Mark 15:47 -16:3: 47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. 1And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they in going they might anoint him. 2And very early on the first day after the Sabbath, they went to the tomb after the rising of the sun. 3And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away for us the stone from the entrance of the tomb?”
The women who watched Jesus’ crucifixion may not have known all the care and anointing that Joseph and Nicodemus had given to Jesus’ body, only that they had buried him in a tomb. Two of them, both named Mary, saw where Jesus was buried. Their care for Jesus was so deep that they would risk being a bit sneaky and follow Joseph from a distance to see where he buried Jesus. They also showed courage like Joseph, unlike all the eleven disciples who disappeared from the narrative back after feeling the scene in the garden of Gethsemane.
The woman, as good Jews, continued to observe the Sabbath, even though they wanted to do something for Jesus’ body. The Sabbath would have ended as the sun set the following day, which would be our Saturday evening. This was the first opportunity they would have had to do anything about the situation. That must have been one of the longest Sabbaths they had ever experienced. Salome joined them to go and buy spices to anoint Jesus’ body. The same Mary is described as the mother of Joses in verse 47 and the mother of James in verse 1, likely for variety.
There is a lot unstated behind verse 1. For example, where did these women get the money to buy the spices? These were the same ones who had followed Jesus from Galilee. They were foreigners. Whatever resources they had they either brought with them or they were the channels of others’ generosity. They must not have known what Joseph and Nicodemus had done with anointing Jesus’ body with spices. The women were expecting to find Jesus in the tomb and care for it in a proper way. All their work and expense were not needed because Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb.
At the first opportunity, the women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with the spices they had purchased. They just needed a little bit of light so they could find their way there. They had a big problem they discussed on their way to the tomb: how would they move the big heavy stone that covered the entrance? They may not have thought through the whole situation in the emotions of the moment. What stands out more clearly is their motive to do whatever they could to honor their Master. They had to work within the religious and social confines of their time, but they would not let those stop them. Their strong faith stands in sharp contrast to the disciples who fled Jesus and the religious officials and crowds who mocked. They serve as examples of sacrificing and risking in faith to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Because of their faith, God honored them with allowing them to be the first witness of Jesus’ resurrection.
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