Patch Easter Quiz

Easter is here and churches will be telling the story of Jesus' resurrection in worship. But did you know that the Easter story is actually told four different ways by each of the gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Here's a little quiz to highlight some of the similarities and differences in how the Easter story is told in the four gospels.  
 
Scholars and theologians have struggled for centuries to reconcile these four accounts with each other, in more recent decades debating why each of the gospel writers told the same story in unique ways. So if you end up scratching your head at some of these questions, you're in good company! 

I'll post the answers tomorrow at noon, so be sure to check back to see how you did. Good luck!

1. The gospels say that the woman/women came to Jesus' tomb at precisely what time?

A. while it was still dark

B. at early dawn

C. when the sun had risen

D. all three

2. The gospels say that the woman/women came to Jesus' tomb on what day?

A. the Day of Preparation

B. the sabbath

C. the day after the sabbath

D. both B and C

3. In John's gospel, when Mary Magdalene saw Jesus at the tomb, who did she think he was?

A. Joseph of Arimathea

B. an angel

C. a guard

D. none of these

4. Which of these women is not named as being present at Jesus' tomb in any of the four gospels?

A. Joanna

B. Mary, the mother of James

C. Mary, the mother of Jesus

D. Salome

5. In Luke's gospel, what do the women bring to the tomb?

A. spices

B. an alabaster jar

C. linen burial cloths

D. palms

6. In Mark's gospel, what does Jesus say to the women at the tomb?

A. "Greetings!  Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

B. "Go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

C. "Why do you look for the living among the dead?"

D. Nothing

7. Which gospels report that there were two angels/men dressed in white at the tomb?

A. Luke and John

B. Matthew and Mark

C. Matthew and Luke

D. Mark and Luke

8. In Matthew's gospel, what happened when the stone of Jesus' tomb was rolled back?

A. the sun was turned to darkness and the moon to blood

B. there was a great earthquake

C. many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised

D. the curtain of the temple was torn in two

9. In John's gospel, who arrived at Jesus' tomb first, without entering it?

A. Simon Peter

B. "the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved"

C. Thomas

D. Mary Magdalene

10. In Matthew's gospel, why were Roman soldiers present at Jesus' tomb?

A. The chief priests and the Pharisees feared Jesus' disciples would steal his body

B. Pilate feared there would be a riot among the people

C. It was the custom of the governor to station soldiers at the tomb of insurrectionists to prevent looting

D. Joseph of Arimathea requested that Pilate have the soldiers roll away the stone for the disciples