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
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Miriam Magdalene and the other Miriam came to see the tomb. ​
2
Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. ​
3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ​
4
For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.
5
The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Yeshua, who has been crucified. ​
6
He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. ​
7
Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” ​
8
They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.
9
As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Yeshua met them, saying, “Rejoice!” They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ​
10
Then Yeshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.” ​

The Guard's Report and the Bribe

11
Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. ​
12
When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers, ​
13
saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. ​
14
If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry.”
15
So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Judeans, and continues until this day. ​

The Great Commission

16
But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Yeshua had sent them. ​
17
When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted. ​
18
Yeshua came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. ​
19
Go, and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ​
20
teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. ​

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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