Daily Scripture: Mark 16:1 When Shabbat was over, Miryam of Magdala, Miryam the mother of Ya‘akov, and Shlomit bought spices in order to go and anoint Yeshua. 2 Very early the next day, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 They were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4 Then they looked up and saw that the stone, even though it was huge, had been rolled back already. 5 On entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right; and they were dumbfounded. 6 But he said, “Don’t be so surprised! You’re looking for Yeshua from Natzeret, who was executed on the stake. He has risen, he’s not here! Look at the place where they laid him. 7 But go and tell his talmidim, especially Kefa, that he is going to the Galil ahead of you. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Trembling but ecstatic they went out and fled from the tomb, and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Reflection Questions:
The oldest manuscripts we have of Mark’s gospel end at 16:8. Some later manuscripts contain either a short or a longer ending (reflected in the footnotes in many English Bibles). We don’t know if the abrupt ending was Mark’s intention, or reflects an interruption or loss of what he wrote. But even as it stands, verse 6 said Mary and her companions had heard the good news: “He has been raised.”
- Mark’s resurrection story contained one vital extra detail. In Mark 16:7, the angel told Mary Magdalene and the other women, “Tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter, who had publicly denied even knowing Jesus, was specifically included by name. What does this tell you about Jesus’ grace toward Peter? Can you trust Jesus to treat you the same way when you fail?
- Mark’s ending makes some people wonder if we can trust the gospels. Author Phillip Yancey said such passages actually point toward the gospels’ honesty: “Accounts of the discovery of the empty tomb sound breathless and fragmentary….the early reports seem wispy, mysterious, confused. Surely conspirators could have done a neater job of depicting what they would later claim to be the hinge event of history.” How is the way you live your daily life shaped by whether or not you find the gospels essentially credible?
Lord Jesus, the most loving thing the women could think of to do was to complete your burial. But you had so much more in store for them—and for me. Lead me on to a life lived in the light of your resurrected life. Amen.Insights from Angela LaVallie
Angela LaVallie is the Worship Logistics Program Director at Resurrection. She oversees preparing the Sanctuary for worship, supports Vibe worship and volunteers in the Student Center, provides oversight for Holy Communion at the Leawood campus, and assists with worship logistics at conferences.
One of the questions in today’s GPS Guide asks, “How is the way you live your daily life shaped by whether or not you find the gospels essentially credible?”
My answer to that question takes me back to one of my small group meetings, where we were discussing those questions about why good things happen to bad people and how a good God could allow suffering for people he loves. Yes, as Christ followers, it is our job to be his hands and feet in the world, to combat evil and be the light; but why does God even allow the evil in the first place? Why would God rely on us when he knows we’ll fail? What I shared with my group was that I can’t explain the specifics, I just have faith that the worst thing is never the last thing and that in the end, evil will be defeated.
I don’t have blind faith. I still struggle with those questions, and I suspect I always will to some degree. But faith isn’t about understanding all the details – of how God lets evil exist or how Jesus dying on the cross and resurrecting three days later erases my sin and secures my eternal life or how the world came into existence or how Matthew’s gospel compares to Mark’s. Faith is about trusting that God is good and that God knows best even when I am in the darkest, loneliest place and can’t possibly fathom that it could get any better. It’s not about pretending the bad doesn’t exist, but believing that the good is stronger.
So, my answer to that question is that I find the consistencies among the gospels credible. In the inconsistencies between the gospels, I find consistency in Jesus’ character and teachings – even if the narratives or parables are different, Jesus remains the same. Because of that, I find the gospels credible and use them to show me how to live my life as Jesus’ follower. I strive to live a life of love and trust in the promise of the cross.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
One of the questions in today’s GPS Guide asks, “How is the way you live your daily life shaped by whether or not you find the gospels essentially credible?”
My answer to that question takes me back to one of my small group meetings, where we were discussing those questions about why good things happen to bad people and how a good God could allow suffering for people he loves. Yes, as Christ followers, it is our job to be his hands and feet in the world, to combat evil and be the light; but why does God even allow the evil in the first place? Why would God rely on us when he knows we’ll fail? What I shared with my group was that I can’t explain the specifics, I just have faith that the worst thing is never the last thing and that in the end, evil will be defeated.
I don’t have blind faith. I still struggle with those questions, and I suspect I always will to some degree. But faith isn’t about understanding all the details – of how God lets evil exist or how Jesus dying on the cross and resurrecting three days later erases my sin and secures my eternal life or how the world came into existence or how Matthew’s gospel compares to Mark’s. Faith is about trusting that God is good and that God knows best even when I am in the darkest, loneliest place and can’t possibly fathom that it could get any better. It’s not about pretending the bad doesn’t exist, but believing that the good is stronger.
So, my answer to that question is that I find the consistencies among the gospels credible. In the inconsistencies between the gospels, I find consistency in Jesus’ character and teachings – even if the narratives or parables are different, Jesus remains the same. Because of that, I find the gospels credible and use them to show me how to live my life as Jesus’ follower. I strive to live a life of love and trust in the promise of the cross.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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