What Jesus Did

On the way [to the tomb, the women who were going to anoint Jesus' body] were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

—Mark 16:3-4 NLT

Key Thought​

The question about moving the stone is such a practical one for the women as they approach the tomb. The grave of Jesus has been sealed with a heavy stone (Matthew...

 

On the way [to the tomb, the women who were going to anoint Jesus' body] were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"

—Mark 16:3 NLT

Key Thought​

"Who will roll away the stone for us?" This was the question of the women who had followed Jesus. For us, the question might be: Who will balance the checkbook, service the car, mow the lawn, take care of the house, do the laundry, bake the Christmas cookies, ... On and on we could...

 

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb.

—Mark 16:1-2 NLT

Key Thought​

This passage is filled with anticipation for those of us who live on this side of Jesus' resurrection. However, try to imagine what it was like for those women who had supported Jesus with their funds, had honored...

 

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus' body.

—Mark 16:1 NLT

Key Thought​

Death brings with it harsh realities. The physical absence of the person who died and the decay of the physical body are two of the harshest. The women in today's verse were doing what was expected and what was necessary when a loved one in Jesus' day died. At the time, people showed...

 

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus' body was laid.

—Mark 15:47 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus' death was confirmed by those in authority. Jesus was buried by friends — Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:39) took him down off the cross, wrapped his body, and buried him — and his tomb was secured (Matthew 27:62-66). The women who had faithfully accompanied Jesus through his whole ordeal now saw his lifeless body placed in the tomb. His followers felt...

 

Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.

—Mark 15:46 NLT

Key Thought​

I can only imagine what this experience must have meant to Joseph. Was it filled with regret for not having been more open about his allegiance to Jesus? Was it filled with deep sorrow for what he felt was lost? Was it filled with...

 

[Jesus' crucifixion] happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.

—Mark 15:42-43 NLT

Key Thought​

If we love Jesus and remember his suffering and humiliation on the cross, we too can gather our courage and stand up for him — even when there is much to...

 

[Jesus' crucifixion] happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath.

—Mark 15:42 NLT

Key Thought​

We have lost almost all sense of a day of preparation for a holy day with God. Unfortunately, many Christians have lost their sense of the specialness of the first day of the week (Sunday) and let many other things crowd in and distort a day to be with God and his people. To challenge folks to spend Saturday preparing for this day is almost unthinkable to...

 

Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.

—Mark 15:40-41 NLT

Key Thought​

The people of God have been blessed and often sustained by the courageous faithfulness of godly women. While the men who were closest to Jesus betrayed, denied...

 

When the Roman officer who stood facing [Jesus] saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "This man truly was the Son of God!"

—Mark 15:39 NLT

Key Thought​

While crucifixion was designed to humiliate and torture people, God used Jesus' cross to have power that defies explanation. There is something in the message of Jesus' going to this cross that reaches out and grabs the hearts of those seeking God. They see in this sacrifice the love of God who wants to redeem all people. They see the...