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The Resurrection
16 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.
[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
[[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. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
The Great Commission
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. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 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.”
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. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]
(ESV)
Mark 16 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The Great Commission is important. So important, in fact, that we find it 5 times in the NT. It’s found here in Mark 16, as well as Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20 and Acts 1. However, before the disciples believed enough to participate in the Great Commission, they were skeptical. Although they walked and lived with Jesus, they simply did not believe He was alive.
Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
Mark 16:14 NASB
Think about this for a moment. Why would Mark include this in his Gospel? Doesn’t it give ammunition to the skeptics? Is it, in fact, too honest to admit? The very men who followed Jesus around for his entire ministry did not immediately believe those who came forward telling stories about how they saw a resurrected Christ. Is this a problem?
If anything, this is additional proof for the resurrected Christ. These 11 skeptical men (most of which died for their faith), relentlessly preached the Great Commission to the ends of the Earth after this moment. The fact that they did not believe illustrates the transformative power of the Gospel for those who initially struggle with unbelief. In other words, their belief wasn’t blind or reckless. They critically evaluated both through their own experiences and the facts/prophecies to eventually stake their lives on the truth. In John, Jesus encourages all believers who have not seen Him in the flesh, yet, place their full faith and trust in Him.
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
John 20:29 NASB
Jesus meets us in our skepticism and directs us as we humble our heart to His plan and purpose. He knows exactly what we need in order to believe and move forward. Where have you been skeptical? Where have you sold Him short?