Mark 16:4 Commentary and Bible Study

‘When they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great’ – the greatness of the stone explaining of course, not how it had been rolled away, but why they anxiously looked, and how necessary it was that the stone was rolled away if the women were to gain access to the tomb and anoint the body of Jesus. That was what had concerned them, but it had not put them off coming to the tomb, even though it seemed like an impossible problem to solve. They are an example of devotion to the Lord proceeding anyway in the face of great difficulties and finding that God has dealt with them in a quite unexpected way.The stone had been put in place to prevent the disciples from stealing the body, but the enemies of God were fighting against him with puny weapons. How could they prevent infinite power from being at work? What is a stone to the God who formed the sun, moon and stars at a word? They feared the theft of a body, but what happened was far worse from their point of view. Not just was a body taken away, but the doors of death itself were shattered. Certainly that ought to have caused captive mankind to rejoice with unspeakable joy, but so great was their hatred of the Lord that they opposed his message even at the cost of their own destruction.The stone had been removed not to let Christ out – he appeared to the disciples in a locked room, and was not limited by any physical obstacle – but to let the women in. They must see that the tomb is empty, and after them Peter and John must also see. This was to be an experience of increasing wonder at what God had done. They were troubled about moving the stone, but they saw that God had removed it for them. They had come looking for a dead body in order to anoint it, and they could not find it. That seemed like a great setback to them, but they were soon going to find a risen Saviour. No body needed to be anointed anymore; they could dispense with their sweet spices. Something far more wonderful had happened to make that unnecessary and to make them forget all about their original purpose in coming to the tomb.