The Sun has Risen! So has the Son!
By this time in the narrative of the Gospel According to Mark, all of the words that Jesus spoke about himself have been fulfilled. So have all the words the prophets and the Law of Moses spoke of him.
The leaders of the disciples, Peter, James and John, have witnessed Jesus' transfiguration. There, they even heard the voice from heaven telling them that Jesus is God's "Beloved Son" and they are to "listen to him" (9: 7)
Yet, the disciples still have not got it. Where they are in their faith is seen in the attitude and actions of the women in this passage.
The women expect to find the dead body of Jesus sealed in the tomb. Thus, their puzzle, "Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"
Their confusion is also symbolized in the lack of planning on their part. They have brought spices to anoint him without any idea of how they will get inside the tomb.
Over their confusion and loss, "the sun had risen."
So is the Son had been raised to scatter their inner darkness.
Till the end of Mark's narrative, the disciples are still struggling in their lack of faith.
Thankfully, God's action does not depend on how good any of us is.
The Son "has been raised." The verb is used here in the passive voice. So is the verb in the case of the stone. [1] It is the action of God that brings salvation to us all, regardless of where we are in our understanding of God's way and of our response to God's actions in our lives.
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[1] Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrikson Publishers, 2002; p. 344, 346.
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