[table class=”crux”]
| Matthew | Mark | Luke | John | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who carried the cross? | Simon of Cyrene (27:32) | Simon of Cyrene (15:21) | Simon of Cyrene (23:26) | Jesus alone (19:17) | ||
| A) At what time was Jesus crucified? | A) Not mentioned in Matthew | A) 9:00 am — “It was the THIRD hour when they crucified him.” (15:25) | A) Not mentioned in Luke | A) 12:00 pm noon — Jesus was not crucified until after the SIXTH hour! (19:14-15) | ||
| B) On which day was Jesus crucified? | B) The first day of Passover, 15th day of Nissan.* (26:20-30) (See* below, left) | B) The first day of Passover, 15th day of Nissan.* (14:17-25) (see* below, left) | B) The first day of Passover, 15th day of Nissan.* (22:14-23) (see* below, left) | B) The day before Passover, 14th day of Nissan.* (13:1, 29, 18:28, 19:14) (see* below, left) | ||
| A) Did Jesus drink? | A) YES | A) NO | A) Not mentioned in Luke | A) YES | ||
| B) What was in the drink? | B) Wine mixed with gall. (27:34) | B) Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh (15:23) | B) Vinegar (sour wine) (23:36) | B) Vinegar (sour wine) (19:29-30) | ||
| Did either one of the two thieves believe in Jesus? | Neither one of the thieves believed in Jesus. (27:44) | Neither one of the thieves believed in Jesus. (15:32) | In Luke’s story, only one thief does not believe, but ONE DOES! (23:39-41) | Not mentioned in John | ||
| What were Jesus’ last dying words on the cross? | “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (27:46) | “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Meaning, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (15:34) | “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (23:46) | “It is finished” (19:30) | ||
| When did Mary prepare the spices? | Not mentioned in Matthew | Mary prepared the spices after the Sabbath was over. (16:1) | Mary prepared the spices before the Sabbath started. (23:56) | Nicodemus, not Mary, prepared the spices before the Sabbath. (19:39) | ||
| Had the sun yet risen when the women came to the tomb? | It was toward dawn of the first day of the week. (28:1) | YES — They came to the tomb when the sun had risen. (16:2) | At early dawn they went to the tomb (24:1) | NO—-Mary came early to the tomb, while it was STILL DARK. (20:1) | ||
| How many days, and how many nights, was Jesus in the tomb? | 3 days and 2 nights** (28:1) | 3 days & 2 nights** (16:2) | 3 days and 2 nights** (24:1) | 2 days and 2 nights** (20:1) | ||
| A) How many people came to the tomb? | A) TWO | A) THREE | A) FOUR+ | A) ONE | ||
| B) Who were they? | B) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (28:1) | B) Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome (16:1) | B) Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Joanna and other women (24:10) | B) Only Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. (20:1) | ||
| Was the stone removed when the women arrived at the tomb? | NO — After the women arrive at the tomb, an angel rolls back the stone. (28:1-2) | YES — When they arrived, the stone had already been rolled away. (16:4) | YES — When they arrived, the stone had already been taken away. ( 2 4:2) | YES — When Mary arrived, the stone had already been taken away. (20:1) | ||
| A) How many angels were at the tomb? | A) One angel | A) One young man | A) Two men | The angels are completely absent when Mary comes to the tomb. When Mary arrives a second time, she finds two angels sitting; one at the head and one at the feet (20:1-2, 12) | ||
| B) What were they (was he) doing? | B) Sitting (28:2) | B) Sitting (16:5) | B) Standing (24:4) | |||
| C) Where were they (was he)? | C) On the stone, which he rolled away from the tomb | C) On the right side, inside the tomb | C) By them, inside the tomb | |||
| What are the angel’s instructions to Mary and the others at the tomb? (No other people in the Book of John; Mary was alone – 20:1-2.) | “He is not here; for he has risen…go quickly and tell his disciples he is going before you to the Galilee!”*** (28:6-7) | “Do not be amazed…he has risen…But go tell his disciples and Peter he is going before you to Galilee!”*** (16:6-7) | In Luke’s story (24:5-7), the women are specifically not instructed to go to the Galilee, but to “Stay in Jerusalem!”*** (24:49) See also — “He commanded them that they should not leave Jerusalem!” (Acts 1:4) Luke’s post-resurrection tale does not permit any of his followers to leave Jerusalem because Luke must have the apostles stay in Jerusalem for the Pentecost (Acts 2:1). | The angels only ask “Why are you weeping woman?” As Mary responds, she turns around and sees Jesus standing there. Completely contradicting all three Synoptic Gospels, John’s story (20:2) has Mary clueless as to what happened to Jesus’ body when she returns to the disciples from the empty tomb. There are no angels giving instructions to the women in John’s story. On the contrary, in the fourth Gospel, it is Jesus, not the two angels, who instructs Mary about the resurrection! (20:13-17) | ||
| *Because all three synoptic Gospels insist that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder, they must therefore maintain that the crucifixion occurred on the first day of Passover, rather than the eve of Passover as the Book of John claims (click here for John’s account).**Although Jesus had claimed that he would be in the tomb for “three days and three nights”! (Matthew 12:40)***Matthew (28:16) and Mark’s (16:7) post-resurrection story has the apostles immediately depart Jerusalem, and go to the Galilee, which is about an 80-90 mile journey. Luke’s narrative, on the other hand, insists that the apostles were never told to go to the Galilee and never did depart Jerusalem! Because the anonymous person who wrote the Book of Luke authored the Book of Acts as well, his story was written in a manner that would keep the disciples gathered in Jerusalem after the crucifixion in order to form the new Jerusalem church (Luke 24:5-7, 49; Acts 1:4). | ||||||
| Does Mary wish to tell the disciples what had happened? | YES—- “They departed quickly… and ran to tell the disciples.” (28:8) | NO— “They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.” (16:8) | YES — “Returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven…” (24:9) | YES— Mary Magdalene tells the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” (20:18) | ||
| After seeing the angels, whom does Mary meet first, Jesus or the disciples? | Jesus* (28:9) | Jesus* (16:9) | the Disciples* (24:4-9) | Jesus* (20:14) | ||
| *Entirely contradicting Luke’s post-resurrection story, Matthew, Mark and John all insist that Mary met Jesus before she was able to tell any of the disciples what had happened (Matthew 28:8; Mark 16:9; John 20:14), whereas Luke asserts that Mary revealed all to the disciples before ever encountering Jesus! — Luke 24:4-10 | ||||||
| A) To whom does Jesus make his first appearance? | A) The two Marys | A) Only Mary Magdalene | A) Cleopas and another** | A) Only Mary Magdalene | ||
| B) Where does this appearance take place? | B) On the way to Jerusalem, after leaving the tomb (28:9) | B) Mark’s story does not indicate where this appearance takes place. It is quite clear, however, that it occurs sometime after Mary fled the tomb. (16:8-9) | B) Emmaus** (24:13, 18) | B) At the tomb (20:1, 11-14) | ||
| Paul — 1 Corinthians | **Contradicting Mark’s story, Luke asserts (24:34) that when the two followers who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus returned to Jerusalem and told the eleven about their encounter, the disciples declared “It is true!,” whereas Mark insists that when the two reported their encounter, the disciples did not believe! —Mark 16:13 | |||||
| A) Cephas (Peter) 15:5B) ? | ||||||
| Is Mary permitted to touch Jesus after the resurrection? | YES — “.they came and held him by his feet, and worshiped him.” (28:9) | Not mentioned in Mark | YES — “Behold my hands and my feet…handle me and see….” (24:39; 1 John 1:1) | No — Jesus said to her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father….” (20:17) | ||
| How many times does Jesus appear after the resurrection? | Two Times1st) 28:9-102nd) 28:17-20 | Three Times1st) 16:92nd) 16:12** (see** above, right)3rd) 16:14-18 | Two Times1st) 24:13-312nd) 24:36-51 | Four Times
1st) 20:14-17 2nd) 20:19-23*** 3rd) 20:26-29 4th) 21:1-23 |
||
| Paul — 1 Corinthians | ***Contradicting Luke’s post-resurrection story entirely, John has the apostles receive the Holy Spirit on the first Easter Sunday (John 20:22), whereas Luke insists that the Holy Spirit was bestowed on the Pentecost, fifty days latter! — Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1-4 | |||||
| Six Times1st and 2nd) 1 Cor. 15:53rd) 1 Cor. 15:64th and 5th) 1 Cor. 15:76th) 1 Cor. 15:8 | ||||||
| Before whom, and in what chronological order, do these appearances take place? | 1st) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. (28:9)2nd) 11 disciples**** (28:16) | 1st) Mary Magdalene (16:9)2nd) Two strolling followers** (16:12) (see** above, right)3rd) 11 disciples**** (16:14) | 1st) Cloepas and another unknown follower. (24:13)2nd) Eleven disciples**** “…and them that were with them.” (24:33) | 1st) Mary Magdalene (20:14)2nd) Ten disciples**** (Thomas was not there) (20:24)3rd) Eleven disciples (20:26)4th) Peter, Thomas, the two sons of Zebedee (James and John), Nathanael and two other disciples. (21:2) | ||
| Paul | ****According to Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus made this appearance to all the eleven surviving disciples. Paul has this event take place in the presence of all twelve apostles (1 Corinthians 15:5), although Judas had long since died (Matthew 27:5; Acts 1:18). Contrary to all this, John’s story places only ten disciples at the scene, Thomas being absent! — John 20:24 | |||||
| 1 Corinthians 1st) Cephas (Peter) 15:52nd) All 12 apostles**** 15:53rd) 500 people 15:64th) James 15:75th) All 12 apostles 15:7
6th) Paul 15:8 |
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| Where do these appearances take place? | 1st) Leaving the tomb, going to the disciples. (28:8)2nd) On a mountain in the Galilee. (28:16) (But some doubted it! —28:17) | 1st) After fleeing the tomb (16:8-9)2nd) As they walked to the country (16:12)3rd) At a meal (16:14) | 1st) Emmaus (24:13)2nd) Jerusalem (24:33, 49), NOT in the Galilee, as Matthew would have us believe (Mt. 28:6-7, 16) | 1st) At the tomb (20:14)2nd & 3rd) In Jerusalem, behind closed doors. (20:18-29)4th) The Sea of Tiberias (21:1) | ||
| For Error Is Manifold, Truth but One | ||||||
| © Copyright Tovia Singer | ||||||
[/table]