The Resurrection Differences

The Resurrection Differences

In the New Testament, there are only four written accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. These are known as the canonical gospels. The Gospel of Mark is widely considered to be the earliest written, followed by the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John. It is also apparent that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source. Even though the Gospels are all about the same man, their stories and themes differ at key moments. While Mark's Gospel has an abrupt ending that supports his apocalyptic theme, Matthew and Luke make changes to Mark's Gospel and create their own resurrection and post resurrection accounts that contribute to and help convey their own prevailing messages.

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus' disciples don't fully understand him. Jesus routinely performs miracles in front of them, yet they are astounded and don't believe their eyes. For example, when Jesus walks on water: "But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified" (Mk 6:49-50). Jesus is eventually sent to trial before Pilate, convicted, and crucified (Mk 15). His final words are "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mk 15:34). His body is then given to Joseph of Arimathea to be laid in a tomb and blocked by a large stone (Mk 15:45).

The day after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Salome, bring spices to Jesus' tomb to anoint his body in the customary Jewish tradition (Mk 16:1). When they arrive, the large stone has already been moved (Mk 16:4). Sitting in the tomb is a young man dressed in a white robe who tells them that Jesus has been raised (Mk 16:5-6). He tells them to inform the disciples and Peter "that he is ahead of you to Galilee; there you will find him, just as he has told you" (Mk 16:7). The two women leave the tomb immediately "for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." (Mk 16:8).

As you can clearly see, Mark's post resurrection sequence is very short. While it fits the tone of his gospel, Matthew and Luke add stories and information that fit nicely into their own Gospels.

Matthew portrays the death of Jesus very similarly to Mark. Like Mark, Jesus' last words on the cross are: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt 27:46). Also like Mark, Joseph of Arimathea places Jesus' body in a tomb and rolls a large stone in front of the entranceway (27:57-60). This is the point where Matthew begins to expand upon Mark's ending. The day after Jesus is laid to rest, the chief priests and the Pharisees advise Pilate to station guards outside of the tomb (27:63). They remembered that "the impostor" had claimed to rise again after three days (27:63). The guards would prevent the disciples of Jesus from stealing the body and falsely spreading the news that he had risen from the dead (27:64).

Again, like Mark, Mary and Mary Magdalene go to visit Jesus' tomb. In Matthew, however, they are stopped by a great earthquake and the appearance of an angel (Mt 28:2). The guards shake with fear while the angel tells the two Marys "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you" (28:5-7). While Mark's Gospel ends here with Mary and Mary Magdalene leaving the tomb with fear, Matthew continues his on. Jesus then appears before them and greets them (28:9).

Matthew continues on after the scene at the tomb. After seeing Jesus alive at the tomb, the guards head back into the city to tell the chief priests about what they had seen (Mt 28:11). The priests worry that this news will spread far and wide so they bribe the guards with an enormous sum of money to say that Jesus' body was stolen by his disciples in the night (28:12-14).

Meanwhile, Jesus' disciples have gotten his message and have met them in Galilee (Mt 28:16). He tells them that "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (28:18). He then tells them to spread their message to every nation and to baptize new disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and