Understanding the Bible
This post is part of our Understanding the Bible series—short, clear explanations of common questions, phrases, images, and themes found in Scripture.
The goal is simple: to help you read the Bible more clearly by explaining what the text says, what it meant in its original context, and why it still matters today.
These studies are designed for personal Bible reading, small groups, teaching preparation, or anyone who wants to grow in biblical understanding without needing technical training.
On this page:
- Quick Answer
- Why This Question Matters
- An Important Bible Interpretation Principle
- The Key Passages
- Gospel Comparison Table
- Simple Resurrection Morning Timeline
- Meet the Women at the Tomb
- Why Do the Gospel Lists Differ?
- Why Were Women the First Witnesses?
- What Does Luke 24 Emphasize?
- What We Can Say with Confidence
- What This Means for Us
- The Gospel Connection
- Key Takeaway
Quick Answer
The women who went to Jesus’ tomb on the first day of the week included Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and other women who had followed Jesus from Galilee.
Each Gospel names some of the women, but not every Gospel gives the same complete list:
- Matthew names Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.”
- Mark names Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome.
- Luke names Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and “the other women.”
- John focuses especially on Mary Magdalene.
The Gospel writers do not contradict one another. They emphasize different women from the larger group who went to the tomb.
The main point is clear: the first witnesses to the empty tomb were faithful women who had followed Jesus, served Him, watched His burial, and came early to honor His body.
Why This Question Matters
When people read the resurrection accounts, they often notice something interesting.
The Gospels do not all list the women in exactly the same way.
Matthew names two women.
Mark names three.
Luke names three and mentions others.
John focuses mainly on Mary Magdalene.
So who actually went to the tomb?
This question matters because it helps readers understand the resurrection accounts more clearly, see how the four Gospels complement one another, and appreciate the faithful women who followed Jesus.
These women were not random visitors.
They had followed Jesus from Galilee.
They had supported His ministry.
They had watched Him die.
They had seen where He was buried.
And they returned on the first day of the week expecting to honor His body.
Instead, they became the first witnesses that the tomb was empty and that Jesus had risen.
An Important Bible Interpretation Principle
When different Gospel writers mention different details, we should not immediately assume contradiction.
Different witnesses can tell the same true event while emphasizing different people, moments, or details.
For example, if one person says, “Mary Magdalene went to the tomb,” and another says, “Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women went,” those statements do not contradict one another.
A partial list is not the same thing as a conflicting list.
Matthew emphasizes the dramatic angelic announcement. Mark emphasizes the women’s fear and amazement. Luke emphasizes the women as a group of witnesses who report the resurrection to the apostles. John focuses closely on Mary Magdalene’s personal encounter with the risen Christ.
The Gospel accounts fit together best when we read them as complementary testimonies, not competing versions.
The Key Passages
Matthew says Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” went to see the tomb (Matthew 28:1–10).
Mark says Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to anoint Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1–8).
Luke says the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee went to the tomb, and later names Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and “the other women” (Luke 23:55–24:12).
John focuses on Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb early while it was still dark (John 20:1–18).
Putting the accounts together, the named women include Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and Salome, along with other unnamed women.
The fact that Luke mentions “the other women” reminds us that the named women were not necessarily the only women present.
Gospel Comparison Table
Here is a simple way to compare the women named in each Gospel account:
| Gospel | Women Named | Main Emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew 28 | Mary Magdalene and the other Mary | The angelic announcement and the risen Jesus meeting the women |
| Mark 16 | Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome | The women bringing spices and responding with fear and amazement |
| Luke 24 | Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women | The women as witnesses who report the empty tomb to the apostles |
| John 20 | Mary Magdalene | Mary Magdalene’s personal encounter with the risen Jesus |
The simplest conclusion is that several women went to the tomb, while each Gospel writer highlights certain women for his own purpose.
John does not say Mary Magdalene was the only woman who went. In fact, when Mary reports to Peter and the other disciple, she says, “we do not know where they have laid him,” which may suggest she was not alone, even though John focuses his account on her.
Simple Resurrection Morning Timeline
The exact order of every movement is not always easy to reconstruct, but the broad flow is clear.
Women observe Jesus’ burial.
↓
They prepare spices and rest on the Sabbath.
↓
Early on the first day of the week, they go to the tomb.
↓
They find the stone rolled away.
↓
They hear the angelic announcement that Jesus has risen.
↓
They report the news to the apostles.
↓
Peter runs to the tomb.
↓
Mary Magdalene later encounters the risen Jesus personally.
The women came expecting to care for a dead body. Instead, they became the first messengers of resurrection life.
Meet the Women at the Tomb
1. Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene is named in all four Gospels. She had been delivered by Jesus and became one of His most devoted followers.
She witnessed the crucifixion, saw where Jesus was buried, came to the tomb, and became the first person to see the risen Christ in John’s Gospel.
2. Mary the Mother of James
Mary the mother of James is also called “the other Mary” in Matthew. She had followed Jesus from Galilee and was present at the crucifixion, burial, and empty tomb.
She is likely the mother of James the Younger and Joses, though identifying every family connection with certainty is difficult.
3. Joanna
Joanna is named by Luke as one of the women who reported the resurrection to the apostles.
Earlier in Luke, she is identified as the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household, and as one of the women who helped support Jesus’ ministry from her own resources.
4. Salome
Salome is named in Mark’s account. She is often understood to be the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, though this identification is based on comparing Gospel accounts.
Like the others, she came with spices to honor Jesus’ body.
5. Other Unnamed Women
Luke specifically says there were “other women” with Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.
This means the group was larger than the named individuals.
These women were not merely background characters. They were faithful disciples and eyewitnesses to the most important event in history.
Why Do the Gospel Lists Differ?
The lists differ because each Gospel writer selects details that serve his purpose.
This happens throughout normal testimony. One person may mention the most prominent witness. Another may give several names. Another may include a broader group.
Different emphasis does not equal contradiction.
For example, John focuses on Mary Magdalene because her personal encounter with Jesus becomes central to his account.
Luke includes Joanna because he has already introduced her in Luke 8 as one of the women who supported Jesus’ ministry.
Mark includes Salome, likely because she was known in the early Christian community.
Matthew uses “the other Mary,” probably referring to Mary the mother of James, whom he had already mentioned at the crucifixion and burial.
The differences are exactly what we would expect from complementary eyewitness testimony.
The resurrection accounts agree on the central claim:
- The tomb was found empty.
- The women were the first witnesses.
- Angelic messengers announced that Jesus had risen.
- The women reported the news to the disciples.
The details vary, but the core testimony is united.
Why Were Women the First Witnesses?
One of the most striking details in the resurrection accounts is that women are the first witnesses to the empty tomb.
In the first-century world, women were often not treated as ideal legal witnesses. Yet all four Gospels preserve the testimony of women at the tomb.
If the early Christians were inventing a resurrection story to make it more socially persuasive, women would have been an unlikely choice as the first witnesses.
That makes this detail historically significant.
The Gospel writers did not erase the women’s role to make the story more acceptable. They preserved it because it happened.
This also fits the way Jesus treated women throughout His ministry. He welcomed them as disciples, received their service, taught them, healed them, and honored their faith.
The resurrection accounts show that God often entrusts His message to people the world is tempted to overlook.
The women at the tomb remind us that the kingdom of God is not built on worldly status, but on faithful witness to Jesus Christ.
What Does Luke 24 Emphasize?
Since Luke 24 is the launching chapter for this study, it is worth noticing Luke’s emphasis carefully.
Luke connects the women at the tomb with the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee.
The women who discovered the empty tomb were the same faithful disciples who had followed Jesus, watched His crucifixion, and observed His burial.
Luke is not presenting them as confused outsiders.
They knew where Jesus had been buried because they had seen the tomb.
They returned with spices because they intended to honor His body.
When they found the tomb empty, they did not invent a resurrection message.
They received the angelic announcement:
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Then they reported these things to the apostles.
Luke also notes that the apostles initially dismissed their report as nonsense.
Luke presents the women as faithful witnesses whose testimony was first rejected, then confirmed.
That matters because it shows the women were not simply telling people what they already wanted to hear. Their testimony surprised the apostles, but it was true.
What We Can Say with Confidence
The Gospel accounts do not answer every curiosity question, but they give us enough to understand who went to the tomb.
We can say:
- Several women went to Jesus’ tomb on the first day of the week.
- Mary Magdalene was among them and is named in all four Gospels.
- Mary the mother of James was among them.
- Joanna was among them, according to Luke.
- Salome was among them, according to Mark.
- There were other unnamed women with them.
- They had followed Jesus and were connected to His ministry before resurrection morning.
- They had seen where Jesus was buried.
- They came with spices to honor His body.
- They became the first witnesses to the empty tomb.
We should be careful about saying:
- Only Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.
- The Gospel accounts contradict each other because they name different women.
- Every woman present is named for us.
- We can reconstruct every movement of every woman with absolute certainty.
- The women were unimportant background characters.
The safest conclusion is that a group of faithful women went to the tomb, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and other unnamed women.
What This Means for Us
The women at the tomb teach us more than historical details.
They show us what faithful discipleship looks like.
1. Faithfulness often shows up quietly.
These women were not seeking attention.
They simply came to honor Jesus.
Yet God placed them at the center of the resurrection announcement.
2. Love serves even when hope feels buried.
The women came with spices because they believed Jesus was dead.
Their understanding was incomplete, but their devotion was real.
3. God often uses overlooked witnesses.
In the first-century world, women were often discounted as witnesses.
Yet God chose faithful women to be the first witnesses of the empty tomb.
4. Resurrection truth must be announced.
The women did not keep the news to themselves.
They went and told the apostles.
Every believer is called to bear witness that Jesus is alive.
The Gospel Connection
The women came to the tomb expecting death.
Instead, they heard the announcement of life.
“He Is Not Here, But Has Risen”
The empty tomb means Jesus’ death was not defeat.
The cross was the place where Jesus bore sin.
The resurrection was God’s declaration that the Son had conquered sin and death.
The women did not find Jesus among the dead because He was no longer dead.
He had risen, just as He said.
Christian hope rests not in a memory, a symbol, or a moral example, but in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
That is why the women’s testimony matters.
They were not merely reporting an empty tomb.
They were announcing the beginning of resurrection hope.
Key Takeaway
Who were the women at Jesus’ tomb on resurrection morning?
The named women include Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and Salome, along with other unnamed women who had followed Jesus.
The Gospel writers do not give identical lists because each writer emphasizes different women from the larger group.
But the message is clear.
Faithful women who had followed Jesus from Galilee, served Him, watched His burial, and came to honor His body became the first witnesses to the empty tomb.
They came expecting death.
They left announcing life.
Jesus was not in the tomb.
He had risen.
And their testimony still calls us to believe, worship, and proclaim the risen Christ today.
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