“HE HAS RISEN!”
Mark 16:1-20
Key verse: 16:6
1. When the Sabbath was over, who went to Jesus’ tomb and for what purpose (1-3)? How did this demonstrate devotion and love for Jesus (15:40-41,47)? When they arrived at the tomb, what did they see and how did they respond (4-5)?
2. Read verse 6. What great news was declared to the women? How does this message contrast what they were expecting? What does the phrase “He has risen!” reveal about Jesus (Ac 2:23-24; Ro 1:4; Rev 1:18)? What does this mean to us (Ro 6:23; 1Pe 1:3,4)?
3. Read verse 7. What were the women commanded to do? Why was the command to go and tell “He has risen!” so important to the disciples and Peter? To all people? How was their message based on Jesus’ promise (14:28)? What did the women do (8)?
4. To whom did the risen Jesus appear (9-14)?1 How did the disciples respond to the witnesses? What does Jesus’ rebuke tell us about how to respond to the resurrection message?
5. What was the risen Jesus’ command (15)? Why must the gospel message be preached to all people (Ro 10:13-15)? What are the consequences of believing/not believing (16)? What signs of power and protection will accompany those who believe (17-18)?
6. Where is Jesus now (19)? What did the disciples do and how did Jesus help them (20)? How does this encourage us?
See bracketed text in the NIV: “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9-20.” The ESV Study Bible explains that most of its content is found elsewhere in the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, and no point of doctrine is affected by the absence or presence of these verses. So it is appropriate for us to study and regard these verses as God’s words (see the ESV Study Bible article: “The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts,” pp. 2585-89).↩