Three Surprising Witnesses to the Resurrection Mark 15:42-16:8

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

The credibility of an argument depends heavily on who presents the evidence. Following the resurrection of his Son, God calls to the bench three surprising eyewitnesses to testify to the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In doing so, he not only exalts these loyal and beloved co-workers, but he also increases the credibility of the Gospel. For no biographer would have chosen three such undesirable witnesses if this account were not true.

 

The “Perfect Victim” of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement

During the civil rights movement, its leaders staged "perfect victim" cases in order to make their plight undeniable to those who were inclined to ignore black suffering, criminalize it, and engage in vilification. Rosa Parks was not the first Black woman to refuse to give up her seat on a Southern bus. However, she was carefully chosen because other victims would too easily be dismissed as deserving of the treatment they received.  

Similarly, when a lawyer seeks to secure a victory in a trial, he or she calls only the most reliable witnesses to the stand. Otherwise, the credibility of his or her claims may be questioned before the judge and jury.  

Witnesses Under Rabbinic Law

According to Jewish rabbinical law in Jesus' day, a woman's testimony was not admissible in court. This was because women were believed to be gullible, naïve and even hysterical by nature. If Mark and the other evangelists had wanted to change their stories to make them more believable, they would have done so, in order to win over as many people as possible. But they chose not to. For in his sovereignty, Jesus chooses Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James the Younger, and Salome to be the first to witness his resurrection. Let us consider the unusual conclusion of the Gospel according to Mark to learn more.

Three Women Devoted to their Master

Mark 15:40-41 tells us three important things about them:

1.         They watch from afar: While the men of Jesus’ entourage, except for John and Peter, disappear during his trial and crucifixion, these women follow their Master at any cost. And although we cannot say for certain who the other women present were, we do know that the three were not alone, since v. 41 speaks of "many others."

2.         They followed him and served him while he was in Galilee: Luke 8:2-3 speaks of several women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples, supporting them out of their means, among them Mary Magdalene, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna. This suggests that Jesus was running a co-ed, mobile discipleship school, funded by wealthy women!

3.         They had gone up with him to Jerusalem: In my last article I spoke about the crowd of admirers who sings his praises during Jesus' triumphal entry. And that among them are pilgrims who come from Galilee with Jesus to celebrate the Passover. These two verses confirm this.

What else do the gospels tell us about these three women?

·     Mary Magdalene: Luke 8:2 says that Jesus delivered her from 7 demons. Imagine how great her gratitude and affection for Jesus is! And although the four accounts of the resurrection in the gospels vary, Mary Magdalene occupies an important place in all of them (Mt 28:1, Mk 16:1, Lk 24:10, Jn 20:1).

·     Mary, mother of James the Younger and Joses: Her sons must be part of the extended group of Jesus' disciples, and they must be well known enough to be mentioned in identifying their mother. 

·     Salome: Wife of Zebedee and mother of James and John (Matt. 27:56), she approaches Jesus and asks that her two sons be placed at the right and left of Jesus in his kingdom (Matt. 20:20-21). Even though in this story she is wrongly seeking renown for her sons, it is obvious that she is someone close enough to Jesus for the two apostles to think that if the request comes from their mother, it will be granted!

All of this is to say that these three women are faithful, courageous, and close disciples of the Lord. And while we may take their presence among the male disciples for granted, Jesus is revolutionary in the way he recognizes women among his companions.

 

The Burial of Jesus 

These women stay with Jesus until the end, and they witness not only his death on the cross, but also his burial. Mark 15:42-46 tells us that Joseph of Arimathea takes Jesus down from the cross, places him in a tomb and rolls a stone in front of the entrance. This, of course, is a key element that they will testify to later, for v. 47 says, "Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid."

Why do they want to know where Jesus is being laid? Because Jesus dies on Friday night. Since it is the day before the Sabbath, Jesus has not been properly embalmed according to their traditions (Mk 16:1). Sunday morning at dawn, they come to the cave to do just that (v. 2). 

An Angel Announces the Resurrection

They enter the tomb and see an angel dressed in a white robe, and they are alarmed (v. 5). This angel announces to the three women the good news of the resurrection. And he shows them the place where his body had been laid. But Jesus is no longer there! What a surprise for the women! Even though they had heard the prophecies of Jesus' death and resurrection, they did not understand them, just like the apostles. 

The Women's Fear

In response to the angel's announcement, Mary, Mary, and Salome flee (v.8). Such is their fear that they run. They have just met a heavenly being and he has told them incredible news, and this seizes them with fear and confusion! They are so frightened that at first, they are speechless. 

And so ends the gospel according to Mark. 

A Seemingly Unresolved Ending

The vast majority of scholars believe that Mark 16:9-20 was added at a later date because of the abrupt nature of Mark's conclusion. (Discussing textual issues is beyond the scope of this article, but this article might address some of your questions).

The early church would have known that the fear of these dear women was short-lived, for the other three gospels offer a more detailed account of Jesus' resurrection. But Mark had a very specific purpose in ending his gospel this way. Mark leaves us wrestling with the question, "What will we do with this breathtaking message? Are we going to run away like these disciples or are we going to witness to the crucified and risen Messiah?"

This passage also invites us, women disciples of Jesus Christ, to follow and serve the Master without fear, reminding us that the same love our Lord showed to these three precious women is ours as well. 

And finally, it invites our brothers to value the contribution of their sisters. If our Lord chose women as fellow travel companions, as financial partners, and as the first witnesses of his resurrection, how could he be calling you to empower and collaborate with women as he did?