At the end of his Gospel, Mark leaves us with an empty tomb and witnesses who never give witness. With so many accounts of the risen Jesus in later Gospels, it seems a rather abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion. So unsatisfying that mush later scribes added an additional ending.
But what if we look at Mark without the additional stories we were privy to later, and don’t feel their lack. The tomb actually isn’t empty, there is an angel: a being that is the voice of God. The women that left too afraid to tell anyone must have said something eventually or how would Mark know the story?
Three times in Mark’s gospel Jesus says that “On the third day He will rise again.” And Mark does tell us that this happened. The only written witness we have prior to Mark is in Paul’s letters. Paul tells us that Jesus was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Similar to Mark though, these are not stories or descriptions of the appearances. None of these statements about Jesus having risen report any words he said. They simply state that the risen Christ was seen. For Paul and Mark that is sufficient. Why might that be sufficient? It seems a wild claim does it not?
The reason it would be sufficient is that many Israelites and definitely Greek converts would be expecting the resurrection of the just. It was an idea that existed prior to the Christ event. It could be found in the Greek translation of Hebrew Scriptures. As time marched on and it seemed no others but Jesus were resurrected, more details of the Christ event were sought.
We in the Order of Jesus Christ Reconciler would love to hear the details of the progress of the seeds you planted. We asked you to plant these seeds to ritualize Jesus’ assertion that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Yet the details of the plants are not what’s important here. What’s important is the spiritual impact this ritual invokes in you.
So perhaps, just perhaps, Mark understood that focusing on the details, or wanting a witness to explain what happened, might distract from the wonder of the miracle. What does spiritually experiencing the miracle of life, even the life of a plant inspire in you? How about the simple statement Christ is Risen? He is risen indeed!
