Daily Devotions
Mark
Acts 5:14 "And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women." Acts 5:14"
Day 344 – Mark 16
“And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” Acts 5:14
HURRIED PREPARATION FOR BURIAL
The women followers had gathered their oils and spices. They were all ready to anoint the body of Jesus. They probably reasoned that what had been done for Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea could be done better. (The preparation for the entombing of Jesus was indeed done in a hurry for the Sabbath was approaching, and the burial had to be done before sunset- Cf. Mark 15:42-47).
CAREFUL OBSERVATIONS
Mark noted that the women followers were not only at Golgotha, but carefully observed how Joseph of Arimathea had arranged for the body of Jesus to be entombed.
The women followers had followed Joseph Arimathea and his group of friends as they took the body of Jesus down from the cross (Cf. Mark 15:46).
1. They also noted that Joseph used fine linen to enshroud the body of Jesus (Cf. Mark 15:46a).
2. They carefully remembered the place where they placed the body of Jesus (Cf. Mark 15:46b,47)
3. They noted that the tomb had a stone placed over its mouth; it functioned as a seal (Cf. Mark 15:46c)
AN UNRESOLVED PROBLEM
The women disciples expressed that they had good and devoted hearts when they decided that they would go and anoint the body of Jesus. However, they had not resolved one major problem.
“And they said among themselves,
‘Who will roll away the stone from the door of
the tomb for us?'”
MARK 16:3
1. No consultation with the men disciples
Obviously, the women did not consult with the men disciples:-
a) None of the Eleven had been consulted.
b) None had approached Joseph of Arimathea for help.
2. No solution in sight
The women disciples did not have a solution in sight as they made their way to the tomb of Jesus. Did they think, perhaps, that their combined efforts would move the stone? Did they hope that some kind people would help them if requested? They certainly did not bear in mind what Jesus had said earlier about His resurrection!