Visits to the tomb “on the First Day”

1) “Mary sees the stone removed”, “while being early darkness still”, dusk. Then Peter and John go to the tomb to see what Mary has told them. (Jn20:1-10)

2) “Earliest morning- darkness”, just after midnight, “the two women” (variant – the two Marys), “and certain others with them”, for the first time, “came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices they had prepared”. (Lk24:1) “They returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.” (“Then Peter stood up and ran to the tomb; and bending low over, he saw the linen clothes. He went back, wandering by himself about that what had happened.” (Lk24:9-12) Cf. John's account in 20:1-10. I can't say Luke talks of another visit by Peter, but it seems true because Luke doesn't mention John.)

3) These women to make sure, a second time came to the tomb “very early before sunrise”. (Mk16:2)

4) Mary from after the others had fled in fear (Mk16:8) “had had stood without at the grave” (Jn20:11). At the time a gardener should begin work, about sunrise, Jesus “early … first appeared to Mary”. (Mk16:9)

5) Soon after – after they a third time have visited the tomb and “the angel explained” to them what had happened during the Resurrection – Jesus appears to the other women “as they went to tell his disciples”. (Mt28:5, 9)

Mary went to the tomb, three times, Jn20:1, Lk24:1, Mk16:2, and Mk16:9 when she “had remained standing behind” until, Jn20:11, Jesus appeared to her, “first”, Mk16:9, and alone, “at the grave”, Jn20:16.

The other women also went to the tomb, three times, Lk24:1, Mk16:2, and Mt28:5 when “the angel explained” to them what had happened during the Resurrection, and Jesus, as “they went to tell his disciples”, appeared to them. (Mt28:5, 9)

The answer to the ‘Easter enigma’ (John Wenham) is simple: Each Gospel contributed to the whole with one of several sources; each added a personal part that, put together, will bring the whole story of the Resurrection into proper perspective.

Tradition – that is, the Sunday-resurrection approach – make of these several stories of several visits, the one and simultaneous occasion of Jesus’ resurrection. Contradictions, discrepancies and total confusion are the inevitable result! It was bad enough that this ‘solution’ to a self-created ‘riddle’ was ever offered just to protect Sunday’s presumed status of being the day of the Resurrection. It became a comedy of tragic proportions when Sunday-protagonists began to defend their presumptuousness through unlawful improvements on the Scriptures.

First thing ever and always:

No Scripture speaks directly of Jesus' resurrection.

Next thing ever and always first:

Matthew supplies the Only circumstantial 'evidence' surrounding the Resurrection. No other Gospel does.

Third thing of first importance:

The Gospels don't give a single 'eye-witness' or 'eye-witness account' of the Resurrection as such. No human being saw, and not even "the angel of the Lord" looked on and saw Jesus rise inside the grave. No; the record states he cast the stone out of the door-opening of the grave and then went and sat on it, outside. For what happened in the grave with The Dead was God in full fellowship of the Trinity (Klaas Schilder) raising Him from the dead. (So if the dead could see, the dead would have been the only ones who saw live how God raised Christ from the dead.)

Following fact of first importance:

God revealed to the angel and / or angels and gave them command to go witness to human beings the Truth and Reality of Jesus' resurrection.

Therefore it is the report or 'witness' of the angel/s and ultimately the witness of God which we believe. Paul says, "Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified (confirmed true) in the Spirit, Seen of Angels, Preached, unto the Gentiles, Believed on, in the world, received up, into glory." 1Tm3:16. This is all, speaking of Jesus in resurrection from the dead!

Only now, does the revelation of the mystery of godliness become clear to human beings where, when, and as, the angel and or angels actually Tell the women that Jesus had risen from the dead. The angels tell the women at different events in time of Their, Several, Visits, At, the grave during Saturday night-Sunday morning. And this single witness of the angels Repeated at Several encounters at the tomb all Only tell of the Fact that Jesus did rise; no instance of the angel/s 'witness' contained more 'information' than the statement of the fact of the Resurrection --- except the Last 'witness', where in Mt28:5a, 1-4, "The angel explained / answered and told the women ...." the circumstantial 'evidence' that surrounded the Resurrection "On the Sabbath" as per verses 1-4.