Roman centurion - Mark 15:39
A Roman
centurion commanded a unit of 100 soldiers. This centurion had been in charge of Jesus' crucifixion. He concluded that this death was like none he had seen before. On his lips the title
Son of God probably did not mean
messianic son; and even less likely did it
mean second person of the Trinity. Most likely he concluded that Jesus was some sort of human being who was specially blessed by one of his many gods. Mark, however, reported these words because he found in them a dramatic climax of the thought with which he began his gospel: Jesus
Christ the Son of God (1:1). It must have been encouraging to Mark's Roman readers to hear these words from a Roman centurion.
Mary Magdalene - Mark 15:40-41
Luke reported that Jesus had cast 7 demons out of Mary
Magdalene. Magdala was a town on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee. She is not to be identified with the sinful woman of Luke 7:37. On the note that other women ministered to Jesus during his life see Luke 8:1-3.
Day of Preparation - Mark 15:42-43
The
Day of Preparation was the day before the Sabbath. It was the time to get everything done that could not be done on the Sabbath, such as food preparation. Since Jesus died around 3:00pm and the Sabbath began at sunset, the burial must have been completed very quickly. The exact location of
Arimathea is not known. Most likely it was about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Joseph was a member of the council, but also a secret follower of Jesus (Luke 23:51; John 19:38). Mark said Joseph was a
respected member of the
council. All the details of the story fit his description as prominent and probably wealthy. See
WLC 121.
Tomb - Mark 15:46
A
tomb cut into a rocky hillside would not have been unusual for a wealthy family. A
stone was used to seal the tomb and keep out scavenging animals. The stone may have been a conveniently available boulder or a carefully hewn stone that would be rolled in a track dug in front of the cave.
Eyewitnesses - Mark 15:47
There were eyewitnesses to the death and burial of Jesus.
Jesus' Resurrection - Mark 16:1-8
The Resurrection of the Messiah.Spices - Mark 16:1
The women
bought spices to anoint Jesus' body. This was the custom to cover up the foul odors of a rotting corpse.
The stone - Mark 16:3
They had seen Jesus' body put in the cave (15:47) and knew that the stone was too large for them to move it.
An angel - Mark 16:5
The
young man was an angel. (See Matt. 28:2.) The women were
alarmed. This was so important to Mark that he kept on repeating it with different words.
Just as he told you - Mark 16:7
The words
Just as he told you are a reference to Jesus promise in 14:28.
Afraid - Mark 16:8
They
ran from the tomb …
trembling …
amazed ...
afraid. Mark emphasized fear and astonishment throughout the gospel and here stressed it at the end. The empty tomb could not be explained by human experience. This ending of the gospel stresses that the Messiah is a powerful, awe-inspiring King who can never fully be understood by human beings. In the presence of the revelation of the divine resurrection power of the Son of God awe, wonder, and fear are a natural human response. This ending stresses the inadequacy of all human power and competency. It is a call to faith in the gospel of the kingdom of the all-powerful and all sufficient God.
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