Charles Spurgeon Commentary Mark 16:6

Charles Spurgeon Commentary

Mark 16:6

1834–1892
Baptist
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon Commentary

Mark 16:6

1834–1892
Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"And he saith unto them, Be not amazed: ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who hath been crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold, the place where they laid him!" — Mark 16:6 (ASV)

And he says to them, Be not affrighted:

Why should they be affrighted? They had come to serve their Lord, and so had the angel, so there was no cause for fear. Those who love Jesus need never be afraid of angels; nor, for that matter, of devils either; for the Lord, whom they serve, will take care of them.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified:

This was the first gospel sermon preached after the resurrection, so note particularly how the angel describes Christ. He calls him by his lowly name, "Jesus of Nazareth," and does not speak of him as the risen or reigning Christ, but as "Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified." The angels are evidently not ashamed of the cross of Christ; they do not attempt to hide the shame of it; for this one speaks of "Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified."

He is risen; he is not here:

That is the epitaph inscribed on Christ's tomb: "He is not here."

On other people's graves it is written, "Here lies so-and-so;" but on Christ's sepulcher it is recorded, "He is not here."

He is everywhere else, but "he is not here." He is with us in our solitude, he is with us in our public assemblies; but there is one place where he is not: the empty tomb.

Thank God that he is not there; we do not worship a dead man lying in the grave.

He, on whom we rely, has risen from the dead and gone up into glory, where he ever lives to carry out the great design of salvation.

"He is not here."