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1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2Behold, 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. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. 5The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. 6He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. 7Go 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.”

8They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. 9As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!”

They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

10Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”

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

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

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Matthew's Presentation of the Resurrection of the Messiah

Matthew's Presentation of the Resurrection of the Messiah

Topical Study | Matt 28:1 | Hershel Wayne House

Matthew's presentation of the resurrection of the Messiah Jesus is brief, but he lays out the argument for the resurrection carefully: 

  • He provides several a number of eyewitnesses to the resurrection, namely,  an angel (Matt 28:5), the Roman soldiers (Matt 28:3, 4), and the women who came to the tomb (Matt 28:1-8).
  • Besides these eyewitnesses to the resurrection relates to the security of the tomb. The tomb in which Jesus' body was laid was sealed (Matt 27:66), yet when the women came to the tomb on Sunday morning the body was not there (Matt 28:6, 7).
  • Matthew's record of the earliest argument against the resurrection, of the Roman soldiers sleeping at their posts, with the disciples stealing the body away. This is an illogical position in its worst example. Roman soldiers did not sleep when they were on guard duty. It defies their training, the fact that all would sleep at the same time, that the penalty for doing what is claimed would bring the death penalty, and the stealth that these inexperienced disciples would need to exercise to move among the soldiers and to remove the large stone covering the tomb makes their story illogical and extremely unlikely. The Nazareth Decree (issued by Emperor Claudius, A.D. 41-54) serves as a possible response of the Roman government after a report of the event of Christ's resurrection and the stir that it caused (see Nazarene Decree Inscription (Decree by Emperor Claudius, A.D. 41-54 at Matt 28:13).
  • Last of all, the manner of Jesus' resurrection to the disciples give additional evidence for the resurrection of the Messiah. He appears to a number of His disciples (Matt 28:16-20).

What was the importance of the resurrection to Matthew, that gave rise to the way in which He presents the narrative?

The resurrection is a pivotal doctrine of the new Christian faith, without which the claims of Christ to be Savior and God would be meaningless. The song He Lives, that says triumphantly that we serve a risen Savior would be a hallow statement. As Paul later says in 1 Corinthians 15:17, if Christ did not rise from the dead, those who believe in Him are still and their sins and their faith in Him is vain. It is likely that Matthew understands this truth from the words of Jesus that he provides in Matthew 12:38-42; 16:21; 17:22, 23; 20:17-19).