Faith or Fear

N.T.#458 

Jan. 6, 2025 

Mark 15-Part14

LET IT GLOW 

This is the last chapter in Mark's gospel. The same women who watched where the men laid the body of Jesus came back to the tomb early in the morning as the sun rose. Obviously, they had agreed earlier to meet there at that time.  It had been three days since the horrible crucifying of Jesus. They would have needed nearly 75 pounds of aromatic resins to neutralize the smell of decay. 

On their way to the tomb, the women discussed, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 

In the Greek language, sepulchre means a grave; tomb.

Burial caves were designed to keep grave robbers and wild animals out, so the entrance is usually covered with a massive stone wheel weighing as much as a tone or more. To open the tomb, several men would need to use levers to roll it away and then secured with a wedge.

By the time the women got to Jesus' tomb, the stone had been rolled away. This would have been perplexing and great concern. They may have assumed someone else had come to complete the burial ritual. You will recall that in Matthew 27, we read of the chief priests and scribes made a request of Pilate that the sepulchre where Jesus was laid be secure so no one stole it, saying He arose after 3 days. So they put a guard there, sealed the tomb with a stone and set up a watchman. (Matt. 27:65-66) Well, that didn't work well for them because the angel of the Lord rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. 

Did you catch their concern? They wanted to make sure the tomb of Jesus was not made empty since He said He would rise on the third day.

  

LET IT GROW 

LET IT GO