Be Still And Know

Mark 16:1 As soon as the Sabbath came to an end, these three women started their preparations for anointing the body of Jesus. The Sabbath ends about 40 minutes after sunset, as soon as three stars are seen in the sky. That was probably between 5:30 and 6pm. They knew that they wouldn’t have time to anoint Jesus’ body; that would have to wait until the Sunday morning. But they had enough time to go to the market to purchase the spices they were going to need. The women’s minds must have been in absolute turmoil. Jesus, their master and friend, had been taken away from them in the most violent and disturbing manner. The disciples had all gone into hiding, but the women knew what needed to be done and were determined to do it. They were clearly incredibly courageous. The Romans would have been unhappy to see anyone giving attention to Jesus’ body. But they knew that this was something they could and should do. It reminds us of the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany only a few days before. Like her, they di