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At first glance there appear to be clear differences between each of the four gospel accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we were to create a table for each story and bring them parallel to each other it would be impossible not to see how many differences there appear to be on the surface. I’ve provided a table below to show some of the main ideas of the accounts and how they vary on the surface.
When the individual stories from each gospel are dissected however, we will see that the apparent differences come down to simply a different viewpoint of the same event. A difference in writing style perhaps, as well as the individual author’s perspective of the circumstances surrounding the Resurrection.
I will be referencing verses from a women’s devotional NIV bible, so your bible might have slightly different wording, but the message is still the same.
Side by Side of the Four Gospel Accounts
Matthew 28:1-10
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down and from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightening, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dad and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Mark 16:1-8
1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, whch was very large, had been rolled away. 5As 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. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you’.” 8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Luke 24:1-10
1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them. 5In 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? 6He 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 into the hands of the sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’.” 8Then they remembered his words. 9When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
John 20:1-18
1Early 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. 2So 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!” 3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded by itself, separate from the linen. 8Finally 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.) 10The the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13They 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.” 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize that it was Jesus. 15“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father, to my God and your God.” 18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
| Author | Time | Witnesses | Events | The Angels | Jesus’ Words |
| Matthew | At dawn on the 1st day of the week | Mary Magdalene and the other Mary | A violent earthquake; Angel speaks to them; Women meet Jesus | One Angel came down from heaven, whose appearance was like lightning; clothes were white as snow | “Greetings”; “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” |
| Mark | Very early on the 1st day of the week | Mary Magdalene, Mary (James mother), & Salome | Women bought spices; Angel speaks to them; Women flee the tomb | Young man dressed in white robes sitting on the right side | |
| Luke | Very early on the 1st day of the week | The women | Women take spices to tomb; 2 angles appear; Angel speaks to them; Women find the disciples | 2 men appeared in clothes that gleamed like lightning | |
| John | Early while it was still dark on the 1st day of the week | Mary Magdalene | Mary Magdalene finds Simon Peter; Simon Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb; disciples left and Jesus appears to Mary | 2 angels in white seated one at the head and one at the foot where Jesus body had been | “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”; “Mary”; “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. I am returning to my Father, and your Father, to my God and your God.” |
Do These Differences Disprove the Resurrection?
The differences between the stories have caused many people to believe that the Resurrection was a fabrication or a mere parable, rather than a factual event. However, I believe it is because of these differences, that the Resurrection can be confirmed as truth. If all the accounts were exactly the same it would be harder to believe. It would appear that one author wrote a story and the other three simply copied it word for word and added it to their gospel without a second thought. However, with each account being different, we can see that it is more likely than not that it actually happened and happened like the four gospels say it did. The accounts afterall, are not that different when we look closer at the written content.
It is the small details that actually help show the truth of what transpired during the Resurrection. All four gospels agree on the focal points of what happened and the time when these events occurred. The reason it seems like we have different stories, is because no one gospel tells the whole story from beginning to end in the exact order that the events happened. Instead we get different aspects from the four authors. Each writer has their own writing style and interpretation of the events that transpired. Couple that with who each author was writing to and for, it’s easy to see why they are not all word for word the same.
Think of it like an eye witness account of a crime or two people trying to retell the same movie. No two people are going to break things down and explain them the same way. It’s important to remember this when comparing the four accounts.
Let’s break down the main points of the Resurrection story further and truly compare what is being said by each author.
At What Time did the Resurrection Events Occur?
It is clear that the Resurrection happened on the first day of the week. Each author explicitly agrees on this point. What time the journey to the tomb started is a bit unclear. However, Mark, Luke, and John all agree it is very early in the morning. Matthew simply uses the word dawn, but we know that dawn happens early in the morning right as the sun is coming up, which would match John’s account of it being dark outside. For this reason we can conclude that the women’s journey happened at some point during the morning hours.
It is known that Mary and the other women were likely staying in Bethany or Jerusalem like they did earlier in the week. Their walk would have taken them several miles if this were the case. This means there was plenty of time for the sun to rise before they reached the tomb where Jesus was buried if they left when it was still dark. The long walk helps us to know that the four authors are likely starting their gospel at different places in the women’s journey to the tomb. John describes it being dark out, because he is starting his gospel at the start of Mary’s journey as they are first leaving the place where they are staying. On the other hand, Mark’s description of just after sunrise would describe when they were arriving at the grave.
Therefore, all of these descriptions can be correct. The voyage would have been long if the women were traveling from Bethany. Their journey could have started out in complete darkness and by the time they arrived at the grave the sun was coming up into the sky.
Who Visited Jesus’ Tomb?
Each author is in agreement that Mary Magdalene at some point went to the tomb. Each one mentions her specifically by name. It is also clear that all of them, including John know that other women went with Mary. It is unclear how many actually go to the tomb with Mary, but we can be sure that it was more than those that are mentioned by name (James’ mother Mary, Joanna & Salome).
In John 20:2 he says “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”. From this verse we learn that Mary mentions other women being at the grave sight. The use of “we” could mean anyone male or female, however, we can use deductive reasoning as well as comparing this verse with several others from the other three gospels to know that the word “we” in this verse does in fact mean other women.
Luke starts out by simply saying “the women”, however a few verses later he takes the time to actually name a few of them. Luke 24:10 say “It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles”. He acknowledges that there were several women at the tomb, including others he does not mention by name.
Luke and John’s accounts are similar enough that we can say Matthew and Mark’s accounts of who went to the tomb can be correct as well. Neither Matthew nor Mark definitvely say only the Mary’s made the journey that day. Therefore, the apparent difference of who went to the tomb is in actuality a similarity. All the accounts agree that several women went to see Jesus’ body that morning.
How Many Angels Were in Jesus’ Tomb?
On the surface this is where the events get a bit muddy. Luke and John both say that there were two angels present, however Matthew and Mark say that one angel spoke. At first glance it appears that Matthew and Mark are saying that there was only one angel. However, it is very possible that there were still two angels. Luke and John both say that only one angel spoke despite mentioning that there were two in the tomb. One angel speaking is in agreement with what Matthew and Mark say.
It is likely that one angel was designated to speak to the group of women, despite there being two present at the time. This could easily explain why Matthew and Mark also never say there was only one angel in the tomb. They may have known there were two, but it was unnecessary to talk about the second, as the second angel never spoke to the women. They simple say one spoke, which does not discount the fact that there could very well be two angels in the tomb.
Why is John’s Account so Different?
John’s entire gospel is written in a reflective style. This means that John is writing in a more personal style. For this reason, his gospel is very different than the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) from beginning to end.
The vast majority of John’s gospel is different from the others. The content, the order of events, and the literary style that he uses all create for a longer more personal gospel. Most of his gospel is written with the idea that there are seven signs that point to Jesus being the Son of God. He uses this idea as well as his reflections of what he witnessed throughout Jesus’ life to write his entire gospel. It is because of his writing style that nothing in his gospel is similar to that of Mark or Luke, and the events of the Resurrection are truly no different. We see a great example of this when John quotes Jesus. Matthew is the only other author who makes note of Jesus speaking.
This does not mean that something is wrong, untrue, or contradictory. He is simply coming from a more personal place. His style and perspective are unique to him, and cannot be found anywhere else within the gospels.
Similarities and Fundamental Truths
Once broken down we can see that all four accounts agree on the fundamental events of the Resurrection. The verbiage is different yes, however the fact that the events happen in the same order speaks to the validity of the Resurrection.
- Jesus died and was buried
- Several women left for the tomb very early in the morning (including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James)
- They found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty of Jesus’ body
- An angel spoke to them
- The women fled from the tomb
- The disciples were not prepared for his death and were confused about his Resurrection, what it meant, and the words Mary spoke to them
It is safe to say that the four accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ agree on all the important points. It is because of this, that we can trust in the truth of the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are no contradictions on the fundamental truths of this occurrence.
The small variations that we do see can be explained away simply by the authors impression of what was witnessed that day. There are far more similarites between the four than first appear on the surface. It is because of these similarites that we can find and know the truth of what happened to Jesus Christ during that time.
