Resurrection and Post-Resurrection Narratives

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POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES OF JESUS IN THE GOSPELS:

Because the evangelists were trying to use word and story to describe the ineffable and unthinkable (a resurrection??), we do not try to reconcile the various accounts. Remember however, that in the resurrection accounts, each evangelist reinforces the main theme of his gospel—his “good news’. Here are some quick analyses:

Though some have been able to produce a harmonization of the resurrection accounts from the four gospels,  there seem to be some differences in the accounts. For example:

  1. In the Synoptic Gospels, Mary Magdalene and other women go to the tomb. In John's account, Mary Magdalene goes alone.

  2. In Matthew, the Jesus appears to the women before they tell the disciples. In John, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene first (also in the longer ending of Mark) -- after she reports to the disciples. 

  3. In Matthew and Mark one angel appears; in Luke and John there are two angels.

  4. In Matthew, the women tell no one of what they had seen. 

  5. In Mark, there is an earthquake, but not in the other accounts.

  6. In Mark, there is a second ending, with the appearances of Jesus seeming to be quite somber and dark with less emphasis on the ascension.

  7. In Luke the events take place in Jerusalem, but in Mark Matthew and John, these events happen both in Galilee and Jerusalem.

  8. There is no ascension story in Matthew or John.

  9. There appears to be an epilogue in John 21 which moves the appearances of Jesus to Galilee, and has a second conclusion.

Historically, the church hasn't viewed these discrepancies in the accounts as evidence of error, but as evidence of authenticity because these represent different traditions based on eyewitness accounts. We know that eyewitness accounts in court often differ in details. These four accounts differ in a few details, but are remarkably united on the main points.

See Catholic-Resources.org, written by Felix Just, SJ, PhD for:

  • Overview of the Resurrection Accounts in the Four Gospels

    • Resurrection Appearance Stories (in which the risen Jesus appears to various individuals or groups of his disciples) comprise: Matt 28:9-10, 16-20;  Luke 24:13-35, 36-49;  John 20:14-18, 19-23, 24-29, 21:1-23. Cf. also 1 Cor 15:5-8;  Acts 1:3-5;  [Mark 16:9-18]

    • Details differ in these accounts as to where, when, and to whom Jesus appears; how he is described, and how the disciples react.

  • Comparison of the “Empty Tomb” Narratives in the Gospels

  • Comparison of the Ascension Narratives of Luke 24 and Acts 1 (and the “Anti-Ascension” of Matthew 28)