Resurrection Timeline

The New Testament does not provide a single continuous diary of the resurrection appearances. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and 1 Corinthians preserve different parts of the story. The sequence below is therefore a reasonable harmonization of those texts, not a claim that every transition can be dated or ordered with certainty.

Some events are firmly ordered by the texts themselves. Others can be placed only approximately because one writer may omit an event that another includes. Acts adds an important boundary to the chronology: Jesus appeared to His followers during a period of forty days before the Ascension. ( Acts 1:1-3 )

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1. 1. Jesus is buried before the Sabbath

   Joseph of Arimathea places Jesus' body in a tomb. The women know where He has been laid and later prepare spices for burial.

   Matthew 27:57-61   |   Luke 23:50-56   |   John 19:38-42
2. 2. The women go to the tomb early Sunday

   Mary Magdalene and other women come to the tomb very early on the first day of the week. The Gospel writers name members of the group differently, but together indicate that several women were involved.

   Matthew 28:1   |   Mark 16:1-3   |   Luke 24:1-10   |   John 20:1
3. 3. The tomb is found open and empty

   The stone has been moved. Angelic messengers announce that Jesus has risen. The women are instructed to tell the disciples.

   Matthew 28:2-7   |   Mark 16:4-7   |   Luke 24:2-8
4. 4. Peter and John inspect the tomb

   Mary Magdalene reports that Jesus' body is missing. Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved run to the tomb and see the burial cloths.

   John 20:2-10   |   Luke 24:12
5. 5. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene

   Mary remains near the tomb after Peter and John leave. Jesus appears to her, and she then announces to the disciples that she has seen the Lord.

   John 20:11-18
6. 6. Jesus appears to other women

   Matthew records Jesus meeting women as they go to report the news to the disciples. Whether this occurred immediately before or after Mary's individual encounter cannot be established with complete certainty.

   Matthew 28:8-10
7. 7. Jesus appears to Peter

   Paul places an appearance to Cephas before the appearance to the larger apostolic group. Luke also records the disciples saying that the Lord had appeared to Simon. The New Testament gives no extended narrative of this meeting.

   Luke 24:34   |   1 Corinthians 15:5
8. 8. The road to Emmaus

   Later that day Jesus joins two disciples traveling to Emmaus, explains the Scriptures concerning Himself, and is recognized when He breaks bread with them.

   Luke 24:13-35
9. 9. Jesus appears to the gathered disciples

   On the evening of the first day of the week, Jesus appears to the gathered disciples in Jerusalem. Luke emphasizes that He can be seen and touched and that He eats in their presence. John notes that Thomas is absent.

   Luke 24:36-49   |   John 20:19-25
10. 10. Jesus appears when Thomas is present

    Eight days later, according to John, Jesus again appears to the disciples. This time Thomas is present and responds with his confession, "My Lord and my God."

    John 20:26-29
11. 11. Appearances in Galilee

    The disciples return to Galilee. John records an appearance beside the Sea of Tiberias, including the miraculous catch of fish and Jesus' conversation with Peter. Matthew records the disciples meeting Jesus on a mountain in Galilee, where He gives the Great Commission.

    John 21   |   Matthew 28:16-20
12. 12. More than five hundred witnesses and James

    Paul reports appearances to more than five hundred believers at one time and later to James. Scripture does not identify the place or exact date of either appearance, so their precise positions in the chronology remain uncertain.

    1 Corinthians 15:6-7
13. 13. Final instructions and the Ascension

    Acts says that Jesus appeared over a period of forty days, speaking about the kingdom of God. The disciples are instructed to remain in Jerusalem and await the Holy Spirit. Jesus then ascends as they watch.

    Acts 1:3-11

Paul's Later Encounter

In his list of resurrection witnesses, Paul finally includes his own encounter with the risen Jesus. That appearance belongs later than the forty-day period described in Acts 1 and is associated with Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. It is therefore important to the resurrection testimony, but it is not part of the Easter-to-Ascension timeline above. ( 1 Corinthians 15:8 ; Acts 9:1-9 )

Continue with Resurrection Appearances for a closer look at the individual witnesses and encounters.