Day 120 What’s Next | Mark 16:6-8

Send us a text

The empty tomb stands at the center of Christian faith, yet Mark's gospel ends with a jarring cliffhanger that has puzzled readers for centuries. Women flee in fear and silence. There's no celebration, no appearances of the risen Christ. Just bewilderment and an angel's strange message.

This episode of Wisdom for the Day examines what scholars believe was Mark's original ending at verse 8 and why this abrupt conclusion might be exactly what we need. Far from being a literary failure, Mark's unresolved ending creates space for us to enter the story ourselves. We explore how the women's very human reaction—fear and silence—reflects our own struggles to comprehend divine mysteries without the Holy Spirit's help.

The resurrection isn't simply an event to observe from a distance but a living reality that demands our response. The angel's words that "Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee" offers a powerful metaphor for our spiritual journey. Christ always goes before us, preparing the way into new territories of faith and service. As we sit with Mark's uncomfortable ending, we're challenged to ask: How has the risen Jesus impacted my life? Where is he leading me next? Join us as we discover how this ancient text's unfinished quality might be its greatest gift to modern believers seeking to live in the continuing story of resurrection.

www.godslovingsacrifice.com

Support the show

Website at https://www.wisdomfortheday.org

Support the show and Community Membership

I Love You!

See Ya!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Wisdom for the Day, your daily source for
spiritual refreshment andguidance.
I'm Rick.
Join me as I dive into God'sWord to find clarity and
strength for life's challenges.
Let me help you embrace eachday with faith and wisdom, ready
to feel inspired.
Let's get started.
Today is day 120.

(00:25):
What's next?
From the Gospel of Mark, chapter16, verses 6 through 8.
From the New Living Translationbut the angel said Don't be
alarmed.
You are here looking for Jesusof Nazareth who was crucified.
He isn't here.
He is risen from the dead.
Look, this is where they laidhis body.

(00:47):
Now go and tell his disciples,including Peter, that Jesus is
going ahead of you to Galilee.
You will see him there, just ashe told you before he died.
The women fled from the tomb,trembling and bewildered, and
they said nothing to anyonebecause they were too frightened
.
The final verses of Mark'sgospel are some of the most

(01:08):
puzzling in the Bible.
While many Bibles includeadditional verses after verse 8,
most scholars agree that thoseendings were added later and
aren't found in the earliestmanuscripts.
So we're left with rather Idon't know an abrupt scene.
The tomb is empty, the angelspeaks and the women flee in

(01:30):
fear and in silence.
It's not the joyful, triumphantending that we might expect.
Where's the celebration?
Where's the bold proclamationof the risen Lord?
Mark's ending doesn't wrapthings up neatly.
Instead, it leaves us sittingin shock and mystery.
Of the first resurrectionmorning.

(01:52):
The women are stunned,overwhelmed really, and without
the help of the Holy Spirit whowould be given weeks later, at
Pentecost, their reaction wasvery human fear and silence.
But maybe that's part of Mark'spurpose.
His gospel invites us into thecontinuing story.

(02:15):
The resurrection isn't just anevent to observe, it's a story
to enter.
Mark challenges us to askourselves what will I do with
the news that Jesus has risen?
How am I going to respond?
The good news is that the risenJesus keeps going ahead of us.

(02:36):
Just like the angel said, andthrough the Holy Spirit, he now
walks with us too.
Now walks with us too.
Today, I want you to take timeto reflect.
How has the risen Jesusimpacted your life and where is
he leading you next?
Pray with me.
Lord Jesus, thank you formeeting us in our fear, our

(03:01):
questions and our awe.
Help us to step forward infaith and follow you wherever
you lead, amen.
Well, that's all for today, butI'll be back tomorrow with more
of God's Word.
To listen to past episodes, goto wisdomforthedayorg For free

(03:21):
Wisdom of the Day merch.
Go to buymeacoffeecom.
Slash renewedmindsets andconsider becoming a community
member.
The executive producer forWisdom of the Day is Kimmy
Shirley.
Quality control engineer isYelena McClellan.
Intro and outro music by WestonMcCurry Until tomorrow, I'm

(03:43):
Rick.
I love you, see ya.