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| Surprising roadside artefact in northern Israel, near Mt Carmel. Was Jesus' tomb similar? |
The first messengers spread the impossible news that Jesus is risen from the dead. What did Matthew, and Mark, and Luke, and John have in common on this?
The accounts have different perspectives and emphases, but they do have common ground.
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they (women/Mary Magadelene) went to the tomb (Mark 16: 2, ESV).
There was a mystery encountered that morning of the first day of the new week and, actually, the first day of a very new epoch. Once again the women are prominent. (John knew that Mary Magdalene was not there alone; he says she reported “we do not know”.)
the stone had been removed from the tomb (John 20:1b, NRSV). It must have been very obvious once they were in sight of that tomb that things were different! John’s wording suggests the stone tomb closure had been very thoroughly displaced, not simply rolled.
So they departed quickly from the tomb, (Matthew 28:8a, ESV). It is surely no surprise that the women lost no time in the burial garden. Their instinct was very human - get the others involved.
they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest (Luke 24:9b, CSB). There were many people having to grapple with these extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances. How could they hear something like this?
There are other matching pericopes from later that same day:
There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them (Luke 24:33b, NLT) can be matched with John 20:19
the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (John 20:20, NRSV). can be matched with Luke 24:41
The individual accounts are quite divergent and do not harmonise in an obvious manner. The reports readily evoke a scene of individuals and groups in criss-crossing activity and confusion. And, what of the authorities? They were still out there and the followers of Jesus would not wish to fall foul of them on that demanding day, so soon after the authorities' "victory". This concern would shape their prayers, decision-making and prudent action. (Matthew has mention of activity amongst the Jewish leaders.)
The emphases I see arising from the common ground are the:
In Luke's writing (Gospel) we read a fuller account of just part of Jesus speaking post-resurrection. This falls on the afternoon of the same day. Two men had been worrying the way along the road when, mysteriously unrecognised, Jesus joined up with them. They said: But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow[f] to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:21-27, CSB).
Note that the two travellers were aware of angels being reported and also of "him", though "him" had not been seen by the men up to the point of their knowledge.
The testimony of the women had been partially corroborated at least! The reluctance does not seem to be the failing of the women.
It is unusual to find Jesus calling his followers foolish and slow, but here he does. He does not mention Rabbi, nor synagogue as such, but does speak of their Scriptures, in particular, their prophets. Although we can feel sympathy for their confusion and lack of understanding, he thought they had sufficient information if only they took it to heart.
Note that line: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:27, NIV). This surely exemplifies the very special course of instruction Jesus delivered or repeated post-resurrection. However many hours or minutes they had on the first day, there was more! It is easy for us in this era of Bible Gateway, Blue Letter Bible, and other such resources, to imagine reviewing broadly as well as in specific detail the Law books and the Prophets and all the rest! They must have depended on their memory (or his knowledge) of the Old Testament (OT), for they were scarcely carrying scrolls or codexes with them.
Luke in Acts mentioned 40 days and the Scriptures and the Kingdom of God. What exactly did Jesus say to them? It is not easy to imagine how the aphorisms of Proverbs, nor the imprecatory Psalms, could be expounded by Jesus about himself. We have no direct record of the course of teaching or the teachings Jesus delivered. However, the statement in Luke chapter 24 and the form of the discourses in John must give us a clue - no need of parables with this audience, for Jesus knew them. I consider that the understanding of Jesus and his Way which we encounter in most of the rest of the NT arise from the "unpacking" which Jesus did at this time in discourse.
The impression I have is that Jesus focussed on the core band of disciples, women and men, but not exclusively the apostles. They needed to hear his message reiterated by Jesus himself, and they did. How did it all relate to their sacred texts? Hours and days were needed to adjust and reconsider and hours and days they had. The developed understanding of Jesus which we meet in the later pages would distil from these days and be recorded under the moving of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised and poured out on his followers. Their lord, was indeed, The Lord. The astonishing fact was that the impossible and unacceptable New Testament (NT) message of Messiah Jesus, Saviour crucified and Lord Risen was taken out into the world.
The accounts have different perspectives and emphases, but they do have common ground.
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they (women/Mary Magadelene) went to the tomb (Mark 16: 2, ESV).
There was a mystery encountered that morning of the first day of the new week and, actually, the first day of a very new epoch. Once again the women are prominent. (John knew that Mary Magdalene was not there alone; he says she reported “we do not know”.)
the stone had been removed from the tomb (John 20:1b, NRSV). It must have been very obvious once they were in sight of that tomb that things were different! John’s wording suggests the stone tomb closure had been very thoroughly displaced, not simply rolled.
So they departed quickly from the tomb, (Matthew 28:8a, ESV). It is surely no surprise that the women lost no time in the burial garden. Their instinct was very human - get the others involved.
they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest (Luke 24:9b, CSB). There were many people having to grapple with these extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances. How could they hear something like this?
There are other matching pericopes from later that same day:
There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them (Luke 24:33b, NLT) can be matched with John 20:19
the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (John 20:20, NRSV). can be matched with Luke 24:41
The individual accounts are quite divergent and do not harmonise in an obvious manner. The reports readily evoke a scene of individuals and groups in criss-crossing activity and confusion. And, what of the authorities? They were still out there and the followers of Jesus would not wish to fall foul of them on that demanding day, so soon after the authorities' "victory". This concern would shape their prayers, decision-making and prudent action. (Matthew has mention of activity amongst the Jewish leaders.)
The emphases I see arising from the common ground are the:
- prominence of the women;
- open and empty tomb;
- telling and re-telling of the extraordinary fact;
- very human unexpectedness of Jesus being risen.
- Women being at the tomb again not necessarily in the same groupings (Matthew 28)
- Jesus met with many disciples in secluded house on the evening of Day 1 (Thomas being somewhere else) and commissioned them to take forth his mercy (Luke 24; John 20)
- Disciples dispersing and returning (Luke 24)
- Jesus interpreted the Old Testament specifically about himself (Luke 24)
- A week later, Jesus met with the disciples at the house with Thomas present (John 20)
- Jesus spent time with the "12" by the Lake in Galilee (John 21)
- Jesus met the eleven in Galilee and commissioned them to go (Matthew 28)
In Luke's writing (Gospel) we read a fuller account of just part of Jesus speaking post-resurrection. This falls on the afternoon of the same day. Two men had been worrying the way along the road when, mysteriously unrecognised, Jesus joined up with them. They said: But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow[f] to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:21-27, CSB).
Note that the two travellers were aware of angels being reported and also of "him", though "him" had not been seen by the men up to the point of their knowledge.
The testimony of the women had been partially corroborated at least! The reluctance does not seem to be the failing of the women.
It is unusual to find Jesus calling his followers foolish and slow, but here he does. He does not mention Rabbi, nor synagogue as such, but does speak of their Scriptures, in particular, their prophets. Although we can feel sympathy for their confusion and lack of understanding, he thought they had sufficient information if only they took it to heart.
Note that line: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:27, NIV). This surely exemplifies the very special course of instruction Jesus delivered or repeated post-resurrection. However many hours or minutes they had on the first day, there was more! It is easy for us in this era of Bible Gateway, Blue Letter Bible, and other such resources, to imagine reviewing broadly as well as in specific detail the Law books and the Prophets and all the rest! They must have depended on their memory (or his knowledge) of the Old Testament (OT), for they were scarcely carrying scrolls or codexes with them.
Luke in Acts mentioned 40 days and the Scriptures and the Kingdom of God. What exactly did Jesus say to them? It is not easy to imagine how the aphorisms of Proverbs, nor the imprecatory Psalms, could be expounded by Jesus about himself. We have no direct record of the course of teaching or the teachings Jesus delivered. However, the statement in Luke chapter 24 and the form of the discourses in John must give us a clue - no need of parables with this audience, for Jesus knew them. I consider that the understanding of Jesus and his Way which we encounter in most of the rest of the NT arise from the "unpacking" which Jesus did at this time in discourse.
The impression I have is that Jesus focussed on the core band of disciples, women and men, but not exclusively the apostles. They needed to hear his message reiterated by Jesus himself, and they did. How did it all relate to their sacred texts? Hours and days were needed to adjust and reconsider and hours and days they had. The developed understanding of Jesus which we meet in the later pages would distil from these days and be recorded under the moving of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised and poured out on his followers. Their lord, was indeed, The Lord. The astonishing fact was that the impossible and unacceptable New Testament (NT) message of Messiah Jesus, Saviour crucified and Lord Risen was taken out into the world.
Further on in Luke's Acts, we get a strong hint of just how the story went out. The last part of chapter 8 has Phillip speaking with a man from Ethiopia. He was probably reading the Greek OT and had it open at the striking Isaiah, chapter 53. The man was reading the passage that said,
“He was led like a sheep on its way to be killed.
He was silent as a lamb
whose wool is being cut off,
and he did not say a word.
He was treated like a nobody
and did not receive a fair trial.
How can he have children,
if his life is snatched away?”
He was silent as a lamb
whose wool is being cut off,
and he did not say a word.
He was treated like a nobody
and did not receive a fair trial.
How can he have children,
if his life is snatched away?”
The official said to Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else?” So Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus.
(Acts 8:32-35, CEV). The whole drama had its basis in the OT and is fully illuminated in the NT.
Many NT allusions are made to the fact of Jesus' resurrection - why does that still matter?
The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be[a] the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.[b] He is Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:3-4, NLT).
He is forever able to save[a] the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them (Hebrews 7:25, CEV).
A mighty, living, Saviour indeed! You and I can depend on him.
Many NT allusions are made to the fact of Jesus' resurrection - why does that still matter?
The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be[a] the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.[b] He is Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:3-4, NLT).
He is forever able to save[a] the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them (Hebrews 7:25, CEV).
A mighty, living, Saviour indeed! You and I can depend on him.
Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are from the Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Note: I retain in the publishers' text where they occur the references [ ] to footnotes, but usually not the notes. You can check them out by viewing the text on-line. Often they are replicated in different translations.
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