They Were Terrified?

Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.  And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 

I find the ending of Mark’s gospel intriguing. It concludes with the women fleeing from the tomb in terror?  In amazement?  And, in silence? It’s unsettling, even disturbing! And, it raises many questions because it is so open-ended. It leaves us wondering what happens next? The first time I really noticed  it was when I was in seminary. Our New Testament professor showed the class a video of a man reciting the entire gospel of Mark from memory. Not only was I amazed by his accomplishment, but I was also astounded that when he got to the end of the Gospel, it ended so abruptly. We were left hanging! No one said anything. We all just sat there for a moment and then silently left the room. I’m thinking, is that all there is? Maybe he forgot something!

So, when I got home, I felt compelled to pull out my Bible to check it out. Yes! Sure enough! That is how the Gospel According to Mark ends. It was puzzling! I found it very unsettling! 

Mark’s resurrection account and ending are markedly different from the other gospels. The resurrection story in Matthew is dramatic with emotions of fear and joy and the women go and tell everything that happened. The gospel ends with the resurrected Jesus telling the disciples to: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I commanded you. And remember, that I am always with you.

In Luke, the women find the empty tomb, and are terrified, when two angels appear on the scene. The angels remind them what Jesus had said, which is, “The Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”  It sparks their memory and  they return to the disciples. The women tell what they experienced. Luke ends with Jesus leading his disciples to Bethany, blessing them, and then he ascends to heaven. Joyfully the disciples continually bless God in the temple.

And in John’s gospel, the resurrection account ends with Mary Magdalene finding the tomb empty. She runs to tell the disciples—Simon Peter, and the one Jesus loved. In turn, they run to the tomb and find it empty with only the linen cloths Jesus had been wrapped in lying there. And then, the meaning of what Jesus had told them occurs to the disciple whom Jesus loved. And, he believes. Scripture says, that Jesus would have to rise from the dead; and Jesus had told his disciples that they would no longer see him. But then, they would see him. Now these words begin to make sense to them. 

Mary is left crying outside the tomb, but Jesus comes to her, calls her name, and she then recognizes him. This gospel ends with Jesus serving the disciples breakfast on the beach and imploring them to follow him. All three gospels have happy endings, which brings us back to Mark. What is going on with Mark?

Let’s immerse ourselves in Mark’s account! Mark tells us that when the sabbath is over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome make their way to Jesus’ tomb. Carrying spices, their intent is to give Jesus a proper burial by anointing his body with spices and oil. They wonder how in the world they are going to roll the huge stone from the tomb’s entrance. They know it is incredibly heavy. But when they look up, lo and behold, they see that the stone has already been rolled back.  How could this be? It’s impossible! Who would do this?

As they enter the tomb, they see a young man, dressed in a white robe. Understandably, they are alarmed. You can almost imagine what they’re thinking: Who is he? Where is Jesus?

The man knows why they are there and he sees the expressions on the women’s faces. Trying to reassure them, he says, “Do not be alarmed!

Really? They must have been thinking. What happened to Jesus? Did someone take him away? Was his body stolen? 

“You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, he tells them. He is risen! He is not here! Look and see, here is the place they laid him.” 

What? He is risen? He is alive? That’s impossible! 

The young man continues, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 

How can this be? I saw Jesus there hanging on the cross! He was dead! So they flee from the tomb because they are terrified! And amazement seizes them! Mark tells us that they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. They told NO ONE! That’s the phrase that really gets me!! If they didn’t tell anyone about their experience, how would people have known Jesus had arisen? Furthermore, if Jesus told had them he would see them in Galilee, why were they terrified? It makes me wonder if they were listening, paying attention, or they just didn’t understand what Jesus had told them. Maybe they are so afraid they forgot. Mark tells us that they are terrified and amazed.

As you know, when we are afraid, it is difficult to think clearly because our emotions take over and cloud our ability to reason. Terror can cause our minds to simply blank out. 

We may question, why they were afraid. And yet, wouldn’t we be afraid if we witnessed our best friend, Jesus, crucified on a cross;  expected  to  find  him  in the tomb where his body was laid; and then, found an open, empty tomb? 

We may want to dismiss what Mark tells us because we can look back in retrospect. We have three other gospel writers telling us their versions of the resurrection event. And yet, we find Mark’s ending strange. We also know that ancient scribes were also baffled about the ending of Mark. They wrote an addendum of resurrection stories and placed it at the end of the gospel to fill in the missing pieces that confounded them. So, we surmise that the women must have told someone what happened.

Let me ask you this question: When something astounding and very profound happens to you, do you keep it a secret? Chances are you want to tell the good news to everyone who will listen. For example, someone once told me they had pancreatic cancer. The doctor told her she had only a certain amount of time to live. Yes, she was expected to die. But  she prayed and prayed and miraculously, the tumors disappeared and many years later she is still alive. Now obviously that isn’t the case with many people. Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease. But she was healed. The point is… Did she keep it a secret? No! She firmly believed and testified that God healed her and she shared her faith with everyone she knew.

This past week I heard Judy Dodd, a woman who was a coronavirus long-hauler, testify that she had debilitating symptoms from contracting the virus. When she received the second vaccine, her symptoms complete went away and she felt like a new person. What does she do? She tells about her experience on television! 

So, why does Mark end his gospel in silence? Here’s what I think Mark is doing. Mark’s gospel begins: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This sentence serves as the title to the gospel. But, the conclusion is left open-ended! It is a cliff-hanger! It isn’t the end of gospel! We are left to decide what happens. Perhaps it is because the gospel of Mark continues through us! I see it as an invitation for you and for me to continue the story; to share how the Good News of Jesus Christ is active in our own lives; and to ask ourselves: where have we found unexplained or unexpected blessings in our lives. How has Christ empowered us to serve and help others? In what way has God helped us through trying times? 

I can tell you that my son has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. Born ten weeks early and unable to breathe and intubated, we didn’t know whether he would live or die. But I firmly believe that God was with Jeff, me, and tiny Theo as we walked through the seven weeks he was in the neonatal intensive care unit. And he survived. Jeff would agree that Theo has been the greatest gift in our lives. Now he is also married to a wonderful woman. Both are in professions that help and serve others.

The ending of Mark invites us to break the silence! Jesus calls us forth…rather than flee from, we are called to engage in ministries of healing, of proclamation, or of service. Jesus empowers us in our endeavors. And, Jesus sustains our lives. God brings life to each one of us in various ways. And that same God works through us to bring light, life, and wholeness to the broken-hearted and downtrodden. 

Life is a miracle and we have a God of miraculous life! As Christians, we know Jesus is alive and that he is at work among us, in us, and through us. The gospel of Mark continues on and on… So let us rejoice on this blessed Easter day.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

In Jesus name, Amen.

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