Mark 16
The Message
The Resurrection
16 1-3 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could embalm him. Very early on Sunday morning, as the sun rose, they went to the tomb. They worried out loud to each other, “Who will roll back the stone from the tomb for us?”
4-5 Then they looked up, saw that it had been rolled back—it was a huge stone—and walked right in. They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished.
6-7 He said, “Don’t be afraid. I know you’re looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the One they nailed on the cross. He’s been raised up; he’s here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. Now—on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You’ll see him there, exactly as he said.”
8 They got out as fast as they could, beside themselves, their heads swimming. Stunned, they said nothing to anyone.
9-11 [After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared early on Sunday morning to Mary Magdalene, whom he had delivered from seven demons. She went to his former companions, now weeping and carrying on, and told them. When they heard her report that she had seen him alive and well, they didn’t believe her.
12-13 Later he appeared, but in a different form, to two of them out walking in the countryside. They went back and told the rest, but they weren’t believed either.
14-16 Still later, as the Eleven were eating supper, he appeared and took them to task most severely for their stubborn unbelief, refusing to believe those who had seen him raised up. Then he said, “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all. Whoever believes and is baptized is saved; whoever refuses to believe is damned.
17-18 “These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well.”
19-20 Then the Master Jesus, after briefing them, was taken up to heaven, and he sat down beside God in the place of honor. And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.]
Note: Mark 16:9-20 [the portion in brackets] is not found in the earliest handwritten copies.
Mark 16
The Voice
16 1-2 At the rising of the sun, after the Sabbath on the first day of the week, the two Marys and Salome brought sweet-smelling spices they had purchased to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. 3 Along the way, they wondered to themselves how they would roll the heavy stone away from the opening. 4 But when they arrived, the stone was already rolled away in spite of its weight and size.
5 Stepping through the opening, they were startled to see a young man in a white robe seated inside and to the right.
Man in White: 6 Don’t be afraid. You came seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the One who was crucified. He is gone. He has risen. See the place where His body was laid. 7 Go back, and tell Peter and His disciples that He goes before you into Galilee, just as He said. You will see Him there when you arrive.
8 The women went out quickly; and when they were outside the tomb, they ran away trembling and astonished. Along their way, they didn’t stop to say anything to anyone because they were too afraid.
Mark finishes his Gospel in the same way he begins it—quickly, without commentary or explanation. He also finishes it in a humble way: it is the lowly women who take center stage in this greatest miracle of Jesus. The heavenly messenger sends the women with a commission to tell the disciples what has happened, making them the first preachers of the resurrection.
[9 After He rose from the dead early on Sunday,[a] Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, a woman out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She brought this news back to all those who had followed Him and were still mourning and weeping, 11 but they refused to believe she had seen Jesus alive.
12 After that, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they walked through the countryside, 13 and again the others did not believe it.
14 The eleven did not believe until Jesus appeared to them all as they sat at dinner. He rebuked them for their hard hearts—for their lack of faith—because they had failed to believe those witnesses who had seen Him after He had risen.
Jesus: 15 Go out into the world and share the good news with all of creation. 16 Anyone who believes this good news and is ceremonially washed[b] will be rescued, but anyone who does not believe it will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: they will be able to cast out demons in My name, speak with new tongues, 18 take up serpents, drink poison without being harmed, and lay their hands on the sick to heal them.
19 After the Lord Jesus had charged the disciples in this way, He was taken up into heaven and seated at the right hand of God. 20 The disciples went out proclaiming the good news; and the risen Lord continued working through them, confirming every word they spoke with the signs He performed through them.][c]
[And the women did everything they had been told to do, speaking to Peter and the other disciples. Later Jesus Himself commissioned the disciples to take this sacred and eternal message of salvation far to the East and the West.][d]
The remaining eleven disciples take this command as their life’s mission. According to tradition, all but one of them (John) will be killed for their refusals to stop proclaiming the truth that Jesus is the Anointed One who has been crucified and who has arisen from the dead. They dedicate their lives—and their deaths—to the proclamation of this reality. If they are not absolutely certain of the truth of Jesus’ resurrection, then why dedicate their lives to announcing it to the world?
Footnotes
- 16:9 Literally, “the first day of the week.” The new creation was underway.
- 16:16 Literally, immersed, to show repentance
- 16:9–20 are not contained in the earliest manuscripts. However, many manuscripts do contain these verses. It is likely the original Gospel ended in 16:8 or that the original ending was lost.
- 16:20 One manuscript concludes with these bracketed words.
Mark 16
English Standard Version
The Resurrection
16 (A)(B)When the Sabbath was past, (C)Mary Magdalene, (D)Mary the mother of James, and (E)Salome (F)bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away (G)the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—(H)it was very large. 5 And (I)entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, (J)dressed in (K)a white robe, and (L)they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, (M)“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that (N)he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, (O)just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.][a]
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
9 [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, (P)he appeared first to (Q)Mary Magdalene, (R)from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 (S)She went and told those who had been with him, (T)as they (U)mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they (V)would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
12 (W)After these things (X)he appeared in (Y)another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 (Z)And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
The Great Commission
14 Afterward (AA)he appeared (AB)to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their (AC)unbelief and (AD)hardness of heart, because (AE)they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, (AF)“Go into all the world and (AG)proclaim the gospel to (AH)the whole creation. 16 (AI)Whoever believes and is (AJ)baptized (AK)will be saved, but (AL)whoever (AM)does not believe will be condemned. 17 And (AN)these signs will accompany those who believe: (AO)in my name they will cast out demons; (AP)they will speak in new tongues; 18 (AQ)they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; (AR)they will lay their hands (AS)on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then the Lord Jesus, (AT)after he had spoken to them, (AU)was taken up into heaven and (AV)sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while (AW)the Lord worked with them and confirmed (AX)the message (AY)by accompanying signs.]]
Footnotes
- Mark 16:9 Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8; others include verses 9–20 immediately after verse 8. At least one manuscript inserts additional material after verse 14; some manuscripts include after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. These manuscripts then continue with verses 9–20
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
