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A Harmony of the Resurrection Testimony in the Bible

One of the arguments used by critics of the Bible is the claim that the varying accounts of the resurrection morning and the following appearances of Jesus cannot be reconciled into one account. Yet, this claim is almost always made by those who have imposed their strict technical requirements upon the writers of the New Testament, expecting them to tell the events in exact detail and chronological order with a completeness of every single person and every minuet action, a feat that would exceed even that of the most notable historian or the most skilled writer. They insist it must be displayed like a precise mathematical formula in order to escape their claim of contradictions and discrepancies. Their demands upon the gospel writers is not only unfair, but illogical, unreasonable, and extremely biased. Most of the writers of the gospels were neither historians nor scholars, and they were often writing with different objectives and different audiences, selectively choosing the events, people, and words that would best serve their purpose. In addition, each of the writers had their own unique writing style and viewpoint that differed from the others, which had a major effect on how they told their story. None of the gospels are the complete story and each of the gospel writers told his version in the manner and style that works best for him.

It has also been said by some that so many accounts should make it easier to discover the whole story. This couldn't be further from the truth. Let four or five people witness a political rally and then each write down their version and only tell the parts of the rally that interest them. If someone 2,000 years in the future from now who did not witness the event had to reconstruct the event solely from their testimony in which they only wrote down the parts of the rally that interested them in their unique style and manner for their own unique audiences, it would be a much more difficult task then trying to reconcile just two different versions. To assume that more in this type of situation should make it easier to reconcile is just absurd, for each new version would increase the difficulty, not reduce it. The critics simply make the mistake of assuming that the gospels are supposed to be strict technical documents in which each of the authors attempted to give us the complete story of every event in all its entirety. This is why they will always find contradictions and will never be able to accept any reconciliation of the various accounts since it will always fail to meet their test of ridiculous technical absolutes. It is only minds ignoring common sense, reason, and logic that would attempt to interpret the gospel writers this way.

It is important to notice the gospel writers often focus on what is important to them and ignore some of the people or actions involved in the story they are telling, such as John does when telling the account of Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night or Mary going to the tomb (both Nicodemus and Mary say "we," implying that they were not alone). They may also focus on the significance of an action at the expense of the details even to the extent that the details, though accurate, may not be quite precise according to our standards of how we expect to hear a story. Matthew often writes this way, and unless one really understands his writing style and methodology, they might accuse Matthew of inaccuracies or force awkward interpretations upon passages when they compare him to the other gospel writers. We may also find the gospel writers blending together several events into one for the sake of simplicity, such as Luke does at the end of his gospel. Rather than go into detail about all the different appearances and messages of the resurrected Lord, Luke simply blends together the first appearing of Jesus to the group of apostles with his later ascension, providing his reader with only one message from Jesus to ponder. To accuse Luke of being inaccurate is simply due to a lack of acceptance of his writing methodology, for, like Matthew's style, though he may not be precise by our standards, he is still accurate. Jesus did appear to the apostles, spoke all those words sometime between that appearance and the ascension, and then ascended into heaven.

You will also often find actions or words out of chronological order if attempting to examine from a historical perspective. Sometimes this is simply the writer making mention of a past event as it bears significance upon what he is writing, while at other times it is either a second thought or something just remembered in the process of writing which he then adds where he is writing rather than beginning the whole section over again (writing on papyrus or parchment was not only laborious, but expensive). For whatever reason something written is not maintained within a strict historical chronology, the writer often will not even clarify that this is the case since he simply finds no need to do so to the readers of his day who did not require the strict technical absolutes that critics do today.

I could give numerous examples from the gospels of these writing methods listed above, but in every case I have examined, the writers are still completely accurate according to their standards and understanding of accuracy. It seems that the readers of the past were not as demanding as we are today and apparently accepted this type of historical storytelling as acceptable, especially in light of the type of writing materials available as well as being aware of the time and cost of preparing a document. Most of us in modern times with our computers and cheap paper do not understand and are not comfortable with some of these writing methods used by the gospel writers and have either attempted to ignore them as if they did not exist or reject them as being contradictory and inaccurate. But the real problem is not in the accuracy of the gospels, but rather what most of us today have come to expect and judge as accuracy in our personal style of reading history. If we are to truly understand the gospels, they must be read and enjoyed with an understanding and acceptance of these methodologies used by the gospel writers in their day and age. When reading the Bible, it is always important for us to remember not to get so technical that we lose grasp of the real message, for it's often not so much as the actual words they have written that are important, but rather what they actually mean by those words.

Having said all this, I will now provide the reader with what I find to be a complete harmony of the various accounts of the resurrection of Jesus and his various appearances found in the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, without any contradictions when we take into account what has been written above. Due to the difficulty of this task, I am not claiming that I have discovered the complete historical account in its completeness, nor that this is the only possible reconciliation, for contrary to the claims of the critics that this cannot be done, there are other possibilities as well. There are also a multiple of variables within this constructed harmony that could change parts of the story and still maintain its lack of contradiction among any of the biblical accounts. This harmony is what I feel to be the most probable account of what actually happened based on the evidence provided to us in the New Testament.

On the first day of the week, when it was yet dark, Mary Magdalene and some of the other women went on their way to the tomb, bringing the sweet spices they had prepared so that they might anoint the body of Jesus. On the way, they were discussing among themselves who they could get to roll away the stone from the tomb once they got there. But before they got there, the area around the tomb experienced a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. The angel's countenance was like lighting and his raiment was white as snow. Those guarding the tomb were extremely frightened and froze in fear. After this, discovering that the tomb was empty, the guards left to tell the chief priests what had happened.

The women arrived shortly after this, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. They soon discovered that the body of Jesus was missing. Then Mary ran and found Peter (some or all of the other women may have come with her or they may have just stayed at the tomb), and said to him, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Peter and at least one of the other disciples ran to the tomb, where they discovered the missing body, but found the linen wrappings that had been around him. The disciples then left, wondering to themselves about what had happened, for they did not yet understand the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Mary stayed at the tomb with the other women, wondering who took away the body of Jesus. As Mary stood without at the tomb weeping, she stooped down, and looked inside, and saw two angels in long white shining robes sitting, one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been. Then all the women entered into the tomb and saw the angels, which then stood up. The women were frightened and bowed down their faces to the earth. And the angels said to Mary, Woman, why are you weeping? She answered them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." The angel who had been sitting on the right side, who had rolled away the stone, said to the women, "Fear not, for I know that ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified. Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, the place where they laid him. Remember how he spoke to you when he was yet 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.' And go quickly, and tell Peter and his other disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you all shall see him as he told you: lo, I have told you."

And then Mary and the other women turned around and left the tomb, when they saw Jesus standing there, but did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus then said to Mary, "Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?" She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned herself toward him, and said to him, "Master." He then said to the women, "Greetings, do not be afraid." And the women came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Jesus said to Mary and the others, "Do not hold onto me; for I have not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brothers, and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.' Tell them that they should go into Galilee, and there they will all see me." And they went quickly, and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed, but they did not say anything to anyone on the way, for they were afraid. They told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they did not believe them.

A disciple named Cleopas and another one of them who had been there when the women came went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about seven miles. Jesus appeared to them on the way. After Jesus appeared to them, they quickly returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish authorities. The two then went inside with them and were then told that while they were gone on their trip, Peter had also seen the risen Lord, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Peter." The two men also told those there how they had seen Jesus and what had happened. Sometime after they arrived, Thomas left.

Shortly afterwards, while they were still discussing these things, Jesus came and stood in the midst of them and said to them, "Peace to you." But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, and see that it is I. Handle me, and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have." And he then showed them his hands, his feet, and his side. And while they yet still couldn't quite believe it, and wondered, he said unto them, "Do you have any meat here?" And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and ate before them. Then the disciples were glad, when they realized it was really the Lord.

And he said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things." Then said Jesus to them again, "Peace to you: as my Father has sent me, even I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins you remit, they are remitted to them; and whosesoever sins you retain, they are retained." When Thomas came back, the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the print of the nails in his hand, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

And after eight days, his disciples were again together within, and Thomas was with them: then Jesus came again, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst of them, and said, "Peace to you." Then he said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God." Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

It was sometime after this that the apostles ventured to Galilee as they had been instructed by Jesus, where he was going to make a public appearance on a specified mountain in front of a large group of his followers. The disciples came and over 500 people had gathered together to witness the event. And when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen." The eleven disciples and many of the others then returned to Jerusalem, and Jesus made other appearances over a period of 40 days, including at least once to James, the brother of Jesus, and at another time to seven of the disciples while they were fishing in the Sea of Tiberias.

And, being assembled together with his disciples for the last time, Jesus walked with them and led them out as far as Bethany, eventually ending up at the Mount of Olives. Jesus commanded them that they should not depart from the city of Jerusalem, saying, "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but remain in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued with power from on high. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." They asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" And he answered, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power, but you will receive power after the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you will be my witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth." And when he had spoken these things, he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven while they watched, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they gazed up toward heaven as he went up, two angels stood by them in white apparel, and said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall also return in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven." And they worshipped Jesus, and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen

NOTES:

We have followed the chronology of John in placing the trip of Peter to the tomb between the two trips made by the Mary to the tomb. Though Luke places it in his writing after the return of Mary and the women claiming to have seen the angels, it must be kept in mind that Luke combines the two trips into one and so really has no choice but to place it after their return (since he only mentions one return) unless he wished to go into extensive detail like John did. Luke is not so concerned about giving us information on exactly when Peter ran to the tomb and found it empty, but rather on the fact that Peter witnessed the empty tomb. Combining events and discussion is part of Luke's writing style in which his focus is on the summary of the events rather than on an analysis of the details.

Some have tried to argue that John is claiming that Mary went alone to the tomb because he does not mention anyone else but her in his gospel. This is the type of Bible interpretation used by an amateur in which they argue from the silence of Scripture. Just because a writer fails to mention something or someone, does not negate that something or someone from the whole truth of the real circumstances. In the case of the women visiting the tomb, the different writers emphasized those in the group which they wished to emphasize. In the case of John, we can easily put to silence the critics who have somehow failed to notice that Mary says "WE" when returning to the apostles and saying, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him" (John 20:2).

Luke does not mention the appearance of Jesus to the women, only the angels. In addition, he is the only one of the gospel writers that specifically mentions a special appearance to Peter. What I have found very significant here is that Paul, with whom Luke traveled and learned from, also does not mention the women, but instead identifies Peter as the first witness of the risen Jesus. It would be foolish to suggest that neither Paul nor Luke knew about the appearance to the women since both John and Matthew had knowledge of it and it would have been common knowledge within the church. I would like to suggest that Paul must have felt that the witness of men would be much more important within a world culture dominated by men, so he instead chose to ignore the testimony of the women and focus instead on the appearances of Jesus to men. Luke, being taught this by Paul, followed this strategy as well.

At the end of Luke's gospel, he combines the first appearance of Jesus to his disciples with the final farewell and ascension, again providing the reader a summary of events and words rather than an analysis of the details. This is not a mere suggestion of what he has done, but an easily established fact. If we look in his gospel, we see that he clearly identifies this appearance of the Lord as having taken place on the same day as the resurrection, but we can then discover by examining his description in the first chapter of Acts that he identifies the ascension as having taking place 40 days later.

Critics also argue that since there were only 120 followers gathered together in Jerusalem after Jesus was supposed to have appeared to over 500 as insisted by Paul, that Paul's claim is unfounded. Yet, when the appearance is understood as portrayed above, the reason for this seems quite obvious. First, it must be noted that the appearance was most likely in Galilee to mostly Galileans, and it would be very unreasonable to assume that all these people would then leave Galilee and relocate to Jerusalem. In addition, we are told that "some doubted," implying that not all of those who witnessed the event became true followers. Nor is there any evidence that Jesus instructed the crowd of over 500 to go to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was approximately 80 miles away from Galilee and a journey of several days back then. Considering the circumstances, I find it amazing that 120 followers were found together in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

The original Gospel of Mark ends at 16:8 in most reliable manuscripts and the verses afterwards were added by someone later who felt the gospel was incomplete and is recognized today as the "Marcan Appendix." Though there are still some who will debate this, both the content and the words of Jesus appear awkward and strange. Mark 16:9-20 cannot be considered as reliable in constructing a harmony and should be rejected as holy scripture.