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. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6But 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. 7But 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.” 8So 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. (Mark 16:1-8, NRSV)
This is the end of the Gospel of Mark. Most of you might go look at your Bible or know there are still 12 more verses. Most Bibles put those verses in [brackets] because most scholars believe and agree they were added later because who ends a story with, “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.” That is no way to end a story. But really is Mark a great writer? I mean he does start almost every sentence with and immediately.
But back to the end. Mark ended his short gospel by telling that the man who was laid in a tomb was no longer in the tomb. And the women that came to take care of the body fled in fear and told no one anything. Which we know isn’t true otherwise we would not have known about it, or Mark would not have heard and been able to write about it.
So why is this the end? Because the beginning of Mark says it all, Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is the story of Jesus Christ and what he has come to do and has done and is doing. So the women leaving in fear really isn’t the end, it is only the beginning.
Jesus being laid in the tomb is not the end, it is only the beginning of Him rising from the dead and giving us new life.
So walk out of death and claim the life that Jesus gives us all.
And go and tell the world, what Jesus Christ has done for you and for all!
aSacredRebel 