Big Idea - We come to the end of the Gospel of Mark, but it is not the ending we might have hoped for. The end of Mark is such a problem that other endings have been added to try to fix it. What makes the ending of Mark so unsatisfying is that we get no glimpses of the resurrected Jesus. We only have the empty tomb and the promise of seeing Him. But there could be lots of explanations for the empty tomb. How do we know that Jesus is truly risen from the dead? The other problem with the ending is that the women flee the scene in stunned silence. They are told to go tell the disciples that Jesus is going ahead to meet them in Galilee, but there is no rejoicing at this great news. There is only fear, trembling, and silence. Indeed, Mark could not have ended the story here on purpose! Was the rest of the Gospel lost or destroyed? Was Mark martyred before he could finish writing? Or did he really end it that way on purpose? If so, what is he seeking to teach us about Jesus and His resurrection?
It is significant that in Mark's telling of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, he ends each section by highlighting this group of faithful women who had followed Jesus all the days of His ministry. They become the primary witnesses to these three epic events that come to form the heart of the Gospel. This, among other reasons, points to the fact that Mark ended the Gospel here, on purpose. So what is he teaching, telling us about the resurrection of Jesus and its implications for our life today through this strange ending? First, he tells us how we can know it is true. Mark does not give any proof for the resurrection, because he knows that this is not how we will know it is true or be convinced He is risen. Instead, he points us to the Word of Revelation that we must accept by faith. First, the word of the angel, but more importantly, the Word of Jesus Himself. If we believe in Jesus at all, then we must believe in everything He said. What He taught is either all true, or He is a liar, or worse, a lunatic. Our conviction that the resurrection really happened is ultimately based on our faith in what Jesus said would happen to Him. Everything else came to pass exactly as He said, so we can be confident that so did the resurrection.
Second, he is showing us the grand purpose of the resurrection. Jesus said on the cross, "it is finished," meaning He accomplished everything that was necessary for salvation on the cross. The great proof that His work was fully accomplished is that the veil was torn in two. Now, there is nothing hindering us from full and complete access to God except our own unbelief. Through the cross we are justified, made right with God. Our sin and guilt is fully done away with. Jesus did not need to rise from the dead in order for us to be saved. What then is the purpose of the resurrection? First, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is what He did for us. But the resurrection is what God did for Jesus. He may have abandoned Him on the cross, but He did not leave Him in the grave! The resurrection vindicates Jesus, that is, it demonstrates that God was fully pleased with the sacrifice that Jesus made for sinners and that He was indeed restoring Jesus to the place of power and all authority at His right Hand! But the resurrection also has a purpose in relation to us. It was not necessary to save us from sin and death, but the Christian life is not simply a matter of being saved. We are also called to seek Him and follow Him with our whole hearts. We desperately need a Shepherd to guide us through life and to help us live in a way that is fully pleasing to God. The message the women were to deliver to the disciples was that Jesus was going ahead of them to Galilee, just as Jesus had told them. Jesus said this in the context of the sheep being scattered when the shepherd was struck down. And that is exactly what happened. Not only did the disciples abandon Jesus, but Peter denied he even knew Jesus. Because of the cross, they were now saved sheep, their sins covered by His blood, but they were no less scattered, with no sense of where to go or what to do. They still needed a shepherd. The purpose of the resurrection is that Jesus is now alive and well and He lives now to be our great shepherd through all of life. He will meet us in everyday life (Galilee) and He will lead us and help us to live a life pleasing to God. The torn veil means we have full access to God, but also full access to Jesus, who has promised never to leave us or forsake us!
Thirdly, he reminds us of our desperate need for the whole Gospel - Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. But why does the Gospel end on such a discouraging note? The fact that this is very likely intentional can be seen by understanding one of the major themes of the book from the beginning to the very last word. And that is the theme of the total weakness and inadequacy of His followers. All through the Gospel, the disciples fail and prove to be weak and all too human. No one emerges as a hero or super saint. The disciples, down to the very end, fail to grasp the full meaning of Jesus' life and kingdom, and in the end, they all desert Jesus. The women seem to do better. At least they do not abandon Jesus and show their devotion to Him even in His death and burial. But they struggle to understand and believe the resurrection. They encounter the power of God in the resurrection, but it only leaves them full of fear and in stunned silence rather than with boldness and courage. If the Gospel is going to be successful and if the Kingdom is going to come, it will not be the result of super saints! We are, all of us, weak and frail. We need help! But praise God, there is power in the resurrection. Power that God has promised to give to those who know they are weak and fully lean on Him!
