WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN JESUS' RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION?

Many Bible critics have claimed that there is no way to reconcile the events in the Bible between the Resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  This is not true.  Many Christians have come up with lists of events which are not contradictory to any or all of the four Gospels.  Many of these lists are different from each other, since there are many ways to reconcile them.

What we have with the four Gospels are four different perspectives on the same events.  Naturally, there will be differences in the details between them, as there will be in any four alternate perspectives.  This actually goes a long way to proving the reliability of the Gospels.  Had the four authors fabricated this story, then the details themselves would have been fabricated, and would then match closely.  The fact that the four Gospels give different details, but do not contradict each other, is incredibly strong evidence that they are honest eyewitness accounts of the same events.

Here is one possible order of events which all four Gospels do not disagree with:

1.  Just before dawn, Mary Magdelene, Mary of Clopas, and Salome are on their way to the tomb. They buy some spices on the way to anoint Jesus' body.
(some don't specifically mention the other Mary and/or Salome, but this is only leaving out a detail, not a contradiction)

2.  While they are on their way, an earthquake strikes near the tomb. An angel descends and rolls away the tomb. The guards flee. (Matthew 28:1-4)
(only Matthew mentions this event, but this only means that the other three left out a part of the story, which is not a contradiction)

3.  As the dawn is beginning, the three women arrive at the tomb. They see that the stone has been rolled away.
(John 20:1 says it was still dark, but as the dawn is beginning, it is relatively dark)

4.  Mary, thinking Jesus' body has been stolen, flees. She does not see the angel.
(only John specifically mentions Mary fleeing, but the others imply it in the fact that Mary doesn't find out about Jesus' resurrection until later than those who went into the tomb)

5.  The angel says to Mary of Clopas and Salome, "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 28:5-6)
(only Matthew mentions this invitation, but again, this is only the other Gospels leaving out a detail)

6.  The women enter the tomb and see one angel.
(Luke says they saw two angels, but also mentions that this was some time after they first entered the tomb.  So it is reasonable to believe that the first women to enter saw only one angel)

7.  Some other women, who have prepared their spices before the Sabbath, also arrive and also enter the tomb. At this point, there is a second angel with the first angel. One of them says, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 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.  The women flee the tomb, saying nothing to anyone on their way to find the disciples.

9.  Jesus appears to the women who are still running to tell the disciples. He says, "All hail". They fall to His feet and worship Him. He says, "Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me."

10.  The women tell the disciples. The Apostles don't believe them.
(Luke 24:10 says that Mary Magdelene told the Apostles also.  But she was not with the other women.  The most logical assumption is that the Apostles she told were Peter and John, as I explain in the next answer, and the other women told other Apostles)

11.  Mary finds Peter and John and tells them that she believes Jesus' body has been stolen. They all run to the tomb, but John arrives first, and then Peter. Mary has fallen behind and has not arrived yet. John does not go into the tomb, but Peter does. After a few minutes, John goes in and joins Peter. The two of them leave to go home.
(Luke doesn't mention John's presence, but John's Gospel explains that they arrived separately and entered the tomb separately, which explains why Luke may have left out John's presence.  It is only the leaving out of a detail, not a contradiction)

12.  Mary arrives after they have left. She looks into the tomb and sees two angels sitting where Jesus' body was lain. They say, "Woman, why weepest thou?" She replies, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." Jesus appears to her, but she doesn't recognize Him. He says, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" She says (still not recognizing Him) "Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus says, "Mary". She says, "Rabboni".  Jesus says, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."

13.  Mary tells the disciples that she saw Jesus, but they don't believe her.

14.  Jesus appears to Peter
(No details are given of this meeting in any Gospels, but Luke 24:34 mentions that they met)

15.  Jesus appears to two disciples (including Cleopas) on the road to Emmaus as described in Luke 24:13-32. They also tell the Apostles. Thomas is not with them.

16.  While the two disciples are talking to the Apostles, Jesus appears before the Apostles (except for Thomas) and says, "Peace be unto you." The apostles think they are seeing a ghost. Jesus says, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." He shows them His wounds from the cross, and eats with them. He says, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Then he gives them understanding of the scriptures, and says, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." He also breathes the Holy Ghost onto them and says, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
(some say Jesus' command to 'tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem' contradicts the idea of them later going to Galilee, but Jesus was only telling them to make their headquarters in Jerusalem.  He did not mean that they couldn't leave the city)

17.  The Apostles later tell Thomas that they saw Jesus, but he doesn't believe them. He says, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

18.  Eight days later, Jesus appears to Thomas when he is with the other Apostles. He says, "Peace be unto you." Then Jesus says to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." Thomas replies, "My Lord and my God." Jesus says, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

19.  Some time later, in Galilee, Jesus appears to Peter, Thomas, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. This is the third time Jesus appears to the Apostles. This encounter is described in John 21. Jesus then appears to 500 disciples, then to James (His half-brother).

20.  Jesus and the Apostles return to Jerusalem.

21.  During the 40th day, Jesus leads the Apostles to Bethany, to the Mount of Olives, where He ascends from. The Apostles return to Jerusalem.
(note:  Bethany is alongside the Mount of Olives)