Mdahalishi Mjumbe

Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 14, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”

No Christian currently living was present at the rising, or resurrection, of Jesus and their only record of this event is found in their bible. There are no extra-biblical records referring to Jesus’ resurrection that could not be linked back to what is written in the bible. There are no extra-biblical accounts, eyewitness or otherwise, that can be proven to be independent of what is already written in the bible. The Christian’s entire religion is based on faith that their teacher died and came back to life. It is based on faith because there is no evidence, either in or out of the bible, that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

From even before the moment of the bible’s account of the discovery of the empty tomb there are irreconcilable inconsistencies and contradictions. In all of the gospels describing the finding of the empty tomb, there is one common eyewitness- Mary Magdalene. In all four of the gospel accounts Mary Magdalene is a witness to or a participant in a dialogue concerning the whereabouts of the body of Jesus. You will find these dialogues at-

Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-9
John 20:1-18

One would expect four accounts of the same event, when combined, to form one at least loosely cohesive report. When we examine Mary Magdalene’s visit to the place where Jesus’ body had been placed, we find something altogether different, to wit-

Early on the morning of the first day of the week (before or after the sun had risen), Mary Magdalene (with or without Mary [the mother of James] and with or without Salome and with or without the other women present at Jesus’ crucifixion) went to the place where Jesus’ body had been laid to rest.

When Mary Magdalene (on her own or with one other woman or with more than one other woman) got to the tomb, she (or they) noticed the stone that had been placed in front of the tomb had been moved to unblock the tomb’s entrance but was still in place in front of the tomb blocking the tomb’s entrance. Mary Magdalene ran alone away from the tomb to tell Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

Mary Magdalene then entered the opened tomb with the other women who were with her. While she was doing that, Mary Magdalene and the other two women who were with her were wondering aloud, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"

Then looking up, the three women saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Just then, a severe earthquake occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. The guards at the tomb passed out in fear. Now, before entering the tomb, the angel who rolled away the stone said to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (but not Salome or any other women), "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said. Come; see the place where he was lying. Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead; and behold, he is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see him; behold, I have told you." Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (but not Salome or any other women) left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to Jesus’ disciples.

Mary Magdalene, Mary [the mother of James] and Salome then entered the tomb and they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. He said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; he is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.'" Mary Magdalene, Mary [the mother of James] and Salome went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now, Mary Magdalene and the other women present at Jesus’ crucifixion entered the already opened tomb and looked for but could not find the body of Jesus anywhere. While they were puzzled about this, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground and the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen. Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." They remembered his words, returned from the tomb, and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Mary Magdalene, Mary [the mother of James] and Salome (but no one else) were also to tell the disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee.

On the way, Jesus met Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (but not Salome or the other women). The two women took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Jesus then said to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to my brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see me.” Jesus, apparently, was unaware they were already doing that.

As was written earlier, Mary Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved raced to the tomb and the other disciple whom Jesus loved beat Simon Peter because he was a faster runner. The other disciple whom Jesus loved saw the wrappings used on Jesus’ body lying in the tomb but he did not enter the tomb until after Simon Peter went in. It was then they believed what Mary Magdalene had told them. They did not yet understand the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead because Mary Magdalene was yet to tell them what the angel outside the tomb and the young man and the two angels inside the tomb had told her about Jesus rising from the dead. Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved went back to their respective homes because Mary Magdalene was also yet to tell the two disciples to meet Jesus at Galilee.

These events were beginning to take their toll on Mary Magdalene and she began to cry. Two angels (not the two men she had seen in the tomb while she was with the other women present at Jesus’ crucifixion; these are angels) said to her (possibly in unison), "Woman, why are you weeping?" Mary Magdalene said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him", seemingly forgetting her meeting with Jesus while with the other Mary on their way to tell the eleven disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee.

After telling the angels this, Mary Magdalene tuned around and saw Jesus; only she did not know it was Jesus. The events of the morning must have had her utterly flustered. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Thinking Jesus was the gardener, Mary Magdalene replied, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father; but go to my brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to my father and your father, and my god and your god.'", forgetting that he is the father and the god of himself and his brethren.

Finally, Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the lord," and that he had said these things to her.

I introduced this post with a quote from Paul. I will close with another that deserves some thoughtful reflection based on the context of what you have just read regarding the biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection.

1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

Iskander

All religions are based on faith. Why the red face?

Mdahalishi Mjumbe

Paul states that the faith of a Christian is in vain if Jesus was not resurrected from the dead.

It will help me find this post quicker than if I didn't use it.

Iskander

That faith is what separates the Christians from other religions that also offer “life after death”. Why is that saying of Paul important to you?

Mdahalishi Mjumbe

What is a twenty-first century Christian's faith based on?

Chili

Burning sulpher maybe? as the smoke of torment?

Iskander

On the Bible; others religions have their own books: Koran, Vedas, Buddha,...

Mdahalishi Mjumbe

Mdahalishi Mjumbe

It is my contention that a Christian that bases their faith on a book that can not even give a consistent report of the resurrection of their prime figure of worship has a faith that is futile. They may as well believe in the existence of fairies, unicorns or talking trees.

Iskander

Different witnesses explain the inexplicable differently. Different translators translate words differently. Different editors edit the words differently. Different readers interpret words differently.

What is important is the existence of the resurrection of the dead and that is faith.