Mark 16:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The other women were either unaware or had only encountered vague whispers regarding the events, lacking any specific details. As the Evangelist notes, they did not approach Mary Magdalene directly but conversed among themselves, asking, "Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?"

At dawn on the first day of the week, they set out for the tomb, contemplating who would move the stone for them. While they were deep in thought, an angel appeared and moved the stone, although the women were unaware of this. According to Matthew, the angel rolled the stone aside after the women had arrived. In contrast, Mark does not mention this event, as Matthew has already clarified who performed the action of moving the stone.

Without a doubt, our Lord and Savior unveiled the magnificence of His resurrection to His disciples progressively, as the enormity of this miracle is too profound for the frail hearts of humanity to comprehend all at once. Understanding the frailty of those who seek Him, particularly the first to arrive at the tomb, He reveals the rolled-away stone to the women who are filled with love for Him and also to the men. In the absence of His Body, He presents to them the burial cloth in which it was wrapped, left there alone. To the women, who earnestly sought Him and were struck by what they encountered, He subsequently dispatched a vision of angels. They proclaimed that He had risen. After the news of His resurrection had spread and been realized, the Lord of Hosts and King of Glory appeared, demonstrating the power with which He had vanquished death, which He had only briefly experienced.

From within the tomb or from the depths of your being? From the grave or from your gaze? Women, your hearts are bound, and your eyes remain shut, preventing you from witnessing the splendor of the empty grave. Anoint not the lifeless body of the Lord, but instead anoint the eyes of your spirit, if you wish to perceive. Through the illumination of faith, you will uncover what lies concealed in the shadow of your doubt (cf. Rev. 3:18).

The esteemed women approached the grave to prepare the body of the Lord Jesus with anointing. However, due to the immense stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb, as noted by the Evangelist, these faithful women were frail and lacking in strength. Thus, they did not express any undue concern but conversed appropriately among themselves as they journeyed, asking, “Who will move the stone from the entrance of the tomb so that we can enter and anoint the body of the Lord Jesus? Who will help us roll away the stone?”

While Mary was informing the apostles and they hurried to the tomb, the other women who brought spices arrived first. They entered the cave only to find that the body of Jesus was missing, but an angel appeared before them. This radiant angel proclaimed to them unequivocally that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He had predicted in Galilee before His crucifixion. This marks the third—or perhaps more accurately, the first definitive proclamation of the Lord's resurrection. The Myrrh-bearers required no further confirmation; the angel's message had impacted them so profoundly that there was no room for doubt regarding its truth. Following the angel's directive, they rushed to share this important news with the apostles. However, overwhelmed with fear, they were unable to disclose anything to those they encountered on their way, to whom this good news was relevant (Mk. 16:8).

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is recorded in Matthew 28:2-4. The Hebrew accounts, aside from Matthew, do not detail the resurrection of Christ, focusing instead on the witnesses who observed this event. Their narratives address the occurrences at the Savior's tomb early on the first day of the week, emphasizing the Myrrh-bearing women as the initial recipients of angelic news regarding the Lord’s resurrection, making them the first proclaimers of this momentous event to others. As noted in Hebrews, Matthew recounts that significant events surrounded the resurrection: an angel from heaven descended, approached the tomb, rolled away the stone at its entrance, and sat upon it. The angel’s action triggered a mighty earthquake, symbolizing the defeat of hell and death.

In the stillness of night, while all were peacefully resting, guards stood watch at the entrance of the tomb. Suddenly, there was a tremendous quake, causing the stone that sealed the entrance to roll away. The guards beheld an otherworldly figure clothed in garments as white as snow, radiating like lightning. Overcome with fear, they were immobilized, paralyzed as if struck dead by the extraordinary sight. It remains unclear how long this vision endured; however, as their senses gradually returned, they cautiously withdrew from the tomb to report the astonishing events to their superiors. Some made their way to the chief priests, who had ordered their watch.

Christ had repeatedly predicted His resurrection to His followers, yet they were still taken aback by it. As the Gospel writers recount, after a night filled with tears, the disciples made their way to the tomb of their treasured Master in the early morning, before the city had fully stirred from slumber. They proceeded in silence, their grief silencing their voices. Upon reaching the garden, a heart-wrenching sight prompted them to speak. “Who will roll away the stone from the tomb for us?” they questioned in confusion. Clearly, in their minds, the Master remained dead, and all their sorrow was focused solely on the obstacle that hindered them from anointing Him with love for His eternal rest deep within the earth.

“Who will roll away the stone for us?” This detail is uniquely observed by Mark and is quite fitting in light of the circumstances surrounding the women who rushed to the tomb in the early morning.