To read Matthew's version of Easter morning is to be struck dumb with wonder. It is as if Matthew decided to go for broke and show us what a real live miracle looks like when you're standing in the middle of it. Compare Matthew's rendition of Easter morning at the tomb with John's version to get a sense of the unabashed awesomeness Matthew wanted to communicate.

John's Easter morning begins with Mary Magdalene alone and in the dark. The whole tenor of the first 10 verses is one of confusion, fear, desolation and depression. Even after Mary sees the two angels in the tomb, things are still unclear. Jesus himself appears at first in a veiled, unrecognizable form. For John, the resurrection is as mysterious as it is miraculous.

For Matthew the resurrection is a parade, a party, a pull-out-all…