The Analysis of the Synoptic Gospels Concerning the Woman at the Tomb - Essay Example

?The Women at the Tomb The Gospel accounts of the women in the Gospels are means of access about the Easter message. Specifically, the story of the women sighting the empty tomb is part and parcel of what we could term as resurrection narratives. It is a piece of a series of events, often called appearances after the death and burial of Jesus. This does not mean however that they are to be interpreted as actual or factual reports of certain events. These stories are expressions affirming a very different kind of truth. Whoever wants to speak of the resurrection of Jesus should first of all listen to the Easter message of the New Testament (Hendrickx 20). The faith in Jesus’ resurrection plays a central feature in the Christian tradition. In such case, there is the need to investigate the origin and meaning of the belief in Jesus’ resurrection. The oldest text in the New Testament that says something about the resurrection can be found in the first letter of Paul to the Christian community in Corinth that was written around the year 56 C.E. The passage reminds the Corinthians of the proclamation of Paul regarding the resurrection of Jesus. Such reminder by Paul also indicates how early the resurrection belief was. The text starts with “I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received” (1 Cor. 15:3). This indicates that what follows is not purely Paul’s composition. Paul quoted a very old creedal statement. There are many theories behind regarding how Paul might have received this basic Christian proclamation. Some scholars say that he received the main formula at Damascus when he went there upon being converted to Christianity about 36 C.E. Others would state that Paul got all or some of this material from his first visit to the Christian community of Jerusalem in 39 C.E. The formula from which Paul quotes contains two important elements about the resurrection: he was raised and he appeared (Loewe 101). These phrases could help us understand the whole context of the resurrection narratives in relation to the four gospels. We would go back to these at a later part of the presentation. Beginning with Mark, we find in its final chapter something that Paul did not mention. Mark originally ended with verse 8 and the rest were later additions. The author of the gospel supplies his audience various indications of time. Furthermore the names of the women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome were mentioned. When the women arrived in the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in white. The young man made a three-part speech. Firstly, he addressed the women’s feelings. Secondly, he explains why the tomb is empty. According to him, Jesus had been raised. Thirdly, the young man gave the women a job to do that is, to tell the male disciples that Jesus will see them in Galilee. Mark also established what transpired between the young man and the three women placing its emphasis on the reaction of the women to the young man. For Mark, the women’s response to the good news of the resurrection was a disappointment. Overcome with fear, the women run away and did not tell anyone what they experienced. Matthew followed Mark in this narrative of the empty tomb. Salome was taken out of the picture leaving Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.” For Matthew the reason of the women in was simply to see the tomb. Another major change in the version of Matthew is the dramatic scene were the opening of the stone of the tomb coincided with an earthquake. In contrast with the earlier account of Mark, the author of Matthew describes the reaction of the women to the resurrection on a positive note. The women left the tomb with fear and great joy then ran to tell the other disciples. Luke’s version of the empty tomb bonds with Mark regarding the purpose of the women in visiting the tomb that is to anoint Jesus with spices. The number of women increases: Joanna replaces Salome and there were other unnamed women as well. The young man in Matthew’s edition turns into an angel and eventually became two men in dazzling clothes. Luke maintained the second part of the three-part speech and dropped the first and third part. The women’s reaction to the mandate of the young man was also positive. For Luke, the women returned and reported was happened to the eleven (minus Judas) and to all the rest. The fourth gospel also describes the empty tomb story in a way that expresses the differences between the synoptics and John. In John’s version, Mary Magdalene found the empty tomb while it was dark. This is in contrast with the synoptics description that the event happened when there was already light. Another distinction is the involvement of other people aside from Mary. It is only in John were there was a contact between Jesus and Mary. Because Mary waited lingered, and questioned the man who initially seemed to her a gardener in eager quest for her missing master, Jesus appeared to her. Because of her belief, Mary recognized Jesus. The presentation tells us that there were items or data in the gospels which were not mentioned by Paul. We also presented discrepancies in the data given by the gospels. At this point we need to note that the gospels offer further relevant. Let us go back to what we said earlier regarding important elements in understanding the Resurrection of Jesus. There should be a clear distinction between the basic affirmation of the faith in the resurrection and the way in which this basic affirmation is expressed. In order to address this there must be a clear comprehension of the phrases he was raised and he appeared. These phrases must be seen as metaphors that need proper understanding. The first phrase is passively toned to indicate that God did something to Jesus. God raised Jesus. The second phrase would point to something beyond seeing. In its origin the word appear was derived from the Greek word “ophthe.” This word refers to the act of experiencing something significant. In conclusion, the analysis of the synoptic Gospels concerning the women at the tomb points to the Easter message of personal transformation experienced from “seeing” the risen Christ. That is, from a significant event we experience “change” – change in mindset and values as well. Furthermore, “seeing-together” which the synoptic Gospels reveal allows a communal participation in the resurrection which is the foundation of faith in Jesus. Faith in Jesus is having a common belief in him and sharing it with others. That is why the story of the women at the tomb portrays a call to transformation based on accepting the challenge of the mission, that is, of proclaiming the message of hope to others. Works Cited Hendrickx, Herman Ressurection Narratives. Manila: East Pastoral Institute, 1978 Loewe, William P. An Introduction to Christology: Rethinking Jesus’ Religious Significance Today, Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1996 Read More