Outline/Summary
I am with you always, even to the end of the age
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday), Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake. An angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.
The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid. But the angel said to the women,
“Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, but he is not here. He has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you!”
So they left the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell the disciples. But Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings!” They fell to his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them,
“Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”
While they were traveling to Galilee, some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After they had assembled with the elders and formed a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them,
‘You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole his body while we were asleep.’ If this matter is heard before the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
So they took the money as instructed, and this story is told among the Jews to this day.
The eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came up and said to them,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been granted to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
What the story means to us today
What was Jesus’ purpose on earth?
Matthew closes with an account of the resurrection, the exciting end to a world-changing saga. But Jesus’ resurrection is more than just the culmination of a magnificent story. His teachings had to be built upon a foundation of authority – from God. Jesus’ miracles provided his inhuman qualities, but the resurrection proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus’ authority came from God.
Matthew concludes with Jesus telling the disciples to travel the world, baptize Christians, and teach them to “obey everything I have commanded.” As Jesus stated, he was given “all authority on heaven and earth” to make such a demand. He is the rock upon which the Christian church was built.
Jesus was a teacher, offering not just a New Covenant (salvation through his teachings) and a clarification of the Old Testament, but also teaching us how we are expected to behave as Christians. He passed his knowledge to the disciples, who worked to spread it beyond the land of Galilee to the entire world as Jesus instructed. It is up to us to continue that work.
Deeper thoughts and additional considerations
The Marys travel to Jesus’ tomb
Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary” traveled to Jesus’ tomb to mourn his death. At the gravesite, they encounter an angel – appearing like “lightning and dressed in clothes as white as snow.” The guards are terrified of the sight and fall to the ground, apparently passing out from fear. But the angel calms the women and invites them to see Jesus’ empty grave.
The stone was removed, not to release Jesus, but to let the women see that Jesus had been resurrected – the final proof that Jesus had the authority to implement a New Covenant from God.
The plan to discredit Jesus’ resurrection
When the soldiers tell the chief priests about Jesus’ empty tomb, the Jewish leaders must move quickly to discredit Jesus’ claims. To do anything else would validate Jesus’ ministry and allow his message to spread far and wide, potentially rendering the Jewish religion obsolete. Thus, Matthew tells us that the soldiers were offered a bribe to change their story.
If it were deemed that the soldiers fell asleep while guarding Jesus’ grave, the penalty could be death (if they were Roman soldiers). Since they went to the chief priests first, it seems as if they were a part of the Temple Guard. Still, even the Temple Guard would face the wrath of Pilate for derelict of their duties, especially given the importance of their task. The chances of soldiers falling asleep under such circumstances were slim.
But the chief priests have no other means to discredit Jesus’ ministry. The soldiers must be silenced, but they could not be killed – only Pilate could order that. And surely they would tell others about what they had witnessed. Thus their only option was to pay them to keep quiet.
The chief priests’ (and Satan’s) final act against Jesus was to bribe the guards into claiming they fell asleep while on duty, a somewhat silly excuse aimed at discrediting the soldiers. How “sleeping” guards could attest it was the disciples that stole Jesus’ body shows how hopeless the chief priests’ goal rally was.
If the bribe were secret, how do we know of it today?
We all know what they say about best-kept secrets – almost nothing turns out as expected. Likely, the chief priests’ plan did not work as well as they wished. Acts 6:7 tells us that the disciples spread the word throughout Jerusalem and that, in fact, a “large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Indeed, many Jewish leaders ultimately converted (no doubt the miracles of the crucifixion and resurrection prompted many to do so). With many Jewish leaders brought into the Christian faith, it’s easy to see how a “secret” such as this could become public knowledge.
The eleven disciples meet a resurrected Jesus
Matthew says the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the “mountain Jesus had designated.” Note that there are now only eleven disciples, not twelve. Judas, who is now dead, is specifically excluded from the count.
The “mountain” referred to here is unknown but had apparently been discussed with the disciples earlier.
Some disciples doubt
All of the gospels record that some of the disciples doubted or hesitated when they first witnessed Jesus after his resurrection. This could have been from shock or pure disbelief. Imagine how stunning it would be to meet someone you knew for certain had died.
But it is also possible that Jesus hid his identity. Matthew does not write much about Jesus after the resurrection. However, other gospel writers say Jesus was not immediately recognizable. For instance, Luke writes of a Man who walked with the disciples and told them how foolish they were to be “slow to believe all the things the prophets have spoken.” After being convinced to join the disciples at dinner, the man breaks bread and gives thanks, at which point “their eyes were opened,” and they recognized the man as Jesus before he “disappeared” into thin air.
Could someone have stolen Jesus’ body during the night?
It is unlikely the elders, disciples, and Romans were fooled. Humans two thousand years ago were not dumb. In fact, although IQ is believed to have increased within the last century, researchers have found evidence that human intelligence peaked around 2,000 years ago – right about the time Jesus walked the earth. To think someone could have “pulled a fast one” over the chief priests and Roman soldiers is naive.
Jewish leaders at the time were worried that someone would try to steal Jesus’ body and claim he was resurrected. Presumably, they were concerned the disciples would steal the body, but alas, they were in hiding, fearing for their lives, and would certainly not risk whisking away Jesus’ heavily guarded body in the middle of the night.
What about the Jews? With no Messiah, how do they atone for sin?
Jews forfeited a wonderful opportunity, but only God can ascertain their final outcome. They are God’s “favored” people, after all.
But without belief in Jesus, they are stuck in Old Testament teachings that the New Covenant made obsolete. To compensate, they have created a library of extended knowledge to clarify the old laws, manmade additions to the Word, precisely the sort of thing Jesus preached against.
An example is the outdated practice of animal sacrifice as an atonement for sin. For Christians, Jesus was our sacrifice and, in effect, made the practice of animal sacrifice obsolete by extension. But that does not explain why Jews no longer sacrifice animals as the Old Testament commands. Jews just assume the practice was negated when the Great Temple was destroyed (ironically, only a few decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection), then codify assumptions like this in their extensions to Old Testament laws. To Christians, it appears to be a “workaround” to get past Old Testament teachings that Jesus made obsolete.
Do I have to believe in Jesus’ resurrection to be a Christian?
Believing that someone rose from the dead is not easy. In fact, even the disciples doubted, and they had seen Jesus’ risen body in person. Imagine if your long-dead grandparent suddenly walked through your door. You would be hard-pressed to believe what you were seeing. You’d try to convince yourself that it was just someone else who looked like your grandparent. Someone rising from the dead is just too mind-boggling to comprehend. The disciples struggled with it – and on occasion, so do some Christians. But do you have to believe that Jesus rose from the dead to be a Christian?
We cannot pick and choose which of Jesus’ teachings we want to accept and which ones we want to reject. Christianity is built upon a foundation of Jesus’ teachings and the belief that his New Covenant came from God. To be truly considered a Christian, you must believe everything Jesus taught, including his resurrection.
This may be difficult for some, especially logically-minded persons trained to be skeptical and question everything. That’s fine – to overcome your hesitation, you consciously choose to believe. That choice can be strengthened through bible study, church, and prayer. If you find yourself doubting Jesus’ resurrection, which is not uncommon whether Christians admit it or not, take some time to mull it over and then tell yourself, “I choose to believe.” Indeed, it is a decision (we call it “faith”) every Christian chooses to make.
Why isn’t there an easier way to be “saved”?
It is a mysterious, sometimes difficult path to salvation. Is it really worth it? Salvation, the agreement between you and God to follow Jesus’ teachings to the best of your ability, is not just a free card into heaven. It is the framework inside which our society can function in a manner that benefits all. Just look at ancient civilizations who, over and over again, have discarded their religious tenets only to see their inevitable collapse as morals degraded into debauchery.
But why, then, does our faith require a belief in things we “cannot see”? Why must we believe in a God that we can’t witness firsthand? Why must we believe in a savior that rose from the dead? Why should we fear a Satan that may or may not be involved in the bad things that happen in our lives?
In all manners, God wants to give us a choice. It’s been that way since day one when Adam and Eve were given the choice to eat the forbidden fruit. We don’t know why it has always been so important to God. Perhaps a world full of “puppets” blindly following his lead is not worth his time. Or perhaps there is a much stronger relationship between him and his creations when they have the choice to believe or not. Regardless, God left a legacy that requires faith, which essentially means we have to choose salvation by our own free will.
Translation notes
“Some doubted” Jesus’ return
The verses tell us that “when the disciples saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.” The word for “doubted” only appears in the New Testament a couple of times. It may mean something akin to hesitation, not deep-seated doubt. For example, Jesus’ appearance may have caught them off guard, so they hesitated before accepting the risen Lord.
Jesus Christ Resurrection picture/painting gallery
Bible text
NIV
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
NET Bible
28:1 Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 28:2 Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 28:4 The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him. 28:5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 28:6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying. 28:7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you!” 28:8 So they left the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 28:9 But Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings!” They came to him, held on to his feet and worshiped him. 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”
28:11 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. 28:12 After they had assembled with the elders and formed a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 28:13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole his body while we were asleep.’ 28:14 If this matter is heard before the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 28:15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story is told among the Jews to this day.
28:16 So the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. 28:17 When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 28:18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 28:20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
NKJV
28 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 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, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing 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 have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The Message
1–4 28 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move.
5–6 The angel spoke to the women: “There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7 “Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ That’s the message.”
8–10 The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. “Good morning!” he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, “You’re holding on to me for dear life! Don’t be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I’ll meet them there.”
11–15 Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, “His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping.” They assured them, “If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don’t get blamed.” The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around.
16–17 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.
18–20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
KJV
28 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. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, 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, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large 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 secure you. 15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Image Credits:
• The Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Kinnaird Resurrection) via Sao Paulo Museum of Art by Raphael with usage type - Public Domain, between 1499 and 1502
• The Entombment of Christ via Wikimedia Commons by Caravaggio with usage type - Public Domain, circa 1602-1603
• Harrowing of Hell via Wikimedia Commons by Shakko with usage type - Creative Commons License, July 2008
• No. 37 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 21. Resurrection via Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto with usage type - Public Domain, between 1304-1306
• Jesus Christ resurrection and fallen soldiers via Wikimedia Commons by Der Auferstandene with usage type - Public Domain, 1558
• Resurrected Christ via Wikimedia Commons by Schelte a Bolswert with usage type - Public Domain, 1586-1659
• The Resurrection by James Tissot via Brooklyn Museum by James Tissot with usage type - Public Domain, between 1886 and 1894
• The Resurrection of Jesus Christ via Image Bank of Cultural Institutions by Wurzach Altar with usage type - Public Domain, 1437
• The Resurrection by Luca Giordano via Web Gallery of Art by Luca Giordano with usage type - Public Domain, after 1665
• The Resurrection by Hans Memling via Web Gallery of Art by Hans Memling with usage type - Public Domain, second half of 15th century
Featured Image Credit:
• The Resurrection by Luca Giordano via Web Gallery of Art by Luca Giordano with usage type - Public Domain, after 1665
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