The Resurrection

Gospel of Mark

Session 5

Read Mark 16:1-8

Watch Francis Chan Video 11

At the end of chapter 15, right after the centurion confessed that Jesus was the Son of God, we’re told that the only followers of Jesus who stayed with him until the end were these women. They witnessed where his body was laid, and here we see them returning. This scene at the garden tomb is the first time some of the women get a mention in the book of Mark. We know they were at the cross, watching everything (15:40–41), but they are silent in the text.

In a society obsessed with power and platform and importance, it can be easy to judge the success of our Christian life along those same lines. But the women at the tomb argue differently. What matters is faithfulness, not power or prestige or popularity. This way of discipleship is the same regardless of who you are. In what ways can you encourage someone in their quiet obedience to Jesus?

In Mark 16:4–7, the women find Jesus’s tomb empty. Instead of a body to prepare, they are greeted by an awe-inspiring angel, proclaiming the fulfilment of Jesus’s promise: He. Is. Not. Here! What does the angel tell the women to do? Why do you think the angel specifically mentioned Peter?

The disciples had abandoned Jesus, but Peter had gone out of his way to deny he knew Jesus three times. It’s not hard to put ourselves in his shoes after that kind of failure. But here the angel has a specific message from the risen Jesus for Peter: Jesus still wants him. Have you ever believed that something you’ve done, thought, or said might be too much for Jesus to forgive? How have you dealt with that burden?

Peter is a comforting figure. What does his story tell you about Jesus’s capacity to forgive and restore?

Jesus openly admitted that following him would not be an easy endeavour. How have you found that to be true?

How would you answer the question, “Is following Jesus worth it?”

Extra: As a group, watch the following video together: https://masterlectures.zondervanacademic.com/mark/videos/bonus-is-mark-16-9-20-really-part-ofthe-bible

What is Professor Strauss saying here about the ending of Mark’s Gospel?

If Mark really did intend for the story to end at verse 8, why do you think he did this?

Last Word

Mark wraps up his gospel by telling us that the women scattered from the empty tomb and kept their mouths shut because they were afraid. Throughout the story, even Jesus’s closest friends responded to his power and mission in fear. So, Mark’s asking us what we’re going to do. Be silent and afraid? Or be confident in the knowledge that we serve the God-Man Jesus who paid the price for our redemption? The choice is yours to make, and only you can decide.

Take a few minutes here at the end of this study and discuss what God might be asking you to do as a next step, both individually and as a group. Maybe it’s simply getting right with Jesus like Peter needed to. Maybe it’s willingly forsaking the distractions keeping you from following Jesus wholeheartedly. Maybe it’s engaging with someone else who needs to know the gospel. Maybe it’s embracing the truth of Jesus for the first time yourself. Maybe it’s taking up Francis’s challenge to go back and read the book of Mark again, for yourself and then be willing to evaluate your life in light of what the Gospel of Mark teaches.

Whatever it is, take a minute and write it down. And then spend time with Jesus in prayer. This whole study is pointless if we don’t walk away changed by God’s Word. The Christ has come. He died. He rose again.