I have been asked  several times to put together a reconciliation of the gospel accounts in relation to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. On a surface level, the details can seem to be different in each account.

The purpose of this teaching is to give a possible narration of events surrounding the resurrection, as it is given in the four gospels. It is natural to have many questions after reading the accounts, but with further analysis one can see, that the four accounts complement each other very well, to give us full details of what happened on the day Christ rose from the dead.

When we are looking at the resurrection account from the different gospels, there are a few things that we need to have in mind.

Firstly, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John were each focussing on different issues about Jesus when they were writing. 
Book of John was mainly focussing on events that were experienced directly by the beloved disciple. So he doesn’t focus on what others experienced, unless it has a bearing on him.(John 21:24)

Luke gathered testimonies from many people (Luke 1:1-4). Book of Luke will mostly then focus on the people that were giving him testimonies.

Secondly, The four gospels were written as summaries, to only give us enough information that we may know that Jesus is Christ. (John 21:25). By nature, a summary can have two sentences next to each other, yet describing events that are separated by a long period of time.

Thirdly, The next thing we need to take into consideration is the setting. When Jesus was arrested and killed, the disciples knew that they were also in danger of being killed with him, so they became scattered in different places. (Mathew 26:31). 

However Peter and the Beloved Disciple remained in Jerusalem. (John 18:15). Mary Magdalene and some other women, followed Jesus to the cross. 
With this in mind. Let’s now look at the resurrection account.

The Events

I will start by going through and explaining each of the accounts, and then summarising the events at the end.

Mathew‘s Summary

This is the most summarised version I believe.

Matthew 28:1-7 (NIV)
 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 

First and foremost, just because Mathew only mentions the two Mary’s does not mean they were the only women who went. It just means they are the ones he chose to mention. It’s an example of omission

Example of Omission

Imagine that I am a witness to an accident. A news reporter asks me to explain what happened. I respond, “I was driving to town when I saw a blue truck going over the bridge into the water.”

The reporter goes and writes his article saying, “Charles Mawungwa was driving to town when he saw a blue truck going over the bridge into the water.”

That’s perfectly accurate. 

But then another reporter asks me the same question, and then says, “Were you alone in the car?” I reply, “No, I was going to drop off my mother to the bus station in town. I was with my wife and son too.”

The second reporter writes, “Charles Mawungwa was on his way to drop off his mother, with his son and wife, when he saw a blue truck going over the bridge into the water”

That’s also perfectly accurate. Even though the first reporter does not talk about the people I was with, his omission is not a contradiction.

Back to Mathew’s summary

So Mathew mentions Mary Magdalene and another Mary,  but we shall get more details later.

Matthew 28:2-5 (NIV) 
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 

4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

Let’s take note that this is a summary. The women were on their way to the tomb, there was an earthquake, an angel appeared at the tomb and the guards became like dead men. The shock of the guards was only momentary, because we are later told that they ran into the city. 

Matthew 28:11 (NIV) 
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.

Here Mathew wants us to know that the same angel that rolled the stone, is the same that spoke to the women. 

Matthew 28:5-10 (NIV) 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

So Mathew has given us the overall summary of the events. 

1.) Mary Magdalene And Other Mary came to the Tomb.

2.) An Angel appeared and frightened the guards. He sits on the stone.

3.) That same angel spoke to the women and told them that Jesus had arisen. And that Jesus will meet his disciples in Galilee.

4.) The women meet Jesus as they are on their way to tell disciples. They worship him.

(Take note that the word disciple referred to the followers of Jesus. The word Apostle is the one that referred only to the 12. So Galilee, was the place where Jesus would meet all his disciples in one place. 1 Corinthians 15:5 tells us that he met more than 500 disciples at the same time. I believe this is the meeting in Galilee he was talking about.

However, before Galilee, Jesus was going to make a special appearance to some people. Mathew has given us an overview of the resurrection. Mark is going to give us more details.

Mark’s Summary

Mark 16:1-3 (NIV) 
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 

2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

Mark is furnishing us with further detail.

Firstly, he tells us who the other Mary was. It was Mary the mother of James. He then tells us that Salome was also with them. 
Mark also tells us that they were carrying spices in order to anoint the body of Jesus. Mathew mentions that Mary Magdalene and The Other Mary were there to see the tomb. It is possible that Mark now mentions Salome, because Salome was the one who would do the actual anointing of the body.
Also, consider that Mark probably was writing to an audience who would know who Salome and James were. 

Mark 16:4-6 (NIV) 
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

Now Mark shows us that there was a time difference between the opening of the tomb, the frightening of the solders and the arrival of the women.
By the time the women arrived, the soldiers had gone, and the angel was no longer sitting on the stone. However, from Mathew’s summary, we know that this same angel that rolled away the stone, is the same that later spoke to the women.

Mark 16:7-8 (NIV) 
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

This is the exact same message. However, Mark mentions that the women were too afraid to say anything to anyone. From Mathew’s account we are told that Jesus later appeared himself to these women, and gave them the same message that the angel had spoken. I believe he wanted to strengthen them.

Mark concludes by adding some interesting information.

Mark 16:9-13 (NIV) 
9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 

Here, Mark Adds that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. But he does not explain how and when. The explanation of how and when Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene alone, is given in the book of John.

Summary from Mathew And Mark

1.) Mary Magdalene and other Mary (Mother of James) came to the Tomb to anoint Body of Jesus.

2.) Angel appeared and frightens the guards. He sits on the stone. They are initially as dead but they later run to the Chief Priests.

3.) The women arrive just after. They enter the tomb and find it empty.That same angel who had rolled the stone appears to the women as a young man sitting inside and tells them that Jesus had arisen. And that they he will meet his disciples in Galilee.

4.) The Women are afraid. Jesus appears to them, and gives them same message.

Let’s get into the book of Luke and see what information he adds.

Luke’s Summary

Luke 24:1-3 (NIV) 
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Here Luke does not mention the names of the women. He lists them at the very end. So let’s jump:

Luke 24:10 (NIV) 
10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

Here Luke actually adds more names to the list of the women. So it was actually many women who went to that tomb.
Luke also shows that the women found the tomb already empty and got in to find that the body of Jesus was missing.

Luke 24:3-5 (NIV) 
3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?

6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” 8 Then they remembered his words.

These two angels, are different from the first angel who is recorded in Mathew and Mark. So here is a possible order of events.
The women get in and they see the first angel, who is now in the form of a young man and he tells them that Jesus has risen, and that they must go and tell his disciples to wait for him in Galilee. However, the women are confused. They don’t even know he is an angel as yet.

Then two angels appear beside them flashing as lightning. The women bow down to the ground. These two angels speak whilst the women have their heads on the ground. They remind the women of the words that Jesus had spoken before concerning his resurrection.Then finally they understand and believe. 

However, On their way to tell the disciples, they are not sure if they should tell everyone, and Jesus appears himself and re assures them that he is alive, and that they should deliver the message.

Why so many appearances for these women?

The Testimony of Women

During this time in Israel, women were not considered as credible witnesses for anything. Every matter was established at the testimony of two witnesses, but a woman was not counted as a witness.

So the women knew that the disciples and authorities would not receive their witness. The men were not going to believe them, and they definitely would not listen to their instruction to travel 120km to Galilee. What more, Jesus had been killed by the authorities, and they knew that if they started going round spreading the word that Jesus is alive, they would most likely get killed also.

So this is why they had to be given three separate reassurances. Firstly by the angel who rolled the stone and then appeared to them as a young man. Secondly by the two angels in glory and power. Then. Thirdly by Jesus himself.

They then became confident enough to go witness to the disciples of Christ. Yet even still, the men did not receive their witness
Let’s continue.

Luke 24:9-11 (NIV) 
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

Here Luke lists all the women who testified to the apostles and to all the other disciples. It was at least 5 women or more. Keep in mind that Peter and the loved disciples were on their own. And also the apostles had been scattered and the rest of the disciples were in different places.
So verse 9 to 11 is a summary of how the different women went to the different disciples and testified to them over the course of the day.
However, Luke also adds a piece of information at the end, that John later explains.

Luke 24:12 (NIV) 
12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

When Peter heard the testimony, he ran to the tomb. This event is later explained by John. John explains also which of the women went to tell Peter.

Summary from Mathew, Mark, Luke

1.) Mary Magdalene and other Mary (Mother of James) come to the tomb with Salome to anoint body of Jesus.

2.) Angel appears and frightens the guards. He sits on the stone. They are initially as dead but they later run to the Chief Priests.

3.) The women arrive just after. They enter the tomb and find it empty. That same angel who had rolled the stone appears to them as a young man sitting inside, and he tells them that Jesus has risen. And that they he will meet his disciples in Galilee. The women are confused.

4.) Two Angels appear as lightning, and the women fall to the ground. The two angels remind the women of Jesus promise of resurrection. The women finally understand.

5.) The Women run to tell the disciples but they are still afraid if they should tell everyone. Jesus appears to them, and reassures them. They worship him.

6.) The Women tell the disciples but they don’t believe.

Now let’s go to the final gospel account.

John’s Summary

The gospel according to John was the last to be written. John actually ties up and provides the missing information from the other three accounts.
Mark at the end of his account, mentions that Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene first, before everyone else (Mark 16:9). Yet Mark does not show how and where in his explanation.
Luke also shows that Peter ran to the tomb as soon as he heard, but Luke does not say much about it.
John now provides the missing information.

John 20:1 (NIV) 
1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

By the time John wrote his gospel, the books of Mark, Mathew and Luke were already being read in churches all over. So people already knew the other gospel accounts. John does not bother mentioning the other women because he wants to focus on the story of how Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus. It was an issue that was left hanging in the other accounts.
So in one sentence, John summaries the information that’s already in the other books.

John 20:1-2 (NIV) 
1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Three important pieces of information from here.

1.) Mary was not alone when she went to the tomb, that’s why she says “we” in verse 2. So this is consistent with what we have been told by the others.
2.) Mary was the one who first came to speak to Peter, and Peter was with the beloved disciple.
3.) Mary ran off to Peter, before she had seen the angel in the cave, because she thought that Jesus’ body has been stolen.

So Mary Magdalene, comes to the tomb with the other women. As they arrive, she notices that the tomb is open and empty; She immediately leaves to go and tell Peter and the loved disciple that Jesus’s body is gone. The two were probably staying somewhere close by in Jerusalem, seeing that Peter had sworn to remain close to Jesus.

John 20:3-10 (NIV) 
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

By the time Peter and the loved disciple arrive, the other women are already gone. The angels who had appeared to the women, deliberately do not appear to the apostles. The two men return to their house having seen nothing but an empty tomb.

John 20:11-13 (NIV)  
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

It should not surprise us that angels can appear and disappear. After Peter is gone, Mary now comes to take a deeper look into the tomb, she is crying outside of Jesus of the tomb. She looks inside with tears in her eyes and she sees the two angels. These two angels look like ordinary men, so she doesn’t know what they are.

John 20:13-14 (NIV) 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

This was early in the morning, and the cave was in a garden. Mary is outside bent over, full of tears in her eyes. It’s unlikely that she would be trying to look these men in the eyes. She’s most likely looking down in sorrow, but can tell that there’s someone in front of her. 

John 20:15-16 (ESV) 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

When Jesus finally calls her by her name, that’s when she completely turns and recognises that it’s him.

John 20:17-18 (ESV) 
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

This is how Mary became the first to see the risen Christ. After this then Jesus appeared to the other women who were afraid to testify. Mary Magdalene then went on to announce to the disciples what she had seen.Peter and the beloved disciples had been to the tomb, yet Jesus had not shown himself to them.
He would appear to them later.
Now to conclude, let’s put down a list of the events.

The Resurrection Summary from all four Gospels. (Mathew, Mark, Luke, John)

The events of the day of Jesus resurrection happened in the following possible order:

1.) Mary Magdalene and other Mary (Mother of James) come to the Tomb with Salome and other women. 

2.) Angel appears and frightens the guards. He sits on the stone. They are as Dead but they later run to the Chief Priests.
3.) The women arrive just after this incident. They enter the tomb and find it empty.

4.) Mary Magdalene immediately runs to tell Peter.

5.) That same angel who had rolled the stone appears to the remaining women as a young man sitting inside and tells them that Jesus has arisen. And that they he will meet his disciples in Galilee. The women are confused.

4.) Two angels appear as lightning, and the women fall to the ground. The two angels remind the women of Jesus promise of resurrection. The women finally understand.

5.) The women run away to tell the rest of the disciples, but they are still afraid.

6.) Peter and the beloved disciple return followed by Mary to see nothing but an empty tomb. They don’t witness anything supernatural. They go back home.

7.) Mary remains and cries by the door of the tomb. She looks in, and the two angels who had appeared to the other women, also appear to her.

8.) Jesus appears to Mary standing outside the tomb. 9.) Mary Leaves the tomb in Joy.

10.)  Jesus appears to the other women. He reassures them. They worship him.

11.) The Women begin to witness to the apostles and the other disciples what they have seen.

12.) Jesus then appears to Simon Peter, then to the Two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, then to the 10 in the evening, then to the 11 after 8 days, then to the 500 and so on.

The End.