Responding To The Resurrection The Chronological Reactions To The Empty Tomb Of Jesus
Copyright 2016 by Brandon Alvillar Published by Proper Knowledge Publishing PO Box 1214 Placentia, CA 92871 www.properknowledge.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning or other except for the brief quotations in a critical review or articles, without prior written permission of the publisher. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission. Translational emendations, amplifications, and paraphrases are by the author. Scripture quotations identified by the KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations identified NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations identified NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America
Table Of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction & Purpose pg. 1 Chapter 2 The Earthquake pg. 5 Chapter 3 Mary Magdalene pg. 13 Chapter 4 Plans For Preparation pg. 21 Chapter 5 Close Encounters pg. 27 Chapter 6 Leaving In Fear pg. 35 Chapter 7 Unbelief pg. 41 Chapter 8 Rejoice! pg. 51 Chapter 9 The Disciples pg. 59 Chapter 10 The Road To Emmaus pg. 67 Chapter 11 Full Revelation pg. 79 Chapter 12 Parallel Responses pg. 89 Order Of Resurrection Events pg. 105
Chapter 1 Introduction & Purpose ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The subject of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is simple to philosophically and intellectually acknowledge, but is very difficult to digest with genuine Biblical faith. The Bible says that Jesus died and rose from the dead. This isn t hard to read and consider. Yet when one examines the testimonies of the resurrection, there are some details presented in the Gospels that provide difficulty and complexity. There are details in Luke s Gospel that appear to contradict details in Matthew s Gospel. None of the Synoptic Gospels seem to line up with the presentation found in the Gospel of John. Bible skeptics like to point out some of these difficulties as contradictions, and at first glance, it appears as if they might be right. The skeptics can t be correct, right? When I first began in ministry as a teacher, I taught the details of one particular Gospel without much consideration for the details of the other accounts. That method made sense to me when I was new and lazy. Later when I began to mature in my understanding of scripture, and started to try to harmonize the Gospels, I began to discover some of these difficulties and supposed inconsistencies. I searched commentaries and found that many of them weren t much help. I looked at notes produced by the manufacturers of my study Bibles, and those tools seemed to be equally as ambiguous and confusing. I couldn t find help that satisfied my curiosity, so for the longest time I just let it go. 1
Much later in my Bible teaching, I was in the midst of teaching the Gospel of John for the 5 th time for Bible College. This was the second time I was teaching the Gospel of John for Bible College, and had used my old notes as a base to update new understanding that the Lord was providing at that time. When I came to the place of the resurrection in John s Gospel and examined my old notes, I was utterly disgusted. It was painfully obvious that I was afraid to pursue the truth of scripture. I saw my weak, lazy, and fearful attempt to harmonize the Gospel accounts and was extremely disappointed with my efforts as a Bible teacher more so as a believer. At that moment I decided to pray a prayer that kind of went like this: Lord, I am completely dissatisfied with my understanding of the scriptures about the resurrection and my faith concerning this foundational thing. As a teacher of Your Word, I have failed in presenting truth that should build confidence and faith in Your scriptures. I m not doing anything else today until You show me how this stuff fits together. You promised that if I seek, I will find, and if I ask, it will be given. I am going to tear these scriptures apart to whatever degree I need to until You tell me how this resurrection day went. I m expecting You to provide the understanding You promised Your Spirit would give. So let s go. I essentially demanded from God to scratch my itch to build my confidence in the Bible s presentation of the resurrection. It was at that moment that I realized I needed a visual presentation of the details that the Bible provided. So I decided to storyboard the details. I went through and jotted down every detail on a separate Post-It note and wallpapered my office. I took the few time references that the scriptures provided and filled in the gaps according to what each Gospel said, and came to the conclusions that are presented in this book. 2
This book is simply the documentation of the results that the Lord provided to me on that day. The storyboarding exercise that I did that day opened my eyes to things about the resurrection that I never knew. Knowing the chronological timeline of the resurrection day revealed qualities of Jesus and His followers that I never observed in the context of the resurrection. All of these things simply allowed me to have a better understanding of the magnitude of God s mercy and grace as demonstrated by Jesus in response to His people on that day. As the chronological details of the resurrection candidly exposed the faithlessness of Jesus disciples even after seeing the resurrected Jesus, I realized that Jesus continued in the will of the Father anyway! Now that s mercy and grace! This book is my attempt to share the things that the Lord shared with me. After my storyboard exercise my eyes were opened to a very relatable problem that all people suffer from unbelief. Seeing the timing of events on Resurrection Day allowed me to see that unbelief is a common problem even amongst God s own people. Unbelief has severe side effects that cause tremendous problems, even for believers. However, this book is ultimately aimed at showing how the Living God responds to the shortcomings of His people in hopes that you would be encouraged to persevere in your faith through a growing and maturing understanding of Jesus especially by the resurrection. 3
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Chapter 2 The Earthquake ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most fundamentally important subjects of the entire Bible. It is foundational to saving faith. The resurrection resembles God s response against sin and its affects. The resurrection of Jesus Christ displays the magnitude of God s power to save from the enemy that no human being has ever defeated death. Knowing this, it is appropriate to see that God s presentation of His work on Resurrection Day begins with an earthquake another way that God often displayed His power in the Bible. Now after the Sabbath, as the first [day] of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead [men]. - Matthew 28:1-4 When examining the testimony of the resurrection, it is critical to pay attention to every last detail. The Gospel of Matthew identifies that an earthquake kicked off the miraculous events of Jesus resurrection. Seeing that Matthew documents the appearance of angels and responses of humans to the angels, it is important to know the time that 5
this earthquake took place. The Gospel of Matthew provides an ambiguous time reference. Matthew wrote that the earthquake happened on the first day of the week, which in Jewish culture would have been Sunday. It is for this reason that the church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on a Sunday. Matthew also wrote that Sunday was beginning to dawn. The time reference of dawn universally refers to the time before sunrise. It is important to note that because Jews use a lunar calendar, their days begin at sundown the previous day. Therefore, the Jewish Sabbath day would have began at sundown (approximately 6:00pm) on Friday. The Sabbath would have lasted until sundown on Saturday. This means that Matthew s time reference to dawn would have referred to the time before sunrise on Sunday morning. The Gospel of Mark provides more details to the time of the earthquake. Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary [the mother] of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first [day] of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. - Mark 16:1-2 The testimony of Mark explains that several women went to the tomb of Jesus on the first day of the week, again referring to Sunday. It is important to make note of the people that were in attendance. Mark referenced 3 women. Keep this in mind, as it will be a critical detail later. Mark wrote that the women went to the tomb of Jesus very early in the morning. Most would agree that any time prior to sunrise is very early in the morning. However, Mark also provides a more specific time reference to quantify how early his reference is. Mark wrote that the women went to the tomb when the sun had risen. 6
This detail presents challenges already, and all we re doing is trying to figure out when this earthquake happened. Matthew wrote that the earthquake happened before dawn. Mark provided a different time reference, stating that a group of women went to Jesus tomb after sunrise. These statements and time references are not contradictory. In fact, they are important to recognize in order to place each event in its proper chronological order. The details of scripture explain that the earthquake happened before the women got to the tomb. The Gospel of John helps us understand how the time of the earthquake and the arrival of the women are connected. Now on the first [day] of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw [that] the stone had been taken away from the tomb. - John 20:1 The Gospel of John agrees with Matthew and Mark s presentation of the Resurrection. The Resurrection took place on the first day of the week Sunday. However, John s Gospel provides a critical point of difficulty. He wrote that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early. The original language uses the Greek word proi to describe the time reference of early. This word was used in typical Greek context to refer to the fourth watch of the night, which is from 3:00am to 6:00am. This means that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb somewhere between 3:00am and 6:00am on Sunday morning. The other details that John provided support the time reference of the original language. The Apostle John also stated that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark. This means that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb before sunrise. Yet the Gospel of Mark stated that Mary Magdalene was with the other women that went to the tomb, and Mark specifically states that they went after the sun had risen. 7
This is not contradictory language. This simply means that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus twice in the same day - even within a couple of hours! These details help us come to the following logical conclusions: An earthquake took place sometime on Sunday between 3:00am and 6:00am Mary Magdalene woke up, likely in response to the earthquake, and went to the tomb after the earthquake by herself Knowing this, we can examine the next set of details in Matthew s account and have a better understanding as to why Mary Magdalene went to the tomb twice. Matthew described that an angel of the Lord descended from heaven. The Gospel of Matthew explains the appearance of the angel, the purpose for his descent, and the human response to his work. First, examine the appearance of the angel. Matthew wrote that his countenance was like lightning. The original manuscripts use this word in the Greek language 9 times in the New Testament. The Greek word is defined as the gleam of a lamp. The version of the Greek word that Matthew uses comes from a root Greek word that means a star. This means that the face of the angel that descended from heaven was like a star, glowing like a lamp! This angel had heavenly and supernatural glory such to the extent as a star. It should be noted that our sun is also a star. Consider the brightness of the sun. The Bible explains that this angel had one incredibly bright face! The scriptures use this same Greek word in its 8 other usages to describe the brightness of God and His kingdom. 8
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. - Revelation 11:19 When this Greek word is used in the context of God s glory, it is also used in the context of His righteousness. This means that God is glorious because He is righteous. The righteousness of God is seen in the excessive brightness that radiates from His being. The angel that descended from heaven had a form of this brightness and glory. Like God, angel that descended from heaven possessed the righteousness of God and shone like lightening as a result. This is also why the clothing of the angel was white as snow. The Bible explains that there were guards at the tomb of Jesus. When these guards saw the angel, Matthew wrote that they shook from fear and became like dead men. This simply means that the guards passed out. The guards saw the glory and righteousness of the angel descending from heaven and were rendered unconscious. They were unable to stand and endure the glory and righteousness of God shining through His angels. Medical science tells us that fainting is often caused by a reduction in blood flow and shortage of oxygen to the brain. This is often caused by irregular heart beating in people that are healthy. Knowing this, it can be seen that the earthquake and the descent of the angel coupled together caused the hearts of the guards to flutter in such a way that they were unable to produce enough oxygen to their brains! This is an important point to consider. The scriptures testify that the Jewish religious leaders appointed Roman guards in front of the tomb of Jesus to protect the body of Jesus from being stolen. 9
On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' "Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him [away], and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make [it] as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. - Matthew 27:62-66 The Jewish religious leaders sought to keep the body of Jesus Christ at the tomb to dissolve any chance of a story about resurrection. The scriptures explain that God addressed this by sending one of His angels from heaven. While the Roman guards would have been trained to fight, the power of God was such that no fight was necessary. The power of God was not only demonstrated in the Resurrection of Jesus, but also in the earthquake and the response to the angel that God sent. Planet Earth responded to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by quaking. Men most qualified to fight were rendered incapacitated simply by seeing the glory and righteousness of God that shone through a single angel. This means that the Bible explains that the power of God is greater than armies of men specially trained to fight, is greater than the earth, and is greater than death! The Gospel of Matthew is helpful to explain why the angel was sent from heaven. The scriptures document that the angel rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it. The purpose of the angel was not to help Jesus. The resurrected Jesus God in flesh would not have needed help. In fact, the scriptures provide details that the stone didn t even need to be moved since it is testified that Jesus walked through walls to visit the disciples after the resurrection. Rather, the angel moved the stone for the benefit of those who would visit the tomb later that day. 10
The Bible explains that when Mary Magdalene went back to the tomb later in the day (though it was still early in the morning), the women were concerned about how to move the stone. The women were concerned with good reason. Since grave robbery was a legitimate problem during the times of Jesus, people were accustomed to locking tombs. Since Jesus was laid in the tomb of a rich man Joseph of Arimathea it would have been likely to protect this tomb for these reasons, in addition to the desire of the Jewish religious leaders to dispel the idea of a resurrection story. The angel descended from heaven to move the stone on behalf of those who would have been ill equipped to move it on their own. This means that God was interested in His people being able to see the empty tomb. God was motivated to provide ample evidence of the resurrection so that He sent an angel from heaven specifically with the task of opening the door to the empty tomb. The scriptures later describe that the women who went to prepare the body of Jesus were instructed to go inside the tomb to verify the claim that He was resurrected. The task of the angel that descended from heaven reflects the desire of the Father to provide evidence of His power. When God had shaken the earth before dawn and rendered a Roman guard unconscious, He provided a suitable environment that would allow His people to freely visit the tomb without hassle, enter the empty tomb of Jesus without restriction, and definitively know the power of God based on the things they were able to physically see. 11
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Chapter 3 Mary Magdalene ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The movement of Mary Magdalene is critical to understanding the events and significance of the Resurrection. Each Gospel account mentions Mary Magdalene by name. The Gospel accounts support the details of the other accounts concerning the movement of Mary Magdalene. However, since each account was written with a unique purpose, each account is stylistically unique as well. This truth makes some of the details regarding Mary Magdalene very confusing, and can make the timeline of the events on Resurrection Day equally confusing. Moreover, confusion about the order of events on Resurrection Day can cripple one s ability to recognize the candid responses of the people and the grace of God in connection. The Gospel of Matthew explained that an earthquake took place in the dark hours of the morning on Resurrection Sunday. The Gospel of Matthew also explained that Mary Magdalene was first on the scene. Harmonizing the other Gospel accounts and recognizing the thematic nature of John s Gospel, it was determined that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb twice on Resurrection Sunday once by herself when it was dark, and once with the other women at sunrise. Knowing this, we can examine the movement and actions of Mary Magdalene on the morning of the Resurrection to understand her temperament and the reasons for her responses. 13
Now on the first [day] of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw [that] the stone had been taken away from the tomb. - John 20:1 Again, the scriptures explain that Mary Magdalene was first to the tomb, going to the tomb so early in the morning that it was still dark. Mary recognized that the stone was already moved from the tomb, which means that the earthquake had already happened, the Roman guards were already unconscious, and the angel God sent was sitting on the stone upon her arrival. It is important to consider these truths before moving forward to the second verse in John s account. Examine verse 2: Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him. " - John 20:2 Verse 2 states that Mary saw the condition of the tomb and makes it seem as if she immediately went to call Peter and John to go back to the tomb. However, the other Gospel accounts add difficulty to this presentation. Recall that the details of the other Gospel accounts showed that Mary left the tomb after her first arrival and then went to call the other women to the tomb. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. - Luke 24:9 According to Luke s Gospel, the disciples including Peter and John were not aware of the condition of the tomb until the women told them later in the day. The scriptures identify that these women were the women that went to the tomb with Mary Magdalene; but Mary Magdalene wasn t with the women in Luke 24:9. These details mean that there 14
must have been a gap in time between verses 1 & 2 in John Chapter 20. It is important to consider John s approach to the Resurrection. Since John s Gospel account was written last of all the Gospel accounts, his motives were to provide supplemental details that lend additional support to the claim that Jesus is the Son of God and Messiah. Knowing that Matthew, Mark, and Luke already had documented accounts of the testimony of Jesus, John provided a testimony that took a more thematic approach rather than a chronological approach concerning the resurrection. Historians agree that John s Gospel is more poetic in nature; not to discredit the authenticity of the book, but to explain that his narrative deals less with the facts of the events and more with the responses of the people towards the historically verified events that took place. Knowing this, we can take these things into consideration when observing Mary Magdalene on Resurrection Day. John s aim was not to explain when Mary went to the tomb. The Synoptic Gospel accounts suffice to provide those chronological details. Instead, John s aim was to describe the relational response of Mary Magdalene to the person of Jesus Christ. Upon understanding the response of Mary, we can understand the identity of Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah, and the temperament He demonstrates as such towards His people. This means that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb by herself early in the morning while it was still dark, likely in response to the earthquake that took place. Upon seeing the condition of the tomb, with the stone moved, guards unconscious, and angel present, she immediately left, and later returned with the other women, and even later went back with Peter and John as explained by the Apostle John in John 20:2. 15
It is important to consider the details that describe the things Mary did, when she did them, and what she did not do. Understanding these details helps one grasp the response of Jesus towards her later that day. The scriptures identify the following key details: Mary saw the stone of the tomb moved Mary saw Roman guards unconscious Mary saw the angel sitting on the stone Mary saw all this before sunrise Mary saw the effects of God s power, glory, and righteousness. One key detail that is not included in the Gospel accounts concerns Mary s entrance to the tomb. The Gospel accounts never state that Mary went into the tomb. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down [and looked] into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. - John 20:11-12 Though Mary arrived at the tomb and saw the things that she saw, she never went inside the tomb to confirm the condition of Jesus body. The other Synoptic Gospels do not state that Mary Magdalene went into the tomb with the other women. The Gospel of John specifically states that Mary stooped down to look in the tomb, but never went inside. When Mary was at the tomb by herself in the morning, the miraculous things that she witnessed did not provoke her to inquire or enter into the tomb. When Mary first went to the tomb by herself, she never saw that the tomb was empty. The question then has to be asked: Why didn t she investigate? The Gospel accounts don t address this question directly, but contextually. The overall response of Mary Magdalene toward the things she witnessed on Resurrection Sunday reveal that she was highly motivated by fear. Mary saw several Roman warriors that were laid out unconscious 16
somehow with a single angel sitting on top of a stone that many men would not have been able to move on their own! The scene that the Bible describes Mary witnessed early in the morning would have been a lot to digest. She saw the effects of God s power, glory, and righteousness, and was terrified as many others have been according to the scriptures. It is likely to conclude that Mary Magdalene did not investigate the environment because of fear. The Bible teaches that fear is reflective of unbelief. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? - Psalm 56:3-4 The Gospel accounts will later reveal that when Mary Magdalene and the other women were commanded to enter the tomb, Mary did not comply. John s Gospel blatantly states that Mary stooped down but did not go inside. When Mary Magdalene and the women spoke to the angel later that day, the angel sought to comfort the women by showing them the resurrection of Jesus was true by showing them the tomb was empty. Mary would not receive the comfort the angel sought to give. These truths show that Mary s fear was counterproductive to her faith. Her initial fear caused her to flee the empty tomb without inquiry rather than be comforted by the Resurrection. Mary s fear later facilitated disobedience to the angel s command to enter the tomb. These are important things to consider, especially when examining the response of God towards Mary. As the Bible documented Mary s first encounter at the tomb of Jesus, the Bible didn t provide any details explaining a response from God. This means that God did not respond. Recall that God amply prepared His people for the death and 17
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament scriptures provided adequate references to the death and resurrection of Messiah. Jesus spoke of His death and resurrection several times throughout His ministry. The problem arises in that the followers of Jesus specifically Mary Magdalene here - didn t receive the preparation that God tried to provide. Jesus plainly stated that He predicted certain things concerning His betrayal, death, and resurrection so that they would see those things come to pass, and believe in His identity as the Son of God and Messiah, but absent any fear. Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am [He]. - John 13:19 The fear that can be observed from Mary Magdalene on the day of the Resurrection is unjustified fear. She was adequately prepared for the resurrection as much as any other disciple of Jesus Christ. God, knowing this, decided not to respond when Mary left the tomb the first time she was there. Mary responded in fear, and since God had provided the tools she needed to be bold, He let her be fearful thereby creating the need for repentance and an opportunity for grace. While God did not immediately address Mary s fear and correct it, He did provide the opportunity for her to repent, return, and receive correction at a later time. Mark 16:9 states that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene before anyone else. The scriptures will show that all of Jesus followers were guilty of fear just like Mary Magdalene, and God allowed the fear of His people to manifest for a short period. He was not quick to anger and judgment. God was merciful and gracious. God was faithful to His people. 18
According to the scriptures, Mary Magdalene might have been the first to demonstrate fear on Resurrection Sunday, but she was also the first one (and only one) to show up so early in the morning. Seeing her desire to be with Christ, God responded to Mary Magdalene first since Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first. Yet, since Mary s temperament and actions were likely motivated by fear that was unjustified, any response from God must be considered an act of grace. Due to Mary s fear and unbelief, God was not obligated to respond to Mary with favor. Jesus revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene anyway! God s absent response at Mary s first visit allowed her to fail so that His eventual revelation had to be interpreted as an extension of His grace. 19
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Chapter 4 Plans For Preparation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Though Mary Magdalene was highly motivated by fear on Resurrection Sunday, her participation and involvement in the day s events as documented by scripture were significant. The scriptures explain that Mary Magdalene later returned to Jesus tomb with a group of women. Now after the Sabbath, as the first [day] of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. - Matthew 28:1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary [the mother] of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. - Mark 16:1 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary [the mother] of James, and the other [women] with them, who told these things to the apostles. - Luke 24:10 The Gospels explain that 4 women that went to the tomb: 1. Mary Magdalene 2. Mary the mother of James (the other Mary) 3. Salome 4. Joanna 21
The Bible testifies that Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus in response to the miracle that He did for her to remove 7 demons from her (Luke 8:2). The scriptures explain that the other Mary is the mother of James the less, which is the younger James of the original 12 disciples. James the less is also referred to as, James the son of Alpheus, thereby making the other Mary the wife of Alpheus. Salome is historically referred to as the mother of the disciples James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Joanna is mentioned in Luke 8:3 as the wife of a person named Chuza. She was a steward of king Herod Agrippa and was a financial supporter of Jesus ministry. The scriptures explain that after Mary Magdalene visited Jesus tomb by herself in the morning while it was still dark, she went back to the tomb later in the day with these 3 women. The Bible explains that the women arrived to the tomb very early in the morning. However, as previously noted, the Gospel of Mark provides a very important time reference. Very early in the morning, on the first [day] of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. - Mark 16:2 Mark wrote that the women arrived early, but after the sun had risen. This reference likely refers to a time somewhere around 6:00am. Luke confirmed this notion in his testimony. Now on the first [day] of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain [other women] with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. - Luke 24:1 Seeing these details, it is safe to assume that the women ended up at the tomb somewhere between 6:00am and 7:00am. Also, though the stone had already been moved, Mark s Gospel states that the women were discussing their concern about how the stone was going to be moved so that they could anoint the body of Jesus with spices. 22
And they said among themselves, Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away--for it was very large. - Mark 16:3 The women were concerned about the stone because they had planned on anointing the body of Jesus. Since the body of Jesus was originally placed into the tomb with great haste because of the upcoming Sabbath day, the women were not afforded the opportunity to tend to the body of Jesus according to the traditions. Traditionally, the women would anoint the body of the dead with spices, and then wrap each individual appendage with care, and then the whole body. The women were concerned that the stone in front of the tomb would prohibit their desire to do so for the body of Jesus. Though this was a concern, and Mary Magdalene had already seen the stone was moved, she remained silent. Consider the motives and desires of the women. Both Mark and Luke testified that the women brought spices with them to anoint the body of Jesus. Then Luke added that the spices were already prepared at home so that the women only had to apply them when they arrived at the tomb. This means that, even though the desire of the women was a noble desire, they anticipated seeing a dead body in the tomb. Though the prophecies of scripture and promises of Jesus stated that He would rise on the 3 rd day, the women went to the tomb expecting Jesus dead corpse to be in the tomb. While it is nice to consider the affection of the women for Jesus, their preparation to deal with a dead body reflects that the women did not take Jesus words concerning the resurrection into account. Their concern was for the difficulty of human circumstances, and was not centered on the promises of God according to the promises of Jesus Christ. 23
The motives of the women were good motives. The Bible explains that the body of Jesus Christ was already prepared and anointed with well over 100 pounds of spices by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:39). Since the proper time and care was not taken with the body of Jesus, they desired to give Him a more affectionate burial. The women wanted to serve Jesus and expressed that desire with their efforts to anoint His body. They expressed care and love for Jesus in their actions. Nevertheless, as noble as the desires of the women were, they were rooted in unbelief. Jesus taught the resurrection often. The mention of the specific names of these women shows that these were women that had been connected to the ministry of Jesus Christ from very early on. The disciples James and John were some of the first disciples called into the ministry, which means that Salome would have known about Jesus early on. The same could be said of James the less and his mother Mary. The Gospel of Luke mentions Mary Magdalene and Joanna as women that supported Jesus ministry early on. Luke s mention of Mary Magdalene and Joanna in Chapter 8 of his testimony shows that they were involved in Jesus ministry from the beginning or close to it; especially considering that Luke sought to provide a chronological testimony of Jesus ministry. It is likely that these women saw and/or heard about Jesus resurrecting the widow s son (Luke 7:15), Jairus daughter (Mark 5:42), and Lazarus (John 11:44). It is likely that these women heard about Jesus teaching of the resurrection as when He cleansed the temple complex and referred to Him raising the temple in 3 days (John 2:19). It is likely that these women heard Jesus talk about His identity as The Resurrection (John 11:25). Jesus teachings would have made these women well informed about His death and resurrection of Jesus. Recall that the basis of their affection for Jesus was on their trust in His identity as Messiah and the Son of God who is eternal in nature. 24
The Bible explains that Jesus made it a point to emphasize the need of His death, but the triumph of His resurrection. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. - Matthew 16:21 The original language of the Bible states that Jesus began to teach His disciples about His death and resurrection. The language implies that Jesus continued to teach these lessons. The lessons that Jesus taught about His death and resurrection began on a particular day as referenced in Matthew 16:21, but also continued up to the point of His death. As followers of Jesus, it is extremely likely that the 4 women that visited Jesus empty tomb would have heard those lessons Jesus gave. In fact, the scriptures state that even the Jewish religious leaders that facilitated the crucifixion knew about Jesus teachings concerning His resurrection. On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' - Matthew 27:62-63 It was common knowledge that Jesus predicted and taught on His power to raise Himself from the dead as the Son of God. Yet the women completed work at home and then were motivated to continue their work to anoint the body of Jesus at the tomb, anticipating the body of Jesus to still be in place. This shows that Mary Magdalene likely did not provide any insights or information regarding the condition of the tomb as she witnessed it earlier that day. This also shows that the women did not take into consideration that the body of Jesus wouldn t be there. The actions of the women do not suggest that they believed in the resurrection as Jesus taught. 25
It is interesting to examine the work of God in this context. So far it has been discussed that the scriptures went great lengths to identify the Messiah as the Son of God, and that He would die but raise Himself from the dead on the 3 rd day. The scriptures explain that Jesus Himself went great lengths to remind His followers of the claims of scripture, and then provided proof that He was the Son of God and Messiah by performing various miracles including resurrecting the dead. By the time Jesus had died, He had already raised others from the dead showing that He had the power to do so whenever He wanted. Yet the four women that might have been closest to Jesus outside of His mother were demonstrating conduct that was consistent with unbelief. The Gospels explain that God responded to the Resurrection of Jesus with heavenly entities at the tomb. The coming chapters will reveal that there was a host of heavenly beings present at the empty tomb of Jesus. Yet God did not send anyone to the homes of the women to keep them from doing unnecessary work. God allowed the women to prepare spices that they wouldn t use. God allowed the women to prepare to anoint a body that they would not find. God allowed the women to carry spices and other tools to an empty tomb. God allowed the women to discuss addressing problems related to a stone they wouldn t have to move. In other words, God allowed the women to demonstrate the conduct of unbelief. The women heard all that was necessary in order to have faith but did not demonstrate it. They showed the works of unbelief instead. God allowed it. God allowed the women to labor in unbelief and bear the burdens of unfaithfulness. However, God did this with foreknowledge, knowing that the work He would do at the empty tomb would correct the unbelief of the women, showing that God is patient with unbelief and purposeful to correct it in His time. 26
Chapter 5 Close Encounters ------------------------------------------------------------------------- God s response to the Resurrection was far greater than the earthquake that took place early in the morning. The Bible explains that God celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus by sending multiple heavenly beings to the empty tomb to inform, verify, encourage, and equip Jesus disciples for the next phase of the Father s plans. In order to understand the magnitude of God s response to the Resurrection, it is important to pay close attention to the differences in language used in the Gospels. Seeing the variety of God s messengers that spoke to the women that sought Jesus explains the thoroughness of God and describes the greatness of God s diligence to draw His people closer to Himself. The scriptures first identify that an angel was sent from heaven to move the stone that lay in front of Jesus tomb. Mary Magdalene already saw this angel when she arrived at the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark. The Gospels explain that this angel stayed in his place and was seen again when Mary Magdalene went back to the tomb with her three friends. The Gospel of Matthew explains that the angel outside of the tomb initiated conversation with the women when they arrived later in the morning. 27
But the angel answered and said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you. " - Matthew 28:5-7 The Gospel of Matthew explains that angel told the women, including Mary Magdalene, that Jesus was not in the tomb because He had risen from the dead as predicted. The scriptures show that the angel invited the women to look inside of the tomb to confirm that his testimony of the Resurrection was true. The angel commanded the women to inform the disciples of Jesus resurrection and reminded the women that Jesus promised to meet everyone in Galilee. For this reason, it is good and appropriate that the angel invited the women to enter the empty tomb to confirm the missing body, the condition of the tomb, and engage with more witnesses of the Resurrection. This shows that God goes great lengths to provide truth to His people, as well as an abundance of proof that His claims and work is true. One must simply be willing to exercise obedience to receive the benefits of God s proof. God provides proof of His Word as true. God s people simply must be diligent to receive the proof that God provides. Next, the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of Luke explain that Mary, the mother of James the less, Salome, and Joanna took the offer of the angel and went inside of the tomb to confirm the angel s claims. These three women took advantage of the opportunity to verify the Word of God as true. However, it is here that we should be careful to examine the language that each Gospel author uses to describe God s witnesses of the Resurrection. 28
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples--and Peter--that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you. " - Mark 16:5-7 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed [their] faces to the earth, they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' " - Luke 24:3-7 The original Greek language shows that there are three different words used to describe two different types of entities that were present at the tomb on Resurrection Sunday. The Gospel of Matthew states that the women spoke to an angel that was sitting outside of the tomb. The English translation uses the word angel because the original Greek language uses the word aggelos in the original text. This word is used 186 times in the New Testament, and is translated into the English word angel 179 times verifying that the English word angel is an appropriate translation in Matthew s presentation. Thus, we can conclude that the women spoke to a literal angel from heaven that was outside of the tomb. The language changes when the women enter the tomb at the command of the angel. The English translation of the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke use the word man to identify the entities that the women engaged with inside of the tomb. This is important to recognize. 29
The original text does not use the Greek word aggelos to describe the entities that were inside of the tomb. Instead, the Gospel of Mark uses the Greek word neaniskos to describe the young man that was inside of the tomb. This Greek word is used 10 times in the New Testament, and every time the word refers to a literal human being as a young man. This word is even used by the Apostle Peter when he quoted the prophecy of Joel 2:28 referring to young men seeing visions in the last days. Since this prophecy refers to literal young men seeing visions in the last days, we must conclude that literal young men were inside of the tomb of Jesus on Resurrection Sunday. This sentiment is supported by Luke s presentation. Luke used a different word to describe the young men inside of the tomb. Though the English translation of Luke s Gospel also uses the word man to describe the entities inside of the tomb, Luke uses a different Greek word to describe the man. Luke used the word aner to describe the man that was inside of the tomb. This Greek word is used 215 times in the New Testament, and is translated man 156 times. Perhaps the most important detail regarding this usage of language is that the Greek word aner is the word used to describe Jesus as the Son of Man, referring to the humanity of Jesus. Knowing this, we have to be consistent in our interpretation of scripture. The Greek word aner must be translated consistently. The humanity of Jesus is critical to His work as Savior. The Bible explains that Jesus is God in flesh and was sent into the world specifically for the purpose of suffering death (Hebrews 2:9), which is impossible if He s not human. To remove the humanity of Jesus Christ is to blaspheme the identity of the Christ and oppose the Messianic prophecies of scripture. In fact, John s first epistle teaches that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is predicated on the evidence of Jesus humanity that was demonstrated when blood and water gushed out of His side at the crucifixion (1 John 5:6-8). 30
Consequently, it is necessary to interpret the use of the Greek word aner in Luke s Gospel as referring to a literal human being, lest our interpretations be inconsistent. If the word aner refers to Jesus human nature as the Son of Man, then aner must refer to a human being inside of the tomb of Jesus at the resurrection. There is nothing to be afraid of in this interpretation! Both Mark and Luke were certain to use words that describe human men as being present in the tomb of Jesus Christ. Examining the appearance of the men, it becomes extremely encouraging to see God s response to the resurrection. Both Mark and Luke described the men as being clothed in white robes and shining garments. The faces of these men were not shining like the angel outside of the tomb, but their clothes were shining. White shining garments in the Bible typically refer to the righteousness that God will impart to His people according to His New Covenant promises. In that two men were seen in the empty tomb of Jesus with these garments verifies that the promises of God are true, and the Resurrection is an event critical to the fulfillment of these promises. The scriptures explain that there were two men and they were sitting to the right of the tomb on the inside. The Gospel of John states that there were two other entities sitting on the slab where Jesus was previously laid. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. - John 20:12 The men described by Mark and Luke are different entities than the one s that John described in his Gospel account. This means that God sent an angel to sit outside of the tomb, and also heavenly men and angels to remain inside of the tomb! 31
The Gospel of Mark and Gospel of Luke are consistent in their presentation. Both state that the men inside of the tomb repeated essentially the same thing that the angel outside of the tomb originally said. An angel sent from heaven as well as two men that were also sent from heaven confirmed Jesus resurrection. Both the angel and the men provided the exact same testimony; and each testimony was consistent with the scriptures of the Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus during His ministry. The men also command Mary, Salome, and Joanna to inform the disciples of Jesus resurrection. The Gospel of Mark testifies that the men specifically mentioned Peter by name. Seeing the extent of God s response to the resurrection, it is clear to see that God sought to offer an abundance of infallible proofs concerning Jesus resurrection. Angels and men confirmed the resurrection both sent from heaven as confirmed by their appearance and attire. This proves the prophetic words and promises of God as true concerning the resurrection, eternal life, and the promises of God concerning His righteousness. Yet, the Bible shows an inappropriate response to the work of the Lord to prove His Word as true. The Gospel of Matthew states that the angel outside of the tomb told the women, Do not be afraid. This shows that the women were afraid. The women went to the tomb in the morning expecting to find the dead body of the One they thought was the Messiah. Instead the women saw unconscious Roman soldiers, a heavy stone moved, angels and heavenly men with glowing clothes and faces! The angel told the women to go inside of the tomb to verify the Resurrection, but the Gospel of John states that Mary Magdalene would not go in. Her fear consumed her and kept her from receiving the benefits of God s proof. The other women however were still afraid even though they went inside the tomb. The man that addressed the women inside of the tomb told them, Do not be alarmed. The man 32