Commentaries:
If Joseph barely had time to bury Jesus' body before sundown, how much less time would the women have had to do all that they needed to do!
The harmonized accounts show that when Joseph took Jesus down from the cross, the women followed him to see where he would place the body. They then returned to their lodging and observed the holy day Sabbath, the first day of Unleavened Bread. The day after the holy day, they went to a shop, bought spices and oil, took them back to their lodging, prepared them for use on the body, and "they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56).
There were two Sabbaths within that 72-hour period!
These women bought and prepared spices "when the Sabbath had past" and then "rested on the Sabbath"! They rested twice: once on "a high day" and once on the weekly Sabbath two days later.
This can mean only one thing! Jesus was crucified and buried on a Wednesday, the holy day fell on Thursday, the women prepared spices on Friday, and our Savior was resurrected at sunset on the Sabbath as the day ended! The events cannot be worked out any other way with the plain evidence provided in the Holy Scriptures!
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
'After Three Days'
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Mark 16:1:
Matthew 28:1
Mark 16:2
Luke 23:55-56
Luke 24:1
John 20:1