The Resurrection Story

Let's check these out!

• Who went to the tomb? Matthew-2 Marys; Mark-2 Marys and Salome; Luke-at least 5 women; John-Mary Magdalene.

• What was seen? Matthew-Earthquake with angel sitting outside on the recently-moved stone; Mark-Stone already moved and a young man sitting inside; Luke-Stone already moved with two men standing inside; John-Stone moved. No one seen on 1st visit, but two angels sitting inside after two earlier visits.

• When did the woman/women leave to go to the tomb? Matthew-Towards dawn; Mark-Very early; Luke-At early dawn; John-Still dark (NB. John states it was still dark when Mary arrived at the tomb).

• What did man/men/angel/angels say? Matthew-Jesus was risen and disciples to go to Galilee; Mark-As Matthew; Luke-Jesus had risen: John-Asks why Mary is crying.

• What do the women/woman do next? Matthew-they run away but meet Jesus who repeats angel's instruction; Mark-They flee and SAY NOTHING TO ANYONE. This obviously contradicts the other three in which the women do go and tell the disciples (original Mark ended at 16:7); Luke-They go and tell disciples; John-Mary meets Jesus and they talk.

• What is 1st conversation with the risen Jesus? Matthew-Women on way from tomb; Luke-The two disciples on road to Emmaus; John-Mary Magdalene.

• The time between the resurrection and ascension? Matthew-At least the time to reach Galilee (60-70 miles north); Luke-clearly one day only (see 24:13,33,36,50 - it is made very clear that Jesus rose, made all his appearances and ascended back to heaven on the same day); John-at least a week accepting John 20 as the original end to the Gospel, but with the John 21 appendix this means it was even longer as this has a Galilean appearance; Acts-40 days.

An attempt to reconcile John's visit of just Mary Magdalene whilst still dark with the Synoptics where there are several women and it is daytime, is by saying John's was an earlier one, ie. the one in the Synoptics was a second one. However this cannot be so as John has Mary Magdalene seeing the empty tomb (20:1) and in the Synoptics when the women go to the tomb they ask about who would roll the stone away (Mark 16:3). However Mary Magdalene was with them (Mark 16:1) and she had already seen the stone had been moved away and there -fore they would already know this from her 1st visit.

Furthermore, Luke makes any appearance at, or journey to Galilee absolutely impossible as it has everything happening in the area of Jerusalem with the disciples being told to stay there until Pentecost, and the conclusion being Jesus' ascension from nearby Bethany.

This is made clear - in Luke the first appearance is to the two travelling to Emmaus (10 miles West of Jerusalem) and 24:13 states this was "that very day"; the two then go "that same hour" to the eleven in Jerusalem (24:33); Jesus then appears whilst they are still explaning what they had seen (24:36). Jesus then tells them to STAY IN JERUSALEM UNTIL PENTECOST (24:49).

As Luke 24:51 has the ascension on the same day as the resurrection this prevents any Galilean appearances by Jesus to the eleven as in Matt and John.

Luke's account makes nonsense of Matt having Jesus tell the women to instruct the disciples to go up to Galilee (Matt 28:10) if he was going to see them himself later that day (as in Luke and John), and furthermore see them in Jerusalem. Also, Luke makes it clear that the eleven were told to stay in Jerusalem from the day of the resurrection to Pentecost, but Matt has them traveling up to Galilee (28:16) as does John (21:1ff). Important to note is Mark 16:7, ie. that the women 'said nothing to anyone' - all three Gospels contradict this by them telling the disciples which then leads into their accounts. Because of Mark 16:7, this is really made impossible.

Luke also has Jesus appearing to "the eleven" on the same day as the resurrection (24:33-36), but John states Thomas was missing on this appearance and it was a week later that Jesus actually appeared to all eleven - with Thomas then being present (20:24,26).

In stark contrast to the Gospel accounts saying Jesus rose physically, Paul makes it clear he believed Jesus rose as a spirit and not physically- 1 Cor 15:44,45,50. The early Christian dummies couldn't even agree on this - pathetic!

[Source: HolySmoke.Org]