Mark 16:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.

NIV: Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.

NASB: Now after that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country.

CSB: After this, he appeared in a different form to two of them walking on their way into the country.

NLT: Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country.

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

NKJV: After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

These verses were most likely added to Mark, well after the original writing, to correspond with Luke 24:13–35. Two Christ-followers, including Cleopas (Luke 24:18), are walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. Jesus joins them but doesn't reveal who He is. He asks the two men what they are discussing. They explain that they follow a man who they'd believed to be a prophet and thought might just be the Messiah who would rescue Israel from Roman rule. But the man was crucified and died.

The two men go on to say that some of the women in their company had gone to the tomb and found it empty. Angels told the women that this man is alive. Two men also found the tomb empty, but none of them knew what it meant. Jesus responds by explaining how the Old Testament specifically says the Messiah must die and be raised again. He covers the books of Moses and all the prophets.

The beginning of Genesis covers the creation of the world through the moment God calls Abraham to be the father of His chosen people. The rest of the Old Testament covers the history of the Jews and their neighbors. Because of the inclusion of the Mosaic Law and the focus on the Jews' inability to follow it, a surface-level reading of the Old Testament infers the text is about obedience and punishment.

Jesus explains that the text is actually about how the world cannot obey God. We need a Savior, one who is sinless: a perfect sacrifice to die and rise again for our sins.

The two men invite their companion to stay for a meal. It isn't until Jesus takes the bread, breaks it, and prays over it that they realize who He is. Jesus vanishes from their sight and they rush back to Jerusalem and report to the disciples.

Mark 16:12–13 is absent from the more reliable, older manuscripts of the Bible. This passage describes something similar to Luke 24:13–35. Sunday, Jesus rises from the dead, meets Mary Magdalene near His tomb (John 20:11–18), and joins two followers who are walking the seven miles from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus. After explaining at length how the Old Testament speaks of the resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus reveals Himself to these followers and then disappears. When they return to Jerusalem and explain what happened, the disciples respond the same way they responded to Mary Magdalene: disbelief.

After the mandatory time of rest, several of Jesus' female followers approach His tomb intending to anoint the body. Their primary concern is who will open the tomb for them so they can honor Jesus' remains. They arrive to find the tomb open, empty, and watched over by angels. After hearing from these beings (Luke 24:4–7), the women leave in fear, speaking only to the disciples. This ends the original, God-inspired text of the Gospel of Mark. Verses 9–20 are mostly corroborated by other Scripture, but were not part of the initial writing.

Leading up to chapter 16, Jesus has been unfairly tried and executed by crucifixion. Starting in this passage, Jesus' women followers find an empty tomb, but don't know what it means. Jesus' work for our salvation is done, but explaining that to His disciples will take another forty days (Acts 1:3). And telling the world is a work that will continue until His return. The resurrection and events after are also covered in Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20—21, and Acts 1:1–11. The most reliable copies of the Gospel of Mark leave the disciples where they have spent much of the story: confused and afraid. Jesus is risen, but they haven't yet accepted that. Everything after verse 9 is most likely a later scribal addition.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.