Mark 16:13 Meaning: The Struggle to Believe the Impossible
They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.
And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
And they went away and told it unto the rest: neither believed they them.
and they having gone, told to the rest; not even them did they believe.
and they went and brought word to the rest; neither did they believe them.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did the disciples keep disbelieving the resurrection reports? Mark 16:13 shows even close followers struggled to accept the news.
Context
Mark 16 records the resurrection appearances of Jesus. After appearing to Mary Magdalene, her report is met with disbelief (v11). Then Jesus appears in a different form to two disciples walking to Emmaus (v12). They rush back to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the followers, the Eleven and others who were still mourning. But again, they are not believed. This is now the second eyewitness report, and still the disciples cannot bring themselves to accept it. The verse lays bare how utterly unexpected the resurrection was. Even those who loved Jesus most found it too strange, too good, to be true. Mark does not polish their failure. He lets it stand, preparing us for the moment when Jesus himself will confront their unbelief.
Key Words
Two verbs carry the weight of this scene. The word for “told” (apangellō) means to announce or make a formal report. These two disciples arrived as official witnesses, with a message straight from the risen Lord. They did not whisper a rumor; they declared news. And the word for “believe” (pisteuō) means more than just agreeing that something is true. It means to trust, to place your weight on it. The disciples could not do that. The verb is in the aorist tense, describing a simple refusal: they did not believe. Then there is “the rest” (loipois), not just the Eleven, but the whole company of followers still in Jerusalem. This was a shared struggle, not an individual failure. The Greek also stresses the pronoun “them” (ekeinois), pointing back to the two witnesses: even these familiar, trusted brothers could not persuade their own friends.
How Christians Read This Verse
The Cambridge Bible observes that the evangelists multiply proofs of the disciples' slowness to accept a truth so strange and unprecedented. Gill's Exposition notes that this repeated testimony actually aggravates their unbelief, it makes the hardness more visible. Wesley says they were moved a little by this report, but did not yet fully believe. Across traditions, readers see a common thread: the disciples were not predisposed to invent a resurrection story. Their hesitation confirms that the resurrection was not something they expected or wanted. Historic Christian teaching has seen this as both a mark of their humanity and a indirect evidence of the event itself.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the disciples were spiritually weak or that they had little faith to begin with. In fact, Mark's point is the opposite. These were people who had left everything to follow Jesus. Their disbelief did not come from lack of love, but from the sheer impossibility of what they were hearing. They had watched him die. Resurrection was not on their mental map. This verse shows that faith in the resurrection was not automatic; it required a direct encounter with the risen Christ.
Living This Out
Maybe you have heard a promise from God so many times that it starts to feel hollow. Or you are waiting for something you almost dare not hope for. This verse is permission to be honest about that. The first Christians did not believe easily. They stumbled over the same news we claim to trust. You can bring your struggle to Jesus without shame. He did not scold the disciples from a distance; he came and stood in their midst. He will meet you in your doubt, too, not with disappointment, but with his own presence.
Main takeaway: Even Jesus' closest followers found the resurrection hard to believe, yet He met them in their doubt.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The disciples' friends came running with good news. But the disciples did not believe them. Sometimes it is hard to believe wonderful news. Jesus did not give up on them.
For ages 9, 12
After Jesus rose, He appeared to two of His followers as they walked to Emmaus. They ran all the way back to Jerusalem to tell everyone else. But the other disciples still could not believe it. They had seen Jesus die, and the idea of Him being alive again was just too strange. Mark tells us this to show that even the people who knew Jesus best struggled to believe. And that is okay. Jesus came to them anyway, and He meets us in our questions too.
Questions People Ask
Why did the disciples not believe the report of the two disciples?
The disciples were still grieving and trying to make sense of Jesus' death. The resurrection was so far outside any experience they had that even multiple eyewitness accounts could not overcome their shock. Mark uses their disbelief to show how unprecedented the resurrection really was.
Who are 'the rest' in Mark 16:13?
The Greek word loipois means 'the remaining ones', the other disciples who were with the Eleven in Jerusalem. It likely included both men and women who had followed Jesus. Their unbelief was shared across the whole group.
How does the disciples' doubt connect to Thomas's doubt in John 20?
Both accounts show that the disciples were not quick to believe. Thomas demanded physical proof, and the others required repeated appearances. The Gospel writers do not hide their struggle; they present it honestly, which makes their later bold proclamation all the more credible.
Does verse 13 suggest the resurrection might not be true?
Not at all. The fact that the disciples resisted believing actually supports the truth of the resurrection. If they had been eager to invent a story, they would not have reacted with such skepticism. Their disbelief underlines that the resurrection was a real, shocking event.
What happens after this verse, does Jesus address their unbelief?
Yes, in the very next verse (v14) Jesus appears to the eleven themselves while they are eating. He rebukes their unbelief and hardness of heart. But instead of rejecting them, He commissions them to preach the Good News. He meets their doubt with grace.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study