St Mark Chapter XVI : Verses 1-8
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| And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. J-J Tissot |
[2] And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.
[3] And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
[4] And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great.
[5] And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished.
[6] Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him.
[7] But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you.
[8] But they going out, fled from the sepulchre. For a trembling and fear had seized them: and they said nothing to any man; for they were afraid.
[1] Et cum transisset sabbatum, Maria Magdalene, et Maria Jacobi, et Salome emerunt aromata ut venientes ungerent Jesum. [2] Et valde mane una sabbatorum, veniunt ad monumentum, orto jam sole. [3] Et dicebant ad invicem : Quis revolvet nobis lapidem ab ostio monumenti? [4] Et respicientes viderunt revolutum lapidem. Erat quippe magnus valde. [5] Et introeuntes in monumentum viderunt juvenem sedentem in dextris, coopertum stola candida, et obstupuerunt. [6] Qui dicit illis : Nolite expavescere : Jesum quaeritis Nazarenum, crucifixum : surrexit, non est hic, ecce locus ubi posuerunt eum. [7] Sed ite, dicite discipulis ejus, et Petro, quia praecedit vos in Galilaeam : ibi eum videbitis, sicut dixit vobis. [8] At illae exeuntes, fugerunt de monumento : invaserat enim eas tremor et pavor : et nemini quidquam dixerunt : timebant enim.
Notes
1. when the Sabbath was past. The Sabbath ended at sunset on the Saturday. The holy women could then buy and prepare the necessary linen and spices. This would take some time, so that it was on the first day of the week very early in the morning they came to the sepulchre , bringing the spices they had prepared (St Luke xxiv. 1). Although Nicodemus and Joseph had put some spices in the grave clothes, yet the anointing had been hurriedly done, and, moreover, the faithful women wished to contribute to this work of piety.
Mary the mother of James , etc. . St Mark gives the names of the first group that went to the sepulchre. St Luke speaks of another group, Joanna (wife.of Chusa, Herod’s steward), and other women. Note that our Blessed Lady is not mentioned. She did not go to anoint the dead body of her Son, because she had a firm faith that He would rise on the third day.
2. very early : — when it was yet dark (St John xx. 1).
the first day of the week. The days of the week were called first, second, etc., with respect to their proximity to the Sabbath. The Jews had no special name for each day.
the sun being now risen. The nearer a country lies to the equator, the shorter the dawn and twilight.
3. Who shall roll us back the stone ? It was too heavy for the three women to move. Apparently they did not know that the Jews had sealed the stone of the sepulchre and set a guard.
4. looking : literally “ looking up.” The sepulchre stood on a height.
they saw the stone rolled back. Even at a distance this was visible, as the stone was very great. St Matthew relates how this came to pass. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord, descended from heaven : and coming , rolled back the stone , and sat upon it .... and for fear of him , the guards were struck with terror , and became as dead men (xxviii. 2-4). The guards had evidently fled before the arrival of the women. Some commentators, however, represent them as still lying prostrate when the women arrived.
5. entering into the sepulchre. It seems evident from the accounts given by the Evangelists, that only Mary of Cleophas and Salome entered the sepulchre, while Mary Magdalen went at once to tell St Peter and St John what had happened. Combining this account with St John’s, it appears that Mary Magdalen saw the angel when she returned with St Peter and St John, and after they had left.
a young man. It was under the appearance of a young man that Raphael accompanied Tobias on his journey. St Luke speaks of two angels.
clothed with a white robe : — in shining apparel (St Luke xxiv. 4). His countenance was as lightning , and his raiment as snow (St Matt, xxviii. 3).
they were astonished. St Luke describes their sentiments and their behaviour. And as they were afraid , and bowed their countenance towards the ground, etc. (xxiv. 5).
6. Be not affrighted. It was necessary to reassure the women, since for fear of him the guards were struck with terror , and became as dead men (St Matt, xxviii. 4). The soldiers and enemies of Jesus might well fear the angelic messengers, but the disciples had no reason to fear. The words “ fear not ” are characteristic of the angels of God when sent on errands of mercy. We remark that those, who had been most faithful during the Passion of our Lord, were the first to receive the joyful news of the Resurrection.
he is risen. Jesus had already triumphed over death. Different hours have been assigned to the Resurrection, but we have no clear knowledge when it took place. It must have been very early, before or at sunrise on the third day. The stone was rolled away as a proof that Jesus was already risen, not to give Him exit, for to a glorified body, matter offers no obstacle. The four qualities of a glorified body are — subtilty, agility, brightness, and impassibility.
He is not here, etc. : but is risen. Remember how he spoke to you, when he was yet in Galilee (St Luke xxiv. 6), and they remembered his words (ver. 8).
behold the place where they laid him. The women on looking round would have seen the empty tomb, and the linen cloths lying and the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place (St John xx. 7).
7. tell his disciples. A special proof of the love of Jesus for those who had deserted Him during His bitter Passion.
and Peter. The special message to St Peter, the mention of his name, must have been an immense consolation to the penitent apostle. It was an assurance that his sin was forgiven. St Peter himself would have given this detail to St Mark.
that he goeth before. As Jesus Himself had assured them, After I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee (xiv. 28). This message was particularly for His Galilean disciples, for it was on a mountain in Galilee that Jesus shewed Himself to a great number assembled. The Apostles and the women who had ministered to Him, saw Him in Jerusalem before He appeared to His disciples collectively.
8. they going out. The women evidently saw the angel in the sepulchre.
fled from the sepulchre : — with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples (St Matt, xxviii. 8). We can imagine their mingled feelings of wonder and fear ; at first they seemed scarcely able to believe the good news.
a trembling and fear had seized them. These words describe their strong emotion. Man always trembles and fears when he comes face to face with the preternatural.
they said nothing to any man. Either they told none of their acquaintance or the passers-by, but only the disciples, or at first they were so afraid, that they did not even tell the disciples until the second group of holy women were with them to confirm what they said.
Additional Notes
Note on St Mark’s testimony to the Resurrection.
St Mark gives the following proofs of the Resurrection —
(1) The fact that the sepulchre was empty.
(2) The statement made by the angel, “he is risen.”
(3) Three apparitions of our Lord :
(a) to St Mary Magdalen,(b) to the two disciples,(c) to the Eleven.
According to the Law of Moses, legal evidence consisted in the testimony of two or three witnesses. St Mark seems to bear this in mind, and to give only the proofs that were necessary. All the apparitions he relates, took place on Easter Sunday, and he draws special attention to the incredulity of the disciples in each case. They were slow to believe that Jesus had risen again. Yet His predictions of His Resurrection had been clear enough, and His enemies had interpreted them literally, as we see from St Matthew : “ the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, saying, Sir, we have remembered that that seducer said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again” (xxvii. 62, 63). How was it that His own disciples should be “ so slow of heart to believe ” ? To this question the answer seems to be, that they were prevented from accepting our Lord’s predictions literally, by their preconceptions regarding a temporal Messianic kingdom (which preconception arose from an erroneous interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies), and their yearning for earthly greatness, as we see from their conduct, both before and after the Resurrection. Two examples will suffice : the petition of St James and St John for the places of honour in Christ’s kingdom, and the question asked on the road to Bethania on Ascension day, “ Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ? ” (Acts i. 6).
Above all, we may see in the Apostles’ incredulity, a special dispensation of Providence, by which God allowed that the numerous proofs of Christ’s Resurrection, which finally overcame their unbelief, should serve to strengthen our faith. They gave their assent to this truth, only when it was impossible to deny the facts that proved it, since for forty days “he showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs” (Acts i. 3)
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
ff
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