Preparing for Easter Sunday

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:1-8

This week we will explore Mark’s telling of the resurrection of Jesus. This version (like most of Mark) is brief and to the point and ends rather abruptly. Strangely, the oldest versions of the Gospel of Mark in existence end right here without the additional verses that we find in our Bibles.
• Why do you think the original manuscript might have ended so abruptly?
• Why do you think someone felt it important to add to the story?
• Why do you suppose the women reacted the way they did?
• Why do you suppose Jesus went ahead of the disciples into Galilee rather than meeting them where they were?
• What would it mean for your faith if Jesus had died on the cross but had not been raised to life?
• What difference does the resurrection of Jesus make in your daily life?

Image from the Visible Kingdom