Resurrection inconsistency

Connections List
 * Problem Passages

Resurrection Chronology/Agreement Nathan Tonkinson 3/28/13 Repeated detailed runs over the 4 gospels, a few BlueLetterBible commentaries and other sources

Matthew: •*Joseph [of Arimathea] wraps and puts Jesus in his own new tomb which he cut out of rock and rolls the stone closed. Mary Magdalene and Mary [of James and Joses] witness this. /Jesus’s siblings were James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, so this Mary is not Mary mother of Jesus/ •*Priests, fearing disciples stealing the body, ask Pilate to make the tomb secure. He answers “Take a guard [or you have a guard]. Go and make it secure.” /It’s debatable based on this which kind of guard it is./ •*Dawn of the day of the first week Mary Magdalene and Mary [of James and Joses]. Violent earthquake. Angel of LORD looks like lighting and snow rolled back the stone and sat on it. The guards are afraid and fall like dead men. Angel says to women JC has gone. Come see where he lay, then go tell the disciples. •*Marys run off and JC meets them presumably before they tell because he asks them to tell disciples to go to Galilee (same as angel). •*Guards tell priests “what happened” (whatever that may be) and priests bribe and tell them to say “disciples stole body and night while we slept”. •*Disciples go to galilee to mtn where JC told them to go. [But Matt does not mention JC speaking to them, so it implies other conversations?]

Mark: •*Joseph [of Arimathea] wraps and puts Jesus in his own tomb, which is cut out of rock, and rolls the stone closed. Mary Magdalene and Mary [of James and Joses] witness this. •*Sabbath is over – Mary M., Mary of James and Salome bring spices. Just after sunrise they are expecting that the stone be still over the tomb. Enter tomb and see angel sitting on right side. He says JC is not here, he will meet you in Galilee. They tell no one. •*JC appears to Mary M. and she tells disciples who were mourning and they don’t believe it. •*Brief description of road to Emmaus. •*Appears to 11 as they eat. •*He gives speech about snakes which is slightly similar to great commission. •*He is taken up into heaven.

Luke: •*Joseph of Arimathea takes, wraps, and buries JC body in new tomb cut out of rock. •*Early in morning first day of week the women take spices and find stone rolled away. They enter and do not see body. Two angels appear besides them and talk about his resurrection prediction. Then they go back and tell the 11. These woman are Mary M., Joanna, Mary of James, and others. •*Peter runs and sees tomb empty. •*Road to Emmaus and they tell the disciples. As they tell story JC appears and he eats fish. •*JC leads them out to Bethany, blesses them, and is taken up into heaven.

John •*Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrap body according to burial customs. They bury Jesus in a garden near his crucifixion in a new tomb. •*While it’s still dark first day of week Mary M. sees that the stone is rolled away and runs to tell Peter and one whom he loved [John]. John outruns Peter but eventually both go in, see empty linen, and believe but not understand. •*Mary stands outside tomb weeping then sees two angels, one at head of body and one at foot. Then she turns around and sees JC who she thinks is the gardener but then recognizes. He says he hasn’t gone to the father yet /get new body or ascension?/ •*Evening of the first day of the week with disciples (probably minus Thomas due to next verses) in locked room JC stands among them. He gives them holy spirit. •*Thomas doubts and a week later with doors locked JC appears again and deals with Thomas. •*JC did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples but not recorded. •*Sometime later miraculous catch of fish / reinstatement of Peter. •*Many other things but could not be recorded. ?

TOGETHER: This is a possible chronology which I have checked repeatedly against the four gospel accounts and their details with help from a few commentaries and chronologies. I have not checked later New Testament accounts, extra-biblical resources, or original language study. Chronologies exist that are different from this one.

On evening of preparation day Joseph, from Judean town of Arimathea rich man disciple member of the Council good and upright who had not consented to their decision and action, and Nicodemus (Nick is probably at the asking but certainly at the preparation and burial) ask Pilate for JC body. Pilate is surprised he’s dead already and asks a centurion about it. But then he lets Joseph with Nick take down the body, wrap it in clean linen, load it with 75lbs of myrrh and aloes, and put body in Joseph’s own tomb, which is near the crucifixion site in a garden and newly cut out of rock in which no one had been laid, and roll the big very large stone closed. Mary M and Mary JJ witness this.

The next day (the one after preparation day) the priests, fearing disciples may steal the body to say he rose on the third day, ask Pilate to make the tomb secure until the third day. Pilate answers ‘Take a guard [or “you have a guard”]. Go and make it secure.’ So they do and use a seal.

After the Sabbath is over first day of the week early in morning while it’s still dark the women (Mary M, Mary JJ, Salome, Joanna, and possible others) begin journey to take spices to JC.

Presumably before the women arrive at the tomb, possibly during their journey. Violent earthquake. An angel of LORD looking like lighting and snow rolled back the stone and sat on it. The guards are afraid and fall like dead men.

Now after sunrise the women wonder who will roll the stone away, arrive and find it moved. They enter and do not see body. Two angels appear beside them, either one of them sits on the right side or there is a third angel, and say he has risen, talk about his resurrection prediction, and tell them to tell the disciples to meet JC in Galilee. They (Mary M, Joanna, Mary JJ, and other) tell no one meaning don’t tell the public and/or don’t interpret themselves but tell the 11. After Mary M reports, Peter and John run to the tomb, Peter arriving first, look in and see the empty linen with separate cloth folded up – John believes. Mary and at least one other woman presumably follow the two or something because Peter and John leave the tomb and she is weeping outside. She sees two angels clothed in white sitting where his head and feed were. She talks to them and still thinks someone stole the body. Then she turns around and sees JC but thinks that he’s a gardener, but then he speaks to her and multiple people clasp his feet and worship him. She, possibly along with the other women, go tell the 11 or more disciples who were mourning that he’s alive. They don’t believe it.

The first day of the week the evening of the resurrection the Road to Emmaus happens followed by his first appearance doors locked when Thomas is not with them. He shows them his hands, they are overjoyed, he talks about sending them and gives the HS. He eats fish.

The next week JC appears again doors locked to the 11 with Thomas. He might do many other signs among them at this meeting or later or at undefined points in the story. This may be the time of his snake speech.

Sometime later the miraculous catch of fish / reinstatement of Peter happens. Persons involved include Jesus, Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples.

Great commission on the mountain in Galilee. Some still doubt JC.

He leads them to Bethany, blesses them, and is taken up into heaven.

Many other things could not be recorded.