John 20:1

"The first day of the week" was Sunday. It is interesting that all the Gospel writers referred to the day of Jesus’ resurrection this way rather than as the third day after His death. The latter description would have connected the Resurrection with Jesus’ predictions of it more directly. Perhaps they did this to associate Easter more clearly with a new beginning. [Note: Carson, The Gospel . . ., p. 635.] John may have mentioned the darkness of the night to associate darkness with Mary’s limited understanding then (cf. John 13:30). [Note: Ibid.] Alternatively this may simply have been a detail that adds credibility to the narrative.

The other evangelists noted that several women came to the tomb. [Note: See Zane C. Hodges, "The Women and the Empty Tomb," Bibliotheca Sacra 123:492 (October-December 1966):301-9.]

Mary Magdalene evidently came first with the other women (cf. John 20:2). Another possibility is that she came first and the other women followed shortly, but this seems less likely in view of the other evangelists’ descriptions. John wrote that she saw (Gr. blepei) the open tomb of Jesus. He implied that she did not enter it. Perhaps John mentioned Mary Magdalene and none of the other women because of the testimony that she gave after she had seen Jesus (John 20:18).