he asked if they can drink his cup. So we read
And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized,
Which speaks of things that will happen after the resurrection.
But most importantly,
And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Jesus predicted their falling away. He knew they would run. But he promised that wouldn’t be the end. He told them ahead of time. Meet me in Galilee. Meet me in Galilee.
And so now the angel tells the women, Tell the disciples. Tell Peter. This is it. This is the time. The rendezvous had been set, he predicted it all. And now you must come to Galilee.
And of course, the women ran and told the disciples and Peter and boldly announced from the rooftops that Christ had risen!
Not exactly. Here we have our awkward ending.
Mark 16:8 “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.”
They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.
What? Nothing? to anyone? How can that be? What are you doing? The most glorious thing has just happened! The most wonderful statement of restoration! The invitation, or better the summon to meet with Christ in Galilee! How can you run away and hide??
This is just one more moment of failure of discipleship in a book filled with failures.
What are we to make of this? How can this be a suitable ending?
A few things to note.
Mark’s audience clearly knew that this wasn’t the end of what happened. They eventually did tell the disciples, or else there would have been no church for Mark to write to, and even us here 2000 years later would not be here for worship. We know they proclaimed the message and other Gospel writers chronicle what happened. It’s not like Mark’s audience is not left completely in the dark, just like we aren’t.
Mark has continually contrasted the frailty of the disciples with the faithfulness of Christ. But it is because of Christ’s faithfulness even in the face of human frailty that we can be restored even as Peter was.
Mark’s conclusion to the Gospel stands as both an invitation in vs 7 and a challenge in verse 8.
The invitation is to meet with Christ in Galilee. This is where it all started. All the way back in chapter one Jesus launches his ministry in Galilee. The narrative unfolds with Jesus moving in and out of Galilee and eventually toward the cross, but all the while he is teaching his disciples what it looks like to follow Him. Return to Galilee one more time and learn from Christ again.
The challenge is presented in the silence and fear of the women. What will you do? We have the greatest news that has ever been given! We have the Good News of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Are you really going to keep that to yourself? Are you really not going to share that with others?
Will you live in fear? Or will you rejoice in the restoration we have in Christ and follow Him.
One commentary I read as I was preparing suggested that with the conclusion of the book, Mark essentially challenges the reader
