2026 — Bible study series
Week Seven · April 12, 2026
The Empty Tomb
Mark 16:1–8 · Matthew 28:1–10 · Luke 24:1–12 · John 20:1–10
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, Heavenly Father, on the third day You raised Your Son from the dead and revealed the empty tomb to faithful women who came bearing spices and devotion. By Your Holy Spirit, open our eyes to behold in this empty grave the defeat of death, the vindication of the cross, and the dawn of Your New Creation. Anchor our faith not in what we see, but in the certain Word of Christ, who promised that He would rise. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
How This Session Works
This session resumes the Building Approach to compare how each Gospel narrates the discovery of the empty tomb: the women who came, the messengers who spoke, and the responses that ranged from terror to wonder. We build understanding one layer at a time:
- Layer 1: Mark (16:1–8) — Mark's lean, urgent account: three women arrive at dawn, discover the stone rolled away, encounter a young man in white who announces the resurrection, and flee in trembling silence. Mark's abrupt ending leaves the reader confronting the empty tomb without resolution.
- Layer 2: Matthew (28:1–10) — Matthew adds apocalyptic drama: an earthquake, a descending angel, terrified guards who collapse like corpses, and the women's encounter with the risen Jesus on the road. The disciples are renamed "my brothers."
- Layer 3: Luke (24:1–12) — Luke emphasizes the divine "must" (dei) and the necessity of remembering Jesus' own words. The apostles dismiss the women's report as nonsense. Peter runs to the tomb and departs in wonder, not yet in faith.
- Layer 4: John (20:1–10) — John narrates with literary precision: Mary Magdalene's alarm, the footrace of Peter and the Beloved Disciple, the undisturbed grave clothes, and the Beloved Disciple's belief that precedes full scriptural understanding.
Layer One
The Gospel of Mark
Mark 16:1–8
Read aloud: Mark 16:1–8. Mark's account is spare, swift, and startling. His resurrection narrative carries the same breathless pace that defines his entire Gospel, yet it ends with an abruptness that has puzzled readers for two thousand years.
The Women and the Spices (16:1–2)
Greek Vocabulary — Mark 16:1–8
arōmata — "spices" or "aromatic oils" (16:1). The women come to anoint the body, an act of devotion the Sabbath had prevented. Their errand reveals what they expected: a dead body requiring care, not an empty tomb requiring explanation.
neaniskon — "young man" (16:5). Mark's term for the messenger inside the tomb. He does not use the word "angel" (angelos). The same word appeared in Mark 14:51 for the unnamed young man who fled naked at the arrest — a possible literary connection Mark leaves deliberately open.
ton estaurōmenon — "the crucified one" (16:6). A perfect passive participle. The perfect tense in Greek denotes a past action with ongoing results. The risen Lord permanently bears the identity of the crucified one.
tromos kai ekstasis — "trembling and astonishment" (16:8). The women's response is not simply fear but a mixture of physical trembling and complete mental displacement — the reaction of creatures encountering the holy.
- 1. Mark names three women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They bought spices (arōmata) to anoint Jesus' body, an act of devotion the Sabbath had prevented. What does their errand reveal about their expectations on that morning?
The Stone and the Markan Aside (16:3–4)
- 2. Only Mark records the women's worried conversation on the road: "Who will roll away the stone for us?" (16:3). When they arrive, Mark explains the stone was already rolled back with the conjunction gar ("for/you know"): "for it was very large." This is a characteristic Markan explanatory aside. What narrative effect does this aside create?
The Young Man in White (16:5–7)
- 3. The women enter the tomb and immediately encounter a "young man" (neaniskon) sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe. Mark skips the discovery of the missing body that Luke 24:3 records explicitly. How does this immediate encounter fit the pace and style of Mark's Gospel?
- 4. The messenger announces: "Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified" (ton estaurōmenon), using a perfect passive participle. The perfect tense in Greek denotes a past action with ongoing results. What is the theological significance of calling the risen Lord "the crucified one" with a verb tense that means "continuously bearing the marks of crucifixion"?
- 5. The angel instructs the women: "Tell his disciples and Peter" (16:7). Peter is singled out by name from among the disciples. Read Mark 14:66–72. Why is Peter named individually in the resurrection announcement?
Seeing Follows Believing: "Just as He Told You" (16:7)
- 6. The messenger says: "There you will see him, just as he told you." This points back to Jesus' promise at the Last Supper in Mark 14:28. In Mark 15:32, the mockers at the cross demanded that Jesus come down "so that we may see and believe." How does Mark 16:7 reverse this worldly logic?
The Shocking Conclusion: Fear and Silence (16:8)
- 7. Mark uses the preposition apo ("away from") rather than ek ("out of") to describe the women's departure. They did not merely exit the tomb structure; they fled the entire site. The specific terms are tromos kai ekstasis ("trembling and astonishment"). How does this response contrast with Luke 24:9, where the women immediately report everything to the Eleven?
- 8. The earliest manuscripts end Mark's Gospel at 16:8 with the women afraid and silent. The church historian Eusebius confirmed that the "accurate" copies ended here. Mark 16:9 lacks an explicit subject and re-introduces Mary Magdalene as though the reader has never met her. What does this literary seam suggest about the origin of the Long Ending (16:9–20)?
- 9. If Mark intentionally ended at 16:8, the spotlight remains on two realities: the cross and the empty tomb. The unresolved fear of the women forces the reader to answer the question for himself or herself. How is this "open ending" theologically effective?
Summary — Mark 16:1–8
| Element | Mark's Emphasis |
|---|---|
| Narrative Pace | Spare and swift; no dialogue with the risen Jesus |
| The Stone | Explanatory aside (gar); resolved before arrival |
| Angelic Announcement | "Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified" (perfect tense) |
| "And Peter" | The denier is singled out for restoration by name |
| The Women's Response | tromos kai ekstasis; flight and silence |
| Ending | Abrupt at 16:8; reader must complete the story in faith |
Record Your Portrait of the Empty Tomb in Mark: What two realities dominate Mark's account? How does the abrupt ending shape the reader's response?
Layer Two
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 28:1–10
Read aloud: Matthew 28:1–10. Matthew transforms the quiet Markan dawn into an apocalyptic event. Where Mark is spare, Matthew is dramatic: earthquake, descending angel, petrified soldiers, and a joyful encounter with the risen Lord on the road.
The Earthquake and the Angel (28:1–4)
Greek Vocabulary — Matthew 28:2–10
seismos megas — "great earthquake" (28:2). The same word family as the earthquake at Jesus' death (Matt 27:51). Matthew's resurrection account is framed by two earthquakes, signaling the cosmic scope of what has happened.
eseisthēsan — "were shaken" (28:4). A verbal cognate of seismos. The guards "were shaken" by the same earthquake force and "became like dead men" (hōs nekroi). The supreme irony: the living become like corpses while the dead Christ lives.
kathōs eipen — "as he said" (28:6). Matthew anchors the resurrection to Jesus' own repeated passion predictions. The resurrection is not a surprise correction to a failed plan; it is the fulfillment of a stated promise.
Chairete — "Rejoice!" (28:9). The standard Greek greeting, but from the mouth of the risen Lord it carries its full weight. The same word root underlies chara ("joy") in the women's response in 28:8.
tois adelphois mou — "my brothers" (28:10). Jesus' new name for the disciples. Where the angel said "his disciples" (28:7), Jesus says "my brothers" — a vocabulary shift that fulfills Psalm 22:22.
- 10. Matthew records a "great earthquake" (seismos megas), echoing the earthquake at Jesus' death (Matt 27:51). An angel descends, rolls back the stone, and sits on it. What does the angel's posture of sitting on the stone symbolize?
- 11. The guards "were shaken" (eseisthēsan), a verbal cognate of the earthquake (seismos), and "became like dead men" (hōs nekroi). What is the supreme irony of Easter morning in Matthew's account?
The Angelic Announcement: "As He Said" (28:5–6)
- 12. The angel tells the women: "He has risen, as he said" (kathōs eipen). This phrase anchors the resurrection to Jesus' repeated passion predictions (Matt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). Why does Matthew emphasize that the resurrection happened precisely as Jesus foretold?
Fear and Great Joy (28:8)
- 13. The women depart "with fear and great joy" (meta phobou kai charas megalēs) and ran to tell the disciples. Compare this directly with Mark 16:8, where the women flee in silent terror. What has changed between Mark's portrait and Matthew's?
The Encounter on the Road (28:9–10)
- 14. Jesus greets the women with Chairete ("Rejoice!"), the standard Greek greeting. They grasp His feet (ekratēsan autou tous podas) and worship Him (prosekynēsan). What does this physical grasping prove about the nature of the resurrection?
- 15. The angel in 28:7 says "tell his disciples" (mathētais). Jesus in 28:10 changes the term to "my brothers" (tois adelphois mou). On the cross, Jesus cried out Psalm 22:1. Psalm 22:22 then declares: "I will tell of your name to my brothers." How does this vocabulary shift fulfill the trajectory of Psalm 22?
- 16. What does calling these men "brothers" announce about their standing after their abandonment in Gethsemane?
Summary — Matthew 28:1–10
| Element | Matthew's Emphasis |
|---|---|
| Apocalyptic Signs | Earthquake and angel; Judgment Day breaks into history |
| The Guards | Living soldiers become like corpses; the dead Christ lives |
| "As He Said" | Resurrection fulfills Jesus' own passion predictions |
| The Women's Response | Fear and great joy; they run to proclaim |
| Physical Encounter | The women grasp His feet and worship |
| "My Brothers" | Psalm 22:22 fulfilled; apostates restored as family |
Record Your Portrait of the Empty Tomb in Matthew: How does Matthew's apocalyptic framing present the resurrection as more than one man returning to life? What old order is shaking apart?
Layer Three
The Gospel of Luke
Luke 24:1–12
Read aloud: Luke 24:1–12. Luke's resurrection narrative carries two distinctive emphases: the divine necessity of the cross ("it was necessary") and the absolute indispensability of remembering Christ's own words.
The Contrast of Finding (24:1–3)
Greek Vocabulary — Luke 24:1–12
heuron — "they found" (24:2, 3). Luke uses this verb twice in quick succession to create a literary contrast: the women found the stone rolled away (24:2), but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (24:3). The contrast is the announcement.
astraptousē — "dazzling" or "flashing like lightning" (24:4). The same root (exastraptōn) used at the Transfiguration (Luke 9:29), where Jesus' clothing became "dazzling white." Luke connects the glory on the mountain to the glory proclaimed at the tomb.
dei — "must" or "it is necessary" (24:7). One of Luke's most characteristic words, appearing 18 times in his Gospel. The cross was not an accident; it was a divine necessity woven into the plan of God from before the foundation of the world.
lēros — "idle tale," "nonsense," "absolute drivel" (24:11). The apostles' verdict on the women's report. A medical term used for the delirious speech of the very sick. Luke uses it to expose the natural mind's capacity — or incapacity — to receive the resurrection.
thaumazōn — "marveling" (24:12). Peter's state as he departs the tomb. Amazement without faith. The word recurs throughout Luke 24 until the risen Christ opens minds to understand the Scriptures.
- 17. Luke uses the verb heuron ("they found") to create a literary contrast. In 24:2, the women found the stone rolled away. In 24:3, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke omits the women's anxious road-conversation that Mark records. What effect does this "found / did not find" contrast create?
Lightning Garments and the Transfiguration (24:4–5)
- 18. Two men appear in "dazzling apparel" (astraptousē, "flashing like lightning"). Read Luke 9:29. At the Transfiguration, Jesus' clothing became "dazzling white" using the same root word. What is Luke communicating by linking the glory on the mountain with the glory proclaimed at the tomb?
The Divine "Must" and the Power of the Word (24:6–8)
- 19. The angels do not direct the women to Galilee (as in Mark and Matthew). Instead, they say: "Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered…" The word "must" (dei) appears 18 times in Luke's Gospel. What does this word reveal about the relationship between the crucifixion and God's sovereign plan?
- 20. Luke 24:8 says: "And they remembered his words." It is only at this moment that the empty tomb makes sense. What does this sequence teach about the relationship between physical evidence and the Word of Christ?
An "Idle Tale" (24:9–11)
- 21. The women report everything to the Eleven. Luke uniquely includes Joanna (Iōanna), the wife of Herod's household manager (see Luke 8:3), alongside Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James. The apostles consider their report to be lēros ("idle tale," "nonsense," "absolute drivel"). What does this reaction reveal about human reason's capacity to grasp the resurrection?
Peter at the Tomb (24:12)
- 22. Peter runs to the tomb, sees the linen cloths, and goes home "marveling" (thaumazōn) at what had happened. He does not yet believe or understand. How does Luke use Peter to set up the rest of chapter 24, where faith is born only when the risen Christ opens minds to the Scriptures (24:25–32, 44–45)?
Summary — Luke 24:1–12
| Element | Luke's Emphasis |
|---|---|
| Found / Did Not Find | Literary contrast; the stone open, the body absent |
| Lightning Garments | Transfiguration glory now proclaimed at the tomb |
| The Divine "Must" (dei) | The cross was not an accident; it was a divine necessity |
| "Remember His Words" | The empty tomb proves nothing without the interpreting Word |
| Apostolic Response | lēros: the report is dismissed as nonsense |
| Peter's Marvel | Amazement without faith; sets up Emmaus and the Upper Room |
Record Your Portrait of the Empty Tomb in Luke: What does Luke say the empty tomb cannot accomplish on its own? What must accompany it for faith to arise?
Layer Four
The Gospel of John
John 20:1–10
Read aloud: John 20:1–10. John's account is marked by literary precision and a distinctive vocabulary. He narrates Mary Magdalene's initial discovery, interrupts her story to tell the footrace of Peter and the Beloved Disciple, and then returns to her in 20:11. This session focuses on 20:1–10.
"Taken Away": Johannine Vocabulary (20:1–2)
Greek Vocabulary — John 20:1–9
ērmenon — "taken away" (20:1). From airō. Where Mark and Luke describe the stone as "rolled away" (apokyliō), John uses a different verb. Mary sees the displaced stone and immediately runs to Peter and the Beloved Disciple with the assumption that the body has been stolen.
othonia — "linen cloths" (20:5, 6). The burial wrappings, plural — consistent with John 19:40 where the body was wrapped in linen strips. John's precision about what Peter saw matters as evidence.
soudarion — "face cloth" (20:7). Specifically distinguished from the linen cloths: it was "not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself." The arrangement rules out grave robbery and points to purposeful, orderly departure.
episteusen — "believed" (20:8). The Beloved Disciple "saw and believed." Yet the very next verse qualifies this: "for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead." Initial belief and full scriptural understanding are distinct moments.
- 23. Mark and Luke describe the stone as "rolled away" (apokyliō). John uses a different verb: the stone has been "taken away" (ērmenon, from airō). Mary sees the displaced stone, does not enter, and immediately runs to Peter and the Beloved Disciple with the assumption that the body has been stolen (20:2). What does Mary's assumption reveal about what the empty tomb proves on its own?
The Footrace and the Grave Clothes (20:3–7)
- 24. Peter and the Beloved Disciple race to the tomb. John arrives first, stoops and looks in, but does not enter. Peter enters first and sees the linen cloths (othonia) lying there. John then specifically highlights the face cloth (soudarion), noting that it was "not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself" (20:7). Why does the arrangement of the grave clothes matter as evidence?
"He Saw and Believed" (20:8–9)
- 25. When the Beloved Disciple finally enters the tomb, the text says he "saw and believed" (episteusen). Yet John immediately adds: "for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (20:9). What is the relationship between the Beloved Disciple's initial belief and full scriptural understanding?
- 26. Luke 24:12 ("Peter rose and ran to the tomb…") was once thought to be a scribal insertion borrowed from John 20:3–10, as it is missing from Codex Bezae. The early papyrus P⁷⁵ confirmed it as authentic. What does the presence of this shared tradition in two independent Gospels tell us about the early church's historical memory?
Summary — John 20:1–10
| Element | John's Emphasis |
|---|---|
| "Taken Away" | Distinctive vocabulary (airō vs. apokyliō) |
| Narrative Splicing | Mary's story interrupted; apostolic witness established first |
| Grave Clothes | othonia and soudarion; meticulous arrangement rules out theft |
| The Beloved Disciple | "Saw and believed"; faith precedes full scriptural understanding |
| Shared Tradition | Peter's race confirmed in both Luke and John independently |
Record Your Portrait of the Empty Tomb in John: What does the precision of John's detail — the vocabulary, the grave clothes, the two disciples — accomplish that the Synoptics leave implicit?
All Four Gospels
Comparison — The Empty Tomb Across All Four Gospels
| Feature | Mark | Matthew | Luke | John |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women Named | Mary Magdalene, Mary (James), Salome | Mary Magdalene, "the other Mary" | Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary (James) | Mary Magdalene (alone initially) |
| Messengers | One young man in white | One angel (descends visibly) | Two men in dazzling apparel | Two angels (at 20:12, after the footrace) |
| Key Command | "Tell his disciples and Peter" | "He has risen, as he said" | "Remember how he told you" | (No angelic command in 20:1–10) |
| Women's Response | Trembling, astonishment, silence | Fear and great joy; they run | Remembered; reported to the Eleven | Mary runs to Peter and John in alarm |
| Disciples' Response | (Not narrated at 16:8) | Renamed "my brothers" | Dismissed report as lēros | Beloved Disciple "saw and believed" |
Synthesis
Theological Synthesis
The four Gospels provide a unified, multi-faceted witness to the climax of salvation history. No single account gives the complete picture; together they reveal the full dimensions of the resurrection morning.
The Fourfold Portrait
Using the portraits you recorded at the end of each layer, write them together here:
Mark
Matthew
Luke
John
Core Theological Questions
- 27. The External Word: In every Synoptic account, the angelic messengers anchor the empty tomb to the prophetic Word of Christ: "as he said" (Matthew), "just as he told you" (Mark), "remember how he told you" (Luke). In John, the Beloved Disciple believes before understanding the Scripture. What does this pattern teach about the relationship between the empty tomb and the proclaimed Word?
- 28. Sola Gratia: Peter, who denied Christ with curses, is singled out by name in Mark 16:7. The disciples who abandoned Jesus in Gethsemane are renamed "brothers" in Matthew 28:10. The apostles who dismiss the women's report as nonsense will themselves become witnesses. What do these details reveal about the origin and nature of the apostolic commission?
- 29. The New Creation: All four Gospels note that these events occurred on "the first day of the week." The early Church understood this as the "Eighth Day," the dawn of God's New Creation. Matthew's earthquake signals the old order shaking apart; the soldiers become like corpses while the dead Christ lives. How does the resurrection inaugurate a new creation rather than merely reversing one death?
- 30. The Theology of the Cross: The angels identify Jesus as "the crucified one" (Mark 16:6; Matt 28:5). The resurrection does not leave the cross behind; it vindicates it. How does this shape the way the Church preaches both Good Friday and Easter?
Liturgical Connection
Liturgical Connection
- 31. The Apostles' Creed confesses: "The third day He rose again from the dead." How do the four independent yet complementary resurrection accounts studied today undergird this credal confession?
- 32. Matthew's guards collapse "like dead men" while the dead Jesus lives. The soldiers see the angel yet later accept a bribe to suppress the truth. In Confessional Lutheran theology, what does this contrast illustrate about the distinction between encountering evidence and receiving faith?
Lectionary Usage
- Easter Day, Series A: Matthew 28:1–10 is the appointed Gospel, including the earthquake, the angel on the stone, and Jesus' appearance to the women.
- Easter Day, Series B: Mark 16:1–8 is the appointed Easter Gospel, ending with the women's fear and silence.
- Easter Day, Series C: Luke 24:1–12 is the appointed Easter Gospel, featuring the divine "must," the command to remember, and Peter's run to the tomb.
- Easter Day, One-Year Lectionary: Mark 16:1–8 is the traditional Easter Gospel.
- Easter Sunrise (all lectionaries): John 20:1–18 is the appointed reading, beginning with Mary Magdalene's discovery in 20:1–10.
- Easter Vigil: The Holy Gospel is appointed from either Mark 16 or John 20, concluding the Vigil with the Easter Acclamation: "Alleluia! Christ is risen! / He is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
The Visitatio Sepulchri
In the medieval church, the women's visit to the empty tomb was acted out as a liturgical drama during Matins or the Easter Vigil. When the actors pointed to the linen cloths, the choir sang "He has risen, as he said," and the congregation responded with the folk hymn "Christ is arisen" (LSB 459). The drama made visible what the texts make audible: the tomb is empty, and the Word interprets what the eye sees.
The Easter Sequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes
The historic Easter sequence chant (LSB 460, "Christians, to the Paschal Victim") features a dialogue between a narrator and Mary Magdalene serving as a witness. Used throughout Europe as part of an Easter morning drama, it gives voice to the question every generation must ask and answer: "What did you see on the way?" Mary's answer is the church's proclamation.
Hymnody
Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia (LSB 466)
Stanzas 3–4 recount the arrival of the women at the tomb and the angelic message, closely following Mark 16:6–7. The hymn moves from the darkness of the tomb to the proclamation of the risen Lord.
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (LSB 469)
Brings the worshiper to the open tomb with the angel's announcement from Matthew 28:5–6, transforming the scene into a congregational declaration of triumph.
O Sons and Daughters of the King (LSB 470/471)
The second and third stanzas name the three women (Mark 16:1) and feature the angel saying, "Your Lord is gone to Galilee" (Mark 16:7; Matt 28:10). The hymn holds together the Markan and Matthean accounts in a single lyric movement.
Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands (LSB 458)
Luther's great Easter hymn bridges the burial and the resurrection, celebrating Christ's victory over death. The image of the broken "strong bands" connects directly to the sealed and guarded tomb of Matthew's account.
Closing Prayer
Lord God, Heavenly Father, we thank You that when Your women came bearing spices for the dead, they found not a corpse but a proclamation: "He is not here; He is risen." The stone was rolled away, the grave clothes were left behind, and the Word of Your Son proved more certain than the testimony of their own eyes. Strengthen us in this same Word, that when the world declares Your promises to be nonsense, we may hold fast to what Christ has said. Grant us, with all Your saints, to stand at last before the empty tomb not with trembling silence, but with fear and great joy, confessing with the whole Church: "He is risen indeed! Alleluia!" Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.