Mark 16:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

NIV: These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

NASB: And they went away and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them, either.

CSB: And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either.

NLT: They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

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

NKJV: And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

The witnesses to the resurrection are listed in an increasing level of experience and legal reliability. First, women tell the disciples that the tomb is empty and an angel told them Jesus is alive (Matthew 28:1–8). In most cases, women were not allowed to give testimony legally, so next is Peter and John who confirm Jesus is not in the tomb (John 20:3–8; Luke 24:12). Still the disciples don't understand (John 20:9). Next, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene in person (John 20:11–18). Again, as a woman she is not believed. So Jesus appears to two men, Cleopas and another follower (Luke 24:13–35). According to Luke 24:34 He also appeared to Peter.

Mark 16:9–20 is not found in the oldest, most reliable manuscripts, but all but a very few phrases are corroborated in the other Gospels or the book of Acts. Luke 24:33–35 affirms that Cleopas and his friend returned to Jerusalem and told the disciples they had seen Jesus. That the disciples didn't believe them is not specifically stated in any other text. When the two men return from Emmaus, they find the Eleven and others gathered, saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" (Luke 24:34). That being said, it seems there was still some level of disbelief, as inferred from their reactions when Jesus reveals Himself to the group.

As Cleopas and his friend are telling the room full of Christ-followers, Jesus, Himself, appears (Luke 24:36–43). Those present are so "startled" and "frightened," they think Jesus is a spirit. "Startled" is from the Greek root word ptoeō which is related to the word for "fly away." Under a "fight or flight" response, this would be an impulse to run. Emphobos, the Greek root word from which "frightened" is taken, means to be terrified. This is not the first time the disciples have thought Jesus was a spirit. After He fed the five thousand outside of Bethsaida and withdrew to the mountains to pray, He walked past the disciples who were in a boat trying to cross the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:30–52). Mark says, "…when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost…" (Mark 6:49).

It isn't until Jesus presents His pierced hands and feet that the disciples fully believe (John 20:20, 26–27). The disciples have been characterized by hard hearts and preconceived ideas that blind them to Jesus' real purpose. We cannot judge them; we are fortunate that we have the Holy Spirit who will guide us into truth (John 16:13) and testify to our hearts who Jesus is (John 15:26).

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.