"Rose like a lion"?

‘Rose like a lion’? The Resurrection, Mark 16.1–8

When we come to Mark’s account of the resurrection, we find things are no better: the early church Fathers can talk of Jesus rising triumphant like a lion – but that image cannot be based on Mk. 16.1–8. Like so much of his gospel, Mark’s ending is full of enigma, fear, and awe. Instead of tying things up with a nice, happy ending, this story just leaves us with more questions. Where has Jesus gone? Why do the women, who witnessed the stone being put into place on Friday evening (15.46–47), only think about the difficulties of moving it away once they are actually on the way to the tomb (16.3)? Who, or what, is the young man in white (16.5)? After all Jesus’ commands for secrecy and silence in this gospel, now, when the women are finally instructed to tell others, why do they keep it secret out of fear (16.7–8)? Thus, the gospel which has been full of secrecy and hiddenness concludes with an empty tomb and an absent Jesus…