Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Mark Chapter 16 mean?

He is risen!

Jesus has finished His three years of ministry and training for His disciples. He has faced the cross and taken the sins of the world. Now He has risen, just as He said He would.

After the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:42–46) and Nicodemus buried Jesus (John 19:39). They washed His body, wrapped it in linen, and placed Him in a grave. Mary Magdalene and another Mary followed to see where the tomb was (Mark 15:47), then went home to prepare more spices and ointment and to observe the Sabbath (Luke 23:56). The Sanhedrin, afraid that Jesus’ disciples will steal His body and claim He has risen from the dead, asked Pilate to seal the tomb (Matthew 27:62–66). A cord would have been wrapped around the stone and the crack filled with wax. The stone could not be moved without breaking the wax and dislodging the cord.

Now that the Sabbath is over, several women come to Jesus’ grave to complete the preparations Joseph and Nicodemus hastily provided. Mark mentions Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses (Mark 15:40, 47), and Salome, James and John’s mother (Matthew 27:56). Luke adds Joanna (Luke 24:10), and says several other women are present (Mark 16:1–3).

When the women arrive on Sunday morning, they discover the stone is rolled away and the tomb is empty except for a young man in a white robe (Mark 16:1–8). He tells them that Jesus is risen and charges the women to tell the disciples, particularly Peter, to meet Jesus in Galilee. The women leave, telling no one on their way (Mark 16:4–8).

The book of Mark is the story of Jesus trying to teach the disciples who He is and what He has come to do. Ironically, the most reliable manuscript finishes without this mission being completed. Jesus’ disciples are in hiding. His tomb is empty. His women followers are confused and scared. But this is, perhaps, an appropriate ending considering what Mark has shown us about Jesus’ relationship with His followers. What we think of Jesus has no bearing on Who He is. We may think Him to be a teacher, a future King, the source of infinite blessings, or a helpless, innocent man hanging on a cross.

What He is, is the Son of Man from Daniel 7 who will be given “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him” (Daniel 7:14). The women may not understand what has happened yet and the disciples may not believe the news of His resurrection at first. But Jesus will patiently reveal Himself to them, and through their testimony the world will come to hear of who He is. The fact that Jesus returns and chooses these clueless, timid souls to build His church merely proves how much we need His grace-giving sacrifice.

While verse 8 is the end of the oldest transcript of the Gospel of Mark, less-reliable manuscripts continue. Most likely, the additional verses were added as footnotes or addendums, then accidentally included as part of the main text by a scribe. The inclusion of the extended ending of Mark does not invalidate the reliability of this Gospel or the Bible as a whole. In fact, all but one phrase recorded in verses 9–20 is at least partially confirmed somewhere in the other three Gospels or the book of Acts.

As John 20:1–18 states, after the women tell the disciples, Peter and John see for themselves the tomb is empty. Mary Magdalene follows them, and after they leave she meets Jesus (Mark 16:9–11). Jesus sends her back to tell the disciples she has seen Him, but they do not believe her.

Luke includes a much longer version of Mark 16:12–13 (Luke 24:13–35). Jesus speaks with these two travelers, explaining how His ministry, death, and resurrection fit into the prophecies of the Old Testament. He even eats a meal with them. They don’t realize He is Jesus until right before He vanishes. The two rush back to Jerusalem to find the eleven disciples and report what happened.

One of the added verses briefly mentions that Jesus rebukes the disciples’ unbelief (Mark 16:14). Luke says He appears in the room where they are hiding and scolds them for disbelieving the accounts of others as well as the evidence of their own eyes (Luke 24:36–43). John adds that Thomas is absent from this meeting, but Jesus returns and proves Himself again (John 20:24–29). Thomas responds, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). After several appearances, the disciples finally trust Jesus enough to go to Galilee, where He’d promised to meet them. Matthew 28:16–20 covers the shortened Great Commission found in Mark 16:15.

Mark 16:16–20 is not found in the other Gospels, but most the promises are fulfilled in the book of Acts. The disciples do cast out demons (Acts 19:11–12), speak new tongues (Acts 2:1–11), survive serpent bites (Acts 28:1–6), and heal the sick (Acts 3:1–10). The Scriptures have no record of a disciple surviving poison, although extra-biblical accounts do. The use of this passage to encourage handling snakes and drinking poison is tragic, and entirely contrary to orthodox Christian teachings.

Chapter Context
Leading up to chapter 16, Jesus has been unfairly tried and executed by crucifixion. Starting in this passage, Jesus’ women followers find an empty tomb, but don’t know what it means. Jesus’ work for our salvation is done, but explaining that to His disciples will take another forty days (Acts 1:3). And telling the world is a work that will continue until His return. The resurrection and events after are also covered in Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20—21, and Acts 1:1–11. The most reliable copies of the Gospel of Mark leave the disciples where they have spent much of the story: confused and afraid. Jesus is risen, but they haven’t yet accepted that. Everything after verse 9 is most likely a later scribal addition.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.

Jesus died and was buried on the Passover (Mark 14—15). The day after the Passover is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:5–7) which is a “high day” or holiday-Sabbath (John 19:31). Friday-evening to Saturday-evening is the regular Sabbath. Scholars debate as to which day Jesus was crucified, but we know it was right before some type of Sabbath (Mark 15:42).

When Joseph and Nicodemus buried Jesus, they wrapped His body with seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloe (John 19:39). Jews traditionally lay their dead in a grave carved into rock for a year. Spices and ointments cover the smell of decaying flesh. After a year, when only bones remain, the bones are removed and put into a permanent resting place, often in a box called an ossuary. The women are here to add to the fragrances Nicodemus used.

The disciples and the women who support Jesus (Luke 8:1–3) followed Him from Galilee to the Mount of Olives for the Passover (Mark 15:41). They watched while He rode into the city on a donkey while fellow travelers, Jews from Galilee and Perea, proclaimed that He was bringing the return of the kingdom of David (Mark 11:7–10). They watched as He debated Jewish leaders in the temple courtyard, shaming them with their misunderstanding of Scripture (Mark 11:27—12:40). The disciples had Passover dinner with Jesus and watched Judas betray Him to the chief priests (Mark 14:12–50). John and the women watched the soldiers crucify Jesus (John 19:25–27), and some of the women stayed to watch Him die (Mark 15:40). Fewer still watched Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus bury Jesus in a tomb (Mark 15:47). They then had to return to where they were staying because the Sabbath was upon them.

All that build-up and tension is the prelude to a day on which they are required to rest. Their experiences have swung from fear of dying (John 11:16) to hope of national triumph (Mark 11:1–10), from victory over national leaders to the total defeat of the death of their Lord—and then they have to sit and do nothing. They can’t run back to Galilee. They can’t go to the tomb. They can’t even visit Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany. All they can do is think and talk to each other. This would have been a good time to consider the Scriptures and Jesus’ promises that He would rise from the dead. But their hearts are still closed to the truth.

Context Summary
Mark 16:1–8 proclaims that Jesus is alive! After telling the disciples, several times over three years,that He will die and rise again, Jesus’ work is finally done. But the disciples are in hiding. Only the women come to the tomb, carrying burial spices instead of hope. Among them are Mary Magdalene, the ”other” Mary, and Salome, along with Joanna and some of the other women who have supported Jesus’ ministry (Luke 8:3; 24:10). They have come to care for Him one last time, but He is not there. He is risen! This account is also found in Matthew 28:1–8, Luke 24:1–8, and John 20:1.

Verse 2. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.

We know that Jesus was crucified on the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42). What we don’t know is which Sabbath it was. Jesus was crucified on Passover (Mark 14:12). The day after Passover is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is a holiday-Sabbath (Leviticus 23:5–7). John says the Sabbath after Jesus’ death was a “high day” (John 19:31). So it may be that the day after Jesus’ death was a holiday-Sabbath and the day before His resurrection was a normal, Friday-evening-to-Saturday-evening Sabbath.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses watched Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus bury Jesus (Mark 15:42–47; John 19:39). Nicodemus had brought seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes, but when the women returned to where they were staying, they prepared more spices to complete the burial custom (Luke 23:56).

John says the women come “while it was still dark” (John 20:1); Luke says, “at early dawn” (Luke 24:1); Matthew says, “toward the dawn” (Matthew 28:1). The light would have just started to creep into the sky around 5:00 a.m. and be fully above the horizon around 6:30 a.m. The women literally could not have come any earlier, without dragging along extensive lighting.

Verse 3. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

After Joseph placed the stone at the entrance to the tomb, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate to ask him to seal the entrance (Matthew 27:62–66). They remembered that Jesus had said He would rise again, and they didn’t want the disciples to steal His body and claim He had resurrected. Interestingly, the Sadducees, who don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, didn’t come along. They apparently didn’t think it was an issue.

A cord would have been placed where the stone meets the rockface, and wax poured over the seam. No one would have been able to move the stone without breaking the wax. Pilate also ordered that the tomb be guarded. It’s unclear if the women know Pilate took this extra precaution. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses had watched Joseph place the stone (Mark 15:46–47), but Pilate didn’t secure it until the next day. Still, they prepare the spices (Luke 23:56) and return to the tomb in a mixture of faith and doubt. This is the calling of Christ-followers. We do what we are called to do, even if we’re not sure how we will get it done.

It was custom in Israel to bury the dead in a stone cave for one year. Spices were tucked into the linen cloths wrapping the body to mitigate the smell. After a year, the bones would be removed and placed somewhere more permanent, often a stone box, called an ossuary, in a family crypt.

In 1980, construction workers discovered a family tomb three miles south of the Old City in East Jerusalem. Among the ossuaries was one that possibly reads “Joshua, son of Joseph.” The names Joshua and Jesus are the same in original Hebrew: Yeshua. Another discovered box was attributed to “Mary.” Makers of the documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus insist Jesus, His mother, and Mary Magdalene’s remains are in the ossuaries. Experts point out that Josephus alone speaks of at least twenty-one men named “Yeshua” and 20–25% of all women were named “Mary.” None of those names were rare, so there is no reason to think this was the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth.

Verse 4. And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back — it was very large.

Several women have come to complete the preparations of Jesus’ body for burial (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10). They have scouted out where the tomb is (Mark 15:47), prepared the spices and ointments (Luke 23:56), and come to the grave as soon as the Sabbath and the sunlight allow them, with no idea as to how they will actually reach Jesus’ body. Joseph of Arimathea placed a large, heavy stone to cover the entrance (Matthew 27:60). In addition, probably unbeknownst to the women, Pilate has sealed the stone to the rock face and set guards so that Jesus’ followers cannot disturb the scene (Matthew 27:62–66).

The women have come with what they are able to bring to honor Jesus, knowing it’s insufficient. They are blessed to discover the stone has already been rolled away.

This is the story of the crucifixion. We come to God prepared for death. We offer what we have, just to discover Jesus already did a far greater work to free us from death. The curtain between us and God is torn in two (Mark 15:38). The stone that keeps us from Jesus is moved. All we need do is turn around (Acts 3:19) and see that He is waiting for us (John 20:11–18).

The women are not alone. Pilate not only sealed the stone, he placed guards around the tomb (Matthew 28:2–4, 11–15). When an angel came down and rolled away the stone, the guards froze or fainted in terror. After the women leave, the guards go to the chief priests to explain what happened. The priests bribe them to say they fell asleep and the disciples stole Jesus’ body.

This reaction is still seen today. Some people don’t want to think Jesus raised from the dead. Even when faced with evidence of God’s work in their own lives, they refuse to acknowledge the truth. Paul speaks of these people when he says, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). When Isaiah accepted God’s challenge to be His prophet, God warned him of those who would refuse his message, saying of them, “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (Isaiah 6:9–10).

Jesus applies these words to the people who, like the guards, see His miracles but don’t accept His message (John 12:37–40), and many still live this way.

Verse 5. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.

Jesus’ women followers have supported Him, traveled with Him, and provided what honor they could (Luke 8:1–3). Although John followed the chief priests’ guards into the trial before the Sanhedrin (John 18:15–16) and stayed with Jesus during some of the crucifixion (John 19:25–27), it was the women who stood vigil until Jesus was dead and buried. They saw His mangled flesh, torn apart by the Roman guards (Mark 15:15). They heard their so-called religious leaders mock their Lord (Mark 15:31–32). They have spent the last day or more “resting” during the Sabbath, unable to give their final support: to finish the preparations for His burial (Mark 16:1).

The male disciples will not come with them, afraid of the Jewish council (John 20:19), so the women go to the grave alone. They enter the garden concerned about how they will move the stone that blocks the tomb, just to find the stone has already been moved, the body is gone, and an angel is waiting for them.

Despite all the women have done for Jesus throughout His ministry, they fell short in at least one thing: fully absorbing all He’d told them. Jesus said He would rise after three days (Mark 10:34). Even the chief priests and Pharisees came to understand His claim, although they don’t believe Him (Matthew 27:63). The women’s faith and courage in coming to the tomb is commendable. But if they had really understood and believed what Jesus said, they would know they are going to meet Jesus alive.

Matthew 28:2 says an angel rolled away the stone and sat on it. Luke 24:4 says there are two angels; perhaps only one speaks. Jesus’ linen cloths are lying on the stone couch and the cloth that covered His face is folded neatly next to it (John 20:6–7). After Mary reports to the disciples, she will return to the tomb and find two angels sitting on either end of the bench, as if guarding the place where Jesus’ body had lain (John 20:12), not unlike the top, or “mercy seat” of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:17–22). On either side of the mercy seat are cherubim of gold, guarding the center where God came to be with His people. Angels announced Jesus’ birth (Luke 1:26–33; 2:8–14; Matthew 1:20–21) and now angels announce Jesus’ resurrection and, later, His ascension (Acts 1:10–11).

Verse 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.

“Alarmed” is from the Greek root word ekthambeō. It can mean “to be amazed, to be terrified.” Mark also uses the word when he describes Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane as “greatly distressed” (Mark 14:33). It’s typical for angels to tell people to not be afraid of them (Daniel 10:12, 19; Luke 2:10). Here in addition, this seems to be reassurance about the fact that Jesus’ body is gone, and they have, in fact, come to the correct tomb.

The place where Jesus had laid was a bench cut out of the stone. His burial shroud stretched out where His body had been, and the cloth that covered His head was folded and sat a bit apart (John 20:6–7). Much has been made about this “folded handkerchief.” Some claim this was a Jewish mealtime tradition implying that someone was planning to return to the table. Not all scholars accept that this was a custom in that era, however. It may be that as Jesus’ body left, the cloth that was wrapped around His head and face simply collapsed in place.

Christians may be quick to criticize the women for not believing the angel, but we ought to be sympathetic. It’s easy to walk into a situation so expecting heartbreak that we fail to see the victory around us. God doesn’t do what we think He will, and we faithfully resolve to make the best of it. But our view is so myopic we don’t realize what He has done is so much greater. When faced with defeat and failure, sometimes we need to look up, realize there is more to life than the path we had planned, and have quiet faith that God will work all things together for good (Romans 8:28).

We tend to speak of “blind faith,” but that is not how God really works. He invites us to see. Jesus showed the disciples His hands and side (John 20:20, 24–29; Luke 24:39) and ate (Luke 24:41–43). Witnesses are invited to see the bare bench, but misinterpret what it means (John 20:13). God proves Himself to us every day. Our responsibility is to get to know Him well enough that we can recognize when He is acting in our lives. We do this by listening to His Word—the Scriptures—and believing them. That’s something the disciples had a hard time with throughout Jesus’ entire ministry.

Verse 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.”

Jesus was crucified on Passover (Mark 14—15). The Passover, itself, is not a Sabbath. It was to be celebrated in the evening, and in the morning people were allowed to go home (Deuteronomy 16:7). The day after Passover is the first day of the weeklong Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:4–8). The first and last days of the feast are high days, that is, holiday-Sabbaths, during which no normal work may be done. Legally, the disciples could have started for home the morning of Passover, but the trip was several days long, and Jesus was on trial and then being crucified. That evening the Sabbath started, and they could not travel again until it was over.

Saturday evening, at dusk, the Sabbath is over. Sunday morning, the women find the empty tomb. They return to the disciples and give them the angels’ message. Shortly after, Peter and John check for themselves (John 20:1–9).

In the forty days Jesus ministers between the resurrection and the ascension (Acts 1:3), Jesus will meet the disciples in Galilee (John 21) as He promised before the crucifixion (Mark 14:28). Later this day, however, He travels with two disciples on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus, inspiring them to return to Jerusalem (Luke 24:13–34). This evening, He meets with ten of the remaining Twelve, as Thomas will be absent (John 20:19–24). He will also see a few others in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36–49).

Peter is mentioned as one who specifically needs to be told the angel’s message. Once the Twelve’s self-appointed spokesman (Matthew 15:15; Mark 8:32; 9:5; 11:21; Luke 8:45; 9:20; 18:28), he has been hiding in shame since he denied Jesus at the trial before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:66–72). Peter had a very strong idea of who Jesus was and what Jesus would do for him. Now, Peter thinks himself a cowardly traitor, that Jesus is dead, and all is lost.

Verse 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.

Mary Magdalene does tell the disciples that Jesus’ body is gone and she doesn’t know where it is (Luke 24:9 and John 20:2). After Peter and John check the tomb for themselves (John 20:3–9), Jesus meets Mary by the tomb (John 20:11–18). She then returns and tells the disciples Jesus has risen. There’s no account that the women told anyone else along the way, however.

“Trembling” is from the Greek root word tromos. It can mean literally shaking with fear, but it can also refer to someone trying to complete a task they feel unqualified to perform. “Astonishment” is from the Greek root word ekstasis. It means to be jolted out of position, like someone whose entire worldview has been shattered. “Afraid” is from the Greek root word phobeo, from which we get the suffix “phobia.” It can mean to be scared into fleeing or to be struck with reverential awe.

The women feel this way because Jesus is gone, replaced by two angels (Luke 24:4). The angels tell them Jesus is risen. None of these things make sense. These women saw Jesus’ scourged body. They watched Him die (Mark 15:40–41). They watched the soldier pierce His side, letting blood and water gush from His torso (John 19:33–34). Then they followed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus to the tomb and heard the giant stone cover the opening (Matthew 27:59–61). They have had two days to think of nothing else but that Jesus is dead. He must be wrapped in linen, lying in the tomb. But He’s not.

On this day, the women and disciples have to deal with very simple truths: Jesus is alive and His body is healed and glorified. Two thousand years later, understanding this moment includes several more facets: Jesus is God and God’s Son. His death on the cross and resurrection is the work that will forgive our sins and reconcile us to God.

How do we respond to this information? It’s possible to explore parallels to how humanity processes such a claim, using the reactions seen in the women at the tomb:

• Tremble or tromos: there is an appropriate response to the good news of Jesus, and although we cannot do it on our own, we must try. The magnitude of the idea can inspire trembling, for good or for bad. It can be daunting, but it’s possible.
• Astonishment or ekstasis: we can shift our worldview to that of God’s. We need to realize that what we naturally believe about the world is horribly incomplete and misinterpreted. Only the Holy Spirit can set us straight.
• To be afraid or phobos: in this specific context, we should be encouraged to flee from our old life of sin and sit in awe of God.

The most reliable manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark leave us here, in a mix of confusion, fear, and hope. In a way, this is where the church lives. We have been told that Jesus lives, but we have not seen Him yet. We’ve been promised that He will meet us soon. We have the work of spreading the gospel before us, and although we know we are not up to the task, we step out in faith, anyway. If we pay attention, every day we are faced with ways that God’s worldview shakes our own.

Less reliable manuscripts add to Mark 16:8: “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.” The other Gospels affirm that the women report to Peter (John 20:2; Luke 24:9). The book of Acts and the history of the church show the last part is true. But Mark, the man of action, leaves us here, on the brink of a completely new world.

Verse 9. [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.] [[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.

This verse is not included in the oldest and most reliable biblical manuscripts. Modern Bible versions often include it in brackets or footnotes.

Mary Magdalene is thought to be from the town of Magdala on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, southwest of Capernaum. She is one of several women who have followed Jesus and supported His ministry with their own money (Luke 8:1–3). Luke confirms that Jesus rescued her from seven demons, but the inclusion of this comment here is more evidence that the passage is not original. There’s no reason for Mark to mention it after introducing her in the previous chapter (Mark 15:40).

As Mary Magdalene weeps at Jesus’ tomb, two angels, sitting on the stone bench where Jesus had lain, comfort her (John 20:11–17). She then hears someone behind her and thinks it’s the gardener. When He speaks her name, she realizes it’s Jesus. She comes to Him and holds fast; John says she “clings” to Him. “Cling” is from the Greek root word hapto and means to bind together. In chemistry, it means to bind molecules together. Mary doesn’t just cling to Jesus, she holds so tightly she seems intent on never letting go.

Jesus responds, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father…” (John 20:17). He validates Mary’s intention but tells her the timing is wrong. There will come a time when we see Jesus and never have to be apart. Until then, we have to trust that the Holy Spirit is what we need (John 16:7).

Context Summary
Mark 16:9–11 is not found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts of the Bible. This passage is, however, an echo of John 20:11–18. After Mary Magdalene and the other women return to the disciples and report that Jesus’ body is gone, Peter and John check for themselves (John 20:3–9). Mary follows and stays while Peter and John return. While she weeps, two angels comfort her.

Verse 10. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

Although this verse is not original to Mark’s writing, its content is corroborated in John 20:18. Mark 16:8 says that the women talk to no one when they leave the tomb. That is, they talk to no one while they hurry back to the place the disciples are staying. Once they arrive, they tell the disciples the tomb is empty (John 20:2). Mary Magdalene follows Peter and John back to the tomb (John 20:3–9). After they leave, Jesus appears to her, and she returns and tells the disciples (John 20:11–18).

Falsely, some claim Jesus meant for Mary Magdalene to be the leader of the disciples after His ascension. Part of that claim is that this passage teaches she is “Apostle to the apostles.”

An apostle is “one who is sent.” Specifically, it means one who is sent out by Jesus to spread the gospel. In the church, the term is used both as an office and a role. Jesus sends out the twelve disciples (Matthias is included in Acts 1:12–26) specifically to teach the gospel of salvation. These twelve are the foundation of the church (Revelation 21:14). Others hold the role of apostle, including Paul (Romans 11:13) and Barnabas (Acts 13:2).

Mary may be considered an apostle only under the second definition: as a role, not an office of authority. Jesus does not send her to preach to the world but to witness to His disciples in a specific place and time. She had an important role in Jesus’ life, but He did not choose her to lead after Him.

Verse 11. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

This verse is not in the oldest, most reliable manuscripts of the New Testament and likely not original to Mark’s Gospel. However, the statement is not contradictory to what we read elsewhere in the Bible.

For three years, Jesus has trained the disciples to spread the good news of His resurrection to the world. In the first few days, we see how difficult that task is. First, Mary Magdalene, who has traveled with the disciples and supported Jesus in His work (Luke 8:1–3), announces she has seen and talked to Jesus (John 20:18). Jesus had previously told the disciples He would die and be raised again (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34). But when the disciples hear from Mary and the other women, “these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:11). Peter and John run to the tomb and verify that it is empty (Luke 24:12; John 20:3–10). They seem to begin to believe, yet still do not understand.

This night, two of Jesus’ followers return and say they met Jesus on the road and ate with Him (Luke 24:13–35).

). Evidently Jesus had also appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34). As the two men finish their story, Jesus appears in the room, which they’d locked themselves into for fear of the Jews (John 20:19). The disciples think it is a spirit (Luke 24:36–37). Later, Thomas arrives and refuses to believe any of them (John 20:24–29). Jesus must return and show Thomas His hands and feet before Thomas will accept the truth. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He has had occasion to be frustrated with the disciples’ lack of faith (Mark 4:35–41; 8:14–21). In other situations, like when He walked on water (Mark 6:45–52), He sees real fear and responds by showing them the truth.

The resurrection is the key component of the gospel. Without it, our “faith is futile” and “we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:17–19). Once we accept the resurrection, we can freely say, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). In order to do so, we must accept what God says to us through the Scriptures, and pray that our hearts will not be hardened (Mark 6:52) and the truth will not be hidden from us (Luke 18:34).

Verse 12. After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.

These verses were most likely added to Mark, well after the original writing, to correspond with Luke 24:13–35. Two Christ-followers, including Cleopas (Luke 24:18), are walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. Jesus joins them but doesn’t reveal who He is. He asks the two men what they are discussing. They explain that they follow a man who they’d believed to be a prophet and thought might just be the Messiah who would rescue Israel from Roman rule. But the man was crucified and died.

The two men go on to say that some of the women in their company had gone to the tomb and found it empty. Angels told the women that this man is alive. Two men also found the tomb empty, but none of them knew what it meant. Jesus responds by explaining how the Old Testament specifically says the Messiah must die and be raised again. He covers the books of Moses and all the prophets.

The beginning of Genesis covers the creation of the world through the moment God calls Abraham to be the father of His chosen people. The rest of the Old Testament covers the history of the Jews and their neighbors. Because of the inclusion of the Mosaic Law and the focus on the Jews’ inability to follow it, a surface-level reading of the Old Testament infers the text is about obedience and punishment.

Jesus explains that the text is actually about how the world cannot obey God. We need a Savior, one who is sinless: a perfect sacrifice to die and rise again for our sins.

The two men invite their companion to stay for a meal. It isn’t until Jesus takes the bread, breaks it, and prays over it that they realize who He is. Jesus vanishes from their sight and they rush back to Jerusalem and report to the disciples.

Context Summary
Mark 16:12–13 is absent from the more reliable, older manuscripts of the Bible. This passage describes something similar to Luke 24:13–35. Sunday, Jesus rises from the dead, meets Mary Magdalene near His tomb (John 20:11–18), and joins two followers who are walking the seven miles from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus. After explaining at length how the Old Testament speaks of the resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus reveals Himself to these followers and then disappears. When they return to Jerusalem and explain what happened, the disciples respond the same way they responded to Mary Magdalene: disbelief.

Verse 13. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

The witnesses to the resurrection are listed in an increasing level of experience and legal reliability. First, women tell the disciples that the tomb is empty and an angel told them Jesus is alive (Matthew 28:1–8). In most cases, women were not allowed to give testimony legally, so next is Peter and John who confirm Jesus is not in the tomb (John 20:3–8; Luke 24:12). Still the disciples don’t understand (John 20:9). Next, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene in person (John 20:11–18). Again, as a woman she is not believed. So Jesus appears to two men, Cleopas and another follower (Luke 24:13–35). According to Luke 24:34 He also appeared to Peter.

Mark 16:9–20 is not found in the oldest, most reliable manuscripts, but all but a very few phrases are corroborated in the other Gospels or the book of Acts. Luke 24:33–35 affirms that Cleopas and his friend returned to Jerusalem and told the disciples they had seen Jesus. That the disciples didn’t believe them is not specifically stated in any other text. When the two men return from Emmaus, they find the Eleven and others gathered, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (Luke 24:34). That being said, it seems there was still some level of disbelief, as inferred from their reactions when Jesus reveals Himself to the group.

As Cleopas and his friend are telling the room full of Christ-followers, Jesus, Himself, appears (Luke 24:36–43). Those present are so “startled” and “frightened,” they think Jesus is a spirit. “Startled” is from the Greek root word ptoeō which is related to the word for “fly away.” Under a “fight or flight” response, this would be an impulse to run. Emphobos, the Greek root word from which “frightened” is taken, means to be terrified. This is not the first time the disciples have thought Jesus was a spirit. After He fed the five thousand outside of Bethsaida and withdrew to the mountains to pray, He walked past the disciples who were in a boat trying to cross the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:30–52). Mark says, “…when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost…” (Mark 6:49).

It isn’t until Jesus presents His pierced hands and feet that the disciples fully believe (John 20:20, 26–27). The disciples have been characterized by hard hearts and preconceived ideas that blind them to Jesus’ real purpose. We cannot judge them; we are fortunate that we have the Holy Spirit who will guide us into truth (John 16:13) and testify to our hearts who Jesus is (John 15:26).

Verse 14. Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.

Readers of Mark would be excused for never questioning that this verse is original to the text. Though this verse was a later addition to Mark’s Gospel, the content seems to fit with earlier parts of Mark. As recorded by Mark, Jesus has spent three years fighting the hard hearts of Pharisees, scribes, Herodians, and chief priests, but also, and perhaps most frustratingly, His disciples. The Twelve liked the perks of following an avant-garde rabbi (Mark 2:18, 23; 4:10, 34; 6:7–13; 7:1–2) and had no problem letting their insider position go to their heads (Mark 9:33–37, 38–41; 10:13–16, 35–45). But time and again they proved that Jesus’ message didn’t get into their hearts (Mark 8:14–21, 31–33).

However, this verse is not original to Mark. It is a summary of Luke 24:36–44 and John 20:19–29. Most likely, this was added in the form of a footnote, or addendum, which was mistakenly absorbed into the text itself by a later scribe.

Jesus appears to the disciples and other followers who are so startled and frightened at His appearance they think He is a spirit. He shows them the nail holes in His hands and feet and invites them to touch Him to see that He has flesh and bones. “They still disbelieved for joy and were marveling” (Luke 24:41; John 20:20). Jesus requested food and they gave Him some broiled fish to eat. It seems this is when the disciples began to understand. Jesus then “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” about Messiah (Luke 24:44–49).

All of us have experienced hardships and difficulties that we know God has allowed but hasn’t explained. Once we are through, we see the reason, whether for blessings or to prepare us for a greater work. The disciples have undergone the same thing. On the third time Jesus told the disciples of His coming death, Luke explains, “But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said” (Luke 18:34). Now, as Jesus explains what the Jewish Scriptures really say about the Messiah, “he open[s] their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45).

Clearly the disciples could not understand what was hidden from them, but they, like we, should have been faithful to what they were taught. We need to adopt Paul’s charge to Timothy, “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it” (2 Timothy 3:14). If we accept and act on what little we understand of God’s plan, He will reveal more to us (Matthew 25:21).

Context Summary
Mark 16:14–20 is not part of the oldest, most trusted manuscripts of the Bible. Most of what this passage contains is covered in Matthew 28:16–20, Luke 24:36–43, and John 20:19–29. However, there are points on which these verses are unsubstantiated. The disciples finally realize Jesus will not overthrow the Romans, and they will not rule from twelve thrones, at least not yet (Matthew 19:28). First, they have work: spreading the message that Jesus has died for the sins of the world and is risen. In this mission, they will be able to perform miracles and endure dangers that would normally kill them.

Verse 15. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Most likely, this verse is part of a later footnote, accidentally copied as part of the text by a later scribe. This is a summary of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19. There, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus tells this to the disciples on a mountain in Galilee, possibly the same mountain where He first called the Twelve to follow Him (Mark 3:13–19).

After this, Jesus will continue teaching until forty days have passed since the resurrection (Acts 1:3). Jesus will take His disciples back south, toward Jerusalem, and ascend into heaven near Bethany (Luke 24:50–51). Emboldened by the resurrection, the disciples will return to the temple and worship God.

In the Old Testament times and during Jesus’ ministry, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was strategic and usually temporary. The seventy elders who helped Moses lead the Jews had the Spirit and prophesied for a time (Numbers 11:25). Saul, king of Israel, had the same experience—twice (1 Samuel 10:10; 19:22–24). Even the anointing of the Holy Spirit Jesus gave the disciples after the resurrection seems to have been temporary (John 20:22).

The disciples cannot fulfill the Great Commission under their own power. They need the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit which they cannot have until Jesus leaves (John 16:7). Soon, at Pentecost, in a house in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit will come (Acts 2:1–4). Disciples who had scattered when guards came to arrest Jesus (Mark 14:50) will welcome the chance to go to trial to testify about Jesus (Acts 4:1–31). Brash, impulsive Peter will be the first preacher of the gospel (Acts 2:14–41). And the gospel will spread throughout all the world.

“Proclaim” is from the Greek root word kerusso. Jesus’ command is akin to a herald shouting out what needs to be heard. “All” is from the Greek root word pas. It can mean “each and every,” or it can mean “some of all types.” “Creation” is from the Greek root word ktisis, and can mean anything created or it can mean a foundation or founding a new thing. The disciples are called to preach the truth to the people and places that will start the church.

Verse 16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

The wording found in this verse is unfortunate for two reasons. First and foremost, the entire section of Mark 16:9–20 is not found in the earliest, most reliable manuscripts. Most Bible scholars do not think this was a part of the original, divinely-inspired writing of Mark’s Gospel. Secondly, this passage is all-too-easily misinterpreted to imply that baptism is required for salvation.

Logically, however, even if accepted as original to Mark, these words do not prove baptism is a requirement for eternal life. Other passages affirm that belief alone is necessary for salvation (John 3:18; 5:24; 12:44–50; 20:31; Romans 10:9; 1 John 5:13). Even the last half of this verse states that lack of belief is all that is necessary to not be saved.

Baptism is found in proximity with belief in Christ in the New Testament because of the culture. In the time of the early church, if someone joined a particular sect of Judaism they would publicly declare their allegiance with baptism. This is why John the Baptist baptized his followers (John 1:26–28). In those times, a new believer didn’t have to go through a class or give a detailed testimony in order to be baptized. They were baptized as soon as they affirmed the teacher’s message, like the Ethiopian court official who met Philip (Acts 8:26–40). Consider also the thief on the cross who declared his faith in Jesus (Luke 23:39–43). Jesus assured him he would go to paradise with no mention of baptism.

Baptism is not a requirement for salvation, it’s a response to salvation. When we are baptized, we are giving a public affirmation that we choose to follow Jesus. The Bible talks about three different baptisms. “John’s baptism” was for those before the resurrection who agreed that their sin was wrong and they resolved to live a better life (Matthew 3:5–6, 11; Acts 19:4). Believers’ baptism is for those who understand that while repentance is important, we can never be so good that we can earn salvation; it is performed after we are saved. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is what we receive at the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit dwells within us permanently, marking us as saved by Christ (Mark 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; Ephesians 1:13–14).

Verse 17. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

Mark 16:9–20 is not found in the most reliable manuscripts, but most of the text is included in other books. Some phrases, however, are only corroborated obliquely. Although Jesus had endowed the disciples with the ability to cast out demons in the past (Mark 6:13), and they will cast out demons and speak in new languages in the future, we have no other evidence He said these words to them.

In the beginning years of the church, casting out demons was a common miracle that identified the speaker as a follower of Jesus (Acts 5:16; 8:7; 19:12). In one case, Paul cast out a demon just because it was irritating him (Acts 16:18).

There’s no record that the disciples had spoken in languages they didn’t know before this point, but on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes to them, they will (Acts 2:1–13). They will be in Jerusalem, along with Jews from all over the Roman Empire. The people will hear the disciples explaining the gospel in the languages of the Parthians, Medes, Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Libyans, and Romans, among others. This is not the gibberish that some call the “gift of tongues.” It is real languages that the speakers honestly don’t know. Jesus had already promised the disciples would receive guidance on what to say when brought before hostile rulers (Mark 13:9–11), now they learn the Holy Spirit will also show them how to say it.

These powers, in addition to gifts of healing and other miracles, were common in the early church age. As with many of God’s prophets, He empowered them to perform miracles so that their words would be validated. With the finalization of the canon of books determined to be inspired, we do not need miracles to affirm Jesus’ words. God does still work directly in people’s lives through miracles, but it is not something we should expect.

Verse 18. they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

This verse is the least authentic in Mark 16. Where most of Mark 16:9–20 is accounted for elsewhere in the Bible, one facet of this verse is entirely unique.

Jesus promised the disciples that in the course of spreading the gospel, they would be able to “tread on serpents and scorpions” (Luke 10:19). Outside of a short illustration (Luke 11:12), scorpions are not mentioned again until Revelation which seems to speak of locust-like demons with the sting of scorpions (Revelation 9:1–11).

Similarly, the Bible doesn’t recall the literal appearance of snakes except for Paul’s run-in with a viper (Acts 28:1–6). While Paul was tending a fire, a viper, drawn by the heat, bit him on the hand. He shook the snake off into the flames and went about his business, surprising the locals who expected him to die.

Disciples did heal in the course of their evangelism. First, Peter and John healed a lame beggar (Acts 3:1–10). Soon after, the Holy Spirit becomes so present that apparently even people who crossed Peter’s shadow were healed (Acts 5:12–16). Later, the Holy Spirit validated Paul’s ministry by healing those who touched an apron or handkerchief that Paul had touched (Acts 19:11–12).

Nowhere, however, does the Bible record the disciples drinking poison and living. The corroborating account is from the apocryphal text “The Acts of John.” The book says that the apostle John was challenged to drink poison; he did and lived. We have no way of knowing if this account is true, but that apocryphal work’s many other flaws make everything in it subject to serious doubt.

What we can say is that this verse does not tell believers to handle snakes or drink poison. If the disciples survived serpents and poison, it was because the Holy Spirit was validating their message through miracles. But as Jesus told Satan, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:7).

Verse 19. So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

This verse is not found in the most reliable manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark. However, the content of the first part of this verse is also recorded in Luke’s writings (Luke 24:50–51; Acts 1:6–11). At the end of His forty days, Jesus took the disciples back toward Jerusalem. Near Bethany, He met with them one last time, telling them to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He reminded them that they do not know when Jesus’ kingdom will start, so they need to concentrate on their work of spreading the gospel. “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9).

The second part of this verse is affirmed in several places. Jesus argues that the Messiah will sit at God’s right hand in His teaching at the temple (Mark 12:35–37). Peter asserts that Jesus is at God’s right hand during his first sermon after he received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33). Paul supports this later (Romans 8:34). As Stephen is being stoned, he says he sees Jesus standing at God’s right hand (Acts 7:55).

“Right hand” has several different meanings in the Bible. It is often used as a symbol for strength and power (Psalm 18:35; 20:6). Sometimes it’s included with the left hand to mean the speaker is surrounded or to give a sense of completeness (2 Samuel 16:6; Job 23:9; Proverbs 3:16). Several psalms assert that salvation comes from God’s right hand (Psalm 60:5; 98:1; 108:6). Jesus means it as the seat on the right hand of the king for his most trusted advisor. David kept God, metaphorically, at his right hand (Psalm 16:8). When Bathsheba approached Solomon, he set a seat at his right hand for her (1 Kings 2:19). John and James asked if they could sit at Jesus’ right and left (Mark 10:35–37).

Jesus speaks of Psalm 110:1 when He shows the Messiah will be greater than King David: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’” (Mark 12:36). At God’s right hand, Jesus acts as our advocate (1 John 2:1), an active witness that although everyone deserves hell (Romans 3:23; 6:23), those who have put their faith in Him are accounted righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Verse 20. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]

This verse, although not found in the earliest manuscripts, summarizes the book of Acts. Peter preached in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14–41) and Caesarea (Acts 10). Paul and Barnabas preached all over modern-day Turkey, Greece, Italy, and possibly beyond. Church tradition records that the other disciples spread the gospel from India to Spain.

As the disciples preached, the Holy Spirit allowed them to perform miraculous signs, most often healing, casting out demons, and speaking in the language of their audience. This was necessary because the entire gospel was being transmitted through the words of men, often men the listeners hadn’t met before. The miracles validated the disciples as chosen by God. This let the listeners know that their message was sent by God.

There is a great deal of debate as to whether Christ-followers can still perform these miracles. Speaking in another language has been twisted into “speaking in tongues,” which people purport to mean speaking in a language only God knows. The act of expelling demons has become terribly abused; some church leaders teach that everything from ill health to unemployment is caused by demons that need to be exorcised. Undoubtedly God still heals today. But He usually works either within the context of medical treatment or directly, without a human messenger. There are more charlatans in the world than healers empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The message, however, is the same. Jesus is God and the Son of God. He came to earth as a baby through a virgin birth. He lived a sinless life. He was crucified and died on the cross. He was buried for three days and rose again in a physical, glorified body. His death was the sacrifice that paid for our sins because there is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness from God. His resurrection is the sign that God accepted His sacrifice and is willing to forgive us. If we accept Jesus as our Savior and accept His sacrifice for payment of our sins, we will be saved. The Holy Spirit will live inside of us. After we die, we will also receive new, glorified bodies. And we will live in paradise with Him forever.

Book Summary
The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus’ servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel’s authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus’ miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus’ teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus’ ministry being misunderstood by others.

End of Chapter 16, and end of the Gospel of Mark.

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