Mark 16:6
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
Very early on the first day of the week after the Sabbath was past, at the rising of the sun, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome, three Marys with certain other women, came to the sepulchre. They brought sweet spices prepared the day before the Sabbath to anoint and embalm Jesus, wondering who would roll away the very great stone. They had kept the Sabbath according to the commandment because the Sabbath was nigh at hand. The anointing at Bethany had been for His burial, so that He would receive no other anointing.
As they neared the garden the heavens were beautifully lighted up and the earth trembled beneath them. At the sepulchre they found the very great stone rolled away from the door, the Roman guard gone, a light shining about the tomb, and on looking in the tomb empty.
The tomb was empty because Jesus had risen, the great stone having been removed by an angelic messenger from heaven of exceeding glory with face like lightning for brightness and garments white as snow. He laid hold of the immense stone and rolled it away as if it had been a pebble while the earth shook and trembled. A form of great glory emerged from the sepulchre at the Father's call. A chorus of voices made heaven and earth vocal with songs of victory and joy, and the angel host worshiped and praised Him as He came forth.
Inside the sepulchre a young man clothed in a long white garment sitting on the right side spoke to the affrighted women and told them not to be afraid or affrighted. He identified the One they sought as Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He announced that He was risen and not there. He pointed them to behold the place where He had lain and where His body had been laid.
Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified truly rose from the dead, leaving the tomb empty with His body nowhere to be found. The invitation to see the empty place confirms the resurrection as fact.
The angel's direction to see the place and not to fear comforted the sorrowing women who came seeking Jesus. It answered their fear and concern that His enemies had taken His body away and that He was lost. Instead of concluding He was lost, they were to find Him and follow Him.
The angel charged the women to tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before them into Galilee where they will see Him as He had said, so they would meet Him in Galilee. More definitely, they were reminded how Jesus had said while yet in Galilee that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and rise again the third day. They remembered and returned to tell to the eleven and to all the rest, including Joanna and others with them. But the apostles dismissed their words as idle tales and believed them not.
The fact that the crucified One had indeed risen fulfilled prophecy concerning the Messiah, fulfilling two-thirds of the prophecy. It reveals His resurrection as victory over death and the grave, as a mighty Conqueror and a living Saviour with power. The glory, shaking earth, and heavenly song marked the event as victory and filled witnesses with awe. The Roman guards were stricken powerless and rose in consternation at the empty tomb so their full testimony could not be questioned. The priests, scribes, and rulers were filled with deadly pallor and fear of what was about to take place.