What's in the Bible? The Resurrection: He is Risen Just as He Said

Latter-Day Saints believe the resurrection of the Savior occurred just as it was documented by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We have in the gospels a formal history presented by a professional historian - Luke - who gathered the accounts of eyewitnesses and also reported the events concerning the resurrection as he himself had witnessed them. (see Luke 1:1-4) That account, given in the gospel of Luke, as also in Acts, is corroborated by Matthew, Mark and John's accounts of the same events.


The New Testament Account of the Resurrection of Christ

The four accounts taken together present the events as follows:

1. Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James came to the sepulchre where the Savior had been buried. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? They "[saw] the stone taken away". They "entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus." (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-4, Luke 24:1-3, John 20:1)
2. They saw two angels at the sepulchre: "they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words..." (Matthew 28:2-6, Luke 24:5-9)
3. The angels instructed the women to go and tell the apostles that the Lord had risen and they would soon see Him: "But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid." (Matthew 28:7-8, Mark 16:7-8)
4. Mary reported the missing body to the eleven apostles and others. They did not believe, thinking "their words were to them as idle tales". (Mark 16:11,13-14, Luke 24,9-11, John 20:2)
5. Peter and John came to the tomb and "saw the linens lying", then "went in...and saw, and believed", unaware or having forgotten that the scriptures had foretold Jesus would rise again the third day. (Luke 24:12, John 20:4-9)
6. Peter and John went home, leaving Mary alone at the tomb. (John 20:10)
7. Mary stayed at the tomb, weeping. She saw two angels who asked, "Woman, why weepest thou?" She answered, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." (John 20:10-13)
8. When Mary turned around, the risen Jesus was behind her. Upon hearing Him call her name, she recognized Him: "she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master." (Mark 16:9, John 20:14-26)
9. Jesus tells her: "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." Thereafter, Jesus "ascended to his father" and was resurrected. (John 20:17)
10. Jesus appeared to the women during their return trip to where the apostles were, and commanded them to tell the apostles that He would soon appear to them as well. (Matthew 28:9-10)
11. The tomb guards reported these events to Jewish leaders who then bribed them to say the body of Christ had been taken by His disciples. (Matthew 28:11-15)
12. Jesus appears to the apostles in a closed room, without passing through doors or walls, and "shewed unto them his hands and his side". They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. He then  gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Luke 24:36-51, John 20:19-20)
13. Two of the disciples named Simon and Cleopas were making their journey to Emmaus from Jerusalem when they encountered a stranger on the road. The stranger taught them of the prophecies concerning the death and resurrection of the Savior, and then disappeared.The two disciples recognized the stranger as the Savior, saying "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Mark 16:12, Luke 24:13-32)
14. Simon and Cleopas reported their encounter to the eleven apostles. (Luke 24:33-35)
15. Thomas was not there for the Lord's first appearance to them, and when the apostles told him, he said: "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:24-25)
16. Eight days later, the Savior appeared to disciples - again in a closed room - saying, "peace be with you", and Thomas was with them. Jesus invited Thomas: "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing". (John 20:26-27)
17. Thomas acknowledged the risen Lord, saying: "My Lord and my God." Jesus responded, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:28-29)
18. Jesus appeared to the apostles on a mountain, and commissioned them to do missionary work in all the world. (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18)
19. Over a period of forty days, many, many people saw the resurrected Savior, and He ministered unto them. Luke records: "[the gospel of Luke] have I made... of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: ...and when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Mark 16:19, Acts 1:1-3, 9-11)

John gave us his account "that [we] might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing [we] might have life through his name." (John 20:31) Disagree with me if you will, but as a Latter-Day Saint and as an earnest student of the Bible, I believe Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, has a resurrected body with hands and feet and mouth and side - as tangible as man's! (see also Exodus 24:10, Exodus 34:5, Ezekiel 43:7, Isaiah 6:1)





Also of Interest


Primary Children's Song: I Know that My Savior Loves Me (MP3 Download)
The Date of the Savior's Birth and Resurrection