For vv. 1-8, see notes in Matt. 28:1-8.

See note Mark 15:40¹.

See note Mark 15:40³.

Different from anointed in Luke 4:18 and anointing in 1 John 2:20. Bought spices so that they might...anoint signifies love, appreciation, and remembrance.

The Slave-Savior's resurrection is proof that God is satisfied with what He accomplished through His death (see note Rom. 4:25¹); it is also a confirmation of the effectiveness of His redeeming and life-imparting death (Acts 2:24; 3:15). His resurrection became the evidence of our justification (Rom. 4:25) and the power by which we could be freed from sin (1 Cor. 15:17).

In the angel's message to the three sisters who discovered the resurrection of the Slave-Savior, the phrase and Peter is inserted only in Mark's record. This is probably due to Peter's influence on the contents of this Gospel. In any case, this phrase indicates that Peter's intimate relationship with the Slave-Savior was particular, so that it was stressed even by the angel.

Many ancient MSS omit vv. 9-20.

See note Mark 1:23¹. So in v. 17.

See note Mark 1:14^2b.

This reveals that God's redemption, accomplished by the Slave-Savior through His death and resurrection, is not only for man, the leading one in God's creation, but also for all the creation. Hence, all things, whether on earth or in the heavens, were reconciled to God, and the gospel should be proclaimed to (in) all creation under heaven (Col. 1:20, 23). Based on this, all the creation expects to be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:19-22).

To believe (see note Mark 1:15^3d) is to receive the Slave-Savior (John 1:12) not only for forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43) but also for regeneration (1 Pet. 1:21, 23). Those who thus believe become the children of God (John 1:12-13) and the members of Christ (Eph. 5:30) in an organic union with the Triune God (Matt. 28:19). To be baptized is to affirm this by being buried to terminate the old creation through the death of the Slave-Savior and by being raised up to be the new creation of God through the Slave-Savior's resurrection. Such a baptism is much more advanced than the baptism of repentance preached by John (Mark 1:4; Acts 19:3-5). To believe and to be so baptized are two parts of one complete step for receiving the full salvation of God. To be baptized without believing is merely an empty ritual; to believe without being baptized is to be saved only inwardly without an outward affirmation of the inward salvation. These two should go together. Moreover, water baptism should be accompanied by Spirit baptism, even as the children of Israel were baptized in the sea (water) and in the cloud (the Spirit) — 1 Cor. 10:2; 12:13.

Here the verse does not say, "He who does not believe and is not baptized." This indicates that condemnation is related only to not believing; it is not related to not being baptized. Believing, by itself, is sufficient in order to receive salvation from condemnation; yet for the completion of one's inward salvation, believing needs baptism as an outward affirmation.

Speaking with new tongues is only one of the five signs that accompany saved believers. It is not the unique sign, contrary to what is stressed by some believers. According to the divine revelation in the Acts and the Epistles, what the Lord said here does not mean that every saved believer should have all five signs. It means that each saved believer may have some of these signs but will not necessarily have all.

See note Mark 1:14^2b. This preaching of God's gospel to all the creation (v. 15) by the resurrected and ascended Slave-Savior, the Slave of God, through His believers began from Jerusalem and has been proceeding to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8) continuously and universally through the past centuries, and will continue to proceed until He comes to set up the kingdom of God on earth (Luke 19:12; Dan. 7:13-14).

The Slave-Savior's ascension for His exaltation by God was a sign of God's acceptance of all He had done for God's eternal plan according to God's New Testament economy (Acts 2:33-36). In this exaltation God crowned Him with glory and honor (Heb. 2:9), bestowed on Him the name that is above all names (Phil. 2:9), and made Him the Lord of all (Acts 2:36) and the Head over all things (Eph. 1:22) that He may have all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18) to rule over the heavens, the earth, and the nations so that they can work together for the universal spreading of His gospel service.