A Harmonized Chronology of the Resurrection Events

Friday, evening in Jerusalem

• After Jesus died, the Bible mentions that some specific women were still at the Cross. They included Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleophas (probably a 1st cousin to Jesus’ mother Mary) and the mother of the disciples James and John, whose name was probably Joanna. Mary the mother of Jesus is not mentioned here. Jesus had delivered his own mother into the care of John, who had most likely gotten her to safety and rest just after the Crucifixion. He would have had to leave his own mother there to take care of Mary, but Joanna was a force to be reckoned with. She was the one who had come to Jesus a couple of years earlier and demanded to know if her sons would sit at His right or His left hand! Those Sons of Zebedee were referred to as the “sons of thunder,” and I don’t think that referred to their father!

• These women were there when Joseph of Arimathea came to them. He was a rich Jew who lived outside of Jerusalem in the Judean town of Arimathea. He was probably a member of the Jewish High Council who had condemned Jesus to death. Had he himself done it? Or the other secret believer, Nicodemus? We don’t know. They may well have voted against death but were certainly outvoted.

• Joseph had the courage to ask a very fed-up Pilate for Jesus’ body. Pilate  had been extremely surprised that Jesus was dead already, crucifixions usually lasted longer. He eventually gave his permission and Joseph returned to Golgotha and the place of the cross. He probably spoke to his friend and fellow council member Nicodemus, who arrived with servants bearing about a 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to dress the body. Myrrh is an aromatic gum resin, generally believed have been obtained from the low-growing thorny shrub or tree. Aloes is also a tree resin described in the scriptures as a perfume. Probably from the “eagle wood tree.” Both were used as burial spices as well as additives to wine (myrrh) or perfume (aloes). BTW, aloes were extremely expensive but Nicodemus was a wealthy man. Still, both men took a chance by being involved with the burial of the “traitor’s” body.

• Joseph and Nicodemus spoke with the women there and told them and the guards that they had received permission to bury Jesus. The men had the body taken down, wrapped in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in Joseph’s own new tomb that had been cut out of the rock in a nearby garden. Joseph had a big stone rolled in front of the entrance to the tomb. The women followed them through all this because the Bible says that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary – probably Mary of Cleophas, Jesus’ cousin – seated themselves just outside the tomb. They must have been rocking and wailing as they sat, but eventually they had to leave because Sabbath began that Friday evening.

• Also by that time the Sanhedrin had convinced Pilate to send Roman soldiers to guard the tomb, or the disciples might steal Jesus’ body and the people would think He had risen. The irony of this is that the chief priests seemed to be more aware of Jesus’ prophecy of His resurrection than Jesus’ own disciples were!

Saturday at midnight

• Sabbath ended Saturday at midnight and the women could prepare the spices and perfumes they needed to anoint the body themselves once Sabbath was over. Nicodemus’ gift had already been used but the women wanted to honor Jesus in this way as well.

• They intended to go to the tomb as early as they could, which meant leaving Jerusalem before dawn.

Sunday, dawn in Jerusalem

• Next morning before dawn Mary Magdalen, Mary of Cleophas, and Joanna left to go to the tomb, bearing the burial spices and perfumes. The women were worried that they could not roll the stone away as it would be too heavy for them. They also had to worry about assault or even arrest by Temple guards. They came anyway

• But before the women got there, something happened to the guard detail. Right in front of the tomb where they stood guard there was a violent earthquake, just as there had been when Jesus died. An angel of heaven caused it. He was glowing like lightning and his clothes were blinding white. The guards shook and fell down and couldn’t move as the angel rolled back the stone and sat on it! When they could get to their feet they ran back to Jerusalem. The women were on their way by then and must have seen them running in the opposite direction!

• When the guards got to Jerusalem and the Temple, they told the chief priests what had happened. The priests paid them to lie and say that the disciples had stolen the body that night while the guards slept. The ruse worked, and many people believed exactly that.

• Meanwhile the women arrived at the tomb – to see the stone down. There were two angels inside the tomb, I believe the same ones that frightened those tough soldiers half to death. They frightened the women too who fell forward with their faces on the ground. The angels asked “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen.” The women ran back to Jerusalem where the Eleven and other disciples were hiding together in an upper room.

• Peter and John decided to go look for themselves. Followed by Mary Magdalen and Mary of Cleophas, they hurried to the tomb. They outran the two Mary’s and found the tomb empty. John reached the tomb first but could not make himself enter. Peter caught up with him and went in the tomb to find the graveclothes lying  there – neatly folded! Then John followed him in to the small rock chamber. John writes in his gospel of John that he himself “saw and believed.” They returned to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples.

• Meanwhile the two women finally make it back to the tomb. It was their second trip back and forth today, no wonder they were tired! They may have met Peter and John coming back who would have told them the tomb was empty. The women went on to see for themselves.

• The women arrived at the tomb. Mary Magdalen might have gotten there first since the Synoptic Gospels say “them” and John says only Mary at first. Even though Mary had witnessed the angels saying that Christ was risen, she was frantic and exhausted. She didn’t know what to think. She blurted out her request for Jesus’ body to the first stranger she saw — but he was no stranger, He was the risen Christ! Then the other women came too and fell at his feet and worshipped Him. He told them to go and tell the disciples that He is risen!

• The women returned to the upper room, delirious with joy!

Afternoon between Jerusalem and Emmaus

• Jesus next appeared on the road from Jerusalem to two very discouraged disciples who were returning to their home in the town of Emmaus. The disciples may have been male relatives or they may have been husband and wife. Like Mary Magdalen, they didn’t recognize him at first and told him that some of their women had seen a vision of angels who said Jesus was alive. But they didn’t iow what to think.

• At which point Jesus told them how foolish they were not to understand that Messiah’s death and Resurrection had been foretold by Moses and all the Prophets. That evening He revealed Himself to them at the breaking of the bread, and then He disappeared.

Evening in Jerusalem

• The disciples ran back to Jerusalem! There was a lot of excited running that day! They got to the upper room which was a sanctuary known to Jesus’ disciples. They reported that they had seen the Lord. Apparently Jesus had already appeared to Peter in Jerusalem that day because the Eleven and other disciples reported that to them.

• Thomas must have left shortly after this, perhaps in disbelief and disgust. Because that same evening Jesus appears to everyone in the upper room and Thomas is not there. The ones who had not seen Him yet were scared, thinking they saw a ghost. Just like they thought He had been a ghost when he passed them a few years before – they were in a boat at the time and He was walking on the water! He showed them His wounds and spoke to them about what happened.

• They told Thomas later that Jesus had appeared but he refused to believe what they told him. Eight days later Jesus appears to them again – and this time Thomas is there. Jesus told him to place his fingers in Jesus’ own wounds, and then he believed. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe,” Jesus told him.

The Rest of the 40 Days

Many appearances to many people in many locations. Of the ones we know specifically:

In Galilee

• Peter and others go night fishing and see Jesus on the shore at dawn. Jesus is cooking breakfast! He reconciles with Peter. “Peter, feed my lambs.” The disciples including the women see Jesus several more times and places in Galilee, just as Jesus had told the women would happen.

In Jerusalem

• Jesus gives Great Commission “Go ye into all lands…” and tells the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the coming power of Holy Spirit.

In Bethany

•   Jesus leads disciples to Mt. Olivet in Bethany and from there ascends into heaven!

In Jerusalem

• The disciples return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit… who comes like a mighty wind. We celebrate it today as the Day of Pentecost.