After two successive surprises (a moved stone and an angel sitting in Jesus’ tomb), three women who expected to anoint a dead body were presented with an explanation: one that was – yet again – unexpected. The angel sitting in Jesus’ former resting place spoke to them.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “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.’ ”
Mark 16:6-7 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.16.6-7.NIV
It seems that angels often need to say “Fear not” (or something like that) when appearing to human beings. And, it’s good that they do so, since when people in the Bible meet angels, they generally seem to be terrified. (Having said that, Hebrews 13:2 suggests that that not all angelic appearances are necessarily this dramatic.)
This account from a garden tomb isn’t just an arbitrary angelic appearance, though. It’s not just a random “angel sighting” (if that’s even a thing). Angels are messengers. As a result, they bring messages. In this case, there are two key parts to the angel’s message:
- The first is good news: Jesus is risen, and the women are invited to visually verify this for themselves. This isn’t a prophecy of something that will happen, it is the communication of facts about what did happen.
- The second part of the angel’s message contained instructions. It was not the angel’s job to personally deliver that message to everyone. These women, having received the good news, were to share it. And, we might wonder, how could they not? How could they not tell everyone they knew that Jesus was risen from the dead? Well…more on that in the next article (or, you can sneak a peek at Mark 16:8).
While the good news from the angel was that Jesus is risen (and that is very good news, indeed), this was all part of a larger plan that God had been building since the dawn of time. Jesus knew that we could only be reconciled with God if He chose to stay on the path that God the Father had prepared. So, when our path looks rough, may we remember the amazing outcome of Jesus’s birth (good news), His death (which didn’t look good, but we now know it as “Good Friday”), His resurrection (good news announced by the angel here), and His return (good news that we look forward to). Jesus was – and is – God With Us.
This is not about us earning God’s favor so that we can get to Him, but instead, it is about God the Son choosing to dwell with us, showing us who God is, making a way for us to be justified so that God – in His perfect righteousness and holiness – can dwell with us for eternity, and preparing a place for us to enjoy life with God forever. That is good news, indeed! Why wouldn’t those who have found it to be true share it with others, too?
From Sunday School lesson prepared for December 21, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Mark, by Allen Black. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 