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“The Resurrection”· Matthew 28:1–10
Translation
King James Version
¶ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Complete Jewish Bible
After Shabbat, as the next day was dawning, Miryam of Magdala and the other Miryam went to see the grave.
Berean Standard Bible
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
American Standard Version
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.
World English Bible Messianic
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.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Now in the end of the Sabbath, when the first day of ye weeke began to dawne, Marie Magdalene, and the other Marie came to see the sepulchre,
Young's Literal Translation
And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,
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16 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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The earthquake is the might of the resurrection, when the sting of death being blunted, and its darkness illuminated, there is stirred up a quaking of the powers beneath, as the Lord of the heavenly powers rises again.
This is an instance of the mercy of God the Father, to supply the ministry of heavenly power to the Son on His resurrection from the grave; and he is therefore the proclaimer of this first resurrection, that it may be heralded by some attendant token of the Father's good pleasure.
Or the earthquake was to rouse and waken the women, who had come to anoint the body; and as all these things were done in the night-time, it was probable that some of them had fallen asleep.
As much as to say, If ye believe me not, remember His own words. And then follows further proof, when he adds, Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
And, behold, he shall go before you, that is, to save you from danger, lest fear should prevail over faith.
"But in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow."
After the resurrection came the angel. Wherefore then came he, and took away the stone? Because of the women, for they themselves had seen Him then in the sepulchre. Therefore that they might believe that He was risen again, they see the sepulchre void of the body. For this cause he removed the stone, for this cause also an earthquake took place, that they might be thoroughly aroused and awakened. For they were come to pour oil on Him, and these things were done at night, and it is likely that some also had become drowsy. And for what intent and cause doth he say, "Fear not ye?" First he delivers them from the dread, and then tells them of the resurrection. And the ye is of one showing them great honor, and indicating, that extreme punishment awaits them that had dared to do, what the others had dared, except they repented. For to be afraid is not for you, he means, but for them that crucified Him.
Having delivered them then from the fear both by his words, and by his appearance (for his form he showed bright, as bearing such good tidings), he went on to say, "I know that ye seek Jesus the Crucified." And he is not ashamed to call Him "crucified;" for this is the chief of the blessings.
"He is risen." Whence is it evident? "As He said." So that if ye refuse to believe me, he would say, remember His words, and neither will ye disbelieve me. Then also another proof, "Come and see the place where He lay." For this he had lifted up the stone, in order that from this too they might receive the proof. "And tell His disciples, that ye shall see Him in Galilee." And he prepares them to bear good tidings to others, which thing most of all made them believe. And He said well "in Galilee," freeing them from troubles and dangers, so that fear should not hinder their faith.
Or, otherwise; This apparent discrepancy in the Evangelists as to the times of their visits is no mark of falsehood, as wicked men urge, but shows the sedulous duty and attention of the women, often going and coming, and not enduring to be long absent from the sepulchre of their Lord.
And, behold, there was a great earthquake. Our Lord, Son at once of God and man, according to His twofold nature of Godhead and of flesh, gives a sign one while of His greatness, another while of His lowliness. Thus, though now it was man who was crucified, and man who was buried, yet the things that were done around show the Son of God.
The Angel in white raiment signifies the glory of His triumph.
The guards lay like dead men in a trance of terror, but the Angel speaks comfort not to them, but to the women, saying, Fear not ye; as much as to say, Let them fear with whom unbelief abides; but do ye who seek the crucified Jesus hear that He has risen again, and has accomplished what He promised.
That if my words fail to convince you, the empty tomb may.
Mystically; He shall go before you into Galilee, that is, into the wallowing stye of the Gentiles, where before was wandering and stumbling, and the foot had no firm and steady resting-place.
(Chapter 28, Verse 1) But on the evening of the Sabbath, which dawns on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. The fact that different times of these women are described in the Gospels is not a sign of falsehood, as the wicked claim, but rather the diligent duty of visitation, as they frequently go and come back, and do not allow themselves to be away from the Lord's tomb for a long time or further.
(de Cons. Ev. iii. 24.) Concerning the hour when the women came to the sepulchre there arises a question not to be overlooked. Matthew here says, On the evening of the Sabbath. What then means that of Mark, Very early in the morning, the first day of the week? (Mark 16:2.) Truly Matthew, by naming the first part of the night, to wit, the evening, denotes the whole night in the end of which they come to the sepulchre. But seeing the Sabbath hindered them from doing this before, he designates the whole night by the earliest portion of it in which it became lawful for them to do whatever, during some period of the night, they designed to do. Thus, On the evening of the sabbath, is just the same as if he had said, On the night of the sabbath, i. e. the night which follows the day of the sabbath, which is sufficiently proved by the words which follow, As it began to dawn towards the first day of the week. This could not be if we understood only the first portion of the night, its beginning, to be conveyed by the word, evening. For the evening or beginning of the night does not begin to dawn towards the first day of the week, but only the night which is concluded by the dawn. And this is the usual mode of speaking in Holy Scripture, to express the whole by a part. By evening therefore he implied the night, in the end of which they came to the sepulchre.
One must not dismiss lightly the question concerning the exact hour at which the women came to the tomb. For if Matthew says, “In the evening of the sabbath, at the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Madgalene and other Mary came to see the tomb,” what then does it mean that Mark says, “And early in the morning on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun”? The other two Gospels, Luke and John, do not disagree with Mark; Luke says “early in the morning,” and John says “in the morning when it was still dark.” Both statements are consistent with Mark’s declaration that it was “early in the morning at the rising of the sun,” that is, when the heavens in the east were brightening. But this doesn’t occur except when the sun is very close to rising, a phenomenon which customarily is called the dawn. Therefore Mark does not oppose John, who says “when it was still dark,” for as day is breaking the remaining shadows of darkness diminish only in proportion to the sun’s rising. And Luke’s phrase, “early in the morning,” need not be understood to imply that the sun had already appeared above the horizon but rather is the kind of expression we normally use when we want to signify that something must be done earlier. For when we say “in the morning,” lest we are understood to mean that the sun is already visible, we usually add “very early,” so that we will be understood to refer to the dawn.Thus it is said “in the evening of the sabbath,” as if he had said “in the night of the sabbath,” that is, in the night which follows the day of the sabbath. Matthew’s words themselves, however, are sufficient, for he says, “In the evening of the sabbath, at the dawn on the first day of the week.” This would be impossible if we understood “in the evening” to signify only the first part of the night. For it is not the beginning of the night which “dawns on the first day of the week” but the night which begins to be terminated by the coming of the light. Now the end of the first part of the night is the beginning of the second part, but the end of the whole night is the light. Thus we cannot say that the evening is “at the dawn of the first day of the week” unless by “evening” we intend “night,” which the light brings to an end. In addition, it is divine Scripture’s customary way of distinguishing the whole from the part. Therefore by saying “evening” it signifies the whole night, the end of which is the dawn. Thus the women came to the tomb at dawn, and therefore they came at night, which is signified in Scripture by the designation of evening. For, as I have said, the whole night is included under that name. Therefore, in whatever part of the night they may have come, they came at night; even if they came at the very end of the night, the fact remains without a doubt that they came at night.
The apostles are preceded in ministry by women, who follow the men by gender and the disciples by order. The apostles are not thereby made masters by these women. These women are bringing to the sepulcher the form and appearance of women, but they together symbolize the wholeness of the Lord’s churches. Mary and Mary: one as herself, and herself as the other. Mary, the single maternal name of Christ, is duplicated in two women. Here is symbolized the church coming from two peoples yet made into one from two peoples—that is, from the Gentiles and the Jews. For “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.”
“In the evening toward the dawn.” Behold, with the Lord’s resurrection the evening does not grow dark, it becomes light. What was normally the beginning of night now becomes the break of day. “In the evening of the sabbath toward the dawn of the first day of the week.” Even as mortality is transformed into immortality, corruption into incorruption and flesh into the Word of God, the darkness is transformed into light, so that the night itself rejoices that it did not die but is transmuted.…“In the evening of the sabbath toward the dawn of the first day of the week.” The sabbath rejoices that it now has a subservient effect. Under the yoke of the law the sabbath had become smugly apathetic and alienated from life-giving power. Through the primacy of the Lord’s Day the sabbath is now wonderfully awakened to works of divine power. To paraphrase the Lord: Is it not permitted to heal the sick on the sabbath, to give aid to the afflicted, sight to the blind and life to the dead?
(Serm. 75.)g. Because the sabbath is illuminated, not taken away, by Christ, Who said, I am not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it. (Matt. 5:17.) It is illuminated that it may lighten into the Lord's day, and shine forth in the Church, when it had hitherto burnt dim, and been obscured by the Jews in the Synagogue.
It follows, Came Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary, &c. Late runs woman for pardon, who had run early to sin; in paradise she had taken up unbelief, from the sepulchre she hastes to take up faith; she now hastens to snatch life from death, who had before snatched death from life. And it is not, They come, but came, (in the singular,) for in mystery and not by accident, the two came under one name. She came, but altered; a woman, changed in life, not in name; in virtue, not in sex. The women go before the Apostles, bearing to the Lord's sepulchre a type of the Churches; the two Marys, to wit. For Mary is the name of Christ's mother; and one name is twice repeated for two women, because herein is figured the Church coming out of the two nations, the Gentiles and the Jews, and being yet one. Mary came to the sepulchre, as to the womb of the resurrection, that Christ might be the second time born out of the sepulchre of faith, who after the flesh had been born of her womb; and that as a virgin had borne Him into this life present, so a sealed sepulchre might bring Him forth into life eternal. It is proof of Deity to have left a womb virgin after birth, and no less to have come forth in the body from a closed sepulchre.
(Serm. 77 et 74.) If the earth thus quaked when the Lord rose again to the pardon of the Saints, how will it quake when He shall rise again to the punishment of the wicked? As the Prophet speaks, The earth trembled when the Lord rose again to judgment. (Ps. 76:8.) And how will it endure the Lord's presence, when it was unable to endure the presence of His Angel? And the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven. For when Christ arose, death was destroyed, commerce with heaven is restored to things on the earth; and woman, who had of old held communication to death with the Devil, now holds communication to life with the Angel.
(Serm. 74.) He said not 'rolled,' but rolled back; because the rolling to of the stone was a proof of death; the rolling it back asserted the resurrection. The order of things is changed; The Tomb devours death, and not the dead; the house of death becomes the mansion of life; a new law is imposed upon it, it receives a dead, and renders up a living, man. It follows, And sat thereon. He sat down, who was incapable of weariness; but sat as a teacher of the faith, a master of the Resurrection; upon the stone, that the firmness of his seat might assure the sted fastness of the believers; the Angel rested the foundations of the Faith upon that rock, on which Christ was to found His Church. Or, by the stone of the sepulchre may be denoted death, under which we all lay; and by the Angel sitting thereon, is shown that Christ hath by His might subdued death.
(Serm. 75.) The splendour of his countenance is distinct from the shining of his raiment; his countenance is compared to lightning, his raiment to snow; for the lightning is in heaven, snow on the earth; as the Prophet saith, Praise the Lord from the earth; fire and hail, snow and vapours. (Ps. 148:7.) Thus in the Angel's countenance is preserved the splendour of his heavenly nature; in his raiment is shown the grace of human communion. For the appearance of the Angel that talked with them is so ordered, that eyes of flesh might endure the still splendour of his robes, and by reason of his shining countenance they might tremble before the messenger of their Maker.
(Serm. 77.) But what means this raiment where there is no need of a covering? The Angel figures our dress, our shape, our likeness in the Resurrection, when man is sufficiently clothed by the splendour of his own body.
(Serm. 75.) For they kept watch over Him with a purpose of cruelty, not with the solicitude of affection. And no man can stand who is forsaken by his own conscience, or troubled with a sense of guilt. Hence the Angel confounds the wicked, and comforts the good.
(Serm. 77.) For their faith had been bowed by the cruel storm of His Passion, so that they sought Him yet as crucified and dead; I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified; the weight of the trial had bent them to look for the Lord of heaven in the tomb, but, He is not here.
(Serm. 76.) Thus the Angel first announces His name, declares His Cross, and confesses His Passion; but straightway proclaims Him risen and their Lord. An Angel after such sufferings, after the grave acknowledges Him Lord; how then shall man judge that the Godhead was diminished by the flesh, or that His Might failed in His Passion. He says, Which was crucified, and points out the place where the Lord was laid, that they should not think that it was another, and not the same, who had risen from the dead. And if the Lord reappears in the same flesh, and gives evidence of His resurrection, why should man suppose that he himself shall reappear in other flesh? Or why should a slave disdain his own flesh, seeing the Lord did not change ours?
(Serm. 77.) As much as to say, Woman, now thou art healed, return to the man, and persuade him! to faith, whom thou didst once persuade to treachery. Carry to man the proof of the Resurrection, to whom thou didst once carry counsel of destruction.
(Hom. de Resur. iii.) After the mockings and scourgings, after the mingled draughts of vinegar and gall, the pains of the cross, and the wounds, and finally after death itself and Hades, there rose again from the grave a renewed flesh, there returned from obstruction a hidden life, health chained up in death broke forth, with fresh beauty from its ruin.
It is to be known that Matthew designs to hint to us a mystical meaning, of how great worthiness this most holy night drew from the noble conquest of death, and the Resurrection of Our Lord. With this purpose he says, On the evening of the Sabbath. For whereas according to the wonted succession of the hours of the day, evening does not dawn towards day, but on the contrary darkens towards night, these words show that the Lord shed, by the light of His resurrection joy and brilliance over the whole of this night.
The rolling back of the stone signifies the opening of Christ's sacraments, which were covered by the letter of the Law. For the Law having been writen on stones, is here denoted by the stone.
The sacred authors of the Gospels did not say whether the Savior was raised “after the sabbath,” or when most of the night had passed, or at the dawn or when the sun had already begun to shine. Indeed, it would be contradictory for the authors to say that the same event transpired at different times. However, they did write that some of the women arrived at the tomb at one time and some of the women at another time, but not all at the same time—how could that be possible, since they came separately?—and that each of the women heard the angels say similar things regarding the Savior: “He is risen, he is not here,” without adding when his resurrection occurred. It follows that if the resurrection had taken place on that divine night, as all of the Evangelists aver and agree, no one has specified the hour. [That hour] is unknown to the entire world except for the God who was raised and for the Father—who alone knows the Son as he is known by the Son—and except for the Spirit, who “searches everything, even the depths of God.” …As for the expression “after the sabbath,” it does not refer to the evening which follows the setting of the sun at the end of the sabbath, for Matthew did not use the singular opse sabbatou but the plural opse sabbatōn. The Jews were accustomed to call the entire week sabbata. Thus the Evangelists call the first day opse sabbatōn when they mean the first day of the week. We also use a colloquial expression when we call the second and third days of the week the second and third of the sabbata. Matthew then did not say opse sabbatou, that is, the evening of the sabbath, because he did not intend to denote the evening of that very day. Rather, he used opse sabbatōn so as to indicate that it was very late and well after the end of the week. Similarly, I think, we are in the habit of saying “you came opse tou kairou [well after the time], opse tēs hōras [well after the hour], opse tēs chreias [well after the need]” not in order to indicate the evening or the time after the setting of the sun but in order to suggest that the person arrived too late for the event. In a similar fashion, opse sabbatōn means that the women arrived very late and well after the end of the week. Now each week ends at the setting of the sun after the sabbath.
(Hom. in Ev. xxi. 4.) Or otherwise; Lightning inspires terror; snow is an emblem of equity; and as the Almighty God is terrible to sinners and mild to the righteous, so this Angel is rightly a witness of His resurrection, and is exhibited with a countenance as lightning, and with raiment as snow, that by His presence He might terrify the wicked, and comfort the good; and so it follows, And for fear of him the keepers did shake.
(in loc.) Otherwise; It may be understood that they began to come in the evening, but that it was the dawn of the first day of the week when they reached the sepulchre; that is, that they prepared the spices for anointing the Lord's body in the evening, but that they took them to the sepulchre in the morning. This has been so shortly described by Matthew, that it is not quite clear in his account, but the other Evangelists give the order more distinctly. The Lord was buried on the sixth day of the week, and the women returning from the sepulchre prepared spices and ointments as long as it was lawful to work; on the sabbath they rested, according to the commandment, as Luke plainly declares; and when the Sabbath was past and the evening was come, and the season of labour returned, with zealous devotion they proceeded to purchase such spices as they yet lacked, (this is implied in Mark's words, when the sabbath was past, that they might go and anoint Jesus, for which purpose they come early in the morning to the sepulchre.
(Hom. Æst. i.) For from the beginning of the creation of the world until now, the course of time has followed this arrangement, that the day should go before the night, because man, fallen by sin from the light of paradise, has sunk into the darkness and misery of this world. But now most fitly night goes before day, when, through faith in the resurrection, we are brought back from the darkness of sin and the shadow of death to the light of life, by the bounty of Christ.
These who had not the faith of love were shaken with a panic fear; and they who would not believe the truth of the resurrection become themselves as dead men.
His fleshly presence, that is; for His spiritual presence is absent from no place. He is risen, as he said.
And this glad tiding is given not to you alone for the secret comfort of your own hearts, but ye must extend it to all who love Him; Go quickly, and tell his disciples.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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Summary
Matthew 28:1 serves as the crucial transition point from the sorrow of Christ's crucifixion and burial to the glorious dawn of His resurrection. This verse meticulously details the timing—the very close of the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to break—and introduces the faithful women, Mary Magdalene and the "other Mary," who set out with sorrowful intent to visit the tomb, unknowingly on the precipice of the most pivotal event in human history.
Context
Literary Context
This verse immediately follows the somber narrative of Jesus' burial and the sealing of His tomb. Matthew 27:57-61 describes Joseph of Arimathea's courageous request for Jesus' body, its placement in a new tomb, and the presence of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary observing the burial site. The Jewish authorities, remembering Jesus' prophecy of rising after three days, had requested a Roman guard and a sealed tomb to prevent the disciples from stealing the body, as recounted in Matthew 27:62-66. Therefore, Matthew 28:1 sets the stage for the dramatic unveiling of God's power, directly countering the efforts to secure the tomb and providing the first human witnesses to the resurrection narrative. It marks a profound shift from the despair of death to the hope of new life.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Jewish Sabbath, observed from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, was a day of absolute rest, during which no work, including the preparation of bodies for burial, was permitted. Jesus had been crucified on Friday, and His body hastily prepared and laid in the tomb before the Sabbath began. The women's visit "in the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week" indicates the earliest possible moment they could attend to the body after the Sabbath had concluded. This timing, just after Saturday sunset and into the early hours of Sunday morning, underscores their deep devotion and adherence to Jewish law, even in their profound grief. Their intent was likely to complete the anointing rites with spices, a common practice for honoring the deceased, which they had been unable to do on Friday. The "sepulchre" (Greek taphos) would have been a rock-cut tomb, often with a large stone rolled across the entrance, as described in Matthew 27:60.
Key Themes
Matthew 28:1 contributes significantly to several key themes within Matthew's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights the Faithfulness and Devotion of the Women, who, unlike many of the male disciples, remained steadfast in their commitment to Jesus even in death, becoming the first witnesses to His resurrection. Their perseverance in seeking Jesus, even in sorrow, is a powerful testament to true discipleship. Secondly, the verse underscores Divine Timing and the Inevitability of Prophecy's Fulfillment. The precise timing—"the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week"—is not coincidental but divinely orchestrated, setting the stage for the fulfillment of Jesus' repeated prophecies about His resurrection on the third day (e.g., Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:23, Matthew 20:19). Finally, this verse serves as a powerful Anticipation of the Empty Tomb and the Resurrection, even before the actual discovery. The women's journey to "see the sepulchre" quickly transforms into an encounter with the miraculous, establishing the cornerstone of Christian faith: the triumph of life over death, as revealed in Matthew 28:5-7.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This adverb signifies "late in the day" or "after the close of the day." In the context of the Sabbath, which ended at sunset on Saturday, "in the end of the sabbath" precisely denotes the moment the Sabbath was concluding, transitioning into the first hours of the new day. It marks the precise temporal boundary between the old era of Sabbath observance and the dawning of the new creation in Christ.
This verb means "to begin to grow light" or "to draw on." It describes the very first glimmer of light in the sky, indicating the earliest hours of the morning. Coupled with "the end of the sabbath," it paints a vivid picture of the transition from the darkness of night and the somber Sabbath rest to the breaking light of a new day, symbolically mirroring the transition from death to resurrection.
This verb implies more than a casual glance; it means "to be a spectator of," "to discern," or "to behold." The women came with the intent to carefully observe the tomb, perhaps to confirm its location, to mourn, or to complete burial rites. Their intention to "see" the sepulchre foreshadows their actual experience of seeing the empty tomb and, subsequently, the risen Christ, transforming their sorrowful observation into joyful witness.
Verse Breakdown
"In the end of the sabbath,"
This phrase pinpoints the precise moment the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) was concluding, at sunset. It signifies the transition from the day of rest, during which Jesus' body lay in the tomb, to the start of the new day.
"as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week,"
This further clarifies the timing, indicating the very early hours of Sunday morning, just as light was beginning to appear in the sky. This specific timing is crucial, establishing the day of Jesus' resurrection and the subsequent Christian observance of Sunday as the Lord's Day.
"came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary"
These two women, identified as faithful followers who were present at the crucifixion and burial, are the first human witnesses to approach the tomb on this momentous day. Their presence highlights their unwavering devotion and love for Jesus.
"to see the sepulchre."
Their purpose in coming was to visit the tomb, likely to mourn, confirm its state, and perhaps to complete the anointing of Jesus' body, a task they could not perform on the Sabbath. This seemingly simple act of visiting a grave sets the stage for the greatest revelation in history.
Literary Devices
Matthew 28:1 employs several powerful literary devices. The most prominent is Symbolism, particularly in the temporal description. The phrase "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week" is rich with symbolic meaning. The "end of the sabbath" can symbolize the close of the old covenant era, marked by law and sacrifice, and the "dawn toward the first day of the week" symbolizes the inauguration of the new covenant, characterized by grace, resurrection, and new creation. This transition from darkness to light also embodies the shift from the despair of death to the hope of resurrection. There is also strong Anticipation and Foreshadowing in the women's intent to "see the sepulchre." While they anticipate seeing a dead body in a sealed tomb, the narrative subtly foreshadows the miraculous discovery of the empty tomb and the subsequent encounter with the risen Christ, transforming their sorrowful mission into the joyful proclamation of the Gospel.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Matthew 28:1 profoundly connects to the theological significance of the resurrection as the cornerstone of Christian faith. The precise timing, "the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," establishes Sunday as the day of Christ's triumph over death, thereby shifting the primary day of worship for Christians from the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) to the Lord's Day (Sunday), commemorating the new creation inaugurated by the resurrection. This transition underscores the new covenant's fulfillment and transcendence of the old, demonstrating that Christ's work is complete and brings about a new reality. The women's faithful pursuit of Jesus, even in death, highlights the theme of steadfast devotion that is ultimately rewarded with the revelation of God's greatest victory.
Reflection and Application
Matthew 28:1 invites us to reflect on the profound transition from sorrow to joy, from darkness to light, and from death to life that is central to the Christian message. The faithfulness of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who sought Jesus even in His death, serves as a powerful example for believers today. Their diligent pursuit, despite their grief and the apparent finality of the tomb, reminds us that even in our deepest sorrows and uncertainties, our continued seeking of Christ will lead to unexpected revelations of His power and presence. This verse also calls us to consider the significance of Sunday, the "first day of the week," not merely as a day off, but as a weekly commemoration of the resurrection—a reminder of new beginnings, victory over sin and death, and the ongoing work of God in our lives. It encourages us to approach each new day, and especially the Lord's Day, with anticipation of God's continued revelation and transformative power, just as the women approached the tomb expecting death but finding life.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is the timing of the women's visit to the tomb so precisely described in Matthew 28:1?
The precise description of the timing—"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week"—is crucial for several reasons. Theologically, it marks the exact moment of transition from the Jewish Sabbath, representing the old covenant and the period of Christ's rest in the tomb, to the "first day of the week," which signifies the new creation inaugurated by Jesus' resurrection. This timing directly fulfills Jesus' prophecies that He would rise on the third day (Matthew 16:21). Historically and culturally, it explains why the women visited then: the Sabbath had just concluded, allowing them to perform burial rites they couldn't do earlier. Furthermore, this specific timing establishes Sunday as the day of Christian worship, commemorating the resurrection, as seen in the practices of the early church (Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Matthew 28:1, while seemingly a simple narrative detail, is profoundly Christ-centered, setting the stage for the ultimate demonstration of His triumph over sin and death. The women's journey "to see the sepulchre" is a poignant reflection of humanity's search for hope in the face of mortality, a search that finds its complete and glorious answer in the person of Jesus Christ. The timing—the dawning of the "first day of the week"—is not arbitrary but divinely orchestrated to signify the dawn of a new creation, where Christ, as the "firstfruits of those who are asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20), inaugurates a new spiritual reality. His resurrection from the tomb, which these women were about to discover, validates His claims to be the Son of God and the promised Messiah, fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Him (Luke 24:44-47). The empty tomb, anticipated by their visit, is the irrefutable proof that Jesus is not merely a prophet or a teacher, but the living Lord who holds the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18). Thus, this verse, by detailing the approach to the tomb, powerfully points to the resurrected Christ as the source of all Christian hope, the conqueror of death, and the inaugurator of eternal life for all who believe in Him (John 11:25-26).