Mark 16
The Stone Was Rolled Away
It all begins just after sunrise. The Sabbath is over, and the women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome—are on their way to Jesus' tomb. They’re bringing spices to anoint His body, still mourning, still in the fog of grief. As they walk, they wonder aloud, “Who will roll the stone away?” And then—unexpected grace. The stone is already rolled back. The tomb is open.
Inside, instead of Jesus, they find a messenger in white. An angel. And he delivers a stunning message: “You’re looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.” This is the hinge moment of our faith. Resurrection. Life after death. Victory over sin.
Go Tell the Disciples... and Peter
What really grabbed our hearts in this chapter is what the angel says next: “Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” And Peter. That tiny phrase stopped us in our tracks. Because we know what Peter had done. We remember just a few chapters earlier, in Mark 14, how Peter swore he’d never deny Jesus. How he insisted he would die before abandoning Him. And yet, before the rooster crowed, Peter denied Jesus three times.
Can we just sit in that for a second? Imagine being Peter. Imagine the weight of that guilt. The shame. The way his last interaction with Jesus ended in failure and betrayal. And now, three days later, an angel singles him out—not to condemn him, but to make sure he knows: You’re still invited. Jesus wants to see you.
There’s hope in that. There’s grace. Not just for Peter, but for us.
When We Feel Unworthy
We’ve all had Peter moments, haven’t we? Times when we’ve said one thing and lived another. Times we’ve promised faithfulness and fallen short. It’s easy to let the guilt and shame settle in—to believe the lie that we’re disqualified from God’s love.
But here’s what this moment in Mark 16 reminds us: our failure doesn’t have the final word. The risen Jesus still calls our name. He still sends the message: Come meet me. I haven’t given up on you.
We’re reminded that Christianity isn’t about getting it all right. It’s about grace. We can’t earn it—and we can’t un-earn it either. The same grace that restored Peter is available to us, no matter what we’ve done.
What About Those Last Verses?
Some of you may notice a footnote after verse 8 in Mark 16. It mentions that the earliest manuscripts don’t include verses 9–20. This can be confusing, but it doesn’t need to shake our confidence in Scripture. Whether those verses were part of Mark’s original writing or added later by faithful followers, they don’t introduce anything new or contradict the gospel message. They simply reinforce the resurrection and the Great Commission. Nothing there changes the core truth: Jesus is alive, and His grace reaches even the most broken among us.
Hold on to Hope
As we close the book of Mark, we’re left with the story of restoration. Of Peter’s name being spoken when it mattered most. Of a Savior who isn’t done with us yet. Wherever we find ourselves today—ashamed, uncertain, trying to hold it all together—we can know this: God’s grace is big enough. We can lay down the burden, confess what we’re carrying, and step into new life.
