BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

As Jesus faces death, his 12 male disciples are compelled by fear to slink into the shadows, leaving Joseph of Arimathea and the female disciples to care for his body. These women model loyalty and courage, demonstrating their faithfulness to Jesus. They bring spices to the tomb on the third day to anoint Jesus’ body, expecting that he would still be dead. Dead people do tend to stay dead.

But then they find the tomb open, and a white-robed young man tells them not to be alarmed. That’s almost like telling people swimming in a lake not to get wet. How could they be anything but alarmed? The man instructs them to go and tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen and will meet them again soon in Galilee. The women are obviously afraid, and they flee as the book abruptly ends.

Though this anticlimactic conclusion might feel unsatisfying, its lack of resolution provokes the reader to meditate on its message. Today’s video revisits Mark’s key themes, welcoming us back through this strange story (and its limited conclusion) one more time before we move into John’s gospel.

Reflection Questions

• Compare Jesus’ mock coronation in Mark 15:16-20 with the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. What connections do you see? Can you think of other parallels from the Hebrew Bible? How does this help us understand the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus?
• Why do you think the angelic messenger singles out Peter by name in Mark 16:7? What does this say about the Kingdom values of forgiveness and restoration?