A Table Comparing the Contents of the Resurrection Narratives
in each of the Four Gospels
Matthew |
Mark |
Luke |
John |
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The Guard on the Tomb is placed by Pilate at the request of the Chief Priests and Scribes 27:62-66 |
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Mary Magdalene + other Mary come to the tomb towards dawn. 28:1 |
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James & Salome come early, when the sun had risen. 16:1-3 |
'They' come to the tomb at early dawn 24:1 |
Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb when it is still dark. 20:1a |
An earthquake happens. The stone at the entrance of the tomb is rolled away by an angel who sits on it. The angel is glittering. The guards pass out with fear. vs 2-4 |
The women are just mithering about moving the stone, when they see that it has been rolled away. vs 3-4 |
They find the stone rolled away vs 2 |
She sees that the stone has been rolled away. Mary runs and tells Simon Peter and the beloved disciple that Jesus' body has gone and she doesn't know where it is. They run back with her, and Peter enters the tomb, confirming that the body has gone. We are told that the other disciple 'saw and believed'. The men go home. |
The angel reassures the women by explaining that Jesus has risen from the dead. He invites them to look into the tomb. vs 5-6 |
They go into the tomb and find a young man, who reassures them that Jesus is risen from the dead. vs 5-6 |
They enter the tomb and meet two men in dazzling clothes, who remind them of Jesus; words when He was in Galilee, that he would be crucified and would be raised on the third day. |
Mary stands outside the tomb crying, and decides to go an look in. She sees two angels in white, who ask her why she is crying. |
The angel tells them to inform the disciples of the resurrection, and instruct them to proceed to Galilee, where Jesus will meet them. vs 7 |
The women are told to tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus has gone before them to Galilee, where they will see Him. vs 7 |
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The women run to tell the disciples. vs 8 |
The women run off, frightened, and tell noone. v 8 |
They return and tell the eleven and 'all the rest'. The women are named as Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and others. |
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At this point, the direct comparisons end. This is because a quick scan at the Greek (even I can tell this), shows that Mark's Gospel has ended, and that an ending has been tacked onto the end by the Early Church, which appears to comprise a summary of the appearances related in the other gospels. We also have a cheery little saying from Jesus about drinking poison and handling snakes. Whether He said this, or whatever He meant by it, it has led to the emergence of various exciting little sects in the more rural parts of America where it is a sign of faith to handle rattle snakes - although I suspect they draw the line at knocking back Domestos to demonstrate the existence of a spiritual 'six-pack'. The death toll from the snakes is surprisingly small, but regular!
However, I think we can make the following points.
1. Mark's Gospel contains no resurrection appearances. Why? This will be addressed on a separate page.
2. Mark's account is distinctly understated. There is no angel, just a 'young man', and, of course, no resurrection appearances. The 'bombshell' simply consists of the statement 'He is not here. He is risen'' This, for me, rather adds to the mystery of it, and I can see why the women should have been frightened. It's quite eerie, really, so stark. Of course, Mark is very economical with language, and this is an instance where it is very powerful.
Compare this with Matthew, who has depended pretty heavily on Mark throughout the Passion and Resurrection Narratives. He continues his technique of adding apocalyptic features - the earthquake, the shining angel from Heaven - and earlier on in Ch 27, he tells us that during this earthquake, tombs open and the bodies of the saints are raised, appearing to people in Jerusalem. This all reinforces the theme that he's continued throughout - the eschatological significance of the birth, life and ministry, and especially the passion and resurrection of Jesus. In these events, Matthew says, God has intervened decisively in response to the needs of His people, and in fulfilment of ancient Jewish prophecy.
3. The Reaction of the witnesses is distinctly different, too. Mark's women continue the theme of abandonment and failure, as the women who have stood by Jesus until this time, finally fail Him and flee in fear. Compare this with the women in Luke and Matthew's accounts who run to tell the others what they've seen and heard, excellent models of obedient discipleship.
And then, of course, there's John, with his focus on personal encounters and faith. Without an angel or a young man to pass on a message, our attention is focussed firmly on the reactions of the witnesses at first. Mary, the love of her life taken from her, is distraught. Peter, probably still numb with grief and guilt is confounded. The Beloved Disciple exemplifies Jesus words later in the Chapter, 'Blessed is he who has not seen, yet has believed.' Mary and Peter will have their moments of revelation later on. But for now, we are called on to identify with the Beloved Disciple, as we are encouraged to believe, even though we, too, have not seen.
4. Where will the Resurrection appearances take place? Matthew follows Mark's account in looking forward to Galilee as the place of encounter. Jerusalem has been the centre of the rejection of Jesus from the beginning of the Gospel when Herod and his advisors trembled at the announcement of a new king in Bethlehem. Jerusalem has rejected and crucified her King. It can no longer be the centre of the New Israel which the Creator is setting up around His Anointed. Therefore it is in Galilee, Galilee of the Gentiles as Isaiah calls it (Isa 9 vs 2) that Jesus will be found, commissioning his Church to go into all the world, to all the nations, fulfilling the promise made to Abraham that 'in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.'
Luke refers to Galilee too, but as the place where Jesus foretold his crucifixion and Resurrection, not as the place where the disciples will meet Jesus. For Luke, Jerusalem has always been the centre of God's purpose for His people, and it must be in Jerusalem that Jesus appears to his infant church.
5. You will have noticed that there are several discrepancies in detail - the exact time of day, whether it was dawn, not yet light, still dark. The number of messengers varies - one young man in Mark, one angel in Matthew, two men in white in Luke and two angels in John. The names of the women vary. There's only one woman in John. In John, Mary fetches Peter and the other disciple before she goes into the tomb and meets the two angels.
The significance of this, of course is that these discrepancies may affect our view of the historicity of the narratives. You will have to decide whether you see them as the sort of natural discrepancies that occur when several people are telling the same story, and get it slightly wrong. Or whether you think that it demonstrates that the stories cannot be taken seriously as historical narratives, and have their root in Christian mythology, and possibly, theology.
One could say, for example, that it would still be dark in John's Gospel - The Light of the World has not yet appeared to His people, and most of them still don't believe. Of course, the faith of the Beloved Disciple is the beginning of the dawn. Likewise, Matthew would be unable to resist introducing apocalyptic elements into this eschatological story. Mark's women had to run away to make the theme of abandonment complete, etc. You must decide!