And they said nothing to anyone

Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Mark 16:1-8

It is stunning, every time we read the end of Mark’s Gospel. “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.”

Ancient scribes who copied the Gospel were so disturbed by this they added endings, in particular one that sounds a lot like the Gospel of Luke. But it has been determined that the real ending of Mark has the women running away and not speaking about what they saw.

However, when we focus on this last verse, we miss the previous one. The youth – likely an angel – tells the women, “… go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So, obviously they had to have told the disciples. Just not the people on the street as they ran back to the place where the disciples were staying.

… Despite the women’s temporary silence, the news of the empty tomb and the risen Jesus spread all over the region. Paul’s writings all predate the writing of the Gospels by two or three decades. His letters all date to the 40s and 50s, while Mark’s Gospel was written in 60-70 or just a bit later. By then it seemed prudent to get the stories of Jesus in writing since the original disciples and witnesses were dying, some as martyrs and some of old age.

In this excerpt from 1 Corinthians, Paul passes on what seems to be an early Creed. I pass on to you “… that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”  Paul goes on to list the many appearances by Jesus to other disciples and groups, also as it has been told to him. I find it interesting, and frustrating, and annoying, that the women who were the first witnesses mentioned in all four gospels are not listed at all.

… The book of Acts records the activities of the earliest disciples, guided by the Holy Spirit. The news has already been spreading about Jesus resurrection in Chapter 2. By Chapter 10, individual encounters are related, featuring Peter, and later Paul. In this section of Acts, Peter has been learning that the people he has long believed to be “other” are actually included in God’s family. He admits he was wrong, and goes out of his way to include Gentiles in Jesus’ family.

Here, he relates what he himself witnessed: the ministry of Jesus, the death and resurrection, and the many appearances to believers after his resurrection. Then he adds the imperative to go out and spread the good news that all are welcome and forgiven in Jesus’ name.

It is because of these many witnesses through the centuries that we, today, know about Jesus and believe in him. We trust Jesus’ words that God calls us, welcomes us, loves us, forgives us.

… We celebrate today that the tomb is empty, Jesus has been raised from death, which means we no longer fear death as the end of our existence. We are filled with joy at this good news.

Isn’t it sad that, for many of us, the joy stays here, at church instead of leaking or even pouring out of the church doors into the community that surrounds us. So, I challenge you this week to find ways to let the joy out.

·       Say happy or blessed Easter to someone you don’t know. It doesn’t matter if they believe or not, just say it and watch what happens.

·       Comfort someone who is afraid with the reminder that since the tomb is empty, we have proof that God can do anything.

·       Invite someone to an activity at church – to LIFT or the BEE, or Campus Ministry, or Zoom Bible study. Or to Sunday worship, and promise to sit with them.

·       Tell someone who may feel excluded in many places that ULC is a place that welcomes all, because that’s what Jesus did.

… As you consider how and with whom to share the good news, think of all the times Jesus told the disciples to spread the good news after his resurrection.

Except, of course in Mark. For Mark, we have to go back to the beginning of the book, which begins: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” So, while it seems Mark leaves us on a dead end, when we turn back to page one, we realize that the story of Jesus has just begun.

May it be so for you, as well.

Amen