A parallax view of Resurrection Sunday

Chronological Harmony of the Gospels Leading to Easter 3/29/2013

 Matthew 28:8-15; John 20:3-18; Mark 16:9 & 14; Luke 24:9-49

 

If you think you know the story of the Resurrection, answer this: Did Mary Magdalene go by herself or with other women? Before sunrise while it was still dark or after the sun had risen? How many angels were at the tomb? Were they inside or outside? Who saw Jesus first?

Amazingly, the four gospels are not the same on this very crucial part of the story. You would think that since the Resurrection is so important, the writers would present a unified telling of the story. However, the gospels are different, causing some confusion, but know this: the gospels do not contradict!

In fact, it is their variation that lends credence to the veracity of the Resurrection. If the stories all lined up exactly, then it would be obvious that one borrowed from another. By giving a parallax view (or a view of the same object from different perspectives), the gospels have a deeper view of Christ’s Resurrection.

Read a harmony of the Resurrection at parallelgospels.org


In Matthew 28:1, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave “after the Sabbath,” which in Jewish cultures means at sunset on Saturday night. English versions read “as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week” but the Greek word is not “dawn” as in morning but “approaching,” or “about to begin.” This means at sundown Saturday, before the first day of the week, Sunday, begins. The same Greek word is used in Luke 23:54 when they were taking Jesus down from the cross at the end of the day, “It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.” Clearly verse 54 refers to the evening of the crucifixion and thus, clearly, Matthew 28:1 means at the evening of the Sabbath, the women went and saw the tomb.

As further proof, the Matthew 28:1 passage says “after the Sabbath,” using a word which means “on the evening of the Sabbath” (that same word “after” is translated as “evening” in Mark 11:19 and 13:35). As a result, Matthew 28:1 could be translated, “On the evening of the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was about to begin at sundown, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.”

  Mark 16:1 then states that after the Sabbath (Saturday night), Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, something they could not have done after the crucifixion, since all shops were closed on the Sabbath and work from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday was forbidden. So after sundown Saturday, they worked prepared spices.

  John’s gospel says Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb while it is still dark and goes alone. Prior to that, an angel rolled the stone away and sat on it, making the guards quake and fall like dead men (Matthew 28:2-4). Mary Magdalene did not see sleeping guards or an angel, but she does see the stone rolled away and runs to get Peter and John, thinking someone has taken the body. After the sun has risen (Mark 16:2), the other women (the other Mary--the mother of James and John--, Salome and Joanna), come to the tomb, perhaps expecting Mary Magdalene to already be there. Instead, they too see the stone rolled away and actually go inside the tomb. Mark even describes that the angels appeared on the right hand side as you entered in. Those women leave the tomb with fear and joy (Matthew 28:8). Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene returns with Peter and John (John 20:2-10) and after they leave to their homes, she remains crying and sees and angel, then Christ first (John 20:2-17, Mark 16:9).

As the other women go to the other disciples, they too see Christ (Matthew 28:9-10). They and Mary Magdalene go and report to the disciples (John 20:18). Either Peter goes back to the tomb or Luke 24:12 reviews the same account as in John. But at some point, Jesus appears to Simon Peter (Luke 24:34, 1 Cor. 15:5).

Finally he appears to all of the apostles (except Thomas) that evening, to more than 500 at one time, then to his brother James (1 Cor. 15:1-6) and then to all of the apostles (including Thomas) the next Sunday evening (1 Cor. 15:5, John 20:26-31).

God’s Word can be trusted. Christ is risen and our sins are forgiven.

Pray: Dear Father, thank you for preserving Your word and the story of the Resurrection. Thank you for Good Friday, God’s Friday, that our sins were taken away. Help us to spread the Good News even if the world does not believe. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.