April 20, 2025 • 25 mins
Mark's account is chapter 16, it is the earliest, and also the shortest.There are no angels, no soldiers, Jesus is not there. Women are the only witnesses, besides the unidentified young man.Verse 9 onwards, reads differently, it contradicts the fear and silence of the women it includes hints and pointers to events described in greater detail in the other gospels. It's almost as though it was added after those stories were written.The note says some early manuscripts do not have verses 9 to 20. What it doesn't say is that manuscripts from as late the 4th century do not include these verses, they appear in manuscripts from the 5th century. This is strong evidence this text is forged. But you won't learn this from the bible. You have to engage with scholars. Why would christians downplay the truth here?Matthew's account is in chapter 28Matthew introduces an angel to roll away the stone, and an earthquake for added drama.Matthew also adds the soldiers for drama and conspiracy. Including the suggestion that Jews circulated that the disciples stole the body. Have you tried looking for evidence that the Jews actually perpetrated this? Apologists love to reference it, but I've never actually seen evidence that the claim is true. Matthew is the only one to make this claim, he is also the only one to reference guards. This is evidence of inserted fictionalisation. Matthew's account ends with the great commission and the familiar expression of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it's almost as if this was a well known phrase and the writer of Matthew incorporated it to help create familiarity.Luke's account is chapter 24No earthquake, the stone is already rolled away. The drama about the empty tomb has two unidentified persons and a longer conversation. The women are no longer silent and afraid. The alleged appearances of Jesus are more detailed. How did Mark know the details of the conversation on the road? who is Cleopas? Why is this the only place he is mentioned? Yet another clue to added detail as the story gains momentum! Why is it Mark had access to the words of Jesus rebuking the two men, but not the words said afterwards where he explained everything in the scriptures about himself?When Jesus appears to the disciples it is he who offers to them to look at his hands and feet. Thomas is not a feature of this dialogue. Like with the road to Emmaus, Jesus opens their minds so they can understand. We have no written record of what that understanding is. There is no actual book in the bible that details what it was that Jesus had them understand. This text does not exist, and given the context, it would be a very key piece of knowledge to put into writing, more important than the details of what food Jesus ate in front of the disciples that evening. This sort of thing is evidence that the gospels are not true accounts of history, they are fictionalised accounts of events that mostly did not happen.John's account is chapter 20John inserts himself as Jesus favourite disciple. And god forbid that the women are recorded as first seeing that Jesus has risen. It has to be the men! Mary does still get to have a conversation with the angels, two of them now. Then Jesus is in the garden.The meeting where Jesus appears gains added detail, he breaths on them to impart his holy spirit. Thomas was not there, so we have the convoluted conversation to bring Jesus back to them a week later. As time progresses, and each new gospel is written, the writing becomes more dramatic and more details are included. When you read the passages consecutively like this, it becomes absolutely clear that this is what is happening. The standard apologetics excuse that this is each writer having a different focus simply does not work. These accounts are not safe to believe.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:10):
This is Matthew. And this special Easter 2025
episode is the third of three that compares how the four
Gospels tell the same story. This episode focuses on the
resurrection of Jesus, the firston the Last Supper and the
second on the crucifixion. This podcast version is the
audio from the YouTube video I have created.
(00:32):
The link to that is in the show notes. 2025 Extra The
Resurrection accounts indicate evolved fiction As with the
previous videos exploring the changing accounts of the Last
Supper and the Crucifixion, thisthird video of my Easter series
(00:55):
2025 we'll explore the differentaccounts of Jesus resurrection,
highlighting where they change and why.
Evolved fiction is a reasonable conclusion when you simply read
them in the order written and explore how they change as you
go. Ralph's count is chapter 16.
It is the earliest and also the shortest.
(01:19):
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint
Jesus body. Very early on the first day of
the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the
tomb. They asked each other who will
roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb.
(01:41):
But when they looked up they sawthat the stone, which was very
large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they
saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right
side, and they were alarmed. Don't be alarmed, He said.
You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.
(02:03):
He has risen. He is not here.
See the place where they laid him.
But go tell his disciples and Peter.
He is going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him, just as he told you.
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the
tomb. They said nothing to anyone
(02:25):
because they were afraid. That's normally where Mark ends,
but as you'll see, there's a note to it.
The earliest manuscripts do not have verses 9 to 20.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he
appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had
driven 7 demons, and went and told those who had been with him
(02:50):
and who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him,
they did not believe it. After Jesus appeared in a
different form to two of them while they were walking in the
country, these returned and reported it to the rest, but
they did not believe them either.
(03:11):
Later Jesus appeared to the 11 as they were eating.
He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn
refusal to believe those who hadseen him after he had risen.
He said to them, Go into the world and preach the gospel to
all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised
will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
(03:35):
And these signs will accompany those who believe in my name.
They will drive out demons, theywill speak in new tongues, they
will pick up snakes with their hands, and when they drink
deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all.
They'll place their hands on sick people and they will get
(03:56):
well. After the Lord Jesus had spoken,
he was taken up into heaven, andhe sat at the right hand of God.
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the
Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs
that accompanied it. In this early version, there are
(04:18):
no angels, no soldiers, and Jesus is only referenced as not
being there. Women are the only witnesses
besides the unidentified young man.
You could be, for you could be forgiven for thinking it as an
Angel. But Mark does not say that.
First Thing Onwards reads differently.
(04:39):
It contradicts the fear in the silence of women.
It occludes hints and pointers to events described in greater
detail in the other gospels which we'll be reading later,
like the appearance of Jesus in the Upper Room and on the road
to Emmaus. It's almost as though it was
added after those stories were written.
The other clue here is a reference to casting out demons
(05:02):
from Mary Magdalene, which is mirrored in Luke 8.
Notice the note here simply saysthat some early manuscripts do
not have verses 9 to 20. What it doesn't say is that
manuscripts from as late as the 4th century do not include these
verses, but they appear in manuscripts from the 5th
(05:23):
century. This is strong evidence that
this is additional text and is forged.
But you don't learn this if you read the bike.
You have to go out and engage with the critical scholars in
order to find this out. On a personal note, I didn't
learn about the problematic nature of these verses until
after I'd left Christianity. No one ever explained what this
(05:47):
note actually means. This is deceptive.
Why would Christians downplay the truth here?
Are they afraid they'll lose more of their flock?
Matthew's account is in chapter 28.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary
(06:07):
Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for names of the Lord had come
down from heaven, and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone
and sat on it. His appearance was like
lightning. In his clothes were as white as
snow. The guards were so afraid that
(06:29):
they shook and became like dead men.
The Angel said to women, do not be afraid, for I know that you
are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here. He has risen just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples it risen from the
(06:52):
dead, and he's going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him. Now I have told you, I said,
when he hurried away from the tomb, afraid, yet filled with
joy, and ran to tell his disciples, suddenly Jesus met
them Greetings, He said. They came to him and cast his
feet and worshipped him. And Jesus said to them, Do not
(07:17):
be afraid, Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, there
they will see me. While the women were on their
way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to
the chief priests everything that had happened.
And the chief priests met with the elders and devised a plan.
They gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, you
(07:40):
are to say his disciples came during the night and stole him
while we were asleep. If this report gets to the
governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.
So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to
(08:01):
this very day. How fast.
Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where
Jesus told them to go. When they saw him.
They worshipped him, but some doubted.
Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me.
(08:23):
Therefore go and make disciples to all the nations, baptising
them in the nature of the Fatherand of the Son and of the
Holies, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age. Matthew introduces an Angel to
(08:44):
roll away the stone and an earthquake for adage drama.
Remember, it's Matthew who also introduced an earthquake during
the crucifixion. See my other video for a
reference to that. At least he is consistent in his
enhancements to the text. Matthew also adds the soldiers
(09:04):
for a bit of drama and conspiracy.
How come the soldiers went to the chief priests and not to
their bosses? Weird.
And how did they know the conversations that they had?
Also including the audacious suggestion that the Jews
circulated claims that the disciples started the body of
Jesus. Have you tried looking for
(09:27):
evidence that the Jews actually perpetrated this?
I can't find any. I've heard the claim many times.
Christians apologists love to reference it, but I've never
actually seen evidence that thisclaim is true.
It seems that lying about the Jews is as old as Christianity
(09:48):
itself. It's also weird that Matthew is
the only one to make this claim.He is also the only one to
reference the guards. This is evidence of
fictionalisation inserted into the text.
Matthew's account ends with the Great Commission and the
familiar expression of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(10:09):
It's almost as if this was already well known phrase and
the writer of Matthew incorporated into this account
to help create familiarity. Luke's account is chapter 24.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the
women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
(10:32):
They found the tombstone rolled away, but when they entered they
did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in
clothes gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
In their fright the women bowledtheir faces to the ground, but
(10:53):
the men said to them, Why do youlook for the living among the
dead? He is not here, He has risen.
Remember how He told you while he was still with you in
Galilee. The Son of Man must be delivered
over to the hands of sinners to be crucified, and on the third
day be raised again. Then they remembered His words.
(11:16):
When they came back from the tomb.
They told all these things to 11and toward the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, is she Mary the mother of James,
and the others with them, who told this to the apostles, But
they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to
them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran
(11:39):
to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips
of linen lying by themselves, and he went away wondering to
himself what had happened. Now that same day, two of them
were walking to a village calledEmmaus, about 7 miles from
Jerusalem. They were talking with each
other about everything that had happened, and thus they talked
(11:59):
and discussed these things with each other.
Jesus himself came up and walkedalong with them, but they were
kept from recognising him. He asked them, What are you
discussing together as you walk along?
They stood still, their faces down the pass.
One of them named Cleopas asked him, Are you the only one
(12:24):
visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have
happened in these days? What things?
He asked about Jesus of Nazareth, they replied.
He was a prophet, powerful in Word and deed before God, and
all the people, the chief priests and their rulers, handed
him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.
(12:49):
But we had hoped that he was theone who was going to redeem
Israel. And what is more, it is the
third day since all this took place.
In addition, some of our women amazed us.
They went to the tomb early thismorning but didn't find his
body. They came and told us that they
had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.
And then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it,
(13:14):
just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.
And he said to them, How foolishyou are, how slow to believe all
that the prophet says, Thank him.
Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter
his glory? And beginning with Moses and all
the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the
(13:37):
Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village
to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He was going
further, but they urged Him strongly.
Stay with us, for it is nearly evening, the day is almost over.
So he went in to stay with them.When he was at the table with
(13:58):
them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to
give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and
they recognised Him, and He disappeared from their sight.
Their doors. They asked each other, were not
our hearts burning within us? While he talked with us on the
road and opened the scriptures to us, they got up and returned
(14:22):
at once to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 and
those with them assembled together and saying it is true,
the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.
Then the two told what had happened on the way and how
Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread.
(14:43):
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood
among them and said to them, Peace be with you.
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a
ghost. He said to them, Why are you
troubled and why do doubts rise in your minds?
Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself.
(15:05):
Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and
bones, as you see I have. When he said this, he showed
them his hands and his feet, andwhile they still not believe it
because of joy and amazement, heasked them, Do you have anything
here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled
fish and he took it and ate it in their presence.
(15:29):
He said to them, This is what I told you while I was with you.
Everything must be fulfilled. That is written about me in the
Law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.
Then you open their minds so they could understand the
Scriptures He told them. This is what is written.
The Messiah will suffer and risefrom the dead on the third day,
(15:50):
and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be preached in His
name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
You are witnesses to these things.
I am going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in
the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany.
(16:12):
He lifted up his hands and he left them.
While he was blessing them. He left them and was taken up
into heaven. Then they worshipped him and
returned to Jerusalem with greatjoy, and they stayed continually
at the temple, praising God. No earthquake from Luke.
(16:33):
The stone is already rolled away, but the drama about
finding the two empty has two unidentified persons and a
longer conversation. The story is evolving.
The women are no longer silent and afraid.
Now they tell everyone about it.The alleged appearances of Jesus
are now much more detailed. How on earth did Mark know the
(16:57):
very details of the whole conversation?
And who the hell is theopath anyway?
And why is the only place where he is mentioned?
Why is this the only place wherehe is mentioned?
Yet another clue to added details to the story gains
momentum. Why is it Mark had access to the
words of Jesus rebuking the two men on the road to Emmaus, but
(17:20):
not the words that Jesus said afterwards explaining everything
in the scriptures about himself?What an oversight.
This time when Jesus appears to all the disciples, it is he who
offers to them to look at his hands and his feet.
Doubting Thomas is not a featureof this dialogue.
Then like with the Road to Emmaus, Jesus opens their minds
(17:42):
so they can understand. And again, you have no written
record of what that understanding is.
Now before you object and wave your bibles at the screen, ask
yourself this. What is it you are referring to?
The gospels only tell the story of Jesus life.
The epistles are effectively letters.
There is no actual book in the Bible that details what it was
(18:06):
that Jesus had them understand. What you have is inference and
interpretation of various bits of text across the New
Testament. I'm not asking for that, I'm
asking for the detailed explanation and meaning that
Jesus gave to them. The text does not exist, and
given the context it would be a very key piece of knowledge to
(18:27):
put into writing, more importantthan the details of what food
Jesus ate in front of his disciples that evening.
It is precisely this sort of thing that convinces me that the
Gospels are not true accounts ofhistory, but evolved,
fictionalised accounts of eventsthat mostly did not happen.
(18:48):
John's account is chapter 20. Early on the first day of the
week, while it was still dark. Hold on a minute.
Didn't Mark say just after sunrise?
Anyway, Narrow Mountain went to the tomb and saw that the stone
(19:09):
had been removed from the entrance.
So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple,
the one Jesus loved, and said they have taken the Lord out of
the tomb. We don't know where they have
put him. So Peter and the other disciple
started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other
disciple outran Peter had reached the tomb first.
(19:32):
He bent over and looked at the strips of linen lying there, but
did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along
behind him, went straight into the tomb.
He saw the strips of linen lyingthere as well as the cloth that
had been wrapped around Jesus head.
Different cloth for the head of the body.
Oh, OK, interesting. The cloth was still lying in its
(19:53):
place and separate from the limb.
Finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also
went inside, saw and believed. They still did not understand
from scripture that Jesus had torise from the dead.
Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying.
(20:16):
As she wept, she bent over to look at the tomb.
And saw 2 angels in white seatedwhere Jesus body had been, one
at the head and the other at thefoot.
They asked woman why are you crying?
They have taken my Lord away shesaid and I don't know where they
have put him like this. She turned around and saw Jesus
(20:39):
standing there but she did not realise that it was Jesus.
He asked her woman, why are you crying?
Who is it you are looking for thinking you are the gardener?
He said. She said, so if you have carried
him away, tell me where you haveput him and I will get him.
(21:00):
Jesus said to her, Amen. She turned to him and cried in
Aramaic robini, which means teacher.
Jesus said, do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended
to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and
tell them I am ascending to my Father, and your Father to my
(21:20):
God and your God. Mary Madden went to the
disciples with the news. I have seen the Lord, and she
told them what he had said. Be sings to her.
On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples
were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish
leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be
(21:41):
with you. No Lord.
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord again.
Jesus said, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you. And with that he breathed on
them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit.
(22:03):
If ye forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven.
If you do not forgive them, theyare not forgiven.
Now Thomas, also known as Diggamus, one of the 12, was not
with the disciples when Jesus came, so the other disciples
told him. We have seen the Lords.
He said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and
(22:27):
put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe. A week later, his disciples were
in the house again, and Thomas was with them.
Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them
and said, Please be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your
(22:47):
finger here, see my hands, reachout your hand and put it to my
side. Stop your doubting and believe.
Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God.
Then Jesus told him, Because you've seen me, you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not
(23:08):
seen and yet have a lead. Jesus performed many other signs
in the presence of his disciples, which are not
recorded in this book, but theseare written that you may believe
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by leaving,
by believing, you may have life in his name.
(23:31):
Again, no earthquake, but John now inserts himself as Jesus
favorite disciple and sprinter of law.
And God forbid that the women are recorded as first seeing
that Jesus has risen. It has to be the man.
But Mary still does get to have a conversation with the angels,
two of them this time. And then for the first time we
(23:54):
have Jesus in the car, the meeting where Jesus appears
before its cycles gains their detail.
Jesus breathes on them to impartHis Holy Spirit, but Thomas was
apparently not there. So we have the whole convoluted
doubting conversation as a premise to bring Jesus back to
them again a week later. That was the intervening days.
(24:17):
John adds so much more additional detail to the post
resurrection sightings that he needs an extra chapter.
These resurrection accounts demonstrate my point far more
effectively than the other two videos I did, but watch them as
well. As time progresses and each new
gospel is written, the writing becomes more dramatic and more
(24:41):
details are included. When you read the passages
consecutively like this, it becomes absolutely clear that
this is what is happening. The standard apologetics excuse
that this is each writer having a different focus simply does
not work. These accounts are not safe to
believe. Thank you for watching.
(25:05):
I plan on doing this same exercise for the Christmas
narratives, so subscribe, stay tuned, and until next time.
You have been listening to a podcast from Reason Press.
Do you have any thoughts on whatyou've just heard?
(25:27):
Do you have a topic that you would like us to cover?
Please send all feedback to reasonpress@gmail.com.
You might even appear on an episode.
Our theme music was written for us by Holly.
To hear more of her music, see the links in our show notes.
This is Matthew. And this special Easter 2025
episode is the third of three that compares how the four
Gospels tell the same story. This episode focuses on the
resurrection of Jesus, the firston the Last Supper and the
second on the crucifixion. This podcast version is the
audio from the YouTube video I have created.
(00:32):
The link to that is in the show notes. 2025 Extra The
Resurrection accounts indicate evolved fiction As with the
previous videos exploring the changing accounts of the Last
Supper and the Crucifixion, thisthird video of my Easter series
(00:55):
2025 we'll explore the differentaccounts of Jesus resurrection,
highlighting where they change and why.
Evolved fiction is a reasonable conclusion when you simply read
them in the order written and explore how they change as you
go. Ralph's count is chapter 16.
It is the earliest and also the shortest.
(01:19):
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint
Jesus body. Very early on the first day of
the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the
tomb. They asked each other who will
roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb.
(01:41):
But when they looked up they sawthat the stone, which was very
large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they
saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right
side, and they were alarmed. Don't be alarmed, He said.
You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.
(02:03):
He has risen. He is not here.
See the place where they laid him.
But go tell his disciples and Peter.
He is going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him, just as he told you.
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the
tomb. They said nothing to anyone
(02:25):
because they were afraid. That's normally where Mark ends,
but as you'll see, there's a note to it.
The earliest manuscripts do not have verses 9 to 20.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he
appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had
driven 7 demons, and went and told those who had been with him
(02:50):
and who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him,
they did not believe it. After Jesus appeared in a
different form to two of them while they were walking in the
country, these returned and reported it to the rest, but
they did not believe them either.
(03:11):
Later Jesus appeared to the 11 as they were eating.
He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn
refusal to believe those who hadseen him after he had risen.
He said to them, Go into the world and preach the gospel to
all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised
will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
(03:35):
And these signs will accompany those who believe in my name.
They will drive out demons, theywill speak in new tongues, they
will pick up snakes with their hands, and when they drink
deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all.
They'll place their hands on sick people and they will get
(03:56):
well. After the Lord Jesus had spoken,
he was taken up into heaven, andhe sat at the right hand of God.
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the
Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs
that accompanied it. In this early version, there are
(04:18):
no angels, no soldiers, and Jesus is only referenced as not
being there. Women are the only witnesses
besides the unidentified young man.
You could be, for you could be forgiven for thinking it as an
Angel. But Mark does not say that.
First Thing Onwards reads differently.
(04:39):
It contradicts the fear in the silence of women.
It occludes hints and pointers to events described in greater
detail in the other gospels which we'll be reading later,
like the appearance of Jesus in the Upper Room and on the road
to Emmaus. It's almost as though it was
added after those stories were written.
The other clue here is a reference to casting out demons
(05:02):
from Mary Magdalene, which is mirrored in Luke 8.
Notice the note here simply saysthat some early manuscripts do
not have verses 9 to 20. What it doesn't say is that
manuscripts from as late as the 4th century do not include these
verses, but they appear in manuscripts from the 5th
(05:23):
century. This is strong evidence that
this is additional text and is forged.
But you don't learn this if you read the bike.
You have to go out and engage with the critical scholars in
order to find this out. On a personal note, I didn't
learn about the problematic nature of these verses until
after I'd left Christianity. No one ever explained what this
(05:47):
note actually means. This is deceptive.
Why would Christians downplay the truth here?
Are they afraid they'll lose more of their flock?
Matthew's account is in chapter 28.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary
(06:07):
Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for names of the Lord had come
down from heaven, and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone
and sat on it. His appearance was like
lightning. In his clothes were as white as
snow. The guards were so afraid that
(06:29):
they shook and became like dead men.
The Angel said to women, do not be afraid, for I know that you
are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here. He has risen just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples it risen from the
(06:52):
dead, and he's going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him. Now I have told you, I said,
when he hurried away from the tomb, afraid, yet filled with
joy, and ran to tell his disciples, suddenly Jesus met
them Greetings, He said. They came to him and cast his
feet and worshipped him. And Jesus said to them, Do not
(07:17):
be afraid, Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, there
they will see me. While the women were on their
way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to
the chief priests everything that had happened.
And the chief priests met with the elders and devised a plan.
They gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, you
(07:40):
are to say his disciples came during the night and stole him
while we were asleep. If this report gets to the
governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.
So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to
(08:01):
this very day. How fast.
Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where
Jesus told them to go. When they saw him.
They worshipped him, but some doubted.
Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me.
(08:23):
Therefore go and make disciples to all the nations, baptising
them in the nature of the Fatherand of the Son and of the
Holies, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age. Matthew introduces an Angel to
(08:44):
roll away the stone and an earthquake for adage drama.
Remember, it's Matthew who also introduced an earthquake during
the crucifixion. See my other video for a
reference to that. At least he is consistent in his
enhancements to the text. Matthew also adds the soldiers
(09:04):
for a bit of drama and conspiracy.
How come the soldiers went to the chief priests and not to
their bosses? Weird.
And how did they know the conversations that they had?
Also including the audacious suggestion that the Jews
circulated claims that the disciples started the body of
Jesus. Have you tried looking for
(09:27):
evidence that the Jews actually perpetrated this?
I can't find any. I've heard the claim many times.
Christians apologists love to reference it, but I've never
actually seen evidence that thisclaim is true.
It seems that lying about the Jews is as old as Christianity
(09:48):
itself. It's also weird that Matthew is
the only one to make this claim.He is also the only one to
reference the guards. This is evidence of
fictionalisation inserted into the text.
Matthew's account ends with the Great Commission and the
familiar expression of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(10:09):
It's almost as if this was already well known phrase and
the writer of Matthew incorporated into this account
to help create familiarity. Luke's account is chapter 24.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the
women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
(10:32):
They found the tombstone rolled away, but when they entered they
did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in
clothes gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
In their fright the women bowledtheir faces to the ground, but
(10:53):
the men said to them, Why do youlook for the living among the
dead? He is not here, He has risen.
Remember how He told you while he was still with you in
Galilee. The Son of Man must be delivered
over to the hands of sinners to be crucified, and on the third
day be raised again. Then they remembered His words.
(11:16):
When they came back from the tomb.
They told all these things to 11and toward the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, is she Mary the mother of James,
and the others with them, who told this to the apostles, But
they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to
them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran
(11:39):
to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips
of linen lying by themselves, and he went away wondering to
himself what had happened. Now that same day, two of them
were walking to a village calledEmmaus, about 7 miles from
Jerusalem. They were talking with each
other about everything that had happened, and thus they talked
(11:59):
and discussed these things with each other.
Jesus himself came up and walkedalong with them, but they were
kept from recognising him. He asked them, What are you
discussing together as you walk along?
They stood still, their faces down the pass.
One of them named Cleopas asked him, Are you the only one
(12:24):
visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have
happened in these days? What things?
He asked about Jesus of Nazareth, they replied.
He was a prophet, powerful in Word and deed before God, and
all the people, the chief priests and their rulers, handed
him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.
(12:49):
But we had hoped that he was theone who was going to redeem
Israel. And what is more, it is the
third day since all this took place.
In addition, some of our women amazed us.
They went to the tomb early thismorning but didn't find his
body. They came and told us that they
had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.
And then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it,
(13:14):
just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.
And he said to them, How foolishyou are, how slow to believe all
that the prophet says, Thank him.
Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter
his glory? And beginning with Moses and all
the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the
(13:37):
Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village
to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He was going
further, but they urged Him strongly.
Stay with us, for it is nearly evening, the day is almost over.
So he went in to stay with them.When he was at the table with
(13:58):
them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to
give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and
they recognised Him, and He disappeared from their sight.
Their doors. They asked each other, were not
our hearts burning within us? While he talked with us on the
road and opened the scriptures to us, they got up and returned
(14:22):
at once to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 and
those with them assembled together and saying it is true,
the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.
Then the two told what had happened on the way and how
Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread.
(14:43):
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood
among them and said to them, Peace be with you.
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a
ghost. He said to them, Why are you
troubled and why do doubts rise in your minds?
Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself.
(15:05):
Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and
bones, as you see I have. When he said this, he showed
them his hands and his feet, andwhile they still not believe it
because of joy and amazement, heasked them, Do you have anything
here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled
fish and he took it and ate it in their presence.
(15:29):
He said to them, This is what I told you while I was with you.
Everything must be fulfilled. That is written about me in the
Law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.
Then you open their minds so they could understand the
Scriptures He told them. This is what is written.
The Messiah will suffer and risefrom the dead on the third day,
(15:50):
and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be preached in His
name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
You are witnesses to these things.
I am going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in
the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany.
(16:12):
He lifted up his hands and he left them.
While he was blessing them. He left them and was taken up
into heaven. Then they worshipped him and
returned to Jerusalem with greatjoy, and they stayed continually
at the temple, praising God. No earthquake from Luke.
(16:33):
The stone is already rolled away, but the drama about
finding the two empty has two unidentified persons and a
longer conversation. The story is evolving.
The women are no longer silent and afraid.
Now they tell everyone about it.The alleged appearances of Jesus
are now much more detailed. How on earth did Mark know the
(16:57):
very details of the whole conversation?
And who the hell is theopath anyway?
And why is the only place where he is mentioned?
Why is this the only place wherehe is mentioned?
Yet another clue to added details to the story gains
momentum. Why is it Mark had access to the
words of Jesus rebuking the two men on the road to Emmaus, but
(17:20):
not the words that Jesus said afterwards explaining everything
in the scriptures about himself?What an oversight.
This time when Jesus appears to all the disciples, it is he who
offers to them to look at his hands and his feet.
Doubting Thomas is not a featureof this dialogue.
Then like with the Road to Emmaus, Jesus opens their minds
(17:42):
so they can understand. And again, you have no written
record of what that understanding is.
Now before you object and wave your bibles at the screen, ask
yourself this. What is it you are referring to?
The gospels only tell the story of Jesus life.
The epistles are effectively letters.
There is no actual book in the Bible that details what it was
(18:06):
that Jesus had them understand. What you have is inference and
interpretation of various bits of text across the New
Testament. I'm not asking for that, I'm
asking for the detailed explanation and meaning that
Jesus gave to them. The text does not exist, and
given the context it would be a very key piece of knowledge to
(18:27):
put into writing, more importantthan the details of what food
Jesus ate in front of his disciples that evening.
It is precisely this sort of thing that convinces me that the
Gospels are not true accounts ofhistory, but evolved,
fictionalised accounts of eventsthat mostly did not happen.
(18:48):
John's account is chapter 20. Early on the first day of the
week, while it was still dark. Hold on a minute.
Didn't Mark say just after sunrise?
Anyway, Narrow Mountain went to the tomb and saw that the stone
(19:09):
had been removed from the entrance.
So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple,
the one Jesus loved, and said they have taken the Lord out of
the tomb. We don't know where they have
put him. So Peter and the other disciple
started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other
disciple outran Peter had reached the tomb first.
(19:32):
He bent over and looked at the strips of linen lying there, but
did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along
behind him, went straight into the tomb.
He saw the strips of linen lyingthere as well as the cloth that
had been wrapped around Jesus head.
Different cloth for the head of the body.
Oh, OK, interesting. The cloth was still lying in its
(19:53):
place and separate from the limb.
Finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also
went inside, saw and believed. They still did not understand
from scripture that Jesus had torise from the dead.
Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying.
(20:16):
As she wept, she bent over to look at the tomb.
And saw 2 angels in white seatedwhere Jesus body had been, one
at the head and the other at thefoot.
They asked woman why are you crying?
They have taken my Lord away shesaid and I don't know where they
have put him like this. She turned around and saw Jesus
(20:39):
standing there but she did not realise that it was Jesus.
He asked her woman, why are you crying?
Who is it you are looking for thinking you are the gardener?
He said. She said, so if you have carried
him away, tell me where you haveput him and I will get him.
(21:00):
Jesus said to her, Amen. She turned to him and cried in
Aramaic robini, which means teacher.
Jesus said, do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended
to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and
tell them I am ascending to my Father, and your Father to my
(21:20):
God and your God. Mary Madden went to the
disciples with the news. I have seen the Lord, and she
told them what he had said. Be sings to her.
On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples
were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish
leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be
(21:41):
with you. No Lord.
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord again.
Jesus said, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you. And with that he breathed on
them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit.
(22:03):
If ye forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven.
If you do not forgive them, theyare not forgiven.
Now Thomas, also known as Diggamus, one of the 12, was not
with the disciples when Jesus came, so the other disciples
told him. We have seen the Lords.
He said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and
(22:27):
put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe. A week later, his disciples were
in the house again, and Thomas was with them.
Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them
and said, Please be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your
(22:47):
finger here, see my hands, reachout your hand and put it to my
side. Stop your doubting and believe.
Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God.
Then Jesus told him, Because you've seen me, you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not
(23:08):
seen and yet have a lead. Jesus performed many other signs
in the presence of his disciples, which are not
recorded in this book, but theseare written that you may believe
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by leaving,
by believing, you may have life in his name.
(23:31):
Again, no earthquake, but John now inserts himself as Jesus
favorite disciple and sprinter of law.
And God forbid that the women are recorded as first seeing
that Jesus has risen. It has to be the man.
But Mary still does get to have a conversation with the angels,
two of them this time. And then for the first time we
(23:54):
have Jesus in the car, the meeting where Jesus appears
before its cycles gains their detail.
Jesus breathes on them to impartHis Holy Spirit, but Thomas was
apparently not there. So we have the whole convoluted
doubting conversation as a premise to bring Jesus back to
them again a week later. That was the intervening days.
(24:17):
John adds so much more additional detail to the post
resurrection sightings that he needs an extra chapter.
These resurrection accounts demonstrate my point far more
effectively than the other two videos I did, but watch them as
well. As time progresses and each new
gospel is written, the writing becomes more dramatic and more
(24:41):
details are included. When you read the passages
consecutively like this, it becomes absolutely clear that
this is what is happening. The standard apologetics excuse
that this is each writer having a different focus simply does
not work. These accounts are not safe to
believe. Thank you for watching.
(25:05):
I plan on doing this same exercise for the Christmas
narratives, so subscribe, stay tuned, and until next time.
You have been listening to a podcast from Reason Press.
Do you have any thoughts on whatyou've just heard?
(25:27):
Do you have a topic that you would like us to cover?
Please send all feedback to reasonpress@gmail.com.
You might even appear on an episode.
Our theme music was written for us by Holly.
To hear more of her music, see the links in our show notes.
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