51 There was a young man wearing a linen cloth on his naked body.
52 When the men grabbed him, he left his cloth and ran away naked.
Note: The story about the mysterious naked young man is not found in any of the other gospels. There has been much speculation about the identity and significance of the naked fugitive - some suggest that it was Mark the Evangelist himself!
Antonio da Correggio, The Betrayal of Christ, with a soldier in pursuit of Mark the Evangelist, c. 1522
Note: In Matthew's gospel, when Caiaphas (who is unnamed in Mark) asks Jesus if he is the Christ, Jesus says, "You say that I am." But in Mark, Jesus answers directly, saying, "I am."
66-72: Peter denies Jesus three times before the cock crows twice
Note: In Matthew's gospel, Pilate's wife has a dream about Jesus and she tells her husband not to harm this innocent man. Pilate pleads with the crowd, saying that Jesus had done nothing wrong. The crowd shouts out that Jesus's blood will be on them and their children. Pilate washes his hands in front of them, saying he is not responsible for Jesus's death. (Mt 27:15-26, #248)
40 There was a group of women watching from far away, among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome.
Note: Matthew provides a few more details about Jesus's death. Mark doesn't mention that there was an earthquake when Jesus died and dead people walked the streets of Jerusalem, as recorded in Mt (27:51-53).
The list of women who watched from afar is different in the two accounts. Both say that Mary Magdalene as there, but they disagree about the others. Mt says the mother of the Zebedee boys was there, but Mark doesn't mention her. Mt says that Mary the mother of James and Joses was there; Mark says it was Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses - which may be the same Mary as in Mark, and could even be Mary, the mother of Jesus (Mk 6:3). Mark also includes a woman named Salome. No one knows who she was.
(15:42-46) Jesus's burial
Jesus rises from the dead
161 When sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to anoint Jesus's body.
2-3 They came to the sepulcher at dawn on the first day of the week, wondering who would roll the stone away for them.
4 But when they got there, they saw that the stone was already rolled away.
5 They entered the sepulcher and saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment.
6 He said, “Don't be afraid. You're looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen.
7 Tell his disciples that he'll meet them in Galilee.”
8 The women were amazed and ran out of the sepulcher. They didn't say anything to anyone because they were afraid.
Note: In Matthew's gospel, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" went to the sepulcher. Mark says that it was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. Matthew said there was a great earthquake that rolled by the stone and an angel sat on it. Mark says that the stone was already rolled away, with no mention of an earthquake. Matthew says that the women met Jesus while they were running to tell his disciples. Mark says that they told no one what they saw since they were afraid.
This is the end of the gospel of Mark - at least it is in the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts. Verses 9-19 were a later addition.
The disciples don’t believe Mary Magdalene
9 After Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of which he had cast seven devils.
10 She went and told Jesus’s friends, who were mourning and weeping.
Note: The story in verses 1-8 are repeated in verses 9-11, except this time only Mary Magdalene was involved. And Jesus appeared to her, rather than just being told Jesus had risen by a young man. The other Mary and Salome were not involved. (For more about the seven devils see Luke 8:2.) Matthew says nothing about the disciples being told by Mary Magdalene that Jesus had risen.
Jesus appears to two disciples, but the others don’t believe them
12 Later Jesus appeared in another form to two of his disciples, as they walked in the country.
13 They went to tell the others, but they didn't believe them either.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, whoever doesn't believe will be damned.
17-18 These are the signs that will follow believers: They will cast out devils in my name, speak in tongues, handle serpents, drink poisons without harm, and heal sick people by laying hands on them.
19 After Jesus said these things, he went to heaven and sat on the right hand of God.
20 His disciples preached everywhere, with Jesus working with them performing signs. Amen.
Note: Jesus appears to his disciples and scolds them for not believing the reports of his resurrection, but there is nothing about this in Matthew. Neither is there anything about the five sure signs of true believers in Matthew's gospel.
In Matthew's account, the disciples who complained; in Matthew, the complainers were unspecified. Mark says the oil was worth 300 denarii. Mt just says it was very expensive. 300 denarii would have been a year's wage for a worker at the time. (Mt 26:8, #247)
In Matthew's gospel, Jesus says Peter will deny him three times before the cock crows. Mark says Peter will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows twice. (Mt 26:34, #247)
Jesus prays at Gethsemane while the disciples sleep (14:53-65)
The accounts in Matthew and Mark are nearly identical. (Mt 26:36-46, #247)
Matthew says that the Jews asked Pilate to guard the tomb to make sure Jesus's followers didn't steal his body and claim he rose from the dead. But Pilate refused, saying, "Guard it yourselves." Mark doesn't mention any of this. (Mt 27:57-66, #248)
