16:1,2The women purchased the spices on Saturday evening after the Sabbath had ended so they could go to the tomb early the next morning and anoint Jesus’ body as a sign of love, devotion, and respect. Bringing spices to the tomb was like bringing flowers to a grave today. These women faced two overwhelming problems as they set out to honor Jesus’ body, however. The Roman guards and the huge rock in the tomb’s doorway. Impossible obstacles. So what did these women expect to accomplish that early Sunday morning? Yet urged on by love and gratitude, they walked on—even as they wondered the same questions aloud. The church’s mission—to send the gospel to all the world— is fraught with overwhelming obstacles. Any one of them appears devastating. Against human stubbornness, disease, danger, terrorism, loneliness, sin, greed, and even church strife and corruption, what can a few missionaries hope to accomplish? Yet like these solitary women, we go out with love and gratitude for Jesus and leave the big obstacles to God.
Life Application Study BibleMarkChapter 16
Mark 16
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1664, 1665
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
1Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2Very early on Sunday morning,* just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4Butas they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. 5When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed ina white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, ®but the angel said, 6Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,* who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” 8The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.* Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (240/John 20:11-18) 9After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. ‘But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her. Jesus Appears to Two Believers Traveling on the Road (243/Luke 24:13-34) 12Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. '? They rushed back to tell the others, butno one believed them. Jesus Appears to Thomas (245/John 20:24-31) 14Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.* Jesus Gives the Great Commission (248/Matthew 28:16-20) 1SAnd then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. '’7These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.* 18They will be able to handie snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” Jesus Ascends into Heaven (250/Luke 24:50-53) 19When the LORD Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the LORD worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
Textual footnotes
- manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end at verse 8. Other manuscripts include various endings to the Gospel. A few
- include both the “shorter ending” and the “longer ending.” The majority of manuscripts include the “longer ending”
- immediately after verse 8.
- under Satan, who does not permit God's truth and power to conquer the evil [unclean] spirits. Therefore, reveal your
- justice now.” This is what they said to Christ. And Christ replied to them, “The period of years of Satan’s power has
- been fulfilled, but other dreadful things will happen soon. And I was handed over to death for those who have sinned,
- so that they may return to the truth and sin no more, and so they may inherit the spiritual, incorruptible, and righteous
- glory in heaven.” 16:17 Or new tongues; some manuscripts omit new.
- 16:2 Greek on the first day of the week; also in 16:9.
- 16:6 Or Jesus the Nazarene, 16:8 The most reliable early
- 16:14 Some early manuscripts add: And they excused themselves, saying, “This age of lawlessness and unbelief is
Life Application Notes 9 notes
16:5Mark says that one angel met the women at the tomb, while Luke mentions two angels. Each Gospel writer chose to highlight different details as he explained the same story, just as eyewitnesses to a news story each may highlight a different aspect of that event. Mark probably emphasized only the angel who spoke. The unique emphasis of each Gospel! shows that the four accounts were written independently. This should give us confidence that all four are true and reliable.
16:6The Resurrection is vitally important for many reasons: (1) Jesus kept his promise to rise from the dead, so we can believe he will keep all his other promises. (2) The Resurrection ensures that the ruler of God’s eternal Kingdom will be the living Christ, not just an idea, hope, or dream. (3) Christ’s resurrection gives us the assurance that we alsa will be resurrected. (4) The power of God that brought Christ’s body back from the dead is available to us to bring our morally and spiritually dead selves back to life so that we can change and grow (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). (5) The Resurrection provides the substance of the church’s witness to the world. We do not merely tell lessons from the life of a good teacher; we proclaim the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
16:7The angel made special mention of Peter to show that, in spite of Peter’s denials, Jesus had not disowned or deserted him. Jesus had great responsibilities for Peter to fulfill in the church that was not yet in existence.
16:7The angel told the disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee “as he told you” (see 14:28). This is where Jesus had called most of them and had said they would “fish for people” (Matthew 4:19), and it would be where this mission would be restated (John 21). But the disciples, filled with fear, remained behind locked doors in Jerusalem (John 20:19). Jesus met them first in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36) and later in Galilee (John 21). Then he returned to Jerusalem, where he ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1 "~~
44:10Why would Judas want to betray Jesus? Very likely, Judas expected Jesus to start a political rebellion and overthrow Rome. As treasurer, Judas certainly assumed (as did the other disciples, see 10:35-37) that he would be given an important position in Jesus’ new government. But when Jesus praised Mary for pouring out the perfume, thought to be worth a day’s salary, Judas finally began to realize that Jesus’ Kingdom was not physical or political. Judas’s greedy desire for money and status could not be fulfilled if he followed Jesus, so he betrayed him in exchange for money and favor from the religious leaders.
16:15Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world, telling everyone that he had paid the penaity for sin and that those who believe in him can be forgiven and live eternally with God. Christians today in all parts of the world are telling this Good News to people who haven’t heard about Christ. The driving power that carries missionaries around the world and sets Christ's church in motion is the faith that comes from the Resurrection. Do you ever feel as though you don’t have the skill or determination to be a witness for Christ? You must personally realize that Jesus rose from the dead and lives for you today. As you grow in your relationship with Christ, he will give you both the opportunities and the inner strength to tell his message.
16:16tis not the water of baptism that saves but God's grace accepted through faith in Christ. Because of Jesus’ response to the criminal on the cross who died with him, we know it is possible to be saved without being baptized (Luke 23:43). Baptism alone, without faith, does not guarantee that a person will go to heaven. Those who refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior will be condemned, regardless of whether or not they have been baptized.
16:18There are times when God intervenes miraculously to protect his followers. Occasionally he gives them special powers.
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Study feature · page 1665
Paul handled a snake safely (Acts 28:5), and the disciples healed the sick (Matthew 10:1; Acts 3:7, 8). This does not mean, however, that we should test God by putting ourselves in dangerous situations or try to tempt the laws of nature. No one should build a religion on a portion of Scripture. God calls us to live as new citizens in the eternal Kingdom and to witness by word and service to God’s love and power. Our witness should center on Jesus, not on superhero-type stunts. 16:19 When Jesus ascended into heaven, his physical presence left the disciples (Acts 1:9). Jesus’ sitting at God’s right hand signifies the completion of his work, his authority as God, and his coronation as King. 16:20 Mark’s Gospel emphasizes Christ’s power as well as his servanthood. Jesus’ life and teaching turned the world upside down and continue to do so. The world sees power as a way to gain control over others. But Jesus, with all authority and power in heaven and earth, chose to serve others. He held children in his arms, healed the sick, washed the disciples’ feet, and died for the sins of the world. Jesus’ followers today receive this same power to serve. As believers, we are called to be servants of Christ. As Christ served, so we are to serve.