Sunday Morning: He is Risen!

Early Sunday morning when the sun had risen, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome had bought spices with which to anoint Jesus. They wondered who might roll the stone away for them.

But they found that the large stone was already rolled back. A young man (or two, Luke) was sitting in a white robe. "Do not be amazed," he said, "He is risen!" He then told them to go and tell the disciples and Peter that he would appear to them in Galilee, as he promised.

Matthew tells of the angel rolling back the stone and the guards becoming like dead men. They later went to the elders, who paid them off for them to say that the disciples came and stole the body.

The women told no one, because they were afraid (Mark). But Matthew tells of Jesus appearing to them and telling them not to be afraid. This is the first appearance of Jesus in Matthew. They tell the disciples.

In John Mary Magdalene finds the stone rolled away and runs to tell Simon and the Beloved Disciple. They run and find the stone rolled away and the linen clothes lying there. Peter is confused, but the Beloved Disciple believes. Then as Mary Magdalene weeps near the tomb, Jesus appears to her, the first resurrection appearance told in John. Mary then tells the disciples that Jesus has appeared to her.
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Notice that in Matthew and John, Jesus first appears to women, apparently even before he appeared to Peter!