Held 1516.
I will try to bring all evangelists into a historical order, especially concerning the first day of the resurrection, where they write much confused. So that I may speak of it as I understand it, it must first be seen here in advance that the women went twice to the tomb and also went away twice again. The first time they saw only the angels and reported this to the disciples; the second time they saw no one, since they were not alone, but Peter and John were with them; then Peter and John returned home, but the women remained and returned a while later. But Mary stood and abode by the sepulchre, and there she saw the angels the second time, and Christ also. This is proved by the fact that Matthew and Mark say that after they had seen the angels, they hastened to proclaim this to the apostles, which they did. But it also adds Mat-
*) Löscher I, 270 ff.; Erl.A. opp. var. aiA 1, 88844.
D. Red.
Soon after the first hurrying away from the tomb, he adds the other hurrying away and says (Matth. 28, 9.): "When they went to tell these things to the apostles, Jesus met them. But that Christ did not appear to them in the first hastening from the grave is clearly stated by Lucas (Cap. 24:22, 23), who says that the women frightened the disciples by telling them that they had seen a vision of angels, and that some of the disciples had gone away to the grave; hence it is evident that Christ had not yet revealed Himself to the women, for otherwise they would have said so.
2) Secondly, I presuppose that Matthew and Marcus, when they speak of one angel, have in mind the office and ministry of the angels, namely, that only one of the angels spoke; but Lucas and John speak of two, because there were in fact two.
Let us therefore arrange the text and bring it into harmony with one another. Marcus says: "And when the Sabbath was past "etc.; Lucas: "And some with them."
(This, which Lucas puts here, we do not find in our text; but the Greek text and Laurentius Valla have such). Matthew: "They bought specimens, that they might come and anoint Jesus. They did this on the evening of the Sabbath, when the vespers of the following day had already begun, so that they might come early the next day and anoint Jesus. Matthew: "But in the evening of the Sabbath, which begins in the morning of the first feast day"; that is, in the early time of the following day, whose dark vespers were the evening of the Sabbath, but the luminous vespers of the same were the early time of the following day. So he distinguishes the early vespers from the evening vespers, so there preceded the early vespers. Marcus: "very early"; Lucas: "in the twilight"; John: "when it was still dark"; since here everything must be taken for one, when it says: "in the twilight very early", "luminous Vespers, when it was still dark". But that Marcus says: "when the sun went out" must be taken to mean that they had come to the tomb at that time. But they had gone out of the city before the sun went out, and when they came to the sepulchre the sun was up; hence he says, "They came to the sepulchre when the sun was already up." John speaks of Mary alone: first, because he touches many mysteries in this article; secondly, because he is disposed to write more extensively of her than of the other women; therefore he leaves the others and turns to her alone.
4th Matthew: "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and stood by, and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulcher, and sat upon it. And his form was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And the keepers were afraid with fear, and were as though they were dead." Marcus: "They came to the grave, when the sun had already risen." This happened before the arrival of the women, and the guardians may have seen this angel or at least his appearance. Since then it is to be known that this angel did not remain sitting on the
stone, but he disappeared again until the women went into the tomb. And when they had seen what had happened there, it appeared to them again, because they were very upset; as this is to be concluded from Lucas. Marcus: "And they looked there, and perceived that the stone was rolled away, because it was very great." Lucas: "And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre." John: "And they saw that the stone was removed from the sepulcher." See, here you find that they neither saw nor found the angel sitting on the stone. For he had gone away again, when the keepers had been alarmed. Lucas: "And they entered into the sepulchre, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus." So they went in at first, since no one appeared, and perhaps they talked among themselves about where he might have gone. And when they saw him there and went out again full of sorrow, the angels appeared to them first. Therefore the text Luc. 24, 4. says: "And when they were troubled about it" etc., namely, that the body was not there, because they had many suspicions and misgivings, and feared that the Jews might have stolen it; Lucas: "Behold, two men stood by them in white garments." They were standing behind them as they talked with each other. Marcus: "They saw a young man sitting on their right hand, wearing a long white garment, and they deposed." This is the angel who had rolled away the stone. Marcus calls this angel another, and does not say that only one addressed the women; although Lucas says that they, "the angels," said to them; since the speech of the one, because of the equality of that which they spoke, is said by both. They were terrified, and, as Lucas says, "when they smote their faces to the earth, and were afraid, they spake unto them," namely, one of them, as Matthew and Marcus say. Hence also Matthew and Marcus say, "But the angel answered and spake unto the women." How then does he answer, since he was not asked? Answer: The women, in their consternation, said, "Woe is us, who took him away?
stolen? Where did he go? To these questions he answered. Not only to this, but also to their terror and horror, which was with them when they saw the angels. Matthew: "Do not be afraid"; Marcus: "Do not be dismayed"; Matthew: "I know that you are looking for Jesus"; Marcus: "from Nazareth"; Matthew: "You are looking for Him who was crucified. This he says, that he may strengthen them to hear the word of the resurrection of the Lord: "He is not here; he is risen, as he said unto you." This he answers their questions, and gives them the solution; as if he said, He is not stolen away from the Jews, he is risen. Follows Lucas, "Why seek ye him that liveth among the dead? He is not here, but he is risen. Remember what he said unto you, when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." Lucas explains the word, "as he said unto you"; which Matthew thus put, "Come and see." Marcus: "Behold"; Matthew: "the place where the Lord was laid, and go in haste, tell his disciples"; Marcus: "and Petro"; Matthew: "that he is risen, and, behold, he shall go before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him"; Marcus: "as he hath told you." Matthew: "Behold, I have told you before." Lucas: "And they remembered his words, and departed again from the sepulcher"; Matthew: "And they went out hastily unto the sepulcher"; Marcus: "And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulcher," but with fear and great joy; Marcus: "There was fear and dismay come upon them, and said nothing to any man, for they were afraid." Now from this it is evident that they saw these angels in the tomb, and that soon after they ran straightway to the disciples. And this is their first departure from the tomb.
5 Hence it follows in Matthew, "And as they went to preach unto his disciples." So they did not have the appearance of the Lord, which is clear from the words of Luke, who repeats the words of the two disciples.
Disciples, who went to Emmaus: "Also some women of ours frightened us, who were early at the grave" etc. See, here it is clear that the women proclaimed nothing but the angels' words and vision; therefore they ran quickly and swiftly, as Matthew says; but at the other return they walked slowly) Lucas: "They proclaimed all these things to them and to all the others." John likewise testifies that they ran, and says that they first proclaimed these things to Petro and John. It says: "Then she runs" (namely Mary Magdalene, whom he names alone, because she was more zealous than the others) "and comes to Simon Petro, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and says to them, They have taken away the Lord" etc. They still doubt that he has risen, although they had already heard this from the angels; or perhaps, as Lucas says, because they seemed to be telling fairy tales to the others, they themselves also said, "If he has not risen, we do not know where they have laid him. But that Mary Magdalene alone did not proclaim these things, Lucas testifies, when he says: "Now there was Mary Magdalene" (but here John says that Mary Magdalene proclaimed these things to him) "and Mary Jacob, and others with them, which told these things unto the apostles; and they thought their words even as if they were fables, and believed them not." From this it is clear that they went to the tomb more than once, and that when they returned from it the second time, the Lord appeared to them. But the disciples, in their unbelief, told the women another thing, and there they all mean no other than that he was taken away.
6th And being thus astonished at the thing, they returned with Peter and Johanne to the sepulchre, seeing then no angels, but Mary Magdalene only, which remained behind; whom also he appeared then for the first time, as follows. Lucas: "But Peter arose and ran to the tomb." John: "Then Peter and the other disciple went out, and came to the sepulcher. And the two ran together, and the other disciple ran to the sepulchre.
before, quicker than Peter, and came first to the tomb. Look into it, and behold the linen laid. Then Simon Peter went after him, and entered into the sepulchre, and saw the linen laid, and the face-cloth which was bound about Jesus' head, not laid with the linen, but wrapped up by itself in a place apart. Then went in also the other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and saw, and believed. For they did not yet know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went away together again." From this it is evident that many others came with these two, and (as it is wont to happen when something has become known that was unknown before, that one returns again, not in a heap, as one had run to, but scattered and divided and separated from one another) so also here the disciples return with one another, but the women follow them a little slower.
7 And here the Lord appeared to them [namely, to the women]. Therefore also Lucas testifies this of many others, when he says: "And some of ours went to the grave" etc.; but these did not run [as it is said of the former, namely, of Petro and Johanne]. Therefore it is to be concluded that it is not because of this that the Lord appeared to Peter at this return from the tomb; because here it is said, Joh. 20, 10.: "Then the disciples went away together again", since they did not find him; one would have to say that Peter alone returned and the Lord appeared to him in this way. For as Lucas says, "Peter arose, and went to the sepulcher, and stooped down, and saw the linen cloths lying alone, and departed, and was astonished how it happened." But it seems to be contrary to this, that Christ appeared to the women on the way, and commanded them to report this to the disciples. But this can be lifted up if one says that he also appeared to Petro, so that he together with the women showed this to the other disciples, namely to those who had already gone away.
8 John: "Mary stood outside the tomb and wept." The rest, so here
Search in the text, because it is too long. He therefore speaks again to Mary; so the other women went away to proclaim these things to the others, because everyone was full of the new message at that time, and they all say these things to everyone. Matthew: "And as they went to tell his disciples" (our codices do not have this, but only the Greek), "behold, Jesus met them, and said, Hail. And they came unto him, and took hold of his feet, and fell down before him. Then said Jesus unto them: Fear not, go and tell my brethren, that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." He said this primarily to prove his resurrection and that they would remember his word (because they saw him sooner than in Galilee); he means, "On this very day go and tell them, so that they may remember what I said to them, namely, that I would go before them into Galilee. Or he also says it because he was seen in Galilee by all, by more than five hundred brethren, as the apostle says 1 Cor. 15, 6. And so the women did, that they went and preached these things: but they believed not even then. And about this Mary Magdalene came, to whom the Lord also says, as John testifies, "But go to my brethren, and tell them: I ascend etc. Mary Magdalene comes and announces to the disciples: I have seen the Lord, and these things he said unto me." But why Christ allowed himself to be touched by the other women and not by Mary, I have elsewhere called a very great mystery. From this it is clear that, as Marcus says, the first apparition happened to Mary Magdalene, and soon after that Christ also appeared to the other women, yes, perhaps at the same time to Petro, to the other women and to Mary, because this would not have been impossible for him if he had wanted to do it. Therefore Marcus says: "And Jesus, when he was risen early on the first day of the Sabbath, appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he cast out seven devils.
And she went and told them that had been with him, which were afflicted, and thought. And they, when they heard that he was alive, and had appeared unto her, believed them not."
(9) So we have two apparitions: the one that happened early to Mary Magdalene; the other that happened to the other Marys. That he also appeared to Petro is certain; but it is doubtful whether this happened on the way or early. For thus says Lucas, that the disciples said to them that returned from Emmaus, "The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simoni." And this is the third apparition. The fourth appearance, according to some, happened to Jacob the younger on the same day; which I also assume to be true, because of the word of the apostle, where he says, 1 Cor. 15, 5. 7.: "He was seen by Cephas, then by the elves, then at Jerusalem by Jacob." The fifth appearance is the same one that happened to the Emmauntian disciples. The sixth apparition happened to all the disciples, late in the evening, when they were shut up in the house. I leave these two out of order here, because from Lucas and John the same order is sufficiently clear and easy.
(10) But what is to be said here of the Blessed Virgin Mary? I say that either she was with the other women and thus saw him, or that she saw him late that evening with the rest of the disciples, because she was undoubtedly with them. Nor is it necessary to say that he was hers first.
For there are some who in many ways judge the mother of the Lord too carnally and according to human sense, and let themselves be driven by the affect of a carnal godliness. This is not secretly concealed in holy scripture, and it is rather always said that he was harsh against them.
11 Therefore, it is clear from all this that the Lord told his apostles many things at that time that they did not understand. As Lucas also says that when the Lord preached to his disciples that he would be handed over to the Gentiles, that he would be scourged and crucified, and that he would rise again the third day: "But they understood not the word, and the saying was hid from them. Likewise when he said, "Over a little thing ye shall not see me," no man understood it. But he foretold them this, not as if they understood it, but that they might afterwards remember it, and understand what he meant by such words. "And now have I told you, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe," John 14:29; as if he said, Now ye understand not what it is; but when it shall be come to pass, as I now say unto you, then shall ye understand, and believe that I am God; which they also did afterward. So He also says elsewhere (Joh. 16, 12.): "I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now"; because they did not understand all the words about His suffering in any way except after His suffering. The cause of this was because they thought he would not die.