Chapter Sixteen

1–8. The Resurrection of Christ. – 9–11. The appearance of the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene and her testimony to the disciples about Christ’s resurrection. – 12–13. The appearance of Christ to two disciples and their proclamation of the news of the resurrection to the apostles. – 14–18. The appearance of Christ to the twelve apostles and His promises to believers. – 19–20. The Ascension of Christ and a note on the missionary activity of the apostles.

Mark 16:1. After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint Him. Mark 16:2. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb, as the sun was rising, Mark 16:3. and they said to one another: Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? Mark 16:4. But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back. Mark 16:5. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe; and they were frightened. Mark 16:6. And he said to them: Do not be afraid. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. Mark 16:7. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you. 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, because they were afraid. In his narrative of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the evangelist Mark has some distinctive features compared to Matthew. He mentions three women who went to anoint the body of Christ, while Matthew mentions two. The names of these three women are the same as those named in Mark 15:40. Only the second Mary is called not the mother of James, but simply James’s [mother]. The evangelist Mark alone (and also Luke) says that the women went in order to “anoint the body of Christ with spices”, that is, with fragrant ointments which they had bought after the Sabbath was over. Obviously, they wished on their part to anoint the body of Christ as much as possible, even though they probably knew that Joseph, who buried Christ, had already seen to this. At that time they were unable to do so, since the Sabbath rest had come. But now they could do so, since by the evening of the Sabbath it was permitted to open shops, and a new day was already beginning. “And very early... as the sun was rising” (verse 2). It was so very early that the sun was only just beginning to rise (ἀνατείλαντος – the present participle precisely denotes a very early time, cf. John 20:1; Luke 24:1). The sky was only just beginning to lighten (Augustine). The same thought is expressed also by the evangelist Matthew in the expression: “in the dawn”. “Entering the tomb” (verse 5). The tomb was a fairly large chamber into which two or three people could enter at once. “A young man...” that is, an angel (cf. Matt 28:2). “On the right side”. This is not the angel mentioned by the evangelist Matthew: that one was sitting on the stone which had been rolled away from the tomb and, consequently, outside the tomb. “They were frightened”. Apparently, the sight of the angel in white apparel caused fear in the women. Perhaps the evangelist wishes to say that they were seized with horror both by the appearance of the angel and by the absence of the body of Jesus from the tomb. “And Peter” (verse 7). This mention of Peter is quite natural in the Gospel of Mark, which was written from the words of the apostle Peter. Perhaps the angel really commanded that the resurrection be reported first of all or especially to the disciple most grieved by Christ’s death. “Just as He told you” (see Mark 14:28). The Lord had said this to His disciples, but the women too apparently were not without hope of seeing Him in Galilee. “Trembling and astonishment” (verse 8). The evangelist Mark says nothing at all of the feeling of joy which, according to Matthew, the myrrh-bearing women experienced at that time along with fear. Similarly, the evangelist Mark emphasizes the fact that they told no one anything because of the fear that had seized them. In this he differs from Matthew (Matt 28:8). To resolve this contradiction between the accounts of the two evangelists, it seems best to suppose that the evangelists have in mind different women: one speaks of those who told, the other of those who remained silent.

Mark 16:9. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. Mark 16:10. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept; Mark 16:11. but when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it. See “On the Authenticity of the Conclusion of the Gospel of Mark”. This appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene is not mentioned by the evangelist Matthew (nor also by Luke). Only the evangelist John describes it in far greater detail (John 20:11-18). “First”. The evangelist is apparently contrasting this appearance with the two described below (verses 12 and 14). “From whom He had cast out” seven, that is, very many “demons”. Probably this Mary became the most zealous follower of Christ as a result of the healing she had received. “Those who had been with Him”. That is, not only the apostles, but also other believers (cf. Acts 1:21). “They did not believe it”. It is clear that the apostles were afraid of being led into delusion, since from their perspective the women did not appear to be sufficiently reliable witnesses to the truth of the resurrection. It may also have seemed strange to them that Christ appeared to the women and not to them. On the other hand, the evangelist Mark indicates that the unbelief did not remain permanently in the apostles’ hearts, showing this by the fact that he used the aorist here (ἠπίστησαν), which indicates that the action denoted by the verb did not continue but was, so to speak, temporary (single occurrence).

Mark 16:12. After this He appeared in a different form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. Mark 16:13. And they went back and told the rest; but they did not believe them either. What the evangelist Mark here relates very briefly, Luke describes in all its details – this is the appearance of Christ to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13 and following). “In a different form”. Christ changed His outward appearance (ἑτέρα μορφή). “But they did not believe them either”. The evangelist Mark emphasizes this new manifestation of the apostles’ criticism toward the witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, apparently in order to show that if at length the apostles finally came to believe in Christ’s resurrection, this faith was based on their own experience, that it did not come to them from the outside. But how can we reconcile with this account of Mark the account of Luke, who says that the apostles at that time were already believing in Christ’s resurrection (Luke 24:34)? One can suppose that it seemed strange to the apostles how the Lord could appear simultaneously both in Jerusalem and on the road to Emmaus. They could not understand that the Lord now had a special body, different from the former one, capable of overcoming the boundaries of space (cf. Luke 24:37). This is what constituted their unbelief in the present case...

Mark 16:14. Finally, He appeared to the eleven as they sat at table; and He upbraided them for their lack of faith and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:15. And He said to them: Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:17. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by the power of my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; Mark 16:18. they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. “Finally” (verse 14) – more correctly: “later” (ὕστερον). This appearance, which occurred during a meal of the disciples, was certainly not the last. But since the evangelist Mark wishes to conclude his Gospel here, he refers to the time of this appearance also the following words of Christ, which He spoke before His final separation from the disciples on the Mount of Olives. Luke (Luke 24:36-49) and John (John 20:19-23) speak of this same appearance. “And He upbraided them for their lack of faith”, that is, for not believing the news of His resurrection as reported to them by the women and the two disciples. Now, of course, the apostles are believers in the risen Christ. “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation” (verse 15). The first word with which Christ here addresses the apostles abolishes the limitations which He had earlier (Matt 10:5) stated regarding the apostles’ missionary activity. From now on, after the completion of redemption, all humankind (creation) is summoned to enter the kingdom of Christ (there is no reference to “irrational creation” here, as is shown by the verb “proclaim” used here: one cannot “proclaim” to irrational creation). “Whoever believes...” (verse 16). Second, Christ tells the apostles about the conditions of salvation for those who will hear their preaching. Those who wish to be saved at the final judgment (cf. Mark 8:35) must receive the Gospel offered to them with faith and, as a sign of their faith in Christ, accept baptism. On the contrary, whoever does not believe and consequently does not accept baptism will bring upon himself condemnation from the Supreme Judge and will perish. Thus, the chief task of the apostles is to preach to people and instill in them faith in Christ. That they must also baptize is not explicitly stated, but this should be understood here. For they had also baptized before (John 4:2). “And these signs will accompany those who believe...” (verse 17). The apostles from their own experience knew that to believe in the risen Christ is a difficult matter: they twice showed their unbelief in this fact. Therefore the Lord promises, third, to send special miraculous signs to believers, which will strengthen them in faith. These miracles will be performed both by the apostles and by simple believers. The latter, seeing how their preachers perform miracles, will be convinced of the truth of their message from God. “By the power of my name”, that is, by My power (cf. Mark 9:38 and others). “In new tongues” (cf. Acts 10:46; 1 Cor 12:10), that is, in languages which they had not previously known. “They will pick up serpents” (verse 18). An example of this see in Acts 28:3-6 and in the story of Moses (Exod 4:2-4). “If they drink any deadly thing...” According to some traditions, in Ephesus, according to others, in Rome, the apostle John the Theologian was compelled by persecutors of Christianity to drink a cup with poison, which did not harm his health in the slightest... “They will lay their hands on the sick” (cf. Acts 28:8 and following; Heb 6:2; 1 Cor 12:9; Jas 5:14).

Mark 16:19. So the Lord, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:20. And they went out and proclaimed the gospel everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it. Amen. “After speaking to them...” Not immediately after the conversation at the meal (verse 14), but forty days after His resurrection the Lord Jesus Christ was taken up into heaven (see Acts 1:2-11) and sat down at the right hand of God, that is, even after His ascension He received power equal to the power of God the Father. But through this He became the source of miraculous powers for His apostles, who went forth, according to the command of Christ, to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world, performing miraculous signs wherever necessary (cf. 1 Cor 1:6). * * * In early April the sun rises in Jerusalem around the sixth hour (Lagrange). Godet suggests that the account of Mark (verse 8) and the account of Luke (Luke 24:9) relate to different moments in time: the first to the very first moment after the myrrh-bearing women returned, and the second to the time when Mary Magdalene appeared to the apostles.