Mark 16:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is evident that they were unaware of the stone, while the women mentioned by the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke, along with the Apostles Peter and John, witnessed the stone being moved away firsthand.

At dawn on the first day of the week, they set out for the tomb, wondering, "Who will help us move the stone?" As they reflected on this, an angel descended and removed the stone, which went unnoticed by the women. Matthew notes that the angel rolled away the stone after the women arrived, while Mark does not mention this detail, since Matthew has already indicated who was responsible for rolling it away.

The angel moved the stone not to create an entrance for the Lord but to provide evidence that He had already emerged from the grave. If, as a human, He could enter the world through the Virgin’s sealed womb, then it is beyond question that, as the resurrected One, He could exit this world through the sealed tomb.

Upon the arrival of the Myrrh-bearers at the Lord's tomb at dawn, they found it already open, with angels announcing the resurrection of Christ, which had already occurred. Earlier, there had been a tremor felt near the tomb, where an angel rolled away the stone, and in the brilliance of his presence, the guards were rendered fearful, allowing the Myrrh-bearers and the Apostles unobstructed access to the burial site. The Resurrection had taken place even before this moment, as it occurred while the tomb remained sealed, a truth affirmed by the holy Church, the custodian of Christ's Sacraments. Yet, this event did not transpire before midnight; in accordance with the Lord's divine foresight, it was to be a resurrection spanning three days, thus occurring in the early hours after midnight on the day following the Sabbath.

The Evangelist Mark refers to the stone being moved, yet he does not elaborate on the manner of its removal. In contrast, the divinely inspired Matthew provides this detail, declaring, "And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb" (Matthew 28:2).

While Mary was informing the apostles and they were rushing to the tomb, the other women who had come to anoint the body arrived first and entered the tomb, only to discover that the body of Jesus was not there. Instead, they were met by an angel. This radiant angel proclaimed to them in a clear and direct manner that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He had predicted during His time in Galilee before His crucifixion. This marks the third, or perhaps even the first unmistakable report of the Lord's resurrection. The myrrh-bearing women required no additional proof, as the angel’s appearance and message deeply resonated with them, leaving no room for doubt regarding the truth of his announcement.

During the darkness of night, while everyone was asleep, the guards were stationed at the cave's entrance. Without warning, the ground shook violently, and the large stone sealing the entrance was suddenly displaced. The soldiers witnessed an otherworldly figure clothed in garments as white as snow, radiating like lightning. Overcome by fear, they were struck with awe at the miraculous sight, rendered motionless as if in a trance. It is uncertain how long this extraordinary event endured, but as they gradually regained their composure, the soldiers retreated from the cave, ultimately reporting the events to their superiors. Some sought out the chief priests, who had commanded their watch.

Upon witnessing the angel, the women from Judea were filled with fear, and for good reason. They found themselves asking each other in a state of vulnerability who would remove the stone from the entrance of the tomb. Suddenly, the stone was rolled away before their eyes, and sitting upon it was a young man dressed in radiant garments, his face shining like lightning. Blessed Theophylact notes that such a remarkable sight can leave even the saints in awe. In this instance, the extraordinary nature of the event clearly reflected a divine presence rather than an earthly one. Encountering the holiness of the heavenly messenger inevitably instills a sense of dread and trembling in the hearts of those who are acutely aware of their own sinful state, as was true of the holy women. This is corroborated by the account in Luke regarding the righteous Zacharias, who was blessed with a vision of angels. Zacharias felt a sense of anxiety at this divine encounter, and fear overwhelmed him (Luke 1:12).

As soon as the Myrrh-bearing women began to grapple with their profound sorrow, they were met with a shocking and astonishing scene: the stone had been rolled aside, and the tomb stood open! This unexpected sight left them in a state of confusion and fear. Rather than witnessing the glorious celebration of the Resurrection, they were confronted with the unsettling thought of the body being taken.