The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. All four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – record the resurrection, but each contains different details and emphases. At first glance, there may appear to be discrepancies between the accounts. However, upon closer examination, these accounts can be harmonized in a reasonable way that does not compromise the integrity or inspiration of Scripture.
Key Points of Agreement Between the Accounts
While there are differences between the Gospels, there are several key points upon which they all agree:
- Jesus was crucified and died on the cross (Matt 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30).
- His body was placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea on Friday afternoon (Matt 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42).
- The tomb was found empty on Sunday morning by some of his female followers (Matt 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-7; John 20:1).
- Angels at the tomb announced that Jesus had risen (Matt 28:5-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-8; John 20:11-13).
- Jesus appeared alive to his disciples on multiple occasions after his resurrection (Matt 28:9-10, 16-20; Mark 16:9-14; Luke 24:13-48; John 20:11–21:23; Acts 1:3-8).
These key facts form the core of the resurrection narrative and are not in dispute. While some additional details vary between the Gospels, the accounts are complementary, not contradictory.
Examining the Differing Details
There are some differing details between the Gospel accounts related to the resurrection. Let us examine some of them:
The Women at the Tomb
All four Gospels mention women visiting the tomb on Sunday morning. However, the details differ:
- Matthew – Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matt 28:1)
- Mark – Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Salome (Mark 16:1)
- Luke – The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee (Luke 23:55-24:1)
- John – Mary Magdalene (John 20:1)
The different writers likely focused on varying groups of women based on their sources of information. The accounts are complementary, as they show at least Mary Magdalene was common to all accounts. The groups of women specified are not contradictory.
The Appearance of Angels
The Gospel accounts differ on the details of the angel(s) at the tomb:
- Matthew – An angel whose appearance was like lightning (Matt 28:2-4)
- Mark – A young man dressed in a white robe in the tomb (Mark 16:5)
- Luke – Two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning (Luke 24:4)
- John – Two angels in white, sitting where Jesus’ body had lain (John 20:12)
Once again, the accounts are complementary. Matthew and Mark focus on a particular angel while Luke and John provide additional details. The variations in description may result from the encounters happening at slightly different times.
Jesus’ Post-Resurrection Appearances
The order and details of Jesus’ appearances also differ:
- Matthew – Appeared first to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matt 28:9-10)
- Mark – Appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11)
- Luke – Appeared first to two disciples on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13-32)
- John – Appeared first to Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-18)
These accounts are not contradictory but selective and incomplete. No single Gospel contains the full chronological sequence. When combined, we get a fuller picture of various resurrection appearances that cannot fit within a single account.
Plausible Explanations for the Differences
Scholars have proposed various plausible explanations for the differences between the Gospel accounts of the resurrection:
- Different viewpoints: Each Gospel writer had a particular focus, theme, and audience which shaped their account.
- Using different sources: The Gospel writers appear to have drawn information from different groups of witnesses.
- Selective reporting: The Gospels do not claim to be complete accounts, but selective recordings of key facts about Jesus (John 20:30-31).
- Compression of events: The Gospels sometimes compress sequences of events for conciseness.
- Variation in details: Details about the angels, women, etc. may vary because eyewitnesses focused on different details.
- Referring to groups: When the Gospels refer to the “women” or “apostles” they likely are summarizing groups they were a part of.
- Independent accounts: The variations between independent accounts add to their credibility.
These factors may explain many of the differences without invalidating the reliability of the accounts. Minor discrepancies do not override the key points of agreement.
A Proposed Harmonization
Attempting to weave together all the details, a reasonable harmonization would be:
- Several women (including Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Salome, Joanna and others) visited the tomb at dawn on Sunday morning and found it empty.
- Mary Magdalene likely left to tell Peter and John before seeing the angels.
- The other women had an encounter with the angel(s) who told them Jesus had risen.
- Meanwhile, Peter and John visited the empty tomb.
- After Peter and John left, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and had an encounter with the angels.
- After initially failing to recognize him, the risen Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
- Jesus later appeared to the other women as they went to tell the disciples.
- That afternoon, Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the Emmaus Road.
- Subsequently, Jesus made several appearances to the disciples in Jerusalem and Galilee.
When all details are taken into account, a coherent picture emerges of events without contradictions between the Gospel accounts.
Importance of the Resurrection Accounts
Despite some differences in detail between the Gospels, they unanimously testify to the core truth of Jesus’ resurrection. The empty tomb and post-resurrection appearances form the foundation of the entire Christian faith (1 Cor 15:14). As Luke wrote, Jesus presented himself alive to the apostles “by many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:3). The Gospel writers carefully recorded these eyewitness testimonies so that readers “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).
While harmonizing every detail between the Gospels is challenging, the core story of Jesus’ resurrection is consistent. As biblical scholar F.F. Bruce stated: “The four Gospels, though they contain much the same material, are nonetheless marked individually… The variations are likely to have sprung from the fact that the traditions about Jesus… took shape independently in different Christian centers. But there is ample evidence that the variations were circumscribed by a control that was powerfully at work, keeping the main outline clear and firm.”
The Gospel accounts do differ, but they are close enough to provide mutual confirmation of the resurrection. Attempts to explain away the differences as fiction or mythology falter in light of the agreement on the main facts. The differences between independent witnesses add credibility when their testimony aligns on the core events. Taken together, the four Gospel accounts provide a harmonized, complementary testimony that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, just as he prophesied.
This central event revolutionized the lives of Jesus’ frightened and despairing disciples, emboldening them with a courage that eventually turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). The transformational impact of this event continues to be felt by millions of believers today. Attempts to explain the empty tomb and resurrection appearances apart from a bodily resurrection of Jesus strain credulity. The historical evidence points to one reasonable conclusion – Jesus rose from the dead, just as the Gospel writers unanimously testified.
