There are many times we wish we could see beyond the end of the story. Was Cinderella and the Prince’s life truly “happy ever after?” Or, what became of Tiny Tim in a Christmas Carol? What did he grow up to be? Our passage today leaves us in that place.
“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’ ” They went out and ran from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid.” (Mark 16:1–8, CSB)
Jesus is risen. The women witnessed the angel’s testimony. They saw the empty tomb. This is the ultimate sign that Jesus is the Son of God. The women understood and were overwhelmed with astonishment.
The fact of Jesus’ resurrection is the continental divide of faith. You either believe it, or you don’t. Many will accept Jesus as a moral teacher, a prophet of God, and a way to live life. But faith is not saving faith without believing in the resurrection of Christ. In the cross, we have provision; God had made the way of reconciliation for us. In the empty tomb, there is a proclamation and promise.
The proclamation is that Jesus is the Son of God. The promise is that through His resurrection, those who believe will also be raised to life again. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26, CSB)
Is this the end of Mark’s Gospel? Modern translations recognize that the earliest manuscripts of Mark end here at verse eight. And yet, the story seems unfinished. The prose incomplete. Yes, most of our Bibles have more. Some even have two different endings. Both the shorter ending and the longer ending seem to be written by another’s hand, as evidenced in the writing style.
We will end our study with verse eight. It is like an unresolved last note in music that invites us to add the final note ourselves. Mark has fulfilled his purpose in writing. He has shown us with many proofs that Jesus is the Son of God. The unresolved ending of Mark’s Gospel asks us a question – what happens next? What happens next in the story? But more importantly, what happens next in your heart? Since Jesus is the Son of God, what are you going to do about it? The show and tell of our life in Christ resolves the unresolved final note of Mark’s gospel.
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