What's easy to miss here is the profound contrast between Mary's ecstatic discovery and the disciples' deep despair. While she's met by the risen Christ and filled with unimaginable joy, the men are still steeped in grief and unable to grasp the reality of His resurrection. This highlights how devastating their loss felt, making the women's news initially seem almost unbelievable to them.
She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Mary Magdalene, filled with awe and joy after Jesus' resurrection, rushed to tell the disciples the incredible news. They were huddled together, consumed by grief and weeping over their Master's death, completely unaware of the astonishing events that had just unfolded. Their deep sorrow and confusion set the stage for the disciples' initial disbelief when Mary shared her encounter with the risen Christ.
Imagine the scene: the One they had poured their lives into, gone. Their world shattered, leaving only tears.
The disciples were in a state of profound mourning and weeping. Their beloved Master, Jesus, had been crucified, and their hope seemed extinguished. This wasn't just sadness; it was a deep, inconsolable grief for their lost Lord. They had followed Him, seen His miracles, heard His teachings, and now faced a devastating emptiness.
This intense sorrow is crucial to understanding their reaction to the resurrection news. It highlights just how shattered their world was, making the news of the resurrection not immediately believable, but an astonishing, almost unbelievable, proclamation.
Amidst her own awe and joy, Mary Magdalene raced to share the most incredible news humanity would ever hear.
Mary Magdalene, having encountered the resurrected Christ Himself, immediately took action. Her mission was clear: to tell those who had been with Jesus. This wasn't a casual conversation; the Greek word implies a purposeful journey and declaration. She went from experiencing the miracle directly to being a messenger of that miracle.
Her urgency shows the transformative power of encountering the risen Christ. The news she carried was so profound, so life-altering, that it propelled her to action, even as the disciples were lost in their sorrow.
The disciples' tears and weeping created a veil, making the unbelievable truth of resurrection hard to penetrate.
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The contrast between Mary's joyful news and the disciples' mournful state reveals a key aspect of belief. Their overwhelming grief and shock made them initially unreceptive to the resurrection message. The scholars note that their words seemed like 'idle fancies' or 'incredulity born of joy.'
This teaches us that our emotional state can significantly impact our capacity to believe even the most extraordinary truths. The disciples' experience shows that belief isn't always immediate, especially when dealing with experiences that shatter our current reality. It's a process that unfolds, often requiring further encounters and confirmations, as seen in the rest of the Gospel accounts.
Understand the original words
penthēō · Greek Verb
A deep expression of grief, sorrow, or lamentation. In the New Testament, it often follows the death of a loved one or reflects a state of spiritual brokenness before God.
pisteuō · Greek Verb
To accept as true or hold as a matter of conviction. In the New Testament, it often implies a trust or reliance upon God or His revelation, especially regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ.
zaō · Greek Adjective/Participle
The state of being alive, specifically used here to denote Jesus' physical resurrection from the dead, demonstrating His victory over sin and death.
phaneroō · Greek Verb
A manifestation or revelation, often used in the Gospels to describe Jesus making Himself known to His disciples after His resurrection.
The immediate aftermath of Jesus' resurrection was marked by deep grief and disbelief among his followers, highlighting the profound impact of his death and the astonishing nature of the good news of his rising.
c. AD 30— this verse
Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus
Jesus Christ was crucified and buried, leading to profound grief and despair among his followers.
c. AD 30
Discovery of the Empty Tomb
Women, including Mary Magdalene, discovered Jesus' tomb empty and encountered angels who proclaimed his resurrection.
c. AD 30
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
The resurrected Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, who was deeply grieving and weeping, commissioning her to tell the disciples.
c. AD 30
Disciples' Disbelief
The male disciples, upon hearing the news of the resurrection from the women, initially disbelieved them due to their mourning and shock.
c. AD 30
Jesus Appears to Other Disciples
Jesus gradually revealed himself to various groups of disciples, helping them overcome their disbelief and fear.
c. AD 30 - AD 60s
Formation of Early Christian Communities
Following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, his followers began to spread the message, forming communities that faced persecution but grew rapidly.
This passage identifies Mary Magdalene as one of the women who reported Jesus' resurrection to the apostles, highlighting the same core event and initial disbelief.
John 20:11-18John's Gospel provides a more detailed account of Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus at the tomb, emphasizing her grief and Jesus' direct command to tell the disciples, which complements Mark's brief mention.
Matthew 28:8-10Matthew describes the women's mixed emotions of fear and joy as they ran to tell the disciples, offering a parallel emotional state to the mourning and weeping described in Mark.
1 Peter 1:3-7This passage speaks to the believers' 'living hope' through the resurrection, which is the ultimate source of joy that triumphs over suffering and sorrow, directly contrasting with the disciples' initial weeping.
calvinMark 16:8-11: "And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid."
- And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to inform his disciples. 9. And while they went to inform his disciples, then, lo, Jesus met them, saying, Hail. [305] And they approached, and held his feet, and worshipped him. 10. Then Jesus saith to them, Fear not; go, tell my brethren to go into Gal…
gillMark 16:10: "And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept."
And she went and told them that had been with him,.... Not "with her", as the Persic version reads, but "with him"; that is, with Christ: she went, as she was bid by Christ, and told his disciples, what she had heard and seen; even those who had been with him from the beginning, and had heard his doctrines, and seen his miracles, and had had communion with him, and truly believed in him, and were his cons…
What's easy to miss here is the profound contrast between Mary's ecstatic discovery and the disciples' deep despair. While she's met by the risen Christ and filled with unimaginable joy, the men are still steeped in grief and unable to grasp the reality of His resurrection. This highlights how devastating their loss felt, making the women's news initially seem almost unbelievable to them.
Mary Magdalene, filled with awe and joy after Jesus' resurrection, rushed to tell the disciples the incredible news. They were huddled together, consumed by grief and weeping over their Master's death, completely unaware of the astonishing events that had just unfolded. Their deep sorrow and confusion set the stage for the disciples' initial disbelief when Mary shared her encounter with the risen Christ.
Mary Magdalene, filled with awe and joy after Jesus' resurrection, rushed to tell the disciples the incredible news. They were huddled together, consumed by grief and weeping over their Master's death, completely unaware of the astonishing events that had just unfolded. Their deep sorrow and confusion set the stage for the disciples' initial disbelief when Mary shared her encounter with the risen Christ.
"She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were…" — What's easy to miss here is the profound contrast between Mary's ecstatic discovery and the disciples' deep despair. While she's met by the risen Christ and filled with unimaginable joy, the men are…
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Last reviewed October 2026
