An Odd Detail That Points to Christ’s Cosmic Reign

Good stories often include odd details. But what first strikes the reader as odd or random may later turn out to be interesting and insightful. Have you noticed, for example, that Doc Brown’s bandana in Back to the Future Part III is made from the same material as his shirt in Part II? What appears to be a run-of-the-mill piece of clothing takes on new significance when it’s viewed in light of the larger narrative.

There’s a similarly odd but significant detail in Mark 16. The ending of Mark’s Gospel has long been problematic for some commentators because it lacks an explicit resurrection appearance (vv. 1–8). Matthew, Luke, and John narrate Jesus appearing to the disciples and to two women. But an odd detail in Mark’s ending may be one reason Jesus doesn’t make a post-resurrection appearance in this Gospel. Could an angel’s enigmatic posture hold an important clue?

Vivid Description

Mark 16 opens with three women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of John and James, and Salome—approaching Jesus’s tomb at dawn on Sunday (vv. 1–2). On their way, the women wonder who could roll away the large stone that sealed the tomb. But when they arrived, to their surprise, the stone had been rolled away (vv. 3–4).

An odd detail in Mark’s ending may be one reason Jesus doesn’t make a post-resurrection appearance in this Gospel.

The women ventured into the tomb and observed “a young man sitting on the right side [kathēmenon en tois dexiois], dressed in a white robe” (v. 5) Mark divulges three vivid details here: the presence of an individual (“young man”), the man’s apparel (“white robe”), and the man’s posture and location (“sitting on the right side”).

Repeated Wording

These concrete details certainly underscore the three women’s eyewitness account, but perhaps there’s another significant reason Mark mentions them. He may have included the odd detail of the angel’s “sitting on the right side” (kathēmenon en tois dexiois) because of its symbolic significance.

A literal rendering of the phrase is “seated on the right.” Often, the adjective “right” (dexios) occurs by itself and lacks a noun, so the context determines the implied noun (e.g., Matt. 6:3; Mark 10:40; Luke 1:11). In Mark 16:5, the “right” likely means the “right side” of the bench inside the tomb. But “sitting at the right” only occurs two other times in Mark’s Gospel:

David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand [kathou ek dexiōn], until I put your enemies under your feet.’” (12:36)

And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand [ek dexiōn kathēmenon] of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (14:62)

These two passages cite the pivotal prophecy of the Greek translation of Psalm 110:1: “Sit at my right hand [Kathou ek dexiōn] until I make your enemies your footstool.” Psalm 110 is a prophecy concerning the enthronement of a preexistent, divine, and messianic figure. At the end of history, this figure will rule over all God’s enemies (vv. 2, 5–6).

Intended Allusion? Yes!

Is the angel’s enigmatic posture also an allusion to Psalm 110? Does it symbolize Jesus’s initial fulfillment of the psalmist’s grand prophecy? If so, the angel’s “sitting on the right” of the bench represents Jesus’s “sitting at the right” hand of the Father.

Is there further warrant in the text for this conclusion? As noted above, Mark twice quotes Psalm 110 earlier in his narrative (12:36; 14:62) and then subtly alludes to it at the end. Consider also that the angel dons a “white robe,” the same attire Jesus wears at the transfiguration (9:3). “Sitting on the right” isn’t a passing detail. No, the angel’s appearance strikes at the heart of Mark’s message.

Mark wrote his Gospel to demonstrate that Jesus is Israel’s king or “Messiah” and the divine “Son of God” (1:1). Though the ascension is weeks away, Christ’s faithful ministry, death, and resurrection already have qualified him to sit enthroned at the Father’s “right hand.” At the resurrection, Jesus began to rule over all God’s physical and spiritual enemies—even death itself.

The angel’s ‘sitting on the right’ of the bench represents Jesus’s ‘sitting at the right’ hand of the Father.

Does this line of reasoning seem far-fetched? Consider the prominence of Psalm 110:1 in the New Testament. When we tally all the New Testament’s allusions to and quotations of the Old, Psalm 110:1 is by far the most referenced Old Testament passage. We can be confident Psalm 110 was a controlling and influential prophecy. We also have Old Testament examples of an “angel of the Lord” functioning as a unique representative of God on earth (e.g., Ex. 3:2; 23:20; Num. 22:22–27; Judg. 6:11–12; 13:20–21). The angel does what the Lord does.

Pay Attention to Odd Details

Now that we’ve examined this unique element in Mark’s narrative, what do we learn? The Gospel writers include only the most pertinent information in their narratives. They don’t give us every historical detail at their disposal.

For example, here in Mark 16:5, only one angel is found in the tomb, whereas Luke 24:4 says there were two. Is this a contradiction? No, Mark doesn’t claim there was only one angel. He simply aims his spotlight on the one angel and how that angel functions in the scene. The evangelists only included details that hold interpretive value.

Knowing that the Gospel writers give us nothing superfluous should inform our reading. When you open the Gospels, take inventory of each scene and ask these questions: Where does the story take place? Who’s present at the event? Who’s speaking? What are they saying? Are there any Old Testament allusions or quotations? How does the event relate to what precedes and follows? Why is the passage even included in the Gospel? And, most importantly, how does the scene shed light on Christ and his work?

When you come across an oddity in a passage, carve out time to study it. Consult robust commentaries and look for your passage in the Scripture index of Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. Above all, conducting a word study is often the best way to solve these types of problems. What strikes you as odd may turn out to be a source of encouragement.