Opening Prayer
Father in heaven,
We come before You with grateful hearts as we open Your Word to the accounts of the resurrection in Matthew 28 and Mark 16. Thank You for the empty tomb, for the angel’s announcement that Jesus is risen, and for the living hope that changes everything.
Lord Jesus, we praise You as the risen King who conquered death and the grave. As we read of the women’s fear and joy, the disciples’ doubts and wonder, and Your appearances to Your followers, open our eyes to see You clearly. Quiet our fears, strengthen our faith, and fill us with the same awe and worship that marked those first witnesses.
Holy Spirit, speak to us through these chapters. Help us receive the truth of the resurrection not only as history, but as the power that transforms our lives today. Prepare our hearts to hear the Great Commission and to respond in obedience—to go, to make disciples, and to live as those who belong to the risen Christ.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our risen Lord and Savior. Amen.
Looking Back
Recall of Matthew 27 and Mark 15
In Matthew 27 and Mark 15, Jesus stands before Pilate, is rejected by the crowd in favor of Barabbas, is mocked and scourged by the soldiers, and is crucified at Golgotha between two criminals. Darkness covers the land, Jesus cries out and dies, the temple curtain is torn in two, and a Roman centurion declares Him the Son of God. Joseph of Arimathea then requests the body, and Jesus is buried in a new tomb that is sealed and guarded.
Matthew 28 and Mark 16 now turn from the sealed tomb to the dawn of the first day, where the risen Lord appears and commissions His followers.
Scripture NKJV
Matthew 28
He Is Risen
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
The Women Worship the Risen Lord
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
The Soldiers Are Bribed
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Mark 16
He Is Risen
1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” 8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord
9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
The Great Commission
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Breaking it all down
Matthew Chapter 28
Matthew 28 – Meaning and What God Is Teaching
Matthew 28 is the climax of the Gospel. After the darkness of the crucifixion and the sealed tomb, God shows that Jesus is alive, that death is defeated, and that the risen Lord now sends His people into the world with His authority and presence.
1. The Empty Tomb and the First Witnesses (Matthew 28:1–10)
At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb. An angel rolls away the stone (not to let Jesus out, but to let the witnesses in) and announces, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” The women are told to go and tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee. As they run, Jesus Himself appears to them. They take hold of His feet and worship Him. He repeats the message: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
What it means:
The resurrection is a historical event that fulfills Jesus’ own words. God chose women—who had little social status as witnesses in that culture—to be the first to see and announce the risen Christ. Fear is met with the presence of the living Jesus, and the proper response is worship and obedience.
What God is teaching:
Jesus keeps His word. Death is not the end. God often entrusts the greatest news to ordinary, faithful people. When we encounter the risen Christ, fear gives way to worship and a willingness to go and tell others.
2. The Guards and the False Report (Matthew 28:11–15)
The guards report what happened to the chief priests. The leaders bribe them to say the disciples stole the body while they slept, and this story is still circulating among the Jews when Matthew writes.
What it means:
Even in the face of clear evidence, some people will choose to suppress the truth rather than believe. The resurrection was not a secret or a myth; it was publicly known and publicly denied.
What God is teaching:
Unbelief is often a matter of the will, not a lack of evidence. God is not surprised by rejection. The truth of the resurrection stands whether people accept it or try to explain it away.
3. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20)
The eleven disciples meet Jesus in Galilee. Some worship; some still doubt. Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He then commands them: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” He closes with the promise, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
What it means:
The risen Jesus is not only alive; He is Lord of all. The mission is not merely to make converts but to make disciples—people who are baptized into the life of the Trinity and taught to obey Jesus. This command is given to the whole church, and it is sustained by the personal presence of Christ Himself.
What God is teaching:
Authority belongs to Jesus alone.
The Christian life is a life of going, making disciples, baptizing, and teaching obedience.
We do not go in our own strength. The same Jesus who rose from the dead is with us always.
Doubts do not disqualify us; Jesus still calls and commissions those who struggle to believe fully.
Summary of What God Is Teaching in Matthew 28
The resurrection is real and changes everything. The tomb is empty because Jesus is alive, just as He said.
Fear is answered by the presence of the risen Lord. He meets His people, receives their worship, and sends them.
Truth will be opposed. Some will always try to bury the resurrection under lies.
The risen Christ has all authority and gives a clear mission. Make disciples of all nations.
We are never alone. The final word of the Gospel is not a command without help, but a promise: “I am with you always.”
This chapter moves us from the sealed tomb to open-ended mission. God is teaching that because Jesus is risen, we are to live as people who worship Him, obey Him, and carry His message to others, confident that He Himself goes with us.
Some doubted
Matthew 28:17 says: “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.”
The “they” refers to the eleven disciples (Matthew 28:16). After Judas’s death, the remaining eleven went to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had directed them. When they saw the risen Jesus, they worshiped Him, yet some among those same eleven still doubted.
The Greek word used here (edistasan) can mean they hesitated, were uncertain, or were of two minds. It does not necessarily mean outright rejection or unbelief, but a lingering struggle to fully grasp what they were seeing—even while worshiping. This fits the larger picture in the Gospels, where the disciples repeatedly had difficulty believing the resurrection until they had multiple encounters with the living Jesus (see also Luke 24:37–41 and John 20:24–29).
In short, the ones who doubted were some of the eleven disciples themselves. Jesus still met them, received their worship, and gave them the Great Commission. Their incomplete faith did not disqualify them from His presence or His mission.
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18)
This is the risen Jesus speaking to the eleven disciples just before He gives the Great Commission. The authority He claims is total, absolute, and universal.
What Kind of Authority?
The Greek word for “authority” is exousia—the right and power to rule, command, and act. Jesus says all of it has been given to Him:
Authority in heaven — He rules over the spiritual realm: angels, principalities, and powers. Nothing in the unseen world is outside His control.
Authority on earth — He rules over every nation, government, person, and circumstance. No earthly power (political, religious, or personal) stands above Him.
Authority over life and death — Because He Himself rose from the dead, He has the right to give life, forgive sin, and raise the dead.
Authority to save and to judge — He alone decides who enters the kingdom. He is the One who will judge the living and the dead.
Authority to send and to keep — He has the right to command His people to make disciples of all nations, and the power to be with them and to make their mission effective.
This authority was given to Him by the Father as the reward and vindication of His perfect obedience, His death on the cross, and His resurrection (see also Philippians 2:9–11 and Daniel 7:13–14).
Why It Matters
Jesus does not give the Great Commission (“Go and make disciples…”) as a suggestion or as a task we must accomplish in our own strength. He gives it on the basis of the authority He already possesses. Because all authority belongs to Him:
The nations are already under His rule.
The mission cannot ultimately fail.
He has the right to claim every person as a potential disciple.
He has the power to keep the promise that follows: “I am with you always.”
In short, the authority Jesus claims in Matthew 28:18 is the complete, God-given right to rule heaven and earth as the crucified and risen Lord. Everything that follows in the chapter—the command to make disciples and the promise of His presence—rests on this claim.
Matthew 28:19–20 – Baptism, Christ’s Presence, and “the End of the Age”
1. How are they baptizing—by water?
Yes. The baptism Jesus commands is water baptism.
In the New Testament this means a person is immersed in water as a public sign that they now belong to Jesus. It pictures dying with Christ, being buried with Him, and rising to new life (Romans 6:3–4). The early church practiced it this way: people believed, then were baptized in water (Acts 2:38–41; 8:36–38; 10:47–48; 16:33).
It is done “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This means the person is brought into relationship with the one true God who exists as Father, Son, and Spirit. Water baptism is the outward act that marks someone as a disciple; it does not itself save, but it is the normal, commanded next step for those who have trusted Christ.
2. How is He with us?
Jesus is with His people by the Holy Spirit.
After His resurrection He ascended bodily into heaven, so He is not physically present the way He was with the disciples on the mountain. Yet He promised He would not leave them as orphans (John 14:16–18). At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to live in believers. Through the Spirit, the risen Jesus is truly present with every disciple—guiding, strengthening, comforting, convicting, and empowering them to obey.
He is also present through His Word, in the gathered church, and by His sovereign care over every circumstance. The promise is personal and practical: the same Jesus who has all authority is actively with those who go in His name.
3. What does “even to the end of the age” mean?
It means until the present age comes to its close—that is, until Jesus returns.
In Matthew’s Gospel “the age” refers to the current period of history that began after the resurrection and will end when Christ comes again in glory to judge and to renew all things (see Matthew 13:39–40, 49; 24:3). The promise is not temporary or limited to the first disciples. It covers the entire time of the church’s mission, right up to the day Jesus returns.
In other words, as long as there is still a mission to make disciples, and as long as this present age continues, the risen Christ will be with His people. The promise ends only when the age itself ends at His coming.
In summary:
They baptize with water in the name of the Triune God. Jesus is with us by the Holy Spirit. And this presence continues without interruption until the end of the present age when He returns.
Mark Chapter 16
Mark 16 – Meaning and What God Is Teaching
Mark 16 is the resurrection account that closes the Gospel. It moves from the sealed tomb to the announcement that Jesus is alive, then (in the longer form of the chapter) to His appearances and the charge to proclaim the gospel. The chapter is short, abrupt in its earliest form, and full of both fear and hope.
Note on the text: The earliest and most reliable manuscripts of Mark end at verse 8. Verses 9–20 (often called the “longer ending”) appear in later manuscripts. Most modern Bibles include them but mark them with a note. The shorter ending is almost certainly original; the longer ending is early Christian material that summarizes resurrection appearances found in the other Gospels. Both are explained below.
1. The Empty Tomb and the Women’s Fear (Mark 16:1–8)
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. They find the stone already rolled away. A young man in a white robe (an angel) tells them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
The women flee from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and say nothing to anyone because they are afraid. (This is where the earliest manuscripts end.)
What it means:
The tomb is empty exactly as Jesus predicted. The angel’s message is clear and direct: He is risen. The women are the first witnesses, yet they are overwhelmed by fear and silence. Mark’s abrupt ending leaves the reader with the same question the women face—what will you do with the news that Jesus is alive?
What God is teaching:
The resurrection is real and fulfills Jesus’ word. Fear and astonishment are natural responses to the empty tomb. God entrusts the first announcement to ordinary women, even when their immediate reaction is silence. The story does not end with the women’s fear; it ends with the living Jesus going ahead of His people.
2. The Longer Ending – Appearances and the Charge (Mark 16:9–20)
In the later ending, Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene. She tells the others, but they do not believe. He then appears to two disciples walking in the country; they report it, and still the rest do not believe. Finally He appears to the eleven while they are eating and rebukes them for their unbelief and hardness of heart.
He tells them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Signs are listed that will accompany those who believe (driving out demons, speaking in new tongues, picking up snakes, drinking poison without harm, and healing the sick). After speaking with them, Jesus is taken up into heaven and sits at the right hand of God. The disciples go out and preach everywhere, and the Lord works with them and confirms the message by the signs that follow.
What it means:
Even after the resurrection, the disciples struggle to believe. Jesus does not abandon them; He meets their unbelief with His presence and then sends them. The mission is worldwide. The signs mentioned are not presented as a permanent checklist for every believer in every age, but as confirming evidence that accompanied the apostles’ preaching in the early days of the church (see also Acts 2, 5, 14, 19, 28). The chapter closes with Jesus exalted and actively working with His people.
What God is teaching:
Unbelief can linger even among those who have seen evidence.
Jesus is patient with weak faith and still commissions those who doubt.
The gospel is for all creation; the risen Lord is at work with those who proclaim it.
The final picture is not fear or silence, but the exalted Christ and the ongoing mission of His people.
Summary of What God Is Teaching in Mark 16
The tomb is empty because Jesus is risen. The angel’s message is simple and sure: He is not here; He has risen.
Fear and silence are real responses. The women (and later the disciples) struggle to believe and to speak. God still uses them.
Jesus meets unbelief with His presence. He appears, rebukes gently, and sends.
The mission continues. The risen and ascended Lord works with His people as they proclaim the gospel.
The story does not end in the tomb. Whether the chapter stops at verse 8 or continues to verse 20, the point is the same: Jesus is alive, He goes ahead of His people, and the news must be told.
Mark 16 leaves us standing at the empty tomb with a choice. The earliest ending stops with the women’s fear and silence, forcing the reader to decide what they will do with the news. The longer ending shows that Jesus overcomes that silence and sends His followers out. In both forms, God is teaching that the crucified Jesus is the risen Lord, and that His people are called to move from fear to faith and from silence to proclamation.
Mark 16:17–18 – What These Signs Mean
These verses come from the longer ending of Mark (16:9–20). As noted earlier, the earliest manuscripts end at verse 8, so these words have a less certain place in the original text. Even so, they reflect early Christian belief and summarize patterns that appear in the book of Acts. Here is what they mean and how they apply today.
What the Verses Say
Jesus (in this longer ending) says that certain signs will accompany those who believe:
Casting out demons in His name
Speaking in new tongues
Taking up serpents
Drinking deadly poison without harm
Laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover
These are presented as confirming signs that the gospel message is true and that the risen Jesus is at work with His messengers.
What They Meant in the Early Church
In the book of Acts we see most of these things happen as the apostles and early believers proclaimed the gospel:
Demons were cast out (Acts 16:18; 19:12).
People spoke in tongues (Acts 2; 10; 19).
The sick were healed through the laying on of hands (Acts 3; 5; 9; 28).
Paul was bitten by a venomous snake and suffered no harm (Acts 28:3–6).
These signs authenticated the message in a time when the New Testament was still being written and the church was being established. They showed that the same Jesus who rose from the dead was continuing to work through His people.
What This Means for Believers Today
The promise is not a blanket guarantee that every Christian in every generation will routinely cast out demons, speak in tongues, handle snakes, drink poison, or see every sick person they touch recover. Several important distinctions help us read it carefully:
The signs were especially tied to the apostolic era. They confirmed the gospel as it first went out. The New Testament does not present them as the normal, expected experience of every believer in every age.
God still heals and delivers according to His will. Scripture encourages us to pray for the sick (James 5:14–15), to trust the Holy Spirit’s power, and to expect that God can and does work supernaturally. Many believers today experience healing, spiritual breakthrough, and protection. These are gifts of God’s grace, not rights we can claim on demand.
We are not called to test God. Deliberately handling snakes or drinking poison to “prove” faith is not what the verse teaches and is contrary to the rest of Scripture (see Deuteronomy 6:16 and Jesus’ own refusal to test God in Matthew 4:7).
The central ongoing work is the gospel itself. The main command in the passage is to preach the gospel to all creation. The Lord still works with His people and confirms His word as He chooses. Our primary calling is faithful witness, obedience, prayer, and dependence on the Holy Spirit—not the pursuit of spectacular signs.
Personal Application
For you today, these verses point to the reality that the risen Jesus is alive and active. You can:
Trust that He has authority over spiritual darkness and can set people free.
Pray in faith for the sick, knowing God hears and answers according to His wisdom.
Rely on the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in your daily life and witness.
Proclaim the gospel with confidence that the Lord is with you, even when dramatic signs are not visible.
The signs listed in Mark 16:17–18 pointed to the truth that Jesus is risen and reigning. That truth remains the foundation of our faith. We live in light of it by trusting Him, obeying His Word, praying expectantly, and leaving the results—including any miraculous signs—in His hands.
Closing Summary
Today we stood at the empty tomb and heard the angel’s words: “He is not here; He has risen.” In Matthew 28 we saw the risen Jesus meet the women, receive their worship, and then declare that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. He commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations, promising, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In Mark 16 we watched the women flee in fear and silence, yet the longer ending shows Jesus patiently meeting unbelief, sending His people into the world, and ascending to the right hand of God while continuing to work with them. The research we walked through reminded us that the resurrection is historical, that Jesus keeps His word, that fear and doubt do not disqualify us, and that His presence by the Holy Spirit remains with us as we go.
Thank you to everyone who joined me today in this reading. Your presence and willingness to open the Word together is a gift.
We praise You, Lord Jesus—risen from the dead, seated at the right hand of the Father, and alive in our hearts as we invite You in. The grave could not hold You. Death is defeated. Because You live, we live, and joy is our song.
Father, I pray that through us the good news of our Savior Jesus Christ will go forth. Open hearts to receive Him, to abide in Him, and to know the life that only the risen Lord can give. Use our words, our lives, and our love to point others to the empty tomb and the living Christ.
I love you.
Special thanks are given to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, for the gift of writing and the privilege of sharing this Bible Study. His guidance and blessings have made this work possible, and it is with a grateful heart that can share my study with you. I hope you find it informational and helpful in your spiritual journey. I am asking that you open your hearts and minds to accept the word of Christ into your hearts and accept His word to transform your life in positive ways. This is the first part of my online Christian Bookstore Fellowship and I do accept donations that will further my mission to have a Bookstore in our community, a place where we can sit down face to face and enjoy this Bible Study over open and honest conversation. I will continue this online Study as well to complete the entire year. Thank you for following The Mustard Seed Christian Bookstore Fellowship & Café online Bible Study.
This Bible study is written with inspiration and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, Scripture from the Holy Bible (NIV), NKJV Life Application Study Bible, analytical support and help in organizing and presentation from Grok AI (which examines multiple sources online) and writing assistance with drafting and editing from Microsoft Co-Pilot.
