Gospel: Mark 16:1-8 (Easter Sunday: Series B)

There were no alleluias, no trumpets or timpani, no egg bakes, no baskets full of candy, and no family photos. No one filled the chancel with Easter lilies, and no one set up extra rows of chairs in the aisles. The first Easter Sunday was decidedly different for the women in Mark’s Gospel than it is for us today. Mark concludes the Gospel reading[1] by reporting how the women were seized (or “had” εἶχεν) by trembling and astonishment. They fled the tomb saying, “nothing to no one” (καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπαv), for they were afraid. Alarm, fear, and running away are how the first witnesses to the empty tomb celebrated Easter morning.

It is hard to blame them. The alarm began with the stone. Mark reminds us it was “very large.” At least one of them had seen Joseph of Arimathea roll the stone in place when they buried him (Mark 15:46-47). The women knew they would be unable to move it on their own, but that did not stop them. Upon arriving, they saw the stone had been rolled away. Many people would have bolted without delay, but not these women. They kept going and entered the tomb. That is when things got scary. Rather than finding a dead Jesus, they met a live young man. Can you imagine their shock? This alarmed them, Mark says, and the young man noticed. He tried to console them by reminding them of Jesus’ promise and by sending them to spread the Word. But their fear caught up with them and they ran away speechless.

Trembling, astonishment, alarm, and fear, it is a far cry from the emotions we try to embody on Easter Sunday, and there is a reason why. We have the benefit of knowing the rest of the story. We have read the accounts of the other evangelists. We have heard Paul’s reminder in 1 Corinthians 15. We have been singing psalms, hymns, and Easter songs for centuries. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our hope and the basis of our confession. That is why so many people come to worship on Easter Sunday.

Yet, I have the suspicion many people who will listen to your sermon are more familiar with the women’s emotions than they would like to acknowledge. For different reasons, Christians today are well-acquainted with trembling, astonishment, alarm, and fear. The temptation for a preacher on Easter Sunday is to imply that these emotions are undone by the message of the empty tomb. When that happens, the Easter service (and sermon) can function as a temporary escape from reality instead of that which enables us to live in reality. This is why I suggest, rather than trying to tie up all the uncertainties and challenges your hearers are facing into a neat little bow, you acknowledge the difficulties they face...even after the resurrection.

To do so, you might call this sermon something like “Easter Fear.” You could begin by noting how the women at the tomb that morning left afraid. They had good reason to be fearful, and their fear lingered even after they had heard the good news that Jesus had risen. They struggled to believe and, as a result, they ran away with their mouths shut.

They had good reason to be fearful, and their fear lingered even after they had heard the good news that Jesus had risen.

Your hearers also struggle to believe. The difficulties and uncertainties in their lives can be relentless. The specifics are as varied as your hearers, so you might want to give them space to fill in the gaps for themselves. You can acknowledge that your proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection, which will sound a lot like the young man in the tomb, will not make those challenges go away immediately. Fear is a powerful force. It tends to linger, and it leads us to keep our mouths shut, too.

But the women did not go away empty handed. They still had the message. They still had the promise. And in time, that would be enough. It would be enough because the young man’s words were true. Jesus had risen, and in the end, this would change everything.

The message of Easter changes everything for us, as well. It transforms our fear, even if it does not remove it completely. Instead, it displaces the dominant position fear plays in our lives. Rather than debilitating us, it drives us back to the promise proclaimed by the young man in the tomb, and the promise which you will proclaim in this sermon. Jesus really did rise from the dead, just as He said He would, and He will raise us, too.

This good news meets the fears, the trembling, the astonishment, and the alarm of your hearers head-on. And it sends them away with fear still lingering, but with hope and joy which will not let their mouths stay shut.

(For a creative depiction of the impact of the promise on those who are filled with fear and uncertainty, check out this video from the people at Working Preacher. You might also find interesting this reflection on its production.)

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Additional Resources:

Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Mark 16:1-8.

Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Mark 16:1-8.

Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Mark 16:1-8.

Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!

Lectionary Podcast-Dr. Peter Scaer of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN walks us through Mark 16:1-8.

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[1] Textual-critical questions about the ending of Mark are real and significant, but it is neither necessary nor helpful to bring such issues into the sermon. I suggest simply preaching on this text as the lectionary presents it (ending at verse 8) and leave questions about the earliest manuscripts for Bible class.