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Matthew 28

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The Resurrection 1–10

1
Now late on the sabbath day, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. ​
2
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. ​
3
His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow: ​
4
and for fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men.
5
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified. ​
6
He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ​
7
And go quickly, and tell his disciples, He is risen from the dead; and lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. ​
8
And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.
9
And behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. ​
10
Then saith Jesus unto them, Fear not: go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me. ​

The Guard's Report and the Bribe 11–15

11
Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city, and told unto the chief priests all the things that were come to pass. ​
12
And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave much money unto the soldiers, ​
13
saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. ​
14
And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and rid you of care.
15
So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continueth until this day. ​

The Great Commission 16–20

16
But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. ​
17
And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. ​
18
And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. ​
19
Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: ​
20
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Matthew 28

Verse 1

as it began to dawn — Epiphosko, to grow light; it occurs twice in the New Testament, here and in Luke 23:54, where 'the sabbath drew on'. 'The first day of the week' joins mia, one, to sabbaton. The two women, 'Mary Magdalene and the other Mary', are the pair who had sat 'over against the sepulchre' at the burial (27:61).

Verse 2

rolled back the stone — Apokulio, to roll away, used four times, all of this stone (here; Mark 16:3–4; Luke 24:2). In Mark and Luke the women find it already moved. The 'great earthquake' (seismos) is the second in this Gospel's closing chapters: the first came as he died, when 'the earth did quake' (27:51; 27:54).

Verse 3

His countenance was like lightning — Idea, appearance, used only here in the New Testament; astrape is lightning. Daniel saw a man whose 'face as the appearance of lightning' (Dan 10:6) and the Ancient of days whose 'garment was white as snow' (Dan 7:9). White dress also marks the 'two men' who stood by at the ascension (Acts 1:10, 'white apparel').

Verse 5

Fear not ye — The pronoun 'ye' (humeis) sets the women against the keepers of v.4, who 'did shake' for fear (phobos). The angel says what they 'seek' (zeteo) and names him as the one 'which was crucified' (stauroo): the cross is stated beside the resurrection, not set aside by it. Jesus repeats 'Be not afraid' in v.10.

Verse 6

he is risen, as he said — 'Is risen' is egeiro, to be raised up. 'As he said' points back to his own words: 'be raised again the third day' (16:21) and 'the third day he shall rise again' (20:19). The invitation, 'Come, see the place where the Lord lay' (keimai), sends the women to look at the empty place themselves.

Verse 7

he goeth before you into Galilee — Proago is the verb of 26:32, 'after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.' The angel repeats that promise, and Jesus himself repeats it in v.10. 'Go quickly' (tachu) is the speed of v.8, and 'there shall ye see him' (optanomai) is fulfilled at the mountain in v.16.

Verse 9

held him by the feet — Krateo, to take hold of. 'All hail' is chairo, the ordinary greeting, literally 'rejoice'. They 'worshipped' (proskuneo), the word used again of the eleven in v.17 and of the men in the boat in 14:33, 'Of a truth thou art the Son of God.'

Verse 10

my brethren — The disciples had 'forsook him, and fled' (26:56), and he calls them his brethren. John 20:17 has the same words to Mary Magdalene, 'go to my brethren', and Heb 2:11 says 'he is not ashamed to call them brethren'. The message repeats v.7: do not fear (phobeo), and 'there shall they see me.'

Verse 11

some of the watch — Koustodia, from the Latin custodia, a guard; it occurs only in Matthew (27:65–66; 28:11), where Pilate told the chief priests, 'Ye have a watch.' These are the men set at the sepulchre (27:66). They report 'all the things that were done' to the chief priests, not to Pilate.

Verse 12

large money — Literally sufficient silver (hikanos, argyrion). The same word for silver is used of the 'thirty pieces of silver' paid to Judas (26:15), which he threw down in the temple (27:5). The elders and chief priests 'took counsel' (symboulion) here as they had 'against Jesus to put him to death' (27:1).

Verse 13

His disciples came by night — The story answers the fear the chief priests voiced in 27:64: 'lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away'. Klepto, to steal, is the verb of both verses. 'While we slept' (koimao, to put to sleep) places the whole event outside what the soldiers saw.

Verse 15

commonly reported among the Jews — Diaphemizo, to spread abroad; its only other uses are of the news of Christ's healings (Matt 9:31; Mark 1:45). They 'did as they were taught' (didasko). 'Until this day' (as in 27:8) shows that Matthew wrote while the report was still being told.

Verse 16

into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them — 'The eleven' are the disciples left because Judas was gone (27:5). The place was 'appointed' (tasso, to arrange), though the angel (v.7) and Jesus (v.10) named only Galilee, and Matthew does not report when the mountain was fixed. They go as the promise of 26:32 had said.

Verse 17

some doubted — Distazo, to waver; used only here and of Peter on the water: 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?' (14:31). 'They worshipped him' uses the same word (proskuneo) as v.9. The doubt is among those who had come to the mountain, and Jesus then 'came' (proserchomai) to them and spoke (v.18).

Verse 18

All power is given unto me — Exousia, authority, the right to act. 'Is given' (didomi) is the verb of Dan 7:14, 'there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom'. 'In heaven and in earth' widens the earlier 'All things are delivered unto me of my Father' (11:27). Eph 1:20–22 sets the same authority at his resurrection and seating at God's right hand.

Verse 19

teach all nations — The verb is matheteuo, to make disciples; its four uses are Matt 13:52, 27:57 (Joseph 'was Jesus' disciple'), here, and Acts 14:21. Baptizing is 'in the name' (onoma), one name in the singular, 'of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost'. 'Nations' (ethnos) is all the peoples.

Verse 20

I am with you alway — Literally 'all the days'. It answers the name given at his birth, 'Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us' (1:23), and the LORD's word to Joshua, 'as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee' (Josh 1:5). 'The end of the world' is sunteleia aionos, the completion of the age (13:39, 40, 49; 24:3).