Why did the women bring spices to Jesus' tomb in Mark 16:1? Setting the Scene Mark 16:1: “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could come and anoint Jesus’ body.” Customs of First-Century Jewish Burials • Bodies were wrapped in linen and packed with aromatic spices and ointments (John 19:39-40). • Spices served several purposes: – Masking decomposition odors (John 11:39). – Honoring the deceased as an act of loving devotion (2 Chronicles 16:14). – Signifying the hope of future resurrection—preserving dignity until the final day (Job 19:25-27). Why More Spices Were Needed • Jesus was buried hastily before sundown on Preparation Day (Mark 15:42-46). • Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus began the burial process, but darkness and the oncoming Sabbath limited how thoroughly spices could be applied (Luke 23:54-56). • The women planned to finish what love had started—completing the customary honor they felt Jesus deserved. Their Heart Motivation • Faithful devotion: these women had followed Jesus from Galilee and supported His ministry (Mark 15:40-41). • Courageous love: approaching an execution site under Roman guards risked suspicion, yet love cast out fear (1 John 4:18). • Grief mixed with hope: they did not yet grasp the resurrection promise (Mark 9:31), but remembered His worthiness and holiness (Psalm 16:10). Spices as Silent Testimony • Witness to His real death—only a genuinely deceased body needed anointing, underscoring the literal death and burial affirmed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. • Contrast to what they found: an empty tomb. Their unused spices underline the reality of His resurrection—He was not there to be anointed. • Prophetic fulfillment: Isaiah 53:9 foretold His burial “with the rich,” and the women’s actions show God’s providence guiding every detail. Lessons for Today • Complete obedience brings unexpected revelation: they went to honor a body, but met the living Savior (Mark 16:5-6). • Acts of love matter: small, faithful tasks often position believers to witness God’s greatest works (Luke 16:10). • The spices remind us that death is defeated; what was meant to cover decay became evidence of eternal life (Romans 6:9). In bringing spices, the women honored Jesus according to custom, expressed undying devotion, and—without realizing it—became firsthand witnesses to the dawn of resurrection hope. |
    |