Matthew 28

Matthew 28:1-15 . GLORIOUS ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, THAT CHRIST IS RISEN--HIS APPEARANCE TO THE WOMEN--THE GUARDS BRIBED TO GIVE A FALSE ACCOUNT OF THE RESURRECTION. ( = 16:1-8 , Luke 24:1-8 , John 20:1 ).

The Resurrection Announced to the Women ( Matthew 28:1-8 ).

1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn--after the Sabbath, as it grew toward daylight.
toward the first day of the week--Luke ( Luke 24:1 ) has it, "very early in the morning"--properly, "at the first appearance of daybreak"; and corresponding with this, John ( John 20:1 ) says, "when it was yet those dear lovers of the Lord Jesus.
came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary--"the mother of James and
to see the sepulchre--with a view to the anointing of the body, for which they had made all their preparations.
And, behold, there was--that is, there had been, before the arrival of the women.
a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, &c.--And this was the state of things when the women drew near. Some judicious critics think all this was transacted while the women were approaching; but the view we have given, which is the prevalent one, seems the more natural. All this august preparation--recorded by Matthew alone--bespoke the grandeur of the exit which was to follow. The angel sat upon the huge stone, to overawe, with the lightning--luster that darted from him, the Roman guard, and do honor to his rising Lord.

3. His countenance--appearance.
was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow--the one expressing the glory, the other the purity of the celestial abode from which he came.

4. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men--Is the sepulchre "sure" now, O ye chief priests? He that sitteth in the heavens doth laugh at you.

5. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye--The "ye" here is emphatic, to contrast their case with that of the guards. "Let those puny creatures, sent to keep the Living One among the dead, for fear of Me shake and become as dead men ( Matthew 28:4 ); but ye that have come hither on another errand, fear not ye."
for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified--Jesus the Crucified.

6. He is not here; for he is risen, as he
Come--as in Matthew 11:28 .
see the place where the Lord lay--Charming invitation! "Come, see the spot where the Lord of glory lay: now it is an empty grave: He lies not here, but He lay there. Come, feast your eyes on it!" But

7. And go quickly, and tell his disciples--For a precious addition to
that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee--to which those women belonged ( Matthew 27:55 ).
there shall ye see him--This must refer to those more public manifestations of Himself to large numbers of disciples at once, which He vouchsafed only in Galilee; for individually He was seen of some of those very women almost immediately after this ( Matthew 28:9 Matthew 28:10 ).
Lo, I have told you--Behold, ye have this word from the world of light!