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Mark 16:1. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary of James and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Him. The wives do not think of anything great and worthy of the Divinity of Jesus when they sit at the tomb and buy ointment in order, according to Jewish custom, to anoint the body so that it is fragrant and does not emit an unpleasant odor from decay, and so that by the power of the odor, which dries up and absorbs the moisture of the body, it remains unharmed. That's what the wives were thinking. Mark 16:2. And very early, on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb, at sunrise, Mark 16:3. and they say among themselves: Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? Mark 16:4. And, looking, they see that the stone has been rolled away; and he was very big. Mark 16:5. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in white clothing; and were horrified. Mark 16:6. He says to them: do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, crucified; He has risen, He is not here. This is the place where He was laid. “And very early, on the first day of the week,” they rise up, go to the tomb and ponder: “Who will roll away the stone?” But while they were thinking about this, the Angel rolled away the stone, although the women did not feel it. So Matthew says that the Angel rolled away the stone after the women came. But Mark kept silent about this, because Matthew had already said who rolled away the stone. If Matthew says that the Angel was sitting on a stone, and Mark says that the women, having entered the tomb, saw him sitting inside, then this should not be embarrassed. For they could see an Angel sitting outside on a stone, as Matthew says, and they could see him again inside the tomb, as having forestalled them and entered there. However, some say that some wives were mentioned in Matthew, others in Mark, and Magdalene was the companion of all, as the most zealous and zealous. The Angel who appeared said to the wives: “Do not be dismayed.” First he frees them from fear, and then preaches the good news of the Resurrection. He calls Jesus Christ “Crucified” because he is not ashamed of the Cross, which is the salvation of men and the foundation of all good things. "He is risen"; How can this be seen? From the fact that “He is not here.” And do you want to be sure? "This is the place where He was laid." That's why he rolled away the stone to show this place. Mark 16:7. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you. Mark 16:8. And they went out and ran from the tomb; They were seized with trepidation and horror, and they did not say anything to anyone, because they were afraid. “But go, tell His disciples and Peter.” He separates Peter from the disciples or as the supreme one, naming him especially from those, primarily, or here’s why: since Peter denied, then if the wives had said that they were ordered to tell only the disciples, he would have said: I denied, therefore, I am no longer His disciple, and therefore the Lord rejected me and abhorred me; That’s why the Angel added: “and Peter,” so that Peter would not be embarrassed by the thought that he was not worthy of even a word as someone who had renounced and was therefore no longer worthy to be among the disciples. He sends them “to Galilee,” leading them away from confusion and great fear on the part of the Jews. Then the women were seized with “trembling and horror,” that is, they were amazed by both the vision of the Angel and the fear of the Resurrection, and therefore “they did not say anything to anyone, because they were afraid.” Either they were afraid of the Jews, or they were overcome with fear from the vision to the point that they seemed to lose their minds. That’s why they didn’t say anything to anyone, forgetting everything they had heard. Mark 16:9. Having risen early on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, “Having risen” - stop here, then read: “early on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.” For He did not rise early (who saw when He rose?), but appeared early, on Sunday (since this day is the first day of the Sabbath, that is, the week). from which he cast out seven demons. that is, many (for the Holy Scripture sometimes takes the number “seven” in the sense of multitude) or seven demons, opposed to the seven spirits of virtue, such as: the spirit of fearlessness (fear of God), the spirit of foolishness, the spirit of ignorance, the spirit of lies, and others that are contrary to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Mark 16:12. After this he appeared in a different form to two of them on the road when they were going to the village. Mark 16:13. And they returned and told the others; but they didn’t believe them either. Mark 16:14. Finally, he appeared to the eleven themselves, who were reclining at the supper, and reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him risen. “After this he appeared in another form to two of them on the road, when they were going to the village.” Luke speaks about these two (Luke 24:13–35). “And they told the others; but they didn’t believe them either.” How does Luke say that they “returned... and found together the eleven Apostles and those who were with them, who said that the Lord had truly risen” (Luke 24:33-34), whereas, according to the testimony of Mark, they did not believe those who came from the village? We answer: when the evangelist says that they “told the rest,” he does not mean the eleven apostles, but some others. These he called “the rest,” since the eleven saw Him (Christ) on the same day on which those who returned from the village found them saying “that the Lord has truly risen.” Mark 16:15. And he said to them: Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned. Note the commandment of the Lord: “preach to every creature.” He did not say: Preach only to the obedient, but to all creation, whether they will listen or not. “Whoever believes,” and not enough of this, but also “be baptized,” for whoever believes, but is not baptized, and remains still a catechumen, is not yet saved. Mark 16:17. These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; Mark 16:18. they will take snakes; Believers, he says, will be accompanied by signs - casting out demons, speaking in new tongues, picking up snakes, that is, the destruction of snakes, both sensual and mental, as it is said elsewhere: “I give you power to tread on snakes and scorpions,” obviously mental (Luke 10:19). However, the expression “they will take up snakes” can also be taken literally, since, for example, Paul took a snake in his hand without any harm to himself (Acts 28:5). And if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them... This happened many times, as we find in the stories. For many, having drunk poison, were preserved unharmed by the power of the sign of the cross. Mark 16:19. And so the Lord, after talking with them, ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:20. And they went and preached everywhere, with the Lord’s assistance and strengthening the word with subsequent signs. Amen. Do you see? Everywhere, our action comes first, and then God’s assistance. For God cooperates with us when we act and make a beginning, and when we do not act, He does not cooperate. Notice also that words are followed by deeds and the word is confirmed by deeds, just as with the apostles then the word was confirmed by subsequent deeds and signs. Oh, Christ the Word, and our words that we speak about virtue would be confirmed by deeds and actions so that we would appear perfect to You, who cooperates with us in all deeds and words! For glory is due to You both in our words and in our deeds.