AND WHEN. Mark 16:1. “And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him.”
v.1. “And when.” There is a proper time to bring the things we have prepared to God. Those women came according to His word to give their best right there.
v.9. “Now when.” It happened that morning; just as He said, the stone was rolled away. Jesus had risen from the dead – Mary never forgot that day.
v.12. “After that.” He wasn’t known at first to two, who walked in sadness to their home. But when they heard and saw Him there, they knew from the dead He had come.
v.14. “Afterward.” The eleven, in sadness, sat to eat - their hearts were sore and sad. When Jesus appeared right in their midst, all immediately changed, and they were glad.
v.19. “So then after.” He spoke to them. He made it plain that a new work lay before them. So, they went forth and preached His word, and that’s the same as we do today as we continue to testify to the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.
The Resurrection of Christ, v. 1-20 The strength of practical Christianity is love: the love of God for us in sending His only begotten Son into the world to be our Substitute as our Sin-Bearer; the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for lost souls, and His willingness to die in our place; the love of the Spirit implanted in each believer, and the love of believers for the Lord and each other. “We know we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.” “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” “The Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Standing out in the beauty of simplicity and faith is the early morning walk to the tomb where Jesus had been laid by three devoted women who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Moving toward the sepulcher as the darkness of night gave way to the light of a new day, they carried scented spices they had prepared and wondered out loud to each other how the stone could be moved away from the tomb's opening. In faith motivated by love for Christ, they did not stop to try to solve the problem before they got there but rather moved with purpose to their objective – to cover the body of Jesus with sweet spices. Faith may not be dramatic, but it is simply the action of moving forward, doing what we can do, and waiting on God to do for us what we can’t do.
Love is not merely an emotion, but it also involves the actions of faith. The practice of love of those three women is an example of how faith works. Despite obstacles of many kinds, they knew what they believed needed to be done and moved forward in confidence. The words of mockery, actions of angry unbelievers, false accusations, humiliation, and demeaning of the Person of Christ did not change their own devotion to Him. The death of the Lord Jesus did not quench the love of those women for the One who was sent from God to save them from their sins. True, holy love endures through deep waters of rejection that try to flood and drown love. Sorrow tries to quench love, yet love remains when faith and hope seem like they are gone.
Kindness can be demonstrated in many ways. Joseph showed kindness in his desire to give Jesus an honorable burial. Nicodemus showed kindness by bringing one hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes to embalm the body of Jesus. Those women had watched and wept when they saw where the body of Jesus was laid. But, in open, generous love for the Lord, they did not abandon their gratitude, appreciation, and thoughts of the Lord and go their way, considering that the whole event was over. In an act of kindness, they prepared what they could give and planned what they would do to give expression of their devotion to Him. They knew where His body was, but by faith, they knew He would know what He meant to them even though His body was in the grave as far as they knew.
As soon as possible, “very early in the morning,” their love for Christ moved them eagerly forward to present what they had prepared. Love is an action of faith, an act of true kindness, is eager to do what is appropriate. Love goes beyond what is normal in that it expects nothing back. It endures, looking beyond what is seen to what is unseen. It gives, without calculating the value or the actual worth of its object. It goes beyond what it might cost the giver to what it can mean to the one who receives its expressions. Love has constraining power, not limited by determining the worth of its intended objective by making comparisons. It stands alone in its value based on the expressions of one’s heart and attitude toward the object of its affection.
Another key element in the account of our Lord's resurrection is the stone placed over the tomb's entrance and sealed and a guard placed before it. Obviously, the religious leaders wanted to make sure no intruders and grave robbers would get into the sepulcher. An obstacle to faithless people can be an opportunity for God. The Lord had risen from among the dead, but unless the stone were moved away, there would be no visible evidence that the tomb was empty.
In the case of the women approaching the tomb, we are reminded that “love hopeth all things.” God had already acted on their behalf. Love motivates people to do what seems impossible and works by faith in God. By His own power and will, He removes obstacles hindering faith from achieving its objectives. Every step those women made toward that sepulcher was a step of faith, and faith in God pleases Him. Faith and courage go together well. An obstacle in one’s mind might appear, but faith keeps moving forward despite perceived obstacles and finds that God has already been there and done what we could not do. Courage and daring action move faith from depending on one’s own ability or plans to trusting God, even though it may be with fear and trembling.
Imagine turning into that garden path and seeing a white-robed angel sitting on the stone. Then, going even further into the sepulcher, I saw another angel sitting where the body of Jesus had been placed three days before. What amazement and alarm there was in those women! I was amazed at seeing the angels but was also alarmed at not finding the body of Jesus. The words the angel spoke were precise and unmistakable and would have clarified what had happened, but further, made it personal to them. The same Jesus of Nazareth they knew personally, who they had seen crucified and watched Him die on the cross, and they had followed His body being carried to that very spot, is risen! That He was not there was obvious to them. They could see where His body had been, but there were only grave clothes there.
“Because He lives, we shall live also!” That which had been an obstacle in their minds was now an opportunity for testimony, which they delivered to the disciples and Peter. The stone was truly rolled away! The tomb was truly empty! Jesus is not dead! He is alive forevermore!
The empty sepulcher reaffirmed their hopes regarding the future. The women were not concerned about whether he would restore Israel and take His place as the promised Messiah. He was far more than that to them and to all who believe in Him. “Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and He was buried, and He rose again according to the scriptures.” There was a greater and far more important message to tell people about than a restored Israel. A Savior has been provided for all mankind. He saves from sin death and hell. He has made eternal life possible for everyone and offers that as a free gift of His grace to all who believe in Him. Those who receive that gift “have passed from death unto life.”