The life of Jesus · New Testament
The Story of the Resurrection of Jesus
On the first day of the week women find Jesus’ tomb empty; the risen Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, to the eleven, to Thomas and by the Sea of Galilee.
Editorial text in English. Scripture is quoted from the version you choose; references stay the same in every version.
Introduction
Each Gospel tells of women coming to the tomb early on the first day of the week and finding it empty. The accounts differ in who went and what they saw and heard; each is shown here on its own. Mark 16:1–8Matthew 28:1–10Luke 24:1–12John 20:1–10
The Gospels then record appearances of the risen Jesus: to Mary Magdalene in the garden, on the road to Emmaus, to the disciples in Jerusalem, to Thomas, and by the Sea of Galilee, where he restores Peter. Matthew ends with the commission to make disciples of all nations. John 20:11–18Luke 24:13–35John 21:15–19Matthew 28:16–20
Principal passages
People in this story
- Mary Magdalene The Story of Mary Magdalene
- Simon Peter The Story of Simon Peter
- John the apostle The Story of John the apostle
- Jesus The Story of Jesus
- Thomas The Story of Thomas
- Cleopas and another disciple
Places named
- The tomb John 20:1
- Emmaus Luke 24:13
- Jerusalem Luke 24:33
- The Sea of Tiberias (Galilee) John 21:1
- A mountain in Galilee Matthew 28:16
Only places the passages name. Locations are not guessed.
The story, event by event
In the order Scripture presents them. Expand an event to read its passage here.
The empty tomb
Women come to the tomb at dawn with spices and find the stone rolled away. They are told Jesus is not there but has risen. In John, Mary Magdalene runs to Peter and the other disciple, who see the linen cloths lying in the empty tomb.
The earliest manuscripts of Mark end at 16:8. Verses 9–20 appear in later manuscripts and are printed in many Bibles with a note.
Mary Magdalene meets Jesus
Mary stays weeping at the tomb. Jesus speaks to her and she thinks he is the gardener until he says her name. He sends her to tell the disciples, and she announces, “I have seen the Lord!”
The road to Emmaus
Two disciples walking to Emmaus are joined by Jesus, whom they do not recognise. He explains the Scriptures about himself; they recognise him when he breaks bread, and he vanishes. They return to Jerusalem at once.
People: Jesus, Cleopas and another disciple
Jesus stands among them
Jesus appears to the disciples in Jerusalem and says, “Peace be to you.” He shows his hands and side, eats before them, opens their minds to understand the Scriptures and sends them.
Thomas
Thomas was absent and will not believe unless he sees the marks of the nails. Eight days later Jesus appears and invites him to touch; Thomas answers, “My Lord and my God!”
Breakfast by the sea
After a night of catching nothing, seven disciples are told by a man on the shore to cast the net on the right side. They catch a great number of fish, recognise the Lord, and eat the breakfast he has prepared.
“Do you love me?”
Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and three times tells him to feed his sheep. He speaks of how Peter will die and says, “Follow me.”
Make disciples of all nations
The eleven go to a mountain in Galilee. Some worship and some doubt. Jesus says all authority has been given to him, and sends them to make disciples of all nations, promising, “I am with you always.”
Related and parallel passages
- Matthew 28:1–10 Parallel account · The empty tomb
- Luke 24:1–12 Parallel account · The empty tomb
- John 20:1–10 Parallel account · The empty tomb
- John 20:19–23 Parallel account · Jesus stands among them
Related stories
- The Crucifixion of Jesus Continues the story
The women who saw where Jesus was laid return to the tomb on the first day of the week. Mark 15:47Mark 16:1
Later in the Bible
Later passages that recall or interpret this story. They are not events within it.
- Acts 1:3 Later recollection — Jesus showed himself alive over forty days.
- Acts 2:24–32 Teaching or quotation mentioning them — Peter proclaims that God raised Jesus up.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 Later recollection — Paul lists appearances of the risen Christ, including to more than five hundred at once.
- Romans 6:4–5 Teaching or quotation mentioning them — Baptism unites believers with Christ’s death and resurrection.
Connected themes
- Hope
The resurrection is the ground of the New Testament’s hope. 1 Peter 1:3
- Resurrection Illustrates the theme
The accounts of the empty tomb and the appearances. Luke 24:6
- Joy
The women run from the tomb with fear and great joy. Matthew 28:8
Related life situations
- Doubt
Thomas and others doubt the resurrection, and Jesus meets them. John 20:24–29
Questions for study
Written by BibleKenya editors. They are not Scripture.
- What differences do you notice between the four accounts of the empty tomb? What do they all agree on?
- How does Mary Magdalene come to recognise Jesus (John 20:14-16)?
- What helps the two disciples on the road to Emmaus understand what has happened (Luke 24:25-32)?
- Why might Jesus ask Peter three times, “Do you love me?”
Study guides
- How the Four Gospels Relate
The empty tomb accounts compared in lesson three. Mark 16:1–8
Use offline
Save this story on your device, then download the Bible books it uses in your version: Mark, John, Luke, Matthew. The study keeps only its own notes and references; the Scripture comes from the books on your device, never a second copy.