This is the first of a four-part series in which I deal with the various resurrection stories of the four canonical gospels.  Matthew’s version is recounted in Matthew 28.  Unique to this gospel, however, is the two earthquakes, one happening at the point of Jesus’ death (in Matthew 27) and a second one caused by a descending angel who rolled back the stone covering the tomb.  Also unique is the incredible story that at the moment Jesus dies the tombs of many saints opened, whereupon these saints went into the city and appeared to many.  With Jesus’ resurrection, the angel who rolled away the stone told Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to go to tell the disciples that Jesus was no longer at the tomb.  They were to tell the disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee.  On the way, they encounter Jesus, who repeats the instruction.  The account includes the episode in which soldiers are bribed to tell people that Jesus’ disciples came to steal his body.  When the disciples finally see Jesus in Galilee, they worshipped him.  But some doubted.

In this presentation, Jesus explains what it means that he is the living bread that results in eternal life.  There are overtones of eucharistic activities, revelatory ideas, and ways of relating to Jesus by means of this bread.  Believing Jesus and eating his flesh and drinking his blood are part of this.  Of course, the crowd does not get this teaching.  Jesus is an ordinary man—everyone knows him, and everyone knows his father and mother.  How can someone so ordinary be living bread.  It turns out that even disciples have difficulty with what Jesus is saying.  Many of them abandon Jesus.  Only the twelve stick around.  However, Jesus points out that, though he has chosen the twelve, one of them is a devil!

This account is found in John 6.  Even though a story in which Jesus feeds a large crowd with meager sources occurs in all four Gospels, the account John is unique.  For example, in this story Jesus distributes the bread and fish himself.  In the other Gospels, Jesus has his disciples do this.  Plus, in this story the crowd seems more interested in a miracle that involves a free lunch than a sign indicative of Jesus’ ultimate mission.   John 6 is parallel to John 4.  In John 4, Jesus offers “living water” that will quench religious thirst for good.  In John 6, Jesus offers “true bread” that will satisfy religious hunger for good.

In this episode, Elijah’s deity shows up and consumes the sacrifice with fire.  As though this were not startling enough, the sacrifice and the wood had been drenched.  This demonstration had the intended effect, namely, the Israelites acknowledged their God was indeed God.  Afterwards, Elijah slaughters the prophets of Baal!  Then, the prophet outruns King Ahab to Jezreel, even though the king is in a chariot and Elijah is on foot!  I point out why this story should not be seen as a historical description.  

  This episode is narrated in 1 Kings 18.  It is the famous contest on Mt. Carmel.  This story also features Obadiah, a man who serves both Ahab and Israel’s God.  Obadiah was the one who told King Ahab that Elijah wanted to meet him.  Of course, Obadiah was worried that Elijah might get cold feet and not appear.  Elijah convinced Obadiah otherwise.  When Ahab and Elijah met, they traded insults.  Then Elijah proposed a contest.  The prophets of Baal were to prepare a bull offering, but were not to apply fire.  Elijah would do the same.  Then, both would call on their respective deities to supply the fire.  The prophets of Baal did just that, but there was no answer.  This is part 1—the story concludes next week.

  In this story, Elijah denounces King Ahab of Israel, threatening that God is about to induce a drought.  This forces the prophet to flee the king’s wrath.  God directs the prophet to go to a place where there is enough water.  Ravens would supply food!  Soon, though, that area is depleted by the drought.  So, God orders the prophet to go into Canaanite territory.  God had commanded a widow to take care of Elijah.  But when he found the woman, she was in the process of making her final meal for herself and her son.  Nevertheless, Elijah had her cook something for him first, then promised that henceforth she would have an unending supply of flour and cooking oil.  That happened!  Subsequently, the widow’s son fell ill—he was either at death’s door or dead already.  She was irate, of course, at Elijah.  Elijah was not too happy himself, all but accusing God of putting him in an impossible situation.  Eventually the prophet prayed for the lad and he was soon restored, either being raised from the dead or recovering of some sort of coma.  Upon witnessing this last miracle, the woman declare that Elijah was indeed a prophet and that the Israelite God spoke through him.

In this episode, Joseph’s ten brothers arrive in Egypt to buy food. He immediately recognizes them, but they do not recognize him. Immediately, he accuses them of being spies. They insist that they are honest men, ten of twelve brothers, one of whom is dead and the youngest of whom is still with their father, Jacob. Joseph demands that one of the brothers return to Canaan and fetch the other brother. He puts them in jail to think about this. Afterwards, Joseph comes up with another plan. Nine of the brothers can return home, with the provisions they came to buy, fetch the other brother, and return to Egypt. In the meantime, Simeon will stay in a cell in Egypt. Having no choice, the brothers buy food and return. When they get home they tell Jacob what has happened. Of course, he is upset. He has no intention of letting Benjamin out of his sight which also means that he will never see Simeon again. Making matters worse, the money for the food was in the sacks carrying the provisions. On the way home, only one brother had found the money; now, every brother would be implicated. Eventually, again having no choice, Jacob sends his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin in tow.

In this episode of the Joseph story as narrated in Genesis 37—50, Joseph has been thrown into prison after having been set up by Potiphar’s wife, who accused him of rape. But in prison God was with Joseph, which meant at least that he caught the eye of the warden. This led the warden to make Joseph a custodian in the prison. In time, two men—a butler and a baker--who worked for the Pharoah were imprisoned. While there, they had disturbing dreams. Joseph was able to interpret these dreams. In both cases, Joseph knew what the dreams meant. The Butler was reinstated and the Baker was executed. When Pharoah two years later also had disturbing dreams, Joseph was summoned to interpret them for the king. Once again, Joseph was uncannily correct. The dreams predicted Egypt would experience seven years of agricultural bounty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph also suggested that the Pharoah needed to appoint someone who knew how to deal with this situation. The Pharoah appointed Joseph on the spot, making him second in command in all of Egypt. Joseph got a new Egyptian name, jewelry, royal clothing, and an Egyptian wife, who subsequently bore him two sons. Just as Joseph had predicted, seven years of incredible growth occurred, followed by terrible famine. The drama will continue when Joseph’s own family finds itself in desperate need of food at a time when only Egypt has food for sale.

In this episode Joseph’s relatively cushy job of taking care of Potiphar’s household was destroyed. It came about because of Potiphar’s wife, who had an eye for the handsome Joseph. She crudely invited him to bed, which Joseph politely declined. But she would not take “no” for an answer. Once, when she and Joseph were alone, she again made a play for him, but this time by grabbing his garment. Joseph bolted, leaving his garment with her. That allowed her the opportunity to frame him, the consequence was that an enraged Potiphar had Joseph thrown into prison. It seems that God’s being with Joseph was a cruel joke. But God once again was with Joseph, which caught the warden’s eye. Eventually, Joseph was made a custodian who was in charge of the other prisoners. Once again, Joseph had landed on his feet.

In this episode, Joseph finds his brothers who, at first, plot to kill him, but eventually sell him into slavery. Reuben’s efforts to save the lad failed. To cover their tracks, the brothers kill a goat and smear its blood on Joseph’s coat. Then, they show the coat to Jacob, who immediately recognizes it. Jacob cannot be consoled. In the meantime, Joseph is sold to an important Egyptian official and, because God is with him, is put in charge of all the affairs of the man who bought him as a slave.