I have to admit that it would be a challenge to line up all those accounts of that resurrection day to make sense of it, but with His help, we may be able to come to an agreement with what had happened that day.
Okay. I think I see what Gerhard is seeing in Mark.
Mark 16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
This below is a departure from the visit mentioned above. What is below is actually a reference to an earlier visit.
Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
This portion of Mark 16:9-11 is this event described in detail in John 20:1-18 ending with verse 18 "Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her;" but left out the part that they believed her not which what had happened in Mark 16:11 above.
Then this happened in Mark regarding what the angel told the women to tell the disciples of Jesus meeting them along the road.
Mark 16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Going back to the visit Mark was originally talking about, but in Matthew.
Matthew 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
Then we see a meeting with Jesus along the way in telling His disciples which was NOT mentioned in Mark.
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
This was not the earlier meeting with Jesus by Mary Magdalene in John 20 where she was instructed by Jesus not to touch Him, because it was along the way in telling His disciples that they held His feet.
It gets clearer that there were more than just two women at the tomb that was told to tell the disciples what the angel told them to say.
Luke 24:9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Here we get more info than what has been provided from above that Peter was not the only one that had run to the sepulchre as we read below.
John 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
This is an example of why I do not see two visits of Peter to the tomb in those two references but one visit. Just because Matthew did not mention the other disciple, John, it does not mean John was not there or that there were two visits since there is no reason for two visits after the women told Peter the news, but that was the event more in detail in John for when they had believed not still in .
John 20:8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
Mark 16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
So after the women told the disciples what the angel wanted them to; this happened as the angel said but the two witnesses from the road were not believed either.
Mark 16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Then we have the report of His appearing where Thomas was not present.
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
That event above is more in detail below.
John 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. 19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
So I admit my error so that Gerhard was correct "somewhat" that Mark 16:9 was another visit, but it was actually an earlier visit which was mentioned in detail at the beginning of John 20th chapter.
I do not know how to align the four gospel narratives that well enough to give a decent presentation, but obviously, not all the details are given for the resurrection day event in all the four gospel account. Some gospel narrative can leave out an event or two or just touching it barely in general reference.
I believe where one may misread the four as meaning multiple visits, if one uses His wisdom, we may see how some verses are talking about the one visit, but giving more detail in another gospel narrative whereas some verses are referring to another visit.
Anyway. that is where I am at so far in this discussion.
