Invariably the two written messages bear little resemblance to each other. If we go through the circle, each one telling what the message was that he received, we find that the message deteriorated each time it was relayed. Sometimes one step in the relaying circle changes the whole meaning of the message. Try it some time when you’re at a party. It’s fun and revealing.

The strange thing is that the mathematics of communications theory, an exact science, predicts this deterioration in relaying intelligent information; the more links in the relay, the more the deterioration. The worst series of links is to have all of the links human, like the ring of chairs, one person per chair. The more persons, the more ridiculous the deterioration.

Now none of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were at the sepulchre, so what they wrote was not firsthand information. Even if each one of them had spoken to the same woman of the three who went to the sepulchre, her story could or would have differed each time she told it to one of the four. Or, if each of the women told the story to a different disciple, the story most certainly would have varied. Further, if none of them told the disciples the story, but the disciples were told the story by a mix of secondary sources, it would have varied greatly. The fact is that we don’t know how Matthew, Mark, Luke and John got the sepulchre story. That can’t be changed.

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In spite of all of the differences between the four relatings of the same story, we have to take into account each version, if nothing more than just to see where we stand.

Matthew stated: One angel; countenance like lightning; raiment white as snow; the angel spoke to the women; all had fear of the angel.

Mark stated: One young man, seated on right side; clothed in a long white garment; the three women were “affrighted”; he spoke to the women.

Luke stated: Two men in shining garments were standing by the women; the women were afraid; both spoke to the women, saying the same words.

John stated: Mary Magdalene alone stood outside the sepulchre; stooping and looking in, she saw two angels in white; angels were sitting one at the head, one at the feet, where Jesus had lain. They conversed with her; no fear was mentioned. She saw Jesus, and did not recognize him; she thought he was the gardener.

John’s relation varies so much from the other three that it suggests a different event. It appears that she visited the sepulchre with the other women, then ran back, encountered Peter, and told him that the stone was taken away from the sepulchre; the two of them then ran back to the sepulchre to start this story.

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