The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16
You can listen to Mark 16 with us below.You can also read the passage in the New Living Translation here.
“Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.
After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.
Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.
Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”
Thank you for joining us in listening to Mark 16! You can also find a written copy of Mark 16 in the NLT here.
Below are some questions that made us think. Feel free to journal your answers to one or all of them!
Discussion Questions
1. After the Sabbath (Saturday), the two Mary's and Salome went to Jesus' tomb to anoint His body with spices. These three women saw Jesus die on Friday and even saw where His body was laid. They expected Jesus' dead body to be inside the tomb, even though Jesus had prophesied that he would die and rise again three days later. Imagine being one of the women and seeing everything that happened to Jesus. It must have been horrible.
-What do you think was going on in the women's heads, hearts, and bodies as they walked to the tomb? Why do you think the women expected Jesus to be dead?
-What expectations (if any) do you have of Jesus? Tell about a time when your circumstances made it difficult to believe Jesus' promises. Tell about a time when you believed or felt like God was dead.
2. The women expected the stone to be in front of the tomb. Instead, it was rolled away. To their surprise, they did not find a dead body, but an angel dressed in white! He said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died" (verses 6-7).
-Do you believe Jesus rose from the dead? Why or why not?
-Who first told you about Jesus' resurrection? What was that like?
-The angel told the women to look at the place where Jesus' body was laid. What has God asked you to "look at" to more fully understand that He really is alive?
3. This situation not only contrasts the women's expectations, but the world's! At that time, the testimony of women didn't "count." If Mark was making up this story, it would have been a bad move for him to write that women were the first people entrusted with the good news of Jesus' resurrection! But the story IS true. God values people differently than the world values people. These three women are the first hearers of the gospel and the first who are told to share the gospel.
At first, they were scared and confused, but then they did end up sharing the good news!
-What was your first response to the news that Jesus rose from the dead? Why do you think you responded the way you did?
-What do you learn about God in this passage?
-How has God used you in unexpected ways?
-Who might God want you to share the good news with?
4. Whew...what a journey through Jesus' life this has been! Thank you for joining us. Take a moment to think about the time you've spent studying this book.
-How has God worked in your life and heart as you've learned about Jesus' life?
-What is still confusing to you about Jesus or the gospel of Mark?
-What might God be inviting you to today?
-Would you like to talk to someone about the book of Mark? If so, don't hesitate to reach out to us here! You could also consider inviting a Christian friend (or friend who is curious about the Bible or God) to go through this study with you.
