Matthew 28:1-20
As we
read these verses we can see that Matthew writes a very condensed record
of what happened, and for further details of all that occurred during
this time we need to read the relevant accounts in Mark, Luke and John.
Matthew 28:1:
28:1But
(during) late of
sabbaths with the lighting-on into
(day-)one
of (the)
sabbaths, Mary the
Magdelene came and the other Mary to view the grave
with-attention.
While
it was late of sabbaths (almost sunset on
Saturday 17th Nisan the weekly sabbath, the end of that week
in which there were two sabbaths, one was
the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the second was the
weekly sabbath)…
- with the
lighting-on into day-one of the sabbaths
(approaching the next day beginning at sunset, drawing towards Sunday 18th
Nisan, the first day of the week, the 18th also being the
first day for reckoning the seven sabbaths
to Pentecost),…
…Mary
the Magdelene came and the other Mary to
view the grave with-attention (contemplating with their minds, see
Matthew 27:55, 56 and 61). Of course we should realize that the temple
guard was still posted at the grave so as not to permit anyone to remove
the stone and go inside it. So, these two women left again before the
beginning of Sunday 18th Nisan.
Verses 2-4:
.2And
look!, a great quake came-to-pass, for an angel of
(the) Lord having
descended out-from heaven and having come-towards
(the grave) rolled-away
the stone and used-to sit-down upon it, .3and his
appearance used-to-be as lightning and his clothing white as snow.
.4But from the fear of him the
(soldiers) keeping
(the grave) were
caused-to-quake and they were caused-to-become as dead-people.
And
look (behold, see, calling attention to what is written)!,
a great quake came-to-pass (a large shaking motion, shocking movement, a
seismic event happened) – in truth, an angel of the Lord…. An angel is a
spirit-being whose office and character is one of a messenger. The word
"angel" comes from the Greek word
aggello which means to
tell or deliver a message, and therefore an angel could be called a
messenger. This angel is one of God’s angels, here referring to God as
Lord emphasizing His covenant relationship with His people whom He has
created. See Hebrews chapter 1. We should also note that the Bible shows
us that no human-being was or is or will be a spirit-angel!
And
look!, a great quake came-to-pass – in truth, an angel of the Lord,
having descended (come down) out-from heaven and having come towards the
grave where Jesus had been buried,…
- rolled
away the stone, which had been placed at the entrance into the grave
stopping people from going inside,
- and
he was continuing to sit-down upon it (he spent time sitting on top of
the stone that he rolled away).
This
angel’s appearance was as lightning (his aspect, what could be seen of
him was as the sudden speedy flash of shining bright light, the quick
supplying of light) and his clothing white (what he put on to cover
himself was radiant, emitting light, effulgent, brilliant and bright) as
snow.
But
from the fear of the angel the soldiers keeping the grave (some of the
soldiers from the temple guard, Matthew 27:66, keeping an eye on the
grave, having it in safekeeping, watching-over it) were caused to quake
(made to shake, they were shocked, quick movement as a seismic event)
and they were caused to become as dead-people (they stopped moving,
froze).
The
women did not witness the events in verses 2-4.
Verses 5-10:
.5But
the angel having answered said to the women, “You must not be
fearful, for I knew2 that you seek-after Jesus, the
(one) having been
crucified2 – .6he is not here, for he was
raised-up according as he said; come-this-way, you must see the
place where he used-to-lie; .7and quickly having
journeyed you must say to his learning-disciples that, ‘He was
raised-up away-from the dead-people, and look!, he leads you forth
into Galilee, there you will see him.’ Look!,
I said to you.” .8And having gone-away quickly from the
memorial-place with fear and great joy they ran to announce to his
learning-disciples. .9And look!,
Jesus met them saying, “Joy”; and the
(women) having
come-towards (him)
strongly-held his feet and they worshipped him. .10Then
Jesus says to them, “You must not be fearful, you must go, you must
announce to my brothers in order that they may go-away into Galilee
and there they will see me.”
Next
in this record we read that the angel answered the women (others also
with the two Mary’s in verse 1 above who came together to the grave)
early in the morning on Sunday 18th Nisan, by saying…
- “Emphatically you must not be fearful (don’t be afraid, terrified), for
I knew and still know (perceive, see) that you seek-after Jesus (look
for Jesus), the one who was crucified and that truth has not changed –
- he is
not here,
- in truth
he was raised-up according as he said;
- come-this-way, you must see the place where he used-to-lie (come here,
you must perceive the place where he was lying – imperfect tense because
Jesus used to lie there but not now, not anymore);
- and
quickly having journeyed (after you have passed from here with speed,
swiftly) you must say to his learning-disciples (students) that, ‘He was
raised-up away-from the dead-people, and look (behold, see, pay
attention)!, he leads you forth into Galilee (he precedes you, goes
before, in front of you into Galilee), there you will see him (there you
will see Jesus, because he will present himself to be perceived with
your eyes and known by you).’
- Look!, I
said to you (the angel letting the women know that he’s finished
speaking what he came to tell them).”
The
women went away quickly from the memorial-place (the place which had
been hewn out of stone to preserve the memory of the dead person put
inside, sepulchral monument, tomb) with fear and great joy (a large
amount of rejoicing) and they ran to announce (made haste, hurried,
quickly moved to relate, tell the message) to his learning-disciples.
And
look!, Jesus met them (the resurrected Jesus
came without prior arrangement meeting these women) saying, “Joy
(rejoice, you must joy; spoken as a form of greeting to them).” The
women came towards him and strongly-held his feet (they exerted their
forceful strength and held his feet) and they worshipped him (they paid
homage, were obeisant towards him). Then Jesus says to them…
- “You
must not be fearful,
- you must
go (you must lead yourselves under, in the sense of going without any
argument, under cover, as animals go because they are under a yoke
without going from side to side or intentionally stopping to do
something else, go),
- you
must announce (relate, tell the message) to my brothers for the purpose
and result that they would go-away into Galilee and there they will see
me (because I will present myself to be perceived with their eyes and
known by them, see Matthew 26:32).”
Some
scholars say that following upon verse 8 mentioning the
learning-disciples, verses 9 and 10 have the words “them” and “the” in
masculine form and thus this record refers to Jesus meeting the
learning-disciples later that evening on 18th Nisan, and
pickup-up again with the men in verse 16.
[Reference: Matthew 12:40, 16:21, 17:23, 20:19; Romans 1:4; I
Corinthians 15:3 and 4.]
Verses 11-15:
.11But
(during) their
journeying, look!, some of the guard
having gone into the city announced to the chief-priests
all-together the-things having come-to-pass. .12And
having been gathered-together with the elders and having taken
counsel they gave to the soldiers sufficient silver
(coins) .13saying,
“You must say that, ‘His learning-disciples having come of night
stole him (during) our
sleeping’; .14and if-ever this-thing may be heard on the
leader we will persuade
(him) and will make you
without-anxiety.” .15And the
(soldiers) having taken
the silver (coins) did as
they were taught – and this word was throughly-reported with Judeans
up-until today.
While
they were journeying, look!, some of the soldiers (who formed the guard
at Jesus’ grave) went into the city of Jerusalem and they announced
(related, told the message) to the chief-priests entirely the-things
having come-to-pass (all that they knew about what had happened with the
angel and how he had rolled the stone away and that Jesus’ body was
missing).
When
the chief-priests heard what happened they assembled in company with the
elders and took counsel (they consulted, deliberated and received
advice). Then they gave to the soldiers sufficient silver coins
(sufficing enough money, a bribe) saying, “You must say that, ‘His
learning-disciples, having come of/at night, stole him while we were
sleeping’; and if it should ever happen that this-thing would be heard
on the leader (by Pilate, at his place) emphatically we will persuade
(convince) him and we will make you without-anxiety (no need for you to
be mentally distracted with care about it).” They said that they would
persuade Pilate not to punish these soldiers for what happened.
So,
the soldiers took the silver coins and did as they were taught
(instructed) by the chief-priests and elders of Israel, Judeans. This
word (spoken account) was fully spread resting beside Judeans. The fame
of what they said which were lies was thoroughly reported among Judeans,
it stayed with the people of Israel for a limited time-period up-to
today (when Matthew was writing this book).
Verses 16-20:
.16But
the eleven learning-disciples journeyed into Galilee into the
mountain where Jesus arranged with them, .17and having
seen him they worshipped. But the
(learning-disciples)
stood-between-two. .18And Jesus having
come-towards (them)
uttered-forth to them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth
was given to me; .19therefore having journeyed you must
make-learning-disciples-of all nations into my name .20teaching
them to keep all as-many-things-as I commanded you; and look!,
I am with you all the days until the completing-together of
the age.”
Next
Matthew’s account goes to the eleven learning disciples (eleven because
Thomas was not with them at this time). The eleven learning-disciples
journeyed into Galilee into the mountain (mount, hill) where Jesus
arranged (put in order) with them. When they saw (perceived) him they
worshipped (they paid homage, were obeisant towards him).
Even
so, the learning-disciples stood-between-two (they wavered standing
between, as though they were balancing, the two options of either
believing the truth or not – see Matthew 14:31).
And
Jesus having come/gone towards them uttered-forth (spoke) to them
saying…
- “All
authority in heaven and on earth was given to me (all
authoritative-power, every permitted-right has been given to me by God);
- therefore (following-on logically from what I have just said) having
journeyed you must make learning disciples of all nations into my name
(cause people of all nations, including Israel, to become students with
a view to my name, the direction, object and purpose of all that is
included in all that I am which my name designates: Jesus the Christ who
is Lord) – teaching them to keep all as many things as I commanded you
(instructing people to keep-an-eye-on, have in safekeeping, and
therefore not neglecting or violating but able to watch-over,
take-care-of, maintain, and be observant of all things as much as I
charged, enjoined you);
- and look
(see, behold, pay attention)!, emphatically I am in company and
association with you all the days until the completing-together of the
age (for the length of time up-to the span of time involved with the
complete ending or issue of all pertinent things, events, etc, in
conjunction with each other approaching a climax, the consummating of
all things relative-to the lifetime, the duration of life, the
completing of one age and the beginning of another age).” See Matthew
13:37-53 and chapters 24 and 25 for Jesus’ teaching on the times leading
up to and including the completing together of the age (also prophesied
in parts of the books of Daniel, 2nd Thessalonians,
Revelation, etc).
Many
Greek texts include extra words in verse 19 as though the resurrected
Jesus told them instead of “into my name”: ‘baptizing them into the name
of the Father and of the son and of the holy spirit’ – however, water
baptizing people into the name of the Father and of the son and of the
holy spirit was never carried out by Jesus’ learning-disciples. Some
scholars say that those words were added after 340 A.D. The baptism that
Jesus’ learning disciples carried out is baptizing in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, which is to be immersed, surrounded into all that the
resurrected Jesus is now and includes receiving the gift of holy spirit
– refer to Matthew 3:11; John 4:2; Acts 1:5, 8:12, 19:3-5, etc; Romans
6:3-11; 1st Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27.
[Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following
them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the
"Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
God
Who is Holy and Who is Spirit is the only true God, and He is the Father
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and since the day of Pentecost recorded in
Acts chapter 2 people who believe what God says, which is also what the
Lord Jesus Christ says (Romans 10:8-13), receive the gift of holy spirit
– refer to Acts 1:2-8 and 2:32-39; Ephesians 1:13 and 14; and the Book of
Acts.
You
may like to see the chart of events
regarding the time from Jesus’ crucifixion to the day of Pentecost.
“…he was
raised-up according as he said…”
