Mark 16:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"

NIV: and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

NASB: They were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?'

CSB: They were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?"

NLT: On the way they were asking each other, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?'

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

NKJV: And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

After Joseph placed the stone at the entrance to the tomb, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate to ask him to seal the entrance (Matthew 27:62–66). They remembered that Jesus had said He would rise again, and they didn't want the disciples to steal His body and claim He had resurrected. Interestingly, the Sadducees, who don't believe in the resurrection of the dead, didn't come along. They apparently didn't think it was an issue.

A cord would have been placed where the stone meets the rockface, and wax poured over the seam. No one would have been able to move the stone without breaking the wax. Pilate also ordered that the tomb be guarded. It's unclear if the women know Pilate took this extra precaution. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses had watched Joseph place the stone (Mark 15:46–47), but Pilate didn't secure it until the next day. Still, they prepare the spices (Luke 23:56) and return to the tomb in a mixture of faith and doubt. This is the calling of Christ-followers. We do what we are called to do, even if we're not sure how we will get it done.

It was custom in Israel to bury the dead in a stone cave for one year. Spices were tucked into the linen cloths wrapping the body to mitigate the smell. After a year, the bones would be removed and placed somewhere more permanent, often a stone box, called an ossuary, in a family crypt.

In 1980, construction workers discovered a family tomb three miles south of the Old City in East Jerusalem. Among the ossuaries was one that possibly reads "Joshua, son of Joseph." The names Joshua and Jesus are the same in original Hebrew: Yeshua. Another discovered box was attributed to "Mary." Makers of the documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus insist Jesus, His mother, and Mary Magdalene's remains are in the ossuaries. Experts point out that Josephus alone speaks of at least twenty-one men named "Yeshua" and 20–25% of all women were named "Mary." None of those names were rare, so there is no reason to think this was the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth.

Mark 16:1–8 proclaims that Jesus is alive! After telling the disciples, several times over three years,that He will die and rise again, Jesus' work is finally done. But the disciples are in hiding. Only the women come to the tomb, carrying burial spices instead of hope. Among them are Mary Magdalene, the ''other'' Mary, and Salome, along with Joanna and some of the other women who have supported Jesus' ministry (Luke 8:3; 24:10). They have come to care for Him one last time, but He is not there. He is risen! This account is also found in Matthew 28:1–8, Luke 24:1–8, and John 20:1.

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.