The surprised followers - the risen Jesus Mark 16:1-20

Personal preparation

Main message

Everyone should hear the Good News (the Gospel) of Jesus' resurrection.

Structure

1. The last respects to a dead person (v. 1-5)

2. Good News and call into mission: Jesus is risen (v. 6-7)

3. No Easter joy, instead shock and trembling (v. 8)

4. The influence of the Good News on the disciples (v. 9-13)

5. Jesus' universal salvation claim and missionary call (v. 14-19)

6. The reaction of the frightened disciples to the risen Lord (v. 20)

Observation, interpretation

Context: On the evening after the crucifixion, Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb of a rich man.

1 The women come to pay their last respects. The anointing is not performed as in Egypt for the purpose of mummification but can be compared to today's laying of a wreath on the grave. The entire report is written in a matter-of-fact style.

3-4 Their entire mood is governed by mourning. They are shocked by the reality of Jesus' death.

5 As always, the encounter with a messenger of God causes fear.

The shining clothes reveal the heavenly origin.

6 A detailed description of Jesus is given to show that they are

not looking for him in the wrong tomb.

See. The sudarium (a cloth for wiping sweat) and the linen cloths are not mentioned explicitly, but we can presume that they are present. And thus they serve as indication and proof of the angel's message.

See. They are asked to see for themselves. Even today it is the responsibility of Jesus' disciples to invite people to see for themselves and examine the evidence.

Jesus cannot be found. Jesus rose physically. He is not only living on in the imagination of His disciples or in His own words and ideas.

7 The direction has changed. Before, Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem; now the disciples are sent away from the place where the salvation history started.

Jesus continues to go ahead of the disciples. He continues to be the Good Shepherd who goes ahead.

8 They trembled and were amazed. Now nothing is certain anymore; even death is not certain anymore. We, and also our neighbour, will not remain dead. Everything that we are and do will be revealed before God. God breaks into the law of death with the ressurection of Jesus and He has promised to raise the dead on the last day.

There is no Easter joy. No one expected this to happen, neither enemy nor friend of Jesus, nor the people who were indiffe­rent.

9-13 Various encounters between the risen Jesus and His disciples show that they were by no means more credulous than we are today. The first witnesses were women. The testimony of a woman was not accepted in court at that time. If someone had made up the idea of resurrection, this person would have had to provide more reliable witnesses to support the truth of his words.

14-19 The Good News of the cross and the resurrection will be told to every person. Jesus has a universal claim to His salvation. The salvation, however, depends on belief or unbelief of men.

In v. 16 belief and salvation, unbelief and condemnation are linked. Baptism relates to belief. But not being baptised does not lead per se to condemnation. The first believer who was saved was the robber who was also crucified next to Jesus and who was not baptised.

Signs (v. 17-18) only point to something else. During a state visit, the signs correspond to the escorts and the state coach but are not the politician himself. We can receive healing and help from God even here. They are signs of His comprehensive salvation plan and reaffirm the message of the Gospel, but they do not have to occur. The complete salvation (no pain, no death, no sin, community with God) can only be granted in the new world after the Second Coming of Christ.

The resurrection radically changes the frightened and mourning disciples. The one who lives his life with Jesus lives out of a new strength. The living Lord lives and reigns in him / her.

Jesus has conquered death and thus all His miracles must be true.

Additional comments

The tomb of Jesus was a cave cut out of rock. A heavy big stone ( similar to a millstone) was rolled in front of the tomb in order to protect it from wild animals and thieves. Several men were needed to role the stone from in front of the grave. This stone was sealed with a seal by the Roman authorities to prevent any tampering.

Galilee. Region around the Sea of Galilee and the mountains between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee (partly non-Jewish / heathen area).

Tips for the group leader

The passage v. 9-20 is not present in the oldest and best preserved manuscripts, but it was known to the Fathers of the Church as early as the 3rd and 4th century. From the 5th century onwards, it is present more often in the manuscripts (information only for the leader!).

It is important for the group leader to prepare him / herself well for this subject and know the arguments that are stated against the resurrection. There are two main aspects of this text:

1. To help people who find it difficult to understand the resurrection. It will be helpful to illustrate that the disciples had similar difficulties with the resurrection, very similar to those some people have today. Arguments for the resurrection being real and historical are as follow:

a) Women were not accepted as witnesses in those days.

b) The empty tomb (the opponents could have shown the body as evidence to the contrary, if they had taken it to another place).

c) The resignation, hopelessness and unbelief of the disciples show that they themselves did not expect this possibility ("Easter shock and not Easter joy"). In no other religion do the important representatives of the religion come off so badly as in the New Testament.

d) The reports of the resurrection are not identical concerning the order of the individual events. If the resurrection had been made up, these reports would have been standardised in order to make it as convincing as possible.

e) The totally changed appearance of the once frightened disciples who are now willing to die for the cause of the Good News. (Who is willing to die for a story that is made up?)

f) The conversion of Saul.

g) Many people testified that they saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-8).

2. To show people the meaning of the resurrection for us today. The resurrection is God's certification of everything that Jesus said and did. Thus, it is clear that Jesus is God's Son, Jesus is the Saviour of all who believe in Him. Jesus will judge this world. Our life does not end with death. The melody of death of this world is changed. We are called to a life in eternity. In the same way as Jesus rose from the dead, we will rise as well. The one who does not believe will not be saved. Resurrection also means that Jesus is doing something. He is working in our life and through our life, if we let Him into our life and trust Him (v. 20).

Group discussion

Introduction

Option: One of the people who most vehemently denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the most persistent enemy of Christians wrote later on in a letter to a young Christian community: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins...If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.... (1 Cor 15:17-20). Paul had totally changed his opinion of Jesus Christ. Why had this happened? He himself had met Jesus, and this encounter totally changed his life (Acts 9). Today we want to study a text that deals with the event of the resurrection.

Questions

1. Why do the women go to the tomb? What is their mood and what expectation do they have when they set off?

2. Shocked and trembling, the women run away from the tomb. Why are they so confused? What changed their mourning into shock?

3. Why should not the disciples keep the news for themselves? What did the resurrection of Jesus change?

4. We can often read the following thesis: Back then, the disciples were more naïve and credulous than we are today. Can this statement still be held up on the basis of this text?

Application

1. The disciples believe only when they see Jesus. Today we cannot meet Jesus in person. How can we believe then?

2. The message they are to preach is called Good News. What about it is ‘good' for us?

3. What does the hope of the resurrection mean in relation to my life and death?

Closing remarks

After disappointments and struggles, in today's study we saw how God raised Jesus from the dead and how the disciples reacted to that fact. In the next three studies, we will discover what personally following Jesus means, and how God extends His offer of eternal life to us.