19. THE VISIT OF THE WOMEN TO THE Mark 16:1-8 (Matthew 28:1-8; Luke 24:1-11; John 20:1-2) 1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices,--Mark specifies the time of purchase as after the Sabbath. Luke mentions a purchase of spices in these terms: "They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. And on the sabbath they rested according to the commandment." Some think they have found here a discrepancy. We do not. Luke does not specify the time; he is only careful to let us know that they did not break the Sabbath. Mark specifies the time. that thee might come and anoint him.--A hasty but lavish embalming of our Lord's sacred body had been begun on Friday evening by Joseph and Nicodemus, and now these women come to the tomb early Sunday morning prepared to complete the embalming. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun was risen.--Matthew says: "As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week." Luke says: "At early dawn." John says: "Early, while it was yet dark." Lange translates Mark, "When the sun had begun to rise." This harmonizes all the passages, as the beginning of sunrising marks dawn and precedes his appearance. [The Sabbath, as they kept it, ended with the setting of the sun, or six o'clock, Saturday afternoon. The stone at the sepulcher was heavy, and in the night they did not attempt to go, but waited impatiently for the coming of the dawn; and while it was yet dark they started to the sepulcher, but reached it as the sun was rising. Luke (24:10) says it was "Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James: and the other women with them."] 3 And they were saying among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb?--[These women had followed the body, and had seen Joseph place it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out of a rock, and roll a large stone to the door of the sepulcher. The stone was too large for them to remove, and as they went to the tomb they were troubled as to how they would remove the stone from the sepulcher that they might get at the body of Jesus to anoint it. They had not heard of the sealing of the stone and the guard, else they would have been troubled much more.] We often trouble ourselves in advance over difficulties which God is already removing. 4 and looking up, they see that the stone is rolled back: for it was exceeding great.--This is a reflective mention, indicating that the evangelist's mind was busy with the thought of the relief and joy the women experienced in seeing that the difficulty, so great, was removed. From John (John 20:1-2), we learn that Mary Magdalene, as soon as she saw in the distance that the stone was not in its place, ran to Peter and John with her understanding of the matter, namely, that his enemies had removed the body. The angel had sat on the stone immediately after rolling it away, and paralyzed the guards by the splendor of his appearance, but now had gone within the tomb. Matthew does not state that the women saw him sitting on the stone, but only at some point he spoke to them. The other two women kept on toward the tomb. When they came near enough to see, they found the stone already rolled away. "There was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men." (Matthew 28:2-4.) 5 And entering into the tomb,--The tomb was doubtless a large one. The stone had been removed, and they thought they would now have no difficulty in reaching the body. they saw a young man sitting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe;--The same angel; though the overwhelming splendor of his appearance was probably abated for their sakes. and they were amazed.--They had come to find a dead body, not a living being, man or angel. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not amazed:--Reassuring words, necessary at the opening of such a train of wonders as they were soon to witness. Matthew says: "Fear not ye." ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who hath been crucified:-- that had fallen on human ears up to that time. Matthew adds the words, "as he said." behold, the place where they laid him!--Matthew says "Come, see the place where the Lord lay." The angel saw their fright, spoke gently and reassuringly, and "said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words" (Luke 24:5-8), reminding them that he had told them that he would rise from the dead, which none of his disciples had as yet understood or were expecting. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter,--There is a wondrous touch of sympathy and forgiving love in this special mention of the penitent Peter, still smarting, doubtless, under the remembrance of his denial. To the women was first announced the news of Jesus' resurrection; they, like the rest of his discples, were not expecting such an event. He goeth before you into Galilee:--Where the great manifestation of himself to above five hundred brethren (1 Corinthians 15:6) probably took place. there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.--Mark now brings in the significant reminder that they ought to have been prepared for all this by Christ's own prophetic statements. This suggests the deep interest that angels have ever taken in the progress of man's redemption. 8 And they went out, and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them:--The news of the ressurrection was entirely unexpected to these women. Their plans were wholly frustrated and they were filled with fear and wonder that is hard to describe as they sped quickly away on an entirely new errand. and they said nothing to any one;--On their way to "his disciples and Peter," as the angel directed. We are not to conclude, because the angel said, "Tell his disciples and Peter," that Peter was not still a disciple. for they were afraid.--[They feared to disclose what they had heard to any but the persons to whom they had been directed by the angel. No wonder they quickly fled to their companions to tell the new and wonderful truths! They fled from the sepulcher, where the truths were revealed, that in their newness, their greatness, their far-reaching consequences, they were unable to grasp, and that oppressed their astonished and bewildered minds. They trembled with excitement and amazement, and dared not utter a word to any one, "for they were afraid."]