Mark 16:9-11 9Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10When that women went out, she told those who had been with him, as they were grieving and weeping. 11And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.
One of the great controversies of the science of textual criticism is the ending of Mark. The oldest manuscripts of Mark end with verse 8, which seems like an abrupt and depressing ending to such a great story. The internal evidence shows different vocabulary and writing style beginning with verse 9. The transition from verse 8 to 9 is also awkward. The longer ending to Mark has been part of the canon since the fourth century. It appears as if the last leaf of Mark’s manuscript got lost and someone later on finished the story. The mystery cannot be solved, so we look for what God wants to communicate to us through these verses.
This passage continues with the resurrection appearances of Jesus. The first person to whom he appeared was Mary Magdalene, who was present at the cross, as Jesus was buried, and at the empty tomb. Verse 9 is a simple summary of Jesus’ appearance to Mary recorded in John 20:11-18. Her steady faith more than qualified her to be the first to see the resurrected Jesus. Verse 9 recounts the story of how Jesus freed Mary from demon possession found in Luke 8:2.
Verse 10 begins a bit impersonally but simply points back to Mary as the one who obediently went out and proclaimed the good news. She was the first preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She did as the angel instructed her to do. She stands in sharp contrast to the twelve apostles who had many doubts and uncertainties about Jesus and deserted him at a crucial time or betrayed him, like Judas and Peter. Verse 11 indicates that the disciples did not believe Mary, which is a theme repeated in verses 13, 14, and 16. The message is clear in these verses. A choice must be made to either believe Jesus or continue to doubt in fear and uncertainty. Mary is a model of one who was a faithful disciple through great trial. The now eleven apostles are examples of what not to do. Discipleship is one of proclamation and faith, not grief and fear.
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