Mark 16:4-8 4And when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; for it was very large. 5And as they entered the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side dressed in a white robe, and they were overwhelmed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be overwhelmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. Look, the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8And when they went out, they fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The women’s concern was answered in a miraculous way. The impossible was made possible. The women may have prayed a simple prayer on the way: “What will we do to care for Jesus? God, help us, we do this because we love Jesus!” God answered their prayer while also fulfilling his eternal plan. When they got to the tomb, the large stone was rolled away. Although Mark does not say who rolled the stone away, the passive voice of the verb had been rolled back could be interpreted as a divine passive with God as the assumed actor.
The women could now carry through with their plan of caring for Jesus’ body. But what a surprise as they entered the tomb to find a young man dressed in white. His appearance gives the sense of an angel, though Mark does not use that specific word for this man. Young gives an ageless sense, and white connotes holy and heavenly. The women respond with astonishment and alarm. The Greek word used here (esethambēthēsan) shows strong emotion and being overwhelmed. It has a sense of fear, awe, and distress. This is the only type of response someone can have in the presence of holiness and divinity. It is obvious that this young man was an angel, a messenger from God.
As is often the case in the Bible, the first words the angel spoke to the women were not to be afraid. The news he had to say was not something to fear but the best news of all time: he has been raised. The verb used here is another divine passive, implying that God is the one who raised Jesus. Jesus could not raise himself because he was dead. The angel knew their purpose in being there, that they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth. The historical fact was that he was crucified. His body was once lying in the tomb, right where they were looking, but it was no longer there. They could see with their own eyes where his body was laid. Their goal of caring for a dead teacher had turned into the celebration of a resurrected Lord.
The angel gave them the simple task in two imperatives: go and tell. The words the angel tells the women come from Jesus and are meant for the disciples. Peter is specifically mentioned again in the narrative of Mark. This reference may be another historical clue in support of the traditional view that Mark got his information from Peter while both were in Rome. Peter probably felt very bad for what he had done by denying Jesus. And with Jesus’ death, all hope seemed lost. We all have done very embarrassing and shameful things. A word of restoration and forgiveness can go a long way in bringing healing.
Jesus gave his disciples specific directions back in 14:28 that they should meet him in Galilee after his resurrection. Galilee was the focus of much of Jesus’ ministry and would be the place for the commissioning of his disciples. They likely did not understand the meaning of this at that point, but now all the pieces of the grand puzzle would begin to fit together. The women were overwhelmed with all that had taken place in those moments at the tomb. Even though they had just heard the greatest news of all time and been in the presence of an angel, they carried through with what they were told. They fled in fear, but they still obeyed. They had not seen the resurrected Jesus yet but went out with hope that it was all true.
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