Jesus Is Risen (16:1-8).
The Sabbath went slowly by, and then the grieving women went to buy spices in order to anoint Jesus' body. Approaching the tomb with heavy hearts, they wondered how they would be able to move the stone that barred the entrance. But they never dreamed of what they were going to find. For when they arrived at the tomb they discovered that the stone had been rolled aside, and on entering the tomb found there a young man dressed in pure white who informed them that Jesus was no longer there. ‘He is not here,' he declared, ‘He is risen'.
Analysis.
· And when the Sabbath day was past Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices that they might come and anoint him, and very early on the first day of the week they come to the tomb when the sun was risen. And they were saying among themselves, “who will roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb?” (Mark 16:1-3).
· And looking up they see that the stone is rolled back, for it was very large. And entering into the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were amazed (Mark 16:4-5).
· And he says to them, “Do not be amazed. You seek Jesus the Nazarene who has been crucified. He is risen. He is not here” (Mark 16:6 a).
· “See the place where they laid Him. But go and tell His disciples, and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see Him, as He said to you” (Mark 16:6-7).
· And they went out and fled from the tomb. For trembling and astonishment had come on them. And they said nothing to anyone for they were awestruck (Mark 16:8).
Note that in ‘a' they come to the tomb, chatting away about their problem, and in the parallel they flee from the tomb and say nothing to anyone because they are filled with awe. Their whole lives have been turned upside down. In ‘b they see a young man in white sitting on the right side, (who is there as His representative), and in the parallel he says, ‘see the place where they laid Him' and tells them to go to Galilee where they will see Jesus Himself. He is no longer in the tomb. Centrally in ‘c' we have the announcement that ‘He is not here, He is risen'.