Matthew28

At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary found Jesus' tomb empty. An angel announced His resurrection and instructed them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee. Jesus then appeared to the women and later to the eleven disciples in Galilee, where He gave them the Great Commission to teach and baptize all nations.

The Empty Tomb Discovered

1
After Shabbat, as the next day was dawning, Miryam of Magdala and the other Miryam went to see the grave. ​
2
Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of ADONAI came down from heaven, rolled away the stone and sat on it. ​
3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. ​
4
The guards were so terrified at him that they trembled and became like dead men.
5
But the angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know you are looking for Yeshua, who was executed on the stake. ​
6
He is not here, because he has been raised -- just as he said! Come and look at the place where he lay. ​
7
Then go quickly and tell the talmidim, `He has been raised from the dead, and now he is going to the Galil ahead of you. You will see him there.' Now I have told you." ​
8
So they left the tomb quickly, frightened yet filled with joy; and they ran to give the news to his talmidim.
9
Suddenly Yeshua met them and said, "Shalom!" They came up and took hold of his feet as they fell down in front of him. ​
10
Then Yeshua said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go and tell my brothers to go to the Galil, and they will see me there." ​

The Guard's Report and the Bribe

11
As they were going, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the head cohanim everything that had happened. ​
12
Then they met with the elders; and after discussing the matter, they gave the soldiers a sizeable sum of money ​
13
and said to them, "Tell people, `His talmidim came during the night and stole his body while we were sleeping.' ​
14
If the governor hears of it, we will put things right with him and keep you from getting in trouble."
15
The soldiers took the money and did as they were told, and this story has been spread about by Judeans till this very day. ​

The Great Commission

16
So the eleven talmidim went to the hill in the Galil where Yeshua had told them to go. ​
17
When they saw him, they prostrated themselves before him; but some hesitated. ​
18
Yeshua came and talked with them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ​
19
Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, ​
20
and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age." ​

Study Notes for Matthew 28

Verse 1

The phrase 'end of the sabbath... began to dawn toward the first day of the week' establishes the timing of the resurrection on Sunday morning, which became the principal day of Christian worship.

Verse 2

The earthquake and the angel’s descent demonstrate divine power. The stone was rolled back not to allow Jesus out (as he had already risen), but to allow the witnesses entry and confirmation of the empty tomb.

Verse 3

The description of the angel uses traditional apocalyptic imagery (lightning and snow), emphasizing the awe-inspiring and terrifying nature of divine glory.

Verse 5

The angel's words, 'Fear not ye,' distinguish the women from the terrified Roman guards, assuring them that this encounter is one of salvation and good news.

Verse 6

He is risen, as he said. This statement confirms the central claim of the Christian faith and validates all of Jesus' prior prophecies concerning his death and resurrection (cf. Matt 16:21).

Verse 7

The women are commissioned as the first messengers of the resurrection. The instruction to go to Galilee fulfills Jesus' promise made before the crucifixion (26:32), emphasizing his reliability.

Verse 9

Jesus’ immediate appearance to the women confirms the reality of the resurrection. Their act of holding his feet affirms the physical, tangible nature of his resurrected body.

Verse 10

Jesus calls the disciples 'my brethren.' This signals the restoration of their relationship despite their recent failures and denial, establishing a new intimacy in the post-resurrection community.

Verse 11

The report of the Roman guard provides an independent, hostile witness to the miraculous events, further confirming the impossibility of a natural explanation for the empty tomb.

Verse 12

The Jewish leaders’ decision to pay 'large money' (a bribe) shows their desperation to suppress the truth, prioritizing their political and religious power over acknowledging divine action.

Verse 13

The fabricated story is internally inconsistent; if the guards were asleep, they could not possibly know who had stolen the body. This narrative was designed to offer a counter-explanation to the empty tomb.

Verse 15

This editorial comment by Matthew indicates that this counter-narrative was still actively circulating among Jewish communities at the time his Gospel was written, highlighting the persistence of opposition.

Verse 16

The meeting place in Galilee, specifically on a mountain, recalls other significant moments of divine revelation and authority in Matthew’s Gospel (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount).

Verse 17

The phrase 'some doubted' is a powerful reminder that faith often coexists with human uncertainty, even when faced with overwhelming evidence.

Verse 18

All power is given unto me: The resurrection grants Jesus universal, absolute authority (*exousia*) over the cosmos, which serves as the foundation and justification for the global mission that follows.

Verse 19

This is the Great Commission, the definitive command to the Church to evangelize globally. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost establishes the Trinitarian formula for Christian initiation.

Verse 20

The promise, 'I am with you alway,' is the final, comforting word of the Gospel. It assures the disciples of Christ's continual, powerful presence through the Holy Spirit as they carry out the mission until the end of the age.

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