Mark 16:5-7 - The Common Act of Resurrection

Mark 16:5-7
5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

Message: The Common Act of Resurrection

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus has been laid in his tomb after being crucified. Joseph of Arimathea, respected as being in the Sanhedrin council, but also who has a love for Jesus and believes in Him as Messiah, goes to Pilate to ask if he can take Jesus' body and bury it. He buys a linen to wrap him in it and does this Friday, prior to the Sabbath. The tomb he puts Jesus in is his tomb and a nice one where a stone is rolled in front. Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome then go to Jesus on Sunday, 3 full days afterward, to anoint the body and dress it after its burial, and as they arrive there, wondering who will roll the stone away discovered it is already rolled away.

Mark records this very simply as he has done previously. His simple reporting of the events is not often what I see, but what I am seeing is he is often reporting what is around Jesus rather than the details that Jesus has done.

These 3 women - Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome - after seeing that the stone has been rolled away, perhaps thinking someone has already done that for them, walk into the tomb, still probably looking for Jesus. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. Okay, something is up. They enter the tomb but instead of seeing Jesus they see a young man sitting and wearing a white robe and naturally, they are amazed. Young man in extra-biblical material often referred to a heavenly being and this conclusion would make sense here. They were amazed speaks of them being frightened. They did not have an explanation immediately for Jesus not being there and they were frightened probably, but more simply amazed.

This young man will now speak to them, he to them, "Do not be amazed; The young man or rather the angel's response to them is now that they do not need to be amazed. There fear or amazement is not the emotion that they need to have. Rather, there is an explanation - you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” And there is the revelation of the information. Jesus is not here. He has risen. He is not here. He was here. Now, go and tell His disciples and Peter for Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee and there You will see Him as well. This is all as He said previously. He is right. Jesus had predicted this and told them 3 times that this would happen. They were walking in there thinking He would be there, but the unexpected in their eyes happened, but it was actually the expected as Jesus had predicted it.

This angel announcing that Jesus, uses the phrase He has risen. This is written in the Greek text in the passive voice to say, "He was raised." His raising was not an act of humanity, but a divine act carried out by God. God has raised him, had rescued Christ from the dead. There is a unity in this act. There is a unity in thought. Jesus, the man, Jesus, the God, in unity with the Father raising him, raises Himself from the dead. The point is this is not a mortal act, but a divine one and an act certainly in the grasp of Jesus. His going to die was voluntary for He had a task to perform and now He has risen. It is complete and in this one act is recorded skepticism for many for this act penetrates our lives and expresses not just the sacrifice.

Yes, Jesus has been sacrificed. God demanded that blood be shed. This was clear as the priests had taken animals, clean animals and sacrificed them in the temple in place of people's sins. But, now Jesus had come preaching a new message of personal repentance or personal turning from one's sins. He preached forgiveness by him, by God of people's sins and now he willingly goes to a cross, to a place and offers himself for all people. Jesus becomes the Lamb, becomes the Lamb of God, the clean lamb, the perfect Lamb, upon the cross. He dies. But, something occurs now that was not present in any animal. Something is different now with Jesus.

Sin has not simply been paid for, but now Jesus has risen. So, it is that sin has been conquered. The wrath of God has been met, but the act is no longer ever needed again because Jesus has risen. This one act will change lives forever and produce questioning among so many. Only this faith believes in the resurrection. Many will state that Jesus was a great man and lived a great life, but the act of dying and then resurrection is shuffled out of the way. But He has risen and he will present himself before the disciples and Peter shortly.

Summary - Jesus has been crucified, buried in a tomb, wrapped in linen. 3 Women go to him to anoint him and instead find the stone rolled away and a young man (an angel) sitting there and telling them to not be amazed (have no fear) that instead Jesus has risen. It is a done deal. He is back. And he will see them and others soon in Galilee. They are to go forward and tell others with and wait to see and hear from Jesus.

Promise: Jesus has done the unexpected and yet the unexpected was expected by Him. He has raised from the dead, as he told others previously it would happen.

Prayer: O Jesus, O God, you changed civilization in these moments. You changed my life. You show me a love that does not seem possible by men. We base our lives on feelings and in this act you show us that you are real, you are eternal, you are forever. And so we as your sons and daughters will also be forever. I look to You more than ever. I receive your message of love: to love You with all of my being and to love others. Keep me focused on You Lord. Keep me learning about You and what you have done. Help me be more about love. This is my mission - to love.