Home > Jesus is God in Mark's Gospel
The angelic proclamation—"He has risen; he is not here"—is the foundational "shout" of the Christian faith. The focus here is the Inherent Power of the Son. While the Greek verb* ēgerthē* is passive ("He was raised"), commentators argue that because of the Hypostatic Union, the Son’s divine nature was the active agent in His own triumph over the grave.
The angel says, "ēgerthē" (He has been raised).
The passive voice highlights the unity of the Trinity. The Father raised the Son, but the Son also raised Himself by His own power. In the Gospels, Jesus says both "The Son of Man must be raised" and "I will rise again."
The Resurrection is a "Trinitarian Work." However, the key is that death could only "hold" the human body of Jesus; it could never touch His Divine Essence. The moment the penalty of sin was paid, His divinity acted like a spring, recoiling against the gravity of death.
It was logically impossible for "Life Itself" to remain dead.
Because the uncreated Logos was personally united to the human flesh, the body could not see corruption.
The Resurrection was the inevitable "explosion" of life occurring the moment the legal barrier of sin was removed.
The Resurrection is the objective proof of Jesus’ righteousness and deity. If Jesus had remained in the grave, He would have been a "failed savior." The act of arising proves He had the "Power of the Godhead" within Him.
Commentators often contrast Jesus with Lazarus. Lazarus was "raised" by an external command and died again. Jesus arose as the "Firstfruits," possessing an "indestructible life" (Hebrews 7:16). He did not just return to life; He conquered death from the inside out.
The angel adds: "He is not here". The tomb was not a metaphor; it was empty. This is the "Evidence of the Absence." If Jesus were just a spirit or a "moral influence," the body would still be there.
The "I AM" Vindicated: By not being "there," Jesus proves He is "everywhere." The Resurrection releases His presence from a localized body in a tomb to the Omnipresent Lord who fills all things.
When debating those who say Jesus was just a "prophet who was exalted after death," Christians can point to Mark 16:6 as the fulfillment of a Sovereign Plan.
Jesus didn't "get lucky" and get raised; He ordained the third day.
As St. Augustine put it: "He slept when He willed, and He arose when He willed."
The inherent power to arise proves that the one who died on the cross was not a victim of circumstances, but the Lord of Life masquerading as a mortal to defeat death on its own turf.