A big stone.

Since today is Easter Sunday, I decided to read a portion in my Bible with regard to the Resurrection.
I bounced back and forth between two particular passages, one in Matthew and the other in Mark.
It is the account of these two writers telling us readers about Joseph taking the body of Jesus from the cross and placing it into a tomb, preparing his body for burial and then once done, "he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb."
I know very little about the two writers Matthew and Mark.
Again I am reading and seeing something for the first time.

At dawn...two woman (both named Mary) went to the tomb.
Perhaps there was an urgency, I am not sure but in Matthews account he specifically writes that "there was a violent earthquake" a direct result of an angel rolling back the stone.
So, what I would like to know is this, "where was Mark?"
After all, a violent earthquake would of been felt by a number of people, one would think. Especially the women who rose up at dawn to walk to a tomb.

When the two women arrive I can only imagine their surprise when they see that the big stone had been rolled away, hadn't they just been discussing this very fact.
Imagine once more when you cautiously peer inside and see an angel "sitting" inside the tomb. If that wasn't enough, the angel gives you a message and I suppose that you are so afraid that you might not see the "hope" in his words.
The other difference between the two writers comes in the message from the angel in chapter 16 of Mark, verse 7.
"But go, tell his disciples and Peter."
Ah Peter.
The charlatan of charlatans. Disciple or desserter?
But Mark...why does he write about this where Matthew only recalls an earthquake?
Could it be that Mark has other things on his mind?

As I go over the words between the two passages I wonder. Anyone who reads the passage about Christ's crucifixion and Resurrection knows about Peter's failings and yet, as I read again I am beginning to think that perhaps there is a very good reason why Mark made a point of putting this down and giving an account.
For if we all were to really think about it and I think Mark did, would we not have behaved very much like Peter? I think that in Marks heart he understood why Peter did what he did and when this angel delivered his message to the two women it was indeed a message of hope. Hope for the world, hope for Peter and hope for Mark.

"He has risen! He is not here. He is going ahead of you into Galilee."
"Tell Peter"
I think that day when the "big stone" was rolled away, an even bigger stone or burden was lifted off the hearts of men like Peter and Mark.
And also for someone like me.

"He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you."