New Testament · Gospel

Mark 16

The Empty Tomb

Three women arrive at dawn expecting a corpse. They find a young man in white and a message that rewrites everything: he is risen.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

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1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint the body of Jesus.

2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.

3They were asking one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?”

4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, even though it was extremely large.

5When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they put Him.

7But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

8So the women left the tomb and ran away, trembling and bewildered. And in their fear they did not say a word to anyone.

9Early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons.

10She went and told those who had been with Him, who were mourning and weeping.

11And when they heard that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they did not believe it.

12After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they walked along in the country.

13And they went back and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

18they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

20And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.

Understand This

Mark 16, explained

What Mark 16 is saying

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome come to anoint Jesus's body. They find the stone rolled away and a young man in white who announces Jesus has risen and instructs them to tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus goes ahead of them to Galilee. The women flee in trembling and astonishment, saying nothing to anyone—for they were afraid.

The background behind it

The earliest and most reliable manuscripts of Mark end at 16:8. The longer ending (vv. 9–20) is widely regarded as a later addition, absent from Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. The abrupt ending at 'for they were afraid' (ephobounto gar) has generated centuries of scholarly debate—whether Mark intended this ending, whether the original ending was lost, or whether the fear constitutes a literary device inviting reader response.

Themes running underneath

The empty tomb is proclaimed by a divine messenger, not witnessed directly—faith is summoned by testimony, not visual proof. The specific mention of Peter maintains hope for the disciple who denied Jesus. The women's fear and silence paradoxically communicate the numinous terror of resurrection—this is not comforting news but earth-shattering reality. Mark's Gospel ends with an open question: will you go to Galilee and meet the risen Jesus?

Why it still matters

Mark's startling ending refuses to provide closure—it leaves the reader standing at the empty tomb, faced with the same choice the women faced. The gospel does not merely inform; it demands a response. The mention of Peter assures every reader who has failed that restoration remains possible.

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Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.