Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-04-15
THE FOUR VERSIONS
OF THE RESURRECTION

eNdngenStS accounts OI that
transcendingly important event differ
greatly in detail while agreeing exact
; ly in the great central declaration,
which is the foundation stone of the
Christian religion.
Matthew tells us that at dawn on
the first day of the week Mary Mag.
dalene and 'the other Mary" whom We
know to be the mother of James and
Salome, went to see the sepulcher.
And, behold. there was a great
earthquake: for the angel of the Lord
descended from heaven, and came and
rolled back the stone from the door,
and sat upon it.
His countenance was like lightning,
and his raiment white as snow:
And for fear of him the keepers
did shake. and became as dead men.
"And the angel, answered and salu
unto the women, Fear not ye: for
know that ye seek Jesus, which was
crucifed
HE is not here: for he is risen, as be
said. Come. see the place where the
Lord lay.
"And go quickly, and tell his disci
pies that he is risen from the dead;
and, behold, he goeth before you into
Galilee; there shall ye see him: 10,
have told you.
"And as they went to tell his dis
ciples, behold Jesus met them, say
| ty,a hot nd
J held him by the feet, and worshipped
him.
"Then said Jesus unto them, Be not
afraid: go tell my brethren that they
go into Galllee, and there shall they
see me-"
Matthew goes ON to say that the
eleven disciples went to Galilee as
hidden and saw and wOrshiped Jesus
there, though some doubted. There
and then he gave them their mission
to go forth and teach and baptize all
nations.
Not one of the other three evangel
lists mentions the earthquake, but all
tell of the coming Of Mary Magdalene
to the sepulcher and of its being her
discovery that the body was not there
But Mark says that she was accom-
panied by Mary, the mother Of James
and Salome. Luke says there were with
her this other Mary and Joanna and
the other women who had come with
him from Galilee, while John describes
her as being alone.
Marks version is that the women
found the stone rolled away, entered
the sepulcher and saw white robed
young man sitting within, who bade
them tell the disciples that Jesus was
risen and gone to Galilee. Luke's YER
sion is that while the women stood
puzzled in the empty tomb two men
in shining garments then appeared to
them and informed them of the resur
rection Nothing is said of an instruc
tion to go to Galilee. But, according
to John, Mary, seeing the stone rolled
away, ran back to Peter and "the
other disciples whom Jesus loved" and
told them that the body had been
taken out Of the sepulcher. Then
''the other disciple" who ran the fast
er, arriving first. but he did not go in
until Peter arrived and went in first
and verified the absence of the body.
Here John mentions that Peter and
the other disciple found the cloths in
which the body had been wrapped, but
John says, "As yet they knew not the
Scripture, that he must rise again
from the dead" After they had gone
home Mary remained, according to
John, weeping at the mouth of the
sepulcher. Looking into 1t after a
time, she saw two angels in white
within, who spoke to her, asking why
she wept. And she answered that
''they have taken away my Lord. and
know not where they have laid
him" Just then, turning around, she
saw Jesus standing there, but she die
not know him. John declares thai
she even supposed he might be the
gardener, who might have removed
the body. She asked him for it. But
he revealed himself to her. prophesiet
| --~-
announce it to the disciples.
We have seen that Matthew has the
Saviour first appearing after the res
direction to Mary Magdalene, Mark
gospel relates the same Luke declares
that he first appeared TO two of the
disciples who were on the road tC
Emmaus, but they did not know him
Mark tells Of this appearance also anc
says he afterward appeared to thu
eleven as they sat at meat, presuma
bly, in Jerusalem. Luke tells of this
stating that it was In Jerusalem ant
that it happened the same day after
the two had returned from Emmaus
also that Christ ate with the disciple:
"a piece of broiled fish, and of honey
comb"
But at that Mark as well as Mar
thew drops the narration, while Luke
goes on to tell of his leading the dis
ciples out to Bethany and thence IL
their presence ascending into heaven
while the gospel of John says tina
after eight days he visited the clever
again, on which occasion he allowed
Thomas. the doubter to touch hi
wounds and put his hand into BIZ
side. And third appearance to sever
of the eleven is related by John, thii
by the Lake Of Tiberias, where the.
were fishing, Here is told of the mi
raculous draft Of fishes. and here
was, according to John, that Chris
-. ..,seh h;, JiOcl,olac a flor bic FoSur