Are the resurrection accounts of Jesus contradicting?

Answer 1

The post-resurrection account of Jesus Christ according to the Bible are not contradicting at all!

As opposed to the traditional belief that Jesus was crucified and died on Friday and rose again from the dead on Sunday morning the convincing testimony of the Scriptures as well as the Jewish history point us to a different set of days for these two events. Wednesday being the day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, Saturday evening becomes His resurrection time. With this in mind the following is the harmony of the post-resurrection accounts as presented in the four gospel accounts of the New Testament:

Jesus was arrested after the midnight, tried in the morning at before 6am (Jn.18:28, 19:14) and crucified at about 9am (Mk.15:25) on Wednesday the 14th Nissan. From 12pm to 3pm there was darkness in the land (Mat.27:45; Mk.15:33; Lk.23:44). He died around 3pm (Mk.15:33-37) and was buried at about 6pm on the same day (Mk.15:42-47). The women followers of Jesus saw all this and went home rested on the special Sabbath (Mk.16:1; Jn.19:31).

After the special Sabbath they bought the spices and prepared them and again rested on the regular Sabbath (Lk.23:56). His tomb was sealed on Thursday (Mat.27:62-66). He rose again from the dead on Saturday at about 6pm. Sunday morning well before 6am there was an earthquake and an angel of the Lord came to the tomb, removed the stone and sat on it (Mat.28:2). This made the Watchmen fall to the ground as dead persons (Mat.28:40). After that the angel entered into the tomb and sat at the right side, where Jesus' head was lying. Around this time another angel came and joined the first angel and sat at the left side where Jesus' feet were.

After these incidents the group of women followers of Jesus came to the tomb on the early Sunday while it was still dark in order to apply the spices they had prepared to His body (Mk16:1-2; Lk.24:1). Magdalene Mary was one of them (Mat.28:1; Jn.20:1).

When they approached the tomb while they were still at a distance they saw the stone was removed (Mk. 16:4; Lk.24:2; Jn.20:1) and the watchmen were lying on the ground (Mat.28:5). They reasoned that the body of Jesus was stolen. Therefore Mary rushed back leaving the other women in the garden to inform about this to Peter and other disciples (Jn.20:2).

After Mary had left for the city the rest of the women entered the tomb and first they saw the angel on the right (Mk.16:5). Later, both angels appeared to them (Lk.24:4). The angel on the right spoke to them about Jesus' resurrection and told them to convey the message to the other disciples (Mat.28:6-7). They left in haste with joy and shock (Mat.28:8; Mk.16:8). They went back to the city but were hesitant to talk to others about it (Mk.16:8).

Around that time Mary Magdalene met the disciples and told them that somebody had stolen Jesus' body (Jn.20:2). Upon hearing this Peter and John came running to the tomb to find out if what Mary had told them is true (Jn.20:3). Mary followed them from behind. Peter and John entered the tomb. Both angels become invisible to them! They could see only the clothes, but not Jesus' body. They were perplexed and went back home (Jn.20:4-10).

Later, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and enters the tomb. There she sees the angels for they become visible again. The one on the right side spoke to her (Jn.20:11-13). When she looked back she saw Jesus standing, but thought it was the gardener. But, when Jesus called her 'Mary,' she recognized Him (Jn.2014-16). Jesus spoke to her and sent her with a message to His disciples (Mk.16:9; Jn.20:17).

After this Jesus appeared to the other women in the city while they were still in a state of shock and thereby delaying to meet the disciples and convey the message they got from the angels. They saw the resurrected Jesus and worshiped Him. Jesus spoke to them and sent them to the disciples with a message (Mat.28:9-10).

Meanwhile, the watchmen woke up and ran into the city and told the Jewish leaders about the incident (Mat.28:11-15).

By now most of the disciples gathered together to talk about the missing body of Jesus. However, they heard even more surprising news that Jesus rose again from the dead and appeared to Mary (Mk.16:11; Lk.24:10; Jn.20:18) and the other women for they came to them and related all that had happened to them! (Lk.24:9)