Mark 16
Go Deeper
This is it! All of history hinges on the event we read about in today’s passage: the resurrection. It’s the foundation of our faith. The Good News. It is finished. Our sins are paid in full. The empty tomb is our receipt. Death defeated. Jesus is risen! Just as He said.
The first witnesses to the resurrection were the same women who witnessed His death and burial (15:47). These women had proved to be the most devoted followers of Jesus. We can only imagine the weight of their grief and disappointment as they walked in the early morning hours on the way to anoint the body of not only their teacher, but their dear friend.
To their amazement, they are met by an angel with a message—The Message. Look again at verse 6: “Don’t be alarmed, you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. BUT go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” These devoted women were expecting a conclusion to a moment, not an invitation to a movement.
In one verse, we learn so much about the power and grace of our Savior. “He is going ahead of you.” Jesus always leads us. He goes before us. He’s a good Shepherd who leads His flock.
We learn that Jesus’s word can be trusted. “Just as He said.” Not one word spoken from the mouth of the Messiah has been untrue. His promises never fail. He is incapable of lying. We can trust what He says. He is true and what He says is true.
Perhaps the most astonishing of all is that we learn that Jesus is a reconciler. He invites us to a right relationship with Him through grace. The invitation wasn’t only for the most devoted followers. The invitation is extended, specifically, to arguably the biggest deserter and runaway, Peter. “Go and tell his disciples AND PETER.” Jesus redeems our wasted moments and foolish failures. He pursues liars, cheaters, failures, adulterers, prodigals, and misfits and offers them hope, forgiveness, and freedom.
It is the invitation extended to all of us. Will we believe Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified, is risen…just as He said? That He died as a payment for our sins and made a way for us to have new life?
Let’s go and tell that Good News.
Questions
What’s the implication of Jesus’s desire for Peter, specifically, to know Jesus is alive? Reread Mark 14:66-72 for more understanding.
Who do you most relate to in this passage? What do you learn about the character of Jesus?
Is there a situation you’re experiencing into which you need Jesus to breathe new life? Spend some time in prayer asking Him to restore that which you think is broken.