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Home , Mark 15, Matthew 27, The Bible (miniseries)

Session 13 > :42-47; 16:1-8 Lives is alive today, defeating death for all who believe in Him.

It might seem unusual to some people, but I enjoy visiting the burial sites of famous people. I have traveled across America and to many different countries in the world, sometimes on vacations and at other times on mission trips. Part of my planning for these trips includes arranging visits, if possible, to historical or gravesites in the area. These included George ’s stately at his beloved Mount Vernon home; the chapel in Paris where Napoleon Bonaparte’s remains lie encased in concentric coffins; the mausoleum outside the Kremlin wall in Moscow in which the preserved body of Vladimir Lenin remains on public display; Westminster Abbey in London, the final resting place of numerous British monarchs, poets, and scientists; and the Taj Mahal in India, a dazzling white marble edifice housing the tomb of a seventeenth century emperor’s favorite wife. I have also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in , the site many Christians believe was the place where Jesus’ body was buried following the . In stark contrast to the many other tombs and burial sites of famous people I have visited, no one at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre speaks of—much less displays—Jesus’ remains. Standing in that sacred space, one is vividly reminded of the angelic announcement long ago: “He has risen! He is not here” (:6). This final session in our study of Mark’s focuses on Jesus’ burial and resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is essential to the gospel message. Without it, we have no hope for forgiveness of sin or victory over death. Because of it, however, Christ gives eternal life to all who believe in Him. UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT

MARK 15:42–16:20 In 15:42-47, Mark described the circumstances of Jesus’ removal from the cross and burial. Because in Jewish reckoning the Sabbath Day began on

130 Explore the © 2019 LifeWay Friday after sundown, , a member of the and a secret follower of Christ, petitioned the Roman governor for permission to remove Jesus’ body for burial. According to John’s Gospel, Joseph was assisted in this endeavor by , another Jewish leader and secret follower (see :39-40). Together, the two men removed Jesus’ body from the cross, wrapped Him in linen cloth, and placed Him in a nearby cave tomb belonging to Joseph (see Matt. 27:59-60). Mark 16:1-8 is a succinct description of the early events that occurred on Resurrection Sunday. Interestingly, Mark’s Gospel highlights only the group of women who returned to the tomb early in the morning to put spices around Jesus’ body. None of the apostles accompanied the women at this time, a fact that led the women to wonder how they could roll aside the large stone from the tomb’s entrance. To their surprise, the tombstone had already been rolled aside, and the women were met by an inside the tomb who informed them Jesus had risen from the dead. The women were instructed to carry the news of Jesus’ resurrection to the disciples and remind them that He would appear to them in . In their fear, however, the women at first told no one of their experience. The remaining verses of the chapter, Mark 16:9-20, do not appear in some of the earliest known manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel. For the most part, however, these verses include information that appears in one or more of the other Gospel accounts. For example, Mark 16:9-11 reports that the risen Lord appeared first to and that the disciples did not believe her testimony at first. This fact is consistent with :9, Luke 24:11, and John 20:14. Similarly, Mark 16:12-13 is consistent with the report in Luke 24:13-35 that Jesus appeared to two disciples walking toward the village of Emmaus. Mark 16:14-18 includes a version of Jesus’ commissioning the disciples to carry the gospel into all the world—the same command found in Matthew 28:19-20 and implied in Luke 24:46-49. Finally, Mark 16:19-20 reports Jesus’ ascension, an event reported also in Luke 24:50-52 (see also :9-11). EXPLORE THE TEXT

BURIED (Mark 15:42-47) After Jesus’ death, Joseph of Arimathea requested permission from Pilate to bury Jesus. When he confirmed Jesus’ death, Pilate gave Joseph permission to remove and bury Jesus’ body. Joseph wrapped the body in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb as Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of watched.

Session 13: Lives 131 © 2019 LifeWay VERSES 42-43 When it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of , came and boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. As mentioned previously, first-century Jews reckoned a day as going from sunset to sunset. Thus, the wordsit was already evening indicate that a succeeding day was about to begin. Long-held Christian tradition contends that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, which for Jews would have been the day of preparation for the Sabbath (Saturday). On the day of preparation, Jewish families did all of the work that was necessary to carry them through without working on the Sabbath—from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. Jesus had already died (see 15:37), but His body still hung on the cross. As far as the Roman government was concerned, the bodies of crucified victims remained on their crosses until they decomposed or scavenging birds and animals devoured them. Mosaic law, however, prohibited leaving an executed criminal’s body hanging on a tree overnight (see Deut. 21:22-23). Leaving Jesus’ body unburied and hanging on the cross on the Sabbath would have been particularly egregious. Yet, who would step forward to take care of this task? And would the Roman governor even allow it? Jewish families typically had the responsibility of burying their dead family members. It is extremely unlikely, however, that Jesus’ mother could have approached, much less persuaded, the Roman governor to release Jesus’ body. The task thus fell to Joseph of Arimathea [ar ih muh THEE uh], a prominent member of the Sanhedrin [san HEE drihn]. The Sanhedrin was a first-century Jewish ruling council, in effect the supreme court of Jewish society. Comprised of seventy influential Jewish leaders and led by the temple’s powerful high priest, the Sanhedrin operated under the authority of the Roman governor but generally with wide latitude for decisions involving Jewish cultural practices. Sometimes referred to as “the elders,” the Sanhedrin was directly involved in the conspiracy to destroy Jesus (see :31; 11:27-28). The council concluded that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy and deserving of death (see 14:63-64), yet they needed the Roman authorities to actually carry out the execution (see :28-32). Why would Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the council that condemned Jesus to death, now step forward to request Jesus’ body for burial? First, Joseph was looking forward to the kingdom of God. That is, he lived in anticipation that God would send the to establish His divine rule over God’s people. In this regard, Joseph was keenly aware that Jesus’

132 Explore © 2019 LifeWay preaching had focused on the nature and nearness of God’s kingdom (see :14-15). Second, Joseph was secretly a follower of Jesus (see John 19:38) “who had not agreed with [the Sanhedrin’s] plan and action” (:51). Third, Joseph may have been determined to be obedient to God’s law in Deuteronomy 21:22-23. These factors thus motivated him to boldly approach Pilate, the Roman governor who had authorized Jesus’ execution, to request the body for burial.

VERSES 44-45 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died. When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. By design, death by crucifixion came slowly and painfully; victims could hang for several days before succumbing to total exhaustion and suffocation. There were ways to hasten a victim’s death, such as by breaking the legs, but Jesus had already died before the execution squad could inflict this fatal remedy on Him. Even so, one of the soldiers had used a spear to pierce Jesus’ side to ensure that He was dead (see John 19:31-34). Joseph’s request for Jesus’ body surprised (“marvelled,” KJV) Pilate, since the request implied that Jesus was already dead. Evidently, the soldiers in charge of the execution had not yet reported to the governor. In any case, Pilate was unwilling to take Joseph’s word alone. He summoned the centurion in charge of the execution to confirm whether Jesus had already died. Only after receiving confirmation did Pilate release Jesus’ body to Joseph for burial.

VERSE 46 After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb cut out of the rock and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. That Joseph was still able to purchase some linen cloth (“fine linen,” KJV; “a linen shroud,” ESV) indicates that the Sabbath Day, while imminent, had not yet officially begun. Nevertheless, time was short. John 19:39 reveals that Nicodemus, another Sanhedrin member and secret Christ-follower, assisted Joseph, “bringing a mixture of about seventy-five pounds of and aloes.” These fragrant spices would be placed inside the linen wrapping to mask the odor of decay. Whether Nicodemus arrived in time to help Joseph remove Jesus’ body from the cross is not certain. However, it seems likely that he did. Together, they took Jesus down and wrapped him in the linen.

Session 13: Lives 133 © 2019 LifeWay Joseph already had decided where Jesus’ body would be interred. He laid him in a tomb (“sepulchre,” KJV) cut out of the rock. :60 reveals that the tomb in fact belonged to Joseph and was new. That is, no other person’s remains were in the burial cave (see also Luke 23:53). Further, John 19:41 indicates that the burial site was near the crucifixion site and was located in a garden. Cave tombs often were used for multiple burials over the course of time. Thus, the opening was sealed by rollinga stone against the entrance to the tomb. In some cases the massive stone was carved to be round like a wheel so that it could be rolled back and forth across the opening.

VERSE 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid. All four report that a number of women followers observed Jesus’ crucifixion firsthand (see Matt. 27:55-56; Mark 15:40; Luke 23:49; John 19:25). Luke 23:49 further indicates that when the crowds began to disperse after Jesus died, the women believers remained at the site. At least some of these women lingered until Joseph and Nicodemus came to remove Jesus’ body from the cross. Mark’s Gospel reports that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses [JOH seez] followed the men to so they could see where Jesus’ body was laid. Mary Magdalene was from the town of Magdala [MAG duh luh] on the western shore of the . Jesus had expelled seven demons from her, prompting her devotion to Him (see Mark 16:9; :2). The second Mary is the same woman identified in Matthew 27:56 as “Mary the mother of James and Joseph” and in Mark 15:40 as “Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses.” All of these details regarding Jesus’ death and burial emphasize that He truly experienced physical death. Christ could not conquer death by merely swooning or pretending to die. His atoning work would have been disqualified if His death was not real. Witnesses who watched firsthand certify that Jesus gave His life on the cross as the Sacrifice for our sins. He died for sinners.

EXPLORE FURTHER Read the article titled “Burial” on pages 242–244 in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Revised and Expanded. How did Jewish burial customs of Jesus’ day differ from today? What information helps you appreciate the facts surrounding Jesus’ death and burial?

134 Explore the Bible © 2019 LifeWay GRIEVED (Mark 16:1-4) Early on the first day of the week (Sunday), some women followers of Christ returned to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with burial spices. As they walked, they questioned how they would be able to open the tomb’s entrance. When they arrived, however, they found that the stone had already been moved.

VERSE 1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. The Sabbath day officially ended after sunset on Saturday, at which time work and travel prohibitions were lifted. The women who had observed Jesus’ burial, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (see 15:47), were then able to resume their efforts to give proper care for Jesus’ body. The two Marys were joined in their mission by Salome [suh LOH mih], the mother of James and John, ’s sons (see Matt. 27:56). These women first went and bought burial spices (“sweet spices,” KJV). Their plan was to go and anoint Jesus’ corpse around daybreak the next morning; thus, they likely purchased the ointments late Saturday evening. The purpose of anointing Jesus’ body with fragrant spices was twofold. First, the spices would help to mask the stench of decomposition. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the act would demonstrate the women’s loving devotion to Jesus Christ, their Lord.

VERSE 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. Two aspects of this verse emphasize the women’s devotion to Jesus. First, they went to the tomb. The women may well have known about the squad of soldiers Pilate stationed outside the tomb (see Matt. 27:62-66), but that did not stop them from going to the gravesite. Second, the women went to the tomb very early in the morning … at sunrise (“when the sun had risen,” ESV; “just after sunrise,” NIV). John’s Gospel reports that “it was still dark” (John 20:1). In Mark 1:35, the phrase very early in the morning clearly denotes a time prior to daybreak. Perhaps, then, the women began their journey in the darkness just before daybreak and arrived (or were still at the tomb) sometime closer to sunrise. In any case, the women were determined to carry out their act of devotion to Jesus before they did anything else that day.

Session 13: Lives 135 © 2019 LifeWay All of the Gospels highlight that this event took place on the first day of the week (Sunday). In time, Christians would designate this day as the Lord’s Day in celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Churches began to hold their worship gatherings on Sunday rather than Saturday for the same reason (see Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Rev. 1:10).

VERSE 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” One of the obstacles the women would encounter was the large stone that had been placed in front of the entrance to the tomb. They discussed the matter of who could roll away such a large stone for them. Even in their grief and frustration, however, they continued, determined to carry out their task.

VERSE 4 Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large— had been rolled away. The phrase rendered looking up could indicate that the women approached the tomb from a lower elevation, requiring them to lift their gaze to see it. Perhaps, however, the phrase emphasizes their grief. Their eyes were downcast in sorrow as they walked along. As they drew near the tomb, they looked up to see it, and what they saw no doubt startled them: the stone— which was very large—had been rolled away. In His glorified body, the risen Lord did not require the stone’s removal to exit the tomb. However, its removal would help these earliest witnesses of His resurrection begin to realize that the grave could not hold their Lord. As believers today, we still feel the pangs of grief when we stand at the graves of loved ones who die in the Lord. Yet, we do not grieve without hope. We will see them again in the life to come (see 1 Thess. 4:13-14).

RESURRECTED (Mark 16:5-8) The first witnesses of the resurrection were devoted women who followed Christ. At first, the and an angelic messenger alarmed them to the extent they were afraid to tell anyone. Eventually, however, they shared the good news of Jesus’ resurrection with the eleven disciples.

VERSE 5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed.

136 Explore the Bible © 2019 LifeWay Mark’s Gospel does not mention the guards Pilate stationed near the tomb. Evidently, the guards remained paralyzed with fear and presented no obstacle to the women (see Matt. 28:2-4). Perhaps the men had camped at some distance from Jesus’ tomb. In any case, the women boldly entered the tomb, presumably to complete their task of anointing Jesus’ body. No doubt they quickly discerned the body was absent. Instead, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The Greek term rendered young man is not the typical word for a or a male. Instead the term emphasizes the being’s youthful appearance. Matthew 28:2-5 indicates this being was, in fact, an angel, a conclusion confirmed by his dazzling white clothing. In addition, appearances in Scripture of angelic beings (even in humanlike form) often caused a fearful reaction at first. Accordingly, when the women saw the young man in the tomb, they were alarmed (“affrighted,” KJV). The Greek word rendered alarmed carries the dual emphases of both amazement and fright. Mark did not specify what he meant by the words on the right side. He could have meant on the women’s right hand as they entered the tomb. Figuratively, the phrase could represent a position of honor or authority.

VERSE 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of , who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. In two brief statements, the angel addressed the women’s primary concerns. First, he calmed their anxiety, assuring them they need not be alarmed. Second, he let them know that he knew why they had come to the tomb. They were looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. They had come in grief, but their sorrow would soon be transformed into joy. The words He has risen comprise Easter’s anthem! The angel did not speak in terms of a missing corpse. Jesus was risen from the dead! “He is not here” might seem to be an obvious statement, but it planted the astounding idea in the women’s minds that Jesus was alive again. To underscore this amazing truth, the angel invited the women to see the place where they put him. They could observe for themselves that Jesus was no longer in the tomb. In a society that did not value women very highly, God chose them to be the first eyewitnesses of His Son’s resurrection.

VERSE 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’”

Session 13: Lives 137 © 2019 LifeWay The angel then gave the women a new, glorious mission. They had come to the tomb in grief to care for Jesus’ body; they would leave with a joyful assignment to go, tell his disciples and Peter the good news. The specific reference to Peter could be one clue that Mark depended heavily on Simon Peter as a source for his Gospel account. Before His death, Jesus had told the disciples He would meet them in Galilee after His resurrection (Matt. 26:32). The angel charged the women to remind the disciples of this promise. They would soon see him there (see Matt. 28:16).

VERSE 8 They went out and ran from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid. Mark’s Gospel emphasizes the women’s amazement and fear in response to the empty tomb. Despite the angel’s reassurance and declaration of Jesus’ resurrection, the women were overwhelmed by trembling and astonishment for some time. The words they said nothing to anyone could mean that they did not talk among themselves as they returned to the city. We know that eventually the women, Mary Magdalene in particular, encountered the risen Lord (see Matt. 28:9; John 20:14-17). Furthermore, they later told the disciples about the resurrection and were met with initial skepticism (see Luke 24:11). In time, the risen Lord appeared to His followers on numerous occasions, preparing them for the coming of the and the launch of the church age. As believers today, we have the same good news to share with the world that the first disciples received. We have the same Christ gave the early church. We are to go and tell—tell lost people that Jesus is alive forever. He has conquered sin and death, and He offers eternal life to all who repent of sin and believe in Him as Savior and Lord.

EXPLORE FURTHER Read the article titled “ the Christ” on pages 1349– 1350 in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Revised and Expanded. How do the Gospel accounts of the resurrection help you understand the reality of Christ’s victory over sin and death? In what ways do they motivate you to share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection with others?

138 Explore the Bible © 2019 LifeWay