“And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his won new tomb which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed “. (Mathew 27: 59-60)

  “ And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb? (Mark 15:45-46)

  “ Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid “ (Luke 23:53)

  “ … So he came and took away his body. Nicodmeus  also, … came. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths … as the tomb was closed at hand, they laid Jesus there “ (John 19: 38-42)

In the Synoptic only Joseph of Arimathea is seen to take Jesus’ body and winds it in winding sheets, after which he deposits it in the grave. John puts Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea in this performance.

  “ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus “ (Mathew 27:57)

  “ Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus” (Mark 15:43)

  “ Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Aritmathea. He was a member of the council a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 23:50-51)

  “ After this Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews … “ (John 19:38)

  “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, where no one had ever been laid … they laid Jesus there “ (John 19:41-42)

  “ … And laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid” (Luke 23:53)

  “ … and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock… “(Mark 15:46)

  “ And Joseph took the body … and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock … “ (Mathew 27: 59-60)

Where were the women when Jesus was laid in the tomb?

  “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulcher” (Mathew 27:61)

  “ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where he was laid” (Mark 15:47)

  “ The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid “ (Luke 23:55)

  John Does not comment on this incident.

Jews demand the tomb to be watched.

  “ … and said, ‘Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again’. Therefore, order the sepulcher to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first’. Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of Soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can. “ (Mathew 27: 63-65)

Besides Mathew, no other editor has filed that incident. The silence of the other three narrators on this important issue is one of the Gospels secrets. At any rate, Pilate looked down upon the Jews’ demand and curtly answered, ‘Go make it secure as you can ‘. Pilate was laughing at the Jews’ untoward activities, for they came on the second day after the crucifixion, even after the Sabbath and Jesus’ body was no longer there ! 

Who visited Jesus’ tomb first? When and why?

  The narratives of the Gospels vary considerably:

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher” (Mathew 28:1)

  “ And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sin had risen” (Mark 16:1-2)

  “ But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared” (Luke 24:1)

  “ Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark … “ (John 20:1)   

 Did the women deliver the message of the angel of angels to the disciples?

Mathew and John give no account of the women informing the disciples of the message. Mark and Luke are not in agreement with each other.

Mark writes:

“ They went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8)

Luke writes:

“ And returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest” (Luke 24:9)  

To whom and in what way did Jesus first appear

Jesus' ascension 

.

b. According to Matthew 28:8, they "ran to report it to His disciples."

c. According to Luke 24:9, "they reported these things to the eleven and to all the rest."

d. According to John 20:18, Mary Magdalene announces to the disciples that she has seen the Lord

b. According to Mark 16:5, a young man in a white robe was sitting inside the tomb.

c. According to Luke 24:4, two men in dazzling apparel. It is not clear if the men were inside the tomb or outside of it.

d. According to John 20:4-14, Mary and Peter and the other disciple initially find just an empty tomb. Peter and the other disciple enter the tomb and find only the wrappings. Then Peter and the other disciple leave and Mary looks in the tomb to find two angels in white. After a short conversation with the angels, Mary turns around to find Jesus.

The same expectation held during the period the apostle Paul wrote his letters. In 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Paul says that the time is so short that believers should drastically change the way that they live. But Paul had a problem - some believers had died, so what would happen to them when Jesus returned?

Paul's answer in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 shows that Paul expected that at least some of those he was writing to would be alive when Jesus returned - "we who are alive, and remain..." The same passage also indicates that Paul believed that those believers who had died remained "asleep in Jesus" until he returned. However, as the delay in Jesus' return grew longer, the location of Jesus' kingdom shifted from earth to heaven and we later find Paul indicating that when believers die they will immediately "depart and be with Christ" (Philippians 1:23).

It is quite obvious that Jesus never intended to start any type of church structure since he believed he would return very shortly to rule his kingdom in person. It is also quite obvious that Jesus was wrong about when he was coming back.

Here, and in many gospel passages, Jesus is spoken of as coming with or on the clouds. This is because the Bible's view of heaven is "up" and Jesus has to pass through the clouds to get back, just as in Acts 1:9 Jesus ascended up through a cloud.

However, the book itself makes it possible to pinpoint the date of its writing as 167 BC. How? Because up to that year all of Daniel's detailed prophecies came true. After that year none of them did. But how was Daniel to know that shortly after he wrote his book one of the greatest events in Israel's history, the Maccabean revolution that defeated Antiochus Epiphanes, would occur?

Mark 13:30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.