Order Of Events After The Resurrection
ORDER OF EVENTS AFTER THE RESURRECTION: No matter who came to visit the tomb, NO ONE found the Lord there. As we have proven with Diagram A and the accompanying comments, the Lord had arisen before 6:00 P.M. on the Sabbath. The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5). He is...
“…the end of the law for righteousness.” (Romans 10:4; See also Galatians 3:22-24; Galatians 4:4-5).
“Blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:14-15; See also Ephesians 2:15-16).
We, as Christians, should be talking about the death, burial and Resurrection of Christ every time we come to church. It is the Gospel! (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
We worship on the first day of the week, not because many think Christ rose from the dead on that day, but because of Acts 20:7.
“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until after midnight.” This would indicate the use of the apostolic church of the first day, not the seventh. Also see 1 Corinthians 16:2. We also find that immediately after the Resurrection, the disciples were assembled together on “the first (day) of the week.” (John 20:19). “And after eight days again,” another Sunday, we find the disciples assembled. (John 20:26).
There were THREE Sabbaths during the period from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection. The Passover Sabbath (Leviticus 23:4-5). All preparations for the Passover meal would have to be finished by 6:00 (or at even) as the Passover was a “holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:7-8) in which “no servile work" could be done. The First Day of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-7) was also a “holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” (Leviticus 23:7) The first day of Unleavened Bread began at 6:00 P.M. following Christ's crucifixion. The Weekly Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3), which began Friday at 6:00 P.M. and ended Saturday at 6:00 P.M. “Ye shall do no work therein.” The only time a Jewish person could move about or work during the period from the crucifixion would be on Thursday from 6:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Friday.
According to the Scripture, the daytime hours of the Passover were used as a preparation day for the Sabbath; occurring on the first day of Unleavened Bread. (Luke 23:50-56). Luke 23:54 tells us...
“And that day was the preparation and the Sabbath drew on.” (The first day of Unleavened Bread.) John 19:31 tells us
“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” ( Also see John 19:38-42.
One group of women prepared spices before the Sabbath, first day of Unleavened Bread, and rested according to the commandment. They seemed to have had spices on hand and simply went home and prepared them. (Luke 23:54-56)
Mark 16:1. We find this verse merely states that the three women named in this verse bought spices on this day; NOT brought them on this day.
Who? “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome.” When did they buy them? “And when the Sabbath (The first day of Unleavened Bread.) was past.” This was some time Thursday, after 6 P.M. and before Friday 6 P.M. Some women had spices already, and only prepared them. These three “bought” theirs.
Many women were among the disciples who came with the Lord from Galilee and also came up from Jerusalem, and ministered to him. (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 23:49).
All the women did not go to the tomb at the same time. The followers of Christ were going through a dangerous time. We are told, “…when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews…” (John 20:19).
They could no longer move about in a multitude as they had once done. In reality, scattered groups moved back and forth from the tomb; groups of women, disciples, Peter and John are named; some of the women are named, while others are not.
We must take note of the time that different groups arrived at the tomb and how many angels they saw, if any. We know that all those mentioned going to view the tomb did not go at the same time.
We must consider what message the angels gave to each individual or group, and whether they delivered it, or not. The only ones to witness the earthquake and the rolling away of the stone by the Angel, were the members of the watch.
"And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men." (Matthew 28:4 cf. to Mark 16:4; Luke 24:2; John 20:1) Pilate had given the Chief Priests and Pharisees permission to set this watch.
"Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, (62) Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. (63) Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. (64) Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. (65) So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. (Matthew 27:62-66).
After the frightening experience, the members of the watch fled back to Jerusalem with their report. What did the council do? Did they say, “This must truly be the Son of God? No, they bribed the watch to say the Lord's disciples had stolen away the Lords body during the night, and “…they did as they were taught.” ( Matthew 28:11-15).
We know the Resurrection was on the weekly Sabbath, as this was the third day and the watch was still standing guard. The First Arrivals At the Tomb (Matthew 28:1; John 20:1)
We find that Mary Magdalene and the "other Mary" were the first to arrive at the tomb. The time of their arrival was some time during the last few minutes of the weekly Sabbath and the first few moments of the first of the week.
" In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre (day is not in the original)." (Matthew 28:1).
"The first [ day] of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre." (John 20:1). In Matthew, the time is pin-pointed as "drawing on", the meaning of “DAWN” in Matthew 28:1, “the first of the week.” John also fixes the time as "The first of the week…early, yet dark..." This does not mean before daybreak as we think of day and night. It is referring to the "last of the Sabbath," before 6:00 P.M. as it “draws on” toward Saturday, 6:01 P.M.; when Sunday began, being the "first of the week." The point is...the two Marys did NOT witness the great earthquake, they found the stone rolled away and the tomb EMPTY! The Resurrection had already occurred!
Mary Magdalene left, summoning Peter and John. She supposed that since the tomb was empty, that Christ's body had been stolen. She ran to Peter and John to tell them this and they raced to the tomb.
"Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre and we know not where they have laid him." (John 20:2).
John, seeing the empty grave clothes, believes (John 20:8). Peter and John then return to their own home (John 20:10).
Mary remained behind, weeping; and, upon looking again at the tomb, sees two angels: one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Christ had lain. They question her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" They must have been astonished at the tears of one whose redemption was forever settled by that empty tomb. They had no time to say more, for Mary turns about and mistakes the Savior for a gardener. The Lord reveals Himself to her and, evidently, she wanted to throw herself at His feet. He warns her, "Touch me not" (John 20:17). The women coming later, on the same day, held Jesus by the feet with no rebuke at all. (Matthew 28:9). The Lord gives Mary the reason that she may not touch Him.
"Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father." (20:17). The Lord then gives Mary this message and she, alone.
"Go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father..."
Mary delivered this message. (John 20:18) Mary Magdalene Was The First To See The Risen Lord. (Mark 16:9)
"Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils."
What does this verse actually say in the original? If we take it to mean that Jesus arose “early the first of the week,” it would contradict other Scripture.
We reiterate: In Matthew, the time is pin-pointed as "drawing on", the meaning of “DAWN” in Matthew 28:1, “the first of the week.” John also fixes the time as "The first of the week… early, yet dark..." This does not mean before daybreak as we think of day and night. It is referring to the "last of the Sabbath," or 6:00 P.M.; “drawing on” towards Saturday, or 6:01 P.M., when Sunday began, being the "first of the week."
Therefore, in Mark 16:9, “early the first of the week” could not be referring to the time of the Lord's Resurrection. It is referring to when he appeared to Mary. Actually, the literal translation of this verse as given by Zondervan's Interlinear Greek-English New Testament reads,
“Now having risen(,) early (the) first (day) of the week he appeared first to Mary the Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”
"Now having risen," means "already out of the tomb." Since commas are not supplied in the original Greek, and, since one has been supplied here by the interlinear, I have also supplied one in this manner (,). I believe it is just as correct in our rules of grammar as the one supplied in this interlinear (,) and does not contradict other Scripture.
C. The Second Group (Matthew 29:5-11): This group, found in Matthew 28:5-11, fell and held Christ by the feet (Matthew 28:9) with no rebuke at all. Christ had already ascended to anoint the Mercy Seat with His blood and had returned. They saw one angel and he gave them this message, "Tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead: and behold, He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him (Matthew 28:7)." On their way to deliver the message to the disciples, they met Jesus, fell about His feet and received a different message than Mary Magdalene had received. Christ repeats the message the angel had given them.
"Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee and there they shall see me." (Matthew 28:10). An important point to remember—this group went to deliver the message. (Luke 24:22).
D. Another Group (Luke 23:55-24:1-9): In Luke's account of the tomb visitation (Luke 23:55 to 24:1-9), he does not name all the visitors to the tomb. This is the group that prepared their spices before the Sabbath. Now, the group that prepared their spices before the Sabbath came, and Luke mentions "certain" with them. This group saw two angels. Their message from the angels is different from the other group in that it is delivered in the form of a stinging rebuke.
"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto 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." (Luke 24:5-7).
It is possible that the angels are rebuking them for not believing Christ' s words, and not merely blaming them for their poor memories. It must be said that they prepared their burial spices before Christ's body was yet cold in the tomb. (Luke 23:54-56). They delivered their message. "Now when they were going..." (Luke 24:11 a).
E. A Later Group (Mark 16:2-10): As we begin Mark's account of the Resurrection (Mark 16:1), at first glance we would include Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of Joses, and Salome in the group referred to in Mark 16:2-9. But, as we apply the facts to the account, we find that Mark 16:1 merely states that the three women merely bought spices. When? “And when the sabbath was past.” What Sabbath? The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Mark 16:2-8 is an accounting of a different group at a different time, at the "rising of the sun," and Mark, himself, points out, in Mark 16:9 and Mark 16:10, that Mary Magdalene was not included. He states that Mary saw the Lord first, and she delivered her message (John 20:18 and Mark 16:10).
Note carefully what is different about the women in Mark 16:2-8. They do not deliver their message, "…neither said they anything to any man, for they were afraid." (Mark 16:8).
They are similar to the second group, they saw one angel and their message is similar ( cf. Matthew 28:7 with Mark 16:7).
They are the only ones who say, “…Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” (Mark 16:3).
They are instantly set apart by the fact that... they did not deliver their message or meet Christ when returning. They fled in fear! This could not describe the response of Mary Magdalene (John 20:18) and the “other Mary” (Mary the mother of James) In Matthew 28:8 we find...
“And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy and run to bring his disciples word.”
Neither were the women referenced in Luke 23:55-24:1-9, a part of this group given in Mark 16:2-8, as they, too, delivered their message.
We may ask, why go into these Scriptures in such depth? It is to prove there is no such fallacy as Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This is a tradition, and God condemns tradition when it replaces the truth of His Word.
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9).
Satan attacks the doctrine of the Resurrection. He would like that taken out of the Bible; for without a living Savior we have no Salvation. We should have a clear understanding of these portions of Scripture so that we may answer the questions of any man who "…asks the reason of the hope that is within us."