Mark 1:1

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I don’t know if he knew it or not, but Mark was actually inventing a whole new literary category with this opening sentence. Actually, it’s not even a sentence – no verb – but more of a phrase, almost a title. But with it...

Mark 1:1

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We noticed earlier that the closing scene of Mark’s Gospel brings us back to the beginning: the young man in white instructs the women to tell the disciples that he is going ahead of them to Galilee, just as he told them....

Mark 16:8

So 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. So let’s assume this is really where Mark wanted to end his account. The obvious question is why? Well, consider: the failure of these women is nothing...

Mark 16:8

So 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. We mentioned yesterday how unsatisfying Mark’s ending is. After all, the women at the tomb received a) a clear “good news signal” and b) were given...

Mark 16:8

So 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. Fair warning: I don’t think we can give this verse the attention it deserves in one reflection, so I plan on spending a couple of days on this particular...

Mark 16:5-7

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But 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...