Mark 16
Mark 16:1-21And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. (Mark 16:1‑2). In Matthew 28:11In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (Matthew 28:1). The women visited the grave at dusk of the Sabbath, just as the first day commenced. They had bought sweet spices and ointments before the Sabbath (Luke 23:5656And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. (Luke 23:56)), and early in the morning of the first day they go to complete their work.
Mark 16:33And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? (Mark 16:3). They think of the difficulty of that great stone in the way. “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?”
Mark 16:5-75And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. (Mark 16:5‑7). On entering the sepulcher they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. He speaks to them, calming their fears, and tells them the one they sought. Jesus of Nazareth, was risen. He is not in the grave. “Behold the place where they laid Him.” He gives them a message to His disciples and Peter to meet Him in Galilee (Matt. 26:3232But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. (Matthew 26:32)).
Mark 16:88And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. (Mark 16:8). The women went out quickly and fled from the sepulcher, fear keeping them silent about what they had seen. Afterward they met the Lord Himself and received the message anew (Matt. 28:99And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. (Matthew 28:9)). How comforting this message would be to Peter, who could see in it that the Lord had not cast him off, but still called him “Peter” – his new name (Matt. 16:88Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? (Matthew 16:8); John 1:4242And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:42), margin). Peter had thrice denied that he knew the Lord, but the Lord would not deny Peter (2 Tim. 2:1313If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)).
Mark 16:1414Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. (Mark 16:14). And when with the eleven He upbraided them about this same unbelief, this truth of resurrection. How important it is! Man’s natural mind refuses it, for resurrection bears witness to the almighty power of God, and stamps the work of Christ as that work that has glorified. Him and that has glorified the Son in return (John 13:31-3231Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. (John 13:31‑32)).
In the history of the progress of the gospel we see that all was not fulfilled at once. The apostles did not go from Jerusalem till they could stay there no longer. History outside of the Bible tells us that then they went to different places and labored, and the Lord worked with them. Peter was used to open the door to the bringing in of the Gentiles in Acts 10 as he had done also for the Jew in Acts 2. But it was Paul that took the lead as the apostle to the Gentiles in preaching the gospel to every creature (all creation). Which means that no nationality was excluded, it went beyond the Jews, to all men.
In answer to the Lord’s prayer upon the cross (Luke 23:3434Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (Luke 23:34)), another offer was given to the Jews as a nation in Acts 3 that if they repented then the Lord would come back and set up His kingdom, thus fulfilling the unfulfilled prophecies. Instead of repenting, they abused His servants; and stoned Stephen, sending him after His Master (Luke 19:1414But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:14)). Stephen sees Jesus standing on the right-hand of God, as if waiting to come. That offer is closed with Stephen’s death, henceforth the gospel was to individuals. And the Church was scattered abroad from Jerusalem, except the apostles, and those scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:1,41And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Acts 8:1)
4Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. (Acts 8:4)).
And the Lord worked with them also. May we know, too, what that means, “The Lord working with them,” in our service.
The word is now established: signs are not needed in this day, to make us see that the gospel is from the living God.