The Beginning and Ending of Mark

The two endings that we've got look very clearly as though people in the probably third and fourth centuries have thought we can't have it stop there. It's quite clear that Mark believes in Jesus' resurrection from all that I've said already. But one of the things we have to notice is that the fear of the women picks up that theme of fear from earlier in the Gospel. The woman with the issue of blood who comes in the crowd touches Jesus, she is in fear and trembling when Jesus says, who touched me? And there's a sense that these women at the tomb are aware that something momentous is happening - not just that they're scared.