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.

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1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

8And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

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: King James Version — public domain.