The Order of Events from the Resurrection to the Ascension

The Order of Events from the Resurrection to the Ascension.  Mt. 28; Mk. 16; Lk. 24; Jn. 20-21; Acts 1:1-11; 1 Cor. 15:3-8.

     This Appendix offers an ordering of events that I believe fits together all the facts in a possible and logical way.  It is not intended to be exactly the way the reality was, but only to show that the facts can all fit into a coherent whole.  I arrived at this ordering of events independently, but have been gratified to discover that better minds than mine have long ago come to the same arrangement.  I don’t know of any other plan that works, but such may exist.

     Sometime well before dawn on the first day of the week, Jesus arose from the dead.  Angels rolled the stone away from the tomb, not to release Jesus but to open access for others. They terrorized the helpless guards, who later ran away to report what had happened.

     Shortly afterward, the women who wanted to anoint Jesus’ body began to arrive.  They came in at least two groups.  Before it was light (Jn. 20:1), Mary Magdalene (and several others with her – “we” Jn. 20:2) arrived first.  Finding the stone rolled away and the tomb empty, she assumed someone had moved the body, and she ran to tell Peter and John.

     Mk 16:2: After day dawned, another group of women arrived at the empty tomb.  Angels sent them to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen.  After the women hurried away to do so, Peter and John ran up, and found the tomb empty.  They departed, and Mary Magdalene, who had followed them back, stayed at the tomb by herself.  Jesus appeared to her first.

     He then appeared to some of the other women, who were still on their way to report to the disciples what the angels had told them.

     Later in the day, Jesus appeared to Peter.  Then he appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus.  That evening, he appeared to the eleven (except for Thomas) and to some others gathered with them in a safe house in Jerusalem.  A week later (again on the first day of the week), he appeared to them when Thomas was present.

     Over a period of 40 days, he made other appearances.  He appeared to seven of the eleven as they were fishing in Galilee.  He appeared to over 500 at once, perhaps when he met the eleven on the appointed mountain in Galilee.  He appeared to James, his brother (1Cor.15:6-7).  He appeared for the last time at Jerusalem.  He led his disciples out to Mt. Olivet, where he told them to stay in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them with power, and then he ascended up into a cloud out of their sight (Acts 1:9).