In the first written account of Jesus’ resurrection, Matthew highlights the initial discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene and another Mary, the mother of James and Joseph (abbreviated as Joses), and His subsequent resurrection appearance to them; see Mat 28:5-9. However, for his purposes in summarizing the account, he omitted details of the other women who were enroute to meet the two Marys who also had a vision of angels announcing the resurrection (cf. Luk 24:1-8). He also omitted how Mary Magdalene ran to inform Peter and John who then came to the tomb and found it empty of both Jesus’ body and the angels who had appeared to the women. Both of these events took place before Jesus Himself appeared to the two Marys. Approximately how long might it have taken Mary to run and get Peter and John, and for them to run back to the tomb? During that time period, besides the other women arriving at the tomb, what else would have been happening in regard to the tomb and the disappearance of Jesus’ body? Cf. Mat 27:65-66, 28:4,11. Considering that it was very early in the morning, at or before sunrise, when the Marys first discovered the empty tomb, about what time would it have been by the time Peter and John arrived on the scene? Note also from John’s account that the sun must have risen enough so there was enough light for them to see inside of the tomb through the low-entrance door, though it is possible that the women themselves initially had lamps.
Perplexed at what could have happened but not finding Jesus’ body, and perhaps fearful of the Roman guard, some part of which was perhaps still at the tomb, what did Peter and John do? See Joh 20:10. What does the context of the next verse indicate about what Mary Magdalene must have done after informing Peter and John of the empty tomb? See Joh 20:11 and consider the possibility that they didn’t know the exact location of the tomb and so needed to be shown. What does Mat 28:9 indicate the other Mary must also have done after informing others—perhaps the other group of women whom she may have met up with after her initial experience at the tomb with Mary Magdalene? What much fuller account does John provide us about this first resurrection appearance of Jesus? See Joh 20:11-18. Is it a contradiction with Matthew’s account that John only mentions Mary Magdalene and not the other Mary? Why might he have not mentioned her? In terms of “just the facts”, who do we understand from John’s account that he considered to be the primary witness of Jesus’s first resurrection appearance? Is it possible that the other Mary may even have had doubts about Jesus’ appearance? Cf. Joh 20:14-15, Mat 28:17.
While Peter and John left the tomb since it would have been dangerous for them to stay, why would the two Marys have remained, and why would it have been less dangerous for them? What does this again remind us about the important role that women, in spite of the perception that their role is less than that of men, can play in God’s purposes that men often can’t—precisely because of their perceived lesser status? Should those who are considered humble, meek, poor, foolish and despised lament their “lesser” roles in the world compared to others who appear to be more important and have a higher status? See 1Co 1:26-29, Jam 1:9-10.
How does John describe Mary as she was standing outside of the tomb? See Joh 20:11. Why was she weeping? See Joh 20:13,15 and recall that at that point no one had any understanding of the resurrection body to which Jesus had been raised, so that in their minds, even if He had been raised from the dead, like Lazarus, something must have happened to Him since His body was gone. While Jesus’ enemies vainly imagined that His disciples must have stolen His body, what would His disciples at that time have been imagining must have happened to His body, as reflected in Mary’s responses to why she was weeping, even if He had by some miracle been raised to life? How traumatic would it have been to Mary after Jesus’ brutal crucifixion and death to consider the possibility that He had in fact by some miracle been raised from the dead, according to His word, only to fall again into the hands of His enemies, which, as we discussed here, was exactly why the Jewish leaders had requested the Roman guard? Would not such angst be proportional to the love felt towards Him, which great love was expressed by these two Marys who stood by Him to the bitter end when He was crucified to see where He was laid and now returned at the first opportunity to attend to His body? As the angel had earlier told them specifically to tell Peter (Mar 16:7), who had suffered greatly over the past three days for His failure to stand up for Jesus, how does the Lord’s appearance to Mary at this time help us to again understand the great love He has for His people and that they not suffer excessively so as to despair in their lack of understanding? Cf. 2Co 2:7.