Mark - Lesson 22

Lesson Twenty-two
The Son of Man Resurrected!
Mark 16

Knowing the Scriptures
Studies in Mark’s Gospel

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW

The Son of Man is dead!  Can you imagine what thoughts raced through the minds of the disciples as they regained enough courage to gather behind locked doors?  Their hopes had been dashed.   They seem to have forgotten the important words Jesus had spoken to them as they argued about which of them would be greatest in His kingdom, which they were sure He was going to usher in by force:  “For He taught His disciples and said to them, ‘The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.’  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him” (Mark 9:31, 32, nkjv).  Him H

In Mark 15 we saw Jesus’ illegal trial under Pilate and briefly under Herod.  After declaring Him innocent several times, Pilate crumbled under pressure and allowed Jesus to be scourged horribly then to be killed by crucifixion, an method of execution developed by the Persians but mastered by the Romans to be the most painful death penalty ever contrived.[i]  Jesus was mocked by the religious leaders, the people, and the Romans, and He was led away to the Place of the Skull, Golgotha.  There He not only faced physical pain, but for a full three hours bore the sin of the world, making atonement for us to the Father, taking our penalty upon Himself.  On the cross Jesus made seven dramatic statements.  The most important was, “It is finished!”  It was paid in full, completed, and then He “breathed His last.”  Or was it His last?  We’ll read that more than just atonement was accomplished?we will see a glorious new beginning as we witness the Son of Man resurrected!

DAY ONE:  A Problem Solved

Please carefully read Mark 16:1–4 and answer the following questions.

1.  As you remember from Lesson 21, three brave women (besides Mary the mother of Jesus) were at the cross until Jesus died and stayed with Him until He was buried.  What did they do as soon as they could that Sunday morning (vv. 1, 2)?

2.  They no doubt bought spices as soon as the Sabbath ended at sundown on Saturday, and made plans to anoint Jesus, not for embalming purposes, but to show loving devotion and counteract somewhat the decay setting in.[ii]  What did they realize (Greek, kept asking each other[iii]) would be a real problem with this plan (v. 3)?

3.  This really was a problem.  The tomb was sealed by a stone wheel, Hebrew golel, which rolled down an incline and fit into a groove, and it was rolled down the inclined groove by removing the wedge stone. Its weight would have been no doubt over a ton, and it would have been too heavy for many men to move.[iv]  How did the women find that their problem had already been solved for them (v. 4)?

4.  Not only was the stone rolled back; in Greek Mark tells us that it was moved away from the entrance altogether; John’s Gospel uses another word meaning picked up and carried away! (John 20:1)[v] As a result, the tomb was left open for all to see that it was empty.  How was the completeness of Jesus’ work of atonement prophesied and how was it evident to all because of the empty tomb (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:29–36)?

Scripture Memory:  This week we will be memorizing Mark 16:6.  Review the passage several times throughout the day each day this week, and by the end of the week, you should have it memorized completely.

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him” (Mark 16:6 nkjv).