Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 28:1
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 sepulcher.
1. as it began to dawn ] At the rising of the sun, or properly, “when the sun had risen” (Mark). Both St Mark and St Luke mention that they brought spices and ointments.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ch. Mat 28:1-8. The Resurrection
Mar 16:1-8; Luk 24:1-12; Joh 20:1-18
The discrepancies are slight, and may be accounted for by the agitation of the witnesses of this momentous scene. To the women named in this Gospel St Mark adds Salome; St Luke, Joanna and other women; St John names Mary Magdalene only. St Luke and St John mention the visit of Peter to the sepulchre, St John adding “that other disciple.” This Evangelist also records the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene in the garden.
The order of events was probably this: First, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, having come early to the tomb, were addressed by the Angel and saw the empty sepulchre; they hasten to inform Peter and the other disciples; Peter and John visit the tomb and depart; Mary Magdalene, left alone, beholds her Lord, whom at first she does not recognise; soon afterwards the Lord appears a second time to Mary Magdalene, now in the company of other women.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
In the end of the sabbath – The word end here means the same as after the Sabbath – that is, after the Sabbath was fully completed or finished, and may be expressed in this manner: In the night following the Sabbath, for the Sabbath closed at sunset, as it began to dawn, etc.
As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week – The word dawn is not of necessity in the original. The word there properly means as the first day approached, or drew on, without specifying the precise time. Mark says Mar 16:1-2 that it was after the sabbath was past, and very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun – that is, not that the sun was risen, but that it was about to rise, or at the early break of day. Luke says Luk 24:1 that it was very early in the morning; in the Greek text, deep twilight, or when there was scarcely any light. John Joh 20:1 says it was very early, while it was yet dark – that is, it was not yet full daylight, or the sun had not yet risen. The time when they came, therefore, was at the break of day, when the sun was about to rise, but while it was yet so dark as to render objects obscure, or not distinctly visible.
The first day of the week – The day which is observed by Christians as the Sabbath. The Jews observed the seventh day of the week, or our Saturday. During that day our Saviour was in the grave. As he rose on the morning of the first day, that day has always been observed in commemoration of so glorious an event.
Came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary – From Mary Magdalene Christ had cast out seven devils. Grateful for his great mercy, she was one of his firmest and most faithful followers, and was first at the sepulchre, and was first permitted to see her risen Lord. The other Mary was not the mother of Jesus, but the mother of James and Joses (Mark). Mark says that Salome attended them. Salome was the wife of Zebedee, and the mother of James and John. From Luke Luk 24:10 it appears that Joanna, wife of Chusa, Herods steward (see Luk 8:3), was with them. These four women, Mark says Mar 16:1, having bought sweet spices, came to anoint him. They had prepared a part of them on the evening before the Sabbath, Luk 23:56. They now, according to Mark, completed the preparation and bought more; or the meaning in Mark may be merely that, having bought sweet spices, without specifying the time when, they came now to embalm him. John mentions only Mary Magdalene. He does this, probably, because his object was to give a particular account of her interview with the risen Saviour. There is no contradiction among the evangelists; for while one mentions only the names of a part of those who were there, he does not deny that others were present also. It is an old maxim, that he who mentions a few does not deny that there are more.
To see the sepulchre – To see whether was as it had been left on the evening when he was laid there. To see if the stone was still there, by which they would know that he had not been removed. Mark and Luke say that the design of their coming was to anoint him with the sweet spices which they had prepared. Matthew does not mention that, but he does not deny that that was the ultimate design of their coming. It is not improbable that they might have known the manner in which he was buried, with a large quantity of myrrh and aloes; but that was done in haste – it was done by depositing the myrrh and aloes, without mixture or preparation, in the grave-clothes. They came that they might embalm his body more deliberately, or at least that they might anoint the bandages and complete the work of embalming.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mat 28:1
In the end of the Sabbath.
The meaning and memories of Sunday
Let us consider some of the religious principles which have given and preserved this holy day to us.
I. The first day of the week is a day of mighty memories-memories that we cannot let die.
1. The celebration of the Lords Day has never lost sight of that precious fact in all revelation and religion-the creation of the world and of man, and consequently all the claim of Gods law upon our conscience, and of Gods goodness on our gratitude. The main idea of the Sabbatic rest is that man should occasionally lift his eyes from the clouds of earth and gaze into the face of his Creator.
2. The first day of the week is full of the memories of redemption.
3. The first day of the week is the great memorial of the giving of the Holy Spirit of God to man. It is the memorial of the beginning of that great work in human nature by which it becomes like Christ, and is made one with God-the incarnation of the Holy Ghost.
II. The first day of the week is a day of happy and noble associations. It is rich in memories of the past great acts of God, but it comes down burdened with all the brightest and most beautiful thoughts of earth; great revivals of human friendships; great, stirring conflicts with evil; the great, prosperous changes and revolutions of nations-the deliverance of untold millions from the slavery of sin and the power of death; have all left their impress upon it.
III. It is a day of holy anticipations. Memory is blessed; but what would men do without hope. The first day of the week predicts perpetually the Sabbath of Gods love-the end of conflict, the light of heaven.
IV. It is a day of holy duties. It is the first day of the week, not the last, the day of activity, not of indolent repose. This day will lend a meaning to your other days. Hallow Gods Sabbaths. (H. R. Reynolds, B. A.)
The day of resurrection
Philip Henry used to call the Lords Day the queen of days, the pearl of the week, and observed it accordingly. His common salutation of his family or friends on the Lords Day in the morning, was that of the primitive Christians-The Lord is risen, He is risen indeed; making it his chief business on that day to celebrate the memory of Christs resurrection; and he would say sometimes, Every Lords Day is a true Christians Easter Day.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The resurrection of Christ declared by an angel to the two
Marys at the sepulchre, 1-6.
They are commissioned to announce this to the disciples, 7.
They go, and are met by Christ himself who promises to meet the
disciples in Galilee, 8-10.
The watch go into the city, and report to the chief priests what
had taken place, 11.
They give them money, to say that his disciples had stolen the
body by night, while they slept, 12-15.
Christ meets the eleven disciples in a mountain of Galilee,
16, 17.
He gives them a commission to preach the Gospel throughout the
earth; to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost; and promises to be with them to the end
of the world, 18-20.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXVIII.
Verse 1. In the end of the Sabbath] . After the end of the week: this is the translation given by several eminent critics; and in this way the word is used by the most eminent Greek writers. Thucydides, lib. iv. chap. 93, – the day was ended. Plutarch, – after the times of the king. Philostratus – after the Trojan war. See Rosenmuller. In general the Jews divided their natural day, which consisted of twenty-four hours, into day and night. Their artificial day began at the rising and ended at the setting of the sun; all the rest of the time, from the setting to the rising of the sun, they termed night: hence the same word, in Hebrew, signifies both evening and night. Ge 1:5; Mr 6:47. Matthew has employed the word in this extensive sense here, pointing out the latter part of the Jewish night, that which immediately preceded the rising of the sun, and not that first part which we call the evening. The transaction mentioned here evidently took place early on the morning of the third day after our Lord’s crucifixion; what is called our Sunday morning, or first day of the next week.
Came – to see the sepulchre.] That is, they set out at this time in order to visit the tomb of our Lord, and also to weep there, Joh 11:31, and to embalm the body of our Lord, Lu 24:1. St. Matthew omits Mary Salome, mentioned by Mark; and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, mentioned by Luke. The other Mary was the wife of Cleopas, and mother of James and Joses, mentioned before, Mt 27:56. Were not Mary and Salome two distinct persons?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
We are now come to that part of the Gospel which treats concerning the resurrection of Christ, and the converse which he had upon the earth for forty days, Act 1:3, until the time of his ascension into heaven. Matthew and Mark are the shortest in this narration. I shall therefore, only consider what Matthew saith, and what the other evangelists speak as to the same things which he mentions, leaving out what the other evangelists have (not at all mentioned by him) to be discoursed in their proper place. We heard before that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had prepared spices and ointments to anoint the body of Christ, but the sabbath day being at hand, they would not by that unnecessary action profane the sabbath; as Luke tells us, Luk 23:56, they rested on the sabbath, according to the commandment: The sabbath ended with them at the setting of the sun. They did not go as soon as the sabbath was ended, but after it was ended,
as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. The first day of the week began with them as soon as the sabbath was ended, so as the first day of the week was a third part spent; therefore Mark reports the time, Mar 16:1,2, And when the sabbath was past; and says that Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Salome, had bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Luke saith, Luk 24:1, that upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
John saith, Joh 20:1, The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre. As to the time, three evangelists say it was upon the first day of the week, early in the morning; about sunrising, saith Mark; while it was yet dark, saith John: these now interpret Matthews , which doth not signify, in the evening of the sabbath, but in the evening of the sabbaths, the end of the week. The Jews, in honour to the sabbath, called all the days of the week sabbaths, the first of the sabbath, the second of the sabbath, &c.; so as is well translated by our translators, In the end of the sabbath, the evening or night following the sabbath, following the seventh day, which was the sabbath. Nor is to be taken here strictly for that time of the night which we call the evening, but for the whole night, which must be reckoned to continue until the sunrising of the first day of the week; and so Matthew expounds himself, adding,
as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, that is, the first artificial day, as the day is accounted from sunrising to sun setting; otherwise it was upon the first natural day of the week, which began from the sun setting before. Matthew mentions the coming of Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, who, Mark saith, was the mother of James and Salome, to the sepulchre. John mentions only Mary Magdalene, but it is not probable she went alone, and two other evangelists say also the other Mary. Luke saith there were certain others with them: there might be divers with them, though one only be named by John, two by Matthew and Mark as being the principal persons in the company. And though Matthew only mentions their going to see the sepulchre, yet Mark telleth us that they went also to anoint his body, and Luke saith they carried the spices prepared for that end; their faith, as it seemeth, was yet but weak as to our Saviours resurrection.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. In the end of the sabbath, as itbegan to dawnafter the Sabbath, as it grew toward daylight.
toward the first day of theweekLuke (Lu 24:1) hasit, “very early in the morning”properly, “at thefirst appearance of daybreak”; and corresponding with this, John(Joh 20:1) says, “when itwas yet dark.” See on Mr 16:2.Not an hour, it would seem, was lost by those dear lovers of the LordJesus.
came Mary Magdalene, and theother Mary“the mother of James and Joses” (see on Mt27:56; Mt 27:61).
to see the sepulchrewitha view to the anointing of the body, for which they had made alltheir preparations. (See on Mr 16:1,2).
And, behold, there wasthatis, there had been, before the arrival of the women.
a great earthquake; for theangel of the Lord descended from heaven, c.And this was thestate of things when the women drew near. Some judicious criticsthink all this was transacted while the women were approaching butthe view we have given, which is the prevalent one, seems the morenatural. All this august preparationrecorded by Matthewalonebespoke the grandeur of the exit which was to follow. Theangel sat upon the huge stone, to overawe, with the lightning-lusterthat darted from him, the Roman guard, and do honor to his risingLord.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
In the end of the sabbath,…. This clause is by some joined to the last verse of the preceding chapter, but stands better here, as appears from Mr 16:1, and intends not what the Jews call the sabbath eve, for that began the sabbath; but what they call
, “the goings out of the sabbath”; and as Mark says,
Mr 16:1, “when the sabbath was past”: that is, when the sun was set, and any stars appeared. The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and Munster’s Hebrew Gospel render it, “the evening of the sabbath”; and the Persic version, “the night of the sabbath”; but must mean, not the evening and night, which preceded the sabbath, and was a part of it, but what followed it, and belonged to the first day.
As it began to dawn; not the day, but the night; a way of speaking used by the Jews, who call the night, , “light”: thus they say y, , “on the light, or night of the fourteenth” (of the month Nisan) “they search for leavened bread”, c. And so the word is used, in Lu 23:54, of the eve of the sabbath, or the beginning of it, as here of the going out of it
towards the first day of the week, or “sabbaths”; so the Jews used to call the days of the week, the first day of the sabbath, the second day of the sabbath, c. take an instance or two z
“The stationary men fast four days in the week, from the second day to the fifth day and they do not fast on the sabbath eve (so they sometimes call the sixth day), because of the glory of the sabbath; nor , “on the first day of the sabbath”, or week, that they may not go from rest and delight, to labour and fasting, and die.”
On which the Gemara has these words a;
“the stationary men go into the synagogue, and sit four fastings; , “on the second of the sabbath”, or “week”: on the third, and on the fourth, and on the fifth.”
Came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and mother of James and Joses, with whom also was Salome, the mother of Zebedee’s children, Mr 16:1. There seems to be some difference between the evangelists about the time of the women’s coming to the sepulchre. Matthew says, it was “at the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn; towards the first day of the week”. John says, that “Mary Magdalene” came “when it was yet dark”, Joh 20:1, and yet Mark says, that they came “at the rising of the sun”, Mr 16:2. Though they all agree it was early in the morning: all they say is no doubt true, and may be reconciled thus. As soon as the sabbath was ended, the women set out on their journey, and as they went, bought spices and ointment to anoint the body with: they passed through the gates of the city before they were shut, and might stay some time in the suburbs; when Mary Magdalene, eager to be at the sepulchre, set out first, whilst it was dark, and came back and reported to Peter what she had seen, and returned again by such time the other women came, which was at sunrising. From all the accounts it is clear, that he rose, as is expressly said, Mr 16:9, on the first day of the week, and which was the third from his death: on the sixth day, which was Friday, he was crucified, and buried that evening; he lay in the grave all sabbath day, or Saturday; and rose early on the first day of the week, before the women got to the sepulchre; who came thither, as it is here said,
to see the sepulchre: not merely to see it, for they had seen it before, and where, and how the body of Christ was laid in it; but to see whether they could enter into it, and anoint the body with the spices and ointments, which they had prepared and brought with them for that purpose.
y Misn. Pesachim, c. 1. sect. 1. Vid. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. z Misn. Taanilh, c. 4. sect. 3. a T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 2. Vid. T. Bab. Nidda, fol. 4. 2. & 11. 1. & 67. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| The Resurrection. |
| |
1 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.
For the proof of Christ’s resurrection, we have here the testimony of the angel, and of Christ himself, concerning his resurrection. Now we may think that it would have been better, if the matter had been so ordered, that a competent number of witnesses should have been present, and have seen the stone rolled away by the angel, and the dead body reviving, as people saw Lazarus come out of the grave, and then the matter had been past dispute; but let us not prescribe to Infinite Wisdom, which ordered that the witnesses of his resurrection should see him risen, but not see him rise. His incarnation was a mystery; so was this second incarnation (if we may so call it), this new making of the body of Christ, for his exalted state; it was therefore made in secret. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Christ gave such proofs of his resurrection as were corroborated by the scriptures, and by the word which he had spoken (Luk 24:6; Luk 24:7-44; Mar 16:7); for here we must walk by faith, not by sight. We have here,
I. The coming of the good women to the sepulchre.
Observe, 1. When they came; in the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, v. 1. This fixes the time of Christ’s resurrection.
(1.) He arose the third day after his death; that was the time which he had often prefixed, and he kept within it. He was buried in the evening of the sixth day of the week, and arose in the morning of the first day of the following week, so that he lay in the grave about thirty-six or thirty-eight hours. He lay so long, to show that he was really and truly dead; and no longer, that he might not see corruption. He arose the third day, to answer the type of the prophet Jonas (ch. xii. 40), and to accomplish that prediction (Hos. vi. 2), The third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
(2.) He arose after the Jewish sabbath, and it was the passover-sabbath; all that day he lay in the grave, to signify the abolishing of the Jewish feasts and the other parts of the ceremonial law, and that his people must be dead to such observances, and take no more notice of them than he did when he lay in the grave. Christ on the sixth day finished his work; he said, It is finished; on the seventh day he rested, and then on the first day of the next week did as it were begin a new world, and enter upon new work. Let no man therefore judge us now in respect of the new moons, or of the Jewish sabbaths, which were indeed a shadow of good things to come, but the substance if of Christ. We may further observe, that the time of the saints’ lying in the grave, is a sabbath to them (such as the Jewish sabbath was, which consisted chiefly in bodily rest), for there they rest from their labours (Job iii. 17); and it is owing to Christ.
(3.) He arose upon the first day of the week; on the first day of the first week God commanded the light to shine out of darkness; on this day therefore did he who was to be the Light of the world, shine out of the darkness of the grave; and the seventh-day sabbath being buried with Christ, it arose again in the first-day sabbath, called the Lord’s day (Rev. i. 10), and no other day of the week is from henceforward mentioned in all the New Testament than this, and this often, as the day which Christians religiously observed in solemn assemblies, to the honour of Christ, Joh 20:19; Joh 20:26; Act 20:7; 1Co 16:2. If the deliverance of Israel out of the land of the north superseded the remembrance of that out of Egypt (Jer 23:7; Jer 23:8), much more doth our redemption by Christ eclipse the glory of God’s former works. The sabbath was instituted in remembrance of the perfecting of the work of creation, Gen. ii. 1. Man by his revolt made a breach upon that perfect work, which was never perfectly repaired till Christ arose from the dead, and the heavens and the earth were again finished, and the disordered hosts of them modelled anew, and the day on which this was done was justly blessed and sanctified, and the seventh day from that. He who on that day arose from the dead, is the same by whom, and for whom, all things were at first created, and now anew created.
(4.) He arose as it began to dawn toward that day; as soon as it could be said that the third day was come, the time prefixed for his resurrection, he arose; after his withdrawings from his people, he returns with all convenient speed, and cuts the work as short in righteousness as may be. He had said to his disciples, that though within a little while they should not see him, yet again a little while, and they should see him, and accordingly he made it as little a while as possible, Isa 54:7; Isa 54:8. Christ arose when the day began to dawn, because then the day-spring from on high did again visit us, Luke i. 78. His passion began in the night; when he hung on the cross the sun was darkened; he was laid in the grave in the dusk of the evening; but he arose from the grave when the sun was near rising, for he is the bright and morning Star (Rev. xxii. 16), the true Light. Those who address themselves early in the morning to the religious services of the Christian sabbath, that they may take the day before them, therein follow this example of Christ, and that of David, Early will I seek thee.
2. Who they were, that came to the sepulchre; Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the same that attended the funeral, and sat over against the sepulchre, as before they sat over against the cross; still they studied to express their love to Christ; still they were inquiring after him. Then shall we know, if we thus follow on to know. No mention is made of the Virgin Mary being with them; it is probable that the beloved disciple, who had taken her to his own home, hindered her from going to the grave to weep there. Their attendance on Christ not only to the grave, but in the grave, represents his like care for those that are his, when they have made their bed in the darkness. As Christ in the grave was beloved of the saints, so the saints in the grave are beloved of Christ; for death and the grave cannot slacken that bond of love which is between them.
3. What they came to do: the other evangelists say that they came to anoint the body; Matthew saith that they came to see the sepulchre, whether it was as they left it; hearing perhaps, but not being sure, that the chief priests had set a guard upon it. They went, to show their good-will in another visit to the dear remains of their beloved Master, and perhaps not without some thoughts of his resurrection, for they could not have quite forgotten all he had said of it. Note, Visits to the grave are of great use to Christians, and will help to make it familiar to them, and to take off the terror of it, especially visits to the grave of our Lord Jesus, where we may see sin buried out of sight, the pattern of our sanctification, and the great proof of redeeming love shining illustriously even in that land of darkness.
II. The appearance of an angel of the Lord to them, v. 2-4. We have here an account of the manner of the resurrection of Christ, as far as it was fit that we should know.
1. There was a great earthquake. When he died, the earth that received him, shook for fear; now that he arose, the earth that resigned him, leaped for joy in his exaltation. This earthquake did as it were loose the bond of death, and shake off the fetters of the grave, and introduce the Desire of all nations,Hag 2:6; Hag 2:7. It was the signal of Christ’s victory; notice was hereby given of it, that, when the heavens rejoiced, the earth also might be glad. It was a specimen of the shake that will be given to the earth at the general resurrection, when mountains and islands shall be removed, that the earth may no longer cover her slain. There was a noise and a shaking in the valley, when the bones were to come together, bone to his bone, Ezek. xxxvii. 7. The kingdom of Christ, which was now to be set up, made the earth to quake, and terribly shook it. Those who are sanctified, and thereby raised to a spiritual life, while it is in the doing find an earthquake in their own bosoms, as Paul, who trembled and was astonished.
2. The angel of the Lord descended from heaven. The angels frequently attended our Lord Jesus, at his birth, in his temptation, in his agony; but upon the cross we find no angel attending him: when his Father forsook him, the angels withdrew from him; but now that he is resuming the glory he had before the foundation of the world, now, behold, the angels of God worship him.
3. He came, and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. Our Lord Jesus could have rolled back the stone himself by his own power, but he chose to have it done by an angel, to signify that having undertaken to make satisfaction for our sin, imputed to him, and being under arrest pursuant to that imputation, he did not break prison, but had a fair and legal discharge, obtained from heaven; he did not break prison, but an officer was sent on purpose to roll away the stone, and so to open the prison door, which would never have been done, if he had not made a full satisfaction. But being delivered for our offences, to complete the deliverance, he was raised again for our justification; he died to pay our debt, and rose again to take out our acquittance. The stone of our sins was rolled to the door of the grave of our Lord Jesus (and we find the rolling of a great stone to signify the contracting of guilt, 1 Sam. xiv. 33); but to demonstrate that divine justice was satisfied, an angel was commissioned to roll back the stone; not that the angel raised him from the dead, any more than those that took away the stone from Lazarus’s grave raised him, but thus he intimated the consent of Heaven to his release, and the joy of Heaven in it. The enemies of Christ had sealed the stone, resolving, like Babylon, not to open the house of his prisoners; shall the prey be taken from the mighty? For this was their hour; but all the powers of death and darkness are under the control of the God of light and life. An angel from heaven has power to break the seal, though it were the great seal of Israel, and is able to roll away the stone, though ever so great. Thus the captives of the mighty are taken away. The angel’s sitting upon the stone, when he had rolled it away, is very observable, and bespeaks a secure triumph over all the obstructions of Christ’s resurrection. There he sat, defying all the powers of hell to roll the stone to the grave again. Christ erects his seat of rest and seat of judgment upon the opposition of his enemies; the Lord sitteth upon the floods. The angel sat as a guard to the grave, having frightened away the enemies’ black guard; he sat, expecting the women, and ready to give them an account of his resurrection.
4. That his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow, v. 3. This was a visible representation, by that which we call splendid and illustrious, of the glories of the invisible world, which know no difference of colours. His look upon the keepers was like flashes of lightning; he cast forth lightning, and scattered them, Ps. cxliv. 6. The whiteness of his raiment was an emblem not only of purity, but of joy and triumph. When Christ died, the court of heaven went into keep mourning, signified by the darkening of the sun; but when he arose, they again put on the garments of praise. The glory of this angel represented the glory of Christ, to which he was now risen, for it is the same description that was given of him in his transfiguration (ch. xvii. 2); but when he conversed with his disciples after his resurrection, he drew a veil over it, and it bespoke the glory of the saints in their resurrection, when they shall be as the angels of God in heaven.
5. That for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men, v. 4. They were soldiers, that thought themselves hardened against fear, yet the very sight of an angel struck them with terror. Thus when the Son of God arose to judgment, the stout-hearted were spoiled,Psa 76:5; Psa 76:9. Note, The resurrection of Christ, as it is the joy of his friends, so it is the terror and confusion of his enemies. They did shake; the word eseisthesan is the same with that which was used for the earthquake, v. 2, seismos. When the earth shook, these children of the earth, that had their portion in it, shook too; whereas, those that have their happiness in things above, though the earth be removed, yet are without fear. The keepers became as dead men, when he whom they kept guard upon became alive, and they whom they kept guard against revived with him. It struck a terror upon them, to see themselves baffled in that which was their business here. They were posted here, to keep a dead man in his grave–as easy a piece of service surely as was ever assigned them, and yet it proves too hard for them. They were told that they must expect to be assaulted by a company of feeble faint-hearted disciples, who for fear of them would soon shake and become as dead men, but are amazed when they find themselves attacked by a mighty angel, whom they dare not look in the face. Thus doth God frustrate his enemies by frightening them, Ps. ix. 20.
III. The message which this angel delivered to the women, v. 5-7.
1. He encourages them against their fears, v. 5. To come near to graves and tombs, especially in silence and solitude, has something in it frightful, much more was it so to those women, to find an angel at the sepulchre; but he soon makes them easy with the word, Fear not ye. The keepers shook, and became as dead men, but, Fear not ye. Let the sinners in Zion be afraid, for there is cause for it; but, Fear not, Abraham, nor any of the faithful seed of Abraham; why should the daughters of Sarah, that do well, be afraid with any amazement? 1 Pet. iii. 6. “Fear not ye. Let not the news I have to tell you, be any surprise to you, for you were told before that your Master would rise; let it be no terror to you, for his resurrection will be your consolation; fear not any hurt, that I will do you, nor nay evil tidings I have to tell you. Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus. I know you are friends to the cause. I do not come to frighten you, but to encourage you.” Note, Those that seek Jesus, have no reason to be afraid; for, if they seek him diligently they shall find him, and shall find him their bountiful Rewarder. All our believing enquiries after the Lord Jesus are observed, and taken notice of, in heaven; I know that ye seek Jesus; and shall certainly be answered, as these were, with good words, and comfortable words. Ye seek Jesus that was crucified. He mentions his being crucified, the more to commend their love to him; “You seek him still, though he was crucified; you retain your kindness for him notwithstanding.” Note, True believers love and seek Christ, not only though he was crucified, but because he was so.
2. He assures them of the resurrection of Christ; and there was enough in that to silence their fears (v. 6); He is not here, for he is risen. To be told He is not here, would have been no welcome news to those who sought him, if it had not been added, He is risen. Note, It is matter of comfort to those who seek Christ, and miss of finding him where they expected, that he is risen: if we find him not in sensible comfort, yet he is risen. We must not hearken to those who say, Lo, here is Christ, or, Lo, he is there, for he is not here, he is not there, he is risen. In all our enquiries after Christ, we must remember that he is risen; and we must seek him as one risen. (1.) Not with any gross carnal thoughts of him. There were those that knew Christ after the flesh; but now henceforth know we him so no more, 2 Cor. v. 16. It is true, he had a body; but it is now a glorified body. They that make pictures and images of Christ, forget that he is not here, he is risen; our communion with him must be spiritual, by faith in his word, Rom. x. 6-9. (2.) We must seek him with great reverence and humility, and an awful regard to his glory, for he is risen. God has highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, and therefore every knee and every soul must bow before him. (3.) We must seek him with a heavenly mind; when we are ready to make this world our home, and to say, It is good to be here, let us remember our Lord Jesus is not here, he is risen, and therefore let not our hearts be here, but let them rise too, and seek the things that are above,Col 3:1-3; Phi 3:20.
Two things the angel refers these women to, for the confirmation of their faith, touching Christ’s resurrection.
[1.] To his word now fulfilled, which they might remember; He is risen, as he said. This he vouches as the proper object of faith; “He said that he would rise, and you know that he is the Truth itself, and therefore have reason to expect that he should rise; why should you be backward to believe that which he told you would be?” Let us never think that strange, of which the word of Christ has raised our expectations, whether the sufferings of this present time, or the glory that is to be revealed. If we remember what Christ hath said to us, we shall be the less surprised at what he does with us. This angel, when he said. He is not here, he is risen, makes it to appear that he preaches no other gospel than what they had already received, for he refers himself to the word of Christ as sufficient to bear him out; He is risen, as he said.
[2.] To his grave now empty, which they might look into; “Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Compare what you have heard, with what you see, and, putting both together, you will believe. You see that he is not here, and, remembering what he said, you may be satisfied that he is risen; come, see the place, and you will see that he is not there, you will see that he could not be stolen thence, and therefore must conclude that he is risen.” Note, It may be of use to affect us, and may have a good influence upon us, to come, and with an eye of faith see the place where the Lord lay. See the marks he has there left of his love in condescending so low for us; see how easy he has made that bed, and how lightsome, for us, by lying in it himself; when we look into the grave, where we expect we must lie, to take off the terror of it, let us look into the grave where the Lord lay; the place where our Lord lay, so the Syriac. The angels own him for their Lord, as well as we; for the whole family, both in heaven and earth, is named from him.
3. He directs them to go carry the tidings of it to his disciples (v. 7); Go quickly, and tell his disciples. It is probable that they were for entertaining themselves with the sight of the sepulchre and discourse with the angels. It was good to be here, but they have other work appointed them; this is a day of good tidings, and though they have the premier seisin of the comfort, the first taste of it, yet they must not have the monopoly of it, must not hold their peace, any more than those lepers, 2 Kings vii. 9. They must go tell the disciples. Note, Public usefulness to others must be preferred before the pleasure of secret communion with God ourselves; for it is more blessed to give than to receive. Observe,
(1.) The disciples of Christ must first be told the news; not, Go, tell the chief priests and the Pharisees, that they may be confounded; but, Tell the disciples, that they may be comforted. God anticipates the joy of his friends more than the shame of his enemies, though the perfection of both is reserved for hereafter. Tell his disciples; it may be they will believe your report, however tell them, [1.] That they may encourage themselves under their present sorrows and dispersions. It was a dismal time with them, between grief and fear; what a cordial would this be to them now, to hear, their Master is risen! [2.] That they may enquire further into it themselves. This alarm was sent them, to awaken them from that strange stupidity which had seized them, and to raise their expectations. This was to set them on seeking him, and to prepare them for his appearance to them. General hints excite to closer searches. They shall now hear of him, but shall very shortly see him. Christ discovers himself gradually.
(2.) The women are sent to tell it to them, and so are made, as it were, the apostles of the apostles. This was an honour put upon them, and a recompence for their constant affectionate adherence to him, at the cross, and in the grave, and a rebuke to the disciples who forsook him. Still God chooses the weak things of the world, to confound the mighty, and puts the treasure, not only into earthen vessels, but here into the weaker vessels; as the woman, being deceived by the suggestions of an evil angel, was first in the transgression (1 Tim. ii. 14), so these women, being duly informed by the instructions of a good angel, were first in the belief of the redemption from transgression by Christ’s resurrection, that that reproach of their sex might be rolled away, by putting this in the balance against it, which is their perpetual praise.
(3.) They were bid to go quickly upon this errand. Why, what haste was there? Would not the news keep cold, and be welcome to them at any time? Yes, but they were now overwhelmed with grief, and Christ would have this cordial hastened to them; when Daniel was humbling himself before God for sin, the angel Gabriel was caused to fly swiftly with a message of comfort, Dan. ix. 21. We must always be ready and forward; [1.] To obey the commands of God, Ps. cxix. 60. [2.] To do good to our brethren, and to carry comfort to them, as those that felt from their afflictions; Say not, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; but now quickly.
(4.) They were directed to appoint the disciples to meet him in Galilee. There were other appearances of Christ to them before that in Galilee, which were sudden and surprising; but he would have one to be solemn and public, and gave them notice of it before. Now this general rendezvous was appointed in Galilee, eighty or a hundred miles from Jerusalem; [1.] In kindness to those of his disciples that remained in Galilee, and did not (perhaps they could not) come up to Jerusalem; into that country therefore he would go, to manifest himself to his friends there. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest. Christ knows where his disciples dwell, and will visit there. Note, The exaltation of Christ doth not make him forget the meaner and poorer sort of his disciples, but even to them that are at a distance from the plenty of the means of grave he will graciously manifest himself. [2.] In consideration of the weakness of his disciples that were now at Jerusalem, who as yet were afraid of the Jews, and durst not appear publicly, and therefore this meeting was adjourned to Galilee. Christ knows our fears, and considers our frame, and made his appointment where there was least danger of disturbance.
Lastly, The angel solemnly affirms upon his word the truth of what he had related to them; “Lo, I have told you, you may be assured of it, and depend upon it; I have told you, who dare not tell a lie.” The word spoken by angels was stedfast, Heb. ii. 2. God had been wont formerly to make known his mind to his people by the ministration of angels, as at the giving of the law; but as he intended in gospel times to lay aside that way of communication (for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, nor appointed them to be the preachers of the gospel), this angel was now sent to certify the resurrection of Christ to the disciples, and so leave it in their hands to be published to the world, 2 Cor. iv. 7. In saying, Lo, I have told you, he doth, as it were, discharge himself from the blame of their unbelief, if they should not receive this record, and throw it upon them; “I have done my errand, I have faithfully delivered my message, now look you to it, believe it at your peril; whether you will hear or whether you will forbear, I have told you.” Note, Those messengers from God, that discharge their trust faithfully, may take the comfort of that, whatever the success be, Act 20:26; Act 20:27.
IV. The women’s departure from the sepulchre, to bring notice to the disciples, v. 8. And observe,
1. What frame and temper of spirit they were in; They departed with fear and great joy; a strange mixture, fear and joy at the same time, in the same soul. To hear that Christ was risen, was matter of joy; but to be led into his grave, and to see an angel, and talk with him about it, could not but cause fear. It was good news, but they were afraid that it was too good to be true. But observe, it is said of their joy, I was great joy; it is not said so of their fear. Note, (1.) Holy fear has joy attending it. They that serve the Lord with reverence, serve him with gladness. (2.) Spiritual joy is mixed with trembling, Ps. ii. 11. It is only perfect love and joy that will cast out all fear.
2. What haste they made; They did run. The fear and joy together quickened their pace, and added wings to their motion; the angel bid them go quickly, and they ran. Those that are sent on God’s errand must not loiter, or lose time; where the heart is enlarged with the glad tidings of the gospel, the feet will run the way of God’s commandments.
3. What errand they went upon; They ran, to bring his disciples word. Not doubting but it would be joyful news to them, they ran, to comfort them with the same comforts wherewith they themselves were comforted of God. Note, The disciples of Christ should be forward to communicate to each other their experiences of sweet communion with heaven; should tell others what God has done for their souls, and spoken to them. Joy in Christ Jesus, like the ointment of the right hand, will betray itself, and fill all places within the lines of its communication with its odours. When Samson found honey, he brought it to his parents.
V. Christ’s appearing to the women, to confirm the testimony of the angel, Mat 28:9; Mat 28:10. These zealous good women not only heard the first tidings of him, but had the first sight of him, after his resurrection. The angel directed those that would see him, to go to Galilee, but before that time came, even here also, they looked after him that lives, and sees them. Note, Jesus Christ is often better than his word, but never worse; often anticipates, but never frustrates, the believing expectations of his people.
Here is, 1. Christ’s surprising appearance to the women; As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them. Note, God’s gracious visits usually meet us in the way of duty, and to those who use what they have for others’ benefit, more shall be given. This interview with Christ was unexpected, or ever they were aware, Cant. vi. 12. Note, Christ is nearer to his people than they imagine. They needed not descend into the deep, to fetch Christ thence; he was not there, he was risen; nor go up to heaven, for he was not yet ascended: but Christ was high them, and still in the word is nigh us.
2. The salutation wherewith he accosted them; All hail—chairete. We use the old English form of salutation, wishing all health to those we meet; for so All hail signifies, and is expressive of the Greek form of salutation here used, answering to that of the Hebrew, Peace be unto you. And it bespeaks, (1.) The good-will of Christ to us and our happiness, even since he entered upon his state of exaltation. Though he is advanced, he wishes us as well as ever, and is as much concerned for our comfort. (2.) The freedom and holy familiarity which he used in his fellowship with his disciples; for he called them friends. But the Greek word signifies, Rejoice ye. They were affected both with fear and joy; what he said to them tended to encourage their joy (v. 9), Rejoice ye, and to silence their fear (v. 10), Be not afraid. Note, It is the will of Christ that his people should be a cheerful joyful people, and his resurrection furnishes them with abundant matter for joy.
3. The affectionate respect they paid him; They came, and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Thus they expressed, (1.) The reverence and honour they had for him; they threw themselves at his feet, put themselves into a posture of adoration, and worshipped him with humility and godly fear, as the Son of God, and now exalted. (2.) The love and affection they had to him; they held him, and would not let him go, Cant. iii. 4. How beautiful were the feet of the Lord Jesus to them! Isa. lii. 7. (3.) The transport of joy they were in, now that they had this further assurance of his resurrection; they welcomed it with both arms. Thus we must embrace Jesus Christ offered us in the gospel, with reverence cast ourselves at his feet, by faith take hold of him, and with love and joy lay him near our hearts.
4. The encouraging words Christ said to them, v. 10. We do not find that they said any thing to him, their affectionate embraces and adorations spoke plainly enough; and what he said to them was no more than what the angel had said (Mat 28:5; Mat 28:6); for he will confirm the word of his messengers (Isa. xliv. 26); and his way of comforting his people, is, by his Spirit to speak over again to their hearts the same that they had heard before from his angels, the ministers. Now observe here,
(1.) How he rebukes their fear; Be not afraid. They must not fear being imposed upon by these repeated notices of his resurrection, nor fear any hurt from the appearance of one from the dead; for the news, though strange, was both true and good. Note, Christ arose from the dead, to silence his people’s fears, and there is enough in that to silence them.
(2.) How he repeats their message; “Go, tell my brethren, that they must prepare for a journey into Galilee, and there they shall see me.” If there be any communion between our souls and Christ, it is he that appoints the meeting, and he will observe the appointment. Jerusalem had forfeited the honour of Christ’s presence, it was a tumultuous city, therefore he adjourns the meeting to Galilee. Come, my beloved, let us go forth, Cant. vii. 11. But that which is especially observable here, is, that he calls his disciples his brethren. Go, tell my brethren, not only those of them that were akin to him, but all the rest, for they are all his brethren (ch. xii. 50), but he never called them so till after his resurrection, here and John xx. 17. Being by the resurrection himself declared to be the Son of God with power, all the children of God were thereby declared to be his brethren. Being the First-begotten from the dead, he is become the First-born among many brethren, even of all that are planted together in the likeness of his resurrection. Christ did not now converse so constantly and familiarly with his disciples as he had done before his death; but, lest they should think him grown strange to them, he gives them this endearing title, Go to my brethren, that the scripture might be fulfilled, which, speaking of his entrance upon his exalted state, saith, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. They had shamefully deserted him in his sufferings; but, to show that he could forgive and forget, and to teach us to do so, he not only continues his purpose to meet them, but calls them brethren. Being all his brethren, they were brethren one to another, and must love as brethren. His owning them for his brethren put a great honour upon them, but withal gave them an example of humility in the midst of that honour.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Now late on the sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week ( , ). This careful chronological statement according to Jewish days clearly means that before the sabbath was over, that is before six P.M., this visit by the women was made “to see the sepulchre” ( ). They had seen the place of burial on Friday afternoon (Mark 15:47; Matt 27:61; Luke 23:55). They had rested on the sabbath after preparing spices and ointments for the body of Jesus (Lu 23:56), a sabbath of unutterable sorrow and woe. They will buy other spices after sundown when the new day has dawned and the sabbath is over (Mr 16:1). Both Matthew here and Luke (Lu 23:54) use dawn () for the dawning of the twenty-four hour-day at sunset, not of the dawning of the twelve-hour day at sunrise. The Aramaic used the verb for dawn in both senses. The so-called Gospel of Peter has in the same sense as Matthew and Luke as does a late papyrus. Apparently the Jewish sense of “dawn” is here expressed by this Greek verb. Allen thinks that Matthew misunderstands Mark at this point, but clearly Mark is speaking of sunrise and Matthew of sunset. Why allow only one visit for the anxious women?
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
We now come to the closing scene of our redemption. For the lively assurance of our reconciliation with God arises from Christ having come from hell as the conqueror of death, in order to show that he had the power of a new life at his disposal. Justly, therefore, does Paul say that there will be no gospel, and that the hope of salvation will be vain and fruitless, unless we believe that Christ is risen from the dead, (1Co 15:14.) For then did Christ obtain righteousness for us, and open up our entrance into heaven; and, in short, then was our adoption ratified, when Christ, by rising from the dead, exerted the power of his Spirit, and proved himself to be the Son of God. No though he manifested his resurrection in a different manner from what the sense of our flesh would have desired, still the method of which he approved ought to be regarded by us also as the best. he went out of the grave without a witness, that the emptiness of the place might be the earliest indication; next, he chose to have it announced to the women by the angels that he was alive; and shortly afterwards he appeared to the women, and, finally, to the apostles, and on various occasions.
Thus he gradually brought his followers, according to their capacity, to a larger measure of knowledge. He began with the women, and not only presented himself to be seen by them, but even gave them a commission to announce the gospel to the apostles, so as to become their instructors. This was intended, first, to chastise the indifference of the apostles, who were like persons half-dead with fear, while the women ran with alacrity to the sepulcher, and likewise obtained no ordinary reward. For though their design to anoint Christ, as if Ire were still dead, was not free from blame, still he forgave their weakness, and bestowed on them distinguished honor, by taking away from men the apostolic office, and committing it to them for a short time. In this manner also he exhibited an instance of what Paul tells us, that he chooses those things which are foolish and weak in the world to abase the loftiness of the flesh. And never shall we be duly prepared to learn this article of our faith in any other manner than by laying aside all pride, and submitting to receive the testimony of the women. Not that our faith ought to be confined within such narrow limits, but because the Lord, in order to make trial of our faith, determines that we shall become fools, before he admits us to a more ample knowledge of his mysteries.
So far as regards the narrative, Matthew says only that the two Marys came to see the sepulcher; Mark adds a third, Salome, and says that they bought spices to anoint the body; and from Luke we infer, that not two or three only, but many women came. But we know that it is customary with the sacred writers, when speaking of a great number, to name but a few of them. It may also be conjectured with probability, that Mary Magdalene, with another companion—whether she was sent before, or ran forward of her own accord arrived at the grave before the rest of the women. And this appears to be conveyed by the words of Matthew, that those two women came for the purpose of seeing; for without seeing Christ:, they had no means of anointing him. He says nothing, in the meantime, about the purpose which they had formed of doing honor to him; for the principal object which he had in view was, to testify of the resurrection.
But it may be asked, how could this zeal of the women, which was mixed with superstition, be acceptable to God? I have no doubt, that the custom of anointing the dead, which they had borrowed from the Fathers, was applied by them to its proper object, which was, to draw consolation, amidst the mourning of death, from the hope of the life to come. I readily acknowledge that they sinned in not immediately raising their minds to that prediction which they had heard from the lips of their Master, when he foretold that he would rise again on the third day. (301) But as they retain the general principle of the final resurrection, that defect is forgiven, which would justly have vitiated, as the phrase is, the whole of the action. Thus God frequently accepts, with fatherly kindness, the works of the saints, which, without pardon, not only would not have pleased him, but would even have been justly rejected with shame and punishment. It is, therefore, an astonishing display of the goodness of Christ, that he kindly and generously presents himself alive to the women, who did him wrong in seeking him among the dead. Now if he did not permit them to come in vain to his grave, we may conclude with certainty, that those who now aspire to him by faith will not be disappointed; for the distance of places does not prevent believers from enjoying him who fills heaven and earth by the power of his Spirit.
(301) “ Quand il avoit predit qu’il ressusciteroit le troisieme jour.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CHRISTS RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION CERTAIN
Mat 27:62 to Mat 28:15
THIS Scripture involves the very citadel of Christianity. The Apostle Paul reasons with a logic that cannot be gainsaid, that if Christ be not risen from the dead our faith is in vain. The dead have perished and the living are without hope.
But the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is in itself not sufficient. The ascension is absolutely necessary to the completion of His claims, and the exercise of His powers. Our question, then, couples two words which are complementary. The resurrection without the ascension would prove nothing more than a reanimationa Lazarus, and not a Lord. An ascension without a resurrection would demonstrate nothing better than a translationa Prophet Elijah perhaps, but not the Son of God with whom is all power.
It was a marvelous thing that Jesus was begotten by the Holy Ghost, but even that would not demonstrate above discussion His essential Deity. Adam was the generation of the Spirit and not that of a human father. The working of miracles on the part of Jesus is not a sufficient evidence of His claim. Miracles occurred under the hands of Moses and Elijah and others who were nothing more than men of marked faith in the Almighty. The one who sets up a claim as the very Christ of God must not only bring us certain evidence of Divine appointment, such as mortal men have enjoyed, but a chain of evidences stretching from His first appearance in the world clear on to His second coming, and every link thereof must bear the imprint of the superhuman.
It will be conceded, I think, that the central argument of all the arguments presented in the Name of Christ, rests with this question, Did He rise from the dead and ascend into Heaven?
In answer to that I bring you first of all these texts from the Scriptures, and in elaboration of these suggest some thoughts for solemn reflection.
ARGUMENT FOR THE RESURRECTION.
It is not begging the question to appeal to the Bible for arguments of the resurrection. Even infidels concede that the Old Testament Scriptures were in the hands of men when Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth; and very few intellectual, honest men question that the New Testament was born within a century after His reputed ascension. If, therefore, they are not trustworthy, skepticism has already enjoyed two thousand years of opportunity to disprove their statements. If, at the end of this time, the statements stand and gather to themselves an ever-increasing company who consent that they have made good their right to a place in the catalogue of historical facts, why should we not appeal to them in discussing the very subject that gave them their existence?
According to the Scriptures there are many lines of argument for the resurrection. Let me make mention of four of them.
The argument of the Empty Tomb.
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.
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled hack the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
And the angel answered and said unto the woman, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay (Mat 28:1-6).
That statement is either true or false. If false, why did not the enemies of Christ expose the deception? That He had enemies, not even infidels question. That He was hunted to the Cross, no one now disputes. That He was buried is as certain as the execution of the Roman law. What became of the body? This was the very thing His enemies had feared. They had reminded Pilate of His prophecy, After three days I will rise again, and had asked that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day. And Pilate had said unto them,
Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch (Mat 27:65-66).
But when the resurrection was accomplished,
some of the watch came unto the City, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept.
And if this come to the governors ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and tins saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day (Mat 28:11-15).
It is a singular thing, yet a certain one, that people can never manufacture a falsehood, the various parts of which can hang together. And when they asked the watchers to testify that they had slept on duty until Jesus had been stolen away from His grave, they confessed to a fault of which Roman watchers dare not be guilty on the very peril of life itself; and yet from that hour no better explanation of an empty tomb has been furnished the world. Within a century after these reputed events, the whole Roman empire was permeated by the doctrines of Christ, and men by the thousands and tens of thousands believed on Him as risen from the dead. The argument that entered into the conviction of the first century was that of the empty tomb.
There is the argument of the word of the angel to the woman. When you get together a company of spiritualists, everyone expecting to see a spook, it is fairly easy to fool the crowd. Turn the lights low, secure a ventriloquist or even a good actor, and your purpose is accomplished. But when the skeptical are present, the performance is commonly balked. They are not looking for spooks and they do not see them. These skeptics are valuable in uncovering fakes and pretenders; but Christ convinced skeptics in every instance.
The women who went to His tomb were skeptics. As much as they loved Him they never expected to see Him alive again. They went not for the purpose of anointing a risen Christ, but to embalm a dead One. They would not believe in the resurrection even on the authority of the angels testimony; and that, notwithstanding the fact that the two angels were in shining garments and they felt compelled to bow down their faces to the earth in their very presence. They were not even convinced when the angels reminded them of the prophecy, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again, though it is distinctly declared that they remembered His words. Not until they had seen Him, not until they had heard His voice, were they convinced.
The Apostles were skeptics everyone. It is reported that the words of these women seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
Peter and John went on a tour of personal investigation. And when they beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves they were not convinced, but departed wondering.
The two on the way to Emmaus were skeptics when Christ fell in with them, for He had to argue with them from the Scriptures that He was to be condemned to die and crucified and raised again the third day.
Thomas would not even take the testimony of his brethren, and insisted that nothing short of His own senses would cause him to believe.
Paul was so unbelieving that he persecuted every man who named the Name of Christ. And yet one after another, they were compelled to capitulate and accept as true what the angels had said to the women, He is risen. The word of an angel might, in itself, seem to have some authority, but when that word is attended by such evidences as to convince man after man against his expectation, utterly setting aside his skepticism, who will question its weight?
Again, there is the argument of the sight and statements of sane men. Paul splendidly sums this up in his Epistle to the Corinthians. He says,
He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve;
After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
After that, He was seen of James; then of all the Apostles.
And last of all He was seen of me also, as one born out of due time (1Co 15:5-8).
When Mahomet expired, it is reported that Omar rushed from the tent, sword in hand, and declared that he would hue down any one who should dare to say that the Prophet was no more. But the Apostles of Jesus Christ behaved quite to the contrary. They consented that their Hero was dead; they mourned Him as gone forever; they could not believe what their ears heard concerning His resurrection, and it required the indisputable evidence of His personal presence to convince them. When 500 sane men and women stand up to testify to one thing, who would dispute them without the most overwhelming evidence to the contrary; and where is the evidence that opposed their testimony?
The speech of Christ Himself also must be considered. Matthew does not finish his report of this evidence until he has recorded the words of Jesus, for the eleven disciples went away into Galilee unto the place where He had appointed them,
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
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 (Mat 28:18-20).
From that time until His ascension, He talked with them again and again. Every touch was a new revelation of Himself; every word an additional proof. It was the forty days between the resurrection and the ascension that confirmed the faith of His followers, and made them ready to do, to dare, to die!
Dr. Lorimer, in his Argument for Christianity, remarks upon a time when, more than a hundred years ago, a little Baptist Association deliberately resolved on the reduction of heathenism, and determined on sending out an army of occupation. The stupendous audaciousness of the purpose excited the ridicule of not a few worldly-wise individuals, and indeed was without a parallel except in the earliest aggressions of the Church. And what rendered the movement more entertaining to the scoffers, and what imparted to it more and more of the spirit of desperate rashness and presumption, was the fact that the enterprise was entrusted to the generalship of a consecrated cobbler who himself constituted nearly all there was of the expedition.
But bold as was that endeavor, and marvelous as was the faith that attended it, bolder still was the faith of those poor, plain fishermen in their march upon the heathenism of the world, and infinitely greater was the confidence which they had in the Man of Nazareth! What is the explanation? For forty days, He who had been crucified before their eyes and buried in the tomb of one who had befriended Him, against which a stone had been sealed and about which a watch had been set, walked with them, talked with them, and inspired them, and finally ascended into the heavens before their very eyes! Aye, that was the foundation of their faith; that is the explanation of their courage; that is the secret of their willingness to be martyrs; that the rationale of the rise of the Church.
CERTAINTY AND ASCENSION.
To this subject of the ascension the Scriptures also speak.
They had prophesied it should come. What is the meaning of the Psalmists language, Thou wilt not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption? What is the suggestion except that He was to rise from the dead? And what is the suggestion of the same Psalmists, Thou hast ascended on high; Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts? Christ Himself had said to the officials who had been sent to take Him to the chief priest, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent Me. Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? (Joh 7:33-34). To Mary He replied, also, I ascend to My Father and to your Father; and to My God and to your God. And it came to pass even as He had said.
People believe far more easily in the natural than in the supernatural. They accept the scientific with a relish they know not for the spiritual. When I was a student at college, the transit of Venus occurred. At Aiken some German scientists drew their meridian circle on a stone and took their observations from it, and then enjoined upon the people to leave that stone in place so that in the year 2004, when the transit of Venus should again occur, observations might be taken from the same meridian circle. Dr. Pierson speaking of this said, Thrones will have been emptied of occupant after occupant; empires will have been lost; and changes, whose number and gravity are too great now to be conceived, will have taken place. Nay, human history may have come to its great last crisis and the millennial march may have begun. Yet, punctually to the moment without delay or failure, these students of nature will expect Venus to make her transit across the sun. They will hardly be disappointed. Gods order in nature is such that the great grandchildren of those scientists will see their forebears predictions fulfilled. But Gods order in the prophecy is equally dependable. He ascended even as He had said.
What a demonstration this of His Deity! John had testified after this manner, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life, declare we unto you. It included not only a risen Saviour but an ascended One. They had seen Him go! His ascension had been their most conclusive proof of His Deity. A mortal man might be resuscitated from what seemed to be death; but when resurrection from the grave and ascension are combined, who can stand against the argument for Deity?
Charles Spurgeon says, Whenever I read modern thoughts, and you cannot read long without coming across them, I am glad to get back to facts. And here are some facts. Jesus Christ did rise from the deadthat is true! He did also ascend into Heaven, for His disciples saw Him. Is not Spurgeons faith well grounded? If the testimony of men can be taken touching anything that ever occurred in this world, to what fact can you bring better witnesses; witnesses more surely convinced against their expectation; witnesses more perfectly in accord with what they say; witnesses more ready to sell their testimony with their blood than were the 500 who saw Him at once, and who perhaps waited upon one of the hills of Judea and watched until the very moment when the cloud received Him out of their sight? No wonder Charles Wesley wrote:
Hail the day that sees Him rise,To His throne above the skies;Christ, the Lamb for sinners given,Enters now the highest heaven.There for Him high triumph waits;Lift your heads, eternal gates!He hath conquered death and sin,Take the King of Glory.
In that ascension is the explanation of the Church. This great institution must be accounted for. The early Apostles did not hesitate to rest their claims to the conquest of the world on the fact of the ascension. They had their commission from an ascended Lord. Their very gifts were imparted by the same ascended Lord. And in all their services they looked to Heaven from whence also He was to come again.
Christians of the present hour who have never seen Him, yet know He is in the heavens; this with them is a matter of both history and inner consciousness. Some one tells the story of a lad standing in the street holding tightly to a string which stretched away into the very clouds. A man passing asked him what he was doing. Flying my kite! The man looking into the heavens said, How do you know that you have a kite? I see nothing. Neither do I, he replied, but I can feel it pull. That is the universal testimony of Christs men and women. The great Magnet of our souls is the Son of God. Our drawings Heavenward are not natural but supernatural. They are not born of the flesh but begotten by the Son Himself, who hath ascended on high.
He is gone! and we remain In this world of sin and pain:In the void which He has left,On this earth of Him bereft,We have still His work to do,We can still His path pursue;We can follow Him below,
And His bright example show.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BOTH.
What of it if Christ be raised and ascended up on High? Much every way.
Prominent among other things let me mention three.
He then is in the priests place. When they stoned Stephen unto his death the record says, He looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. When they banished John to the Isle of Patmos, he turned from the barren wastes about him to the bright world beyond, and oh, what a vision was vouchsafed! In the midst of the seven golden candlesticks was one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. What is the significance? Priesthood! That is the girdle the great priest wore. Hence the significance of the Apostles words,
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:14-16).
He then has the power to put away sin. The old priest could do that only by Divine appointment. In fact he did not do it at all, but God did it, sending the message of remission through him. But this ascended One dares to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee. On what ground? Because He was the very God! Sins had been committed against Him; He, therefore, could remit them, and He only. David said, Against Thee and Thee only have I sinned. The person who can forgive you is the one against whom you have sinned, and not another. How gracious to know that the One against whom we have heaped our sins is the Son of God who has ascended to the very heavens, and with Him is not only the power but the spirit of forgiveness. Truly, as Maclaren says, In Christs exaltation to the throne a new hope dawns on humanity. * * This Christ Jesus has tasted death for every man, and so brethren, sad, and mad, and bad as men may be, the Conquering Captive at the right hand of Gods throne is the measure of the pattern of what the worst of us may hope to be. Why? Because He hath power to put away sin.
Again, if He be the High Priest, He proffers a free salvation. What is the message from the right hand of the throne? I will; be thou clean. What is the message? Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee. What is the message? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Oh, marvel of marvels, that men should neglect this and run greedily after lesser good! When several years ago Dr. Lorenz came to this country, he was brought by a millionaire of Chicago to put into place the dislocated hip of Lolita Armour. The attempt was supposed to be successful. The newspapers made a great ado about the marvelous man and his accomplishments. People went wild; his way was thronged; cripples were carried into the light of his presence; and in a southern city strong policemen wept as they were compelled to say to mothers, bearing their crippled darlings in their arms, He cannot give you attention, and so turn them away. Such is the enthusiasm for lesser good.
I grant you it is a great thing to have a whole body. I do not blame those mothers for running after Lorenz, a mortal man of very limited power; no, I do not blame them. But I say that men and women will rise up to blame themselves when they wake at last to discover that they have gone through the world crippled in soul, and treating with indifference the claims of that Christ in whom is all power in Heaven and in earth and who is as willing and able to make them every one every whit whole.
Have you ever looked upon that masterpiece Christ the Consoler painted by Friedrich Dietrich? One strange feature about it is that he presents Christ as among the European peasants of the present day, His personality and garb contrasting with their rude figures and homely faces. Before Him are the lame, the halt, the blind, the aged, the wounded soldiers, and the toilers, and as He passes His very presence seems to heal and enhearten, and the text for it is, The whole multitude sought to touch Him, for there went virtue out of Him and healed them all.
Oh, will you cry the praises of a Lorenz who at best could only give one temporal aid and possibly relieve a bodily deformity, and pass with indifference the risen and ascended Christ, who, by His word, can put away sin, restore the soul to the image in which it was created, and send it forth in health and happiness for time and eternity?
_______
For the study of Mat 28:16-20, see volume God Hath Spoken, published by the Worlds Christian Fundamentals Association.
BibleSupport.com Note: Riley is referencing the book God Hath Spoken and specifically his own lecture, The Great Commission. This is included in the Mat 28:16-20 section of this set.
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
CRITICAL NOTES
Mat. 28:1. In the end of the Sabbath.Late on the Sabbath day (R.V.).We must assume, with Meyer, Lange, and Alford, that Matthew here follows the natural division of the day from sunrise to sunrise, which seems to be favoured by the following definition of time: As it began to dawn, etc. It is certain and agreed on all hands that Matthew means the time after the close of the Jewish Sabbath, the time before daybreak on the first day, of the week, or the Christian Sunday (Schaff). Cf. Mar. 16:2; Luk. 24:1; Joh. 20:1. The other Mary.The mother of James and Joses (Mat. 27:56).
Mat. 28:2. From the door.Omitted, on good authority, in the R.V.
Mat. 28:3. Countenance.Appearance, R.V. Like lightning.As regards the intensity of effulgence or radiance (Morison).
Mat. 28:5. Fear not ye.The ye here is emphatic, to contrast their case with that of the guards.
Mat. 28:7. Into Galilee.To which these women belonged (Mat. 27:55).
Mat. 28:9. As they went to tell His disciples.Omitted in best MSS. and in R.V. All hail!Lit., Rejoice! The Greek salutation, both on meeting and on parting (Carr).
Mat. 28:10. My brethren.The general view is that the Lord referred to His brethren by spiritual relationship. See Mat. 12:49; cf. Joh. 20:17; Heb. 2:11.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Mat. 28:1-10
A double dawn.Three successive and well-defined stages mark the literal dawn: that greatest darkness which concludes the night; the scattering of that darkness which we call the twilight; the sunrise itself. In the figurative sunrise of the passage before us, three similar steps may be noted. There is utter darkness, in the first place; waning darkness, in the second place; unshadowed light, in the last.
1. Utter darkness.What else, on the one hand, do we read of here, as things were at first, in the way of expectation? The women spoken of in verse I have evidently been, for some time, in a condition of waiting. They had seen the Saviour placed in the sepulchre just before the sunset beginning of the first day of the week. After that, the sanctity of the Sabbath and the darkness of night had prevented them from returning to see it. But now, at the first opportunity, they are coming to do so; starting for the place, in all probability (Joh. 20:1), before the darkness had gone. So much are their hearts set on the object in view! And yet how sorrowful, on the other hand, is the object in view! What are they looking for except to see the place, and perhaps the face, of the dead (Mat. 28:1; Mar. 16:3)? And what are they hoping to do, at the best, except that which is usually done for the dead (Mar. 16:1)? Of the presence of life, of any hope of it, they have not a thought. Much the same is true, next, in the way of experience. It seems most natural to suppose of what is told us next, in Mat. 28:2-4, that the descent of the angel and removal of the stone were over before the women arrived at the place, and that what they beheld (and afterwards described to the disciples) was the form of the angel seated on the stone, and the effect of his presence as manifested so terribly in the fainting forms of the guard (Mar. 16:4; Luk. 24:2; Joh. 20:1). Most probably, also, they were near enough to the place to have felt something of that accompanying earthquake of which we are told (Mat. 28:2). Altogether, therefore, there must have been everything to fill them, at first, with the very direst alarm. What with the terror of the earthquake (and nothing physical is said to be worse); and the greater terror of the supernatural; and the almost irresistible terror of seeing the terror of courage itself (Mat. 28:4),awful indeed in this respect must their condition have been, even banishing the thought, for the moment, of that exceedingly sorrowful comfort in hope of which they had come. Could any darkness be worse?
II. Waning darkness.This we find brought about entirely by what the angel here says to the women (Mat. 28:5-7). By what he says to them, first, in regard to the present. How encouraging his words on this point! Fear notbe not afraid; things are not so bad as they seem. How discriminating also! How clear and direct! Fear not yeye, to whom I am speaking. Be assured that ye have no cause for alarm. How full, again, of sympathy and approval (end of Mat. 28:5)! Your object is mine as well. Ye honour Jesus. So do I too. Infallibly and sensibly would the inward darkness of these trembling women begin to lessen under words such as these! And that, of course, all the more, because of the quarter they came from! Nothing is more assuring than the assurances of authority! Nothing more gracious than the graciousness of the great! The angels language, next, with regard to the past. See how his opening words on this point prepare the way for the rest! He is not here where you saw Him laid. Something has happened meanwhile of vast importance. How his next words follow this up! That which has happened is this; He has risen again. How the words that then follow fortify these! This is only what He Himself used to tell you. Remember how often He said so. How the angels yet further words do this still more! How they give actual proof, in part, of the truth of his language! See the place where the Lord lay. See, therefore, that He is certainly gone, as I said. In these successive utterances there would be a still further lessening of the gloom of these women. Most surprising, no doubt, was the purport of these utterances. Hardly less so would be their utter falseness. With such assurances, and such recollections, and such tangible proofs, they might begin to believe. The angels language, lastly, with regard to the future. How it confirms what he has told them before! It is all so sureso he tells them nowthat they may safely tell it in turn. So joyful, also, that they cannot do it too soon (beginning of Mat. 28:7). How it supplements what he has told them before! The Saviour is not only risen, He is still upon earth; He is going to where they have often seen Him before, and where also, before long, they shall see Him again (middle of Mat. 28:7). How his language, finally, seals all he has told them before. They have his full authority for all they have heard. His having uttered it once, he reminds them, is sufficient. It would not only be foolish, it would be wrong, to doubt him. Let the last remnant of unbelief cease at that thought (end of Mat. 28:7).
III. Unshadowed light.This, first of all, in their faith. There is still about them, very naturally, a certain awe and solemnity; but there is no shadow of doubt now to interfere with their joy, or to make them hesitate about making it known (Mat. 28:8). Oh! what tidings they feel, rather, they have to communicate! Oh! for wings to reach those they desire! Oh! for breath to tell all! Similar light, in the next place, in their experience. Suddenly, as they fly, they are standing transfixed. Can it be? Yes, it must be. It is the Master Himself! His own aspect! His own voice! His own greeting once more (beginning of Mat. 28:9)! And yet, withal, is He quite the same as He had been to them of old? Why, if so, do we behold them now worshipping Him on their faces? Why embracing His feet (end of Mat. 28:9; contrast Mat. 26:7)? Evidently, with no less affection, there is even deeper awe than before. The reason seems plain. Not only now are they seeing the Saviour. They are seeing the risen Saviour as well. All that they used to admire in Him is there still. All the old consideration for those to whom He is speaking. Be not afraid (cf. Mat. 14:27; Mar. 5:36). All the old gentleness to the fallen and weak. Go, tell my brethren (see Mat. 26:56; and Mar. 3:34-35). What they see further is what has been added thereto. This, at last, is fulness of light!
In this story of these first witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus there is much which is characteristic of the gospel:
1. In the persons selected.Not the world at large, as represented by the heathen guard. Nor yet the general body of believers, as represented by the disciples. But those faithful women who were both last and first at the sepulchre of Jesus (cf. Luk. 24:22-24; also Act. 10:40-41). It was not necessary, neither was it ever meant, that the risen Saviour should appear to more than a few. If any have seen Him, that is proof enough to the rest (cf. Joh. 20:29).
2. In the method pursued.Cf. Mar. 8:22-25; Mar. 4:33; Joh. 16:12; Pro. 4:18.
HOMILIES ON THE VERSES
Mat. 28:1-10. Christs resurrection.
I. The place.
II. The time.The day is important, for it was the first Easter Sunday, and the event of that morning has caused Sunday to be observed as a holy day throughout the Christian world.
III. The visitors.What motive led them to this act? It was love, the mightiest power in the universe.
IV. The messenger.We know but little concerning angels, but their mission is stated in Heb. 1:14. Never did celestial messenger bring more joyful news than fell from the lips of the angel on that morning!
V. The meeting.A few moments before Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene; now He appears to the other women.
1. A living Saviour, not the ghost of a dead man.
2. A comforting, encouraging Saviour. Be not afraid.
3. A brotherly Saviour (Mat. 28:10).J. L. Hurlbut, D.D.
The resurrection: the victory won.
I. The seeming defeat.
1. Jesus dead.
2. Jesus buried.
II. Victory.
III. Victory proclaimed.
1. By the angels.
2. By the disciples.
IV. The results of Christs victory.
1. It is a proof of His being the Son of God (Rom. 1:4).
2. It is a pledge that salvation is finished (Rom. 4:25).
3. It is a pattern for our changed lives (Rom. 6:4; Rom. 6:13).
4. It is a promise that our bodies will rise too (1Co. 15:20; 1Co. 15:49).I. L. Trotter.
Mat. 28:1-6. The women at the sepulchre.
I. Great courage where least expected.
II. Heavenly light breaking on earthly gloom.Anon.
Mat. 28:5-6. The angels comforting words.
1. By the same means the Lord can terrify His adversaries, and comfort His people; those He suffereth to lie still in their terror, these He comforteth.
2. Such as are seeking after Jesus may take comfort, whatsoever come; for upon this ground the angel saith, Fear not, I know ye are seeking Jesus.
3. We have no reason to be ashamed of Christs cross, when the angels avow Christ crucified to be the Lord.
4. If God should use kings and emperors to be preachers of Christs cross and resurrection, it should be no disparagement to their high place, for this message is worthy of such an angel as this to be messenger, and even the angels do not so much honour the message as they are honoured by it; and who is he who thinketh himself too good to be a preacher of the gospel?
5. Christs body after His resurrection retaineth the natural properties of a body; it is in one place and not in another; the Scripture knoweth no ubiquity of His body. He is not here; He is risen.
6. No rest for our faith save in our Lords word; if it be once received, then other things serve to confirm faith; for first, He is risen, as He said, saith the angel, and then biddeth them Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7. It is a sufficient argument to prove that Christs body is not present in a place, if sense perceive it not present, for the angel proveth that Christ is not in the sepulchre by this reason, Come, see the place where the Lord lay; He is not here.David Dickson.
Mat. 28:6. The place where the Lord lay.The angel here appeals to the senses of those who stand about the tomb to attest the truth of Christs actual resurrection from the dead.
I. The empty tomb at once proclaimed the actual resurrection of the Saviour.The resurrection is proclaimed to be a fact
1. By the testimony of human witnesses. The disciples were men of probity, and had no worldly advantage to acquire from the publication of such a circumstance, but quite the opposite. They had known Christ, surely, long enough to recognise Him again when He appeared amongst them; and with one concurrent voice they testify, He is risen from the dead.
2. This is strengthened by the testimony of angels, and by their various appearances as bearers of the news.
3. The resurrection of Christ was not denied, even by His enemies, but was covertly recognised and admitted, even while the Jews agreed to a traditional falsehood to conceal from their posterity that which they knew to be a fact.
4. The Apostles constantly attested the fact, as also did the Fathers of the primitive Christian ChurchIgnatius, Polycarp, and the other venerable custodians of the truth.
5. Christ rose, likewise, in precise accordance with Scriptural types and predictions, and with the same body as that in which He had lived and died.
II. The language of the text expresses the great humiliation of Jesus Christ.Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
III. We cannot meditate beside the place where the Lord lay without learning something of the infinite love of God.
IV. Neither can we look upon His empty tomb without being convinced of the Divine faithfulness.Faithfulness as to promises, types, shadows, and predictions.
V. This visit to the place where the Lord lay must bring with it, too, a striking evidence of His Divine sovereignty.I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again. And if He thus held in His sovereign hand the issues and the destinies of His own career, He can, in like manner, overrule and control the destinies of His people.
VI. Is not this vacant tomb an almost satirical evidence of His triumph over His enemies and ours?
VII. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, that you may behold in it the certain and the glorious pledge of a perfected salvation.A. Mursell.
The resurrection of Christ and the inspiration of the Bible.
I. The resurrection of Christ is an historical fact, and, as such, it can be proved like any other fact in history.
II. The resurrection of Christ, once established, carries with it other great truths, such as His divinity and the infallibility of His teaching.
III. Having established His divinity and the infallibility of His teaching, we have a short and easy method to prove that the Bible is the Word of God, and the expression of the will of God. Christ, possessing Divine wisdom and never erring in a single statement, declares that the Old Testament prophets spoke by the Holy Ghost, or that God spoke through them. He quoted the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalmswhich included the whole Old Testament as we now have itas the Word of God. This stamps the whole Old Testament with Divine authority. He also promised to guide the Apostles in what they were to record (Joh. 14:26; Joh. 16:13). As a matter of fact, this promise was fulfilled when they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, and spake with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. The fulfilment of this promise, confirmed as it was by signs and miracles, stamps the teaching of the Apostles with the imprimatur of God. Thus we see that in dealing with doubt and difficulty respecting doctrine and belief, the first thing to be done is to satisfy the intellect about the historical Christ and the great facts of His life. Once establish the resurrection of Christ as an historical fact, and you have also established His divinity and the inspiration of the Bible.S. Macnaughton, M.A.
Mat. 28:7. The risen Christ in Galilee.Why did Christ make an appointment with His disciples in Galilee? Why did He make that distant place the scene of the main evidence of His resurrection? Why not here in Jerusalem? Whether they were consciously aimed at or not, certain results were secured that could not have been gained had His appearance been confined to Jerusalem.
I. His resurrection was thus separated from all those superstitions known as ghosts or apparitions.These, men have always believed in; but they are an indirect, left-handed witness to a consciousness in man that he is more than he seems to be, and that death is not what it appears to be. The ghost haunts its former scenes; it is seen where the body was buried. The action of the mind in this respect is singular, and is governed by a sort of logic; it feels that the other life lies close to this, and that the two lives of men cannot be far divorced from each other. But these beliefs are superstitions, and they were rife at the time of Christ. The one thing to be feared in connection with the resurrection was that it would be regarded as an ordinary ghost story. It has been so interpreted in later daysas a part of a great, common superstition. But, as if to meet in advance this interpretation, and to separate it in the minds of the disciples from everything of the sort, it is made under conditions utterly unlike those of apparitions.
II. This appointment in Galilee was a testing lesson in faith.Is it, after allwe can imagine them sayingworth the while to make the journey to Galilee? Can He who died on the cross, whose feet were pierced with nails, journey thither? That He should appear here is possible; we have heard the like before; but will He appear in Galilee? So their minds may have acted; and as they made the journey, every step and every hour must have tended to throw them out of their belief and hope. For there is nothing that so tests our faith in an event difficult of belief as to get out of the atmosphere of it. The wonder lessens as we go away from it. But if this experience of the disciples was a trial of their faith, it also strengthened it. For faith is not hurt by doubt until it yields to it. The very weakness and faltering of faith may be turned into strength by pressing on in its path, fighting doubt, and resisting the appeals of the world. This journey of simple trust and stout adherence to hope was a fine preparation for harder experiences soon to follow. There would come times when not merely the faltering of their own hearts was against them, but all the powers of the world; times when their only refuge would be their faith in the risen and ascended Lord. Then the memory of this experience, crowned by actual sight of their Master, would come to their rescue.
III. We find another explanation of this meeting in Galilee in the fact that Christ saw fit to give them their great commission on the scene of their common labours.For it was in Galilee that they had been called and set to their work. It was in Galilee that the great sermon had been spoken which lay at the bottom of the gospel; and here His mighty works were chiefly done. His presence in Jerusalem was incidental to His life, and not the main field of it. Nor did Jerusalem so well represent the world that was to be discipled as the northern province. It is not improbable, also, that He thus intended to convey to the disciples some further and closer conception of the nature of their work. Go ye, and make disciples of all nations. How? they may have asked. As I have done in these fields and villages before your eyes. There I turned water into wine: go, turning the common and dull things of earth into glorious and inspiring realities. There I fed the multitude: go, taking the Bread of life to the multitudes of earthBread that shall also become literal bread to all the poor and starving of the world. There I stilled the storm: go, carrying the all-conquering peace of God to the stormy and warring nations. On that hillside and by those shores I preached the gospel to the poor: go, carry everywhere the same gospel of consolation. In all these villages I cured the sick and the lame and the blind in answer to their faith. Take My words to them again, and tell them that by faith in Me they will be delivered from all their groaning miseries. Teach them that there is a Divine, delivering power at work in the world; that God is the Father, and that He has sent His Son into the world to save it, and to restore to Him all who believe on Me. More vividly still He was able to impress upon their minds His comforting assurance: Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. I was with you as we trod all these paths from city to city; I never failed you; I taught and cheered and inspired you by My constant presence. So it will be to the end. These things are for us also. We have a Leader who is also a sharer in our life.T. T. Munger, D.D.
Mat. 28:8. Believing and testifying.
1. Such as know what a heart grieved for want of Christ meaneth, will be very ready to comfort such as are in such a grief, as these holy women are glad to carry good news to the heart-broken disciples.
2. Mixed affections, fear and joy, at one time, may well consist in the heart of a believer. One may tremble at the majesty of God, and rejoice in His friendship, manifested by any means which He pleaseth, for thus are these godly souls affected.
3. It is a choice good disposition to believe the Lords word, and diligently to go about the obedience of it, in fear and trembling, such as here is to be seen in these women; having believed the glad tidings, they run quickly, with fear and joy, to bring the disciples word.David Dickson.
Woman witnessing to Christs resurrection.I. The false message which brought sin into the world, and all our woe, was given first to woman, and by her was communicated to the man. The resurrection of the Lord, the healing of that early death-wound, was communicated in the same way. From an angel to woman, and from woman to man, and from man to the world, came death. From an evil angel, through the link of woman to mankind, the evil tidings spread and covered the earth. From a good angel to woman, and from women to men, and from men to the world came life, the life of the world.
II. It is not much preaching we get from angels lips; but there is a little here, and that little very precious. The angel gave their spirits the cordial before he imposed the race upon their limbs. The angel knew his part well, for the whole theory of missions is here.
III. They did run to bring the disciples word.It was the word within them that impelled them to hasten; it was the word in their heart that made them run with the word on their lips. I detect a grand key-note here. It is not only the message, carefully learned and correctly told; it is not only the faithful witness-bearing, whatever danger may be incurred. Over and above all this there are an eagerness, an enthusiasm, and a haste, in bearing the message of redemption, which are in keeping with the case, and mark the conduct of true disciples in all places and at all times.W. Arnot, D.D.
Mat. 28:9-10. Meeting Jesus.
1. Such as obey the directions of Gods servants, and do use prescribed means that they may meet with Christ, shall find Him ere they be aware. These women meet Christ before they looked for Him; as they went on His errand, Jesus met them.
2. Joyful is the meeting which a soul hath with Christ.
3. A humble sinner may be homely with Christ.
4. Such as believe Gods word in the mouth of His messengers shall find confirmation of it by Christ Himself; for here the Lord bids them do the same things which the angel had commanded beforeto carry news to the Apostles.
5. For all that can be said unto us, our faith is still mixed with some doubtings, which breed fear, and Christ only can remove them; therefore saith He here, Be not afraid.
6. The weakest of believers are much beloved and esteemed by Christ. Go, tell My brethren.
7. The place wherein Christ is most welcome to preach shall be most honoured by His presence. In Galilee shall they see Me.
8. Howsoever our Lord be purposed to give sensible satisfaction to His people in due time, yet doth He ever require some belief of His word in the mouth of His servants, and some obedience of faith to go before it; therefore saith He, Tell them that they go to Galilee, and addeth, There shall they see Me.David Dickson.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
SECTION 76
JESUS AROSE!
(Parallels: Mar. 16:1-11; Luk. 24:1-12; Joh. 20:1-18)
TEXT: 28:110
1 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. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. 3 His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 and for fear of him the watchers did quake, 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, who hath been crucified. 6 He is not here; for he is arisen, even as he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples, He is risen from the dead; and lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. 9 And behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail, and they came and took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then saith Jesus unto them, Fear not: go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
a.
Why do you suppose Matthew bothered to begin this new section with the expression, After the Sabbath? Why not begin simply, Now as the first day of the week was dawning? Is there something important in mentioning the Sabbath here?
b.
Why do you suppose that the two Marys wanted to see the tomb? Had they not already done so before the Sabbath started, when they watched Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial?
c.
Do you think they went to the tomb on Saturday evening, i.e. when Sunday was beginning, or on Sunday morning? Defend your answer.
d.
The women were eager to care for the body of Jesus, whereas the men disciples only went to the tomb when called, and then, only two of them went. Why do you think the men acted this way? Does not this show a serious failure of love for Jesus?
e.
What was the purpose of the angels coming? To let Jesus out of the tomb?
f.
If the guards were frightened so greatly by what they saw, is it not possible to suspect their later testimony, precisely because of the irrationality chargeable to their fear?
g.
Is there any evidence in the text that the soldiers fled from the tomb when the angel appeared? If so, what is the proof? If not, what does the soldiers continued presence at the tomb suggest about their later testimony?
h.
Other Gospel writers document the presence of TWO angels present, whereas Matthew only mentions one. How do you harmonize this discrepancy?
i.
The guards are scared out of their wits but the women calmly listen to the angels message. Should it not have been the other way around?
j.
The angel ordered the women to tell the disciples that the risen Christ was going before them to Galilee where they would see Him. Were the disciples expected to rush to Galilee right then, or what? After all, as things turned out Jesus appeared to them that very evening (Joh. 20:19). What do you think the angel expected the disciples to do?
k.
Despite so many predictions of Jesus resurrection, why did not the disciples remember them until after it occurred? Why must the angel remind them here?
l.
The women departed from the tomb with fear and great joy. How do you explain this peculiar psychological combination of emotions? Admitting that some women could have experienced one emotion and others another, on what basis can the same person truly experience both at the same time?
m.
If Jesus planned to show Himself alive to the women, why did the angel tell them to communicate to His disciples that seemingly superfluous message that He would appear to them in Galilee? Did not the angel know what Jesus planned, or did Jesus get the arrangements mixed up, or what?
n.
Jesus forbade Mary Magdalene to take hold of Him, yet the other women are permitted to approach Him and take hold of His feet and worship Him. How do you explain this contradictory conduct on Jesus part? Or is there a difference in the attitude of the women? If so, what is it?
o.
If Jesus planned to show Himself alive to the disciples that very evening, why did He too tell the women to inform the disciples that He would appear to them in Galilee?
p.
Why do you think Jesus appeared first to the women? Could not Jesus have foreseen that the testimony of women would tend to be discounted in that male-dominated society, even by His own male disciples?
q.
The women ran to His disciples to bring them the glad news of Jesus resurrection. (a) What would be the effect today, if every disciple were to show the same happy zeal to bring these glad tidings to a world that is perishing? (b) Why do you think we fail to do this?
r.
What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to you?
PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY
When the Sabbath was over at sunset on Saturday, Mary of Magdala and Mary, James mother, and Salome purchased aromatic oils, so they could go to embalm Jesus body.
Then, late Saturday night, as it was beginning to get light on Sunday morning, the women, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary, went to see about the tomb very early, while it was still dark.
Suddenly, a violent earthquake occurred, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, approached the tomb and rolled the stone aside and sat on it. His appearance had the dazzling brightness of lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The sentries were so terrified by him that they trembled and became rigid with fear.
Carrying the aromatic spices which they had prepared for the embalming, the women arrived at the tomb shortly after sunrise. They were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?
But when they looked up, they discovered that the stonehuge as it washad already been rolled away from the tomb. So Mary of Magdala went running to Simon Peter and Jesus dearest disciple, John, and informed them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him!
Meanwhile, the other women went on inside the tomb, but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they stood there not knowing what to think, suddenly, two men appeared to them in clothes that gleamed like lightning. In their fright the women instinctively bowed down with their faces to the ground, One of the angels appeared as a young man sitting on their right, dressed in a white robe. This latter angel addressed the women.
There is no need for alarm, he said, I know that you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was nailed to the cross. Why search among the dead for Someone who is alive? He is not here, because He came back to life again, just as He said He would! Come see the place where they laid Him! Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, The Son of man must be delivered over into the power of wicked men, be nailed to a cross and come back to life on the third day.
The women remembered that He had said that.
Now you must go quickly and tell His disciples and Peter, continued the angel, He has risen from the dead and that He is going back to Galilee ahead of you. You will see Him there, just as He told you. This is the message I was to give you.
So the women hurried away from the tomb, frightened, yet overjoyed. In fact, they were overcome with trembling and bewilderment. They did not tell anybody a single thing, because they were afraid. They simply ran to give the news to His disciples.
[At this point John reports the arrivals of Peter and John, then of Mary Magdalene to the tomb. The men arrive first and enter the tomb, but apparently met no angels. Mary sees the angels, then Jesus. Cf. Mar. 16:9.]
Then, as the women were going away from the tomb to tell the disciples, suddenly Jesus Himself met them and said, Hello!
Going up to Him, the women hugged His feet and worshiped Him.
Then Jesus said to them, You need not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee. They will see me there.
Returning from the tomb, they told all this to the Eleven and to all the others. Mary Magdalene, for example, told those who had been His companions, as they were sorrowing and weeping, I have seen the Lord! She also told them what Jesus had said to her. Now it was Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Mary, James mother and the other women with them who told this to the Apostles. But when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by Mary of Magdala, this story of theirs seemed to them sheer nonsense. They continued to disbelieve the women.
SUMMARY
On Saturday evening three women purchased embalming spices for use next morning. Then, early Sunday morning before daylight they start for the tomb. Meanwhile an angel comes to open the tomb. His coming shakes the earth and shocks the sentinels. The women arrive at the tomb at daybreak only to find the tomb already open. Mary of Magdala jumps to the conclusion that someone has moved the body. So, without actually examining the question farther, she runs to inform Peter and John. Meanwhile, back at the tomb, two angels inform the other women that Jesus is alive from the dead and that they are to inform Jesus disciples. On their way to do so, Jesus appears to them and sent a message for His followers to meet Him in Galilee. Meanwhile, Peter and John race to the tomb, but do not see either Jesus or the angels. Mary of Magdala arrives later and sees both. Mary and the other women return to the apostolic group and report Jesus resurrection, but no one believes them.
NOTES
ON THE THIRD DAY
Mat. 28:1 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. Although the accounts of the resurrection differ as to details, as sometimes happens in the case of valid testimony, the general picture of the events is substantially consistent. Such differences, rather than undermine the accounts, tend to confirm their authenticity, because exact superficial harmony would be suspicious precisely because contrived. If it could be shown that two witnesses claim to discuss the same event or detail and appear to contradict each other, then a real problem would exist. However, simple differences of detail are but evidence of honest, independent testimony.
A sound juridical approach is to assume the reasonable accuracy and honesty of the witnesses and attempt to see whether their witness can be harmonized into a unified account that is consistent. Otherwise, they get treated as dishonest or mistaken until proven correct, an improbable hypothesis in the light of the ease with which the opposition could have disproven their assertions, had they been honestly mistaken about, or, worse, concocting, anything they testify. Our approach shall be to find that explanation which permits each witness to be treated as fundamentally honest and which alleviates any supposed divergence between the Gospels. Past attacks on harmonizing approaches assume that the harmonist must prove his theoretic explanation. On the contrary, given our present state of information, it only need be demonstrated that a plausible explanation of the supposed divergency exists to remove the charge of inconsistency or contradiction levelled against the Gospels. After all, were the resurrection the bold invention of shameless charlatans, surely its authors would have taken greater care to eliminate the many problems in the accounts so as to create the kind of strict, even if superficial, agreement that some minds find comfortable. (For an excellent harmonization, see Wilson, Learning From Jesus, 516521; also James Orr, The Resurrection of Jesus, 155f.; Butler, Luke, 576ff.; John II, 463ff.)
Late on the sabbath day, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week (ops d sabbtn ti epiphoskosei eis man sabbtn). The ASV translation is particularly unfortunate here, because apparently self-contradictory and because Matthew is forced to contradict the other Gospel writers. The problems in this translation turn on two factors:
1.
Ops can mean late.
2.
Epifsk, to dawn, considered as a Hebrew idiom wherein the day begins at sunset, can refer to a time coincident with the closing of the preceding day (Luk. 23:54).
If the time in question was late on the Sabbath day, Matthew means sundown, when Sunday begins, or dawns, according to the idiom. However, this rendering leaves the impression that Matthew thought the resurrection occurred on Saturday, as opposed to the other witnesses who are certain it occurred on Sunday morning. But if epifoskosei (dawning) be taken literally, Matthew means around sunup, in which case there is no justification for his reference to a time late on the Sabbath day, for that day ended at sundown the day before. Matthew certainly would not contradict himself in the same verse. Further, the final translation must recognize that his two expressions are two ways of referring to the same time. Two factors point the way out of the morass:
1.
Ops can be translated after (Arndt-Gingrich, 606; Blass-Debrunner, 164.4; Rocci, 1383). To render the phrase, After the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week (RSV), better suits the context and harmonizes with the other Gospels.
2.
Epiphoskosei can be taken in its natural, literal sense, rather than idiomatically.
Matthew treats the period of darkness which came to an end at dawn on Sunday as still belonging to Saturday, but actually after the Sabbath was over. That the moment in question is early Sunday morning is vindicated by the following considerations: (Cf. notes on Mat. 27:63 f.; esp. on Mat. 12:40, my Vol. II, 708ff.).
1.
Since the difficult expression can actually be translated and interpreted in harmony with the distinctly clearer testimony of the other Gospels who unequivocally place the resurrection appearances on Sunday morning, why should it not be so rendered?
2.
The women who go to the tomb on Sunday morning are Mary of Magdala and the other Mary, who was also the mother of James, and Salome. (Cf. Mar. 16:1.) Perhaps there were also others, like Joanna. (Cf. Luk. 23:55 to Luk. 24:1, Luk. 24:10.) These wonder, Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb? (Mar. 16:3). Now, if these same women had stopped at the tomb on Saturday evening as they were out buying burial spices (Mar. 16:1), they would have encountered the soldiers guarding it. Granted that their timidity might hinder their seeking help from Roman soldiers and that they are probably thinking of assistance from some male disciples like Joseph or Nicodemus or others, yet, they could not have wondered about any help at all. Rather, had they seen the soldiers before arriving on Sunday morning, they would have worried about the soldiers inflexibility that would not permit them to break the seal on the tomb in order to open it, even to embalm the body.
3.
Mark has two definite notices of time, whereas Matthew only one. (Cf. Mat. 28:1 with Mar. 16:1-2.) Mark narrates facts that occurred on two successive days, on Saturday evening just as the Hebrew Sunday was beginning, then on Sunday morning about sun-up. Marks distinction should be represented by two separate paragraphs. The assumption that Mat. 28:1 is parallel with Mar. 16:1, or worse, derived from it, leads to the conclusion that Matthew thought that the resurrection occurred on Saturday night, whereas the other Evangelists place it as quite early on Sunday morning. (Cf. Mar. 16:9; Luk. 23:56; Luk. 24:1.) It also assumes that the women purchased additional spices around dawn on Sunday morning on the way to the tomb, whereas Mark suggests that they took the spices which they had prepared the night before, i.e. on Saturday night.
4.
The purpose of the womens coming is expressed vaguely as being to see the sepulcher. But were it limited to that, they could have come on Saturday night. Their intention is more fully indicated by their bringing the embalming spices (Luk. 24:1; cf. Luk. 23:56; Mar. 15:47; Mar. 16:1). Therefore, they think that they both can enter the tomb with no more serious hindrance than the heavy stone, and that they should do so to embalm a corpse. Their pre-dawn departure from their lodging indicates their haste to deal with a quickly decomposing body. So, they obviously know nothing about the seal or the soldiers and they do not expect Jesus to be risen. Luk. 23:56 definitely states they rested on the Sabbath. Hence, although they could have recommended the embalming on Saturday night, it would have been an unusual time without adequate motive, since they would have to work on into the night by torch- or candlelight, when on Sunday morning an entire day would be at their disposal.
Matthew simply means that, although the women intended to complete the embalming, they waited until Sunday morning.
As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. Because some believe that Mark, Luke and John are hopelessly contradictory as to the time element involved, it is altogether appropriate to see that the translation makes considerable difference:
Joh. 20:1 : Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene left for the tomb early, while it was still dark.
Luk. 24:1 : But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb. . . .
Mar. 16:2 : And very early on the first day of the week they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
The Greek verb rendered in bold face in every case-is chomai (= lthon), which means come or go, according to context (Rocci, 770; Cf. Arndt-Gingrich, 310f.). The rendering to be utilized remains the translators choice based on appropriateness to the situation. However, some translators ignore the problems of harmonizing all available testimony and of assuming the witness to be telling the truth until proven false. Consequently, they created contradictions for readers unacquainted with this phenomenon in Greek. The supposed divergence is removed by simply using the other, completely appropriate alternative translation.
Mat. 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. For connects the earth tremor directly with the angels coming, but it is not clear whether it was simply contemporaneous with his coming or caused by it. Because a great earthquake is an event which man can neither impede nor ignore, just as at His death, its occurrence at precisely this moment is not merely coincidental and must be judged an appropriate accompanimentbetter: announcement?of Jesus resurrection. (See notes on Mat. 27:51.)
Evidently, the angel rolled away the stone before the women reached the tomb, since they found it already removed upon their arrival (Mar. 16:4; Luk. 24:2; Joh. 20:1). The stone was rolled away, not to let Jesus out, but to let the resurrections witnesses in! (Cf. Mar. 16:5; Luk. 24:3; Joh. 20:6 ff.) Leaving the sealed tomb was no problem for the Lord of life. (Cf. Joh. 20:19; Joh. 20:26.) In fact, did Jesus arise when the angel came, or had He already left the tomb by simply walking away from it as simply as He entered the closed Upper Room? Precisely when Jesus emerged from the tomb is not stated. Rather, Matthews silence implies that He had already risen. Matthew does not describe the actual resurrection of Jesus nor affirm that anyone witnessed it. So, those who became witnesses to the resurrection are actually witnesses of the accomplished fact, rather than of the event itself. (Cf. Act. 1:22.)
When the angel . . . rolled away the stone, he heaved the huge disk down onto the ground before he sat upon it. By this superb gesture the angel seems to express the heavenly authority with which the tombs seals were broken and the great stone door opened. The grip of death is broken by heavenly power. And neither ancient nor modern skepticism have been able to reclose the open sepulcher of our Lord.
The angel is described by Mark and Luke as two (young) men, because heavenly messengers are often described by their appearance in human form. (Cf. Gen. 18:2; Gen. 18:16; Gen. 18:22; Gen. 19:1; Gen. 19:5; Jdg. 5:23; Jdg. 13:6; Act. 1:10.)
Mark and Luke report the presence of two angels (Luk. 24:4). It is difficult to decide whether Matthew is simply summarizing by referring to the most prominent speaker of the two, or whether another appeared later. Omitting to mention the other angel does not create a contradiction, since Matthew does not affirm there was only one angel. His evident purpose is to report the message the women were to announce. Two possible harmonizations exist:
1.
Perhaps the women encounter the first angel outside the tomb where he had frightened the soldiers and rolled away the stone door. He then invites the women into the tomb to verify his word. They enter, but do not find the body. Instead, they encounter another angel seated on the right side of the ledge. Then, perhaps he arose and the women find themselves standing between two heavenly beings and are frightened (Mar. 16:5; Luk. 24:3 ff.). Later, when Mary Magdalene arrives, she finds the two angels both inside the tomb (Joh. 20:12).
2.
Matthew does not affirm that the angel met the women outside, whereas Mark and Luke definitely affirm that they talked with an angel inside. Accordingly, the women ignored the fallen soldiers and rushed into the tomb and encountered both angels inside. Only one of them speaks (according to Matthew and Mark), but because the other confirms the testimony of the first, he may be said to have spoken (Luk. 24:5). On this view, the angels arrived, one rolled away the stone and sat on it, thus frightening the guards. Then they entered the tomb. The women, upon arrival, found the two angels together inside.
The fact that the women encounter a varying number of angels, in different locations, standing and sitting, etc., is not at all irreconcilable with the sudden appearance of angels elsewhere in Scripture. The apparent contradiction between the Gospels is caused by each writers reference to a different phase of the scene or to a different principle speaker. No writer claims to tell all he knows about the picture. Cross-questioning of the witnesses and writers is now no longer possible, but the hypothesis of a plausible harmony exonerates them from embarrassment of proven error.
Mat. 28:3 His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow. The blinding flash of light from heaven took definite, human form. (Cf. Mar. 16:5; Luk. 24:4.) Unless this phrase contains Hebrew parallelism, because a distinction is made between his appearance and his raiment, the former is thought to refer to his face. His total appearance resembles the angels of the Old Testament (Dan. 10:6) and the glorified Christ (Mat. 17:2 = Mar. 9:2 f. = Luk. 9:29; cf. Rev. 1:14 ff.). The intense radiance reflected the glory of God whom he represented. (Cf. Exo. 34:29 f.) His raiment white as snow resembles that of heavens inhabitants (Rev. 4:4), not only the angels (Dan. 10:5 f.; Luk. 2:9; Act. 1:10; Rev. 10:1; Rev. 18:1) but also the saints (Rev. 3:4 f; Rev. 6:11; Rev. 7:13 f; Rev. 19:8) and God (Eze. 1:26 f.; Dan. 7:9).
Mat. 28:4 and for fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men. Even if these guards were not on the crucifixion detail, barracks rumors could give them reason to be apprehensive about this night duty. Just when it was almost over, there was a sudden, terrific shaft of light from heaven and the ground under their feet waved violently. The sentinels found themselves face to face with the true guard of honor at the tomb of the risen Christ! The shock left them paralyzed with fear of him. Any opposing reaction on their part was effectively preempted by a force with which they were psychologically unprepared to cope. Although they became as dead men, it is not clear whether they were completely unconscious. Perhaps they were simply immobile, as if dead. This supposition argues that the guard did not flee immediately upon the arrival of the angel, but at some undesignated time later, after the women arrived. (See on Mat. 28:11.)
At this point the women arrive at the garden tomb. However, because of the great size of the stone used to close the tomb, they could see at a distance that the tomb door was already ajar. Without investigating further or pausing to reflect that perhaps the tombs owner had returned to help complete the embalming, Mary Magdalene wrongly inferred that the tomb had been rifled, the body gone. On the basis of this mistaken deduction she left the women at the garden and rushed to inform Peter and John (Joh. 20:1 ff.). This detail explains how Jesus could appear first to Mary Magdalene (Mar. 16:9; Joh. 20:11 ff.), although she left for the tomb earlier with the other women (Mat. 28:1). From Luke we learn that, besides Mary the mother of James and Joseph, there were others, among whom Joanna (Luk. 24:10). If we may infer that the same women who bought the spices on Saturday night, also brought them to the tomb Sunday morning, then Salome came too (Mar. 16:1 f.). Disappointed that Jesus had failed, they still loved Him, and would now serve Him for the last time, though He were dead. (For their identification, see notes on Mat. 26:56 and the Special Study: The Brethren of the Lord, my Vol. III, 185ff.)
Because the guards were terrorized into immobility, the women who would have been impeded from entering the tomb before, can now procede.
Mat. 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified. Although Matthew named only Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the former is now gone to inform Peter and John. So, by saying women, our author incidentally confirms what the other Gospels affirm, i.e. the presence of the others.
The angel intended is the principle speaker. He answered, or addressed, their unasked questions and astonishment. Fear not ye: addressed to the women, the ye (humes) is emphatic. Although fright in the presence of the supernatural is a normal reaction, the women are not to be terrified like the guards. The women are also not to fear that something terrible has happened to Jesus body. His authoritative assurances seek to calm them. For I know that you seek: this justifies his calming tone and language. He treats them as friends of his own Lord. That the angel described Jesus as Him who hath been crucified sounds oddly out of tune with the resurrection victory. But this old, old story is already a theme sung in glory (Rev. 1:5 ff; Rev. 5:9; Rev. 5:12; Rev. 7:9; Rev. 12:10 f.). Further, he addresses women who mistakenly expected to find the Crucified Ones dead body in this sepulcher.
Mat. 28:6 He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
1.
The IRREFUTABLE FACT: He is not here . . . come, see the place where the Lord lay. The heavenly message was backed by earthly proof.
a.
This is tangible, circumstantial evidence of the reality. They were to examine the calm order of the linen wrappings and folded face-cloth and conclude that, were His corpse stolen, these items would have been missing. Instead, He Himself had removed the burial clothes, neatly set everything in order and left the tomb, unquestionably alive.
b.
The place where the Lord lay: what humiliation for the Lord of glory! What infinite grace and love permitted Him to be brought so low! But because He entered into our death, He disarmed our fear of the tomb (Heb. 2:15).
2.
The EXPLANATION: for He is risen. Were anyone but an angel speaking, this would be simply a possible, logical implication of the empty tomb. But this is not merely an inference, but Gods revelation of a fact. Without the intervention of human beings or angels, He left His grave behind Him forever (Mar. 9:31; Luk. 18:33; Joh. 10:17 f.). It is also true to translate, He was raised (egrth), since His victory is ascribed also to the Father (Mat. 16:21; Mat. 17:23; Act. 2:24; Act. 2:32; Rom. 8:11).
Those who attempt to explain the resurrection as a pure visionary apparition that projected messages from the other world to the brain of the early disciples, must face the eloquent fact of the empty tomb. Further, the actual messages that came were not simply to comfort the apostles that everything was going to be all right or simply that Jesus soul was then living with God and sends His love. Rather, the angels and Jesus Himself transmitted the same central message that His physical body had left the grave alive.
3.
The PROPHETIC WORD: as He said. (Cf. Mat. 16:21 ff.; Mat. 17:23; Mat. 20:19; Luk. 9:43-45). Despite His many predictions, the disciples emotional rejection of His coming death blinded their minds to the truth. What they did not accept, they did not expect. But this deserved but gentle rebuke, however, comforts them, because their unbelief did not keep His often repeated supernatural promise from coming to pass: He faithfully kept His word! (Cf. Luk. 24:6.) His resurrection put Gods stamp of approval on everything He said or did, but it especially established Him as a true Prophet of God. (Cf. Deu. 18:15-22.)
Mat. 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples, He is risen from the dead; and lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. This story is so well-founded that they themselves may join in telling it too. An evil angel had communicated the message which brought sin and death into the world. Woman had been the first to believe and tell man and pass it on to the human race. Now the Lords angel commissions woman to be the first to announce deaths defeat to man. Let no man or woman consider themself too lowly to be a humble link in Gods chain to proclaim the Gospel to others.
But these are not just incompetent, excited women liable to believe anything! Their training in righteousness as disciples of Jesus should indicate much about their reliability and basic honesty. These women proved themselves competent to testify to Jesus resurrection by closely observing everything that involved His suffering. Their being devoted friends or aunts of Jesus only apparently disqualifies them by compromising their objectivity, for no scientific commission in the world could furnish a more accurate observation of the unique fact to which they testify. For the disciples, the character and stability of these women was already proven. For the enemies, the facts they report were already proven. (See on Mat. 28:11-15.) For the readers of the Gospels, the corroboration of their testimony with the many other appearances of Jesus consolidates their case.
The testimony of these women would be discounted by the male disciples, but not on the ground that these women were objectively incompetent. Certainly, Jewish bias against the testimony of a woman entered into the question. However, the mens refusal to believe the women arose, not from investigation of the womens evidence and competence, but from an emotional bias against the objective probability of the resurrection of Jesus. Whatever the origin of their opinion, it was nonetheless a prejudice. Similarly, men today reject the resurrection because of intellectual and moral prejudice against the possibility of the supernatural. Although the Lord Himself would grant many convincing proofs that He was alive (Act. 1:3), He rightly criticized the Apostles for rejecting the womens unassailable personal testimony (Mar. 16:14). Jesus made the principle of credible witness the basis of His Gospel and a standing rule for all time (Joh. 20:24-31, esp. Joh. 20:29; cf. Rom. 10:13-17; 2Pe. 1:12-18).
Lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him. This victory would yet be celebrated together with Jesus alive on earth at the glorious reunion in Galilee precisely on schedule, just as He predicted (Mat. 26:32)! He goeth before you (progei, present tense) does not mean that He is at this moment traveling to Galilee, but is used more generally to confirm His project: He is actually going there ahead of you, just as He promised. They understood this promise, there shall ye see him, as general, referring broadly to all the disciples. (Cf. Luk. 24:9 : all the rest.) It does not intend to preclude the appearance of Jesus to the women just a few moments later (Mat. 28:9). Since nothing is said of His intention to appear to the despondent, broken-hearted disciples that very day, they must simply act on a faith already severely tried. Even so, this precious hope aims to stir a joyous expectation in them.
Jesus strategy in the choice of Galilee may have various motives:
1.
If they shared the Jewish belief that the ghost of the departed hovered about the tomb for several days after death, in Galilee there would be no suspicion that the post-resurrection phenomena they observed were this sort of spectral apparition. (Cf. Edersheim, Life, II, 631.) His appearances in Galilee, far from the scenes of horror surrounding His death and burial, would, therefore, tend to undergird the disciples certainty of His resurrection.
2.
After expecting the disciples to believe the testimony of those who had seen Him alive, He gave them their second lesson in acting by faith. For them to return to Galilee to see Him required believing the testimony sufficiently to make the trip without Him, just trusting Him to keep the well-attested appointment. In an atmosphere of faith it is easy to believe. But the physical act of walking to Galilee took them away from a highly charged ambient where people could expect apparitions to occur. It removed the powerful, psychological atmosphere that permits or induces the hallucination. His appearance in broad daylight at a great distance from places associated with His former appearances would increase their certainty that It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared.
3.
The location facilitated His control over the choice of witnesses of His resurrection (Act. 10:40 f.). First the Passover pilgrims are allowed to go home to their various lands and nations. Then, in the calm of an obscure mountain in Galilee, He could accomplish so much more by revealing Himself to a severely restricted number of disciples.
4.
Galilee is home. (See note on Mat. 26:32.) In this brilliant touch of psychological appropriateness Jesus is revealed His genius and condescension to their weaknesses and need. His present task was to reconstitute the apostolic group, now fragmented because of His death (Mat. 26:31 f.). Judas was dead, Thomas alone in his dark world, the others with no unifying sense of mission left. Although He would reiterate the commission in Jerusalem both before and after the Galilean appearance (Luk. 24:44; Joh. 20:21 f.), and although they would all return eventually to Jerusalem to witness His ascension and await the Pentecostal arrival of the Holy Spirit, His principle purpose for the time being for sending them to Galilee was to take them back home. He knew that in Galilee, they could form a clearer concept of their mission. While standing in and looking at the old, familiar scenes of Galilee, the very area where they had already labored successfully in His Name and by His powereven in His absence, they could more easily conceive of the feasibility of world evangelism. In Galilee a world mission did not appear so impossible, because they had labored there by His grace. So, even as He had commissioned them originally on a Galilean mountain and taught them (Luk. 6:12 ff.; cf. Mat. 5:1), so now He would take them back to their origins as a group, commission them, placing upon their shoulders even greater responsibilities and promise them even greater power (Mat. 28:16-20; Mar. 16:16 ff.). In Galilee, they had tried their wings; in Galilee, they received their new, permanent commission to world evangelism. In this vividly suggestive, physical environment Jesus taught them to see that yesterday the target was Galilee, today it is the world!
There shall ye see him: Even the Jewish authorities knew that belief in the resurrection was not definitively determined by the empty tomb, because a desperate hypothesis of theft could still be concocted to explain that perplexing discovery. The irrepressible excitement of the Gospel was not the product of reports from reliable sources that His body had not been found in the tomb and that mysterious messengers had announced the resurrection as a fact. What convinced these men and women that He had risen was His concrete encounters with them as the Living One. Their close encounters with Him had a place and a date concerning which many, living witnesses could testify when and how these incidents took place. (Cf. 1Co. 15:5-8.)
Lo, I have told you. This solemn observation means that the angels mission is completed so far as the women were concerned. Now, they must rise to obedience to their mission. Rather than take away mans initiative or responsibility, angelic messages increase it. To doubt the authenticity of his message would not be merely foolish but sinful. (Cf. Luk. 1:19; Heb. 2:2.)
Mat. 28:8 And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. In obedience to the divine message, they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid (Mar. 16:8; contrast Mat. 9:31; Mar. 1:45). Genuinely shaken by the angelic encounter, they fled from the scene of an event emotionally overpowering for them. Afraid to disobey the messenger of God, they paused to talk to no one until they could relay the good news to the disciples. Otherwise, they might have shouted the glorious news to everyone they met, despite Jesus desire that this news not be proclaimed officially until Pentecost under the leadership of the Holy Spirit (Luk. 24:47-49). With fear and great joy is the paradoxical but psychologically real mixture of emotions felt by people who hear something too good to be true. Can it be completely believed? And yet, if Gods angel has told us, it must be true! Although these women have stood in the majestic presence of the supernatural, they have heard the supremely joyous news that Jesus is no longer dead but gloriously alive and victorious! (Cf. Psa. 2:11.)
The women ran to bring his disciples word, their flying feet expressing their obedient love. Eagerly, they completed their responsibility, although their enthusiastic message was disbelieved (Mar. 16:13; Luk. 24:10 f., Luk. 24:24 f.).
Contrary to the view of those who place all resurrection appearances in Galilee, the women immediately found the disciples present in Jerusalem. There is no indication that they had fled home to Galilee or that the women had to run clear to Galilee to announce Jesus resurrection. Rather, their message is that Jesus would go before them into Galilee, clearly implying that they to whom the message is sent are not in Galilee, i.e., yet in Judea. Many resurrection appearances to the disciples in the Jerusalem area are recorded as occurring on the same day as the resurrection itself. Without some previous arrangement or without adequately convincing motivation, the scattering of despondent apostles excludes their all gathering by chance on a mountain in Galilee.
The irrefutable fact demonstrated
Mat. 28:9 And behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Matthew does not state nor imply that Jesus appeared to them the instant they left the tomb, but merely at some unstated time after they had left it. Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, then, shortly thereafter, to these women (Mar. 16:9; Joh. 20:11 ff.). They were on their way to obey the divine message when Jesus met them. The Second Coming shall take place precisely like this appearance: in the midst of duty we shall be surprised by His coming. (Cf. Mat. 24:36 to Mat. 25:13.) Although in comparison to the Hebrew greeting, Peace be to you (Joh. 20:21; Joh. 20:26), the Greek communicates the happy nuance, Rejoice, His quite ordinary greeting, All hail (charete), simply means, Hello, everyone or Greetings, everybody. (Cf. Mat. 26:49; Act. 15:23; Act. 23:26; 2Co. 13:11 Good-by; Jas. 1:1; 2Jn. 1:10 f.)
That Jesus should appear first to the women disciples, rather than to the men, is peculiarly fitting, because of their love. The disciples did not approach the cross nor take care of Jesus body either before or after the entombment. Their fear, despondency, shock, left them immobile, while these loving women overcame their hurt and did what had to be done each time. The men could also have been given this reward of love, but only the women put themselves in a position to receive it. There is mercy with the Lord: these women were wrong not to believe His promise, and foolish to bring spices to embalm Him, but He forgave their blunder, and appeared to them anyway. All that they had admired in Him before now stands before them alive. Deeper awe and adoration are appropriately due Him, because He has qualified Himself as worthy of worship. (Cf. Joh. 5:23.) They recognize that resurrection has altered the former relationship: they are beings unworthy of His presence. (Cf. Jdg. 6:22 f; Jdg. 13:21 f.; Luk. 5:8.) He is their exalted Lord and offer Him their hearts adoration.
Perhaps they also desired to touch Him to assure themselves that He is the same Jesus they had known, loved and followed so long, once dead, but now very physically alive. The Good News was not that His sepulcher was found empty by unimpeachable witnesses. This circumstantial evidence supports the resurrection story, but is not the central truth. It was the personal knowledge of numerous, competent witnesses that Jesus had really died and was buried, but was later verified to be alive from the dead by many personal contacts with Him. These direct, tangible proofs demolish the charges that the early disciples were overly credulous, victims of auto-suggestion, mistaken identity and tense nerves. Here die the theories of mystical, psychic apparitions or fleeting glimpses of the risen Christ. These disciples were then present and debated these questions themselves and answered them. What they saw and personally touched led them to an absolutely unshakable conviction of His triumph over death. Consequently, one cannot resist their evidences today without himself becoming irrational. (Cf. Luk. 24:36-43; Joh. 20:19-29; Act. 2:32 f; Act. 4:20; Act. 5:32; 1Jn. 1:1-3.)
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene before He met the other women (Mar. 16:9; Mat. 28:9). Some feel that, because she was sent on ahead of these women to bring the disciples the glad word (Joh. 20:17 ff.), by Jesus delaying them here they were permitted to hug His feet and she not. This unnecessarily imputes partiality to Jesus. Although He forbade Mary Magdalene to cling to Him, Jesus permitted these women to take hold of his feet. (John: m mou hptou: Matthew: ekrtsan auto tos pdas) It would appear that the difference does not lie so much in the Greek words, as in the attitude of the women themselves. Mary gripped Jesus with a determination driven by desperation not to lose Him again. (Cf. Mar. 5:18 ff.; Luk. 8:38 ff.) But, by so doing, she also hindered Him from doing and being what, in His new state of being, must now become normal for Him. She cannot keep Him on earth any moreshe must prepare herself for His return to Heaven (Butler, Luke, 581). In fact, all the disciples must dismiss from their minds the hope that everything would return to the unbroken fellowship of the past months. His mission was not yet complete without His return to Heaven. The loving embrace of His feet by the women is essentially the same act as that of Mary, but it is differently motivated, for she lovingly wanted to keep Him forever. They, however, worshiped him, letting Him be God, autonomous of their wishes, desires or will for Him. This same distinction still separates appropriateness from selfishness in discipleship today.
They came . . . and worshipped him. (Cf. Mat. 28:17). The disciples spontaneous adoration of the risen Lord on that first day of the week became the joyfully accepted reason for regular celebration of Jesus resurrection by the early Church. (Cf. Ignatius: Magnesians 9; Barnabas 15:8 f.; Justin Martyr, Apology, I, 67:13, 7; Dialogue, 41:4; Act. 20:7; 1Co. 16:2.) What would happen to the modern Church, if the first day of every week should once again produce the resurrection impact on us that it did on those early disciples?
Mat. 28:10 Then saith Jesus unto them, Fear not: go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Because of Jesus victory over mans ancient, final enemy, death, this brief reassurance would mean so much more. His dispirited disciples can now live under constant tension of threats and intimidation, possibly ending up crucified or hideously butchered (Mat. 10:26-33). But they shall overcome, not by wishful thinking or philosophical optimism, but with unshakable confidence in His resurrection power that gave them inexpressible joy full of glory.
With all His old gentleness, He showed Himself to be a Brother for the defeated and discouraged: Go tell my brethren. Who are these brethren?
1.
Jesus own kin, His half brothers, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (Mat. 13:55)? He did not consider their being less open to His message and ministry earlier (Joh. 7:5) a hindrance to His appearing to James (1Co. 15:7). He undoubtedly knew that appearance to them would determine their commitments to His program. James would become the great leader in the Jerusalem Church (Act. 15:13; Gal. 1:19) and Judas would pen the New Testament epistle bearing his name (Jude).
2.
Jesus used this heart-warming term to identify Himself to His disciples as their Brother (Joh. 20:17; Mat. 12:49; Act. 1:15; Rom. 8:16 f., Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:11-18). This view does not exclude the former, because the result of a message to His physical brothers would confirm their discipleship. He has just proven Himself Son of God, gloriously victorious over death, and yet He graciously elevated these unworthy earthlings to be His brethren! Hendriksen (Matthew, 992f.) notes that Jesus did NOT say:
those habitual quarrelers . . . who promised to remain loyal to me no matter what would happen, but who when the crisis arrived left me and fled; . . . who, with one exception, were not even present at Calvary when I was laying down my life for them. None of that. Instead, my brothers, those whom I acknowledge as members of my family, those who share the inheritance with me, those whom I love.
This warm human tenderness, so characteristic of Jesus, evaporated the womens nervousness and made them confident that He really is the same kind Master they had always known and loved. (Cf. Joh. 15:14 f.) That they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Did Jesus intend that the disciples depart immediately? Apparently not, because John records two appearances in the Jerusalem area, one of which occurred a week later than this command (Joh. 20:19 ff., Joh. 20:26 ff.). Nothing is said here about His not intending to see anyone in Jerusalem. He simply arranged to meet them in Galilee and He did so. Even so, why does Jesus tell the women to remind the disciples to depart for Galilee, when He could do it Himself at these two appearances?
1.
In line with His original, heartening prophecy (Mat. 26:32), Jesus Himself reminds them that He has kept His word about his resurrection. This bracing reminder begins drawing them out of their despondency even before He appears to them the first time there in Jerusalem.
2.
Jesus is better than His word. Even if they were to expect to see Him in Galilee on the basis of the prophecy and its repetition here, He would graciously grant them a number of appearances even before that long-awaited happy reunion in Galilee.
3.
The message is intended not merely for the Eleven or a few women, but for all His disciples or brethren. Even if He showed Himself alive to a few limited groups or individuals in Jerusalem, these appearances laid vital groundwork for appearances to His larger congregation in Galilee.
4.
Once the feast was over, the greatest issue for these Galilean disciples might well have been the debate whether to return to Galilee at all, For them the question may have been their loss of face at home. For it was in Galilee, among their own kindred and acquaintances among whom they had evangelized widely in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, that they could imagine themselves most disgraced by the scandal of the cross. But Jesus must order them to return to that very province to face those very people, no longer ashamed, but aflame with a new passion that finds its only adequate explanation in the power of the risen Lord.
5.
Jesus must insist on their going to Galilee, since it would be emotionally difficult for them to wrench themselves away from the precious scenes where their Lord had appeared to them. The same impulse to be near Him that drove the women to embrace the risen Lord would inspire them all to want to remain in the Jerusalem area.
Why give these first supernatural revelations and appearances to the women and not the eleven, even Peter and John? These women braved danger to be near Jesus cross, follow His body to the tomb, return faithfully to anoint it with spices. Was this a form of special appreciation for their loyalty and love? (See on Mat. 28:9.)
On the other hand, God has always been using this method. In the face of masculine prejudice against the testimony of a few excited women who tell tales of a reputed resurrection, God chose to utilize the weak things of the world to confound the mighty (1Co. 1:27 ff.). Whoever thought that a Lamb could overcome the great beasts of the world led by a dragon? Or that a small stone, hewn without human hands, could smash the colossal statue and grow into a mighty mountain that fills the whole earth (Daniel 2)? Or that in place of great, terrible beasts world dominion could be given to one like a mere son of man (Daniel 7)? Or that the first harbingers of the resurrection story could be female?! Not hardly what serious scholars, critical analysts or scientific observers would have expected, but it is very much in harmony with the style of God. (See fuller notes on Mat. 21:16.)
For further study of the evidences of Jesus resurrection, see Seth Wilson, Learning From Jesus, 508ff.; Paul Butler, Luke, 592ff.; John, II, 463.
FACT QUESTIONS
1.
Define the time of day involved in the expression, Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week.
2.
Show how Matthews account of the arrival of the women at the tomb harmonizes with that of the other Gospels.
3.
List all the women who went to the tomb, as named in all the Gospels.
4.
Describe the arrival of the angel, what he did and what occurred at the time of his coming.
5.
What was the reaction of the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb?
6.
Quote the message of the angel to the women.
7.
The angel affirmed, He has risen. When did Jesus rise?
8.
On what earlier occasions had Jesus predicted His resurrection, to which the angel could now point in confirmation?
9.
Cite the message the women were to carry to the disciples.
10.
Which of the women was not at the tomb when the angel spoke to the others?
11.
What did the angel invite the women to do to satisfy themselves that Jesus had indeed arisen? What speical value would this invitation have for them?
12.
What was the womens reaction to their experience with the angel at the open, empty tomb?
13.
On what mission did the angel send the women?
14.
What amazing event briefly interrupted the womens carrying out their mission?
15.
What was their reaction to this interruption?
16.
What were they to do after this interruption?
17.
Defend or deny: The brethren of Jesus are His disciples.
18.
List the prophecy(ies) that were fulfilled when Jesus arose. Do not limit your list of spokesmen for God to the Old Testament prophets.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
XXVIII.
(1) It will probably help the student to place before him, in their right order, the recorded appearances of our Lord Jesus after His resurrection:
(1.) To Mary Magdalene, Joh. 20:14; Mar. 16:9.
(2.) To Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, Mat. 28:9.
(3.) To Peter, Luk. 24:34; 1Co. 15:5.
(4.) To Cleopas and another disciple at Emmaus, Luk. 24:13-35.
(5.) To the eleven, or more strictly, the ten Apostles at Jerusalem, Mar. 16:14; Luk. 24:36; Joh. 20:19.
(6.) To the eleven Apostles at Jerusalem, Joh. 20:26.
(7.) To the disciplesfive named, and othersby the Sea of Galilee, Joh. 21:1-24.
(8.) To the Eleven on a mountain in Galilee, Mat. 28:16; Mar. 16:15.
(9.) To the five hundred brethren, possibly identical with.
(8), 1Co. 15:6.
(10.) To James the brother of the Lord, 1Co. 15:7.
(11.) To the Eleven at Jerusalem before the Ascension, Mar. 16:19-20; Luk. 24:50; Act. 1:3-12.
In the end of the sabbath.Literally, late on the Sabbath; St. Mark, when the Sabbath was over; St. Luke, very early in the morning. St. Matthews addition, as it began to dawn, brings his narrative into harmony with St. Lukes. The order of facts appears to have been as follows:(1) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James the Little, watched the burial just before the Sabbath began on the evening of the day of the crucifixion. (2.) They stayed at home during the twenty-four hours of the Sabbath. (3.) On the evening of that day (the Sabbath-rest being over) they bought spices for the embalmment. (4.) At earliest dawn, say about 4 A.M., they set out to make their way to the sepulchre, and they reached it when the sun had risen (Mar. 16:2).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Chapter 28
THE GREAT DISCOVERY ( Mat 28:1-10 ) 28:1-10 Late on the Sabbath, when the first day of the week was beginning to dawn, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And, look you, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his garment was as white as snow. Those who were watching were shaken with fear, and became as dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said he would. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He is risen from among the dead. And, look you, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Look you, I have told you.” So they quickly went away from the tomb with fear and with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to his disciples. And, look you, Jesus met them. “Greetings!” he said. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Fear not! Go tell my brothers to go away into Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Here we have Matthew’s story of the empty tomb. And there is something peculiarly fitting in that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary should be the first to receive the news of the Risen Lord and to encounter him. They had been there at the Cross; they had been there when he was laid in the tomb; and now they were receiving love’s reward; they were the first to know the joy of the Resurrection.
As we read this story of the first two people in the world to be confronted with the fact of the empty tomb and the Risen Christ, three imperatives seem to spring out of it.
(i) They are urged to believe. The thing is so staggering that it might seem beyond belief, too good to be true. The angel reminds them of the promise of Jesus, and confronts them with the empty tomb; his every word is a summons to believe. It is still a fact that there are many who feel that the promises of Christ are too good to be true. That hesitation can be dispelled only by taking him as his word.
(ii) They are urged to share. When they themselves have discovered the fact of the Risen Christ, their first duty is to proclaim it to and to share it with others. “Go, tell!” is the first command which comes to the man who has himself discovered the wonder of Jesus Christ.
(iii) They are urged to rejoice. The word with which the Risen Christ meets them is Chairete ( G5463) ; that is the normal word of greeting; but its literal meaning is “Rejoice!” The man who has met the Risen Lord must live for ever in the joy of his presence from which nothing can part him any more.
THE LAST RESORT ( Mat 28:11-15 ) 28:11-15 While they were on their way, certain of the guard came to the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. When they had met with the ciders, they formed a plan. They gave a considerable amount of money to the soldiers. “Say,” they said, “‘His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will use our influence, and we will see to it that you have nothing to worry about.” They took the money and followed their instructions. And this is the story which is repeated amongst the Jews to this day.
When some of the guard came to the chief priests and told them the story of the empty tomb, the Jewish authorities were desperately worried men. Was it possible that all their planning had come to nothing? So they formed a simple plan; they bribed the members of the guard to say that Jesus’ disciples had come while they slept and had stolen his body.
It is interesting to note the means that the Jewish authorities used in their desperate attempts to eliminate Jesus. They used treachery to lay hold on him. They used illegality to try him. They used slander to charge him to Pilate. And now they were using bribery to silence the truth about him. And they failed. Magna est veritas et praevalebit, ran the Roman proverb; great is the truth and it will prevail. It is the fact of history that not all men’s evil machinations can in the end stop the truth. The gospel of goodness is greater than the plots of wickedness.
THE GLORY OF THE FINAL PROMISE ( Mat 28:16-20 ) 28:16-20 So the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had instructed them to go. And they saw him and worshipped him; but some were not sure. Jesus came and spoke to them. “All power,” he said, “is given to me in heaven and upon earth. Go, therefore, and make all nations my disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to keep all the commandments I have given you. And, look you, I am with you throughout all days until the end of the world.”
Here we come to the end of the gospel story; here we listen to the last words of Jesus to his men; and in this last meeting Jesus did three things.
(i) He assured them of his power. Surely nothing was outside the power of him who had died and conquered death. Now they were the servants of a Master whose authority upon earth and in heaven was beyond all question.
(ii) He gave them a commission. He sent them out to make all the world his disciples. It may well be that the instruction to baptize is something which is a development of the actual words of Jesus. That may be argued about; the salient fact remains that the commission of Jesus is to win all men for himself.
(iii) He promised them a presence. It must have been a staggering thing for eleven humble Galilaeans to be sent forth to the conquest of the world. Even as they heard it, their hearts must have failed them. But, no sooner was the command given, than the promise followed. They were sent out–as we are–on the greatest task in history, but with them there was the greatest presence in the world.
“Though few and small and weak your bands,
Strong in your Captain’s strength,
Go to the conquest of all lands;
All must be his at length.”
-Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
FURTHER READING
Matthew
W. C. Allen, St. Matthew (ICC; G)
J. C. Fenton, The Gospel of St. Matthew (PC; E)
F. V. Filson, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (ACB; E)
A. H. McNeile, St Matthew (MmC; G)
A. Plummer, An Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Matthew (E)
T. H. Robinson, The Gospel of Matthew (MC; E)
R. V. G. Tasker, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (TC; E)
Abbreviations
ACB: A. and C. Black New Testament Commentary
ICC: International Critical Commentary
MC: Moffatt Commentary
MmC: Macmillan Commentary
PC: Pelican New Testament Commentary
TC: Tyndale Commentary
E: English Text
G: Greek Text
-Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
Fuente: Barclay Daily Study Bible
145. THE WOMEN’S FIRST VISIT TO THE SEPULCHRE, Mat 28:1 ; Mat 28:5-8 .
closed at sunset. As it began to dawn John says, “when it was yet dark;” Luke says, “very early;” Mark says, “very early at the rising of the sun.” There seems to be here at first sight a contradiction or two as to the precise time. No complotters to fabricate a tale would have allowed such discrepancy, and the narratives are therefore independent.
Now the visit to the sepulchre is a transaction which may have covered hours; extending from the first start from home until they left the sepulchre. Be it then that the Marys started at four o’clock, and after the company gathered proceeded on their way. By some unknown means, (perhaps the delay in the opening of the city gates,) they may not have arrived until the east was reddening with solar rays, and the sunrise may without difficulty be supposed to have shed its first beams upon them at the sepulchre. Yet it may be easily shown that the phrase rising of the sun may indicate not merely the time when the sun has visibly risen above the horizon, but the time when he is sensibly about rising to it.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary The other Mary was sister to the virgin Mother. Both were left by the evangelists at the sepulchre, Mat 27:61. Mark says that Salome (the mother of James and John) was with the Marys. These women came, not expecting the resurrection, but bringing spices for the embalmment. They had no knowledge of the watch or the sealing, but wondered who should roll away the stone. Little dreamed they that the body was embalmed with immortality; or that angel’s hands had opened the door of the tomb.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Now after (or ‘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.’
The women disciples had to wait until the Sabbath was over, because by Jewish Law they could not anoint the body of Jesus on the Sabbath. And while the other women were finalising their preparations the two Marys were sent on towards dawn in order to survey the situation and to consider the possibility of the removal of the great stone blocking the entrance to the tomb. The others would follow on more slowly. Matthew as usual abbreviates what happens, and opens with the arrival of the two women at the tomb.
The word translated ‘after’ can signify either that or ‘late on’. Here it must mean ‘after’, as the Sabbath had ended on the previous evening.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Women Disciples Come To The Tomb And Find It Empty Apart From An Angel. They Learn That Jesus Has Risen (28:1-6).
Late on the same day as the Chief Priests sealed the tomb, two of the women disciples go to survey the tomb and assess the situation. We learn from the other Gospels that it was in order to see whether there might be any opportunity of anointing the body of Jesus. Their main problem is how they will remove the large stone guarding the entrance. They are unaware of what others have done, the one in anointing the body of Jesus, the other in setting a guard and sealing the tomb.
But when they arrive at the tomb they discover that the great stone has been removed from the mouth of the tomb, and that a glistening figure is sat on it. This glorious figure then reveals to them that Jesus has risen.
Analysis.
* 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 (Mat 28:1).
* And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat on it (Mat 28:2).
* His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow, and for fear of him the watchers quaked, and became as dead men (Mat 28:3-4).
* And the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, even as He said.”(Mat 28:5-6 a).
* “Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Mat 28:6 b).
Note that in ‘a’ they come to see the tomb, and in the parallel the angel invites them to see the place where the Lord lay. In ‘b’ an angel descended and opened up the tomb for them, and in the parallel the angel tells them not to be afraid because he knows that they are seeking Jesus who had been crucified, but that He is risen. Centrally in ‘c’ we have the glorious description of the angel.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jesus Body Is Laid In A Splendid Tomb; The Chief Priests And Pharisees Seal The Tomb And Put A Guard On It So As To Keep Him There; An Angel Opens The Tomb To Reveal That Jesus Has Risen (27:55-28:6).
In this subsection we have centrally a picture of the vain arrangements of men by which they hope to thwart God and prevent Jesus from rising, while on one side of this we have God’s arrangement for His Son to have a splendid new tomb, and on the other God’s arrangement to open that tomb so as to reveal that His Son has risen. This can be portrayed as follows:
* Jesus is laid in clean linen in the splendid new tomb of a rich man (Mat 27:55-61).
* The Chief Priest and Pharisees seek to seal Jesus in the tomb (Mat 27:62-66).
* The angel opens the tomb and reveals that it is empty. Jesus is risen (Mat 28:1-6).
This will then followed by a further threesome which will complete the Gospel:
* Through the women both the angel and Jesus tell His disciples to go to Galilee (Mat 28:7-10).
* The Chief Priests try to cover up the fact as to why the tomb which they had sealed is empty (Mat 27:11-15).
* The disciples return to Galilee, see the risen Jesus, learn of His coronation, and receive their great commission, with the promise of His continual presence with them (Mat 27:16-20).
Note how in both threesomes the failed activities of the Chief Priests are sandwiched within the triumphant activities of God and of the risen Lord, JesusChrist.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Testimony of Jesus’ Resurrection at the Tomb Mat 28:1-15 records the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection at the tomb. While the women report the resurrection of Jesus as eye-witnesses, the guards are bribed to report a lie (Mat 28:11-15).
Here is a proposed outline:
1. The Women Report the Resurrection Mat 28:1-10
2. The Guards Report the Resurrection Mat 28:11-15
Mat 28:1-10 The Women Report the Resurrection ( Mar 16:1-8 , Luk 24:1-12 , Joh 20:1-10 ) Mat 28:1-10 records the testimony of the women regarding the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Immediate Testimony of Jesus Christ After His Resurrection – It is interesting to note in this narrative section that Jesus quickly appeared to the women at the Tomb (Mat 28:9-10), and to the Twelve that same day (Joh 20:19) so that His testimony preceded that of the soldiers who were bribed to tell a lie (Mat 28:11-15). God knows the heart of mankind. He knew the need to establish the hearts of the disciples in faith, and He knew the depravity of mankind to tell a lie.
Mat 28:1 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.
Mat 28:1
Mar 15:47, “And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.”
Mar 16:1, “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.”
It is interesting to note that the women were the last to leave the place of Jesus’ crucifixion (Mat 27:55-56) and His burial (Mat 27:61); and they were the first to arrive and witness of His resurrection.
Mat 28:1 Comments Biblical scholars hold two views as to the time and day when the women first visited the empty tomb, stating they either arrived Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Mark and Luke clearly state that the women discovered the empty tomb early Sunday morning (Mar 16:2, Luk 24:1). However, statements made by Matthew and John are not so clear, leaving room for debate (Mat 28:1, Joh 20:1). Thus, scholars use the accounts of Matthew and John as the basis for an argument of a Saturday evening discovery of the empty tomb, although the Sunday morning view is generally preferred by scholars.
Mat 28:1, “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.”
Mar 16:2, “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.”
Luk 24:1, “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.”
Joh 20:1, “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”
Modern English versions offer translations that reflect both views, translating the Greek phrase in Mat 28:1 as “after the Sabbath day” ( NIV, RSV), or “towards the end of the Sabbath day” ( ASV, AV, YLT). [719]
[719] A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (New York: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d.), 645-646.
Alfred Edersheim says the Jewish day begins at evening (6:00 p.m.) instead of midnight, as is used in the modern Western civilization. [720] Thus, if we understand the women to be making their way to the tomb before 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening, then they would have arrived as “the end of the Sabbath day” (Mat 28:1), while it was still Saturday, so that the first day of the week “began to dawn” at 6:00 p.m. on our Saturday evening. This is how Rotherham brings out his translation:
[720] Alfred Edersheim says, “It is noteworthy that in Genesis 1 we always read, ‘And the evening and the morning were the first day,’ or second, or third day, etc. Hence the Jews calculate the day from evening to evening, that is, from the first appearance of the stars in the evening to the first appearance of stars next evening, and not, as we do, from midnight to midnight.” See Alfred Edersheim, The Bible History Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eedmann Publishing Company, c1876-1887, 1984) 19.
Rotherham, “And, late in the week, when it was on the point of dawning into the first of the week, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to view the sepulchre.”
However, the NIV interprets Mat 28:1 to mean the dawning of the following Sunday morning after the Sabbath. This is generally the preferred interpretation, that the women went to the tomb early Sunday morning as daylight began to dawn.
NIV, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.”
This issue over how to translate Mat 28:1 is not a new one, but dates back to the early Church fathers. Eusebius gives an alternative explanation to these verses. Williams and Caffin quote Eusebius (A.D. 260 to 340) on his comparison of Mat 28:1 and Joh 20:1 by saying,
“The expression, ‘on the eve of the Sabbath’, is due to the translator of the Scripture; for the Evangelist Matthew published his Gospel in the Hebrew tongue; but the person who rendered it into the Greek language changed it and called the hour of dawning on the Lord’s Day.” ( Quaestionum ad Marinum 2.1) [721]
[721] A. Lukyn Williams and Benjamin C. Caffin. Matthew, in The Pulpit Commentary, eds. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph Exell (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1950), in Ages Digital Library, v. 1.0 [CD-ROM] (Rio, WI: Ages Software, Inc., 2001), “Introduction: 4 What Was the Original Language of the Gospel.” The Greek text of this passage is found in PG 22 col. 941a.
Mat 28:2 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.
Mat 28:2
Mat 27:51, “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
Mat 27:54, “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
Mat 28:4-7 suggests that the women were at the tomb at the time of the earthquake and appearing of the angel. This awesome sight caused the guards to faint for fear (Mat 28:4). But the angel spoke to the women so that they would be calm (Mat 28:5) and listen to his charge to go tell the disciples that Jesus had risen (Mat 28:6-7). Perhaps the women had been with Jesus long enough to expect the supernatural, and were not taken with fear.
Mat 28:2 “for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it” – Comments – The stone was not rolled away so that Jesus Christ could come out of the tomb, for He could not pass through walls (Joh 20:26). The stone was rolled away so that His disciples could bear witness to His resurrection, and the angel could testify to them that He had risen. Thus, in Mat 28:6 the angels invite the disciples to come and see the empty tomb.
Joh 20:26, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”
Mat 28:6, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Mat 28:10 “go tell my brethren” Comments – Mat 28:10 records the first time that Jesus directly calls the disciples by the title “brethren”. He makes an indirect statement of calling all disciples by the names mother and brethren in Mat 12:48-49. But this is the first time He addresses them directly in this matter. The parallel verse in Joh 20:17 gives additional insight into Jesus statement here by emphasizing the fact that His Father was now “your Father”, and His God was now “your God.” Thus, the fact the Jesus has now completed our redemption places us in an official relationship with Jesus as our brother and God as our Father.
Mat 12:48-49, “But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!”
Joh 20:17, “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
Mat 28:10 “that they go into Galilee” Comments – We read in Mat 28:16 that Jesus instructed His disciples to meet him at a particular place, a mountain in Galilee. Thus, Mat 28:10 probably does not give us every word spoken to the women, but rather, a summary of His charge to them.
Mat 28:16, “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.”
Mat 28:10 “and there shall they see me” – Comments – In Mat 28:10 Jesus told the women that he would meet His disciples in Galilee. Why would Jesus choose Galilee and not somewhere else, such as Jerusalem. Perhaps because Jesus was well received in the region of Galilee, while Jerusalem and Judea were less receptive, even hostile towards Him ministry.
Mat 28:11-15 The Guards Report the Resurrection Mat 28:11-15 is unique in recording the story of how the chief priests bribed the soldiers to lie about how Jesus Christ was resurrected from the grave. This passage of Scripture was written to refute the lie that Jesus’ body had been stolen by His disciples.
The Roman Guards go to the Chief Priests – This Roman guard should have reported this event of the Resurrection directly to their commanding officer, or to Pilate, who designated them over this task. Instead, the Scriptures tell us that these soldiers went directly to the High Priests. We find an explanation as to this unusual protocol in Mat 27:65-66, “Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” Thus, we see that Pilate assigned and handed over this Roman guard to the Jewish leaders. We find the reason why these guards went directly to the Jews, which was to receive money for their services. These guards knew that Pilate had little interest in the matter’ but the high priest would do anything to bring this matter to an end that favored them. Thus, the soldiers ran to the priests in hopes of a bribe, and their expectations were met by the bribe. This story reveals the corruption of men’s hearts.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Messiah’s Departure Mat 26:1 to Mat 28:20 is popularly referred to as the epilogue of this Gospel. This narrative section records the accounts of Jesus’ Passion: His betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and final commission to the disciples.
The Theme – The plot of Matthew 26-28 develops around the predictions made by Jesus regarding His Passion and the events that take place in fulfillment of these predictions. The movement of this narrative plot can be divided into three parts: the setup, the conflict, and the resolution. The Setup – This narrative section sets up the plot by opening with Jesus predicting His crucifixion to the loyal disciples, saying, “Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.” (Mat 26:2) The Conflict – The action within the epilogue rises as Judas Iscariot plans his Master’s betrayal, leading to His arrest, trial, and death in fulfillment of Jesus’ opening prophecy in the epilogue. The climax of this conflict is reached with the crucifixion of the Saviour. The Resolution – The resolution of this conflict takes place at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the commissioning of His disciples. Thus, the theme of the Scriptural fulfillment of events surrounding the Passion of Christ is introduced in the opening verses of the epilogue (Mat 26:2) and fulfilled throughout course of the narrative material. The setting for the epilogue of Matthew is the city of Jerusalem and its immediate suburbs, in particular, the Mount of Olives and Golgotha. The main characters in this narrative section are Jesus and His disciples in conflict with the Jewish leaders and the Roman government. Also important to the plot of the epilogue is the development of events surrounding two key disciples of Jesus Christ, Peter and Judas Iscariot.
The Structure – Using the literary element of Matthew’s one formulae as a key to his structural design throughout His Gospel, an Old Testament citation can be found in Mat 27:9-10, which refers to a key event in Jesus’ betrayal, when Judas Iscariot hangs himself in guilt over his deed despite Master’s innocence.
Zec 11:12-13, “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”
Mat 27:9-10, “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.”
Jesus also cites an Old Testament passage in Zec 13:7 as a part of one of His predictions (Mat 26:31).
Zec 13:7, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”
Mat 26:31, “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”
Thus, we observe that each division of Matthew’s Gospel gives one formulae as a fulfillment of prophecy. Each of these quotes reflects the five-fold themes of our spiritual journey, which is reflected within the structure of the Gospel of Matthew.
The epilogue opens with Jesus predicting His crucifixion (Mat 26:1-2). The testimony of Jesus predicts His death and betrayal (Mat 26:3-30). The testimony of the Scriptures predicts the arrest and scattering of the disciples (Mat 26:31-75). The testimony of man is recorded to reveal two opposing views of His arrest, death, burial, and resurrection (Mat 27:1 to Mat 28:15). The epilogue closes with the Great Commission (Mat 28:16-20).
Outline: Here is a proposed outline:
1. Introduction: Jesus Foretells His Passion Mat 26:1-2
2. The Testimony of Jesus Christ Mat 26:3-30
3. The Testimony of the Scriptures Mat 26:31-75
4. The Testimony of Man Mat 27:1 to Mat 28:15
5. The Great Commission Mat 28:16-20
Moses’ Departure vs. The Passion of Christ – The Betrayal, Trial, Passion, and Resurrection narrative of Mat 26:1 to Mat 28:20 tell us of His Departure and soon Return. This departure can be compared to the departure of Moses in the final chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. There is one quote from the Old Testament in this section of Matthew. Jesus quotes Zec 13:7 in Mat 26:31 which refers to the theme of this section, which is a prophecy of the Passion of Christ.
Mat 26:31, “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”
His Passion Jerome says that Jesus’ Passion took place twenty-seven years before the death of Paul, which was the fourteenth year of Nero, around A.D. 41.
“He (Paul) then, in the fourteenth year of Nero on the same day with Peter, was beheaded at Rome for Christ’s sake and was buried in the Ostian way, the twenty-seventh year after our Lord’s passion.” ( Lives of Illustrious Men 5)
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Testimony of Man – Mat 27:1 to Mat 28:15 records the testimony of man regarding the Passion of Jesus Christ. The evangelist records two testimonies of the innocence of Jesus at His arrest (Mat 27:1-26), two testimonies of the deity of Jesus as His death (Mat 27:27-56), two testimonies of the burial of Jesus (Mat 27:57-66), and two testimonies of His resurrection (Mat 28:1-15). The evangelist organizes the testimonies of these four, key events regarding Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection in pairs in order to contrast the views of those who are ungodly with those who are convicted of Christ’s deity by these events. Both scenes work together to introduce the events of the Passion, reflecting the dual roles of divine providence and man’s free will in God’s plan of redemption.
The Theme Mat 27:1 to Mat 28:15 contains literary evidence of the theme of crucifixion. The Greek word is used ten times throughout the Gospel of Matthew. Of the nine times this word refers directly to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, seven of these uses are concentrated within Mat 27:11 to Mat 28:5. The other two uses are found in Mat 20:19; Mat 26:2 as predictions of His impending crucifixion. Matthew will insert one fulfillment quotation in this section that reflects the Old Testament prediction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Mat 27:35).
Here is a proposed outline:
1. The Testimony of Jesus’ Innocence at His Trial Mat 27:1-26
2. The Testimony of Jesus’ Deity at His Death Mat 27:27-56
3. The Testimony of Jesus’ Burial at the Tomb Mat 27:57-66
4. The Testimony of Jesus’ Resurrection at the Tomb Mat 28:1-15
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Resurrection of Christ.
The open grave:
v. 1. 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 sepulcher.
v. 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.
v. 3. His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow;
v. 4. and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. As the death of Christ had been attended by supernatural signs to call the attention of the whole world to the redemption then being accomplished upon Calvary, so His resurrection was accompanied by an uproar in nature which pointed to a most unusual happening. In the late hours of the Sabbath-day, the seventh day of the week, as this day was about to merge into a new Sabbath-week, that is, very early on Sunday morning, before the sun rose, the same faithful women that had watched the burial of the Lord went out to see the grave and to take the first steps in the process of embalming the Lord’s body. They had not yet reached the garden, when a mighty quaking shook the earth, caused by the fact that an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb, which he then used as a seat for himself. Not to open the grave for Christ was he come, but to show the empty grave to the whole world, to give absolute and undeniable evidence of the fact that the resurrection had taken place in spite of stone and seal and watch. The evangelist says that the appearance of the angel was like lightning, and his garment was white as snow. It was a fearful apparition to the superstitious soldiers to gaze upon one of the holy angels of God. It overwhelmed them; they fell over in a faint, and became as dead men. When God wants to carry out His will with regard to the salvation of mankind, no sinful man, no enemy, may resist Him. The resurrection of Jesus was the seal and final proof for the full atonement gained for the whole world, and all the efforts of the Jews and of Satan to hinder it were unavailing.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
Mat 28:1-10
Jesus rises from the dead, and appears to the holy women. (Mar 16:1-8; Luk 24:1-12; Joh 20:1-10.) It is to be noted that there are great and important variations in the four (or, with St. Paul’s, 1Co 15:1-58., the five) accounts of the events of the Resurrection, which have given welcome occasion to the sceptic to cast doubts upon the whole transaction. The divergences in the narratives are plainly to be ascribed to the facts that the writers did not depend upon one another, nor draw their accounts from one source; that each gives only an incomplete history, introducing those details with which he was familiar, or which it suited his plan to recount. On all main points the agreement is perfect, and every difference could be easily reconciled, if we knew the whole of the circumstances and the exact sequence of each word and act during this momentous period. Attempts at harmonizing the various accounts have been made with more or less success by writers from St. Augustine to the present time; but as they vary in many particulars, and have no authoritative basis, dependence cannot be placed upon them. The narrative in St. Matthew is brief and imperfect, and we shall chiefly confine our remarks to the exposition of the actual text before us, without importing much matter from the other evangelists.
Mat 28:1
In the end of the sabbath; : late on the sabbath; Vulgate, vespere sabbati. The expression is obscure. In the parallel passage of St. Mark we read, “When the sabbath was past.” We must take it that St. Matthew is thinking of the sabbath as extending, not from evening to evening, but till the following morning. “So that it is not the accurate Jewish division of time, according to which the sabbath ended at six on Saturday evening, but the ordinary civil idea of a day, which extended from sunrise to sunrise (or at least adds the night to the preceding day)” (Lange). We have, then, now arrived at the commencement of the first Christian Easter Day. As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week; : in prima sabbati (Vulgate); literally, unto one day of sabbath; i.e. one day after the sabbath, the Jews reckoning their days in sequence from the sabbath, and Christians at first carrying on the same practice, as we see in Act 20:7; 1Co 16:2. Later Christians named the days of the week in sequence from the Sunday, which was the first day, Monday being the second day, feria secunda, and so on. Came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (see on Mat 27:61) to see the sepulchre. Love cannot abandon its object, living or dead. There were probably other women with these two, or perhaps there were two separate bands of women who in this early morning visited the sepulchre. Among these Mary Magdalene stands prominently forward, first in love and first in care. She and the rest evidently knew nothing of the sealing of the stone or the posting of the guards. St. Matthew’s expression, “to see (, “to gaze upon,” “contemplate”) the sepulchre,” conveys only a partial notice of the object of their visit. They came not only to take a view of the tomb, but also to embalm the Lord’s body, for which necessary preparations had been made, the approach of the sabbath on the evening of the Crucifixion having cut short the arrangements. We know from St. Mark that they were perplexed about the difficulty of removing the stone, and St. Matthew may be referring to a preliminary inspection made in regard of this impediment. Our Gospel omits mention of the intention of embalming the corpse, as the Resurrection rendered it impracticable; and, indeed, the Lord’s body had already been anointed for his burial by Mary of Bethany.
Mat 28:2
And, behold. A wonderful sight met their eyes. The following event took place before their arrival; they saw only the result. No mortal eye beheld, and no pen has recorded, the actual issuing of the Lord from the closed tomb. There was a great earthquake. St. Matthew does not attempt to give the exact sequence of events. Probably the shock, caused by the sudden advent and action of the angel, befell as the women were approaching the cemetery. Christ had risen before this occurrence, nothing being a barrier to his spiritual body. For the angel of the Lord from the door. The narrator accounts for the phenomenon just mentioned. The words, “from the door,” are omitted by the best manuscripts, the Vulgate, and modern editors, and seem to be a marginal interpolation. The angel rolled away the stone which Joseph had rolled up (Mat 27:60), not in order to afford passage to the body of the Lord, who had already raised himself, but to give the women and others entrance to the empty tomb, and to strike terror into the heart of the soldiers. In the case of Lazarus the stone had to be removed to give exit to the resuscitated bodya natural body (Joh 11:39, Joh 11:41); in the case of Jesus such removal was not necessary, as his was a spiritual body, possessed of supernatural powers and qualities (Joh 20:19). And sat upon it. In triumph, and to show that it was not to be replaced; death had done its work, and now was vanquished. Angels’ appearances had always accompanied the great events in the history of the chosen people; angels had shown themselves at Christ’s birth, at his temptation, at his agony; now they guard his tomb, proving that he was well pleasing unto the Lord, and was raised from the grave by him. The narration of this awful incident was probably given by the soldiers, who alone witnessed it.
Mat 28:3
His countenance (, appearance) was like lightning. The angel’s aspect was as bright and startling as the flash of lightning (comp. Eze 1:14; Dan 10:6). His raiment white as snow. Pure and glistening, like the effect of the Transfiguration on the Lord (Mat 18:2; comp. Act 1:10; Rev 10:1).
Mat 28:4
And for fear of him; but from the fear of him. From the fear inspired by this awful angel. It would seem, from this expression, that the soldiers were sensible, not only of the earthquake and the movement of the stone, but also of the presence of the heavenly messenger, in this respect differing from the companions of Daniel and St. Paul, who were only partially conscious of the visions beheld by the two saints (see Dan 10:7; Act 22:9). Did shake. The verb is cognate with the noun “earthquake;” they were shaken, convulsed with terror. If these were some of the company that had watched the Crucifixion, they were already possessed of some feeling respecting the unearthly nature of the Occupant of the tomb which they were guarding, and had a vague expectation of something that might happen. At any rate, they must have heard the late events discussed by their comrades, and were not without apprehension of a catastrophe. Became as dead men. They fell to the ground in deathlike faintness, and, when they recovered from the trance, fled in terror from the tomb into the city (verse 11).
Mat 28:5
The angel answered and said. The women arrived probably while the guards were lying unconscious on the ground. They saw them, and they saw the angel rotting on the stone, or, according to St. Mark, “a young man sitting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe;” St. Luke says that “two men stood by them in dazzling apparel,” i.e. first one had shown himself, and then another. Doubtless innumerable angels were thronging around, and one or more became visible to certain persons as they were capable of receiving spiritual impressions, or as these spirits were directed to show themselves. The women spake not, were too affrighted to ask questions; hut their amazed look, their blank surprise, were themselves interrogative, and the angel replied to their inward emotion. Fear not ye (, emphatic). The soldiers have cause to fear; they are the enemies of the Lord; but ye are his friends, and need feel no alarm. Ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Ye are seeking him, to do honour to his body; I know your pious intention, but it is useless. The angel shrinks not from the mention of Christ’s shameful death, which is now his glory, “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1Co 1:23, 1Co 1:24). “It was the good pleasure of the Father through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens” (Col 1:19, Col 1:20). The crucifixion “was not simply a temporary incident in the life of Christ. It is an eternal principle in his kingdom” (Milligan).
Mat 28:6
He is not here. He is not in this tomb; his bodily presence is removed from this his whilom resting place. St. Matthew’s account is greatly condensed, and omits many details which harmonists try to fit into our text. The attempt is not to be commended, for it really involves greater confusion, and, after all, is forced and only conjectural. For he is risen, as he said. If they had believed Christ’s often-repeated announcement, they would not have come seeking the living among the dead. (For Christ’s predictions concerning his resurrection, see Mat 12:40; Mat 16:21; Mat 17:23; Mat 20:19.) On this simple, but pregnant sentence, “He is risen,” depends the phenomenon of Christianity, in its origin, existence, continuance, extension, and moral power. “Death began with woman; and to women the first announcement is made of resurrection” (Hilary, quoted by Wordsworth, in loc.). Come, see the place where the Lord lay. The angel invites them to satisfy themselves that Christ’s body was no longer in its resting place. That Jesus was designated as “the Lord,” , by the disciples is obvious (see Joh 20:18; Joh 21:7, etc.), but it is doubtful whether the words are genuine here, though they are found in many good manuscripts and in the Vulgate. They are omitted by , B, 33, etc., and by Tischendorf and Westcott and Hort in their editions. Regarding them as genuine, Bengel calls them “gloriosa appellatio,” which indeed it is, for it is equivalent to “Jehovah.” Harmonists suppose that the angel was at first not seen by the women; that Mary Magdalene, observing the stone removed, at once hurried to the city to tell Peter and John; that, the rest of the women remaining, the angel made himself visible to them and bade them enter the sepulchre; and that, doing so, they beheld another angel sitting on the right side of the recess. Thus, it is conjectured, the accounts in Mark and John may be harmonized with that in our text. (See also Westcott on Joh 20:1-31., where is given a provisional arrangement of the facts of the first Easter Day.)
Mat 28:7
Go quickly, and tell his disciples. St. Mark significantly adds, “and Peter.” The disciples were to believe without seeing. They had deserted Christ in his hour of need, had not stood by the cross, nor aided in his burial; so they were not to be honoured with the vision of angels or the first sight of the risen Lord. This was reserved for the faithful women, who thus received their mission to carry a message to the messengersa foretaste of the ministry which they should perform in the Church of Christ. He goeth before you ( ) into Galilee. The verb is noticeable. It is that used by our Lord himself on his way to the garden of Gethsemane (Mat 26:32), and it implies the act of a shepherd at the head of his flock, leading them to new pastures (comp. Joh 10:4). The good Shepherd had been smitten, and the sheep scattered; now under his guidance they were to be reunited. The apostolic band had been temporarily dissolved and disintegrated; the college was again to be reformed, and was to receive its renewed commission in seclusion and peace, that it might return to Jerusalem with unimpaired strength to commence its arduous labours. The place of meeting is in Galilee, where most of his mighty works were done, and where it was safer for the disciples to assemble than at Jerusalem. The majority of them came from this region, and thither they returned some ten days (Joh 20:26; Joh 21:1-4) after the Resurrection, to resume their ordinary occupations (verse 16). Thus they would realize that it was the same Jesus who met them there with whom, these three past years, they had held familiar intercourse. It was ordained, for some reason not expressly stated, that from Galilee should proceed Christ’s spiritual kingdom which he came to establishthat “word which,” as Peter said (Act 10:37), “was published throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee.” We read of only two appearances of Christ in Galileeonce at the lake, mentioned in the last chapter of St. John, and again in verse 17 of this chapter of St. Matthew. It is, however, possible that the appearance named by St. Paul (1Co 15:6), when he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at one time, may have occurred in Galilee. If this is the ease, it would be remarkable as the only public revelation of Christ after his resurrection, and the comparative seclusion of the northern district may have been one reason for its selection as the scene for this great demonstration. There was doubtless some moral fitness in the humble and despised Galilee being made the starting point of his Church who was despised and rejected of men whom it was contemptuously said, “Doth the Christ come out of Galilee?” (Joh 7:41). “As in all things God sets at naught the pride of mankind, and chooses persons, instruments, and places mean in the eves of the world, teaching us that in humbler and more retired abodes, secret from the world, we are to seek for the strength of God, who hideth himself” (I. Williams). Lo, I have told you. The angel thus solemnly confirms what he had just said. The Authorized Vulgate gives, Ecce, praedixi vobis, which is warranted by no existing Greek manuscripts, the uniform reading of the original being or
Mat 28:8
They departed (, better ) quickly from the sepulchre. At the angel’s invitation (Mat 28:6), they, or some of them, had entered into the inner chamber of the tomb (Luk 24:3), and now came hurrying out. With fear and great joy. With a mixture of emotionsfear at the sight of the heavenly visitant, the supernatural presence, and joy at the assurance that their beloved Master had risen again, having burst the bonds of death. Did run. They did as they were bidden with all possible speed, acting as heralds of good tidings to the disconsolate disciples.
Mat 28:9
As they went to tell his disciples. This clause is omitted by the best manuscripts, and the Vulgate and other versions, and is rejected by modern editors. It is not quite in St. Matthew’s style, and seems to be rightly regarded as a gloss There is. one advantage in its omission, in that the actual moment of this appearance of our Lord is left undecided, and we are at liberty to harmonize it, if so minded, with other details. Now the women, according to our history, receive the reward of their faith and love. Behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail! : literally, Rejoice ye! This is not the usual Eastern salutation, “Peace be unto you!” but one that came with peculiar significance on their lately sorrow-stricken hearts. So he had said to his apostles, “Your sorrow shall be turned into joy” (Joh 16:20), and now he made good his word. This is the only one of Christ’s appearances in Jerusalem or its neighbourhood. that St. Matthew relates. They came and held him by the feet (took hold of his feet). As soon as they saw him, they went to him with glad surprise, and yet with such awe, that they could only fall down before him and tenderly clasp his feet. He had appeared before this to Mary Magdalene (Mar 16:9), but had not permitted her to touch him because he had not yet ascended to the Father (Joh 20:17), implying thereby either that she would have other opportunities of holding converse with him, as he was not going to leave the earth immediately, and she must not detain him now; or, more probably, that the spiritual body demanded, not the touch of earthly affection, but the attitude of awe and reverence, and that all future contact would be supernatural and spiritual, realizing his presence after a heavenly and supersensuous manner by faith. But these women clung to Christ with something higher than natural, earthly affection, acknowledging his superhumanity, and he allowed them, like Thomas, to assure themselves of his corporeity by touch as well as sight. Worshipped him. They remained at his feet in profound adoration.
Mat 28:10
Be not afraid. So he spake on other occasions when his acts had caused terror and amazement (comp. Mat 14:27; Mat 17:7). With all their joy and love, the women could not help feeling fear at his sudden appearance and at the nearness of this unearthly yet familiar form. Go, tell my brethren. He here for the first time calls his disciples his brethren, intending thereby to assure them of his love and good will in spite of their cowardly desertion, and to signify that he was in very truth the Man Christ Jesus, their Lord and their Master, whom they had known so long and so well. He had called them friends before his Passion (Joh 15:14, Joh 15:15); now he gives them a tenderer title; he is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb 2:11). That they go into Galilee. The message is the same as that given by the angel (Mat 28:7). It was meant to comfort them in the absence of daily intercourse with him. But they were not to set out immediately; some other incidents were first to befall them. And there shall they see me. Galilee was to be the scene of the most important revelation, though the Lord vouchsafed to individuals many proofs of his risen life before the promised great announcement. Why St. Matthew mentions none of these we may form conjectures, but we cannot determine (see on verse 16).
Mat 28:11-15
The Roman soldiers bribed by the Jewish rulers to give a false account of the Resurrection. (Peculiar to St. Matthew.)
Mat 28:11
When (while) they were going. Into the city, in order to find the disciples and to deliver to them their Lord’s message. This account takes up the narrative of Mat 27:63-66 and Mat 27:4 of this chapter. As soon as they recovered from their swoon and had assured themselves that the tomb was empty, the soldiers hurried in affright to the Jewish rulers, under whose orders they had temporarily been placed, and told them all the things that were done. They could speak of the earthquake, of the appearing of the angel, of the removal of the stone, of the absence of the body which they were appointed to watch. Their task was done; the corpse was gone, they knew not how taken; they could not be expected to contend with supernatural visitants, or to guard against supernatural occurrences. St. Matthew seems to have introduced this incident in order to account for the prevalence of the lying rumour which he proceeds to mention, and which had been widely disseminated among his countrymen.
Mat 28:12
When they (i.e. the chief priests) were assembled with the elders. On hearing the report of the soldiers, the Sanhedrists held a hurried and informal meeting, to consult about this alarming matter. It would be fatal to their policy to let the real truth get wind. Such testimony from unprejudiced heathens would infallibly convince the people of the validity of Christ’s claims, and produce the very effect which their unusual precautions had been intended to obviate. One course alone remained, and that was to prepare a circumstantial lie concerning one part of the story, and to deny or ignore utterly the supernatural details. The plainest evidence will not persuade against wilful blindness. These rulers acted according to Christ’s sad foreboding on another occasion, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luk 16:31). They gave large money (money enough) unto the soldiers. They bribed the soldiers with a sum of money sufficient to satisfy their cupidity. This they did personally, or more probably through some trusty agent. They never doubted the facts to which the guards bore witness; they never attempted to discredit their story by suggestion of error or superstitious invention. They accepted the tale, and took most dishonourable means to make it innocuous. They had bought the aid of the traitor Judas; they now buy the silence of these soldiers. It. is suggested by St. Jerome that in both cases they made use of the temple funds, thus employing against the cause of God that which was devoted to his service.
Mat 28:13
Say ye, etc. They put the lie into the soldiers’ mouth, directing them to answer inquiries in this way. The last resource of an infatuated obstinacy! If they were asleep, how could they know that the disciples stole the body? St. Chrysostom comments well on the infamous transaction, “How did they steal him? O most foolish of all men! For because of the clearness and conspicuousness of the truth, they are not even able to make up a falsehood. For indeed, what they said was highly incredible, and the falsehood had not even speciousness. For how, I ask, did the disciples steal him, men poor and unlearned, and not venturing so much as to show themselves? What? was not a seal put upon it? What? were there not many watchmen and soldiers and Jews stationed round it? What? did not those men suspect this very thing, and take thought, and break their rest, and are in anxiety about it? And wherefore, moreover, did they steal it? That they might feign the doctrine of the resurrection? And how should it enter their minds to feign such a thingmen who were well content to be hidden and to live? And how could they remove the stone that was made sure? How could they have escaped the observation of so many? Nay, though they had despised death, they would not have attempted without purpose and fruitlessly to venture in defiance of so many who were on the watch. And that moreover they were timorous, what they had done before showed clearly: at least, when they saw him seized, all rushed away from him. If, then, at that time they did not dare so much as to stand their ground when they saw him alive, how when he was dead could they but have feared such a number of soldiers?” (‘Hem.,’ 90.).
Mat 28:14
And if this come to the governor’s ears; if this be heard before the governor; i.e. if the matter be brought officially before the procurator. For a Roman soldier to sleep on his post was to incur the penalty of death. Pilate would not be likely to hear of what had taken place, as vulgar rumours were not encouraged by his stern and unsympathizing attitude towards the Jewish people, but it was just possible that some officious person might bring the report before him, and ask him to take measures to ascertain the truth, and, if necessary, to punish the delinquents. We (, emphatic) will persuade him. Such persuasion usually took the form of bribery, Roman officials being notoriously venal (comp. Act 24:26); but perhaps the rulers intended to make him believe that the story was not true, but merely a ruse to keep the populace quiet. The soldiers must have fully believed in the Sanhedrists’ assertion, or they would never have imperilled their lives by promulgating such a condemnatory tale. Secure you; rid you of care. They promise the guard indemnity and freedom from all penal consequences. Pilate, however, later learned the great fact of Christ’s resurrection, and though, as far as we know, he took no steps towards punishing the guard (being probably convinced of its supernatural occurrence), yet, according to a fragment of Hegesippus, and Eusebius, ‘Chronic.,’ Mat 2:2, he sent an account of the matter to Tiberius, who, in consequence, endeavoured to make the senate pass a decree enrolling Jesus in the list of Roman gods. This fact is attested by Tertullian (‘Apolog.,’ 5.).
Mat 28:15
This saying; viz. the theft of the body by the disciples. Is commonly reported (was spread abroad) among the Jews until this day; i.e. and continues to be reported until this day. This was true when St. Matthew wrote, and it is true at the present time, though thoughtful Jews of late years have adopted the idea that the apostles, in their excited state, were deceived by visions of Christ which they took for substantial realities (see on Mat 27:64). In the passage of Justin Martyr we are told that the Jews sent emissaries in all directions to spread this false report. The evangelist shows the origin of this most improbable tale, and virtually challenges any other explanation of the miracle than the authentic one.
Mat 28:16-20
Our Lord appears to the disciples in Galilee, and gives them a commission to teach and baptize.
Mat 28:16
Then the eleven disciples. There is no note of time in the original, which gives merely, But the eleven, etc. The meeting here narrated took place on some day after the first Easter week. The number “eleven” shows the loss of one of the sacred college, whose complement was not filled up till just before Pentecost (Act 1:15-26). Went away into Galilee. St. Matthew takes pains to show the exact fulfilment of Christ’s very special injunction and promise concerning Galilee (see verses 7, 10, and notes there, and Mat 26:32). The evangelist’s object being to set forth Christ in his character as King and Lawgiver, he puts aside all other incidents in order to give prominence to this appearance, where Jesus announces his supreme authority (verse 18), gives the commission to his apostles, and promises his perpetual presence (verses 19, 20). Into a mountain ( , the mountain), where ( instead of ) Jesus had appointed them. We do not know the locality intended, though it must have been some spot familiar to the disciples, and was probably plainly designated at the time when Christ appointed the meeting. Some have fixed on Tabor as the scene of this revelation, others on the Mount of Beatitudes; but where nothing is stated it is best to lay aside conjecture and accept the designed indefiniteness. Many commentators have determined that this appearance on the Galilaean mountain was that mentioned by St. Paul (1Co 15:6), as manifested to five hundred brethren at once. This is a mere conjecture, probable, but not certain. If it was the case, we must consider that St. Matthew singles out the eleven apostles as the most eminent among the company, and those to whom the Lord specially addressed the commission which he mentions. Of the five hundred brethren, St. Paul, writing some twenty years or more after this time, testifies that the greater number were still alive, only some having “fallen asleep.” There never was, indeed, any historical fact the authenticity of which was more remarkably and irrefragably certified than the resurrection of Christ.
Mat 28:17
They worshipped him. Evidently here they, or the majority of those present (for it is plain that others beside the apostles were there), adored him as God and Lord. This is the first time that this action of supreme worship is mentioned in connection with the disciples, though the women had offered the same homage to him (Mat 28:9). But some doubted (without ). (For the verb, comp. Mat 14:31.) The doubters could not have been any of the eleven, for they had seen the Lord more than once at Jerusalem, and had had indubitable proofs that he had risen from the dead, and was no mere spirit or spiritual appearance, but possessed of his former body, with new powers, faculties, and laws. Those who for the moment doubted did not hesitate to acknowledge his resurrection, but his identity. They were, perhaps, at a distance. Christ may have appeared surrounded with heavenly glory; at any rate, in a shape, or vesture, or with an aspect with which they were not familiar; hence in this majestic form, they failed to recognize the “despised and rejected of men,” the lowly Jesus whom they had known (cf. Joh 21:4).
Mat 28:18
Jesus came. Some medieval exegetes have deemed that this verse refers to the time of the ascension; but there is no valid reason for dissociating this portion from the rest of the account. If we do this, we lose the great reason for the oft-enjoined meeting on the Galilaean mountain, which seems to have been expressly and with much care arranged to notify at large the fact of Christ’s Resurrection and of his supreme authority, and to convey the Lord’s commission to the apostles in the presence of many witnesses. We may suppose that Jesus, who had been standing apart, now drew near to the company, so that all, especially the doubting, might see him closely and hear his familiar voice. Spake unto them ( , talked unto them). Doubtless he said much more than is here recorded, resolving doubts, confirming faith, infusing comfort. “Thus it is even now; we worship him, and then he draws near, and, by his nearer approaches and secret manifestation of himself to our hearts, we are confirmed in the faith, and see in him God and man” (I. Williams). All power () is given (, was given) unto me in heaven and in earth. Jesus here asserts that he, as Son of man, has received from the Father supreme authority in heaven and earth, over the whole kingdom of God in its fullest extent. This is net given to him as Son o! God; for, as God, naught can be added to him or taken from him; it is a power which he has merited by his incarnation, death, and Passion (Php 2:8-10), which was foretold in the Old Testament, by psalmist (Psa 2:8; Psa 8:5-8) and prophet (Dan 7:13, Dan 7:14), and with which he was indued on the day that he rose victorious from the grave. So the verb “was given” is in the past tense, because it refers to the dotation arranged in God’s eternal purpose, and to the actual investiture at the Resurrection. The power is exercised in his mediatorial kingdom, and will continue to be exercised till he hath put all enemies under his feet, and destroyed death itself (1Co 15:24-27); but his absolute kingdom is everlasting; as God and Man he reigns forever and ever. This mediatorial authority extends not only over men, so that he governs and protects the Church, disposes bureau events, controls hearts and opinions; but the forces of heaven also are at his command, the Holy Spirit is bestowed by him, the angels are in his employ as ministering to the members of his body.
Mat 28:19
Go ye therefore (). The illative particle is perhaps spurious, but it is implied by what has preceded. It is because Jesus has plenary authority, and can delegate power to whom he will, that he confers the following commission. He is addressing the eleven apostles, of whom alone St. Matthew makes mention (verse 16); but as they personally could not execute the grand commission in all its extent and duration, he lays his commands upon their representatives and successors in all ages. They were to go forth, and carry the gospel throughout the world. Doubtless herein is implied the duty of all Christians to be in some sense missionaries, to use their utmost efforts to spread abroad the knowledge of Christ, and to make men obedient to his Law. The propagation of the gospel is a work for all in their several spheres. Teach; docete (Vulgate). These are unfortunate renderings of the verb , which means, “make disciples.” Teaching is expressed in verse 20, as one of the elements or components of full discipleship. The imperative aorist is, as it were, decomposed by the two following present participles, “baptizing” and “teaching.” In the case of infants the process is exactly what is here represented; they are admitted into the Christian society by baptism, and then instructed in faith and duty. Adults have to be instructed before baptism; but they form a small minority in most Christian communities, where, generally, infant baptism is the rule, and would be regarded rather as exceptions. Teaching alone is not stated by the Lord to be the only thing necessary to convert an unbeliever into a Christian; this is effected by the grace of God applied as Christ proceeds to explain. All nations ( all the nations). The apostles were no longer to go only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mat 10:6); they were to Christianize all the nations of the world, Jew and Gentile alike. The gospel is adapted to all the varying minds and habits of men, barbarous and civilized, near and remote, ignorant or cultivated; and it is the duty and privilege of Christ’s ministers to make it known and acceptable in all quarters of the globe. Baptizing them; i.e. individuals of all the nations. The present participle denotes the mode of initiation into discipleship. Make them disciples by baptizing them. Christ thus explains his mysterious announcement to Nicodemus (Joh 3:5), “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” To the disciples the notion of baptism was no new thing. As a rite typifying the cleansing of the heart and the purpose of leading a new life, it had been long practised in the case of proselytes to the Jewish faith; they had seen it employed by John the Baptist (Mat 3:6), and had used it themselves (Joh 4:1, Joh 4:2). Christ adopts the old rite, gives it a new solemnity, a most sacred formula of administration, a new meaning, new spiritual effects. The persons to whom and in whose presence he spoke would understand his injunction as applicable to all who were capable of its reception, children and adults, the subjects of the initiatory ceremony of proselytism. There was no need of closer specification. Or, if any such instruction was needed, the rules concerning circumcision would be a sufficient guide. In (, into) the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Our version follows the Vulgate, in nomine, which does not give the right force to the expression. The phrase does not mean merely invoking the Name, under the sanction of the great Name, but something more than this. It signifies into the power and influence of the Holy Trinity, into faith in the three Persons of God, and the duties and privileges consequent on that faith, into the family of God and obedience unto its Head. The “into” shows the end and aim of the consecration of baptism. The “Name” of God is that by which he is known to usthat which connotes his being and his attributes, that by which there exists a conscious connection between God and ourselves (comp. Mat 18:20). So being baptized into the Name of God implies being placed in subjection to and communion with God himself, admitted into covenant with him. It is to be observed that the term is “name,” not “names,” thus denoting the unity of the Godhead in the trinity of Persons. The Lord’s words have always been taken as the formula of baptism, and have in all ages been used in its administration. The three Divine Persons were revealed at the baptism of Jesus (Mat 3:16, Mat 3:17); they are invoked at every Christian baptism. It is true that we read, in the early Church, of persons being baptized “in the Name of the Lord Jesus,” and “in the Name of the Lord” (Act 8:16; Act 10:48); but this expression by no means assumes that the names of the other Divine Persons were not used; it denotes that the converts were admitted into the religion which Jesus instituted, in fact, were made Christians. The above formula has from primitive times been considered indispensable for the valid administration of this sacrament. “From this sacred form of baptism,” says Bishop Pearson, “did the Church derive the rule of faith, requiring the profession of belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, before they could be baptized in their Name” (‘On the Creed,’ art. 1.).
Mat 28:20
Teaching () them (i.e. all the nations) to observe all things, etc. The word for “teaching” is quite different from that used in Mat 28:19, and there wrongly translated. Instruction is the second necessary condition for discipleship. In the case of adults, as was said above, some teaching must precede the initiation; but this has to be supplemented subsequently in order to build up the convert in the faith and make him perfect; while infants must be taught “as soon as they are able to learn, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession they have here made.” All must be taught the Christian faith and duty, and how to obtain God’s help to enable them to please him, and to continue in the way of salvation, so that they may “die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness; continually mortifying all their evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living” (‘Public Baptism of Infants’). “He gives,” says St. Chrysostom, “the one charge with a view to doctrine [i.e. the form of baptism], the other concerning commandments” (‘Horn.,’ 90.). All that Christ commanded, both in doctrine and morals, all that he had taught and enjoined during the three past years, they were henceforward to take as their textbook, and enforce on all who were admitted into the Church by baptism. As the Greek is, “I commanded,” being aorist and not perfect, it may be rightly opined that Christ here alludes also to various details which he set forth and enjoined during these great forty days, between his resurrection and ascension, when he gave commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, and spake to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Act 1:2, Act 1:3). And, lo. “After that, because he had enjoined on them great things, to raise their courage, he says. Lo! “etc. (Chrysostom). I am with you alway ( ). Every word is emphatic. The Ascension was at hand; this implied an absence of his visible presence, to be replaced by a spiritual presence, more perfect, potent, effectual, infinite. It is I myself, I, God and Man,who am (not “will be”) henceforward ever present among you, with you as Companion, Friend, Guide, Saviour, God. I am with you in all your ministrations, prayers public and private, baptisms, communions, exhortations, doctrine, discipline And this, not now and then, not at certain times only, but “all the days” of your pilgrimage, all the dark days of trial and persecution and affliction; all the days when you, my apostles, are gathered to your rest, and have committed your work to other hands; my presence shall never be withdrawn for a single moment. Often had God made an analogous promise to his servants under the old dispensationto Moses (Exo 3:12), to Joshua (Deu 31:23), to Jeremiah (Jer 1:8); but this spiritual presence of Christ is something unknown to previous history, a nearness unspeakable, in the Church at large and in the Christian’s heart. Even unto the end of the world; the consummation of the age, as Mat 24:3 (where see note). When the new era is ushered in, evangelizing work will cease; God shall be all in all; all shall know him from the least unto the greatest. And they shall ever be with the Lord; “wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1Th 4:18). Amen. The word is here an interpolation, but it expresses what every pious reader must say in his heart, “So be it, O Lord; be with us unto the end; guide and strengthen us in life, and bring us safely through the valley of the shadow of death, to thy blessed presence, where is the fulness of joy forevermore!”
HOMILETICS
Mat 28:1-10
The Resurrection.
I. THE ANGEL AT THE SEPULCHRE.
1. The holy women. The great sabbath was over. It had been a busy day in the temple; all had been done as usual. The priests little thought, while performing their elaborate ritual, that the one great Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, the Sacrifice of which all their sacrifices were but figures, had been offered up on Calvary. Yet the great darkness and the portents which had marked the moment of the Saviour’s death must have excited attention at Jerusalem, must have harrowed the consciences of many, and filled the whole city with uneasiness and doubt and awe. Strange anxieties must have disturbed the rest of that sabbath. Men went about asking strange questions of one another. Strange forebodings filled the air. The priests especially must have been full of excitement and anxiety. Their chiefs had been foremost in urging the Crucifixion; and the rent veil must have filled them with wonder and terror. What could it mean? The holy of holies lay exposedthe awful place, which no human being might behold, save only the high priest, and that but once a year, with solemn rites of expiation. It must have seemed to them a tremendous portent, foreboding some great change, some stupendous event. Even the cold indifferent Sadducees must have been stirred into anxious expectation by a prodigy so significant, so startling, so plainly preternatural. This feeling had constrained them to apply to the hated Gentiles even on the sabbath. Herod had employed his soldiers to slay, if it were possible, the infant King of the Jews. The chief priests employed the Roman soldiers to prevent, if it were possible, the resurrection of him whose cross had borne the title which the Wise Men from the East had attributed to the holy Child Jesus. But if that sabbath had been a disturbed and anxious day to the enemies of our Lord, what must it have been to his disciples? They had watched, some few of them, the awful scene on Calvary. Most of them had fled in terror. The Lord had put forth no supernatural powers, as perhaps they had hoped; there had been no armies of angels coming to his help, no display of Divine glory to crush his foes. He was dead, buried out of their sight. They forgot all that the prophets had spoken, all that the Lord himself had said about his resurrection on the third day. Even the circumstances of his death, its calm majesty, its attendant wonders, did not restore their lost faith. “We were hoping,” they said, “that it was he which should redeem Israel.” But now their hopes were crushed, their faith was gone. The one terrible fact of his death had overwhelmed them in utter despair. They had expected an earthly kingdom in spite of all his many warnings. That Jewish notion of the Messiah’s reign had taken entire possession of their hearts. And now that hope had vanished altogether. The Lord had not taken the throne of David; he had died upon the cross, the death of extremest ignominy. They were sunk in misery and disappointment and despondency. The chief priests called to remembrance that they had been told of his predicted resurrection. Hatred is sometimes more keen sighted than love. The disciples seem to have had no hope at all. That sad sabbath day must have been clouded by many remorseful memories of broken promises and selfish fearshow all, save one, had left him at the last, and forsaken him in his agony who had loved them with so great a love. But the long hours of that sorrowful sabbath were over at last; the first day of the week was dawningthat day which was to be the first day of a new life, which was to be consecrated throughout the great Christian Church as the beginning of new hopes, new aspirations; the first great Easter Day was shedding its faint glimmering light through the surrounding darkness; and the holy women cameMary Magdalene and the other Mary, and afterwards, it seems from St. Mark and St. Luke, Salome and Joanna. They had watched the burialsome of them, at least. Perhaps they were not allowed to approach at the time; perhaps only Joseph, who had obtained the governor’s leave, and Nicodemus, a man of rank and authority like Joseph, were permitted on that Friday afternoon to touch the body of the Lord. But the women followed after, and beheld where he was laid. They were last at the sepulchre on the first Good Friday; they were the first to see the empty tomb on the first great Easter Day. They came to see the sepulchre”to anoint,” St. Mark says, the body of him whom they had regarded with a Jove so deep and reverent. They had prepared spices and ointments before the sabbath; they came as soon as the sabbath rest permitted to fulfil their work of love. But that very love, deep and true as it was, expressed itself in preparations which showed that they understood not the Saviour’s words, or at least that the awful events of Friday had shaken their belief and destroyed their hopes. Neither Joseph and Nicodemus nor the holy women seem to have had any thought of seeing the Lord in life again. Joseph willingly gave his own new tomb to receive the dear remains. Perhaps he thought that one day his own bones might rest with the honoured body of him whom he so loved and reverenced. None of the followers of the Lord, not even those apostles who had been nearest to him, seem to have remembered those words of his which ought to have been their greatest comfort in the hour of darkness. The shock had been so great; they were so horrified, terror-stricken, bewildered. So it is with us sometimes in great pain, in overwhelming sorrow. We cannot collect our thoughts; we can scarcely pray; there seems to be no hope, nothing but darkness. It may give us some comfort to think that even saints, even apostles, shared this human weakness. But let us remember that in their despair they still loved the Lord; if they had lost hope, they still came to the sepulchre; if they thought that he could give them no help, that they had a living Lord no more, at least they clung to his sacred memory, and came to watch over and to care for his lifeless body. Let us in our sufferings try to keep the thought of the suffering Lord close to our very hearts. If there are times when we cannot find joy in the thought of his glory and majesty, let us try to find peace in the thought of his cross, his death, his burial. Let us pray that our anguish may be made the means of bringing us into closer sympathy with the suffering Lord, into “the fellowship of his sufferings; for if we have become united with him by the likeness of his death, we shall be also by the likeness of his resurrection.”
2. The descent of the angel. The women had said among themselves, “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” It was a task beyond their strength, and they were troubled. There was no need for their anxiety. So we often trouble ourselves about the future; we wonder how this or that difficulty shall be overcome; who shall save us from this or that threatening calamity. “Let not your heart be troubled,” saith the Lord; “ye believe in God, believe also in me.” “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Those fears of ours, those anxious thoughts which almost wear us out, come from want of faith. How often the event proves that there was no ground for them! We fretted ourselves vainly, we made needless vexations for ourselves; for after all the threatened trouble never came; or, if it did come, it was not so terrible; God gave us strength to bear it. It was so now. One stronger than they had rolled away the stone. There was a great earthquake. A mighty angel had come down from heaven; his appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow. What could the Roman soldiers do in the presence of that effulgent, blinding radiance? For fear of him the watchers did quake (the very earth had quaked at his approach), and became as dead men. The mere sight of one angel of the Lord affrighted them into utter helplessness. How would it have fared with the presumptuous multitude who seized the Saviour in Gethsemane, had he, who is the Lord God of hosts, summoned those heavenly legions? Then he meekly yielded himself; for he willed to suffer and to die that we might live forever. Now his humiliation was over, the hour of his triumph was come; one angel of the Lord scattered the Roman guard. The strength of man is helpless to withstand the will of God.
3. His address to the women. He had done what the women knew was beyond their strength; he had rolled away the stone; they found him sitting on it in his glorious beauty. The blessed angels terrify the enemies of the Lord; they bring joy and gladness to his chosen. The soldiers lay on the ground prostrate, like dead men. The holy women started at the glorious vision, but the heavenly music of the angel’s voice soon gave them peace and joy. “Fear not ye,“ the angel said. The pronoun is emphatic. The guards had cause to fear; not so those faithful women. The angel knew what had brought them theretheir love and devotion for the crucified Saviour. But there was no need of their ointments and spices; there was no use for them; for the angel said, “He is not here; he is risen, as he said.” There was something, perhaps, of gentle reproof in those words. The Lord had said again and again that he would rise again the third day; his disciples should have remembered his words; they should not have been thus hopeless and despairing; they should have looked forward, despite the agonies of the cross, despite the sealing of the tomb, to the glory of the Resurrection. That prophecy was now fulfilled; they might see the empty tomb: “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” They entered into the sepulchre, St. Mark tells us; they saw that the Lord was gone. The angel sent them to bear the great Easter tidings to the apostles. The apostles had not shown the courage, the affectionate devotion, of these holy women. St. John alone had stood beside the cross; no apostle, as far as we are told, had witnessed the burial. The women, too, were the first to visit the sepulchre; their devotion was rewarded; they first heard the glad tidings; they had the privilege of bearing the blessed news to the apostles, who were to be the witnesses of the Lord’s resurrection and to preach his glorious gospel throughout the world. Holy women have often been the means of bringing to the faith of Christ those who have afterwards laboured most abundantly in the Saviour’s cause. The angel repeated his charge: “Lo, I have told you,” he said. They might not doubt; they had heard the great truth from an angel’s lips.
II. THE RISEN LORD.
1. The women on their way. They went at once, they ran. Their hearts were filled with mingled feelings. There was fear,they could not look upon that form, bright as the lightning flash, without something of dread; but there was a great joy which overcame their fear. The Lord was risen. The thought was too great for them; it thrilled their hearts with strange, unwonted throbbings. But they went as they were bidden; and as they went a holier than an angel’s voice fell upon their ears. The Lord manifests himself to those who work for him, who in obedience and faith carry to others the blessed story of his cross and his resurrection.
2. The meeting with the Lord. Jesus met them on their way. Suddenly, in a moment, they saw the gracious form of their beloved Master; they looked once more upon that holy face, no longer stained with blood or fixed in death, but gazing on them with his wonted look of heavenly love in the full majesty of manifest Deity. “All hail!” he said; “rejoice!” Fear and joy were struggling in their hearts; but joy was the right feeling; there was no need to fear. “All hail! rejoice!” it was an ordinary formula of salutation; often a mere conventional greeting, but coming from those lips it spoke volumes; it was full of meaning, deep, holy, blessed meaning. It was the fulfilment of those precious words of his, “Ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” The presence of the Lord bringeth joy. There is no joy so full and so holy, so sweet and so abiding, as that joy in the Lord which is granted to those who in patience and humility have taken up the cross, denying themselves daily for Christ’s sake, recognizing in their hearts and lives the great truth that, since the Lord died for all, they which live should live no longer unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. These women loved the Lord; they had ministered to him; now they were going to tell the glad tidings of his resurrection. He met them himself; he bade them “Rejoice!” There, and there only, is true joy to be found, in the love of Christ, in work for Christ, in communion with Christ. They came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. They bowed themselves to the ground be[ore him in lowliest adoration. They felt something of that great awe mixed with exceeding joy which the next Sunday forced from the lips of the once unbelieving Thomas the exclamation of adoring faith, “My Lord and my God!” Their joy was too great for words; they could only offer him the worship of their hearts, prostrating themselves, holding those holy feet which three days before had been nailed to the cruel cross, scarcely able to look into his face for awe and wonder and overpowering joy. So the Christian falls down in adoring worship when the Lord reveals himself to the longing soul. When we see him by faith, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, when he manifesteth himself to his chosen as he doth not unto the world, when he saith, “Rejoice!” then they feel the truth of that most precious beatitude, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed;” then, though they see him not as the Marys saw his gracious face, yet, believing, they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. In such moments his people offer up to him a holy worshipworship in spirit and in truth, such as, in his condescending love, he seeketh; a worship not selfish, not prayer for our own sakes, for the supply of our own needs, but higher than prayer; a worship which thinks not of self, but only of the Lord, which loses sight of self in the contemplation of his love, his holiness, his majesty, his glory. Such is the worship of his saints in heaven; so we must seek to worship in our poor way on earth.
3. The message. The Lord calmed their agitation. “Be not afraid!” The angel had said the same, but the Lord’s words were sweeter music even than the angelic voice. Fear was mingled even now with their great joy; human nature cannot but fear in the awful presence of God. But the Lord in his tender mercy taught them that, though risen now from the dead, he was still, not only very God, but also very Man. He sent them with the first Easter greetings to the apostlesto his brethren, as for the first time he deigned to call them. It was a message of love, a message of forgiveness. They had not acted as brethren should; they had forsaken the Lord in the hour of danger. But he recognized the truth of their love; he forgave their weakness, their terrors; he was “not ashamed to call them brethren.” It was a gracious message indeed, full of sweetness to the sorrowing, conscience-stricken apostles. They were to meet the Lord in Galilee; there he would announce to them his assumption of Divine power and majesty; there they should receive the full apostolic commission and the promise of his continual presence unto the end. There were other meetings during the great forty days; but St. Matthew, who was led to dwell mainly upon the majesty and glory of the risen Lord, hastens to that great meeting, so full of momentous consequences, when the Lord in his royal power gave authority to his apostles to baptize all nations into the most holy Name.
LESSONS.
1. The holy women loved the Lord. Let us imitate that affectionate reverent love.
2. They said, “Who shall roll us away the stone?” Let us trust in God; the Lord will provide.
3. The angel said, “Fear not ye.” The holy angels minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation.
4. The Lord met the holy women; he said, “Rejoice!” May we share that holy joy!
5. They worshipped him. Let us learn to worship here, that we may one day worship in heaven.
Mat 28:11-15
The watch and the chief priests.
I. THE REPORT OF THE WATCHERS.
1. Their flight. They were all aghast with terror; they knew not well what had happened. The earthquake had terrified them at first; then there came a vision dazzling like the lightning. From that moment they were as dead men; they knew nothing more. When they recovered from that deathlike swoon the angel had vanished; all was still and quiet. Perhaps they examined the sepulchre. The stone was rolled away; the tomb was open; it was empty. What could they do? They had been posted there to guard it; they were in danger of death. Some fled away in terror; some, bolder than the others, or deeming perhaps that to tell the truth was the safest course, came into the city.
2. Their account. If they were, as it seems most probable, Roman soldiers, they were responsible to the governor; but they felt sure that he would disbelieve their story, and punish them for neglect of duty. It seemed safer to go to the chief priests, who were the persons most interested in the safety of the tomb, who might advise them what to do under the circumstances. They told them all the things that were done; they told them the facts of the case; the earthquake, the vision which they had seen, their own prostration, the empty tomb; they left the chief priests to draw their own conclusions.
II. THE ACTION OF THE CHIEF PRIESTS.
1. The council. A meeting of the Sanhedrin was hastily called. The chief priests were Sadducees; they believed that there was no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit. Now they must have been in a difficulty. The great darkness of Friday, the earthquake, the rent veil, had appalled many hearts. The very thing had happened which they had anxiously tried to prevent; the sacred body had disappeared, and the soldiers brought strange stories of awful apparitions, of earthquakes and lightning, and the supernatural removal of the great stone from the door of the sepulchre. But men can always discover reasons for disbelieving truths which they wish to repudiate; they can always invent difficulties, discrepancies, explanations. The chief priests probably affected to believe that the guards, worn out by long watching, had been so bewildered by the earthquake as to see in the lightning flashes the fancied form of an angel. The Pharisees in the council did not share in the Sadducean heresies; but they had joined with the chief priests in the application to Pilate for a guard (Mat 27:62). They were, equally with the Sadducees, hostile to the Lord, equally interested in preventing the people from believing his resurrection. Doubtless those few counsellors, such as Joseph and Nicodemus, who had taken no part in compassing the Saviour’s death, were not summoned to the meeting. To the rest the Resurrection involved awful consequences. It threw them into such an abyss of tremendous guilt and terrible condemnation, that we are not surprised if men who were evidently selfish, cruel, hypocritical, obstinately refused to admit the evidence of its truth. So, in the face of all testimony, in spite of the fact that the holy body was gone, and the certain knowledge that foe would not, and friend could not, have borne it away, they deceived themselves, or forced themselves into a disbelief of the Lord’s resurrection.
2. Their decision. They pretended that what they had feared had really taken place. They made an arrangement with the soldiers; they were to say that while they slept his disciples came by night and stole him away. It was a dangerous thing for the soldiers; they might be punished with death for sleeping at their post, as Herod afterwards treated the keepers of the prison from which St. Peter was released by the angel. So the chief priests undertook to secure them; they promised to persuade the governor if he should hear of the matter. They meant probably to bribe him; and so they would set the soldiers free from anxiety. It was a wicked falsehood, an awful sin; for they were fighting against God; but the only alternative was an open acknowledgment of the truth, and that would have brought upon them a tremendous disgrace. It would have been a confession of guilta confession that they had been in the wrong throughout, that they had been selfish, hollow, hypocritical, and that the Prophet of Galilee whom they so utterly hated, whom they had murdered, was indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God. They could not bring themselves to this. They were the rulers of the people, the chiefs of the hierarchy; they could not humble themselves. They chose the alternative of falsehood. Thus it is that sin leads on to sin. One sin forces a man (or seems to force him) to commit another; each wilful sin strengthens the grasp of Satan upon his soul, and brings him nearer to that awful state when repentance becomes impossible. Let us beware, and take heed to ourselves.
3. The conduct of the soldiers. They did as they were taught. Interest and fear combined to make them the willing tools of the chief priests. The priests bribed them largely, and the soldiers were absolutely in their power. If the priests accused them of neglect of duty, they must have been condemned; their only chance of escape seemed to coincide with their interest; so they took the money offered them, and repeated the falsehood which the chief priests put into their mouths.
4. The acceptance of the story. It was commonly reported among the Jews. But it is a manifest falsehood; it is encompassed with all manner of improbabilities. The soldiers, if they had slept, could not have known what had happened. The disciples, terror-stricken as they were, could not have dared to attempt to break open the tomb. They did not wish to remove the sacred body; it had been laid in an honoured grave. Their only wish was to render the last offices of love and reverence. If they had removed it, what would have been the value of a dead body to them? Could a dead body have kindled that zeal, that intense enthusiasm, which urged them to forsake home and all earthly comforts for the love of Christ? Would they have embraced a life of hardship and constant danger, with the almost certain prospect of violent death, for the sake of preaching a lie? It is impossible that zealous, self-denying men like the apostles, could have been impostors; it is impossible that men who wrote what they wrotesimple, artless records, full of indications of truthfulness, full also of little differences which show that there could have been no concert, no collusion; or letters of Christian counsel beautiful in their transparent simplicity, full of high, holy, heavenly teaching, such as the world had never heard beforeit is simply inconceivable that such men should have invented a lie, should have suffered, should have died, for what they knew to be false. But perhaps no one maintains this incredible hypothesis now. Then could they have been deceived by others? Who could have deceived them? Whose interest was it? Who could have wished to deceive them? Could they have deceived themselves as to the Lord’s resurrection? Did they so treasure in their hearts their Master’s promise? Did they so constantly expect to see him again? Did they look for his reappearing so eagerly that they imagined that they saw his form and heard his words? Did they in honest enthusiasm unconsciously create supposed appearances of the Lord out of the lightning’s flash, or the uncertain moonlight, or the thousand causes which have from time to time deceived honest men? But the Scripture narratives, artless and truthful as they are, completely exclude this hypothesis. The disciples had forgotten the Lord’s promise, or had wholly lost faith in it; they regarded him as dead, as lost to them. Two of them had laid him in the tomb, and had closed it with a great stone. The women were preparing to anoint the body. None of them had any expectation of seeing the Lord again. Even the empty tomb, strange as it may seem to us, did not at once suggest the Resurrection. St. John, indeed, believed when he went into the sepulchre; in the sepulchre itself, in the home of death, he saw by faith the victory over death. But it seems doubtful whether St. Peter even then realized the truth of the Lord’s resurrection. And certainly the absence of the body brought sorrow, not joy, to Mary Magdalene. She stood at the sepulchre weeping, and that because, as she said, she knew not where the body of the Lord was laid; her one wish was to recover those loved remains, and, it seems, to remove them to a grave where they might lie in peace (Joh 20:6-15). Thank God, the central fact of Christianity rests on the surest historical evidence. The great Christian Church has not risen out of a dream, a vision. The greatest moral and spiritual revolution which the world has ever seen was not the work of a few honest but unintelligent and easily misled enthusiasts. Nothing but the truth of the resurrection of the Lord can account for the immense and sudden change from the deepest despondency to the most wonderful zeal and joy and courage and endurance. Nothing but the presence of the risen, living Lord can account for that strong conviction, that dauntless energy, that sustained persevering labour, which overcame all the superstitions of heathenism, all the inertness of religious scepticism, all the mighty power of Rome, and went on conquering and to conquer till the victorious eagles bowed before the mightier cross, and kings and emperors bent the knee in worship of the Crucified.
LESSONS.
1. Guilt conceals itself by falsehood. Hate sin, love the truth.
2. To offer bribes or to receive them is alike evil. Covetousness is idolatry.
3. The fact of the Lord’s resurrection is incontrovertible. Let us cling to it as the ground of all our hopes; let us seek to realize its spiritual power.
Mat 28:16-20
The great meeting in Galilee.
I. THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD.
1. The place. This was the one only meeting by appointment. The other appearances of the risen Saviour were sudden and unexpected. Both St. Matthew and St. Mark tell us that the Lord, just before his agony, had announced to his apostles that, after he was risen again, he would go before them into Galilee. After the Resurrection the angel first, and, then the Lord himself, had made the same appointment. Evidently it was a meeting of especial importance; the preparation for it, its striking circumstances, the fact that it is the only meeting with the apostles recorded by the first evangelist, invest it with peculiar solemnity. The Lord had chosen some mountain in Galilee as the place of meeting. Thither came the eleven disciplesprobably only the eleven. Some have thought that this meeting is the appearance mentioned by St. Paul in 1Co 15:6, when more than five hundred disciples, most of whom were living when St. Paul wrote, saw the risen Savior. But it seems altogether improbable that the presence of so great a number should have been left unnoticed, that the evangelist should have mentioned only the eleven apostles, when there was an assembly of more than five hundred gathered round the Lord.
2. The effect of the Lord‘s first appearance. They worshipped him. Before the Resurrection we read from time to time that others worshipped him; we are not told that the apostles did so. Now they felt the majesty of his Person. “When they saw him, they worshipped.” We know not how he appeared, whether suddenly, as at other times, or standing afar off on the mountain-top, or possibly in the air above them. Certainly he appeared in the glory of his resurrection bodythe body of his glory (Php 3:21), the same, yet not the same, with that body which was born of the Virgin Mary, which had hung upon the cross, which had lain in the tomb of Joseph; the same, as the risen bodies of his saints will be the same with their present corruptible bodies; yet not the same, as the spiritual body will differ from the natural body. The Lord appeared; and the glory of his presence filled the hearts of the apostles with unwonted awe and reverence. They prostrated themselves before him in lowliest adoration, offering up that worship which the kneeling Church offers to the risen Lord at all times, especially on that day which is his; and with deepest thankfulness, with most devoted love, with most fervent adoration on that greatest of festivals, when we commemorate the resurrection of Christ our Lord from the dead. But, the apostle tells us with the characteristic truthfulness and simplicity of Holy Scripture, “some doubted.” We are not told what their doubts were. It was not sinful, obstinate doubt; for the Lord came nearer and dispelled it; he did not reprove them. It may possibly have been doubted whether worship should be offered to him; and, if so, the Lord’s first words, “All power is given unto me,” may be regarded as an answer to that unspoken doubt. More probably it was doubt of his identity when they first saw him. None of the eleven could then doubt the fact of the Resurrection. But when they first saw the glorious form in the distance, some of them failed to recognize the Lord; just as they knew him not at first on the Sea of Galilee, when he came to them walking upon the water; as Mary Magdalene “knew not that it was Jesus,” when first she saw the risen Lord. He came nearer in his gracious love, he came and spoke unto them. None could doubt longer, when they saw him close at hand, when they heard the well known tones of that much-loved voice. So Christian men doubt sometimes now whether the Lord has really called them, whether they have the high privilege of his presence. He will not leave them in doubt if they love him and keep his word. He will come nearer; he will fulfil his blessed promise, manifesting himself to them as he doth not unto the world.
II. THE LORD‘S WORDS.
1. He talked to them. The Greek word implies more than a short, set speech. He said, doubtless, much more than the evangelist has recorded. We know that the Lord did and said many things which are not written in this book; but God has provided for the preservation of all that is necessary for our faith and for our salvation. “These things are written, that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing we might have life through his Name.”
2. The mediatorial kingdom. “All authority was given to me,” said the risen Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect Man. It was given long ago in the eternal purpose of the blessed Trinity. It had been announced in prophecy, more or less clearly, from the time when sin first entered into the world, when it was foretold that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head. Now it was given. “To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living.” That kingdom was won by his death, sealed and ratified by his resurrection. It was because he took upon himself the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, that God highly exalted him, and gave him the Name which is above every name, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is King over the kingdom of heaven which he established. “He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” His authority is unlimited; he is “the Head of all principality and power.” His authority extends over the heavenly host: “Angels, authorities, and powers are made subject unto him” (1Pe 3:22). The angels were bidden to worship him at his incarnation (Heb 1:6). They are his ministers; his angels he called them, even in the days of his flesh (Mat 13:41). He employs them for the service of his kingdom, for the saving of souls. His authority extends over all the earth. All souls are his, bought with his blood; all are bound to render to him obedience, honour, worship. In his Name every knee must bow. All hearts must be yielded up to him in willing love and reverence, for the cross has lifted him up to the eyes of the world as the Incarnate Love, and the Resurrection proves that that Sacrifice of holiest love has been accepted by the Father.
3. The apostolic commission. As the Lord’s authority extended over all the earth, so should the commission of his apostles. The limits assigned to their first mission (Mat 10:5) are now withdrawn. Because all authority was his, they were now to go forth in his Name and in virtue of that worldwide authority. They were to “go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;” they were to “make disciples of all the nations.” It seems a strange injunction when we think that it was delivered to eleven poor, humble, unlearned Jews; but not strange when we remember who gave that solemn chargethe Lord whom all the angels worship, “who is over all, God blessed forever.” His servants speak in his Name by his authority; the humbler they are, the more deeply they abase themselves and feel their own weakness and sinfulness, the more effectually does his grace work in them: “My strength is made perfect in weakness,” saith the Lord. And the answer of his servants, in faith and self-abasement, is, “I can do all things through Church that strengtheneth me.” From this time the Church of Christ was to be catholic, universal, open to all who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” The apostles were to begin the work of gathering all nations into the kingdom of heaven, which is the Church of Christ. And that:
(1) By baptizing them. We have here the institution of the sacrament of baptism. It is the initiatory sacrament of Christianity. In the ordinary course of things it will precede Christian teaching, though whenever it has not been administered in infancy, candidates must be prepared by careful instruction. In virtue of our baptism we become disciples, scholars in the school of Christ. Our baptism binds us to learn of him, to sit at his feet and hear his Word, to follow him, imitating his great example, walking in the blessed steps of his most holy life. And Christian baptism is into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. It is not only in the Name of Christ (as Act 10:48), that is, by his authority; nor only on the Name of Jesus Christ (as Act 2:38, if be the right reading there), that is, on condition of a confession of Christ, of faith in him; but it is also into the one Name of the blessed Trinity. The children of Israel were baptized into Moses (1Co 10:2), that is, into the society of which Moses was the headinto his authority. We are baptized into the Name of God, into that Church which is his, called by his Name; into the family of God the Father, into the mystical body of Christ the Son, into the communion of the Holy Ghost. The Name is One, and yet Three. “The Lord our God is one God.” Yet in that eternal unity there is a Trinity of Persons. Into this mysterious, this awful Name, we are baptized. May he whose name we bear keep us steadfast in the true faith of his holy gospel!
(2) By teaching them. Baptism is an initiatory rite. Teaching must follow. Christ’s apostles, Christ’s ministers, must teach, not by word only, but by holy example, and that continually, perseveringly. They must teach all things whatsoever the Lord commanded; not merely this or that favourite doctrine, but the whole range of Scripture truth. They must keep nothing back, but “declare the whole counsel of God”the doctrine of the sovereignty of God and the fact of human free will and responsibility; the doctrine of justification by faith and the necessity of good works; a simple reliance on the merits and death of Christ, and the absolute necessity of holiness of heart and life; the doctrines of grace and the doctrine of the sacraments; all the truths of the Christian religion, all the practical duties of the Christian life, must have their due place in the teaching of the Church.
4. The last promise. “Behold, I am with you always.” It is a repetition of the promise made before his sufferings: “I will come again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” The Lord had come again. He would never again leave his servants; he would be with them always, all the days, all the appointed days of the world’s history, to the consummation of all things. Not one day would he be absent from them. Though after the Ascension they would see him no more with the outward eye, he would be with them by his Spirit, dwelling in their hearts, present always, every day; present in the administration of the sacraments which he had ordained, giving by that presence virtue and efficacy to those outward visible signs which without that presence could convey no inward and spiritual grace; present in their teaching, guiding them into all truth, filling them with zeal and ardent love for souls, giving them the eloquence of deep conviction, the inspired eloquence which comes from the promptings of the Holy Spirit; present always in the daily life of faith and obedience and self-sacrifice, and that foreverunto the end, not only in apostolic times, but present now; present with us, if we are faithful; present as surely and certainly as he was with the apostles whom he had chosen; present with those who have succeeded the apostles in the ministry; present to help them in the administration of the sacraments, in their public teaching, in the daily ministrations; present with all faithful Christians, and that all the days, at all times, in joy and health and prosperity, in sorrow, in sickness, in bereavements, in the hour of death; present always, guiding, teaching, comforting, encouraging, making all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. The Church may well say “Amen” to that gracious promise. “Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus; be with us always according to thy blessed Word; for without thee we can do nothing, and in thy presence is the fulness of joy.”
LESSONS.
1. The soul that sees the Lord falls down before him in adoring worship. Oh, may we see him now by faith, that we may worship in spirit and in truth!
2. If we come to him in earnest supplication, he will draw near to us, he will remove our doubts and perplexities.
3. All power is his: in earth,then let us obey him and imitate him in love and reverence; in heaven,then let us trust in him in the full assurance of faith. He can prepare a place for his chosen in the many mansions of his Father’s house.
HOMILIES BY W.F. ADENEY
Mat 28:6
The vacant tomb.
Jesus did not only appear after his death, as ghosts are said to have appeared, startling nervous people in haunted places. His tomb was left vacant. His body had disappeared. This is an important fact in regard to the Resurrection.
I. THERE IS A NEGATIVE AS WELL AS A POSITIVE EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION. The positive evidence is in the appearance of Christ to his disciples; the negative evidence is in the empty tomb. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, men could have pointed to his sealed tomb, could even have torn it open and shown the corpse within. Why did none of the enemies of Jesus do this? No effort appears to have been made to take this simple means of confuting the preaching of the apostles. Yet it was manifestly in the interest of the Sadducean rulers of the Jews to have followed this course. But if the body of our Lord was not to be found, what had become of it? His enemies could have had no interest in hiding itquite the contrary. M. Renan has suggested that Mary Magdalene carried the body away and hid it. Even if we can think the daring deed practically possible, psychologically it is impossible. Such an ugly fraud would certainly have been found out; for still the body would need to be disposed of. But in their despair none of the disciples were in the mood to invent a fiction of a resurrection. Their sudden transformation from despair to joy and confidence cannot be accounted for on the hypothesis of a fraud. The very lameness of this extraordinary theory, considered as the best that a great imaginative critic can devise, is a proof of the reality of the event he would fain find some means of explaining away.
II. CHRIST HAS RISEN IN THE FULNESS OF HIS POWER AND LIFE. It may seem to us of little moment that he should have brought his body out of the tomb. If he himself still lived, if his soul was still alive, could we not dispense with his body? Here we reason about a region of which we have no knowledge. We do not know how a disembodied spirit can act; we do not know what necessity there may be for some bodily instrument to enable it to communicate with other beings. It is enough to know the fact that Christ’s full resurrection life was corporeal as well as spiritual. For us the important truth is that it was and is now a perfect, wakeful, and energetic life. Jesus is no dim shade flitting through the abodes of the dead; he is no sleeping soul like those of our blessed dead who, as some think, sleep in him awaiting their resurrection. He has risen into his perfect life. He is with us now, more truly living than during his earthly ministry.
III. CHRIST‘S RESURRECTION IS A TYPE OF THE CHRISTIAN‘S RESURRECTION. The physical circumstances must be different in the ease of other people whose bodies have long since mouldered to dust, perished by fire, melted away in the sea, or been devoured by wild beasts and cannibals. But the fact of a full and perfect life is what is alone important. Jesus, the firstfruits from the dead, is the promise of this life for his people. They who sleep in him will awake in his likeness.W.F.A.
Mat 28:17
Doubts as to the Resurrection.
If some doubted when they saw Jesus, it is not surprising that some doubt now that it is nearly nineteen centuries since our Lord was on earth among men in visible form. Therefore it is not just or charitable to turn savagely against people who are seriously perplexed. The only right and Christian course is to try to help them.
I. THERE MUST BE MUCH MYSTERY IN RELIGION. It reaches out beyond our everyday experience, and deals with things of God and the unseen world, and therefore we should be prepared to see the clouds gathering over many of its difficult regions. If we look for a mathematical demonstration or a scientific verification of the facts and doctrines of our faith, we shall often be disappointed. At present, in this world of partial lights, such things are not always to be had on demand. Religion belongs to the region of practical life. If we have enough evidence for a reasonable conviction, this is all that we really need. Absolute freedom from all questions we cannot have; nor do we need it; we are disciplined by our mental difficulties.
II. THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES WHICH OUR OWN IGNORANCE WILL ACCOUNT FOR. We do not know why “some doubted.” Was our Lord’s appearance greatly altered? We cannot for a moment imagine that some one else was personating the dead Christ. The very fact that some who saw him doubted about him shows that even the more sceptical Christians did see the risen Christ. But how mysterious are these vague Hints! They just show that we have not yet full light. In the twilight there are many obscurities.
III. IT IS OUR DUTY TO EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE OF THE RESURRECTION. Too often doubt feeds on itself. Some people devour sceptical books, but they have not patience to examine the other side. They give a large welcome to doubts of all kinds, thinking his conduct fair and generous and liberal-minded; but they are very grudging of receiving what is urged in favour of Christian truth. Then there are those who are too careless to think at all seriously. They catch the floating doubts and play with them indolentlyno more. Others are earnest in the pursuit of truth. These people would to well to consider the cumulative evidence for the resurrection of Christ.
1. There is the alternativeWhat became of his body if he did not rise?
2. How could men who had despaired suddenly wake up to a great confidence if no resurrection had occurred to revive their faith?
3. If one or two hysterical fanatics might have fancied they had seen a flitting ghost in the twilight, is that a reason for believing that a dozen men could have had a similar hallucinationnot to mention the five hundred to whom St. Paul refersmany of whom he knew to be alive in his own day? St. Paul’s undoubted Epistle to the Corinthians sums up the evidence with great force.
IV. FAITH IN THE RESURRECTION IS LARGELY DEPENDENT ON OUR IDEA OF CHRIST. This is not merely a question of an historical fact. The resurrection of Christ is not to be compared with the fabled resurrection of Nero. We have first to learn who Christ was. The unique nature of Christ, seen in his earthly life, prepares us to believe in his resurrection. It is not merely a resurrection; it is the resurrection of Christ that we are to see, as the crowning of his wonderful life on earth.W.F.A.
Mat 28:18-20
The great commission.
This is the grand missionary charter. Here is more than our justification for urging on missionary work, more than our encouragement for maintaining it; here is our positive duty to evangelize the world. Let us look at the source, the object, and the encouragement of this great commission.
I. ITS SOURCE. The authority and commandment of Christ.
1. The authority of Christ. Jesus speaks these words after his resurrection. He is now to be exalted to the right hand of God. But his exaltation is not to a place of idle honours. It is to a throne of power. The authority which he has won by his triumph over sin and death he will now use in conquering the world.
(1) This is authority in heaven; therefore it will involve heavenly blessingspardon, regeneration, eternal life.
(2) It is also on earth; therefore it will bring numberless blessings, and will help men here and now
2. The command of Christ. He uses his authority by commissioning his disciples to preach his gospel. The first claim of missionary work does not come from the misery and need of the heathen; it does not come from the blessings of the gospel, which it would be so well for all to share in; though here are two powerful motives. It springs from the direct command of Christ. The Church that neglects missions is disregarding the express orders of her Lord.
II. ITS OBJECT.
1. To go. The disciples are to become apostles; Christians are to be missionaries. When it is possible, the Church is to spread abroad. We are not to wait for the world to come to Christ; we are to go out into the world to preach Christ. Christianity must be aggressive, and Christians must be active in carrying the gospel to all who, have not yet received it.
2. To make disciples. It is not enough to live among the heat, hen. Many do this for purely selfish reasons. The gospel is spread by teaching. There is a teaching of great power in the true living of a Christian life. But we must add definite instruction in the truths of our faith. The kingdom of heaven rests on truth, it finds its way best through the making known of its facts and principles. It does not dread the light; it welcomes it and spreads it. Evangelistic appeals in which there is no teaching, unless they follow on good sober instruction, must vanish in the smoke of shapeless emotions.
3. To baptize. Not merely is the truth to be preached; Christ requires a confession of discipleship. He expects his people to be bound together in Church fellowship. The great central revelation about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is to be the foundation of our teaching and the bond of our union. This does not mean that we must comprehend the Trinity; it means that we must know the Fatherhood of God, the Divinity and saving power of Christ, and the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit.
4. To discipline. “Teaching them to observe,” etc. Mission converts must be taught the will and commandments. of Christtrained in Christian ethics.
III. THE ENCOURAGEMENT.
1. The living presence of Christ. We do not preach a dead or an absent Christ. We have not only to do with the Jesus of ancient history. The living Christ is with us. But that is not all. It is a mistake to detach this verse from the preceding verse, as is often the case in popular discourse. Christ is with us in our missionary work. We have no right to expect the encouragement of his presence if we do not fulfil the condition he lays down. The missionary Church is the Church that has most of Christ. The power and inspiration of missionary work is his presence in our midst.
2. The abiding presence of Christ. He is with his people in their missionary work to the end of the world.
(1) Then missionary work is to be continuous.
(2) Then Christ is with us now in this work as truly as he was with the apostles. We cannot fail with such a presence. We are to preach to all nations, and in the end all nations will be won, and “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”W.F.A.
HOMILIES BY MARCUS DODS
Mat 28:1-10
Lessons of the Resurrection.
The four evangelists concur in setting forth the three successive steps in the evidence by which our Lord’s incredulous followers were at length persuaded of the reality of his resurrection. These are:
1. The fact of the sepulchre being found empty.
2. The testimony of the angels who were seen in it.
3. The appearances of our Lord himself.
On these points we shall not now particularly dwell, but direct attention to certain side lights which the narrative affords. Thus it teaches us
I. THAT THERE ARE SPIRITUAL BEHIND THE MECHANICAL AGENCIES IN NATURE.
1. This is evident in the angel‘s work.
(1) The earthquake is attributed to him. “Behold, there was an earthquake; for an angel of the Lord,” etc. The rolling away of the stone, in like manner, is ascribed to him. Whatever mechanical agencies were in commission here, angelical energy was behind them.
(2) This is not the sole example of the exertion of such energy in the production of physical effects. Angels smote the Sodomites with blindness, and brought down a torrent of fire and brimstone upon the cities of the plain (see Gen 19:11, Gen 19:13). They brought the pestilence upon Israel in the days of David, by which seventy thousand were destroyed, and in the days of Hezekiah they smote a hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians (see 2Sa 24:16; 2Ki 19:35). An angel dissolved the chain that bound Peter in Herod’s prison, and made the doors fly open before him (see Act 12:6-11).
(3) Within narrower limits human spirits exert energy in the material world. The microcosm, the body, responds to the will. Through the medium of the body we act upon the macrocosm around. We change the course of rivers, tunnel mountains, cut waterways through continents, modify climates, alter the flora and fauna of a country, give direction and development to instincts in animals.
(4) The universe is dual, viz. spiritual and material. These complements mutually act and react. The spiritual cannot be divorced from the physical. Any system of natural philosophy that tails to recognize this is essentially deficient.
(5) One grand use of miracles is to force this truth upon our consideration. A miracle is not necessarily an inversion of the laws of nature, though to a limited knowledge such may appear to be the case. It is rather the evidence of the presence behind materialism of a superior spiritual agency. “The works which none other did” (see Joh 15:24).
2. In the manner in which he impressed the senses.
(1) He rendered himself visible. The watch saw him, and were in consequence stricken with terror. This terror was deepened by their having felt the earthquake and seen the rolling away of the stone. He sat upon the stone in tranquil triumph in their presence, as if defying the armies of earth and hell to repined it or to hinder the resurrection of the Redeemer. The women also saw him. His appearance generally was that of a young man. But his countenance, or rather his whole form, was bright, “like lightning.” His raiment was white as snowwhitened by the lightning brightness transmitted from his Person. This white radiance was the emblem at once of purity, joy, and triumph, and eminently suitable to the tidings he bore (cf. Act 1:10; Act 10:30).
(2) He rendered himself audible. He used the voice and language of humanity to give to the women comfort, instruction, and direction.
(3) Whether, however, these visual and audible impressions were made upon the physical organs of the witnesses or upon the spiritual senses in them corresponding, is not certain, though the presumption is that the physical senses were addressed, since mechanical force was undoubtedly exerted in producing the earthquake and in the removal of the stone. We should ever recognize God in nature.
II. THAT THE RESURRECTION BODY IS ENDOWED WITH ETHERIAL PROPERTIES.
1. Such was the case with the body of Jesus.
(1) His resurrection was not witnessed by the watch. They felt the earthquake; they saw the angel; they witnessed the rolling away of the stone; but Jesus they saw not. Note: He does not reveal himself to the incredulous and disobedient. He did not appear even to the women until he had first tried their faith and obedience by his ministering angel.
(2) The resurrection of Jesus appears to have taken place before the stone was rolled away. Taking the narrative as it lies before us in Matthew, the women appear to have seen the angel roll away the stone and seat himself upon it, and witnessed also the effect of the vision upon the watch. The accounts in Mark and Luke may be harmonized to this view. Then, descending from the stone, he conducted them into the tomb, where they saw a second angel, but otherwise a vacant sepulchre. “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” The stone was not removed to let the Saviour out, but to let the witnesses in to see that he was already gone.
(3) The presumption, then, is that the body of Jesus had undergone such a change that it passed out of the sepulchre through the pores of the stone, as the electric matter freely passes through concrete substances. The following remarkable words are ascribed to the Rabbi Judah Hakkodesh: “After three days the soul of Messiah shall return to its body, and shall go out of that stone in which he shall be buried.”
(4) This same etherial property was afterwards exhibited whenever Jesus vanished from the sight of those to whom he had appeared. It was likewise remarkably exhibited on those occasions in which he stood in the midst of his disciples when they were assembled with closed doors (see Joh 20:19-29).
2. But the body of Jesus is the pattern resurrection body.
(1) “As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (cf. Rom 8:29; 1Co 15:20, 1Co 15:44, 1Co 15:48, 1Co 15:49; 2Co 3:18; 2Co 4:11; Php 3:20, Php 3:21).
(2) The bodies of the saints that arose after his resurrection exhibited the same etherial qualities (see Mat 27:53).
(3) This will let in light upon the subject of the mingling of the saints of the first resurrection with living men during that great period of the reign of Christ, which is the burden of prophetic hope (cf. Rom 8:17; 2Ti 2:8-12; Rev 5:10; Rev 20:6).
(4) Jesus rose the third day, not only to answer the type of the Prophet Jonah, and to verify his own words (see Mat 12:40), but to indicate the time of the first resurrection of his saints (cf. Hos 6:2). “A day is with the Lord as a thousand years.”
III. THAT THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST BRINGS HEAVES NEARER TO BELIEVERS.
1. It brings them into communion with angels.
(1) The appearance of the angels to the women evinced that through the risen Saviour we come to a heavenly communion (see Heb 12:22). Angels own Jesus as their Lord as well as we. Their communication is concerning him.
(2) The women had comfortable assurance in their action. It announced to them that the Lord who had been delivered for our offences had rendered satisfaction to Divine justice, and therefore received his legal discharge from the prison.
(3) They had this also in their words.
(a) “Fear not ye.” The watch were left to their fears. Not so the women. True daughters of Sarah (see 1Pe 3:6).
(b) “For I know that ye seek Jesus, which hath been crucified.” Love seeks Jesus because he hath been crucified. Those who seek the Crucified One need never fear.
(c) “He is not here: for he is risen, even as he said.” Those who seek Jesus crucified will find him risen. “He is risen! ‘ This is joyful news, not only to the women, but to all disciples of Christ in every age. The risen Christ is our consolation. If we find him not immediately in sensible comfort, the assurance that he is risen will be followed by that comfort in good time. Henceforth let us seek Jesus as One that is risen, viz. not with carnal thoughts of him (see 2Co 5:16), but with heavenly mind and spiritual communications (cf. Rom 10:6-8; Php 3:20; Col 3:1-3).
(d) “Go quickly.” Those sent on God’s errands must not loiter.
(e) “Tell his disciples.” The disciples of Jesus are more honoured than kings. The apostles should believe without seeing. The women are sent to testify to them, and thus to test their faith. We must not monopolize our comforts (see 2Ki 7:9). “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
(f) “Behold, he goeth before you into Galilee.” Angels are in the secret of the Lord.
2. It brings them into new relations with their Lord.
(1) He spiritually manifests himself to them. The women were highly honoured to be the first to whom the risen Lord appeared. That favour expressed the removal from the sex of its ancient reproach (cf. 1Ti 2:14).
(2) He speaks comfortable words to them. “All hail!” equivalent to “Rejoice ye!” Let joy triumph over fear. The risen Christ is his people’s Joy. “All hail!” equivalent to “All health!”spiritual and saving health to you!
(3) He affords sensible proofs of his love. “And they came and took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.” They were now sure it was no phantasm, but the very body of the real Jesus.
(4) He gives them his gracious commission: “Fear not; go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me.” He went to Galilee to multiply his witnesses. The greater part of his disciples were Galilaeans. There it was probably that “he was seen of more than five hundred brethren” (cf. Act 1:15; 1Co 15:6).
(5) He calls his disciples his “brethren.“ Here for the first time we find him using this condescending and endearing appellation. The Resurrection, which declared him the Son of God with power, declared also all the sons of God to be his brethren. The spirit of the servant now gives place to that of the son. First we are “servants,” then “friends” (see Joh 15:15), finally “brethren” (see Mat 25:40; Joh 20:17).
(6) The Christian discipleship is now constituted into a sacred brotherhood.J.A.M.
Mat 28:11-17
The commotion.
The earthquake which accompanied the resurrection of Christ had its counterpart in the moral commotion which this event occasioned. Thus
I. THE WATCH WERE MOVED.
1. They were alarmed for their lives.
(1) By “the things that were come to pass.” They had felt the shock of a “great earthquake.” The stoutest heart will shake in the presence of a force that moves the foundations of the earth. To this terror was added the appearance of the angel whose form shone like lightning, while his raiment glittered as the snow. The effect was paralyzing. “For fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men” Who can abide amidst the wonderful visions and tremendous elemental uproar of that great day of the Lord, when in the glory of his majesty he shall arise to shake terribly the earth?
(2) By the fear of military discipline. They were responsible with their lives for the safe custody of the body of Jesus, and the security of the sealed stone. But the stone has been rolled away and the sepulchre is vacant. What are they to do? The ways of God are perplexing to the sinner.
(3) The soldiers tremble for their lives when they should have trembled for their sins. The death of the sinful is of all deaths the most terrible. Unhappily, this is too seldom and too partially seen.
2. They acted with the wisdom of the world.
(1) We have no proof that they deserted their post. Some of them went into the city to report to the elders the things that had come to pass. This probably they did by order of their captain, while the rest waited to receive their official discharge. The steady discipline of the Roman soldier has its lessons for the Christian soldier.
(2) They entered into the wicked plot of the elders. Covetousness conquered the Roman soldier. What a mass of evidence did he consent to set aside for a bribe! The mercenary tongue will sell the truth for money. Fear may have wrought with their covetousness. They might doubt whether the governor would believe the truth, or whether the rulers might not set up another plot against their fidelity. They elected to take the money and trust to the promise of the rulers to secure them against the terror of the military discipline.
(3) What a glorious opportunity did the soldiers miss of becoming honourable witnesses for Christ! But God made them his witnesses in spite of their unworthiness. He can make men efficient preachers of his gospel without giving to them a particle of the preacher’s honour or reward.
II. THE ELDERS WERE MOVED.
1. The hypocrite is alarmed for his credit.
(1) The murderer would appear a saint. To free themselves of the guilt of the murder of Christ, the rulers had accused him of being a “deceiver” (see Mat 27:63). But his resurrection from the dead is a triumphant refutation of that wicked defence.
(2) What will the elders do now that blood guiltiness is brought home to them? Will they, even at the eleventh hour, confess their hypocrisy and sue for mercy for their aggravated sin? Or will they at the peril of their damnation defend their credit and persist in their hypocrisy? How solemn are the resolutions of the will!
(3) They elect to persist in their impenitence. What a melancholy example of the power of unbelief! It often pleads want of evidence. Here is an instance of determined unbelief against admitted evidence. An evil, churlish heart will repel the clearest evidence. Note: The waywardness of unbelief prevents the Saviour from rising in our hearts.
2. But he vainly seeks to preserve it.
(1) His efforts may be desperately impudent. The elders deliberately resolved to oppose a lie to the living Truth. They give “large money” to the soldiers to encourage them to publish the lie. How deeply did they sin in thus casting a stumbling block in the way of the soldiers! They teach them to lie speciously. “By night,” etc. But the war is toilsome which falsehood has to wage with truth. “If,” etc. (Mat 28:14). Note: The “large money” is the sequel of the small money paid to Iscariot. Iniquity begets iniquity, and the descents are with an aggravating speed (see Psa 69:27). If the wicked give “large money” to promote a lie, the good should not give small money grudgingly to propagate the saving truth.
(2) His confusion will be all the more signal.
(a) The disciples were not likely to attempt the stealing of the body. For had they thought Christ a deceiver, they would not have run any risk for him. Had they believed him the Messiah, they could have had no occasion or inducement. The pilgrimage of the women was one of devotion, to weep over the dead, and pour some fresh ointment over One whom they desired to preserve, but dreamt not of being able to restore. They were perplexed as to who should roll away the stone, being ignorant both of its being sealed and of the watch being set over it. They were not likely to be in any plot for the stealing of his body to trump up a story of his resurrection.
(b) The soldiers were not likely to have allowed the removal of the body. A watch of sixty armed men could not have been overpowered by a few terrified disciples. The whole watch could not have been asleep, and asleep so soundly as not to be awakened by the rolling away of a stone so large that a company of women despaired of moving it, and by the entrance into the sepulchre of a number of men, and their subsequent exit from it bearing the body. This is all the less likely to have occurred when it is remembered that, according to Roman military law, it was instant death that a guard should be found off their watch. And they were asleep, how did they know what happened?
(c) The elders pain fully felt the clumsiness of their story, else why did they not search the lodgings of the disciples for the body said to have been stolen by them? Were they likely to have been careful for the safety of the Roman soldiers unless they had some reason for it? Do not the words of Gamaliel (see Act 5:38, Act 5:39) assume that the resurrection might be true? Could this argument have been pleaded in the council had the senators continued to maintain their story?
III. THE DISCIPLES WERE MOVED.
1. What is sorrow go the wicked is often joy to the good.
(1) While the soldiers went to the elders with the news of the Resurrection, to fill their faces with shame, the women went to the disciples with the same news, to fill their hearts with gladness. They were commissioned to gather the disciples to a particular mountain in Galilee, there to meet their risen Lord. The “names” in Jerusalem were “a hundred and twenty;” in Galilee the number was greater. This was probably the occasion upon which the Lord appeared to “above five hundred brethren” (see 1Co 15:6). Matthew passes by at least five different appearances of our Lord, and proceeds to speak of one which seems, from its previous appointment, to have been an occasion of peculiar solemnity and importance. His object evidently was to refute the tale respecting the stealing of the body.
(2) The fact of the Resurrection is eminently joyful, as it settles forever the Messiahship of Jesus, and with it the absolute truth of his teaching and the trustworthiness of his glorious promises.
2. Holy joy is deepened with the assurance of faith.
(1) When the disciples saw Jesus they worshipped him. Here was a recognition of his Divinity (cf. Mat 18:26; Act 10:28; Rev 5:1-14.; 6.; Rev 19:10). By accepting their worship Jesus acknowledged himself to be God. Christian worship is the adoration of Christ as “the true God and Eternal Life” (see 1Jn 5:20, 1Jn 5:21). To worship in truth is to serve in love.
(2) “Some doubted” They doubted that we may believe. For the disciples were the reverse of credulous men. They doubted transiently, viz. while Jesus was yet at a distance; but when he “came to them, and spake unto them,” they doubted no more (cf. per. 18; Luk 24:37; Joh 20:24). Doubts may transiently trouble the sincere worshipper, but in due time Jesus will come nearer and blessedly manifest himself (see Joh 16:21). The wickedly obstinate will not believe, though they see (see Joh 9:41).J.A.M.
Mat 28:18-20
The commission.
The angel at the sepulchre directed the women to announce the resurrection of Christ to his disciples and summon them to meet him in Galilee. Jesus himself afterwards appeared to them and repeated this instruction. The eleven accordingly repaired to the appointed place, and with them probably the five hundred brethren (see 1Co 15:6). “Some” of this numbersome of those who had not seen him, like Thomas”doubted” of the reality of the Resurrection, until they were convinced by the evidence of sense. In the words he addressed to them we have:
1. The commission he received from God.
2. The commission he gave to his disciples.
3. The promise of his presence with them. The commission to the disciples includes three particulars:
(1) The universal publication of the gospel.
(2) The baptizing of such as should embrace it.
(3) Their instruction in its doctrines and precepts. We shall now direct particular attention to two points, viz.
I. CONSIDER BAPTISM AS A SIGN OF CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP.
1. This is evinced in its history.
(1) The Israelites were recognized as disciples of Moses when they were baptized “in the cloud and in the sea” (see 1Co 1:2). From that period, amidst all their rebellions, they never called in question the Divinity of his mission. In this baptism also they were separated from the abominations of the Egyptians, and initiated into the pure precepts and blessed promises delivered to them by the hand of Moses.
(2) Those baptized by John are called his disciples. So far convertible are the terms “baptism” and “disciple” that John’s doctrine is called his “baptism” (cf. Mat 3:1, Mat 3:2; Luk 3:3; Act 19:4).
(3) Jesus made disciples by baptism after John was cast into prison (see Joh 4:1).
(4) Baptism is clearly made a sign of Christian discipleship in the terms of the commission. The Greek term here translated “teach” differs from that afterwards rendered “teaching,” and literally signifies “to disciple,” and is accordingly in the margin construed “make disciples” or “Christians” of all nations (cf. Act 11:26). “Make disciples” is the reading of our New Version in the text.
(5) This is recognized in the practice of the apostles (see Act 2:37, Act 2:41; Act 10:48; Act 19:1-7).
2. Persons are baptized in order to being taught.
(1) This follows from what has been advanced. A disciple is simply a learner. Men are not baptized because they are instructed, though a preliminary instruction may be necessary. The Church, to which baptism introduces us, is a school in which the sons of God are educated for heaven. This discipleship continues to the end of life.
(2) The commission sets forth the subjects of our learning. “Teaching theme” etc. (verse 20). The teaching is doctrinal and practical also. Life lessons in all good senses.
(3) Since Christian teaching is to follow baptism rather than to precede it, and since holy teaching cannot be begun too early, there is great propriety in the baptism of infants. Preliminary confession of faith is necessary for adults who have errors to renounce, but infants are happily not in this evil case.
(4) Hence because baptism replaces circumcision as the sign of God’s covenant, baptism is called “the circumcision of Christ,” i.e. of Christianity (see Col 2:11, Col 2:12). If baptism be not regarded as taking the place of circumcision, then the covenant has now no initiatory rite. The Lord’s Supper is not initiatory, but of regular habitual observance, as the Passover formerly was.
II. CONSIDER THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH OF THE BAPTIZED.
1. It is a unity.
(1) Disciples are all baptized into one faith: “Into the Name,” etc. The discipleship of the faith. Whatever diversity there may be in non-essentials, there must be unity in cardinals (see Eph 4:5).
(2) The baptized constitute one mystical body (see 1Co 12:12, 1Co 12:13; Gal 3:27, Gal 3:28; Eph 4:5, Eph 4:6). Hence schism is represented as a setting up of human names in competition with the one great Name (see 1Co 1:12-15).
(3) Love is the badge of Christian discipleship (see Joh 13:34, Joh 13:35).
2. It is catholic.
(1) The commission to baptize overarches ethnic distinctions. “All nations.” This may have been at first understood to refer to the Jews, wherever dispersed among the nations; but it was soon taken in the wider meaning (see Gal 3:27, Gal 3:28). We are Christians first, then Britons, or Franks, or Germans.
(2) It connects heaven and earth. “All power,” etc.; “therefore,” etc. (see Eph 3:14, Eph 3:15).
“One family we dwell in him,
One Church above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.”
(3) It extends throughout the ages. It is not strictly correct to speak of the patriarchal, Jewish, and Christian Churches. The Church of God is one under the successive dispensations so distinguished (see Gal 3:16, Gal 3:29). We are grafted into the olive that grew in Abraham’s garden.
3. It has visible and invisible parts.
(1) There is no visible Catholic Church. We find no Scripture warrant for the idea. It would necessitate a division in the unity of the Church. It would introduce the monstrosity of two bodies to the one Head.
(2) The major part of the one Church is the invisible part. Disembodied saints from all the ages are in it. Hence it takes its name from its headquarters in heaven (see Heb 12:23). The spiritual members of it here on earth are the permanent members from amongst those thai are visible (see Rom 2:28, Rom 2:29). But they cannot be certainly known until the judgment.
(3) The Church of the baptized is a very noble corporation. It is a great honour to be connected with it. To be permanently so connected, we must have vital union with Christ.
(4) This is that Church so built by a true faith in the Son of God, that the gates of Hades cannot prevail against it (Mat 16:18). For the weeding out of the tares, at death, is a benefit, not an injury to it. The dissolution of the body does not for an instant interrupt the life of faith in Christ (see Joh 11:26).J.A.M.
HOMILIES BY R. TUCK
Mat 28:2
Angel ministries.
Concerning the nature or the location of angels we do know, probably we can know, nothing. When they have come into the earthly spheres they have always appeared to be men like ourselves; their peculiarity has not been their wings, but their purity and radiancy. But one thing does come out quite clearly and impressively from every case of angel visitation. They are always ministers, engaged in some form of ministering. Whatever dignity we may think to belong to the angels, it is the dignity that lies in service. Here in our text the angel is no mere figure; he has something to do; he waits upon the rising Lord, rolls back the stone from the door, and sits upon it. Summarizing the work of the angels, it is said, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
I. THE RIGHEST DIGNITY IN THE OTHER WORLD. Angels are beings that belong to the other world; and if we can get to know about them, we get to know something of the occupations, interests, and sentiments of the other world. And this is the thing which the angels more especially teach usin that other world their highest and noblest idea is “serving one another in love.” There is one characteristic of the eternal state. It is even so characteristic as to seem to be the only characteristic worth mentioningit is ministry. Heaven is heaven because every member can say, “I am among you as he that serveth.” They learn this of Christ.
II. THE HIGHEST DIGNITY IN THIS WORLD. The angels illustrate it, and the Lord Jesus taught it. “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant.” Instances may be taken from the several ages, pre-Christian and Christian; and it may be shown that we never have an angel exhibiting himself or getting for himself; they are always doing two thingsobeying and serving. Then show what an impression of the grandeur of angels we have. But what is our notion of them? Do we think of them as having extraordinary privileges? That is not their dignity. This is itthey have risen into the full joy of ministering. The circle is complete: God, Christ, the Spirit, beings of the other world, redeemed men and women in this world, are one in thisall are ministering.R.T.
Mat 28:6
Christ’s resurrection the acknowledgment of man’s soul victory.
Our Redeemer’s work lacks completeness until his soul triumph of trust and submission has manifestly, in some open way, gained the acknowledgment and acceptance of God. And this is precisely what we have in the Resurrection. In Gethsemane a soul triumph of obedience and trust was won. That soul triumph was tested by the physical woes of Calvary. That soul triumph was seen to have gained Divine acceptance on the morning of the Resurrection. And the acceptance of the perfect Son involves the acceptance of that humanity of which he was the Head and Representative. Our Lord’s humanity was headship. By natural generation all men are in Adam; by spiritual regeneration all men are in Christ, or may be in Christ. Examine this relation carefully.
I. THINK OF GETHSEMANE. There is the conflict between flesh and spirit, between the shrinking from duty which involved suffering, and the obedience and trust of the Son. Just the kind of struggle carried on in our souls many a time since then. We may say, “That conflict was undertaken for me. It was a necessary part of the working out of salvation for me which the Lord Jesus undertook.” But we may also say, “That conflict was mine.“ The fight between flesh and spirit was always ending in the mastery of the flesh, while I managed it myself. But I watch that great soul fight of Gethsemane with the holiest and intensest feeling, because it is mine. In Christ its Champion, humanity won liberty from the bondage of self, won the trust and the obedience of the Son.
II. THINK OF CALVARY. There the conflict was renewed. The first victory, which had been altogether one of the soul, of feeling, must be yet again proved in a conflict whose main clement should be bodily, physical suffering. Shame, weariness, pain, death agony, all tested the reality of the triumph that had been gained in Gethsemane. And here too we can see the representative character of our Redeemer’s work. We have often thought that we had won a right state of mind and feeling; but we have gone forth to actual life and relations, and found that our soul victory failed to stand the actual testings of life. We may say, “Jesus died on Calvary for me; a Sacrifice and Propitiation for my sins.” We may also say, “That death on Calvary was mine. I could not make my soul victory stand the test of the worries and pains and trials of life. Jesus took up the matter for me, and on Calvary I see myself in him; my burden on him; my fight fought by him; and his victory is victory for me,it is my victory.”
III. THINK OF THE RESURRECTION. It may be said, “But Jesus died.” It may seem as if his conflict ended in defeat. At Calvary we have no decided sign of victory. The disciples went away in hopelessness and tears. Can a word be spoken that shall relieve the darkness? We may find it in our text. Look at the burial place, and hear the angel say, “He is not here: for he is risen.” And we may say, “That resurrection was mine. It is the seal of my triumph. I stand now in all the joy and strength of a victor. In Christ my foot is on self and sin and death. I can enter into the ‘power of his resurrection.'” Are we then to expect freedom from temptation, deliverance from all the outward ills of life? Nay, not so. If I had said so, you would have smiled, as you remembered what cares worried, burdens pressed, and sins still humbled you. It is thislife, toil, suffering, look and are wholly different things when we realize Christ in us, we in Christ, and his victories involving ours in them. The resurrection of our Lord is the Divine acknowledgment of man’s soul victory over sinevil consequences; and over sinevil power. Those who are united by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ enter daily into his triumph; it is repeated in them again and again; and day by day they are “more than conquerors through him that loved them.” We often dwell on salvation from penalty. We should often realize that victory over sin and over self which is won for us by Christ. Too often we are satisfied with saying that we may have strength from Christ to wrestle with evil if we ask for it. But we ought to go on to say that we have the victory in having the risen and living Christ. Every form of evil Christ has met for us and beaten; that is, I, in Christ, have met and beaten. Sickness is a beaten foe; pain, loss, disappointment, suffering, are beaten foes; death itself is a beaten foe. And God has openly acknowledged man’s soul victory in raising his Son Jesus Christ from the dead.R.T.
Mat 28:9
Surpriseworship.
Canon Liddon, in an impressive sermon on this text, asks, “How did these women receive Jesus when thus (suddenly) he met them? The fear and great joy with which they had come out of the sepulchre must surely now have been intensified: fear,for here, beyond all question, was he who was so lately a tenant of the tomb, who had traversed the unseen world, the world of the dead; and great joy,for here was indisputable proof of the truth of the angel’s message, ‘He is risen.’ He was here himself, the same figure, the same form, the same gracious countenance, lately marred and bruised, now lighted up with an unearthly radiance, the pierced hands, the pierced feet. What did they do? They came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. There are three features in this action of these humble and deeply religious women that are especially deserving of our attention.
1. Their forgetfulness of themselves.
2. Their reverence.
3. Their tenacity of purpose;” this is taken as being suggested by their act of holding him by the feet. Attention may also be fixed on the fact that the women were taken by surprise, and that revealed much concerning them.
I. THEIR ACT UNDER SURPRISE SHOWED THAT THEIR FEELINGS TOWARDS CHRIST WERE GENUINE. Men are constantly found out by being “taken at unawares.” But a man who is thoroughly genuine never minds being “taken at unawares.” These women were sincere. In an instant genuine feeling worthily responded to the Christ revelation.
II. THEIR ACT UNDER SURPRISE SHOWED THEIR EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. Notice particularly what they did under impulse. It was what women would do under such circumstances, not what men would do. Women get round to Jesus by the heart rather than by the head; but he accepts the worship of emotion as freely as the worship of intellect. Let woman serve Christ woman’s way.
III. THEIR ACT UNDER SURPRISE NEEDED DIVINE CORRECTION. It was dangerously impulsive; it was unspiritual; it was a satisfaction in material presence; it lacked thought.R.T.
Mat 28:13
The helplessness of a foolish excuse.
If ever there was a foolish excuse offered, this was it. If they were Roman soldiers who composed the watch, everybody must have known it was untrue, for sleeping on duty was punished by death. If they were part of the temple guard, everybody would know that they had been set up to tell this tale by the enemies of Jesus. If inquiry be made concerning the source of St. Matthew’s information, it may suffice to remind that two at least of our Lord’s friends, Joseph and Nicodemus, were members of the Sanhedrin, and would be fully cognizant of the Sanhedrin secrets. The invention of an excuse, and bribing men to make it, show how bewildered the priest party was by the facts and incidents reported. They never attempted to deny the facts; they invented an excuse which they knew had no atom of foundation in fact. Those watchmen could not declare that one single disciple had been seen near the place. It is ever true that they are in grave danger of accusing themselves who attempt to excuse themselves.
I. THIS EXCUSE DECEIVED NOBODY.
1. It did not deceive the watchmen; they must have laughed as they looked into the anxious faces of these officials, and pocketed their hush money.
2. It did not deceive the priest party. They knew perfectly well that it was all their own invention, and never a disciple had touched the body.
3. It did not deceive Pilate, to whom the report was sure to come. He enjoyed the confusion of the men who had mastered him and compelled him to do a wrong.
4. It did not deceive the disciples. For they bad absolutely silent consciences, and the idea of stealing the body had never come to them.
5. It does not deceive us; for we can see that making such a lying excuse is just what the priest party was capable of; but stealing the body is just what the disciples were incapable of.
II. THIS EXCUSE DID NOT HELP THOSE WHO MADE IT. It did not touch the fact that the body was gone. It did not prevent the circulation of the report that Jesus was risen from the dead. These men spent their money for nothing, and only made themselves laughing stocks.
III. THIS EXCUSE DID HELP THOSE AGAINST WHOM IT WAS MADE. It drew attention to the disciples; it set men upon inquiring what had really happened; it made the fact of miraculous resurrection stand out all the more clearly.R.T.
Mat 28:18
Power in the risen Christ’s hands.
I. No one of us needs proofs of the fact of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. Yet that resurrection remains an unsolved mystery. No one can explain it, but we inquire concerning its significance. One point only now engages our attention. Everybody who dies lives after death. Our dead friends are not dead. We never think of them as dead. They are dead in the sense of ceasing to respond to their present environment, but they are not passed out of existence. Moses and Elias passed away from mortal scenes ages before, but they spake with Jesus in the holy mount. What is true of man is also true of the Divine Man. If never a word had been spoken about his resurrection, we should have known that Jesus lived after and beyond death. That cross could not end Jesus; it only liberated a human spirit. Have we learned the lesson which our Lord almost in vain. tried to teach Martha? She cried, in her blinding agony, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” He answered, “Thy brother shall rise again.” She misunderstood his reply, and away went her thoughts, coursing down the ages, until they came up against a great resurrection and judgment day. We need not so misunderstand our Lord. He did but wrap up his meaning in the usual figurative fashion. What he said was this, “Lazarus lives; is living now. What you really want, is not requickening of life, but restored relations of the living Lazarus to the body of Lazarus.”
II. There is a marked difference between our Lord’s living after death, and everybody else’s living after death. When a man dies his life work is done. He lives, but he cannot carry on his work. Moses dies on Mount Nebo; nay, Moses lives; but he cannot carry on his work, and lead Israel through into the Promised Land. The artist is visited by the angel of death with the half-finished picture on his easel. The artist lives, but he cannot perfect the picture. Charles Dickens died with his work ‘Edwin Drood’ half written, and the plot undisclosed. Sir Edgar Boehm was caught away from his studio with the part-moulded statue before him. They live, but they cannot touch and finish their incomplete work. If the dead are active in some unknown sphere, they are certainly dormant in relation to all their earth work. For them death ends all enterprise. But it was not so with Christ. Death did not end all. His redemptive mission was not closed with his death. He resumed his earth work. After death he took it up again. Call it a picture, Jesus worked again at the picture. Call it a book, Jesus wrote on at the book. Call it the redemption of man from sin. Call it the sanctification of men unto righteousness. Jesus, living after death, goes on redeeming, goes on sanctifying. And the full convincement of this fact is the real meaning and purpose of our Lord’s resurrection. It was forty days of showing us that he was at work again; of helping us to realize what his work was, and what his work would be forever. Our dead Lord is not only alive, he is active in relation to his lifework. “Alive forevermore;” his power is thus symbolized, “He has the keys of hell and of death.”
III. The text declares the renewal of our Lord’s commission. All power is given into the hands of Christ, but the only power Christ knows of or cares for is spiritual power. What the world calls “power” was to Christ illusion, mockery, play. To be Earth-King of humanity presented no attraction to him. The power given to Christ is the spiritual power, for which alone he cared. It is power on the souls that we are, and not mere power over the bodies that we have, and the relations that our bodies can sustain.
IV. How did Jesus come to have this spiritual power? It is easy to say that God gave it to him; but there must be some good reason why God gave it to him, and to no one but him. And it seems that God’s giving was really thissealing to him the power which Jesus himself had won; and putting Jesus in the place or office where his power could have free, full exercise. Christ’s life on the earth was the moral discipline, the varied testing, the range of experiences, which prepared him for the trust of power to save which he now holds. Moral forces on moral beings are gained only through moral experiences. He who would save man must be man, must know man, must go at least a representative round of human experiences.R.T.
Mat 28:19
The threefold Name.
“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Sometimes the Name of the Lord Jesus only is mentioned in the formula. Here our Lord gives one Name with three sounds. Each separate Name giving a distinct relation of the one Being to men. Our Lord did not say, “in the names,” but “in the Name.” However we may present the threefoldness, we must keep it manifestly consistent with the Divine unity. “The union of the three names in one formula (as in the benediction of 2Co 13:14) is in itself a proof at once of the distinctness and equality of the three Divine Persons.” The apostles were to go forth, and disciple all nations, that is, bring them all into the full joy of sonship with God, into which they had themselves been brought; and they were to receive their pledge and seal their sonship by baptizing them into the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The significance of the threefold Name is seen in the light of this recovered sonship of men.
I. THE NAME OF THE FATHER, WHO CLAIMS THE SONSHIP. It is the relation to himself in which God set his creatures. They are his children. He designed to give them fatherly care; he expected from them sonlike obedience. Men are sons of God, and they ought to have lived and served like sons. Man’s sin lay in refusing his sonship. But man’s wilfulness could not affect God’s claim. God still demands sonship of every child born in his image.
II. THE NAME OF THE SON, WHO SHOWS THE SONSHIP. In his own earth life of trust and obedience. Men who, in their wilfulness, refused their sonship, came at last to lose their sense of sonship; they needed to have the very idea recovered; they needed to see it as an actual realized fact, and that is the meaning of Christ’s living through a Son’s life here on earth.
III. THE NAME OF THE HOLY GHOST, WHO WORKS THE SONSHIP. For the sonship must not he a mere external fact, a formal ordering of the conduct and relations. True sonship is a cherished spirit, which finds expression in outward relations. And the Holy Ghost is God working within us, in the spheres of thought, Of motive, and of feeling. He ever freshly inspired the spirit of sonship. One NameGod who asks response in sonship.R.T.
Mat 28:20
The vision of the abiding Christ.
Christ ever with us must be, in some way, effectively apprehended by us, or it will be but vague, helpless sentiment. We must be able to see him who is thus “with us always.” What, then, is seeing the living Christ?
I. THE WORLD‘S WAY OF SEEING CHRIST. The “world” is our Lord’s term for men who are outside his special renewal, who are left to the guidance of the senses and the mind in their “feeling after God, if haply they might find him.” The man in Christ is the man to whom God is the inspiration and the life. The man of the world is the man who is satisfied to be his own inspiration and his own life. The “world” represents such a seeing of Christ as is possible to the senses; and even to the senses God “manifest in the flesh” has been shown. The “world,” on its own terms, and in its own ways, has seen the Christ. He has been looked upon, handled, and listened to. He has made his impressions on lawyer and Pharisee, Sadducee and scribe, priest and princely governor, as well as on the common people. The senses could see Christ, but they could not see much. And so to the “world,” Christ is really lost, gone away. “He is not,” says the world; “for I cannot see him.” And with this it thinks to settle the question. But exactly what we have to contend with is the world’s incapacity to see the unseen. It is not best to have our Lord in the sphere of our senses. Once having had, for a while, the sense manifestation of Christ, it is better, every way better, that the sense limits should be removed. Want we want now, and what we have, is an “unlocalized, invisible, spiritually present, everywhere-present Saviour.”
II. THE DISCIPLES‘ WAY OF SEEING CHRIST. For their good, their Master often puzzled those disciples. As they sat at table with him in the upper room, they were in a most bewildered state of mind. They could not get at their Lord’s meaning. He was going away. He was coming again. He was going away in order that he might come again. Others would not be able to see him, but they would be able. Perhaps they lighted on this explanation. He means that the memory of his life and character, and the influence of his wise teachings, will abide with us, and that will be, in some sense, like having him present with us. And that would be a wonderful advance on the “world’s” way of seeing Christ. And yet even that way is too limited. For those first disciples it put Christ into the limits of their personal knowledge and experience of him, and that could not have been his meaning when he said, “But ye see me.” For us it limits the apprehension of Christ to the Gospel records. He would have us reach something altogether higher than that. He himself is “with us all the days.”
III. CHRIST‘S WAY OF SHOWING HIMSELF TO US. Jesus, in the upper room, talked much to his disciples about the Spirit. They could not at first think of their Lord as Spirit, because they had him with them in the flesh. But he tried to make them feel that this Spirit would do for them permanently just what he had done for them temporarily. He would comfort them, watch over them, teach them, sanctify them. And at last he ventured to say, “When your eyes are fully opened, you will see that the Comforter, who ‘abides with you alway,’ will really be me come back to you again.” “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” It is as if he had said,” I pass from the region of bodily senses. I shall not be only a mental memory. To the opened, trusting, loving heart I shall come, to be the spirit and life of his spirit; to be a new and nobler self in him.” In their measure the great apostles seem to have caught their Lord’s meaning. St. Peter, standing beside the sick AEneas, spoke as if he actually saw the Lord there present, and said, “AEneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.” St. John seems to be always with Christ. You never see him but you seem to see also his Master. You never listen to a word from his lips, or read a word from his pen, but you feel that, behind the words, is the inspiration of the Master himself. St. Paul seems to gain a twofold sight of the ever-present Christ. Sometimes he sees himself, as it were, ensphered in Christ: “I knew a man in Christ.“ Sometimes he realizes Christ as a mysterious other One, Divine One, who dwells within us. He speaks of “Christ in us,” and says, with the most surprising spiritual insight, “I live: yet not I; Christ liveth in me.” Christ is with us all the days, and we may know that he is; we may even see him.R.T.
NOTE.The Exposition in this volume, from Joh 15:1-27. to the end, is written by the Revelation W. J. Deane, M.A.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Mat 28:1. In the end of the sabbath, &c. Some writers close the last chapter thus, Sealing the stone, and setting a watch late on the sabbath; and begin the present, and when it began to dawn, &c. as the Jewish day began at sun-setting, the Jews distinguished the evening into two parts, which they called the first and second evening; the first being the evening with which the preceding day ended, and the second the evening with which the new day began. The first evening was the space from three in the afternoon to sun-setting; the second began at sun-setting, and lasted till nine, comprehending the whole first watch of the night. Those able and ingenious writers who have written upon our Lord’s resurrection, are not agreed whether the word rendered the end, signifies the first evening or the second. I. They who imagine that the first evening was intended by the historian, suppose that the two Marys went to visit the sepulchre at the end of the Jewish sabbath, or about the setting of the sun; but that they were prevented by the earthquake, mentioned Mat 28:2 which frighted them so that they turned back. To remove the objection which might be drawn from the expression, as it began to dawn, , they observe, that the Greek word, though it implies that idea in its primary signification, yet in Luk 23:54 signifies to be about to begin, or to draw on, and that the word should be used in the same sense in this passage; In the end of the sabbath, as it drew near to the first day of the week. II. They who imagine the historian is speaking of the second evening, appear to be supported by the account in St. Mark, as well as that in St. John; for whether we take the Greek word to signify to draw near, or to dawn, as both these interpretations may imply that it was yet dark, its beginning, or drawing near to the dawn, will be allowed to denote the same point of time; namely, the end of the night, and the beginning of the day. The only question arising from this interpretation is, how this can be reconciled with the time mentioned by St. Mark, namely, the rising of the sun? Mar 16:2. But this question may be solved upon the principle of the former hypothesis, that the women set out towards the end of the evening, or towards the dawn, but were prevented from coming to the sepulchre till the time determined by St. Mark. And indeed the order of St. Matthew’s narration requires, that his words should be understood to signify the time of their setting out, otherwise all that is related of the earthquake, &c. must be thrown into a parenthesis, which would verymuch disturb the series of the history, and introduce much greater harshness into the construction, than any avoided by it: nay, it must be confessed that there can hardly be any harshness in the interpretation now contended for. The word , in St. Matthew, might as well have been translated went as came; the verb, itself signifying both to go and to come, and consequently being capable of either sense, as the context may require. That in St. Matthew requires to take the original word in the former sense, for the sake of order, and for the following reason: the principal fact upon the account of which the whole history of the women’s going to the sepulchre seems to have been related, is the resurrection of Christ: and this fact is absolutely without a date, if the words of St. Matthew are to be understood to denote the time of the women’s arrival at the sepulchre. When we say without a date, we mean, that it does not appear from any thing in St. Matthew or the other evangelists, at what hour of that night this great event happened: all the information they give us is, that when the women came to the sepulchre, they were told by angels that he was risen. But on the contrary, by understandingSt. Matthew to speak of the time of Mary Magdalene’s setting out to take a view of the sepulchre, we have the date of the resurrection settled, and know precisely that Christ rose from the dead between the dawning of the day and the sun-rising: and can any substantial reason be assigned, whySt. Matthew, having thought fit to enter into so circumstantial an account of the resurrection, should omit the date of so important a fact; or that, not intendingto mark it, by mentioning the time of the women’s going to the sepulchre, he should place that fact before another, which in order of time is prior to it? All these considerations therefore seem to be powerful arguments for understanding this passage of St. Matthew in the sense aboveexpressed. About St. Mark’s meaning there is no dispute: he certainly intended to express the time of the women’s arrival at the sepulchre; his words cannot be taken in any other sense: those in St. John are limited to the same interpretation with those of St. Matthew, it having been allowed before, that they both speak of the same point of time. The reason of the two Marys setting out so early is here assigned. They went to take a view of the sepulchre; that is to say, in general to see if all things were in the same condition in which they had left them two days before; that ifin that interval any thing extraordinary had happened, they might report ittotheircompanions,and,inconjunctionwiththem,take their measures accordingly. Hence it is also evident why they were so few in number; they came to view the sepulchre, and came before the time appointed fortheir meeting. They knew that they themselves were not able to roll away the stone, which they had seen placed by Joseph of Arimathea at the mouth of the sepulchre, and which they knew could not be removed without a great number of hands. Accordingly, as they drew near, they said among themselves, Who shall roll away the stone for us from the door of the sepulchre? Words which intimate that one of their chief views in coming to see the sepulchre, was to survey this stone, and to consider whether they, and the other women who had appointed to meet them there, were by themselves able to remove it, or whether they must have recourse to the assistance of others; for who shall roll away the stone for us? implies a sense of their own inability, and of the necessity of calling in others; after which the only thing to be considered was whom, and how many. This therefore was the point under deliberation when they approached the sepulchre. It is plain from thesewords, that they did not expect to find any body there, and consequently that they knew nothing of the guard which the high-priests had set to watch the sepulchre; of which had they received any intelligence, theyhardly would have ventured to come at all, or would not have deliberated about rolling away the stone, as the only or greatest difficulty. See West on the Resurrection, p. 48, 4
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 28:1 . On the various ways of viewing and interpreting the story of the resurrection , see, as regards their critical aspect, Keim, III. p. 527 ff.; and on the apologetic side, consult Steinmeyer, Apolog. Beitr . III. 1871.
] but late on the Sabbath , means neither after the close of the Sabbath (Olshausen, de Wette, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ewald, Bleek), nor: after the close of the week (Severus of Antioch, Euthymius Zigabenus, Grotius, Wieseler, p. 425); for , sero , with a defining genitive (without which it occurs nowhere else in the New Testament) always denotes the lateness of the period thus specified and still current ( , Euthymius Zigabenus). Comp. in general, Krger, xlvii. 10. 4; Khner, II. 1, p. 292. Take the following as examples of this usage from classical authors: Xen. Hist . ii. 1. 14; Thuc. iv. 93. 1 : ; Dem. p. 541, ult .: ; Luc. Dem. enc . 14, and de morte Peregr . 21 : . Hence by: late on the Sabbath , we are not to suppose Saturday evening to be intended, any such misunderstanding being precluded both by the nature of the expression made use of, an expression by no means synonymous with the usual (in opposition to Keim), and by what is still further specified immediately after, but far on in the Saturday night , after midnight, toward daybreak on Sunday , in conformity with the civil mode of reckoning, according to which the ordinary day was understood to extend from sunrise till sunrise again. Lightfoot, comparing the Rabbinical expression , aptly observes: “ totam noctem denotat.” Comp. so early a writer as Augustine, de cons. ev. 24. Consequently the point of time mentioned here is substantially identical with that given in Luk 24:1 : , and in Joh 20:1 : . ; while, on the other hand, Mar 16:2 represents the sun as already risen. For comp. Ammonius: .
. when it was dawning toward Sunday, i.e. as the light was beginning to appear on the morning of Sunday. Understand after .; and for , comp. Herod, iii. 86: , also Mar 9:45 . The participial expression without the is similar to , and the like (Khner, II. 1, p. 228). Keim supposes the evening to be intended, since, according to the Jewish mode of reckoning, the day began with the rising of the stars or the lighting of lamps, so that the meaning of our passage would be as follows: “In the evening after six o’clock, just when the stars were beginning to twinkle” [39] But to say nothing of the startling discrepancy that would thus arise between Matthew and the other evangelists, we would be under the necessity, according to Luk 23:54 (see on the passage), of understanding the words immediately following as simply equivalent to: ; comp. , Ev. Nicod . 12, p. 600, Thilo’s edition. Nor, if we adopt Keim’s interpretation, is it at all clear what substantive should be understood along with . Ewald, Apost. Zeit . p. 82, unwarrantably supplies , and, like Keim, supposes the reference to be to the evening lighting of the lamps, though he is inclined to think that Matthew intended summarily to include in his statement what the women did on Saturday evening and early on Sunday, a view which finds no support whatever in the text; as for the intention to embalm the body, there is no trace of such a thing in Matthew. Lastly, to suppose that in framing his statement as to the time here in question, the author of our revised Gospel has had recourse to a combination of Mar 16:1-2 (Weiss), is to give him but little credit for literary skill; for instead of taking the trouble to form any such combination, he had only to take Mark’s two statements and place the one after the other, thus: , . But so far from that, he has proceeded in entire independence of Mark.
The expression corresponds exactly to the Rabbinical mode of designating the days of the week: , Sunday; , Monday; , Tuesday, and so on. See Lightfoot, p. 500. Observe that denotes, in the first instance, Sabbath , and then week ; and similarly, that the to be understood with . is to be taken in the sense of day light (Joh 4:4 ; Joh 11:9 ; Rom 8:12 ; 1Th 5:5 ).
] as in Mat 27:56 .
In Joh 20:1 only Mary Magdalene is mentioned, whereas in the Synoptists we have an amplified version of the tradition as regards the number of the women, Matthew mentioning two, Mark three (Salome), while Luke (Mat 24:10 ) gives us to understand that, in addition to the two Marys and Joanna, whom he specially names, there were several others. In dealing with such discrepancies in the tradition we should beware of seeking to coerce the different narratives into harmony with one another, which can never be done without prejudice to their respective authors. We see an illustration of this in the supposition that Mary Magdalene came first of all to the grave, and then hastened back to the city to inform Peter of what had taken place, and that during her absence Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and the other women arrived (Olshausen, Ebrard). Comp. on Joh 20:1 . The same thing is exemplified by the other view, that Mary Magdalene went to the grave along with the rest of the women, but that on the way back she outran the others, etc. For the various attempts to harmonize the divergent narratives, see Griesbach, Opusc . II. p. 241 ff.; Strauss, II. p. 570 ff.; Wieseler, p. 425 ff.
] to look at the grave ; according to Mark and Luke, to anoint the body. This latter statement is the more original and more correct of the two, though Matthew could not consistently adopt it after what he had said about the sealing and watching of the grave.
[39] This idea of Keim’s about the twinkling of the stars is an importation; for the expression , as applied to the evening, has reference only to the ordinary domestic lighting of the lamps. See in particular, Lightfoot on Luk 23:54 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
PART SEVENTH
Christ in the Perfection of His Kingly Glory
Matthew 28
UPON MATTHEWS ACCOUNT OF THE RESURRECTION
The relation of this Gospel of the Resurrection to the whole evangelical tradition is to be seen only after a brief sketch of the latter
I. The Appearances in Juda, in Jerusalem, at Emmaus, belong to the Period of the Israelitish Passover
1. The first Easter1 morning.Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, proceed to the grave, Mar 16:1. They are to be followed (see Luke) by the other women, who are bringing the spices and ointments. The three who thus went in advance, behold the stone rolled away, and are affected in quite different ways by this sight. The narrative now divides into two portions.
Excitement and ecstasy seize upon Mary Magdalene.She hurries into the city (and toward the male disciples), reports the facts to Peter and John; hurries back again, sees two angels in the grave, and afterward the Lord. She brings then the message to the disciples. Meanwhile Peter and John have arrived at the grave, and found it empty.
Mary, the mother of James, and Salome, at the sight of the removed stone, collect themselves, advance more closely, and see one angel sitting upon the stone. The Easter message of the angel. They hurry back in great fear and joy (and toward the female disciples), long undecided whether they will announce what they had seen or not. And, in this state, they meet the other women, who are bringing the ointments. All together now visit the empty tomb of Jesus, where they now (see Luke) behold two angels, as the Magdalene had done before (see the authors Commentary on Mark). After they had started back to the city, they were met by the Lord.
Besides, in the course of the day, Peter also had a manifestation. Hence three messages from the risen Saviourthree messages from the empty grave.
2. The first Easter evening.Christ appears to the two disciples going to Emmaus (Luke), walks with them, goes into the house, and then disappears. Next He appears in Jerusalem in their evening meeting, on which occasion Thomas is absent.
3. The second Sunday (eight days after the first Easier morning).Appearance in the evening among the disciples. Revelation of the Lord specially for Thomas (see John). The feast of the Passover continued till the preceding Friday. The disciples would not, of course, set out upon Saturday, or Sabbath. They remained also the second Sunday,2 which shows that it had become to them already a second (a Christian) sabbath, and that they waited on that holy day for the full assurance of the fact of the resurrection to the doubting disciple (Thomas). Probably Monday following was the day of their departure.
II. The Appearances in Galilee, during the Return of the Galileans, Between Easter and Pentecost
1. The appearance at the Sea of Galilee unto the seven disciples (John 21.). Peters restoration. The declaration of the future fate of Peter and John in their import for the Church.
2. The great revelation of Jesus in the circle of His disciples upon the mountain in Galilee (Mat 28:16 ff.; Mar 15:18-18; Luk 24:45-49; 1Co 15:6).
3. The special appearance to James. Probably it was not (as the tradition says) to James the Less, but to the Elder: and the object, probably, was to direct the disciples through James to go up to Jerusalem earlier than usual.
III. The Appearances In Jerusalem and on Mount Olivet, About The Time of Pentecost
The history of the Ascension (Mark, Luke, the Acts). We reckon, accordingly, five manifestations upon the first day of Easter3 the sixth upon the following Sunday. The two great and decisive appearances in Galilee, forming the centre, are the seventh and eighth. Then the appearance to James, also without doubt in Galilee. And finally the tenth, which closed with the Ascension.
We must notice this distinction, that in the first five instances Jesus appeared unexpectedly and suddenly, and as quickly vanished. But, for the second grand revelation upon the mountain in Galilee, He issued a formal invitation, and in all probability tarried some time in their midst; and this holds true, apparently, of the last interview, when He walked along so confidingly among His Apostles, from Jerusalem to Bethany, that they might have thought He would now remain with them always.
[The order of the events after the resurrection given by Dr. Lange is very ingenious and plausible. For other arrangements of Lightfoot, Lardner, West, Townson, Newcome, Da Costa, Greswell, Ebrard, Robinson, see the convenient tables in Andrews: Life of Christ, pp. 587592. Also Nast: Commentary on Matthew and Mark, pp. 629632. If anywhere in the history of our Saviour, we must look for differences of statement in this most wonderful and mysterious period of the forty days, which deals with facts that transcend all ordinary Christian experience. Our inability to harmonize the narratives satisfactorily in every particular, arises naturally from our want of knowledge of all the details and circumstances in the precise order of their occurrence, and proves nothing against the facts themselves. On the contrary, minor differences with substantial agreement, tend strongly to confirm those facts, far more than a literal agreement, which might suggest the suspicion of a previous understanding and mutual dependence of the witnesses.P. S.]
Of the rich treasury of these evangelical traditions, Matthew has given us merely the first angelic appearance, seen at the grave by the women, Christs revelation to these females, and the appearance of the Lord among His disciples upon the mountain in Galilee. But he has, besides this, introduced into his narrative the account of the bribery of the sepulchral guards (vers.1115). This last record, and also Christs majestic revelation, are peculiar to him.It is manifestly his chief design to depict Christs royal majesty, as revealed by a few decisive transactions. In addition to this, it is his chief interest to make the contrast between the Lords kingly glory and the Messianic expectations on the part of the Jews, appear now most distinctly (as this wish may have been his reason for continually designating the New Testament kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven). Hence he places the scene of the most important events in the resurrection-history in Galilee. Galilee was the place to which the disciples were pointed by the angels (Mat 28:7). In Galilee the Lord Himself bade His brethren assemble. Accordingly, it is in Galilee that the chief revelation occurs, during which Christ proclaims His share in the worlds government, institutes holy baptism, and promises His ever-abiding presence in the Church till the end of the world.
All these points are no doubt to be found in the general evangelical history; but it is Matthew who brings them out most strongly, and contrasts them with the chiliastic views of the Jews, who refused to dissever the glory of the Messiah from the external Zion and the external temple. For the same reason, Matthew directs attention to the contrast between the deep misery of unbelieving Judaism, as presented in the narrative of the bribed guards, and the glorious certainty of believing Judaism, in beholding the revelation of the Lord upon the mountain, when He presented Himself in the brightness of His omnipotence, and of the holy Trinity, and instituted as victor His victorious Church. The first section is an expressive type of the Talmud and its supporters, of Judaism sunken in deceit, employed in futile endeavors, and making common cause with heathendom; while the second is a type of the Gospel and the world-conquering Church.
From the brevity and elevated conception that characterize the account given by Matthew, we must expect, however, several inaccuracies. Hence it is that the two reports brought by the women are woven into one; and the second vision of angels, seen by Mary Magdalene, is united with the first, which the other women had beheld. The same is the case regarding the two distinct appearances of Christ to the women. Matthew agrees with John in not stating that the design of the women was to anoint the Lord. This omission was probably intentional Undoubtedly, the ostensible object of the women was to anoint Christs body; but, at the same time, a higher motive, of which they were themselves but darkly conscious, drove them to the grave,the germ of hope, that Jesus will arise, which His promises necessarily produced. This supposition gains some ground from the free, general account, found in Matthew and John, omitting as they do all mention of the anointing. When dealing with the self-manifestation of Jesus upon the mountain, where there were more than five hundred believers witnessing His glory, Matthew mentions only the Eleven, because it was his intention to conclude his Gospel with the apostolic commission which the heavenly King issued to the world, putting it first into the hands of His Apostles, and sealing it unto them with His promise.
The imaginary and real differences between the various accounts of the circumstances of Christs resurrection found in the four Gospels, have been pointed out by the Wolfenbttel Fragmentist [Reimarus], and exaggerated beyond all the limits of historical justice by Strauss, as if they were as many irreconcilable contradictions. As opposed to his views, consult, in addition to the older harmonists, Tholuck upon John; Hug, Gutachten, ii. p. 210; W. Hoffmann, p. 408 ff.; Neander, Life of Christ, p. 771; Ebrard, Criticism of the Gospel History, p. 712 ff. A short resum of the most striking differences will be found in de Wettes Commentary on Matthew, p. 244 ff.
One of the most important differences Strauss finds in this, that Jesus commands the disciples, according to Matthew and Mark, to go into Galilee to see Him; while Luke represents Him as issuing the command not to depart from Jerusalem till they should be gifted with power from on high. But this is merely an apparent contradiction. Strauss has overlooked the real state of matters, and has quite forgotten the relations in which Galilean visitors stood to the Jewish feasts of the Passover and of Pentecost. When Jesus had risen, the Passover was almost at an end. Jesus revealed Himself, it is true, at that time and place to the Eleven; but He delayed His appearance to the Church until He arrived in Galilee, partly because He wished not to expose them to the persecution of the hierarchy in Jerusalem in their young faith in the resurrection,4 partly because He wished to remove from the disciples every idea of His manifestation being necessarily connected with the old temple. But it may be easily conceived that the disciples would not lightly leave the scene where Jesus had first revealed Himself, namely, Jerusalem; and that this supposition is true, is proved by the fact, that they tarried still two days after the close of the Passover (which lasted a whole week) for the sake of Thomas, who still doubted, and many others of the larger circle of disciples, who probably doubted with him [comp. Mat 28:17]. On this account, the command of the Lord comes, enjoining them to prepare for their departure. Besides, some of the disciples required some time to prepare themselves for the joy of seeing Him,especially the mother of Jesus, Accordingly, after that they became convinced of the certainty of His resurrection, they returned homeward, according to their old festive habits. At the time of the Ascension, however, or toward the end of the forty days, the period for going up to the feast of Pentecost was at hand; and on this occasion they were induced, it would appear, to depart at an unusually early date. There is probably a connection between this earlier departure and Christs appearance to James. (See the authors Leben Jesu, ii. 3, 1761.)
The differences, however, between the accounts of the first announcement of the resurrection, found in the four Gospels, are an important testimony, when exactly weighed, to the truth of the history of the resurrection. It is no doubt remarkable, that literal, or external, protocol-like certainty, should be wanting, exactly in the place where the Christian faith seeks and does actually find the beginning of the confirmation of all its certainties. Faith, even here, is not to be supported upon the letter, but upon the substance,upon the real essence of the facts. This essence, this spirit, comes out here most distinctly, and is manifested exactly through the differences themselves, because these are the indications of the extraordinary effect produced by the resurrection upon the band of the disciples. The evangelical records give no narration of facts, simply for the sake of the facts, and apart from their effects; but they present us with a history, which has individualized itself to the view of the Evangelist. And hence the Easter occurrences are retained and rehearsed as reminiscences never to be forgotten; and differ accordingly, as the stand-points of the disciples vary, and yet preserve a great degree of harmony. In this way it is that we are to explain the remarkable individualities and variations to be found in the accounts of the resurrection and manifestations of the risen Saviour; and in these accounts is contained for all time the joyous fright of the Church, caused by the great tidings of the resurrection. Just as, in a festive motetto, the voices are apparently singing in confusion, seemingly separate, and contradict another, while in reality they are bringing out one theme in a higher and holier harmony; so is it here. The one Easter history, with its grand unity, meets, when all the different accounts are combined, the eye in all its clearness and distinctness. The answer to each of the seeming contradictions is to be found in the organic construction which has been attempted above.
Literature.See Winer: Handbuch der theolog. Literatur, i. p. 291; Danz: Universal- Wrterbuch, p. 91; Supplemente, p. 11; Gschel: Von den Beweisen fr die Unsterblicrkeit der menschlichen Seele im Lichte der speculativen Philosophie, 1835 (see the Preface); Doedes: De Jesu in vitam reditu. Utr. 1841; Reich: Die Auferstehung Jesu Christi als Heihthatsache, 1846; Hasse: Das Leben des verklrten Erlsers im Himmel nach den eignen Aussprchen des Herrn, ein Beitrag zur biblischen Theologie, Leipzig, 1854; W. F. Besser: Die Leidens- und Herrlichkeitsgeschichte nach den 4 Evangelisten in Bibelstunden fr die Gemeinde ausgelegt. Second Part: Die Herrlichkeitsgeschichte, 4th ed., Halle, 1857; Schrader: Der Verkehr des Auferstandenen mit den Seinen, fnf Betrachtungen, Kiel, 1857. The article, Auferstehung, by Kling, in Herzogs Real-Encyklopdie [vol. i. p. 592 ff. Among English works we refer to Robinson: Harmony, and Andrews: Life of our Lord, p. 570 ff.P. S.].
Easter (German, Ostern).The name. The month of April is called, up to this day, Easter-month (Ostermonat); and as early as Eginhart we find Ostermanoth. The holy festable of the Christians, which is celebrated generally in April, or toward the close of March, bears, in the oldest remains of the old High German dialect, the name star; generally the plural form is found, because two Easter-days were observed. This star must, like the Anglo-Saxon Estre, have been the name for some superior being among the heathen, whose worship had struck its roots so deep, that the name was retained and applied to one of the chief festivals of the Christian year. All our neighboring nations have retained the name Pascha; even Ulfilas has paska, not austro, although he must have been familiar with the term, exactly as the northern languages introduce pskis (Swedish), pask, and the Danish paaske. The old High German adverb star indicates the east; so the old Norse austr, probably the Anglo-Saxon eitor, Gothic austr. In the Latin tongue, the quite identical auster indicates the south. In the Edda, a male being, a spirit of light, bears the name Austri; while the High German and Saxon stem have formed but one Ostara.Ostara, Eastre, may accordingly have been the god of the beaming morning, of the rising light, a joyful, blessing-bringing appearance, whose conception could easily be employed to designate the resurrection-festival of the Christians God. Joyous bonfires were kindled at Easter; and, according to the myth long believed by the people, the sun made, early upon the morning of the first Easter-day, three springs for joy,a festive dance of gladness. Jacob Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie, p. 247. So also Beda Ven., De temporum ratione: A dea illorum (veterum Anglorum) qu Eostre vocabatur. The other explanation, held to by many, that the name comes from the Germanic urstan,=to rise, must yield to this historical etymology. The similarity of auster goes no farther than the mere sound; but, on the other hand, the Greek name for the morning-red, and for the east, , Doric , olic , is to be connected. The transference of the heathen name is explained by the fact, that a popular festival was united with the day of the god of light among the heathen, as with the celebration of the resurrection among the Christians. The peoples festival, not that of the god, was transferred. It became a christianized national festival, retaining the old name; and this occurred all the more easily, because the name signified rather a religious personification than a chief divinity of heathenism, and the celebration of the name symbolized fully the Christian holy day. Just as the festival of the returning (unconquered) sun, as a festival of joy, became united in symbolic import with the Christian festival of Christmas, so the festival of the spring sun, and of the life-fraught morning glow, coming forth in spring out from the winter storms, became a symbolic celebration of the spiritual Easter Sun, which rose out of the night of the grave.
The day of preparation for the Easter festival in the ancient Church was the great or sacred Sabbath (Sabbatum magnum), and was observed as a general fast. The afternoon of that day was a period for a general administration of baptism. In the evening there was an illumination in the towns; and the congregation assembled for the Easter vigils (), and these lasted till Easter morning. Upon Easter Sunday ( , ), the Christians greeted one another with mutual blessings; and the day was signalized by works of benevolence and charity. Easter Monday was the second celebration, as the festival of their unhesitating belief in the resurrection; but the Easter holydays, in the wider sense, did not conclude till the next Sunday (Dominica in albis), which derived its name from the custom of leading those who had been baptized into the church in their white baptismal garments. A new part of the entire quinquagesimal festival began with Ascension Sunday, and closed with the feast of Pentecost, which resembled the Easter festival.Upon the Easter festival (osterfest), compare Fr. Strauss:* Das evang. Kirchenjahr, p. 218; Bobertag: Das evang. kirchenjahr, 2 p. 155. Strauss: The Easter festival is the chief Christian festival. It is not simply chief feast, but the feast, coming round in its full glory but once in the year, but yet appearing in some form in all the other holy days, and constituting their sacredness. Every holyday, yea, even every Sunday, was called for this reason dies paschalis. Easter is the original festival in the most comprehensive sense. No one can tell when the festival arose; it arose with the Church, and the Church with it.
__________
FIRST SECTION
THE ANGEL FROM HEAVEN AND THE FAITHFUL WOMEN. THE RISEN SAVIOUR AND THE FAITHFUL WOMEN. THE WATCHWORD: INTO GALILEE!
Mat 28:1-10
(Mar 16:1-11; Luk 24:1-22; Joh 20:1-18.)
1In the end of the [Jewish] Sabbath [Now after the Sabbath, ]5, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the [festal] week [ , i.e., the Christian Sunday],6 came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the [an] angel of the Lord7 descended 3from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,8 and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which [who] was crucified, 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay 7And 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. 8And they departed9 quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run [and ran] to bring his disciples word.10 9And as they went to tell his disciples,11 behold, Jesus me them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Mat 28:1. But about the end. . The peculiar expression is explained by the context. It was the time of the dawn, or of breaking day ( to be supplied in connection with ), on the first day of the week, Sunday. Similar are the statements of Luke and John; while Mark says: about sunrise. But there are various explanations attached to this expression of Matthew.12 1. De Wette and others explain: After the Sabbath had ended; 2. Grotius and others: After the week had closed; 3. Meyer: Late upon the Sabbath. So that it is not the accurate Jewish division of time, according to which the Sabbath ended at six on Saturday evening, but the ordinary reckoning of the day, which extends from sunrise to sunrise, and adds the night to the preceding day. Meyers assertion, that , with the genitive of the time, always points to a still continuing period as a late season, would support this view, if it were true, but it is doubtful13 Pape translates the found in Philostr.; long after the Trojan war. But the fact, that Matthew makes the first day of the week begin here with sunrise, is decisive in Meyers favor.= , Sunday. According to Matthews method of expression, which is always so full of meaning, we find a doctrinal emphasis in the words, late in the evening of the (old) Sabbath season, as it began to dawn toward the early morning of the (new) Sunday season.
Came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary.John names only Mary Magdalene; Mark adds Salome; Luke (Mat 24:10), several others, namely, Johanna, the wife of Chusa, as we learn from Luk 8:3. These differences of the narrations arise from the intention of emphasizing different circumstances. We must begin with Mark. Three women go first to the graveMagdalene, the other Mary, and Salome. Matthew omits Saiome, because he intends to continue his account of the two women, Magdalene and Mary (Mat 27:61). John keeps only Magdalene before his eye, because she is seized with excitement on finding the stone rolled away, and, hurrying away alone to the city, calls the two disciples; and because he wishes to relate this circumstance and Magdalenes succeeding history. Lukes attention was occupied chiefly with the women who were bringing the spices and ointments, and accordingly writes of the second body of females, who followed the first three. Meyer maintains that it is impossible to harmonize the different accounts. A judicious critic will, however, only oppose a forced harmony.
To see the sepulchre.Luke and Mark: to anoint the corpse. We have already seen that the women went in two parties to the grave; and those who brought the ointments came second; the first came for information. This hurrying on before the others is explained by fear, unconscious hopes of a resurrection, longing and impatient desire.
Mat 28:2. And, behold, there was () a great earthquake.Meyer: It is quite arbitrary to take the aorist in the sense of the pluperfect (Castalio, Kuinoel, Kern, Ebrard, etc.), or to make signify an unfinished action (de Wette). But arbitrary, also, is the hypothesis, that the women must have seen all. The earthquake was felt by them as well as by all the disciples; the angel was beheld by Mary and Salome, sitting upon the stone rolled away, and perhaps also by the affrighted guard; but that which occurred between, the rolling away of the stone, etc., could have been supplied by the Apostles prophetic intuition. The resurrection of the Lord itself was not a matter of actual bodily vision. The old and general view (see especially the Fathers, as quoted by Calovius) is, that Jesus rose while the grave was still closed, and that the tomb was opened merely to prove the resurrection.14 Meyer. But this is rather an arbitrary and supernatural separation of the occurrences.15
Mat 28:5. Fear not ye, .Opposed to the terror of the guard, whose fear might have caused them to be filled with wonder. Meyer gives these words their correct explanation, pointing out the false interpretation which had been made of .16
[Mat 28:6.Hilary: Through woman death was first introduced into the world; to woman the first announcement was made of the resurrection. Chrysostom: Observe how our Lord elevates the weaker sex, which had fallen into dishonor through the transgression of Eve; and how He inspires it with hope, and heals its sorrows, and makes women the messengers of glad tidings to His disciples.]
For I know.The reason why they need not fear.
Mat 28:7. Tell His disciples.The Galilean believers, who formed the great body of the disciples, are intended by this term. Though the Lord revealed Himself to a few women, to the disciples of Emmaus, and to the twelve in Judea, His grand self-manifestation took place in Galilee (Mat 28:16). Bengel: Verba discipulis dicenda se porrigunt usque ad; videbetis.Lo, I have told you, , which marks the formal and important announcement. Corroborative: dixi.Unnecessary subtilties in the explanation of these words are referred to by Meyer.
Mat 28:8. With fear and great joy.Mingled feelings. The transition from the dread felt by the women to the blessedness of belief in the resurrection, which they now began to experience, is expressed by this statement; also the final passage from the Old to the New Testament, from the horror of Sheol to the view of the opening heavens. Corresponding cases of the union of fear and joy are mentioned by Wetstein (Virg. neid, 1, 544; 11, 807, etc.). Meyer.
Mat 28:9. Held Him by the feet.This is not merely an expression of consternation, although the words , Mat 28:10, point to such a feeling of dread, but it describes rather the highest joy and their adoration. It is the climax of the feeling alluded to in Mat 28:8. Bengel: Jesum ante passionem alii potius alienores adorarunt, quam discipuli. The special experience of Mary Magdalene is incorporated with the vision of the two other women. This account reminds us of the state of mind evidenced by Thomas, John 20.
Mat 28:10. Be not afraid; go tell.Asyndeton of lively conversation. A sign that the Lord shares in their joy.My brethren.A new designation of the disciples, which declares to them His consoling sympathy; makes known to them that He, as the Risen One, had not been alienated from them by their flight and treachery, but that rather they are summoned by Him to become partners in His resurrection. The command was, in the first instance, issued to raise the women from the ground, whom His divine majesty had prostrated.Tell my brethren that they go.This proclamation of the resurrection by the women is to lead the disciples, whom the fact of the Lords being buried in Jerusalem detained in that city, to make their preparations for an instant departure to their homes.
And there they shall see Me.As before, in Mat 28:7, the disciples as a body are meant, who, according to Matthew, had followed Him from Galilee. And therefore, when the eleven disciples are (Mat 28:16) specially mentioned, it can only be as the leaders, as the guides of the entire company. Meyer represents that a threefold tradition regarding the resurrection grew up among the disciples: 1.The purely Galilan, which is found in Matthews account; 2. the purely Judan, which is given by Luke and John, excluding the appendix, Matthew 21; Matthew 3. the mixed, which narrated both the Galilean and Judan manifestations, and is found in John, when the appendix is added. Meyer is now willing to admit the historical sequence, that the appearances in Juda preceded those in Galilee; but he holds still, that the account given by Matthew manifests an ignorance of what occurred in Galilee.17 From this he deduces the conclusion, that this portion of our Gospel must be the addition of a non-apostolic hand, because such ignorance on the part of Matthew is inconceivable. But against this critics assumption we may educe the following:1. If this assumption be correct, we should expect even from Mark in his Gospel,18 which was written earlier, and fixed the middle point of the evangelical tradition, only Galilan appearances, whereas he relates only manifestations in Juda, 2. Matthew himself relates the Lords appearance in Juda to the women, Mat 28:9; Mat 10:3. A post-apostolic writer would most certainly have resorted to the general tradition, and have related both the appearances which took place in Juda and those which occurred in Galilee. 4. The assumption of Meyer rests altogether upon the antiquated hypothesis, that every Evangelist intended to narrate, all the facts he knew. On the contrary, we must repeat that the Evangelists arc not to be regarded as poor mechanical chroniclers, but as narrators of the facts of evangelical history, as they assumed in their own minds the form of an organic whole, as one continuous gospel sermon. And here we have an indication that Matthew keeps up throughout the plan of his gospel narrative as distinct from that of Luke. While Luke, the Evangelist of the Gentiles, brings out fully the true prerogatives of Judaism, and describes, therefore, the whole of Christs life of activity as a grand procession to Jerusalem, Matthew, the Evangelist of the Jews, endeavors in every instance to disprove the false prerogatives of Judaism, and tarries accordingly mostly in Galilee, describing the Lords activity in that district Hence it is that Luke gives, in the introduction to his Gospel, the adoration rendered to the new-born Saviour by Jewish Christians, and closes his history with an account of the Lords appearance in Juda; while Matthew contrasts, in his opening chapters, the adoration on the part of the Gentiles with the persecution of the Jews, and concludes by laying the scene of the grandest manifestation of the Lord in Galilee, in opposition to the city Jerusalem. From this to conclude that Matthew knew nothing more of the resurrection, is a conceit which falls far below19 a lively appreciation of the free Christian spirit of the Gospels. Meyer himself acknowledges that it is evident, from 1Co 15:5 ff., that even if all the accounts in the Gospels be combined, we have not a full record of all Christs appearances after His resurrection. Meyer, however, is right in opposing the mythical view which Strauss takes of the history of the resurrection, as well as the conversion of the facts connected with resurrection, by Weisse, into magical effects of the departed spirit of Jesus. The actual existence of the Church, as well as the assurance of faith and joy at deaths approach evidenced by the Apostles, cannot be the effect of a myth or a mere ghostly apparition. (See below.)
[The denial of the historical character of the resurrection and the subsequent manifestations of Christ to the disciples, has assumed different forms: 1. The Wolfenbttel Fragmentist (Reimarus), like the lying Jewish Sanhedrin (Mat 28:13), resolved them into downright impostures of the Apostles: this is a moral impossibility and monstrosity unworthy of consideration. 2. Paulus, of Heidelberg, the exegetical representative of the older commonsense rationalism, sees in the resurrection merely a reviving from an apparent death or trance. This is a physical impossibility in view of the preceding crucifixion and loss of blood. 3. Strauss: Subjective visions, or more fully in his own words (see his new work on the life of Jesus, published 1864, p. 304): Purely internal occurrences, which may have presented themselves to the disciples as external visible phenomena, but which we can only understand as facts of an ecstatic condition of mind, or visions. Similarly the late Dr. Baur of Tbingen (the teacher of Strauss, and founder of the Tbingen school of destructive criticism). This visionary hypothesis is a psychological impossibility, in view of the many appearances, and the large number of persons who saw Christ; as the eleven disciples, and even five hundred brethren at once (1Co 15:6). 4. Weisse: Effects of the ever-living spirit of Christ upon the disciples. 6. Ewald: Spiritual visions in the ecstasies of desire and prayer (geistige Schauungen in der Entzckung der Sehnsucht und des Gebets). These two views are only modifications of the above theory of Strauss, and equally untenable. Ewald, however, is not clear, and makes an approach to the orthodox view when he remarks: Christ was seen again by His disciples: nothing is more historical. (Die drei ersten Evangelien, bersetzt und erklrt; p. Matt 362: Christus ward wiedergeschen von den Seinigen: nichts ist geschichtlicher als dies.) Renan, in his life of Jesus, passes over this stumbling-block with characteristic French levity, promising to examine the legends of the resurrection hereafter in the history of the Apostles. All he says upon it at the close of Matthew 26 amounts to a confession of despair at a satisfactory solution. It is this: The life of Jesus, to the historian, ends with his last sigh. But so deep was the trace which he had left in the hearts of his disciples and of a few devoted women, that, for weeks to come, he was to them living and consoling. Had his body been taken away, or did enthusiasm, always credulous, afterward generate the mass of accounts by which faith in the resurrection was sought to be established? This, for want of peremptory evidence, we shall never know. We may say, however, that the strong imagination of Mary Magdalene here enacted the principal part! All these false views resolve the history of Christianity into an inexplicable riddle, and make it a stream without a fountain, an effect without a cause. Dr. Baur (Christenthum der drei ersten Jahrhunderte, p. 40), indeed, thinks that the faith in the resurrection more than the fact of the resurrection was the motive power of the Apostles in their future activity. (So also Strauss, l. c. p. 289.) But it was the fact which gave to their faith a power that conquered the world and the devil. Faith in mere visions or phantoms may produce phantoms, but not such a phenomenon as the Christian Church, the greatest fact and the mightiest institution in the history of the world. Compare also on this subject the remarks of Meyer, Com. on Matthew , 5 th ed., 1860, p. 614 (who is quite orthodox as regards the general fact of the resurrection); Guder: Die Thatschlichkeit der Auferstehung Christi, 1862; an art of Prof. Beyschlag (against Baur) in the Studien und Kritiken, 1864, p. 197 sqq., and several able articles of Prof. Fisher, of Yale College, against Strauss and Baur, in the New Englander for 1864.P. S.]
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. In the end of the (Jewish) Sabbath.The Evangelist, without doubt, intended by the selection of this peculiar and significant expression to bring forward the fact, that the Christian Sunday had now caused the Jewish Sabbath to cease (and Christianity had now taken the place of Judaism). Sunday is the fulfilment of the Sabbath; but it is not thereby made to be the negation, the destruction of the Sabbath, but its realization in the form of spirit, life, and freedom. Sunday is a new creation, the institution of the Churchs holy day; marked out as such not only by the resurrection, but also by the Lords appearances upon that day. But if the external law of the Jewish Sabbath is abrogated for the Church, the Christian State is bound, by its duty to Christ, to see that the law of the day of holy rest is observed, as indeed all the laws of the decalogue, in the spirit of New Testament order and freedom. We see from Act 20:7 : 1Co 16:1-2; Rev 1:10, that Sunday was observed in the days of the Apostles.
2. Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?This utterance of the three anxious women has become the great symbol of all the sighs of humanity, in its longing for the revelation of the resurrection.
3. The earthquake.A presage of the resurrection according to that parallel course of development through which the earth is passing along with the kingdom of God. See Matthew 24.
4. The visions of angels.As the earth, on the one hand, in its grand moment of development, is shaken, and seems rushing to ruin; so, on the other, the heavens unfold. Therefore angels are ever present as ministering spirits at the critical periods in Gods kingdom. But although these angelic appearances are objective, real, and visible, the perception by the on-looking mortals of these heavenly spirits depends upon a state of soul resembling the angelic spirituality; and this disposition of soul depends, again, upon the position occupied in relation to heaven and earth. The more the earth is concealed and buried, like a midnight grave, to the beholders, so much the more clearly do they view the opening heavens. And hence it is that the female disciples were the first to see the angels; and they beheld first one, then two.
5. Fear and great joy.Transition from the old into the new world, from the old to the new covenant.
6. Into Galilee.See the Critical Notes.
7. The death and resurrection of Christ considered in and for itself (ontologically).In the Lords death and resurrection a separation took place between the first on of the natural human world, and the second on of the eternal spirit-world of humanity (1Co 15:45). Christs death is the fulfilment and the completion of death, and therefore also its end, as was already determined in regard to Adams death. Where death began, there should it cease, i.e., there should be no death. Physical death is restricted to one zone. This district of death lies between the world of inorganic bodies on the one side, and the spirit-world on the other. The mineral, on the one side, is non-vital; the spirit is non-mortal. Death appears now to extend, between these limits, only over the vegetable, animal, and human worlds. But the death of the plant is well-nigh but allegorical, an appearance of dying: it lives still in the root, the branch, the seed. The dying of the animal, again, is no complete death; there is no full, individual life to resign; it lives only in the general life of nature, and hence it cannot die fully and with consciousness. Actual death begins with conscious man, in order likewise to cease with him, and to be transformed into a new conscious life. Adam was formed, not to die, that is, was not to see corruption; he was to pass only through a death-like process of transformation, and to undergo a metamorphosis from the natural state of man into the spiritual (the tree of life; Enoch; Elijah; 2Co 5:4; 1Co 15:51). But this transformation became subject to the effects and the punishment of moral death, of sin, as Gods condemnation; and thus this transformation passed over into corruption. The being clothed upon (symbolized by the metamorphosis of the butterfly-chrysalis) became the unclothing (symbolized by the wheat-grain In the earth). Since then was death in the world; the consciousness and the experience of deserved sickness, dissolution, corruption, and imprisonment in the waste death-realm, Sheol. The entire weight of death pressed upon mankind, to their pain and anguish; and yet they were not fully conscious of it (Heb 2:14-15). Christ became our partner in this common subjection to death. He tasted this death (Heb 2:9); received it with full consciousness into His life. Hence death was fulfilled in His life, it was ended, and must again be transformed into the transformation, unto which men were originally destined. Christs dying was a death which passed over at once into metamorphosis. Christs condition in death was a collision with corruption, in which corruption was overcome; was an entrance into the realm of the dead, which unbound the fetters of that realm. His resurrection was at once resurrection and complete transformation. When the question is asked, Was Christ glorified between His death and resurrection, or during the forty days, or during the ascension? the conceptions of transformation and glorification are confused. The transformation, as the passage from the first into the second life, was decided at the resurrection. Glorification, as His entrance into the heavenly world, could appear in Him even before His death, in the transfiguration upon the mountain, and be viewed by others; and yet after the resurrection, in His first presentation to Mary Magdalene, she mistook Him for the gardener. His actual glorification, decided at His resurrection, became a complete fact upon His ascension; and hence Christ, as the Risen One, is life-principle as well for the resurrection as for the transformation (1Co 15:21; 1Th 4:11).
If we would obtain a closer view and more accurate conception of the resurrection, the death of Christ must be contemplated as the ideal, dynamic, and essential end of the old world and humanity. The world continues to move chronologically according to its old existence, and is still expanding in its members (its periphery); but in its centre, the end has been reached in the death and resurrection of Christ. And this being the case, there is of necessity connected with this end the ideal, dynamic, and essential beginning of the new spiritual world, as the resurrection followed the death of Christ. And this event is, in accordance with its nature, at once an evolution of life (Christ rose), and at the same time an act of Gods righteousness (the Father raised Him). Christ rose from the grave, because He was holy, possessing the Spirit of glory, susceptible of resurrection, and must accordingly cause this very death to become subservient unto life, must overcome this death and transform it. God raised Him, because He, in and for Himself, had endured this death contrary to right; and yet, likewise, agreeably to right, inasmuch as He had surrendered Himself on behalf of man. Thereby this death of Christ has been made by God the worlds atonement. But when these two points are united, the death of Christ and His resurrection stand forth to our view as the grandest act of the omnipotence of God, and the greatest fact in the glorious revelation of the Trinity (Eph 1:19).
8. The death and resurrection of Christ considered soteriologically.The soteriological effect is here, as always, threefold; He accomplished: (a) reconciliation as Prophet; (b) expiation as High-Priest; (c) deliverance, redemption, as King (see the authors Dogmatik, p. 793). Christ, as Prophet in His reconciliatory working, has overcome the worlds hate by His love, and sealed the grace of God by the blood of His martyr-death; as High-Priest, in His expiatory working, He has taken upon Him the worlds judgment, and changed it into deliverance; as King, in His redemptive working, He has made death itself the emblem of victory over death, or of deliverance from the power of darkness, which sinners were subject unto through death.
In this threefold character and working, He entered Sheol. As Prophet, He has lighted up Sheol, and made it appear as the translation-state from the first to the second and higher life. As High-Priest, He has likewise changed the punishment of the realm of death by taking the penalty of sins freely upon Himself. As King, He has led captivity captive, and opened the prison-house of Sheol (Eph 4:8).
God has made all this sure by setting His seal to it in His resurrection. God Himself recognizes that courageous love and greeting of peace by which He carries His gospel back into that world which had crucified Him. God Himself sends Him back out of the Most Holy as a living sign of, and witness to, the perfect atonement. As the Redeemer, He comes forth in the glory of that triumph, which He shares with own: O Death, where is thy sting! O Grave, where is thy victory!
The unity of these results lies in this, that in Christ mankind have been virtually consecrated to their God, have died, been buried, descended into Sheol, risen again, ascended to heaven, and set down at the right hand of God.
Hence it is that the man who resists with demoniac unbelief this working of Christ, is cut off from humanity, and is handed over to the devil and his angels (Matthew 25).
But to receive the redeeming efficacy of Christ, is to enter into the communion of His life by the communion of His Spirit. This entrance is a prophetic faith, in that we recognize what Christ has become to us; a priestly faith, in that we yield us up to His atoning righteousness; a kingly faith, in that we make, in sanctification, His life our own. The unity of all this lies in the fact, that we die, are buried, rise, and ascend in Christ. As regards his spirit, the Christian belongs to Christ, and in so far all is finished and completed in his salvation; but as regards his nature, he belongs to the world, and in so far he awaits the general end of that world, and a general resurrection with that world.
9. The intercourse and companionship of the Lord, after His resurrection, with His disciples, during the forty days of joy, bore manifestly a different character from what they did before His death. Through His death and resurrection, the glorification of His body had begun (the transformation of His body was completed);for, although His resurrection-body bore the marks of the wounds, showing it to be the same body, it was no more subject to the bounds and laws of the bodily existence, as before. Lisco. For the historic certainty of the resurrection of Jesus, see 1 Corinthians 15; Ullmann: What does the institution of the Christian Church through one who had been crucified presuppose? (Studien und Kritiken, 1832); Langes Leben Jesu, ii. 3, p. 1738. According to one explanation of the negative criticism of modern unbelief, Jesus was only apparently dead (Paulus); according to the other, the resurrection was an illusion (Strauss). When the two are combined, they are self-destructive.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
Upon the entire .The risen Saviour as the eternal King, the fundamental thought of this whole Easter history. We see from it: 1. How the storms of earth and the angels of heaven serve Him; 2. how neither Jewish seals nor Roman arms are any hindrance in His way; 3. how He annihilates the spite20 of His foes, and the anguish of His friends, by His resurrection; 4. how He moves along, elevated above the slanderous reports of foes, and the desponding apprehension of the disciples; 5. how unbounded is His power in heaven and earth; 6. how He is able to despatch, in the glory of the Trinity, His servants into all the world, with the message of salvation; 7. how sure, even at the beginning, He is of the homage of all the world; 8. how He is able, notwithstanding His approaching departure, to assure His own of His protecting, ever-abiding presence, as their consolation and their peace.
Upon this particular Section.The morning of the resurrection-day. 1. The morning-dawn; or, the victory of light over darkness: the earthquake and the angels; the petrified guards and the open grave; the search for the Crucifiedthe message concerning the risen Lord; the fear and the great joy. 2. The sunrise: Christs manifestation; the greeting; the adoration; the commission.The judgment of God, as revealed by the grave of Christ, compared with the worlds judgment: 1. The Sabbath of the law is passed; the Sunday of spiritual freedom breaks. 2. The earth shudders; heaven, with its angels, is manifested. 3. The stone, with the seal of authority broken, is rolled away; the herald of the risen Saviour sits triumphant upon the stone. 4. The armed guards lie powerless; women become heroines, and the messengers of the risen Redeemer. 5. Juda is deposed of its dignity; Christ selects Galilee as the scene where He will unfold His glory. 6. The compact of darkness is destroyed; Christ, the Risen, salutes His own.The gradual unfolding, to be perceived in the message of the resurrection, is a type of its glory.The ghost-like stillness in which Christs resurrection is revealed, is prophetic and characteristic of the Christian life, and the Christian world.The greatest miracle of omnipotence, in its gentle, heavenly manifestation.The resurrection-morning the end of the old Sabbath: 1. The creation becomes spiritual, a spiritual world; 2. the rest becomes a festival; 3. the law becomes life.Easter, the great Sunday, ever returning in the Christian Sabbath, the eternal Easter.The way to the grave of Jesus: 1. The road thither: the visible grief (to anoint the Lord); the secret hope (to see the grave); the great experiencethe stone, the angel, etc. 2. The return: fear and great joy; the salutation of Jesus; the commission.The Mary of Christmas, and the two Marys of Easter; or, womans share in the great works of God.First to Mary Magdalene; or, Christ risen for the pardoned sinner.The grave of Christ transforms our graves.The fact of the resurrection, an invisible mystery, rendered glorious by visible signs: 1. The invisible working of omnipotence, and its visible action; 2. the invisible entrance into existence of the new life of Christ, and the visible earth quake (the birth-pangs of earth); 3. the invisible entrance of the heavenly King into His spiritual kingdom, and the unseen spirit-messenger; 4. the invisible overthrow of the kingdom of darkness, and the visible guards (the servants of that kingdom) as dead men; 5. the invisible, new, victorious kingdom of Jesus, and the beginning of its revelation.The angel from heaven; or, from heaven the decision comes. 1. Help in need; 2. the unsolving of the difficulty 3. the turning-point of history; 4. the change of the old; 5. the glorious issue of a remarkable guidance.The angel sitting upon the stone, a representation of Christs victory: 1. In its full extent,over the Gentile world and the Jewish world (soldiers and the official seal);over the kingdom of darkness. 2. In its fullest completion,seated in the shining garments of triumph.The angels raiment, the Sunday ornament and attire in which the Easter festival is celebrated.The twofold effect of Christs resurrection: 1. The old heroes tremble and are impotent, the desponding become heroic; 2. the living become as dead, and those who had been as dead become alive.Fear not ye! And why not? 1. Because they seek Jesus; 2. because He is not in the grave, but is risen; 3. because the view of Himself awaits you.Jesus the crucified, is the risen Saviours title of honor in heaven and on earth.He is risen, as He said; or, Love is stronger than death; or, This great fulfilment is a pledge for all Christs promises.And ye, too, shall rise, as He has said.Come, see the place. The disciples view of the empty grave of Jesus: 1. The beginning of the certainty of the resurrection; 2. the beginning of the Christians blessedness; 3. the beginning of the worlds end.The empty grave, and the empty graves.Go quickly; or, whosoever has discovered the resurrection of Christ, must go and make it known.All Christians are evangelists.The union of fear and great joy: 1. That fear, which must burst into joy; 2. that joy, which must be rooted in fear.They ran. The resurrection ends the old race, and begins a new race.The appearance of the risen Lord: 1. What it presupposes: And as they went. 2. How it proceeds:21 a meeting, a greeting: All hail! 3. What it effects: And they came, etc. (Mat 28:9). 4. What it enjoins: Go, tell, etc. (Mat 28:10).The relation of the Risen One to His people: 1. The old: they search and find one another, in faith and love. 2. A new: they worship Him; He calls them His brethren.Josephs history is in this case fulfilled: he was sold by the sons of Israel, and yet revealed himself in his princely majesty to his brethren.The repeated command to depart to Galilee,its import (see above).The resurrection of Jesus is the most certain fact of history: 1. It proves itself; 2. hence it is proven by the strongest proofs; 3. hence the proof is for our faith (our love and hope).The resurrection, the fulfilling of the life of Jesus: 1. The wonder of wonders; 2. the salvation of salvation; 3. the life of life; 4. the heaven of the kingdom of heaven.
Starke:From Zeisius: An earthquake occurs when Christ dies upon the cross, an earthquake occurs when He rises again, to testify unto the majestic power both of His victorious death and resurrection.Christs glorified body, the great stone could not restrain.Oh, cunning Reason! how silly art thou in spiritual and divine things!Canstein: If we find no help on earth to overcome hindrances in the path of duty, help will be sent us from heaven.We shall live with Him. Where the Head is, there are the members.2Th 1:10; 1Th 4:13.Nova Bibl. Tub.: Behold, how glorious, etc. So glorious shall be our resurrection.As glorious and consoling as Christs resurrection is to the godly, so fearful is it to the godless.Quesnel: God knows how at once to console His own, and to terrify the wicked, Exo 14:24.Luthers margin: Fear not ye, fear not ye: be joyful and consoled.Zeisius: Fearful as the holy angels are unto the unholy, just so comforting are they unto the godly, as companions, in the approaching glory.Canstein: The servants of the word should exercise the office of comforting angels, or Gods messengers of consolation, unto the anguished.Bibl. Wirt.: As the woman was the first to sin, so have women been the first to realize Christs purchased righteousness.Nova Bibl. Tub.: The joyful message of the resurrection, and its fruits, are not for coarse, worldly hearts, but for longing disciples.Those who have really experienced the joy produced by the resurrection, are anxious to impart that joy to others.Jesus comes to meet us when we seek Him.My brethren. A designation dating from the resurrection, Heb 2:12. For the disciples, it indicates something great and most consolatory.Joseph a type of this, Gen 45:4.The world boasts always of its high titles; but we, who are Christs, have the highest, we are called His brethren.We are heartily to forgive those who have not deserved well of us.
Gossner:It gleams and flashes once more. Before, all was dark and sad; but now again the rays of crucified truth appear, and they illuminate ever more and more gloriously.
Lisco:The women hear first that Jesus is risen. Then they see the empty grave, Mat 28:6. Finally, they see, feel, and speak to Jesus, Mat 28:9.The certainty of Christs resurrection, 1Co 15:1-8. Its importance, 1Co 15:12; 1 Corinthians 1. Proof that Jesus is the Christ; 2. that His death is an offering for us; 3. the ground for our hope of a resurrection. By His death, all the preceding testimonies borne unto Him seem to be proved false; by His resurrection, it is proved that nothing has been disproved. His resurrection is the seal of our redemption, the beginning of His glorification and exaltation.The Easter festival is a call to a spiritual resurrection.
Gerlach:The Lords body now a different body, and yet the same: 1. Free from all the bonds of weakness, of suffering, of mortality. 2. The stigmata;22 He ate and drank (though He needed not food).The Lords appearances, and all the accompanying circumstances, are in the highest degree full of meaning and importance. The women see the angels; the disciples do not. Jesus appears to the Magdalene, to Peter, to disciples on their way to Emmaus, to the Eleven; in each case, with the most tender and exact regard for the state of each.All the external a revelation of the internal. So shall it one day be in our resurrection.
Heubner:The awe of the resurrection-morning.Christs resurrection the type of our own.Every morning should remind us of the coming resurrectionCame Mary: The last witnesses by the grave are the first. We should seek God early.[Rieger:]They considered themselves bound to anoint Christ; but Christ must and will anoint them with the Holy Spirit and with power.The earthquake a type of the awful convulsion of the earth at the last day and the general resurrection.The angel a type of the appearance of the angels at the last day.The form of the angels appearance. Servants as they are of the kingdom of light, their office is to introduce men into this kingdom.The experiences of the guards, presages of what the unbelieving and sinners will experience at the last day.Fear not ye! The higher spirit-world is the Christians home.To seek Jesus is the way to life.Nothing to be feared on that way.The Lord is risen. The angel-world cries to the world of men, and all believers should cry to one another: The Lord is risen.Death, where is thy sting? Hell, where thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15).Come and see: a summons to self-persuasion.We should impart, spread abroad, the belief in the resurrection.Our belief in the future life should thoroughly permeate our earthly life, and glorify it.Christs resurrection reunites the scattered disciples.Love plans for eternity.In the case of the women, faith went first, then came sight.The perfect brotherhood of Christ, a fruit of Gods adoption.Three classes of topics for Easter: 1. Such in which the fact itself is considered; truth, certainty, power of the resurrection. 2. Such in which Christs resurrection is made to introduce a discourse upon our own; e.g., the resurrection, the festival of our immortality. 3. Such in which faith on Christ in general is handled; e. g., faith upon a living Christ.Braune: The essence23 of Christianity is bound up with the cross, but its form and manifestation with the resurrection.The Church has been founded by the preaching of the resurrection of Christ.The Apostles designate themselves, with peculiar pleasure, the witnesses of the resurrection.As the beginning of every life is hidden, so is the beginning of the life of the risen Lord hidden in mysterious darkness, Act 2:21.Jesus has not simply taught the resurrection; He it the resurrection.What caused the guards dismay, freed the women of anxiety.With every advancing step, the path of eternal truth brightens.The fear of the women quite different from that of the guards.To My brethren: first He named them disciples, then friends, then little children; now, brethren.
From Sermons
Reinhard:The Christian feast of Easter is a festival of perfect tranquillization: 1. Because it dissipates all the uneasiness and sorrow which disturb our peace; 2. because it wakens in us all those hopes which must confirm our peace.Christs resurrection was the impartation of life unto Gods holy Church on earth, which owes to His resurrection; 1. Its existence; 2. its moral life; 3. its unceasing continuance.Thiess:The cross illuminated by the Easter sun.Ranke:A clear light is poured over the whole life of Christ by His resurrection.Gaupp:The Easter history is also the history of the believing soul.Ahlfeld:Jesus lives, and I with Him.Otho; Easter comfort and Easter pleasure: 1. The sanctity of our graves; 2. the glory of the resurrection; 3. all our sins forgotten.Petri: Christs life, our life. Let that be to-day: 1. Our Easter belief; 2. our Easter rejoicing.Steinhofer: Life from the dead: 1. In the Saviour; 2. in His people.Rautenberg: The Christian by his Redeemers open grave: 1. He lays his care in that grave; 2. he becomes at that spot sure of his salvation; 3. his heart is filled with rapture.Brandt: Jesus Christ the victorious prince. We may consider: 1. The foes He has subdued; 2. the obstacles He has overcome; 3. the means used to secure this victory; 4. its results.Jesus, the risen Saviour, an object for holy contemplation: 1. See the counsel of hell brought to nought by Him; 2. see the method of the divine government glorified by Him; 3. the tears of true love dried; 4. the misery of this earthly life transformed; 5. the work of salvation finished; 6. the human heart filled with the powers of God.Geibel: The Lords resurrection, considered: 1. Historically; 2. in its necessity; 3. import; 4. and immediate results.Fickenscher: What should the grave be to us Christians, now that Jesus is risen? 1. A place of rest; 2. of peace; 3. of hope; 4. of transfiguration.Rambach: The glorious victory of the risen Saviour: 1. Glorious considered in itself:(a) the most miraculous; (b) the most honoring; (c) the most glorious victory. 2. Glorious in its effects:(a) a victory of light over darkness; (b) of grace over sin; (c) of life over death.Drseke: How Easter followed Good Friday: 1. As Gods Amen; 2. as mens Hallelujah.Sachse:The stone rolled away. It seems to us: 1. The boundary-stone of blasphemy against God; 2. as the monumental stone of the most glorious victory; 3. as the foundation-stone of the building of Christs Church.Fr. Strauss:24 A long, sacred history is today presented to us, the history of the Easter festival: 1. The long-continued preparation; 2. the glorious manifestation: 3. the continual development 4. the future consummation in heaven.Alt: The new life to which Easter summons.Liebner: How we should enter the companionship, and follow the example, of the early witnesses unto the resurrection.Shultz: The verities of our faith, unto which the resurrection of our Lord bears a certain and irresistible tendency: 1. That Jesus is the Son of the living God; 2. that a perfect atonement has been presented to God for us, in the Lords death; 3. that our soul is immortal; 4. that our bodies also will rise.All the difficulties in Christs life are resolved by Hit resurrection.Heidenreich: What a friendly dawn broke upon redeemed and blessed humanity on the morning of the resurrection!Schleiermacher: How the consciousness of the imperishable overcomes the pain caused by the loss of the perishable.The life of the resurrection of our Lord a glorious type of our new life.Canstein: The joy of the Easter morning in the future world: 1. What shall it be? 2. who shall enjoy it?F. A. Wolf: The true Christian, upon the festival of the resurrection, looks back as gratefully unto the past, as he gazes joyfully into the future.Three stages in the spiritual life are to be observed in the history of those to whom the risen Redeemer became the closest friend: 1. A sadness, which seeks Jesus; 2. a hope, which springs up at the first intimation of His presence; 3. the joyful certainty, to have found and recognized the Redeemer.Tzschirner: The sufferings of time in the light of eternal glory.Death, the new birth into a new life.Genzken: The path of faith in the risen Saviour.Markeineke: The resurrection of Jesus is the, main pillar of our salvation.Theremin: Christs resurrection should awaken us to repentance.Niemann: The belief in the new world of immortality which opened unto us in the Lords resurrection.
Footnotes:
[1][In German: Ostermorgen, and below, sub 2., Osterabend. The Edinb. edition substitutes for these terms morning after the Sabbath, and evening after the Sabbath, and studiously avoids throughout the whole section the mention of Easter (the Christian resurrection-feast) altogether or substitutes for it the Jewish passover, which had now lost its [illigeble]for the Christians; the shadow having disappeared in the substance.P. S.]
[2][Not: Sabbath, as the Edinb. translation here and elsewhere translates Sonntag, even where Lange uses Sabbath the Jewish sense as in the sentence immediately preceding. By substituting Sabbath in this passage the Edinb. editict[illegible] simply repeats the preceding sentence, and by omitting the sentences which follow altogether, it withholds from the reader an argument for the apostolic origin of the observance of Sunday as the Christian Sabbath.P. S.]
[3][Here again the Edinb. edition translates am ersten Ostertage: the first day after the Sabbath, which must mean the Jewish sabbath, and yet in the same sentence immediately afterward it uses Sabbath (for Sonntag) in the Christian sense, without a word of explanation to prevent the Inevitable confusion.P. S.]
[4][Literally: Easter-faith, Osterglaube, which the Edinb. edition, in its unreasonable opposition to the term Easter, renders: Passover-faith, which is bad English and conveys a false meaning by obliterating the distinction between the typical shadow of the Jewish passover and the substance of the Christian resurrection-festable. So further below the Edinb. edition has Passover-occurrences, Passover-transactions, Passover-history, and similar heavy ompounds to avoid Easter.P.S.]
[5]Mat 28:1.[The usual translation of (sero) is: toward the end of the sabbath, or late in the sabbath, meaning the closing period near the end, but still during the sabbath; comp. , late in the day, , late in life. Vulgate: vespere sabbati; Beza: extremo sabbato; Tyndale: the sabbath day at even; Coverdale: upon the evening of the sabbath holy day; Cranmer, Genevan, and Bishops Versions: In the latter end of the sabbath day; Lange: um die Endezeit des Sabbaths; Meyer, Alford, Conant, etc. But in this case we must assume with Meyer, Lange, and Alford, that Matthew here follows the natural division of the day from sunrise to sunrise, which seems to be favored by the following definition of time, but which is contrary to the Jewish habit and the Jewish-Christian character and destination of the first Gospel. , with the genitive, may also mean after or long after, like (Plutarch. Numbers 1), or , when the mysteries were over (Philostrat. Vit Apoll. Mat 4:18). Hence olshausen, dc Wette, Ewald, Bleek, Campbell, Norton, Robinson (sub , No. 2), Crosby translate: nach verfluss des Sabbaths, Sabbath being over, or being ended, after the sabbath (also the French Version: apres le sabbat). Euthym. Zigabenus, Grotius, Stier, and Wieseler translate: at the end of the week; also Greswell, who translates: Now late in the week, at the hour of dawn, against the first day of the week; for the plural , like the Hebrew , means a week as well as a sabbath or sabbaths, comp. Mar 16:2; Luk 24:1; Joh 20:1; Joh 20:19, and Mat 28:1. It is certain and agreed on all hands that Matthew means the time after the close of the Jewish sabbath, the time before day-break on the first day of the week or the Christian Sunday. This is plain from the following , and confirmed by the parallel passages; comp. , Mar 16:1; Luk 24:1; and , Joh 20:1.P. S.]
[6]Ver.1.[Lit.: at the dawning, or as it was dawning into the first day of the week (Conant), or: in the dawn of the first day (Norton), i.e., toward sunrise of Sunday. In connection with supply or . The term agrees with the Rabbinical signification of the days of the week: , Sunday; Monday; , Tuesday, etc. See Lightfoot, p. 500. As in the second clause certainly means week and not the sabbath day, it seems natural to understand it the same way in the first clause, as Grotius, Wieseler, and Stier, who renders: Als aber die Woche um war und der erste Wochentag anbrechen wollte.P. S.]
[7]Ver.2.[The definite article before angel is not justified by the Greek: , and suggests a false interpretation as if a particular angel, the angel of the covenant, was meant. In Mat 2:19 all English Versions correctly render: an angel, but in Mat 1:20; Mat 1:24; Mat 2:13, and here, they follow Tyndale in prefixing the article.P. S.]
[8]Ver.2The words: , are wanting in B., D., and rejected by other authorities; probably, an exegetical addition. [They are also omitted in Cod. Sinait., ancient versions, and fathers, and thrown out by Lachmann, Tischendorf, Meyer, and Alford.P. S.]
[9]Ver.8.B., C.,L, etc., and Tischendorf, read, instead of , ; and, judging from internal grounds, this is the more probable reading. [Cod. Sinait. sustains , which is also adopted by Alford, while Lachmann retains . The latter: they went out, would imply that the women had entered Into the sepulchre, to the place where the Lord lay.P. S.]
[10]Ver.8.[In Greek: . This verb is translated in three different ways in the English Version in this section: to bring word, ver.8; to tell, vers.9,10; and to shew, in ver.11. Such frequent change is hardly justifiable, certainly unnecessary, since tell would answer as well in all these cases.P. S.]
[11]Ver.9.The words: as they went to tell his disciples, are omitted in B., D., and many other MSS. and versions. Griesbach and Scholz would insert, Lachmann and Tischendorf omit. Meyer considers the words an explanatory gloss. [Cod. Sinait., Origen, Chrysostom, etc., and of critical editors, Mill, Bengel, Alford, and Tregelles, likewise favor the omission. Scrivener is wrong when he asserts that Lachmann alone dares to expunge them. Meyer and Alford correctly observe that is foreign to the usage of Matthew. It is certain that the words can be easily spared; yet on the other hand, they are solemn, and their omission can be readily explained from homotel., the recurrence of .P. S.]
[12][Comp the translators Critical Note No. 1 above.P. S.]
[13][Meyer, In the fourth and fifth editions of his Commentary, admits that , sero, with genitive (which occurs nowhere else in the N. T.), means also: lange nach, long after, and quotes Plut. Numbers 1; but the length of time is not necessarily implied, comp. , after the mysteries, in Philostratus, Vita Apoll. Mat 4:18.P. S.]
[14][So Ambrose, Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine. The fathers compare the resurrection from the closed tomb to the birth of Christ from the closed womb of the Virgin, ut ex clauso Virginis utero natus, sic ex clause sepulchro resurrexit in quo nemo conditus fuerat, et postquam resurrexeisset se per clausas fores in conspectum apostolorum induit (Greg. M.). See the quotation from Jerome in the translators note on Mat 27:60, p. 536. The orthodox Protestant commentators likewise assume generally that the resurrection took place before the stone was rolled away. P. S.]
[15][The Edinb. edition translates supernaturalistische by unnatural. But every tyro in divinity ought to know the essential difference between supernatural or superrational, i. e., what is above nature and above reason (as is every miracle and specific doctrine of Christianity), and unnatural or irrational, i e., what is contrary to nature and to reason. Lange does not mean to characterize the view of the fathers as unnatural, but as unnecessarily adding another miraclethe passing through a stoneto the resurrection itself. Burkitt and M. Henry assume, that while Christ could have rolled back the stone by His own power, He chose to have it done by an angel, to signify that He did not break prison, but had a fair and legal discharge from heaven. In the case of Lazarus the stone was removed from the grave before he was raised by Christ to a new natural life. But the stone could hardly be a hindrance to Him who raised Himself by His own power to an eternal heavenly life and who afterward appeared to the disciples through closed doors (Joh 20:19; Joh 20:26). The stone may have been rolled away merely for the sake of the women and the disciples, that they might go into the empty tomb and see the evidence of the resurrection. This at all events is the more usual orthodox interpretation.P. S.]
[16][Similarly Wordsworth: ] emphatic: Let the Roman soldiers fear (ver.4)not ye,weak women though ye be. Meyer (in the fifth edition) maintains against de Wette and others that the personal pronoun is always emphatic in the N. T., even Mar 13:9; Act 8:24.P. S.]
[17][So also In the fifth edition, p. 613, although he expressly admits the historical character of the appearances of Christ both in Juda and in Galilee. Dass Jesus Sowohl in Jerusalem Als Auch in Galila den Jngern erschienen sei, ist schon aus dem Bestehen der Judischen und der Galilischen Ueberlieferung neben einander als geschichtliches Ergebniss zu schliessen, wird aber zweifellos durch Johannes, wenn, wie anzunehmen, Kap. 21 das Work des Apostels ist. So kommt man allerdings zu dem Geschichtsbestande, dass die Judischen Erscheinungen den Galilischen vorangegangen sind; aber dabei ist nicht zu bersehen, dass der Bericht des Matthus nichts von den Judischen Erscheinungen weiss, weil im Zusammenhang seiner Erzhlung nirgends ein Platz fr sie ist. Meyer regards this supposed ignorance of the first Gospel as one of the arguments for his hypothesis that in its present Greek form it is not the work of the Apostle Matthew. This conclusion is too rash. It is sufficient in the case to say, with the late Dr. Bleek, one of the most careful and conscientious critics, that Matthews account is a brief condensation. But see Dr. Langes forcible remarks above, which Meyer ought to have noticed in the fifth edition.P. S.]
[18][The Edinb. edition omits the name of Mark, and refers this sentence to the early written Gospel of Matthew, to which it does not apply at all, since Matthew relates the Manifestation of the risen Saviour in Galilee.P. S.]
[19][Not: unworthy of one who, etc., as the Edinb. ed. mistranslates Lange, who opposes opinions only, and never indulges in personalities which would mar the dignity of s commentary.P. S.]
[20][Not: consolation, as the Edinb. edition reads, evidently mistaking the German Trotz for Trost.P. S.]
[21][In German: Wie sie vor sich geht, which the Edinb edition renders: How it anticipates itself!P. S.]
[22][In German: die Wundenmaale, the technical term a for the marks or traces of the five wounds of the Saviour, the prints of the nails in the hands, etc., which Thomas wished to handle, before submitting to the belief in the fact of the resurrection (Joh 20:25; Joh 20:27). They are here referred to as a proof of the identity of the body of our Lord. The Edinb. edition makes here another ridiculous and incredible blunder by translating this familiar German expression (composed of Wunden, i. e, wounds, and Maale, i.e., moles): meals of wonder, as if the text spoke of Wunder-malzeiten.!P. S.]
[23][Das wesen, which the Edinb. edition mistranslates: the existence (dus sein, Dasein, die Exisitenz). The existence of Christianity and the founding of the Church depends rather on the resurrection, as is expressly stated is the sentence immediately following.P. S.]
[24][Court preacher and professor of practical theology in the university of Berlin, died 1862, a man of altogether different spirit from his namesake of Leben Jesu notoriety. P. S.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
In this close of the Gospel according to Matthew, we have the wonderful Relation of Christ’s Resurrection. The Lord’s several Appearances to the Women and his Disciples: Christ’s Commission to his Disciples, to preach his Gospel and baptize.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
“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.”
It is truly blessed to see, how everything tended in proof to bring forward to the Church the evidences of our Lord’s resurrection. The Prophets with one voice had predicted the event, which, until then, had never been heard of: and now the Evangelists come forward to attest the wonderful accomplishment. Isaiah had spoken of it. Isa 26:19 . Ezekiel had delivered by command a vision of it. Eze 37 . And Jonah, the Lord himself declared to be a type of it. Mat 12:38-40 .
And behold how minute the circumstances are to the confirmation of it. The morning was ushered in with the most portentous signs of it. While the godly women came at the dawn of day to visit the sepulchre; with the intention, as was the then custom, to embalm the body of our Lord: behold there was a great earthquake. An Angel from heaven came and rolled away the great stone from the door of the sepulchre. Reader! it must be the work of God, not simply to roll away, but to take out the stony heart from sinners, and to give an heart of flesh. And this God hath promised, and God doth perform, in the whole of his redeemed family. Eze 36:26 . Let us pause over this account. Behold as an Angel from above came down to celebrate the triumph of the Lord Jesus in our nature over death and the grave; so the dead from beneath came up to hail the glorious event, and both met together! Oh! the triumphs of the resurrection! No wonder the Roman soldiers became as dead men. And no wonder the lovers of Jesus should rejoice who came to seek Christ. Reader! do not fail to observe, how very different the same things operate upon different minds. While the graceless tremble, the gracious will rejoice.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 28:1
Did you ever read Isaac Taylor’s Saturday Evening? In 1842 B. Gregory introduced it to me. What it was all about I have forgotten, but not the deep tranquil impression made by it
Light
Which broods above the sunken sun,
And dwells in heaven half the night….
Well, that was Isaac Taylor’s Saturday evening, and this is mine; and for many years every Saturday evening I have felt just like that, ‘In the beginning of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week’.
My dawning is begun, like the Jews’ dawning, the evening before… for the sense of benignity and regard, outgoing and unrestrained, is always very strong upon me, being like deep waters a tidal sway of affection ‘of pure affection round earth’s human shores’; and it is one of the most delicious feelings on earth. As Saturday evening is to the coming Sabbath, so is this feeling to the coming heaven.
James Smetham.
References. XXVIII. 1. R. M. Benson, The Life Beyond the Grave, p. 12. XXVIII. 1-10. T. A. Gurney, The Living Lord and the Opened Grave, p. 196. XXVIII. 1-15. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture St. Matthew XVIII.-XXVIII. p. 350. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxix. No. 2323. XXVIII. 2. B. D. Johns, Pulpit Notes, p. 7. A. G. Mortimer, Jesus and the Resurrection, p. 82. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xv. No. 863. XXVIII. 2-5. R. M. Benson, The Life Beyond the Grave, p. 33. XXVIII. 4-6. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xlviii. No. 2773.
Seeking Jesus
Mat 28:5
How much more do the angels know? If they know anything, they may know something more; they may be better acquainted with us than we suppose. We must be of interest to them because we are of interest to their God. The angels are inquirers, students; they desire to look into the meaning of the blood.
It is an angel who speaks in this most tender and imusical text. ‘I know that ye seek Jesus.’ This is in striking contrast to something that is also related nn the context to the great earthquake. Man is eever so helpless as in an earthquake. God keeps the arthquake for special occasions. The sturdiest man amongst us withers away when he feels the earth rocking. The angel answered and said unto the women, ‘It is different with you, you have no need to fear’ ‘for I know that ye seek Jesus,’ and they who seek Jesus need never tremble; earthquake, or no earthquake, their sanctuary is safe.
I. The difference between the people who fear spiritual presences and the people who do not fear them and rather welcome them, is this: the one people seek the sepulchre, the other seek the Christ. There are many people who have no objection to the sepulchre, there are travellers who go long distances in order to see the sepulchre who would not move an inch to see the Saviour. Such men are lovers of form, special places, extraordinary ceremonies. To see the sepulchre is what they come for; they would be afraid if they saw Him who had lain in it but some three days ago.
II. ‘Fear not,’ though you are seeking Christ at the wrong place, as these women were. We must have greater sympathy with people who are trying by some stumbling way to get at the right end. We have been too severe with the stumblers. They are just as good souls as we are, they may even be nearer heaven than those whose Christianity is a mere correctness. Christianity is not an exercise in conventional correctness. Some poor honest souls are going to the wrong place, but they are going for the right thing; they are orthodox. He who seeks truth with an honest soul and a clean heart is orthodox, though he does not believe a word that I believe, in its merely alphabetical or controversial sense.
III. Our Christianity needs widening and deepening; we have all the earth part of it, but we want the firmament. No man was ever saved by correct notions. Man is more than a coat, man is more than a body. Man has a body, but he is a spirit. All this may be perverted by those who would pervert bread and water. We cannot always guard ourselves against the perverting spirit, it is a most mischievous and uncontrollable spirit; we must not therefore give way to those who would shut us up to our own little nutshell notions and say that there is nothing beyond. God has still more light, and we must find it, because to seek it is to obey an impulse Divine.
IV. Some seek Christ as an ideal. Ideal is the favourite word of the ecclesiastical hour; in fact, it is the idol-word of the political hour as well. Some seek Christ as an ideal, a novelty in poetry, a variety in intellectual life. Jesus Christ is enrolled and honoured and invited to a very high place in the pantheon, and He is told that this seat, this throne of ivory, is His own. He is regarded as an ideal. What did the angel say? He spoke other language, he spoke in accordance with tragic facts; the air was still hot with the terrible tragedy, and the angel caught its spirit and expressed it in a word. He said, ‘I know ye seek Jesus’ yes, but what Jesus? the ideal, poetic, transcendental Jesus? No ‘I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified’. That is His title; do not abbreviate it, do not corrupt it by excision; it will bleed to death if you do not give the full style, title, and address of the Son of God. ‘Jesus, which was crucified ‘ the man in whose palms the nails were driven and on whose brow the thorns were enwreathed; I know the Christ you are seeking; you know Him by blood-marks. That is the Christ we have too much forgotten. We are admirers, but not believers. Drop your admiration, and get back to living faith in Him who was crucified. Crucifixion meant redemption. On the one side the crucifixion was a Jew’s murder; on the other, a Divine expiation, a new illumination, of the will of God, a grand interpretation of the purpose of the creation of human nature.
Joseph Parker, City Temple Pulpit, vol. vi. p. 194.
References. XXVIII. 5, 6. F. W. Farrar, Expository Sermons on the New Testament, p. 38. XXVIII. 5-7. J. Grierson, Scenes and Interviews with the Risen Saviour, p. 11. XXVIII. 5-8. R. M. Benson, The Life Beyond the Grave, p. 63. XXVIII. 6. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. i. No. 18; vol. xviii. No. 1081. W. C. E. Newbolt, Church Times, vol. xlix. 1903, p. 512. I. Lloyd, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xli. 1892, p. 246. R. W. Dale, ibid. vol. lxviii. 1895, p. 230. A. L. Kemp, ibid. vol. lxvii. 1905, p. 233. J. M. Neale, Sermons Preached in Sackville College Chapel, vol. i. p. 313; see also Sermons for the Aged (3rd Series), p. 53. R. J. Campbell, New Theology Sermons, p. 17. T. T. Munger, The Freedom of Faith, p. 295. A. G. Mortimer, Jesus and the Resurrection, p. 109. J. Keble, Sermons on Various Occasions, p. 523. D. Rose, Christian World Pulpit, vol. i. p. 321. G. W. McCree, ibid. vol. xxxix. p. 314. Preacher’s Monthly, vol. ix. p. 214; vol. x. 117. Homiletic Quarterly, vol. ii. p. 562. Armitage, American Pulpit of the Day, vol. i. p. 251. XXVIII. 7. T. T. Munger, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxxviii. p. 273. XXVIII. 8-10. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxix. No. 2323.
Two Environments ( Preached on Easter Sunday Morning )
Mat 28:9
Jesus had a way of meeting people unexpectedly. He has never abandoned that significant and blessed way. Jesus waylays men; Jesus watches the travellers, counts their footfalls, observes the whole manifestation of their personality when they are in grief and wonder and tender communication one with another; and at the right moment, for Jesus keeps all the moments, He joins them, faces them, suddenly encounters them, and asks them delicate and feeling questions. The appearances of Jesus Christ would seem to be always sudden, though they have been expected for centuries; for they have been foretold by the most elaborate and dignified prophecy.
I. Shall we look at the environment of the Resurrection? What is that first object that you see? ‘It is a garden; there is a tomb in it.’ I do not speak of that, I reverse your sentence, retaining its history and enlarging its meaning. We could say moaningly and fretfully, almost, indeed, atheistically, There was a tomb in the garden. That is poor talk. How can you improve it? Easily, by almost inverting it: there was a garden round the tomb. That is better, the Gospel gleams in that nobler talk. In my lowest moods, in my saddest depression, I see only the tomb, and after some spirit has talked with me for a moment I lose sight of the tomb in the broader, lovelier view of the garden. Let the athiest say there was a tomb in the garden; I pray my God to help me to say there was a garden around the tomb.
Is there anything in the environment of the resurrection to match the garden beauty and the garden fragrance? Yes. What is it? Morning: ‘As it began to dawn’. It always begins to dawn when we are conscious of the presence and the blessing of the dear Lord. His coming means light, morning, something that has to grow, an increasing light, a gleam of the heavenly lightning that makes and seeks the eternal that it means. So far, then, the environment is right, garden and morning, how they match one another! what a duet is that! let them sing their music to the accompaniment of the spheres. Garden and morning what next? What we call spring, April, the time when the green blade is coming up or the little flower has fought its way through the frost and snow. When Christ rises all things rise; when Jesus comes up from the tomb there is no tomb, He has left it; now there is nothing but vernal beauty, vernal music thrills the responding air. A lovely environment, garden, morning, spring what more? Angels. A beautiful picture it is to see the angel of the Lord coming and thrusting back the little pebble that was rolled to the door of the tomb, and oh the subtle irony! oh the holy contempt! rolling back the stone and sitting on it! Marmion waved the fragment of his blade in sign of victory, a sign in its way and at the time pardonable, but there stands out one utterance and expression of victory grander than Marmion’s waving of his blade. The angel of the Lord flicked away the stone with its red Roman seal, and having set it a few inches away sat upon it. It is then a right beautiful environment, and full of holy suggestion, and wet with a very gracious pathos, wet as with sacred teal’s, such as might have dropped from heaven. Garden, morning, spring, angels; that is resurrection, resurging, coming back to flood and throne and final diadem.
II. We do not see all the beauty of that environment until we contrast it with the environment of the birth. What do we see at the nativity of Christ? A manger, and no garden; night ‘and there were shepherds keeping their flocks by night’. This Child is going to be born in the darkness, He may bring the light with Him, He has always done so, He will not fail at Bethlehem. A child always brings light with it; the darkness has notice to quit the moment the child cries. Manger, night, and what we call winter. We keep the Saviour’s birthday when the snow is on the ground; the keener the frost, the more highly piled the snow, we say, This is true Christmas weather. Not resurrection weather; something has happened between the winter and the spring, something has taken place between the fall of that snow, the growing of that ice, and the breathing of that balmy breeze over Jerusalem. ‘This same Jesus,’ Jesus of the garden and the morning, of the spring and of the angels, was once the Jesus of the manger and the night and the winter.
III. Look at the spiritual and ideal significance of these two environments, and especially the environment of the resurrection. What is the meaning of all this? The meaning is poetry, ideality, higher consciousness, a continually self-refining spirituality, a continually shedding off of the old and the poor and the mean that belongs to our own nature, and a constant rising into the true manhood. I belong to an ancestry, quoth one, who shot king after king on field after field. And I, quoth another, have no blood records in my family
Higher far my proud pretensions rise,
A child of parents passed into the skies.
And if you have the gracious soul, the beautiful spirit, the very soul of charity and helpfulness to others, that is fame. All else may be but infamy.
Joseph Parker, City Temple Pulpit, vol. I. p. 142.
References. XXVIII. 9. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture St. Matthew XVIII.-XXVIII. p. 360. J. Parker, City Temple Pulpit, vol. i. p. 142. XXVIII. 9, 10. J. Grierson, Scenes and Interviews with the Risen Saviour, p. 60. H. Ward Beecher, Sermons (4th Series), p. 144. R. M. Benson, The Life Beyond the Grave, p. 103. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xlv. No. 2628.
Mat 28:10
In Thomas Boston’s Memoirs for 9 December, 1710, the following entry occurs: ‘This night I was in bad case. I find it is not easy for me to carry right, either with or without the cross. While I was walking up and down my closet in heaviness, my little daughter Jane, whom I had laid in bed, suddenly raising up herself said, She would tell me a note; and thus delivered herself: Mary Magdalen went to the sepulchre. She went back again with them to the sepulchre; but they would not believe that Christ was risen, till Mary Magdalen met Him; and He said to her, “Tell My brethren, they are My brethren yet”. This she pronounced with a certain air of sweetness. It took me by the heart: “His brethren yet” (thought I); and may I think that Christ will own me as one of His brethren? It was to me as life from the dead.’
O infinite mercy! How dost Thou raise their titles with Thyself! At first they were Thy servants, then disciples; a little before Thy death, they were Thy friends; now, after Thy resurrection, they were Thy brethren. O mercy without measure, why wilt Thou, how canst Thou, O Saviour, call them brethren, whom in their last parting, Thou foundest fugitives? Did they not run from Thee? And yet Thou sayest, ‘Go, tell My brethren!’
Bishop Hall.
References. XXVIII. 10. F. E. Paget, Helps and Hindrances to the Christian Life, vol. i. p. 187. XXVIII. 11-16. C. S. Robinson, Sermons on Neglected Texts, p. 100. E. D. Solomon, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxi. p. 293. Parker, Inner Life of Christ, vol. iii. p. 276. A. Barry, Cheltenham College Sermons, p. 383. XXVIII. 11-20. G. Jackson, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxi. 1902, p. 275. XXVIII. 16. R. Linklater, ibid. vol. lxxi. 1907, p. 408. XXVIII. 16, 17. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture St. Matthew XVIII.-XXVIII. p. 369; see also After the Resurrection, p. 102. G. Grierson, Scenes and Interviews with the Risen Saviour, p. 234. XXVIII. 16-20. B. F. Westcott, The Revelation of the Risen Lord, p. 153. R. M. Benson, The Life Beyond the Grave, p. 596. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxix. No. 2330. A. G. Mortimer, Jesus and the Resurrection, p. 215. XXVIII. 17. J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons (9th Series), p. 167. A. M. Mackay, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xli. 1892, p. 253. XXVIII. 18. G. W. Kitchin, Christus Impecator, p. 18. A. F. Winnington Ingram, Lenten Mission, 1905, p. 28. W. T. Barber, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxi. 1902, p. 403. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xlii. No. 2465. XXVIII. 18, 19. E. P. Liddon, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxxvii. 1890, p. 11. R. J. Campbell, ibid. vol. lv. 1899, p. 273. C. Brown, ibid. vol. lxxi. 1907, p. 309; see also God and Man, p. 147. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vii. No. 383.
Optimism
Mat 28:19
I. Among the characteristics of Jesus’ teaching which have passed into the higher consciousness of Christianity is an inextinguishable optimism. If He called apostles they were to disciple every creature, and if He died it was for a world. His generation might condemn Him, but they would see Him again on the clouds of heaven. He looks beyond His own land, and embraces a race in His plans.
1. This high spirit has passed into the soul of Christ’s chief servants. The directors and pioneers, the martyrs and exemplars of our faith have no misgivings; the light of hope has ever been shining on their faces. They might be losing but their Commander was winning. The Cross might be surrounded with the smoke of battle, it was being carried forward to victory.
2. They were right in this conviction, but do not let us make any mistake about the nature of this triumph, else we shall be caught by delusions, and in the end be much discouraged. The kingdom of God will not come through organization but through inspiration. Its signs will not be the domination of a Church, but the regeneration of humanity.
II. Have there been no grounds for optimism? Has the splendid hope of Christ been falsified? One may complain that the centuries have gone slowly, and that the chariot of righteousness has dragged upon the road. But Christ has been coming and conquering. We are apt to be pessimists, not because the kingdom of God is halting, but because it has not raced, not because the Gospel has failed to build up native churches in the ends of the earth with their own forms, literature, martyrs, but because every man has not yet believed the joyful sound.
1. There are two grounds for the unbounded optimism of our faith, and the first is God. How did such ideas come into the human mind? Where did the imagination of the Prophets and Apostles catch fire, where is the spring of the prayers and aspirations of the saints? Whence do all light and love come? Surely from God.
2. The other ground for optimism is Jesus Christ. Does it seem that the perfect life for the individual and for the race is too sublime: that it is a distant; and unattainable ideal? Christ lived as He taught. He bade men lose their lives and He lost His; He bade men trample the world under foot, and He trampled it; He commanded men to love, and He loved unto death. This He did as the forerunner of the race. Why not again with Christ as Captain?
Only one institution in human society carries the dew of its youth; and through the conflict of the centuries still chants its morning song. It is the religion of Jesus.
J. Watson (Ian Maclaren), The Inspiration of Our Faith, p. 37.
References. XXVIII. 18-20. R. Rainy, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xliii. 1893, p. 300. C. Gore, ibid. vol. lv. 1899, p. 248; vol. lvii. 1900, p. 283; vol. lxii. 1902, p. 6; see also Three Aspects of the Bible, p. 1. H. Hensley Henson, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxii. 1902, p. 193. J. Foster, ibid. vol. lxviii. 1905, p. 67. Bishop Simpson’s Sermons, p. 175. J. Grierson, Scenes and Interviews with the Risen Saviour, p. 247. H. P. Liddon, Easter in St. Paul’s, vol. ii. p. 240. R. E. Hutton, The Crown of Christ, vol. ii. p. 153. W. J. Knox-Little, The Perfect Life, p. 289. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xx. No. 1200.
The Authority of the King
Mat 28:19-20
I. Consider first, the deposit of the Church. The one truth emphasized in this phase of the Missionary Manifesto is that of the absolute authority of Christ; His supremacy and sovereignty; the fact that He shares the throne of empire with none. The word here translated ‘authority’ does not suggest power in the sense of energy or might. The first intention of the word is that of the power of choice that is, the right to choose. Its second intention is that of the power of enforcement that is, the right to insist upon obedience. The third intention is that of the power of government that is, the right to utter the final verdict and to pass sentence.
Human choice must always be made in submission to a higher will, therefore it can never be said that man can have an absolute right and power of choice. Authority in the last analysis is the right to determine, enforce, and pass sentence.
In these words Jesus, standing on the resurrection side of His grave, in the simplest language made the sublimest claim, when He thus declared Himself to be King by Divine right, and therefore absolute in His Kingship. The word admits of no qualification. The claim admits of no limitation. In that moment He claimed authority in the material, mental, and moral realms.
The application of His claim to this world does by no means exhaust it. He swept the compass with a reach far wider, more spacious, and stupendous. Not only on earth, but in heaven is authority given to Him. The one phrase, ‘in heaven and on earth,’ includes the whole creation of God. It is manifest that He is excluded Who created, and Who puts all things under the feet of His King. It is equally manifest that all is included which comes within the scope of that comprehensive word, the creation of God. We may interpret this final claim of Jesus by the prayer He taught His disciples: ‘Our Father Who art in the heavens. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.’ His ministry of teaching having been completed, having accomplished His exodus and resurrection, at last He claimed authority in heaven and on earth, thus assuming the throne of empire over the whole creation of God, included in the terms of the prayer, and now defined in the words, ‘in heaven and on earth’.
II. The debt? It is clearly indicated as to its widest scope in the words ‘disciple the nations’. The Church’s responsibility as indicated by these words is that of the proclamation of the Lordship of Christ, the insistence upon the supremacy of his ethic in every nation, among all peoples. His messengers are charged to proclaim the fact of His Lordship, to announce to men everywhere that He is king. They are to pass through all nations proclaiming Him King upon the basis of His resurrection, and all that it involves. This means therefore, that the Church is to proclaim and insist upon His ethical standards; that His ideal of intellectual greatness is the knowledge of God; that His ideal of emotional function is to love God and our neighbour; that His ideal of volitional fulfilment is to seek first the kingdom of God.
III. Finally, a brief word concerning the dynamic. If the Church is to fulfil this great responsibility, she must enter into the full meaning of the final words of the Lord: ‘Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the consummation of the age’. We must understand the meaning of the phrase ‘end of the world’. Too often we think of it as some catastrophe or destruction of the earth. That is not the meaning of the words of which the Lord made use. The superior translation is undoubtedly ‘consummation of the age’. The earth will continue long after the completion of this age. The promise is that of the abiding presence of the King through the present age. It is impossible to preach His Lordship prevailingly, save in living fellowship with Himself. We may discuss it and demonstrate it intellectually, but the demonstration will lack compelling power, save as the truth is proclaimed in living, personal comradeship with Him. In his phrase ‘all the days,’ is inferred mastery of circumstances, the inference vindicated, as we have seen, by His resurrection. The One Who through defeat proceeded to absolute victory accompanies His people, as in obedience to His command they go forth to proclaim His Kingship.
In the words already dealt with, ‘the consummation of the age,’ His ultimate victory is implied. There was no fear of failure in the heart of the King. The age initiated by His first advent will be consummated at His second; and through all the toil He abides with His people, leading them in perpetual triumph as they abide in fellowship with Him.
G. Campbell Morgan, The Missionary Manifesto, p. 27.
References. XXVIII. 19. R. E. Hutton, The Crown of Christ, vol. ii. p. 225. W. A. Whitworth, Christian Thought on Present-Day Questions, p. 168. ‘Plain Sermons’ by contributors to the Tracts for the Times, vol. ix. p. 221. H. J. Van Dyke, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxxix. 1891, p. 142. J. Guinness Rogers, ibid. vol. xl. 1891, p. 387. A. H. Bradford, ibid. vol. xli. 1892, p. 364. A. H. Rix, ibid. vol. xli. 1892, p. 376. John Clifford, ibid. vol. xliii. 1893, p. 264. James Culross, ibid. vol. xlvi. 1894, p. 19. H. Hensley Henson, ibid. vol. lx. 1901, p. 337. J. Agar Bert, ibid, vol. lxvi. 1904, p. 91. C. Silvester Home, ibid. vol. lxv. 1904, p. 360. G. A. Johnston Ross, ibid. vol. lxiii. 1903, p. 244. M. J. Stone-Wigg, ibid. vol. lxxiii. 1908, p. 408. Henry Alford, Sermons on Christian Doctrine, p. 319. F. B. Woodward, Sermons (2nd Series), p. 276; see also Selected Sermons, p. 136. G. Matheson, Voices of the Spirit, p. 95. A. G. Mortimer, Jesus and the Resurrection, p. 224. S. Baring-Gould, Village Preaching for a Year (2nd Series), vol. ii. p. 1. F. D. Huntington, Christian Believing and Living, p. 366. C. Holland, Gleanings from a Ministry of Fifty Years, p. 173. A. W. Potts, School Sermons, p. 305.
Mat 28:19-20
This idea, that the sense of Christ’s presence is vouchsafed to obedience and service, is illustrated by Mr. Hutton’s well-known phrase about ‘the sacramental power of common everyday duty’.
‘No one who does not go away, leaving all and going alone,’ said Gilmour of Mongolia as he sailed from England, ‘can feel the force of this promise; and when I begin to feel my heart threatening to go down, I betake myself to this companionship, and, thank God, I have felt the blessedness of this promise rushing over me repeatedly when I knelt down and spoke to Jesus as a present companion from whom I am sure to find sympathy.’
References. XXVIII. 19, 20. F. D. Maurice, Lincoln’s Inn Sermons, vol. iv. p. 29; see also Sermons, p. 33.
The Abiding Presence
Mat 28:20
I. Such is the promise of the Lord Christ. It is exactly like Himself. It is like Him, first, because of its sublime, unhesitating self-assertion. He speaks and acts always as with an absolute certainty that to the salvation of the world, and of the soul, to the whole depth and range of human need its sin and its sorrow, its perplexity, its death He is necessary and He is adequate. Listen to this imperial Prince and Leader, who is so absolutely sure of Himself, and then, with hearts open and unreserving, make sure for yourselves of Him. The human soul that has come to know itself, its sin, its wants, its hunger and thirst, its true ideal, and then comes to look with worshipping desire towards Christ, finds Christ, in self-evidencing justness, the key to fit its lock, and thus knows Him with a knowledge as unshakable as our certainty of ourselves. And to know Him, what is it in its issues? It is the life eternal. It is heaven poured out into the necessities of time.
II. Further, these words of our Lord are just like Him because what they promise is His personal presence with His followers. And this is just like the Lord Jesus Christ, because at every turn in the Gospel story you see Him as the leader who not only leads but also positively delights in the company of His followers. He haunts them through the Forty Days, week after week, in His new and wonderful life, till at last He ascends indeed out of their sight, but with a final positive promise to return in visible glory, and undertaking meanwhile to be with them all the days and all day long, in a mysterious unseen companionship, as intimate as possible, even to the end.
Such is the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ towards us. We are entirely unworthy of Him; we are ignorant, we are far more sinful than we know, we are indeed a contrast to His pure glory. Yet such is His heart. ‘His delights are with the sons of men.’ As Creator of our nature, as Redeemer of our souls, He takes pleasure in us. There is no surer index of a perfect affection than the desire and purpose of perpetual company. And He says, ‘I am with you, all the days and all day long’.
III. The Christian life what is it at its heart? It is to know that we belong to the Christ of God, and to live that condition out.
How shall it be lived? Who is sufficient for such a life? The answer, as I take it, is given us here, direct and clear: He is sufficient, be he man or boy, who uses his Lord as a living Presence all the days and all day long.
H. C. G. Moule, Christ’s Witness to the Life to Come, p. 135.
The Real Presence
Mat 28:20
Jesus is here! If we could repeat these words with the reverent simplicity of little children, a new power of believing prayer would be kindled in the heart of the Church of England.
I. We modern Christians explain the promise of the abiding presence of Jesus as a theological influence. The first disciples accepted it as a concrete fact, verified from day to day in a rich and living experience.
II. Now it is just when we look at the life of the early Church that we see how simple was their belief in the real presence of their Lord. It was because they believed that Jesus was really with them still, that the brotherhood of which they were members became the home and temple of His Spirit, that the sacraments whereby it was welded into one were a ministration of the life and powers of the world to come. Jesus was there not merely the Spirit manifested through Him, but the very Lord who showed them His hands and His side. Jesus was there in the midst of the Church, guiding, controlling, inspiring, choosing His ministers, comforting His saints!, receiving His martyrs.
This was the secret of the grand and simple faith of the early Christians. To them Jesus was no sentimental idea, no romantic abstraction of the mind which a warm and ardent fancy clothed with the attributes of a tender personality.
III. What a majestic faith is here! It is the faith of children. But alas! our lot has fallen upon other days. We falter where they firmly trod. And yet no other faith is Christian. It is what the Church needs Today, the sure and certain conviction that Jesus is Himself here, that Christ is with us always even to the end of the days.
J. G. Simpson, Christian Ideals, p. 309.
The Presence That Never Faileth (Whitsunday)
Mat 28:20
It was the last promise that He gave to His disciples. And now we read them as the Saviour’s legacy to the Church. For these words are unlimited in their application. Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the ages, even to the final consummation, when His purpose will be completed and the work of the Church done.
I. This is substantially the truth which is brought before our minds Today, the truth which Whitsuntide recalls and emphasizes. The one Divine fact which underlies all the rest is this: that Christ on that day began to fulfil and prove His last promise. All that they saw and felt on that day and every day afterwards were manifestations of His presence. He had come again; He was in their midst; His spirit was in contact with theirs; His power rested upon them; He swayed them, in fact, more mightily than ever He had done during His life. Aforetime He had been outside their lives, a face to behold, a voice to hear, a master to follow. Now He was even nearer, He was within them; they were the temple in which He dwelt; He had become a part of their very nature, and in all they said and did they felt the movements of His spirit, and laboured and suffered with a power greater and Diviner than their own.
II. This is the greatest of Christian facts. It is the truth which gives our faith all its substance and certainty and which inspires the believing heart with all its confidence and hopefulness. That which makes the Christian life is an undoubting belief in a present living mightily working Christ. His ministry was not for three years, but for all the ages.
III. His unseen presence and power make the perpetual miracle of Church history and Christian life. It is a strange thing that since He vanished from the view of the disciples He has never been seen again by mortal eyes, never again, save by one man Paul. But there is a far stranger thing than that It is an infinitely more wonderful thing that He has done all His most wonderful works among men since His visible presence was taken away, and without showing Himself at all. Millions of men and women in every period of Christian history have been more moved and inspired by the unseen Christ than the most devoted of His disciples were moved and inspired by the sight of His bodily form. He is to the moral world what the vital forces are in the natural world. No one can see those vital forces or explain how they work. We can only see the results. They clothe the landscape with verdure, they cover the hedges with blossoms, they change ugliness into beauty, and waste places into gardens of delight. And thus the unseen Christ works in the moral world. Everywhere moral life springs into beauty where His visible hand has been.
J. G. Greenhough, Christian Festivals and Anniversaries, p. 123.
The Abiding Presence ( Ascension Day )
Mat 28:20
To none whom we have known was it ever given to say, ‘I am with you alway’. And one intention of their going, and of our going presently, is to make us turn from all that is dying and changing, to Him to Whom alone it belongs to say, ‘Lo, I am with you alway’.
The contrasts of this world are essential to the setting forth of the eternity of the Resurrection-life of Christ, and the value of His abiding presence.
I. He spake these words after He had Himself passed through death, after He had proved and tasted the bitterness of separation.
What joy to hear the voice of some lost dear one at our side once more, saying, ‘I left you for a little while; it was needful that I should go; but now I am back again, to stay with you for ever!’ Listen, then, to Him Whose love surpasseth every love: ‘I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore’. ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’
But some man will say, ‘Oh! that that presence were but visible! I cannot realize, or enjoy, an invisible presence.’
Certainly. It does require strong exercise of faith; that other sense added to the natural faculties a gift of God to be prayed for and cherished. But that invisible presence once apprehended, it is more real, more precious, than a visible. For a visible must come and go, as Christ did in the flesh. We could not have it always; it is not in the compass of our present nature. But now, always and everywhere, we carry it along with us without the possibility of interruption, without the shadow of a change, because it is invisible: ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world’.
After our Lord’s Resurrection He never once showed Himself, or uttered a single word, to unbelievers; all that He said and did was for believers only. To His own people alone Christ spake during those forty days, and His last and best words were, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world’.
II. But observe the full meaning of the words more literally rendered. ‘Lo, I am with you all the days, until the consummation of the age.’
What force and beauty there is in those words, ‘all the days’. They convey, before the mind of the Speaker, that ‘all the days’ lay ranged in order, to the end of time. To Him they were altogether but so many ‘days’; and yet each ‘day’ was distinct and separate, with its own proper history, in His sight. And all along that line of ‘days,’ and around the ‘days’ of our fathers’ lifetime and our own, and our children, and children’s children, on each and on all the ‘days’ He saw the Changeless Presence in the midst of the changeable and changing that constant, lasting presence. ‘Lo, I am with you all the days, unto the end of the world’ (or, the consummation of the age). ‘Amen.’ We are always stepping out into an unknown future; but the foot cannot fall outside the presence of Jesus.
III. As to the method and nature of that presence, it were better to leave it, as if some dear dying friend had said, in his last moments, ‘I shall never be far from you: though you see me not, I shall be about your path and about your bed; and not a single day or night shall pass but I shall be with you there’. So simply did my Saviour say it, and so simply would I take His words.
References. XXVIII. 20. W. Branscombe, A Book of Lay Sermons, p. 235. T. L. Cuyler, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lv. 1899, p. 167. A. Murray, ibid. vol. lxx. 1906, p. 62. E. L. Hull, Sermons Preached at King’s Lynn (3rd Series), p. 168. H. C. G. Moule, Fordington Sermons, p. 46. G. A. Chadwick, Aids to Belief, p. 84. W. J. Knox-Little, The Perfect Life, p. 301. Henry Jellett, Sermons on Special and Festival Occasions, p. 123. George A. Gordon, Christian World Pulpit, lxxvii. p. 227.
Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson
Chapter 94
Prayer
Almighty God, if thy blessing be given unto us, we shall know no more any pain of want or any weakness of fear. Send thine angels to us to tell us what thou wouldst have us do. With the music of their message in our ears we shall run, if with fear yet with great joy, to bring thy disciples word. The word is thine, every letter and tone of it; it is not ours else it would perish in the wind which first hears it, but it is thy word, full of the music of thine own heart, tender with the tremulousness of thine own love, and because it is thy word and none other, it shall find acceptance in the earth, and make the whole world pure and glad. Herein is our trust, here do we find the light of our hope, into this promise as into a rock do we run in the time of darkness and desperate sorrow. When thou dost try our faith, we would that our faith might be strongest; when the cloud is darkest, we would break it up by the urgency and penetration of our vehement cry; when the night is longest we would charm away all its darkness by continual songs of hope. This is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. Lord, increase our faith. Faith is the gift of God: we ask thee for it now, with loving and expectant heart.
We come to thee by the way appointed, broad as thine own love, and bright as thine own heaven Jesus Christ, the Living Priest, by whom we have received the atonement, and because of his sacrifice and intercession we shall have all things and shall truly abound in all heavenly bestowals, and in us shall there be a daily inspiration that shall renew our strength and our hope.
We have come to bless thee with many words and many songs, to recall all thy tender mercies, though it be impossible so to do, to set our memory upon the miracle of complete recollection. Lord help us to do what we cannot do but in the straining attempt to do it, we shall increase the strength which is mocked, and shall show thee how loving is our grateful heart.
Thou hast been with us all the day, so that we hardly know one day from another, so Sabbatic has been the quietness of the whole week, so tender the suggestion of every shining hour. Yet dost thou give us special mercies amid all that is even unusual. Thou raisest up mountains, the higher the one than the other, even in the land of great hills. Thou dost send upon us unexpected joy, and if now and again thou dost touch the foundation of our tower, it is that we may learn that if our foundation be not in God it is insecure. How terrible art thou, and yet how gentle: in wrath remember mercy, in the day of judgment look upon the bow of promise, and in all the fire of thine indignation against sin, remember how frail we are, a leaf that fadeth and a shadow that fleeth away. Enable us to work well during the hours of light, knowing that the night cometh wherein no man can work. Give us a right view of the work of thine house, may we feel that there is no slavery in thy bondage, that thy captivity is freedom, and that to be the Lord’s slaves is to be the Lord’s sons.
Thou knowest what our life is, shattered and torn, lying around us in many a ruin without shape or meaning; thou knowest how our vows have been broken, and our prayers have been plucked back from heaven without answer and without pressure; thou knowest us altogether behold we have but a handful of days to live, do thou pity us, spare us, and work out in us all the way of thine own love. Enable us to live the larger life, to look upon the whole revelation of thy truth with the eyes of the heart, which take the whole sight, and which seeing perceive also.
Lift the burden where it is too heavy, dry the tears where they do not enlarge the vision but blind it, open for us ways upon roads that are at present inaccessible, give us a humble, heartfelt trust in our Father’s goodness, and may we stand upon that as upon a rock that cannot be shaken. Go after the prodigal whom our prayers fail to overtake, bring back the wanderer who has left all the common roads of life and is groping in thickets and wildernesses which we cannot penetrate. Nurse our sick ones, lift them awhile from the hot bed and give them rest within thine arms lay them down again with thine own gentleness, and give them sleep.
Baptize all our little ones with dew from heaven: preserve their lives that they may become good and great and wise and honourable. Watch our houses that they be not broken in upon with violence: may we find a sanctuary on the hearthstone and the beginning of heaven in the innermost joys of the house.
We say this in the dear, great, tender Name, we baptize our prayer with the blood of the cross without that baptism what is our prayer but a speech of the lips? Hear us at the cross, and as thou hearest come to us with assurance of perfect pardon and release from every sin and every accusation, and may we find a Sabbath within the Sabbath, the peace of nature enclosed within the larger peace of God’s own calm. Amen.
Mat 28:1-10
1. In the end of the Sabbath (late on 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 Jay.
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. ( Rejoice!) And they came and held (clasped) him by the feet, and worshipped him.
10. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren (by spiritual relationship) that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
Reunion
Jesus Christ has for the time being withdrawn from the page we are perusing, yet we can think of nothing but himself, even during his temporary absence. After the high converse we have had, we cannot easily fall into common talk. The sleeping city is a mean sight to the man who has been out early and come down from the mountain whence he saw the sun rise. To him the sleeper seems to be almost a criminal: the sleeper is a man who has lost an opportunity and can never have that opportunity renewed under precisely the same conditions. So all the people that are now moving upon this page, up to a given verse, are commonplace, and would be intolerable but for the inquiry which strains and elevates their attention. We have no patience with them, but their inquiry makes a common standing ground for the human race. Let us join it, and ply heaven with the same eager and expectant question.
“In the end of the Sabbath.” No! In the end of the Jewish Sabbath mayhap, but not in the end of the Sabbath. Literally in the end of the Sabbaths, as if they had all come to a point of termination. The Sabbath is only about to begin; there are no endings in God’s blessings what we call the end is only the little rest which the blessing takes, to come up again in fuller bloom and tenderer colour and larger fruitfulness. Why have you this word “end” in your speech as Christians? There is an end to nothing but sin. “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” No beauty is lost, no light, no speech of tenderness, no comfort of benediction, no inspiration of truth. The Sabbath can never end: man would take it back again if it were to be withdrawn. Forms may undergo changes, but the sabbatic spirit, the genius of rest, the elder brother of the days, the queen of the week, the shining star amid all the galaxy of time the world would not willingly let die, the great religious heart of man can never allow to expire.
“As it began to dawn.” Yes, that is just what it did. That is the very poetry of the occasion; the word written with apparent accident is the very expression of heaven. It began to dawn, a new tender light shot up in the eastern sky, the orient trembled with a new presence, and glowed as with an infinite surprise. Christianity is always dawning: the Sabbath dawns over all the world; the Sabbath day is more than half over away down in the eastern lands in the far-away western places, men are just beginning to rise now, and when we have concluded our service they will begin to sing
“This is the day the Lord hath made.”
In the highest sense that can challenge the imagination and satisfy all the religious vision that is in us, Christianity is a continual dawning. When Christ comes the light comes; when Christ shines upon the life the darkness flees away; when the mind gets its first true conception of Christ, it is as if a shaft of light were shot from a great firmament of gloom, and as if all heaven shone. It began in the beginning. God created the heavens that dawn every day. Believe me, we live in beginnings. Give me some hint of endings, and strength goes, inspiration expires, and energy says, “There is no longer use for me to unfurl the banner, or blow the trumpet’s bray in the ear of the dead. Let me lie down and die too.” There is a joyousness about the dawn and the beginning, the stirring tune, the hour of activity, when every energy leaps to the front, and every power says, “Baptize me for thy service, and may I be crowned as a blessing in the world’s commonwealth.”
“As it began to dawn towards the first day.” That also is just what it did! Now the primacy of time is covered with the higher primacy of grace. The “first day” it had always been since time was broken up into weeks and months and years. For many a long century it had been the first day of the week as it were by nativity but now it is born again. It was sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it was sown a little glint of time, it rises big with eternal splendour. So may we be born again. You are first in intellect, would that you were also first in goodness. And you are first in energy, would that you were also first in prayer. You in the third place are first in wealth would God every golden piece you have were made more golden still by being transformed into the gold of the sanctuary. Be not satisfied with natural or hereditary primacies; over those you have next to no control, it may be; but in this primacy of goodness, where may elevation cease? There is no terminal point on that heaven-ascending line.
The women came to the sepulchre, and Luke gives us some additional and illustrative particulars about them and their coming. According to Luke’s account, the women came, “bringing the spices which they had prepared.” Notwithstanding they had been distinctly told that Jesus Christ would rise again on the third day, with that singular obstinacy which distinguishes the prejudices of the human mind, those blessed and affectionate women came with their spices to embalm their Lord! How can you account for the stubbornness of this view of death? The women had been told, and told by Jesus Christ himself, that on the third day he would rise again, and yet so treacherous is the memory, or so irreligious the heart, that Sight staggers Faith. The women saw him die; any recollection of a promise of “rising again” must have died in that death. So forgetting the prediction, or regarding it as a sentiment that had perished, or otherwise viewing it as a hope rather that as a fact which lay within the possibility of accomplishment, they came “bringing their spices which they had prepared.”
The angel chided them. Said the angel to them, “Remember how he spake,” and “they remembered his words,” but the remembrance of his words would have been of no avail to them two hours before they saw the angel. If they had found the stone at the door of the sepulchre they would have remembered no such words but Sight now helped Faith. The grave was empty, the stone rolled away, celestial visitants were the attendants of that gloomy place, and out of the depths of death they heard the voice of Resurrection; “then they remembered his words.” That remembrance is all but fatal. There is a time when our religious remembrances will rather be aggravations of our sin than mitigations of our mistakes. What was it to remember the words when the grave was empty, when the angels were filling it with morning light, when the stone, fastened, sealed, watched, was hurled back? It was nothing to remember then. That is the true faith which sees in the darkness as well as in the light, which goes to the grave bearing no spices but the spices of the immovable certainty of the resurrection and the life. You take your spices to your graves in the form of flowers and immortelles. It is pardonable, because the bones of the dead body are still hidden under the sod; it would be better if we could look straight up into the blue morning and breathe upward the spice of a concentrated life and a hopeful and all-conquering spirit.
Memory is to be touched in many ways. The old sermons will yet come upon us with great vividness, the mighty prayers that took us up to heaven’s gate so that we had a mind to alight there and never return, will come back with all but infinite energy and pressure upon the forgetful mind. And all the holy sabbaths that stand out upon the plain of time, like great mountains, will rush upon the recollection and become the chief of our joys, or the most oppressive and unanswerable of our accusations. Cultivate your memory; live in your religious recollections; if you let your yesterdays die, I wonder not that your to-morrows are amongst the darkest of your fears. Rather would I say, The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine. Remember the old battles and the old victories, the ancient fears, and the light that drove them away like shadows that could stand no longer in their presence, and say with heightening thankfulness,
For what purpose did the women come? According to Matthew they came to “see the sepulchre.” An atheist might have done that, any man might have done it but when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary do it, it seems as if the Heavens were closed up and the earth were a place that had no sky. We trust to the womanly heart to keep up our noblest hopes, we give ourselves over into the custody of that higher love and trust. When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary cease to pray, no man will have audacity enough to lift his face heavenward. The mother must save us, the housewife must make the house a sanctuary, the womanly heart must keep the altar-fire ablaze.
They came “to see the sepulchre,” and they did see it: they saw more of it than they expected to see they saw it turned inside out. So may all our expectancy be fulfilled! We came to the sanctuary to see what? One another? an individual? an occasion? a service? a sepulchre? May we all be disappointed in this same happy way: may those who come to see the outside, the mechanical, and the transitory see the Lord’s own face, aglow with the light which fills all heaven with its splendour. Many have gone with aching hearts to see some religious sight, who have returned with great joy.
“And behold the angel of the Lord had rolled back the stone from the door.” Mark describes this angel beautifully; Mark took more notice of certain particulars than any of the other evangelists; for the detail of the picture, always consult the evangelist Mark. According to Mark the angel was young man. Are there any old men in heaven? None. There are really no old men on earth, if we take the right view of the case. How old are you, trembling pilgrim? Do you say eighty? I can show you a tree three hundred years old. Do you say you have passed the fourscore years, and now there remains but a little more light, and you will soon be gone? You are an old man, but you are a young being: the age is an accident, the existence is a fact. Do not give way to old age, it is only a mockery, it is not really old age: you are, if in Christ, always young. How else could the narrative read than that a young man came and did this? For God could have sent no old man, having none in his great household. “Who are these, arrayed in white robes? and knowest thou whence they came?” “These are they who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne night and day, and serve God in his temple. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.” A youth that has no necessities, a youth on which time can write no wrinkle. We shall all be young some day, when we are clothed upon with our house from heaven! God is always sending young men down into the world to roll its stones away, to break up its rocks, to liberate its captives, and to give new dawning. Encourage the young, be large-minded and pitiful toward their mistakes, and see in the outputting of their energy the possibility of a noble and beneficent manhood.
He rolled away the stone. The stone was turned to new uses, for the angel “sat upon it.” What thought the stone had occasioned by Joseph’s rolling it to the door of the sepulchre! It was kindly meant: no other construction could possibly be put upon Joseph’s act in that matter. It was sealed, it was watched, it was guarded and yet it was rolled away. God sends a great wind upon the earth and throws down your towers and temples and towns and fortresses an invisible wind you cannot tell whence it comes or whither it goes, but it comes in great shocks and tries the foundations of your structures, breaks the ships of Tarshish, and troubles the sea as with great agony, and yet it is only a wind, without shape, without colour, without measure, almost without name, invisible but when you see the ships hurried before it, and all their proud mast-work torn to rags and thrown into the foaming deep, and see great structures bulge out and fall flat down on the astonished earth, we feel how, in some aspects, we are truly little and weak.
Now the angel speaks, and I would hear every word he says. “Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen as he said: come, see the place where the Lord lay, 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.” You could not have put more matter into so short a compass. The angels speak concisely, they have specific messages to deliver, and with miserliness of language they crush into every syllable all the meaning which it will hold. The speech was sympathetic “Fear not ye.” The speech was heart-reading “For I know that ye seek Jesus.” The speech was explanatory- “He is not here, he is risen, as he said.” The speech was comforting “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” The speech was inspiring “Go ye.” The angel was the first to preach Jesus and the Resurrection; all other preachers follow the “young man” who announced the Resurrection and sent the women to proclaim it.
What was the effect of the preaching? The women departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word. Haste, joy, energy, this is the missionary way, this is the true ministerial way, this is the great lecture upon the method of preaching. They departed quickly with fear and great joy, reverence and infinite rapture, and did run to bring his disciples word. We have fallen into a mean amble, we have slunk off and let every racer beat us; the gospel messenger lags somewhere in the rear, he is outrun by many a man. We want more quickness, more energy, more running power in the church. We are indifferent, we are respectable, we are reluctant, we are calculating, we are selfish. Rather would I belong to a Christianity that is censurable from a worldly point of view by reason of its vehemence and energy, than belong to some perversion of Christianity which regards its religion and its slumber as coequal and synonymous terms.
And as they went it always so happens! A thing is never complete in itself; incident runs into incident, and the whole work is carried on with infinite skill to perfectness, to symmetry and life. “And as they went,” Jesus met them! No man can go upon his errands without his company. Jesus Christ always meets his messengers or joins them or overtakes them: he is alway with his angels to the end of the world. And Jesus said, “Go.” Some day we shall collect the incidents in which that word Go is used, and we shall see how wonderfully God’s Spirit always points in the direction of movement, aggression, energy. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” With such a “GO” ringing in our ears, with the resonance of a thunder-trumpet, who will sit down or stand still or forget his errand?
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
XXXI
CHRIST’S APPEARANCES AND COMMISSIONS
Harmony, pages 218-227 and Mat 28:1-15 APPEARANCES BETWEEN RESURRECTION DAY AND ASCENSION
FIRST LORD’S DAY
There were five appearances of Christ on the day he rose from the dead. These five, in their order of time, were:
1. To Mary Magdalene Mar 16:9 ; Joh 20:14-18 ; Harmony, pp. 221-222.
2. To the other women Mat 28:9-10 ; Harmony, pp. 218-222.
3. To Simon Peter Luk 24:34-35 ; 1Co 15:5 ; Harmony, p. 224.
4. To Cleopas and another disciple on the way to Emmaus Mar 16:12-13 ; Luk 24:13-35 ; Harmony, pp. 223-224.
5. To ten apostles, Thomas absent; gives first commission Mar 16:14 ; Luk 24:36-43 ; Joh 20:19-25 ; Harmony, pp. 224-226.
SECOND LORD’S DAY
6. To the eleven, Thomas present Joh 20:26-29 ; 1Co 15:5 ; Harmony, p. 226.
IN THE SECOND WEEK
7. To seven disciples beside the sea of Galilee. Gives Peter a special commission Joh 21:1-24 ; Harmony, pp. 226-227.
THIRD LORD’S DAY
8. To the eleven and above five hundred brethren on the appointed mountain in Galilee, where he gives the Great Commission Mat 28:16-20 ; Mar 16:15-18 ; 1Co 15:6 ; Harmony, pp. 228-229.
9. To James 1Co 15:7 ; Harmony, p. 229.
FOURTH LORD’S DAY
10. To the eleven; gives another commission Luk 24:44-49 ; Act 1:3-5 ; 1Co 15:7 ; Harmony, p. 229.
FORTIETH DAY HIS ASCENSION
11. To the eleven and many others Mar 16:19 ; Act 1:6 ; Luk 24:50-53 ; Harmony, pp. 230-231. Here Act 1:6 shows another gathering or assembly before they ask the question. From his ascension to the close of the New Testament our Lord appears to at least four persons (not counting Peter and Cornelius) Stephen, Paul, Ananias, and John; to Stephen and Ananias once each; to Paul several times, and to John on Patmos in visions recorded in Revelation. Unquestionably the voice which spake to Peter (Act 10:14 ) was the Lord’s voice, but Peter seems not to have seen the speaker. There was an audible, but not visible interview. Except the first vision in Revelation, John’s visions of the Lord on Patmos were mainly, but not altogether, symbolic representations of the Lord. In the case of Paul three of the appearances were constructively true, but not evident, i.e., they may be proved by argument, namely, the fourth, sixth, and ninth, as enumerated below. In order of time the appearance to Ananias follows the first appearance to Paul.
APPEARANCES BETWEEN HIS ASCENSION AND THE CLOSE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 1. To Stephen Act 7:55-60 .
2. First appearance to Paul Act 9:1-9 ; Act 22:5 ; Act 26:12-20 ; 1Co 1:1 ; 1Co 9:1 ; 1Co 15:8 . and at the beginning of other letters. This was to call him to be an apostle. An apostle must have seen the risen Lord in order to be a witness of his resurrection.
3. To Ananias Act 9:10-17 .
4. Second to Paul, in Arabia. This is constructive, depending on two lines of argument:
(a) Whether we shall give precedence to Luke’s “straightway” in Act 9:20 , or to Paul’s “immediately” in Gal 1:15-17 . The author believes that Paul did not preach in Damascus until after his return to that city from Arabia that he had not yet received his gospel.
(b) But before preaching, he spent about three years of retirement and preparation in Arabia, probably at Mount Sinai, communing with the Lord; there at the site of the giving of the law studying its relations to the gospel which afterward he so clearly discloses, and receiving from the Lord directly his gospel to which reception he so often refers, as in Gal 1:11-18 ; 1Co 11:23-26 ; 1Co 15:3 .
5. Third to Paul, in the Temple Act 22:17-21 . This supposes that the Temple vision occurred on his first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion, an account of which is given in Act 9:26-29 and Gal 1:18-19 .
6. Fourth to Paul in Tarsus, or possibly Antioch 2Co 12:1-9 . This is constructive, and depends on two lines of argument:
(a) That “revelations of the Lord” in 2Co 12:1 , implies a vision of the Lord.
(b) The place of the vision is determined by the chronological argument. Reckoning back “fourteen years” from the date of the second letter to the Corinthians, about A.D. 56 or 57, and comparing Act 9:30 ; Act 11:25 , we learn where Saul was in this period, and find in Act 15:41 Cilician churches, probably established by him.
7. Fifth to Paul, in Corinth Act 18:9-10 .
8. Sixth to Paul, in Jerusalem Act 23:11 .
9. Seventh to Paul, on the ship Act 27:23-25 . This is constructive. “An angel of the Lord” would signify an angel proper. But “the angel of the Lord” often means our Lord himself. This appearance, therefore, must be counted as doubtful.
APPEARANCES TO JOHN IN REVELATION 10. Rev 1:1-3:22 . This is real. The following in the same book are mostly symbolical:
(a) The Lamb slain Rev 5:6-7 .
(b) The Rider on the white horse in converting power Rev 6:2 .
(c) The angel with the censer Rev 8:3-5 . (This is the High Priest.)
(d) The angel with the little book, probable Rev 10:1-11 .
(e) The Lamb on Mount Zion Rev 14:1 .
(f) The angel with the sickle Rev 14:14 .
(g) The Rider on the white horse, in power of judgments Rev 19:11-16 .
(h) The Judge on the throne Rev 20:11 .
(i) The Lamb, the Light of the New Jerusalem Rev 21:23 .
(j) Witness (through angel) Rev 22:12-20 .
COMMISSIONS IN HIS LIFETIME 1. To the twelve Harmony, pp. 44-45 and 71-72; Mat 9:36-38 ; Mat 10:1-42 ; Mar 3:13-19 ; Mar 6:7-13 ; Luk 9:1-6 .
REMARKS
(a) Limited to Jews Mat 10:5 .
(b) Provides for their support Mat 10:9-10 ; 1Co 9:14 .
(c) Gives authority to cast out evil spirits and heal the sick Mat 10:8 .
(d) Gives authority to preach the kingdom Mat 10:7 .
(e) Foretells persecution Mat 10:17-18 .
(f) Promises protection Mat 10:28-29 .
(g) Spirit guidance in speech Mat 10:19-20 .
2. First special commission to Peter, the keys Mat 16:19 ; Harmony, p. 90.
REMARKS
(a) The gift of the keys authorized Peter to open the door of the kingdom of heaven to both Jews and Gentiles.
(b) The door to the Jews was opened by Peter in his Pentecost address Act 2:37-39 .
(c) The door to the Gentiles was opened by Peter in his address to Cornelius and his household Act 10:43-48 ; Act 11:1-18 ; Act 15:7-9 .
(d) The power to bind and loose, i.e., to declare the terms of remission, as in Act 2:38 and in Act 10:43 , and to pronounce judicially and with final authority on all matters of the kingdom, here specially given to Peter, is later given to all the apostles, as we will find in Joh 20:21-23 , and later to Paul. It was also given to the church, as we will find later in two commissions.
3. The discipline commission to the church Mat 18:15-18 ; Harmony, p. 100. Here again we find “the binding and loosing” power which holds good in heaven when the church follows the law of the Head of the church.
4. To the seventy Luk 10:1-24 ; Harmony, pp. 110-111.
REMARKS
(a) Limited to Jews.
(b) Provides for the support Luk 10:4-8 .
(c) Gives authority over evil spirits Luk 10:17 .
(d) Gives authority to preach the kingdom Luk 10:10 .
(e) Gives authority to heal the sick Luk 10:9 . Note: This and (a) were both temporary commissions.
COMMISSIONS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION
1. To the ten apostles, Thomas absent Joh 20:19-25 ; Harmony, p. 225. This commission appears in Joh 20:21-23 . REMARKS
(a) They are sent, as the Father sent Jesus, to all the world.
(b) They were inspired.
(c) They had authority to bind and loose, i.e., to declare the terms of remission of sins, and to pronounce judicially and with authority upon all matters pertaining to the church or kingdom. Harmony, p. 227.
2. Second special commission to Peter Joh 21:15-17 ;
(a) The triple form of the question here, “Lovest thou me?” is a mild rebuke of Peter’s triple denial.
(b) The triple form of the commission fits the three classes of Christians symbolized by sheep, little sheep, and lambs; the feed-ing, or shepherding required for each, suggests that the work is great enough to occupy all of Peter’s time, and conveys a mild rebuke to Peter for distrusting Christ’s provision, and his subsequent returning to his old, secular business. Peter erred in the use of the sword while Christ was living, and erred in attempting to provide for a living after Christ was risen. The suspension of Christ’s protection and provision lasted only while Christ was dead.
(c) There is nothing in either of the two special commissions to Peter to warrant his supremacy over the other apostles, and over the church, and especially no ground for a transmitted and perpetual supremacy to his so-called successors, and still less for those successors to be limited to the Roman See.
3. The great and perpetual missionary commission to the church Mat 28:16-20 ; Mar 16:15-18 ; 1Co 15:6 ; Harmony, pp. 228-229.
REMARKS
(a) This commission was given to an ecclesiastical body, as appears: From the number present. 1Co 15:6 : from its perpetuity, Mat 28:20 ; from the universality and scope of the work.
(b) The authority is plenary Mat 28:18 .
(c) The presence perpetual, through the Holy Spirit.
(d) The work is both evangelistic and pastoral, i.e., making disciples and then training them to do all Christ had commanded.
(e) The baptizing power is under jurisdiction of the church, as is also the keeping of the Lord’s Supper. It supposes a time when no apostle will be alive, and provides a continuous body is whom authority resides.
(f) This commission lasts till the final advent of our Lord, and throughout the Spirit’s administration.
We will now consider in detail some of his appearances after his resurrection and before his ascension, and also his commissions as we come to them. At least ten appearances are mention-ed, but there are some serious difficulties in harmonizing the testimony of all the Gospels concerning about six of these appearances. I will not stop now to point out these six and reply to them. Just now I will discuss the appearances between his resurrection and his ascension: First, to Mary Magdalene Mar 16:9 ; Joh 20:11-20 ; Harmony, pp. 221-222. All the circum-stances of this case are thrilling. A group of women had follow-ed Joseph and Nicodemus, had witnessed his burial and returned home to prepare spices and ointments for his embalming. Then, resting on the sabbath day (Saturday), they returned early on Sunday morning to embalm him. But they find the tomb empty, see the angel, hear his explanation, and report his message to the disciples. Four of these women are named: Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James; Salome, and Joanna. But there were others; as Luke says, Mary Magdalene runs and tells Peter and John that the tomb is empty. She says, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” And she returns with Peter and John and lingers after they have left. While she remains, the appearance of Christ to Mary takes place, as Mark states, and as is graphically described by John. It is very touching when the angels ask her why she weeps. She said, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”
When I was a young preacher I preached a sermon from that text, and this was the application of the sermon: That people would go to church with a natural expectation of hearing about the Lord; the choir would sing, the pastor would preach, but there would be no Lord in the sermon; the deacons would pray, but there would be no Lord in the prayers; and they would look at the lives of the church members, and there would be no Lord in their lives. Then they would say, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”
When Mary had thus said, she turned and beheld Jesus, but she did not know it was Jesus. She just caught a glimpse of him, and thought it was the gardener. She saw that somebody was there with her. Jesus said unto her, “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” “She, supposing him to be the gardner, said unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary!” As soon as she heard that voice, so familiar, the pathos and the manner of it which she had realized before a thousand times, her heart told her that it was the voice of the Lord. “She turns herself and saith unto him, in Hebrew, Rabboni, that is, My Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not [take not hold of me], for I am not yet ascended unto the Father, and my God and your God.” I have never been able to read that passage of Christ’s words to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils this woman whose love for Christ was unspeakable, and whose gratitude unbounded without being moved to tears.
Just here an objection comes up, for Jesus said, “I have not yet ascended to my Father.” How do you reconcile that with a previous statement that at his death the spirit went to the Father? My answer is that there is no contradiction at all. He is here referring to his ascension in the body: “I have not yet ascended to my Father,” that is, the whole Christ the divinity, soul, and body.
The second appearance is found also on page 222 of the Harmony, and it is to a group of women, Mary Magdalene, however, not included. Matthew alone gives that: “And behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then saith Jesus unto them, Fear not; go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me” (Mat 28:9-10 ).
These women are the first to see him. I have already stated that there was a Ladies’ Aid Society organized, which ministered unto him of their substance while he lived. This is the same group of women exactly. They are still going to minister unto him of their substance, after he is dead. They had provided for his embalming; and now he appears to this group first to Mary, and second to the rest of the group.
The third case is presented on page 224 of the Harmony, Luk 24:34 : “The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” And 1Co 15:5 : “He appeared to Cephas.” You can understand why the next appearance of Christ would be to Peter. Peter had denied him. He had been very greatly honored, and would be honored for all time. So the third appearance of the Lord was to Simon Peter.
The fourth appearance is on page 223 of the Harmony. This is very touching. It is the two men going to the village named Emmaus, about sixty furlongs from Jerusalem; and they were very sad. They had been to the crucifixion. Their Lord was dead, and while they were talking over that sad topic, a Stranger joins them. The record says, “Their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” So they did not recognize him. And he asked them what was the matter what all their sadness was about, and what they were talking about. They said, “You must be a stranger, or you would know what things have lately happened in Jerusalem.” And they told him about the death of the Lord, and when they got to their stopping place, Jesus made out as though he was going on. But they halted and asked him to take a meal with them, and when he went to ask the blessing, that mannerism of his, that peculiar, solemn way in which he broke the bread by these they knew him in a minute, and when he knew that they had recognized him, he disappeared, and then they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?” He had been delivering a discourse which I would give everything in the world to have heard. He talked about the law, the prophets, and the psalms, and expounded to them every passage which referred to him, and expressed his astonishment that they were so slow to believe all these things that the prophets had foreshown of him. It was right on the surface. Why did they not see it? Why did they not see that it was necessary for Jesus to die for them? Why should they be disappointed at his death? Why should they count that everything was lost when he died? The whole topic is intensely interesting.
The fifth appearance is on pages 224-225 of the Harmony. Mark, Luke, and John each gives an account of it: “When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” NOTE: “The first day of the week,” the very day on which he rose. This is five times in one day, all of them on that first Lord’s Day. And he “stood in their midst.” They were terrified, supposing it was a spirit, for the door was not open; it was fastened. He came in without opening the door; they thought it was a ghost, and he upbraided them on account of their unbelief and hardness of heart. They had no reason to be troubled; they had no right to have reasonings in their hearts. And then he showed them his hands, his side, and his feet. That was to show that it was the very body that was laid in the grave. They could not question the identity.
Here he gives his first commission after his resurrection. It is found on pages 224-226 of the Harmony, as follows: “When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, ‘Peace be unto you.’ And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, ‘Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, ‘Receive ye the Holy Spirit; whosesoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.’ “
We want to examine that commission. The points are as follows:
As he was sent forth by the Father on a mission to this earth for the salvation of the lost, so he now sends them forth for the same purpose. It is their business by preaching the gospel to afford an opportunity for the Spirit’s application of saving grace, which came through Jesus Christ.
The next item in this commission is that inspiration is given to these ten men. He breathed on them. That is what inspiration means, a “breathing on.” He breathed on them and said, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit.”
The third thing in his statement, “Whosesoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” What does that mean? Evidently, as God only can forgive sins, it was not granted to these ten men to really forgive sins. But it means that they are inspired to declare the terms of remission of sins, and not to make a mistake. When the apostles hereafter shall be asked, “What shall I do to be saved; how shall my sins be forgiven,” these men are inspired to tell just how that remission of sins may be obtained ; and whatever they say is as if God had said it to those asking. “Whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained,” that is, when they declare, as inspired men, that a man has not complied with the terms of the remission of sins, then that man has no forgiveness.
Let us take two cases to illustrate that part: The Jailer said to Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved what are the terms of salvation?” Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved, and thy house,” that is, “thy house must believe also.” There he declares that whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, his sins are remitted.
“Another New Testament case is where Peter said to Cornelius, as we learn in Acts, “To him [Jesus Christ] gave all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive the remission of sins.” No man can receive remission of sins except through Christ. The hand with which he lays hold on it is faith; faith apprehends, takes hold. In my discussion on Act 2:38 I bring out this question again, and answer a further question as to whether baptism is one of the terms essential to forgiveness of sins. The Campbellite’s answer, Dr. Mulling’ answer, and mine; I give them all, and the reader may take any one of the three he prefers. All this is found in Acts of this INTERPRETATION. Here is a summary of this first commission: (1) “As the Father hath sent me, so I send you”; they were thus to be sent; (2) they received inspiration; (3) being so sent and so inspired, they were to declare the only terms upon which the remission of sins could be obtained.
But Thomas was not present; there were only ten of the apostles present at that time. When Thomas came and they told him about It, he would not believe it. Here were ten men saying, “I tell you we have seen Jesus; he came into the room where we were; we know it was Jesus; we saw the marks of the nails in his hands and in his feet, and the spear print in his side.” Listen to what Thomas says: “That may do for you, but I won’t believe it until I put my finger in those nail-prints; I will have to see it for myself; I will have to put my finger there.” So just a week from those five appearances, and it is the Lord’s Day again, they are assembled, and Thomas is present. This is what it says, Joh 20:26-31 : “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” He was satisfied that this was the very Jesus, and more that this was God in man. It is quite common to preach a sermon on “Doubting Thomas.” A great many men have shown that Thomas was not such a bad case after all; that he did insist on adequate proof proof that would satisfy him, and not other people. And when that proof reached him he accepted it with all his heart, and forever. So that is the sixth time. Jesus has this rebuke for Thomas: “Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” In other words, there is a sufficiency of testimony without seeing Jesus. You have not seen him, and yet have believed, and you are as strong in your faith as Thomas was.
We note another appearance. It was on another Sunday. Jesus, before he died, made a positive appointment with all of his people, at a certain mountain in Galilee. Not only the apostles, but the women and others were there. Most of his converts were in Galilee. Here we find Peter, as I have said, in one case, acting too quickly, and in another case he acted too late. Jesus had said that while they were under his commission, and he was alive, not to take scrip or purse; not to feel that they had to provide for themselves or to defend themselves; but that while they were thus under his commission he would provide. I showed you how Peter used his sword before Christ was dead, and there he was too quick. Now, after Christ is risen, and he knows that Christ is risen, be says, “I go a fishing.” What he meant by that was this: “We have to have a living. It looks like our preaching occupation is gone, and we were by profession fishermen. I am going back to my old business.” Let one big man, the ringleader, start off, and the others, not quite so big, will follow. The rest said, “We’ll go with you.” And they went back to their old occupation, and to their old homes. They went fishing, toiled all night and caught nothing.
A back-sliding preacher makes a mighty poor farmer or anything else. If he succeeds well in a secular business it is a pretty good proof that God never called him; and if he does not succeeded, then it certainly seems that he is out of his place.
Jesus appears and shows them how to catch fish, as he had done once before. That is a repetition of the miracle that had taken place when he called them to leave that business that he might make them fishers of men. To repeat that miracle here, when they were out of that business, whatever their regular business for Christ, would bring the whole thing back to their remembrance.
And now commences a colloquy between Christ and Peter. He says to Simon, “Do you love me more than these?” Instantly the question comes up what does that pronoun “these” refer to? Does it mean these fish? If so, it means this: “Do you, Simon, love your secular business more than you love your Lord and Master?” Or that pronoun may refer to the other disciples. Simon had said, “Though all these others leave thee, I will never leave thee.” Then it means: “You professed while I was living that you had an attachment for me beyond all other men. Do you love me more than they do? If so, why are you leading them astray?” It will be noticed that Jesus puts his question three times, corresponding to the three denials of Peter, and that Peter’s heart keeps breaking and getting more and more humble, as each question is put. He is a good man. One of my old-time lady members at Waco said, “Peter is a great comfort to me; he was so impulsive and imperfect. But Paul is a trial for me. I am all the time back-sliding and repenting, yet greatly loving my Lord.”
We now come to our Lord’s commission to Peter, which is his second commission after his resurrection, and I call attention to another important thing. In the Greek language Jesus directs Peter to take care of three classes of Christians, for the Greek words differ. In the Greek New Testament we see that the words used differ in the manuscripts. The word for “sheep,” the word for “lambs,” and the word for “little sheep” differ. “Shepherd my sheep,” “feed my lambs,” and “shepherd my little sheep.” A “sheep” is an experienced Christian; a “lamb” is a young convert; and a “little sheep” is a Christian who has been converted long enough to be mature, but who is in a state of arrested development what you would call a “runt.” The majority of Christian people that I know are “little sheep,” as Paul says, “For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food” (Heb 5:12 ). It is somewhat like trying to feed them with a spoon, just as if they were babies. They have not moved up any. They can go back and tell when they were converted, but they do not grow. Paul refers to “little women” ( gunaikarion ), which our translators call “silly women.” What he means by “little women” is not the little women that Louisa May Alcott writes about in her book Little Women , i.e., “girls that soon will be women.” Paul does not mean little woman in stature, but a woman with a little soul. Her soul is so small that she loves pleasure more than God. The world is bigger to her than heaven. The pleasures and gayeties of this world are more to her than God’s service. She goes to ballrooms. She is swallowed up in fashionable parties, so that she seldom gets in touch with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is manifest in the church. Little women, quite small, may be worth 1,000,000; may be leaders in society, but such are little women. Such are on the pastor’s heart very heavily, and he doesn’t know what to do with them.
Jesus says to Simon, “You feed these little sheep.” In the twenty-seven years that I was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Waco, I came to know these “little sheep” well, and how to deal with them.
These apostles quit fishing and they went on to the appointment, which brings us to the next appearance of Jesus, at which he gives the third commission after his resurrection, which we will consider in the next chapter.
QUESTIONS 1. How many and what appearances on the day that Christ rose from the dead?
2. How many and what on the second Lord’s Day?
3. How many and what during the second week?
4. How many and what appearances on the third Lord’s Day?
5. What one on the fourth Lord’s Day?
6. What one on the fortieth day?
7. To whom did Christ appear between his ascension and the close of the New Testament and how many times to each?
8. How many and what commissions did Christ give in his lifetime?
9. Analyze the first commission to the twelve.
10. Analyze the special commission to Peter.
11. What is the discipline commission given to the church, and what is the meaning here of the “binding and loosing” power?
12. Analyze the commission to the seventy, and what of special note about the first and fourth of these commissions?
13. How many and what commissions after his resurrection?
14. To whom did Christ first appear after his resurrection, and what the circumstances of that appearance?
15. How do you harmonize Jesus’ statement to Mary, “Touch me not,” etc., with the fact that at his second appearance the women touched his feet, and the fact that Thomas was invited to touch his hands and his side?
16. How do you reconcile the last saying on the cross with the statement, “I have not yet ascended to my Father”?
17. To whom did he appear the second time, and what were the circumstances?
18. To whom did he appear the third time, and why to him especially?
19. To whom did he appear the fourth time, and what, in detail, were the incidents connected with it?
20. To whom did he appear the fifth time, what were the circumstances, and what important event in connection with this appearance of our Lord?
21. Analyze this commission, explaining each point in particular.
22. To whom did he appear on the second Lord’s Day, and what were the circumstances, and what was the special purpose of this appearance?
24. What was the meaning of Christ’s questions to Peter here?
25. What analysis of the second commission to Peter? (See outline of the commission.)
26. In this second commission to Peter, what is the meaning and application of Christ’s language to him, distinguishing three classes of Christians?
27. What two references to the “little sheep” by Paul, and who, especially, are Paul’s “little women”?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
1 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.
Ver. 1. The first day of the week ] Greek, of the sabbaths, . One day of seven is due to God of necessity. This the Scripture calls by an excellency the sabbath day, without a difference; as if it were the eldest brother to all the days of the week, which is called here and elsewhere sabbaths, in the plural, LXXE Psa 24:1 , title, “A psalm of David.” To this the Greek addeth, “of the first day of the week,” which now is the Christian sabbath, called “the Lord’s day,”Rev 1:10Rev 1:10 , in honour of Christ, and in a thankful remembrance of his resurrection. See Trapp on “ Joh 20:1 “
To see the sepulchre ] To see what the Pharisees had done with the Lord’s body the day before (for they knew they had been tampering, and feared the worst, as love is suspicious) and to bring the spices, which by an easy error they had prepared, Luk 24:1 . They knew not, belike, that Joseph and Nicodemus had been at that cost and pains before them; neither did any of them consider that what they did herein was superfluous, for that it was “impossible for God’s holy one to see corruption,”Act 2:27Act 2:27 . But he is pleased to pass by our well meant weaknesses, where the heart is upright.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1 10. ] JESUS HAVING RISEN FROM THE DEAD, APPEARS TO THE WOMEN. Mar 16:1-8 . 2Jn 1:1-102Jn 1:1-102Jn 1:1-10 . The independence and distinctness of the four narratives in this part have never been questioned, and indeed herein lie its principal difficulties. With regard to them, I refer to what I have said in the Prolegomena, that supposing us to be acquainted with every thing said and done, in its order and exactness, we should doubtless be able to reconcile, or account for, the present forms of the narratives ; but not having this key to the harmonizing of them, all attempts to do so in minute particulars must be full of arbitrary assumptions, and carry no certainty with them. And I may remark, that of all harmonies , those of the incidents of these chapters are to me the most unsatisfactory . Giving their compilers all credit for the best intentions, I confess they seem to me to weaken instead of strengthening the evidence, which now rests (speaking merely objectively ) on the unexceptionable testimony of three independent narrators, and of one, who besides was an eye-witness of much that happened. If we are to compare the four, and ask which is to be taken as most nearly reporting the exact words and incidents, on this there can I think be no doubt. On internal as well as external ground, that of John takes the highest place : but not, of course, to the exclusion of those parts of the narrative which he does not touch .
The improbability that the Evangelists had seen one another’s accounts, becomes, in this part of their Gospels, an impossibility . Here and there we discern traces of a common narration as the ground of their reports, as e.g. Mat 5:1-48 ; Mat 6:1-34 ; Mat 7:1-29 ; Mat 8:1-34 ; Mar 5:1-43 ; Mar 6:1-56 ; Mar 7:1-37 ; Mar 8:1-38 , but even these are very few.
As I have abandoned all idea of harmonizing throughout, I will beg the student to compare carefully the notes on the other Gospels.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
1. . ] not, ‘ at the end of the week .’ The words and . are opposed, both being days . At the end of the Sabbath. There is some little difficulty here, because the end of the sabbath (and of the week) was at sunset the night before . It is hardly to be supposed that St. Matthew means the evening of the sabbath, though is used of the day beginning at sunset (Luk 23:54 , and note). It is best to interpret a doubtful expression in unison with the other testimonies, and to suppose that here both the day and the breaking of the day are taken in their natural , not their Jewish sense.
. is a Hebraism; the Rabbinical writings use , , , &c., affixing to each, for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, &c.
. . . . . ] In Mark, Salome also . John speaks of Mary Magdalene alone . see notes there.
. . . ] It was to anoint the Body, for which purposes they had bought, since the end of the Sabbath, ointments and spices, Mark.
In Mark it is after the rising of the sun ; in John, while yet dark ; in Luke, at dim dawn : the two last agree with our text.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 28:1-10 . The open grave (Mar 16:1-8 , Luk 24:1-11 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 28:1 . . , a curious and puzzling note of time, inconsistent with itself if translated “late on Sabbath, towards daybreak on the first day of the week,” and on the assumption that the day is supposed to begin and end at sunset. That would give, as the time at which the events to be narrated happened, the afternoon of one day and the early morning of the next. Of course the two clauses are meant to coincide in meaning, and a way out of the difficulty must be sought. One is to take as = post , after the Sabbath, or late in comparison with the Sabbath, in clause I being in effect a genitive of comparison. So Euthy. and Grotius, who take . as = the whole passover week, De Wette, Weizscker, etc. Another is to take as = not later than , but late on , and to assume that the day is conceived to begin and end with sunrise according to the civil mode of reckoning. So Kypke, Meyer, Weiss, Morison. Authorities are divided as to Greek usage, Meyer and Weiss, e.g. , contending that always means lateness of the period specified, and still current. Holtzmann, H. C., remarks that only from the second clause do we learn that by the first is not meant the evening of the Sabbath, but the end of the night following, conceived as still belonging to the Sabbath. , supply or . . ., towards day one of the week ( Sabbath in first clause). , came, singular though more than one concerned, as in Mat 27:56 ; Mat 27:61 . Mary of Magdala, evidently the heroine among the women. . ., to see the sepulchre; no word of anointing, that being excluded by the story of the watch.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Matthew Chapter 28
The special purpose of this Gospel appears in the account of the Lord’s death and resurrection as plainly as elsewhere. Hardly any portion, indeed, more strikingly illustrates it than the chapter before us. Thus we have no mention of our Lord’s ascension. If we had only Mat 28 , we should not have known as a fact that the Lord went up to heaven at all. It is impossible without a special purpose that the apostle could have omitted an event so glorious and interesting. Not that this omission is a defect in Matthew’s narrative; on the contrary, it is a part and proof of its perfection, when the scope is understood. Were the ascension scene introduced here, it would be out of keeping with the history that closes in our chapter. Yet even now it is one of the points that learned men stumble over. Neglecting the evidence of design, they reason a priori, and consequently cannot understand why such an event should be left out by our Evangelist. Evidently they do not believe, in any full sense, that God wrote these Gospels; else they would conclude that the fault lay in their ignorance and misreasoning. A simple-hearted believer, though he may not understand why, rests satisfied that the omission in Matthew is as perfect as the insertion of it in Luke; everything is as it should be in the word of God, as He wrote it. And the notion that something is now wanting, which Matthew once wrote as a conclusion, is contrary to all evidence, external and internal.
Before closing, I shall endeavour to show how its presence here would be incongruous and detract from the beauty of the picture God was supplying: on the other hand, its presence where it does occur elsewhere is, I need hardly add, equally beautiful and necessary. Events are selected in connection with the immediate subject. Taking the chapter as it comes, we see that the Holy Ghost here confines Himself to a Messiah risen from the dead, who meets His disciples in Galilee, outside the rebellious city. In other parts of this Gospel the ascension is implied or assumed, as in Mat 13:41 ; Mat 16:27 , Mat 16:28 ; Mat 22:44 ; Mat 24 ; Mat 25 ; and, above all, Mat 26:64 . It was therefore not omitted ignorantly, nor has any accident robbed us of it in the original. I only say this as entirely refuting the foolish and irreverent reasoning of men, chiefly moderns.
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn, etc. (ver. 1) This was not the morning of the resurrection-day, but the evening previous to it. We, with our western reckonings of time, might think only of the early twilight; but it means simply that the week was drawing to its close. We must remember that to a Jewish mind evening twilight commenced the new day.* An exactly similar phrase occurs in Luk 23:54 , where the Jewish sense cannot be doubted. The Holy Ghost does not continue the description of this visit of the women to the sepulchre. There is no real ground for connecting the circumstances of the first three verses of this chapter.** The first merely presents the devotedness of these holy women. When the disciples had gone to their own homes, these women, spite of natural fears at such a place and time, could not stay away. They had prepared spices for embalming the body, but rested the sabbath-day (as we read in Luke), according to the commandment. “It was just getting dusk” is the true thought here. It was the twilight after the sabbath. Their hearts took them to the grave, being bound up with Jesus, as soon as the sabbath-law permitted.
* This is according to Gen 1:5 : “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” So vers. 8, 13, etc.: to this the Jewish reckoning conformed. If we believe that Gen 1 has also a symbolical application, as others have clearly shown, the omission of “evening and morning” on the seventh day very significantly points to God’s rest (and ours with Him) in new creation, where sin shall not enter, and His rest shall not be broken. – [Ed.
**This is quite in keeping with what we have found in Matthew elsewhere. The reader can compare (“and behold”) in Mat 8:2 with the same in Mat 28:2 . The true connection is in the object of the narrator, not in mere time, There is no ground to suppose the women witnessed the earthquake: the soldiers, I believe, alone did.
“And, behold, there was a great earthquake,” etc. This was an after-occurrence; how long after is not said. We have simply a narrative of events one after another, in these early verses, without defining the intervals of time. We rnust not confound the visit of the women here (in verse 1) with their visit on the morning of the first day mentioned by Mark and in our verse 5, etc. The Lord was not on this last occasion in the sepulchre, and the angel, descending and rolling away the stone, had nothing directly to do with the Lord’s rising. No such interposition was in any way necessary to Him. God raised Him, and He Himself rose – taking up His life as He had laid it down. Such is the scriptural doctrine of the resurrection. This angelic action was, I suppose, to call the attention of men to the Divine act in the resurrection of Jesus, and the more fully to set aside the deceits or the reasonings of enemies.* So the angel’s word is, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
*Perhaps more especially for the comfort and assurance of the sorrowing disciples, as well as the announcement to them of the resurrection of Jesus. Ed.
One remarkable consequence of the resurrection is always pressed: the angel says, “Fear not ye.” That mighty act of God is intended forever to dispel the alarm of those who believe in Jesus, by giving them the certainty of His intervention on their behalf. Up to the advent and resurrection of Jesus there was a measure of darkness and uncertainty, however great the kindness and mercy shown by the Lord. The resurrection left all the world apparently undisturbed; but what was the great resulting truth and blessing for the people of God? To faith it is the triumph of God over the last efforts of sin and the power of Satan. No doubt death is still in the world, pursuing its ravages. And what is the resurrection to you? says the caviller. Everything, if Christ is my life. I am entitled to have the comfort of it; my soul is welcome to drink into the joy of it, though my body does not yet share the deliverance. God has shown me in the cross of Christ the perfect witness of suffering for sin. Man believes not that He is the Son.. and cannot understand how God could allow His best-beloved to suffer. Others too had cried to God; and, spite of all their faults, they had been heard; yet, in the extremity of Christ’s sufferings, and spite of His grace and glory, and of the Father’s love to Him, He cried and was not heard! For truly, in all His life He was the beloved One over whom the heavens opened with delight. But upon the cross the crisis is come, and all js changed. It might have seemed to the world that all was over with the claims of Jesus. He had died on the cross, and by His own confession was forsaken of God. Was all now as man or the devil desired? On the third day God interferes: Jesus rose from the dead, and all the power of earth and hell was shaken to its. centre. Resurrection settled everything in peace for the believer. Every cause for fear and unbelieving sorrow was buried in the grave of Christ. Every blessing overflows in Him risen. How much is made of this in the Epistles! Nothing is more fundamental or more insisted on. Vague thoughts of God’s goodness, love, etc., would not be enough for the solid comfort of God’s people. Full, settled peace is founded on the solid basis to which God points – the death and resurrection of Jesus. If His death meets all my evil, His resurrection is the spring and pattern of the new life and acceptance – beyond sin, and death, and judgment. Our life, our peace, our new place before God, are now to be associated with Jesus risen.
The course of the world was not interrupted by the Lord’s resurrection. Men slept as usual, and rose as if nothing had happened. Yet was it the greatest work of power that God had ever wrought; yea (founded on the deepest suffering that ever was endured), it was the greatest work He ever will do; and I say this looking on to the day when everything shall be made new according to His glory. These are the consequences of Christ’s resurrection, the applications of the power put forth therein. But if the world was indifferent to it, what should it be to us? Say not it is a little thing because it is as yet a matter of faith. Into the midst of this scene of weakness and death the mighty power of God has entered, and has been put forth here in the resurrection of Christ. No more could God do, nor needs to do, to blot out sin: it has been put away by the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus was treated as if He were covered with it, as if it were all His own. If it was to be removed, He must bear it thoroughly: He did so, and now it is gone; and we rest upon what God tells us of Him and it. This is what tests the soul’s confidence in God. Am I willing to trust God, when I cannot trust myself? Sin brought in distrust of God; but the gift, death and resurrection of Christ more than restore what was lost, and establish the soul in such a knowledge of God as no angel ever did or can possess. What my soul wants is, not that God should be so merciful as not to destroy me because of my sins, but a full deliverance with a full judgment of sin (Rom 8:1 , Rom 8:3 ). We can not have fellowship with God except on the ground of sin being taken away righteously. Jesus crucified has abolished sin before God for those who believe. To believe God about the death of His Son because of our sin is to take God’s part against ourselves. Before Him to acknowledge ourselves lost sinners is repentance toward God, and inseparable from faith.
Perfect love is in God, and comes out of the depth of His own holy being. God became a man that He might go through the whole moral question of sin: that done in Christ is the triumph of grace. No wonder then that the angel could say, “Fear not ye.” The resurrection shows every hindrance gone. The angel acknowledges Him as Lord (“Come and see the place where the Lord lay”); but what a blessing to be able to say our Lord! What a joy thus to own that risen One who was crucified as entitled in everything to command! No doubt, what made His work of value was that He was God Himself – One who, while He was a man, was infinitely above man – a daysman – One who could lay His hand upon both. The angel intimates this, that in the presence of a risen Saviour there was nothing for the most timid believer to fear. On the other hand, Act 17:31 says: “He [God] hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” If I do not trust to a risen Saviour for the deliverance of my soul, I participate in the guilt of His death. If I have not fled for refuge to Him, I belong to the same firm, as it were, that crucified Him. But by faith in Him I am washed from this guilt by His blood. How just that the provision of grace which signs the believer’s deliverance should, if despised, become the dead weight that sinks the world! If I believe Him, I know it was man that crucified Jesus; and not merely profane man; for the guilt pervades all. And there is one only door of deliverance for any, and this is Jesus crucified. “Fear not ye.” There is no need of alarm, for He is risen. “I know that ye seek Jesus,” etc. It was the heart set upon Jesus that was valued. It had ever been in the mind of God to blot out sin; but now it was all gone; and God was waiting for this to declare the glad tidings. He who was full of holy love in giving Jesus to die, now raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God. If my faith and hope are in God, my delight is in Christ; if in myself, Christ becomes to me a cipher, and I justly perish forever. If I have not Christ for my rest and delight, for my Saviour and Lord, here, I must by and by quail before Him as my judge.
And now, returning to the women, they were to go and tell His disciples that Jesus was risen from the dead, and was going before them into Galilee. In Luke there is no notice of Galilee, but there He joins the two disciples going to Emmaus; and when they returned to Jerusalem the same evening, they “found the eleven gathered together. . . . saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” Jesus Himself appears in their midst. All circumstances there have Jerusalem as their centre. In Matthew the great point pressed is the meeting-place assigned in Galilee. And why? Is it not remarkable on the face of it that one should give the meeting of Jesus with His disciples in Jerusalem, the other in Galilee? Has not God some truth to teach me hereby,? We are apt to measure the importance of a truth by its results to ourselves; but the true standard is its bearing on the glory of God. The way in which God gives us His truth, after all, is also the best for us. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew Jesus is found in Galilee. Jerusalem refuses Him, was troubled at His birth, and cast Him out unto death, even the death of the cross. “We did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted,” exactly describes their feeling. They looked in the Messiah for something suited to their earthly idea; they vented their disappointment in the rejection of the Son of God. In accordance with this, then, Matthew records that the scene of His living labours, as also where He manifested Himself as risen after the house of Israel rejected Him, was Galilee – the place of Jewish scorn. He shows Himself anew in despised Galilee of the Gentiles, when all power is given to Him in heaven and earth; and there He gives the godly remnant from His ancient people their great commission.
“And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them,” etc. In John, where Mary recovers her beloved Lord, as she thinks, He says, “Touch Me not.” How comes it that here, when the women came and held Him by the feet, our Lord does not forbid it? A totally different truth is thus set forth by these acts. The great hope of Israel was to have Christ in their midst. But to us the absence of Christ on high, while we go through our time of trial, is just as characteristic as His presence will be to them. John speaks fully of our Lord’s going away: another scene of glory entirely distinct from this world is brought out there. Hence the teaching implied is, as it were, You may have been looking as Jews for a scene where I shall be personally present; but instead of this, I tell you of My present place on high, and the many mansions that I go to prepare for you in My Father’s house. He reveals to them a heavenly hope totally distinct from His reigning over His people in this world: therefore in John the Lord says to Mary, “Touch Me not, for . . . I ascend,” etc. But in Matthew we are shown Jesus rejected by Jerusalem, yet found in Galilee, even after His resurrection. Whatever His power and glory now, and the comfort and blessing to His own, He is still, as regards the Jews and Jerusalem, the rejected and despised Messiah. Hence it is that on this occasion He confirms the message of the angel, saying to the women, “Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me” (ver. 10).
The governor wielded the power of the Roman kingdom; but who were they that secretly instigated him? The false religionists of their day – the priests, utterly blinded of the devil. Always without simplicity of heart, they assembled together with the elders and took counsel; and those who bribed a treacherous disciple with “thirty pieces of silver” to put Christ to death, gave “large money” now to deny the truth of His resurrection. Such is man, such is the world; and, solemn to say, such is its highest and proudest phase. Such it was then: is the moral complexion altered now? If we read the Bible aright, we shall find in it not only the record of the past, but the divine lesson-book of the present and the future. May we read it for our own souls! Certain it is that the Jews, and especially the religious chiefs, took the lead in evil and in opposition to God before Christ’s death (Mat 26:27 ), while He lay in the grave (Mat 27:62-66 ), and after He rose again (Mat 28:11-15 ). But unbelief is after all as weak against God as faith is mighty with and by Him. Their own guard became the clearest, most unwitting and least suspected witness of the resurrection. What a testimony was the alarm of the soldiers, added to the doubts of His own disciples! It became more than unbelief now; it was a deliberate, wilful lie; and there are the Jews “until this day.” Their fears were, without their meaning it, a sure testimony to Jesus; but their enmity leads them on now to reject What they knew was the truth, even if they perished everlastingly.
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted” (vers. 16, 17). “Some doubted” – and these were disciples. How good is God! how above the thoughts of man! Man would have held back the fact. Why say that some of His disciples doubted? Would it not stumble others? but it is profitable to know the depth of our unbelieving hearts – to see that even in the presence of a risen Jesus “some doubted.” No matter what His love to His children, God never hides their sins, nor makes light of them.
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. . . . And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Now it appears to me that with such a word as this the ascension scene would be incongruous. He had said, “Lo, I am with you alway”; and there the curtain drops – the unbroken blessedness of this promise rings on the heart! Thus the keeping out of view His departure seems to me to crown the beauty of the parting promise, and of the whole Gospel.
And why not here “repentance and remission of sins”? why not “preach the gospel to every creature “? What is the peculiar fitness of this conclusion of Matthew? The Lord, rejected as the Jewish Messiah, opens out fresh dealings of God with men. Before, they were not to go even to Samaritans; but here an entirely new sphere is opened. It is no longer God having His peculiar dwelling-place in one nation; it is now this larger thought – “Go ye therefore, and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (ver. 19).* Baptism is here in contrast with circumcision, and the fuller revelation of the Godhead is contrasted with the name Jehovah by which God was known to Israel. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” This falls in with the sermon on the mount, where the Lord says, in contrast with them of old time, “But I say unto you.” He was the Prophet like unto Moses whom God had promised to raise up, and to whom they were bound to harken. What special guidance was this for Jewish disciples! They were to teach all things that Jesus had commanded. He was the beloved Son of God who now was to be heard pre-eminently. It was not a question of putting the Gentiles under the law – which has been the ruin of Christendom, the denial of Christianity, and the deep dishonour of Christ Himself.
* It is still “the kingdom,” but no longer confined to Israel. – [Ed.
And here all closes. The disciples were about to enter on a troubled scene; but, “Lo, I [Jesus] am with you all the days, unto the consummation of the age.” And this was and is enough for faith. The Lord grant that we may confide our souls, both for this age and forever, to that Word which shall stand when heaven and earth pass away!
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 28:1-7
1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where he was lying. 7Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
Mat 28:1 “after the Sabbath” This Greek phrase refers to sundown on Saturday (cf. Vulgate “on the Sabbath evening”). In Mark the Greek phrase refers to sunrise on Sunday. There is much confusion in the chronology of the last week of Jesus’ life, especially events surrounding the resurrection. It is the mentioning of the term “dawning” that causes one to think that the reference may be to Roman time, not Jewish time. There are instances of both being used in the Gospels.
“Mary of Magdalene and the other Mary” Both Mar 16:1 and Luk 24:10 mention other women, while Joh 20:1 mentions Mary of Magdalene alone.
Mat 28:2 “a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone” This is unique to Matthew. Two explanations for how the stone was removed are given side by side. There must have been two earthquakes (1) one at Jesus’ death in Mat 27:54, and (2) another to remove the stone and allow Jesus’ followers inside the empty tomb. See note on “an angel of the Lord” at Mat 1:20.
Mat 28:3 “and His appearance was like lightning” This is a reference to the angel who was wearing white linen cloth, a symbol of purity. Luk 24:4 and Joh 20:12 record two angels. This variation between one or two persons or angels is common among the Gospels, but the number is reversed, usually it is Matthew’s Gospel that has “two.” Other examples are: (1) the Gadarene demoniac (Mar 5:1; Luk 8:26) and the two demoniacs (Mat 8:28); and (2) the blind man (Mar 10:46; Luk 18:35) and two blind men (Mat 20:30).
Mat 28:5 “Do not be afraid” This is exactly what Jesus told them in Mat 28:10. It was the common statement when the supernatural realm broke into the natural.
1. Jesus’ words in Mat 14:27; Mat 17:7; Mat 28:10; Mar 6:50; Luk 5:10; Luk 12:32; Joh 6:20; Rev 1:17
2. angels in Mat 28:5; Luk 1:13; Luk 1:30; Luk 2:10
Mat 28:6 “He has risen” In this context the Father’s acceptance and approval of the Son’s words and works are expressed in two great events.
1. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead
2. Jesus’ ascension to the Father’s right hand
See SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (DOXA) at Mar 10:37 b.
Mat 28:7 “He is going ahead of you into Galilee” Jesus had told them He would meet them on a mountain in Galilee (cf. Mat 26:32; Mat 28:7; Mat 28:10; 1Co 15:6). This was a way to assert His resurrection and give them hope. He had a final message for them (cf. Mat 28:18-20; Luk 24:46-47; Act 1:8).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
In, &c. For the sequence of events connected with the resurrection see App-166.
In.Greek. en. App-104.
end of = late on, &c.
the sabbath. The weekly sabbath. The seventh day; not the high sabbath of Mat 28:62 or Joh 19:42, because that was the first day of the feast (following the “preparation day”). See App-156.
toward. Greek. eis. App-104.
Mary . . . the other Mary. See App-100.
to see = to gaze upon. Greek. theoreo. App-133. Not the same as in verses: Mat 6:7, Mat 6:10, Mat 6:17.
sepulchre. Greek. taphos. As in Mat 27:61, Mat 27:64, Mat 27:66. Not the same as in “tomb” (Mat 27:60).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
1-10.] JESUS HAVING RISEN FROM THE DEAD, APPEARS TO THE WOMEN. Mar 16:1-8. Luk 24:1-12. Joh 20:1-10. The independence and distinctness of the four narratives in this part have never been questioned, and indeed herein lie its principal difficulties. With regard to them, I refer to what I have said in the Prolegomena, that supposing us to be acquainted with every thing said and done, in its order and exactness, we should doubtless be able to reconcile, or account for, the present forms of the narratives; but not having this key to the harmonizing of them, all attempts to do so in minute particulars must be full of arbitrary assumptions, and carry no certainty with them. And I may remark, that of all harmonies, those of the incidents of these chapters are to me the most unsatisfactory. Giving their compilers all credit for the best intentions, I confess they seem to me to weaken instead of strengthening the evidence, which now rests (speaking merely objectively) on the unexceptionable testimony of three independent narrators, and of one, who besides was an eye-witness of much that happened. If we are to compare the four, and ask which is to be taken as most nearly reporting the exact words and incidents, on this there can I think be no doubt. On internal as well as external ground, that of John takes the highest place: but not, of course, to the exclusion of those parts of the narrative which he does not touch.
The improbability that the Evangelists had seen one anothers accounts, becomes, in this part of their Gospels, an impossibility. Here and there we discern traces of a common narration as the ground of their reports, as e.g. Mat 5:1-48; Mat 6:1-34; Mat 7:1-29; Mat 8:1-34; Mar 5:1-43; Mar 6:1-56; Mar 7:1-37; Mar 8:1-38, but even these are very few.
As I have abandoned all idea of harmonizing throughout, I will beg the student to compare carefully the notes on the other Gospels.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Chapter 28
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 the sepulchre. 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. And his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment was as white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not: for know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord lay. And then go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goes before you into Galilee; and there shall you see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them [that is His disciples], saying, All hail. And they came and they held him by the feet, and worshipped him ( Mat 28:1-9 ).
Boy I imagine the excitement. Imagine the joy of this morning. Now how is it that they held him by the feet and worshipped Him, when early He said to Mary,” don’t touch me, I’ve not yet ascended to my Father”? It lies in the Greek, where Jesus said, “don’t touch me”, or is translated “don’t touch me”, literal from the Greek it is, “don’t cling to me”. Mary, no doubt, got a death grip around His neck, like a person who is drowning. You got away from me once; you’ll never get away from me again. And so He said “Mary, don’t cling to me. You’ve got a job to do; go tell the disciples I am risen.” But here they come and they are clinging, they are holding Him by the feet, as they worship Him.
Then Jesus said unto them, Be not afraid: go and tell my brothers that they go into Galilee, and there they will see me. Now when they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and they showed the chief priests all of the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, they had taken counsel, and they gave them large sums of money, saying, You say that his disciples came by night, and stole him while we slept. And if the word of this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and take care of you. So they took the money, and they did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. Then when the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in eaRuth ( Mat 28:10-18 ).
Can you imagine how much power that must be? “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
Go therefore ( Mat 28:19 ),
Interesting, He said, “all power is given to me, you go”. But then He said I will be with you as you go to proclaim God’s love to a needy world. The Lord is with you, and backing you up with all of the power that exists in the universe. Oh, what power is ours, as we go out to proclaim the risen Savior to the lost world.
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore”,
and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost ( Mat 28:19 ):
Not in the name. There is a group called, “Jesus only”. And they say, “In the name”, and the name is Jesus. So you should only baptize in Jesus name only. But in the Greek it is, “unto the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. So it sort of blows their little theory.
Teaching them ( Mat 28:20 ),
Notice the command is to “go and to teach”. The real ministry of the church should be that of teaching God’s truth to man.
Teaching them to observe all of the things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of this age ( Mat 28:20 ).
Not, you know, if you go to Africa or you go to the South Pole, but even to the end of the age, to the consummation of the age, or down to our present time. As you go He is with you, even to the end of this age.
Now some of the early church fathers, Usiphias, Iranias, and Justin Myrder, declared that Pilate wrote an account to the Roman government concerning the crucifixion of Jesus, and those things that happened around the crucifixion. There is a document that was found in the Vatican library, that purported to be the letter that Pilate sent to Caesar, as he explained to him his part and the place of Rome in the crucifixion of Jesus. The letter is called the “Actipalate”, and it is an interesting letter. However, the authenticity is something that cannot be fully attested to, but it does make very interesting reading. I have a book called the Archaeological and Historic Writings of the Sanhedrin, and Talmud of the Jews, and in this book there is a copy of the Actipalate. I like to just read a couple of those segments out of it to you.
“To Tiberas Caesar the emperor of Rome, noble sovereign greeting,
“The events of the last few days in my province have been of such character, that I will give the details in full as they have occurred, as I should not be surprised if in the course of time they may change the destiny of our nation. For it seems oblate that all the gods have ceased to be populous. I am almost ready to say, ‘Cursed be the day that I succeeded Dalarias Fascias, in the government of Judea’, for since then my life has been one of continual uneasiness and distress”.
And he goes on and tells of some of the problems that he had as he took over as the governor there in Israel. He said:
“I granted unto Jesus unlimited freedom. It was true that Jesus was severe on the rich and the powerful. And this was a political reason, in my opinion, for not restraining the liberty of the Nazarene. The scribes and the Pharisees, He would say to them, ‘You are a race of vipers. You resemble painted sepulchres. You appear well unto men, but you have death within you.’
“At other times He would sneer at the alms of the rich and the proud, telling them that the mite of a poor was more precious in the sight of God. And new complaints were daily made at the praetorium against the insolence of Jesus. I was even informed that some misfortune would befall Him, and that it would not be the first time that Jerusalem had stoned those that called themselves prophets. And if the praetorium refuse justice an appeal would be made to Caesar.
“However my conduct was approved by the senate, and I was promised reinforcement after the termination of the Partian War. Being too weak to suppress the sedition, I resolved on adopting a measure that promised to establish the tranquility of the city, without subjecting the praetorium to the humiliating concession. I wrote to Jesus requesting an interview with Him at the praetorium. He came. You know that in my veins there flows Spanish, mixed with Roman blood is incapable of fear; it is a peril emotion.
“But when the Nazarene made His appearance, I was walking in my baselic, and my feet seemed fastened with an iron hand to the marble pavement, and I trembled in every limb as a guilty colberet, for He was calm. The Nazarene was as calm as innocence itself. When He came up to me, He stooped, and by a signal sign He seemed to say to me, ‘I am here’, though He spoke not a word. For some time I contemplated with admiration and awe. This extraordinary type of man, a type of man unknown to our numerous painters, who have given form and figures to all the gods and the heroes. There was nothing about Him that was repelling in His character, yet I felt odd and tremulous to approach Him.
“‘Jesus” said I unto Him at last, and my tongue faltered. “Jesus of Nazareth I have granted you for the last three years ample freedom of speech, nor do I regret it. Your words are those of a sage. I know not whether you have read Socrates or Plato, but this I know there is in your discourses a majestic simplicity that elevates you far above these philosophers. The Emperor is informed of it and I as his humble representative in his country, I am glad of having allowed you that liberty of which you are so worthy.
‘”However, I must not conceal from you that your discourses have raised up against you powerful enemies, and neither is this surprising. Socrates had his enemies, and he fell victim to their hatred. Yours are doubly incensed against you, on account of your discourses being so severe against their conduct, against me, on account of the liberty I have afforded you. They even accused me of being indirectly leagued with you, for the purpose of depriving the Hebrews of the little civil power the Rome has left them. My request, and I do not say, ‘my order’, is that you be more circumspect and moderate in your discourses in the future, and more tender toward them, lest you arouse the pride of your enemies and they rise against you, this stupid populous, and compel me to employ the instruments of law.’
“The Nazarene commonly replied, ‘Prince of the earth, your words proceed not from true wisdom. Say to the torrent, stop in the midst of the mountain gorge, it will uproot the trees of the valley. The torrent will answer you that it obeys the laws of nature, and the Creator, God, alone knows whither flows the water of the torrent.
‘”Verily I say unto you, before the rose of Sharon blossoms, the blood of the just shall be spilt.’
“‘Your blood will not be spilt,’ said I with deep emotions. ‘You are more precious in my estimation, on account of your wisdom, than all of the turbulent and proud Pharisees who abused the freedom granted them by the Romans. They conspire against Caesar and convert his bounty into fear and pressing the unlearned, that Caesar is a tyrant, and seeks their ruin. Insolent wretches they are not aware that the wolf of the tiger sometimes clothes themselves with the skin of sheep to accomplish the wicked ends”‘.
And he goes on with his conversation there. And then the interesting part I feel is concerning the resurrection. Talking of the crucifixion he said, “I returned to the praetorium, was pensive on ascending the stair, the steps of which was still stained with the blood of the Nazarene. I perceived an old man in a sibilant posture, and behind him several Romans in tears. He threw himself at my feet and he wept most bitterly. It is painful to see an old man weep.
“And my heart already overcharged with grief, wept, though strangers, mutually wept together. And in truth it seemed that the tears lay very shallow that day on many whom I perceived out of the vast concourse of people. I never saw such a complete division of feeling. Both on the extreme, those that betrayed and sold Him, those that testified against Him. Those that said, ‘crucify Him; we will have His blood’. All slunk off like cowardly cures, and washed their teeth with vinegar. As I am told that Jesus taught a resurrection and separation after death, if such should be the fact I am sure it commenced in this vast crowd.
“‘Father’, I said to him, after gaining control of my feelings, ‘who are you, and what is your request?’ ‘I am Joseph of Arimathaea’, he replied, ‘and I have come to beg of you upon my knees the permission to bury Jesus of Nazareth’.
“‘Your prayer is granted’, I said to him. And at the same time ordered Manleous to take some soldiers with him to superintend the Interment, lest it should be profaned. A few days after the sepulchre was found empty, His disciples published all over the country that Jesus had risen from the dead, as He had foretold. This last report created more excitement than the first. As to its truth I cannot say for certain, but I have made some investigation in the matter. So you can examine it for yourself and see if I am at fault as Herod represents me.
“Joseph buried Jesus in his own tomb. Whether he contemplated the resurrection, or calculated to cut himself another, I cannot tell. The next day after He was buried, one of the priests came to the praetorium and said that they were apprehensive that the disciples intended to steal the body of Jesus and hide it, and then to make it appear that He had risen from the dead, as He had foretold, in which they were perfectly convinced.
“I sent him to the captain of the royal guard, Malcus, to take Him, the Jewish soldiers, and placed as many around the sepulchre as were needed. And then if anything should happen, they would blame themselves, and not the Romans. And when the great excitement arose about the sepulchre being found empty, I felt deeper solicitude than ever. I sent for Malcus who told me, he had placed his Lieutenant Benishim with one hundred soldiers around the sepulchre. He told me Benishim and the soldiers were very much alarmed at what had occurred there that morning.
“I sent for this man Benishim, who related to me as near as I can remember the following circumstances. He said that about the beginning of the fourth watch, they saw His soft and beautiful light over the sepulchre. He had first thought that the women had come to embalm the body of Jesus, as was their custom. They could not see how they gotten through the guards. And while these reflections were passing through his mind, behold the whole place lighted up, and there seemed to be crowds of the dead in their grave clothes. All seemed to be shouting and filled with ecstasy, while all around and above was the most beautiful music he had ever heard. And the whole air seemed to be filled with voices praising God.
“And at this time there seemed to be a reeling and a swimming of the earth, that he turned so sick and faint, that he could not stand on his feet. And he said, ‘the earth seemed to swim from under him and his senses left him’, so he did not know what did occur. I asked him in what condition he was when he came to himself. He said he was lying on the ground with his face down. I asked him if he could not have been mistaken as to the light. Was it not maybe the day coming in the east? He said at first he thought of that, but only as stones cast away, it was exceedingly dark, and then he remembered it was too early for day.
“I asked him if his dizziness might not have come from being awakened, and getting up to suddenly. For sometimes it has that effect. He said he was not, and had he had not been asleep all night, as the penalty was death for him to sleep on duty. He said he had let some of the soldiers sleep at the time, and some were asleep then. I asked him how long the scene lasted. He said he did not know, but he thought nearly an hour. He said it was hide by the light of day. And I asked him if he went to the sepulchre after he had come to himself. He said ‘no’, because he was afraid, that just as soon as relief came, they all went to their quarters.
“I asked him if he had been interrogated by the priest. He said he had, they wanted him to say that it was an earthquake, and to say that they were asleep, and offered him money to tell that the disciples had come and stolen the body. But he saw no disciples. He did not know that the body was gone until he was told so. I asked him what was his private opinion of the priest that conversed with him. He said some of them thought that Jesus was no man, that He was not a human being, that He was not the son of Mary, that He was not the same that was born of the virgin in Bethlehem. That the same person had been on earth before, with Abraham and Lot, and at many times and places.
“It seems to me if the Jewish theory be true, these conclusions would be correct. For to sum up His life, it would be in accord with this man’s life, as is known and testified by both friends and foes. For the elements were no more in His hands than clay in the hands of a potter. He could convert water into wine. He could change death into life, diseases into health. He could calm the seas. Still the storms. Call up fish with a silver coin in its mouth. Now I say if He could do all these things which He did, and many more as the Jews all testified, and it was doing these things that created this enmity against Him. He was not charged with criminal offenses, nor was He charged with violating any law, nor of wronging any individual in person. All of the facts are known to thousands, as well as by His foes and His friends. So I am almost ready to say, as did Manilas at the cross, truly this was the Son of God.”
So that is the Actepolati. There are sources in here that try to attest to its authenticity. We do not know. As I say, the early church fathers did say that Pilate wrote this letter to the Roman government to explain the circumstances. Iranias refers to it, they said, and Justin Marter, and the early church historian Usiveus.
So interesting to say the least. And whether or not that is true, I do know that the story that we read out of Matthew is true. That Jesus indeed is risen from the dead, has ascended into heaven, and is coming again to receive us unto Himself, and to establish His kingdom, and His reign over the earth. And whether or not you are a part of His kingdom depends upon your decision of what you will do with Jesus. Will you crown Him as the King and the Lord of your life? If so, then you’ve become a citizen of His eternal kingdom and you will share in the glory of that kingdom. For surely the Father will answer that prayer. “Father, I would that these that have been with me, should see me in the glory that I have with you, before the world ever existed.” And God affirmed it and said, “I have glorified thee, and will glorify thee again.”
Oh glorious day. And as I look around the world today and I see the misery and the suffering, and the strife, and the problems, as they seem to be mounting and multiplying, with John at the end of the book of Revelation when Jesus said, “behold I come quickly.” He responded, “even so, come quickly Lord Jesus”.
So we come to the end of Matthew’s gospel and next week we begin another account. These are known as the synoptic gospels, and that they all of them cover pretty much the same period of the history of the life of Jesus; Matthew, Mark and Luke. When we get into John’s gospel, John concentrates mainly in the latter part of the ministry of Christ, and does not follow the same accounts or record all of the same events as do Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Shall we pray?
Father, we thank you for Your Word. We thank you for the death of Jesus Christ, the suffering that He endured that we might be redeemed from all of our sins. Father, we pray that tonight Thy Holy Spirit will make the things of Jesus Christ very real to us. And as we stand in the place of Pilate, and as we make our own determination concerning Jesus, help us Lord not to give into the pressures of the world around us; but may we yield to that still small voice of Thy spirit within as we obey our own conscious, our own heart as you bear witness to what is right and what is true.
And may we then Lord just surrender our lives wholly, completely, unreservedly to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, Amen. “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Mat 28:1-2. 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 sepulcher. 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.
See what concern angels have about our Lord. Are they here tonight? Do they make a habit of coming where the saints meet together? I think they do. We have intimations in Scripture that that is the case. Let us behave ourselves aright tonight because of the angels; and as they worship and count it their highest honour to serve the Son of man, let us also worship Jesus, and adore him. What a picture this scene would make!
Mat 28:3-4. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow; and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
He said nothing as he rolled back the stone; he did not shake a sword at them, or over them, to fill them with terror. The presence of perfect purity, the presence of heavenly things, is a terror to ungodly men. May you and I be such that our very presence in company will cast a hush over it! It was een as though an angel shook his wings, they said of one good man, when he spake in common conversation. May there be about us enough of the heavenly to make the powers of evil quail before us!
Mat 28:5. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye:
But I notice that they did fear, although the angel said, Fear not. Neither men nor angels can so speak as to silence fears in trembling hearts; but Jesus can, as we shall see farther on. One word from his lips has infinitely more power than all the words of angels or of saints.
Mat 28:5. For I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
And if you and I tonight can truly say that we are on the side of Jesus, that we seek him who was crucified, then we can bear all the shame with which philosophy would fain cover the cross, and we have no cause for fear. Ridicule and all that it brings from this ungodly generation will not hurt you.
Mat 28:6. He is not here: for be is risen, as he said.
As he said. A few words, but what a world of meaning! As he said. He always does as he said. He always gives as he said. He always reveals himself as he said not otherwise. He never fails to fulfill a promise, or forgets even the mode of promising; not only does he do what be said, but as he said: He is risen, as he said.
Mat 28:6. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
For even the place where he lay is hallowed to you. And, beloved, if there is a place where you have ever had communion with Christ, you will remember it. You might bless the spot of ground where Jesus met with you. Here, tonight, I hope that some of you can see the place where the Lord appeared to you.
Mat 28:7. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;
Such good news ought to be spread quickly. Go and tell his disciples, they are trembling, they have fled, that he is risen from the dead.
Mat 28:7. And, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Brethren, this is good news for us tonight, though all may not, perhaps, feel the power of it. He is risen. We have no dead Christ; we serve a living Saviour. He is risen, and therefore he can come to us tonight in the power of his resurrection-life, and he can make us glad. Behold, he goeth before you into Galilee. There is a great deal about Galilee in Matthews Gospel; it is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and yet it often talks about Galilee, that border-land which touches Gentiles, as well as the chosen seed of Abraham. There is the place where Jesus will meet his people, in the border-land between Jew and Gentile, there the risen Christ will hold the first general assembly of his Church.
Mat 28:8. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy;
What a mixture, fear and joy! But notice that the fear was not great, and the joy was: Fear and great joy. Observe the proportions of the mixture; and if tonight you have some fear, yet I hope you will have great joy; and then the bitterness of the fear will pass away. A holy fear, mixed with great joy, is one of the sweetest compounds we can bring to Gods altar. Some of us have brought those spices with us tonight. These holy women brought other spices to the sepulcher; but these were the spices that they took away from it, Fear and great joy.
Mat 28:8-9. And did run to bring his disciples word. 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.
He would not let Mary Magdalene do that when they were alone, but he said to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: it is more needful for you to go now and tell my disciples that I have risen from the dead. There will be time by-and-by for further fellowship with me. But now Jesus permits these godly women to hold him by the feet. It was an act of humility, worshipping and holding; and holding not his hands, but his feet. They must have seen the nail-prints before Thomas did, as they held him by the feet, and worshipped him. I do not find that these women ran to the angels, they rather shrank back from them; but they came to Jesus, for we are told that they came, and held him by the feet. I think that there must have been a new attraction about Christ after he had risen from the dead, something more sweet about the tones of his voice, something more charming about the countenance that had been so maimed at Gethsemane, and Gabbatha, and Golgotha.
Mat 28:10. Then said Jesus unto them,
As he saw their palpitating hearts, and perceived that they were still all in a flurry, for the angel had not dispelled their fears,
Mat 28:10. Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
The angel talked of disciples; Christ talks of brethren. He always has the sweeter word.
Mat 28:11. 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.
While good people were active, bad people were active, too. It is wonderful to think of how much good and evil is being done at the same time. While we are thankful that holy women are running with holy messages for Christ, here come the soldiers of the watch, and they are going in to those vile priests.
Mat 28:12. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel,
They ought at once to have repented when the watch came, and told them that Jesus was risen. Ought they not to have gone, and fallen at his feet, and begged for mercy? But instead of that
Mat 28:12. They gave large money unto the soldiers,
Money, wherever it comes in, seems to do mischief. For money Christ was betrayed, and for money the truth about his resurrection was kept back as far as it could be. Money has had a hardening effect on some of the highest servants of God, and all who have to touch the filthy lucre have need to pray for grace to keep them from being harmed by being brought into contact with it.
Mat 28:13. Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
If they were asleep, how did they know what happened? How could they know it if they were asleep? Evidence which is borne by men who were asleep at the time is evidently not worth regarding; but when you have to tell a lie, I suppose that, as any stick is good enough to beat a dog with, any lie will do to slander one whom you hate.
Mat 28:14-15. And if this come to the governors ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught:
No doubt you have heard of the man who said that he did not believe all the articles of his church because his salary was so small that he could not be expected to believe them all for the money. Oh, the depraving and debasing power of the whole system of bribery and falsehood! May none of us ever be affected by considerations of profit and loss in matters of doctrine, matters of duty, and matters of right and wrong!
Mat 28:15. And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
You may start a lie, but you cannot stop it; there is no telling how long it will live. Let us never teach even the least error to a little child, for it may live on and become a great heresy long after we are dead. There is scarcely any limit to its life and to its power.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
Mat 28:1. , after) i.e. after the Sabbath; cf. Mar 16:1. E. Schmidius compares with this expression that of Plutarch, , after the times of the king; and that of Philostrahis, , after the Trojan war.[1220] Now with the new week very different matters arise.–,[1221] genitive plural of , the Sabbath) The Vulgate has Sabbati-Sabbati, genitive singular, in both places, and it does not stand alone.–, the first in the genitive singular, the second genitive plural, is the middle reading between these two.[1222]- [sc. ] , as it began to dawn) When the period of death had elapsed, our Lord rose as quickly as possible.- [sc. ] on the first day, i.e. the whole day, the first of the week. The first day of the week had already begun on the preceding evening; now the day, as opposed to the night, was dawning on that first day. The first remarkable mention of the Lords day is combined with the resurrection of our Lord. It is generally called (the first) with the article: see Mar 16:2; Luk 24:1; Joh 20:1; Joh 20:19; Act 20:7, and on the other hand 1Co 16:2.[1223]-, of the days of the week) , …, came, etc.) Such offices were performed by those who were not connected by the closest relationship; so that it is not wonderful that our Lords mother was not there with them.[1224]
[1220] We may translate the Greek words thus:-On that day which commences from the evening after the Sabbath, and on the following morning dawns upon the first day of the week. This was Sunday, very early in the morning.-Harm., p. 584, etc.
[1221] This too is the reading of E. M.-(I. B.)
[1222] In the original the passage runs thus:–, sabbati-sabbati) habet Lat. nec solus. -, lectio media.
[1223] In the last instance the omission of the article may be accounted for by the presence of the preposition , which, as is frequently the case in similar instances, renders anarthrous. See Middleton on the article, who observes also, that if two nouns be in regimen, and if one be anarthrous, the other will be so too; so that , being without the article, causes to drop the article, which it otherwise should have.-(I. B.)
[1224] It seems to be desirable to give the reader here a succinct history of this first Lords day, framed from a comparison of the Evangelists as instituted by Bengel, in such a way, however, as that the arguments are left in their own places to be investigated by the reader. The summary of events which the Harm. Ev., p. 584. etc, exhibits, amounts to this:-
The preparations for anointing Jesus, which had been begun before the Sabbath, having been continued and completed by the women after the end of the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre much sooner than the rest of the women; (for too long a space of time intervenes between the time preceding day-break [Joh 20:1] and the rising of the sun [Mar 16:2] to admit of our supposing that all the women at one time left home before day, and only reached the tomb at sunrise. Meanwhile the angel sent down from heaven rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, whilst an earthquake accompanied his action, very much to the terror of the soldiers on watch. Mary Magdalene is the first of all who perceived the stone rolled away, and without having entered the sepulchre, she goes to tell tidings of the fact to Peter and John. Whilst these things are being carried on, the rest of the women, having entered the sepulchre, are thrown into a state of anxiety by not discovering the body of the Lord, and upon receiving the angels announcement concerning the resurrection, they depart quickly [Mat 28:8]. Then Peter and John, coming to the sepulchre. and having seen the state of things there, believe that the body of the Lord has been carried away, and return home. But Mary, having now taken her stand at the sepulchre [Joh 20:11]; (for she had followed the Apostles hither anew after her first visit to it), gives vent to her tears, and after having beheld the two angels, to whom she scarcely pays attention, she sees Jesus Himself, who presently after appears to the rest of the women also, as they were preparing to carry on the tidings of the angels to the disciples also. (Whilst these were going away, the soldiers in watch of the sepulchre, having brought to the priests tidings of what had happened, are bribed with money.) By this time Mary, attended by the rest of the women, has come to the disciples; but not even on the part of Peter does she find faith in the good tidings which she announces. Our Lord, meantime, appears to Cleophas and his companion (and elsewhere to Peter also). But not even to these announcements do the disciples give faith, before that, upon the intervention of the apparition, which had, in addition, been vouchsafed to Simon, the reports were confirmed by reports. In fine, on that very evening, when the disciples were congregated together, and were conversing with one another on these subjects, the risen Lord presents Himself to their view.-E. B.
In his own Greek New Testament (4 to 1734) Bengel has -, and does not indicate the existence of any various reading. In his App. Crit., however, he writes in loc.:- utrumque) sabbathi habet Lat. (passim) et alii.-(I. B.)
Besides Vulg. sabbati, sabbati is read by abc. L and Syr. read . But ABD Orig. 1,440c read – with Rec. Text.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mat 28:1-10
THE RESURRECTION
Mat 28:1-10
28:1-4 Now late on the sabbath day.-“Late on the sabbath” or after the Sabbath was ended, Saturday evening, Mary Magdalene and two others provided sweet spices, that they might be ready to go early next morning and embalm the body of Jesus. (Mar 16:1.) Matthew takes up his narrative of the events with the coming of these women to the sepulchre. It was “very early on the first day of the week” (Mar 16:2); or “at early dawn” (Luk 24:1); or on the first day of the week “early, while it was yet dark” (Joh 20:1); somewhere between three and four o’clock in the morning these women left their homes and started for the sepulchre. It is well to note how the four writers of the gospel express the time of their coming to the tomb. Matthew and John begin their record at the same time;all of the four writers describe such events as they were guided by the Holy Spirit to do; none of them propose to give the exact chronological order, and none of them contradict each other, but all harmonize. This “first day of the week” is what we call “Sunday” or “the Lord’s day.” On this day Jesus rose from the dead “the firstfruits” of them that slept, the earnest and surety of the resurrection of all who sleep in him. (Rom 11:16; 1Co 15:20; 1Co 15:23.) Jesus was buried between four and six o’clock on Friday afternoon, and rose early on Sunday morning, so he was in the tomb part of three days. Each part of a day was reckoned as a day, just as in computing the reigns of the Jewish kings each part of a year is reckoned as a year. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came “to see the sepulchre.” It was their intention also to embalm the body. They may have had a vague idea or expectation of the resurrection; they surely knew something about what he had said about his resurrection, whether they understood it or not. However, we may regard it as affection mourning over the dead rather than faith in a living Savior, which brought them so early to the sepulchre.
And behold, there was a great earthquake.-This earthquake seems to have occurred while they were on the way and they saw the effects of it when they arrived at the sepulchure. This earthquake was a fitting sign to accompany the rising of the Lord he came forth a mighty conqueror. Jesus did not suffer profane eyes to look upon him after he was raised from the dead. The earthquake occurred at the time the angel “of the Lord descended from heaven” and rolled the stone away, thus breaking the seal. This divine messenger overawed the guards and rolled away the stone, not to let Jesus out of the tomb, but to let others in to see that he had risen. The angel was there to confirm the evidence borne by the empty tomb. Jesus arose with tremendous power and angelic witnesses. When the women arrived the stone had been rolled away and the angel “sat upon it.” Sitting was a significant sign of majesty. The angel sat, terrible to the keepers. (Mat 26:64; Act 7:55.) The angel rose and was standing to comfort the women as they came. When Mary drew near, she saw what had been unnoticed, a second angel within the tomb.
His appearance was as lightning.-In vivid and intense brightness there was a surpassingly dazzling light which flashed with terrible beauty in the eyes of the keepers, like the vividness and blaze of lightning. Angelic appearances seem to be assumed at will or as necessity demanded for the impression to be made, otherwise the women would have been terrified; but when they drew near, they saw them only in mild, comforting, subdued light as “a young man sitting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe.” (Mar 16:5.) Luke says that they beheld “two men” who “stood by them in dazzling apparel.” (Luk 24:4.) John says that Mary beheld “two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” (Joh 20:12.) “His raiment white as snow” is the description given by Matthew. White is naturally associated in our mind with purity, innocence, and joy; it is a fit emblem of the angels. Angels assume the form of people and dress as men. This angel confounded the wicked and comforted the righteous; “for fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men.” This appearance of the angel might well have terrified the heathen soldiers. Our Lord therefore arose unseen, while they were lying prostrate around the garden in front of the tomb. After a time they recovered and fled into the city to relate the news of this miracle. They had been placed there to keep a few men from theft; they now report a portentous deliverance against which they had no power to contend. They were helpless and powerless, since God’s power wrought the miracle of the resurrection.
5-8 And the angel answered and said unto the women.-We learn from Mark and Luke that the angel first spake to the women after they went into the sepulchre. (Mar 16:5-6; Luk 24:2-5.) There seems to be a pause between the fourth and fifth verses; for from some cause unknown, the women did not reach the sepulchre until about six o’clock when the sun was rising. (Mar 16:2.) If they had remained in the city whither they had gone to get spices, some on Friday (Luk 23:54-56), some on Saturday evening (Mar 16:1) they may not have been able to pass the gates until they were opened later. They saw, as they came in sight of the garden, that the stone was rolled away. They had discussed the rolling away of the stone as they went along the way and asked one another, “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb?” (Mar 16:3.) So they were amazed when they saw the stone had been rolled away. Mary Magdalene thought that the Lord’s body had been treated with some indignity and returned in grief to inform Peter and John. (Mar 16:3-4.) After she was gone, the other two women entered the outer chamber of the tomb, and saw the angel sitting on the right of the entrance into the inner chamber, where the body had been placed. This second angel spoke to them. It seems that the vision of two angels described by Luke (24:1-9) was seen by the second company of women, who had left the cross on Friday evening and returned to the city, intending to come back to the tomb after the Sabbath had passed. The women had infinitely more reason to rejoice than to fear hence the angel said, “Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified.” The angel un-derstood them and had come to help them; he knew that love had brought them to the tomb. “Fear not ye” is a usual salutation of celestial beings, even from the days of Abraham (Gen 15:1; Jdg 6:23). The human heart instinctively trembles at any sudden manifestation of spiritual beings. (Job 4:13-16; Mat 14:26.) The keepers and the enemies of Jesus had reason to fear, but not these disciples; the purpose of the angel was not to shed terror and stupefaction upon the guards, but to speak peace and courage to the mourning friends of Jesus.
He is not here.-They had come to embalm his body, and now they are not informed that his body was not there. None of the disciples of Jesus had fully understood what rising from the dead meant (Mar 9:10), and therefore they did not expect the event. The angel speaks of Jesus in terms of his majestic title. “For he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” This put at ease the mind of the women, for they supposed that his body had been taken from the tomb and placed somewhere else;the angel gives the reason for the empty tomb-“he is risen.” The angel refers them to the language of Jesus-he had done just what he said he would do. They are requested to view the place where the body lay. They are to see for themselves that the tomb is empty. The spot where Jesus was laid is affectionately pointed out by the angel to the women. They are commissioned to “go quickly, and tell his disciples, He is risen from the dead.” The good news is to be heralded at once to his disciples; no delay should be had in bearing this news to the disturbed, sorrowful, and despondent disciples. These women are made the first messengers of the glad news of the resurrection. They are to tell his disciples and Mark adds “Peter.” (Mar 16:7.) This was a mark of forgiveness to the penitent Peter who was then sorrowing for his sin of denying Jesus. The disciples were in despair, and so as a woman had led man to sin, so women now bring them the good news of salvation. The second part of the message was that “lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him.” The sorrow of the disciples may now end; their doubts are to be removed; their night is turned into day. It seems fitting that the resurrection should occur at the dawning of the day; it was the dawning of the world’s day of redemption. Jesus had promised his disciples before his death that he would be raised and would go before them into Galilee. (Mat 26:32.) The angel now repeats the promise that Jesus had made. The women “departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy.” There is a fear which is easily and naturally felt with love and joy; it prepares the mind and heart for richer blessings. The women departed “quickly” and “ran” to bring the message to his disciples. They knew the joy which their message would convey, and urged by some fear of the angel they made no delay. After their departure, Peter and John came running to the tomb, followed by Mary Magdalene.
They examined the graveclothes, but saw no vision, and soon left the sepulchre in utter amazement. (Luk 24:12; Joh 20:3-10.) Mary remained weeping, and as she stooped to look into the sepulchre saw two angels who comforted her. As she turned the Lord appeared to her, revealed himself to her, and sent her on a message to his brethren. (Mar 16:9; Joh 20:11-17.) She seems to have met or overtaken the other women, Mary, wife of Cleophas, and Salome, and our Lord appeared to the three.
9, 10 And behold, Jesus met them.-The order of events seems to have been this: Mary Magdalene, after notifying Peter and the apostles, returned to the sepulchre, which she reached after the others had left, and Jesus appeared to her near the tomb. This was his first appearance after the resurrection. Then as they “ran to bring his disciples word,” by some other route than Mary Magdalene took, “behold, Jesus met them,” his second appearance, and made himself known by saying, “All hail.” The Greek means simply, “hail, rejoice”; they knew him by this salutation and worshipped him. “They came and took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.” This was a common mode of showing reverence. (2Ki 4:37.) They embraced his feet in their hands or arms, to manifest their affection and joy at seeing him again as well as to express reverence of his supernatural appearance. On this and other occasions Jesus permitted persons to worship him; he would not have done this had he been only man. Peter refused it. (Act 10:25.) Supreme worship is due to God; Christ is the Son of God, whom we worship, since to worship any other creature is idolatry. Jesus then comforted them and said, “Fear not: go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me.” Jesus comforted them and gave them this message which the angel had given and which he had before his death promised them. He calls them “my brethren”; he was not ashamed to call them brethren. (Heb 2:11.) His disciples were to go into Galilee. There he met with them by the Sea of Galilee. (Joh 21:1-14.) Afterward he appeared to “above five hundred brethren at once” (1Co 15:6) and a third time in Galilee to James and all the apostles (1Co 15:7).
The following tabulated list of his appearances, together with the time and place recorded, is here submitted
OUR LORD’S APPEARANCES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION
ORDERTIMETo WHOMWHERERECORD
1Early Sunday MorningMary MagdaleneNear the tomb at JerusalemMar 16:9; Joh 20:11-18
2Sunday MorningWomen returning from tombNear JerusalemMat 28:9-10
3SundaySimon Peter aloneNear JerusalemLuk 24:34
4Sunday afternoon2 disciples going to EmmausJerusalem to EmmausLuk 24:13-31
5Sunday eveningApostles, w/o ThomasJerusalemJoh 20:19-25
6Sunday evening of next weekApostles and ThomasJerusalemJoh 20:26-29
7UnknownSeven disciples FishingSea of GalileeJoh 21:1-13
8Unknown11 disciples on a MountainGalileeMat 28:16-20
9UnknownOver 500 brethren at onceGalilee1Co 15:6
10UnknownJames onlyProbably Jerusalem1Co 15:7
11UnknownAll apostles at ascensionMt of Ollives(Bethany)Luk 24:50-51; Act 1:6-12
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
He is not here, He is risen!” That, surely, is the sweetest music. How beautifully it crowns the King. His enemies have rejected Him, and have proved their malice by handing Him over to their common, their last, their most terrible enemy-Death. The King proves His Kingship by overcoming that enemy in His dying, and on this Easter morning, the first, stands on His own earth again, having grappled with and vanquished the great foe of the race.
In verses Mat 28:8-20 we have a glimpse of the living One. All the suffering is behind, the conflict is won. Now the heavens receive Him for a season. He will come again to reign over the whole earth.
Before His departure He gathered around Him His band of apostles and gave them the great commission, urgent with the urgency of His “GO,” wide as the world in its scope, strong as the strength of Deity, and resourceful as He is Himself, for He promised to be always with the messengers, even to the end of the age.
So ends the Gospel of the King. He came and declared the laws of the Kingdom, and revealed its beauty in His life and its beneficence in His deeds. His own would have none of Him, and in unholy coalition with Gentile powers uttered the verdict, We will not have this Man to reign over us.” They slew Him. Yet the last note is not that of man’s rejection, but of God’s exaltation, and we gather around the risen One, and cry, Long live the King!
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
28:1-8. From Mar 16:1-8.
(M) 1. And after the Sabbath, at the dawning towards the first (day) of the week, came Mary of Magdala and the other Mary to see the grave.] Mk. has: And when the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala and Mary the (mother) of James, and Salome, bought perfumes that they might come and anoint Him. And very early on the first (day) of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun had risen.- ] seems to correspond to Mk.s . But whereas Mk. goes on to record something which happened on the evening after the close of the Sabbath, Mt. omits this, and passes on to the event of the next morning. His is therefore pointless and negligible. He seems to have wished to omit the purchase, but not to have cared to pass over the note of time attached to it. Cf. his omission of the purchase, Mar 15:42. For in the sense of late on the Sabbath = after the Sabbath, cf. Blass, p. 97; Moulton, p. 72; Zahn, in loc.; and Dalm. Gram.2 p. 247, Anm. 2. It is, however, very difficult to believe that can mean anything else than either as the Sabbath ended, or when it had ended, i.e. on the evening after the Sabbath had drawn to a close, which is exactly what the parallel phrase in Mk. means; cf. Dalm. l.c. Anm. 4. And yet this meaning is inconsistent with the context; for corresponds to Mk.s – , and clearly means at or about sunrise on Sunday morning. In other words, Mt. by omitting Mk.s reference to the purchase of perfumes has combined two entirely inconsistent notes of time. Of course, Mt.s two notes of time will be in harmony if we suppose that he wishes to correct Mk. and to place the visit of the women to the grave on the Saturday evening. In that case means as the Sabbath was passing into the first day of the week, i.e. on Saturday evening. This is the meaning which has in Luk 23:54 the Sabbath was beginning, i.e. not Saturday morning, but Friday evening. The Aram. means both dawn and the beginning of the technical day, i.e. evening. See the note of Merx on Luk 23:54. But it is very difficult to think that Mt. has consciously abandoned Mk.s reckoning of the appearance of the angels at dawn on Sunday to the women, and has placed it on the Saturday evening. However, Mk.s – is itself difficult (see Swete). It is possible that Mt. believed that the appearance of the angels to the women took place on Saturday evening, and that he has substituted therefore for Mk.s , …, a technical Jewish phrase which expresses the time on Saturday evening when the Sabbath was ending or had just ended. On the whole this seems the easiest view of the matter. Mk.s chronology will be here, as in 14:1, 12, due to misunderstanding of his Aramaic authority. See on Luk 23:54.
] The motive given by Mk., , must be changed by Mt. after the insertion of 27:62-66. The sealing of the tomb and the setting of the guard made it impossible for the women to suppose that they could find access to the tomb. is a reminiscence of the omitted clause, Mar 15:47.
(E) 2-4. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and from fear of him the guards were dismayed, and became as dead men.] Mk. is quite different. Mt., who has inserted the account of the sealing of the tomb and the setting of the guard, could hardly follow Mk. here in his record that the women expected to obtain access to the tomb, and thought that the stone would be the only obstacle. They came to see the tomb only. Mk vv. 3-5. have to fall out.-] see on 1:20.-] cf. the earthquake, 27:51.-] see on 4:3.-] cf. Dan 10:6, and note on 17:2.- 1 cf. Isa 1:18, Dan 7:9 (Th.) , Mat 17:2 D S2 latt. Rev 1:14. See Hastings, DCG. i. p. 504.
(M) 5. And the angel answered and said to the women, Fear ye not: for I know that ye seek Jesus the crucified.] Mk. has: And he saith to them, Be not amazed; ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, the crucified.
(M) 6. He is not here. for He is risen, even as He said: Come, see the place where He lay.] Mk. has: He is risen; He is not here lo the place where they laid Him.- ] Mt. anticipates this clause from Mk v. 7, where he has reason for substituting . See below.
3. ] Om. S1 c ff1 g1, 2.
6. ] Add , A C D al Omit B 33 S1 e.- ] is not used in direct narrative of Christ in this Gospel, and is, no doubt, not genuine here.-] S1 adds to you (fem.), a manifest error of translation.
(M) 7. And go1 quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goes before you into Galilee; there ye shall see Him: behold, I told you.] Mk. has: But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes be fore you into Galilee. There ye shall see Him, even as He told you. Mt. Omits . See below.- ] Mk. interprets of the larger body of Christs disciples to whom Christ had not spoken these words. See below.
(M) 8. And they went away quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy; and ran to bring His disciples word.] Mk. has And they went out, and fled from the tomb; for fear and amazement possessed them: and they told no one anything; for they were afraid. With these words our Mk. ends. See Swete.
Attempts have recently been made2 to show that Mat 28:9-20 preserves in part the lost ending of Mk.s Gospel. 28:11-15, no doubt, formed no part of it, for this section is the sequel of 27:62-66, which is an interpolation into Mk., and like it, no doubt, came from a non-Marcan source. But it is urged that in 28:9-10, 16-20 we have a portion of Mk.s lost ending edited by the author of the first Gospel. The argument rests (1) upon the probability that Mk. contained just such a narrative as we have recorded in Mat 28:9-10, Mat 28:16-20, which supplies the fulfilment of the promise, Mar 16:7; (2) upon some points in Mt.s narrative which suggest that he is editing an earlier account.
E.g. (a) Mar 16:7 has . This suggests that there was to be a special appearance to Peter, and possibly that indicates not the Eleven, but the larger body of Christs disciples. If Mt., for reasons indicated below, proposed to omit this appearance to Peter, it is natural that he should omit here.
(b) Mar 16:8 says that the women told no one, for they were afraid. It is very natural that this should have been followed by an appearance to them of Christ dispelling their fear and repeating the angels message. Mt. alters and told no one, etc., into ran to tell His disciples. Consequently the appearance of Christ, vv. 9-10, repeating the angels message is quite unmotived. It would seem that Mt. has found Mk.s difficult, and has altered it, and then has continued with the appearance of Christ without noticing that the clause they told no one, etc., is necessary to explain the appearance.
(c) The of Mat 28:16 is unexplained in Mt. If in Mk. there stood an account of Christs appearance to Peter (Mar 16:7) and the Eleven, at the latter of which He again bade them go to Galilee, and appointed a mountain as a meeting-place, it would be adequately accounted for. In that case Mar 16:8 must have been followed by narratives which recorded that the women brought Christs message to the disciples, that the disciples disbelieved, and that, therefore, Christ Himself appeared to them and probably also to Peter. Why, then, has Mt. omitted all this? For the same reasons that have caused him to make the alterations of Mk.s statements about the Twelve which are tabulated in Introduction, p. xxxiii f.
(d) In Mat 28:17 we read that when they saw Him they worshipped. But some doubted. Who are the some? Hardly some of the Eleven. It is inconceivable that Mt. should end his Gospel leaving his readers with the impression that some of the Eleven doubted the fact of Christs resurrection. The presupposes a larger gathering than the Eleven only. But Mt. says distinctly . Yes; but this does not preclude the possibility, even in the editors mind, that others were present. If in his source an appearance to the Eleven immediately preceded, which he has omitted, it is not unnatural that he should say that the Eleven went to Galilee, and there they and others met Christ at the appointed place of gathering.
These suggestions seem to make it possible that the Mk. which Mt. had before him contained after v. 8 words corresponding to Mat 28:9-10, then a statement that the disciples disbelieved the message of the women; and that, therefore, Christ appeared to Peter and to the Eleven, repeating the command to go to Galilee, and appointing a mountain as a place of meeting; lastly, a narrative corresponding to Mat 28:16-20. The whole of Mat 28:9-10 might be Marcan so far as language goes, except, perhaps, ( occurs in Mk. only in sayings, not in narrative), and , which never occurs in Mk. in narrative. For , cf. Mar 5:2; for , cf. Mar 1:31, Mar 1:6:35, Mar 1:10:2, Mar 1:12:28, Mar 1:14:35, Mar 1:45; for , cf. (of the hand, but gen., not acc.) Mar 1:31, Mar 1:5:41, Mar 1:9:27; for , cf. Mar 5:6, Mar 15:19. But and are so characteristic of Mt., that, like and , they may be due to Mt.s editorial revision. How much of Mat 28:16-20 stood in Mk. cannot, of course, be determined with any precision. seems to have been transferred here by the editor from the narrative which preceded in Mk. occurs only in Mar 9:30 (B* D), and in Mt. twenty-eight times. It is therefore probably editorial. never occurs in Mk. never occurs in Mk., and in Mt. only here in this sense. does not occur in Mk., and in Mt. only again 14:31. may be editorial. is probably editorial. is probably Marcan, cf. Mar 13:10. may be Marcan, cf. Mar 7:9. So may , Mar 10:3, Mar 13:34. On the other hand, is probably and certainly editorial. See on 13:39. It is true that vv. 9-10, 16-20 contain no phrase that is characteristically Marcan. We should expect to find in a narrative section like this , an historic present, an imperfect or some other characteristic of Mk.s style. But still this is not decisive. If, e.g., Mk.s Gospel were lost from 15:41, we should feel doubtful whether Mat 27:57-61 were based on Mk. These verses contain no characteristically Marcan phrases, whilst , , are all Matthan. This is probably due to the fact that the section in Mk. has few of his most characteristic phrases, though now that we have it before us we can specify the following as finding analogies in his language: , cf. 6:35(2), 8:2, 11:11; , Mk. has with a participle 16 times, Mt. only 6, of which 4 are from Mk.; the repetition of ; ; and the imperfect . Indeed, the test of language is so indecisive that we might pick at random sections which Mt. has borrowed from Mk., e.g. 12:46-50, 8:23-27, of which we could not be sure that Mk. was the source, if the corresponding sections of his Gospel had been lost. It must, therefore, remain as a possible inference, on the grounds stated above, that Mat 28:9-10, Mat 28:15-20 are based on verses which originally stood at the end of Mk.s Gospel. If this were not the case, it is possible that vv. 16-20 are an editorial epilogue to the Gospel. A parallel may perhaps be found in 25:31-46 if this is a Chrisitian homily based quite possibly on traditional sayings of Christ, placed at the end of the great discourse, 24:4-25:30, as a suitable peroration to the speech. In this case vv. 18-20 may be based on sayings from the Logia or other sources.
(M?) 9. And, behold, Jesus met them, sayin, Hail. And they came and held His feet, and worshipped Him.]-For , see on 1:20.-] See on 4:3.-] See on v. 8. In Mk. is used with hand in the genitive as the object three times, 1:31, 5:41, 9:27, and so Mat 9:25. Elsewhere it takes the accusative; so 12:11 of an animal in a pit, 14:3, 21:46, 26:4, 48, 50, 55, 57 of the seizure of arrest, and 18:28 of a creditor seizing hold of his debtor.-] See on 2:2.
(M?) 10. Then saith Jesus to them, Fear not: go tell My brethren, that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see Me.]-] See on 2:7.- ] Is this to be understood as referring to Christs brethren in the literal sense, or to His spiritual brethren, the disciples of v. 7? Cf. 12:49.
11. Mt. here adds vv. 11-15, the sequel of 27:62-66, and, no doubt, from the same source.
(P) 11. And as they were going, behold certain of the guard came into the city, and told to the chief priests all that had happened.]- See on 2:7.-] See on 27:66.
(P) 12. And being gathered together with the elders, and having taken counsel.]- ] See on 12:14.
(P) 13. They gave much money to the soldiers, saying, Say that His disciples came by night and stole Him while we were sleeping.]-] only here in this sense in Mt.; cf. Mar 10:46. It is common in the Acts. For the tradition as to the theft of the body, cf. Tert. de Spec. 30: This is He whom His disciples secretly stole away, or the gardener took away that his lettuces might not be injured by the crowds of visitors. Still earlier, Just. Mart. (Dial. c. Trypho, 108) speaks of the statements put forward by the Jews that the disciples had stolen the body of Christ.
(P) 14. And if it be heard before the governor, we will appease him, and make you secure.]
(P) 15. And they took the money, and did as they were instructed: and this account was noised abroad among the Jews until this day.]-] Cf. 9:31, Mar 1:45.
(M?) 16. And the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus appointed to them.]
(M?) 17. And when they saw Him, they worshipped; but some doubted.]-] See on 2:2.- ] Some, not of the Eleven, but of others who were present. The proper contrast to doubted would be believed; but Mt. is aware that the Eleven had already seen Christ in Jerusalem, where their doubts were dispelled. See on 27:8. For , cf. 14:31.
(M?) 18. And Jesus came and spake to them, saying, All power was given to Me in heaven and upon earth.]-] See on 4:3.-] See on 11:27 and cf. Dan 7:14.
(M?) 19. Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.]-] See on 13:52.- ] is due to Mt.s source (Mark?); cf. Mar 13:10. in the New Testament describes a ceremonial process of the application of water (whether by immersion or affusion?) to persons. The rite thus termed presupposes a good deal that is not always expressed.
(a) The person baptized has repented of his sins, and baptism implies the consequent forgiveness of them; Act 2:38.
(b) Baptism also implies belief in Christ. The person baptized expressed this belief, and was regarded after baptism as a disciple of Christ.
(c) In connection with baptism we find two expressions, in the name of Christ-Act 2:38, Act 10:48-and into the name of Christ-Act 19:5. These are not identical in meaning.
In the name of Christ probably implies the fact that the person baptized had expressed his belief in Christ, and his wish to be Christs disciple, and that the name of Christ was uttered over him, symbolising the fact that as a result of the ceremony he had become a disciple of Christ. The phrase thus describes a part of the procedure of the baptismal ceremony.
Into the name of Christ, on the other hand, lays stress on the result of the ceremony. The person baptized became into the name of Christ, i.e. became His disciple, i.e. entered into a state of allegiance to Him and of fellowship with Him.1
Baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit means, therefore, causing them to submit to a rite which results in their becoming disciples of, and confers upon them fellowship with, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The remarkable fact that here only in the New Testament do we get the Triune Name used in connection with baptism, can be easily misunderstood. Elsewhere we have only the name of Christ. It is urged that a series of passages in the New Testament are most reasonably explained, if the writers were acquainted with the tradition that Christ Himself had sanctioned the use of the Threefold Name in connection with baptism. But, on the other hand, it is equally difficult to believe that if the tradition as recorded here by Mt. had been widely known in the time of S. Paul, and had been interpreted as a direction of Christ as to the exact form of words to be used in baptism, we should find several references to baptism in or into the name of Christ, and none in or into the Threefold Name. Nevertheless, the conclusion that the formula as here recorded marks a developed and late stage of doctrinal belief and ecclesiastical practice, is unjustified. The phrase may already have stood in the lost ending of Mk.; but even if we suppose that Mk.s ending contained a reference to baptism in or into Christs name, or no clause about baptism at all, and if the connection of baptism with the Threefold Name is due to the editor, yet the conception Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is clearly as ancient as the Christian Society itself. For S. Paul, cf. 1Co 12:4-6, 2Co 13:14; for S. Peter, 1 P 1:2; for S. John, 1Jn 3:23, 1Jn 3:24 and the Gospel, passim. In the earliest Gospel, Mar 13:32, we already have the antithesis the Father, the Son, which, combined with the Jewish and Christian conception of the Holy Spirit, presupposes the possibility of the formula Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Mt. has borrowed this phrase from Mk., and in 11:27 he has a parallel saying showing that the combination the Son, the Father, was also familiar to the source from which he was drawing (the Matthan Logia?). This antithesis the Father-the Son is above all characteristic of the Fourth Gospel, and is no doubt due to the Palestinian background of that very Hebraic book. Thus, even if the editor of the first Gospel was the first to connect baptism with the Threefold Name, he was probably only bringing that rite into connection with a circle of Christological ideas and phrases which were current in the early Palestinian Church, and which from Palestine had penetrated Christian teaching everywhere. The objection that the Gospel containing this phrase cannot be early, because it conflicts with the custom of the early Palestinian Church, which baptized in or into the name of Christ, rests upon the false assumption that the editor intended to represent Christ as prescribing the formula which should be used at baptism. The words rather mean baptizing them into the fellowship of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and describe, not the formula to be used at baptism, but the end and aim which would be secured in and through baptism. The editor may well have written these words at a period when it was customary to baptize in or into the name of Christ, without at all wishing to represent Christ as having prescribed a fuller formula, but simply with the intention of summing up in a phrase the end and aim of the Christian life into which the convert entered at baptism. The best commentary on the words would be 1Jn 1:3 combined with 1Jn 3:23, 1Jn 3:24. See Briggs, Messiah of the Gospels, p. 229.
19. ] On the text, see Conybeare, Zeitsch. fr die Neutest. Wissensch. 1901, 275 ff.; Hibbert Journal, October 1902; Lake, Inaugural Lecture; Riggenbach, Der Trinitarische Taufbefehl; Chase, Journal Theol. Stud. vi. 481 ff. The evidence of Eusebius must be regarded as indecisive, in view of the fact that all Greek MSS. and all extant VSS., contain the clause (S1 S2 are unhappily wanting). The Eusebian quotation: cannot be taken as decisive proof that the clause , …, was lacking in copies known to Eusebius, because may be Eusebius way of abbreviating, for whatever reason, the following clause. On the other hand, Eusebius cites in this short form so often that it is easier to suppose that he is definitely quoting the words of the Gospel, than it is to invent possible reasons which may have caused him so frequently to paraphrase it. And if we once suppose his short form to have been current in MSS. of the Gospel, there is much probability in the conjecture that it is the original text of the Gospel, and that in the second century the clause, , …, supplanted the shorter . An insertion of this kind derived from liturgical use would very rapidly be adopted by copyists and translators. The Didach has, ch. 7: : but the passage need not be dependent on our canonical Gospel, and the Didach elsewhere has a liturgical addition to the texts of the Gospels in the doxology attached to the Lords Prayer. But Irenus and Tertullian already have the longer clause.
(M?) 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded them: and, behold, I am with you all the days, unto the consummation of the age.]-] cf. 19:17, 23:3.- ] cf. on 1:20.- ] If Mt. has been recasting in this section a portion of Mk.s lost ending, this phrase is no doubt due to him; see on 13:39.
M the Second Gospel.
Dalm. Dalman.
E editorial passages.
1 Cf. also Mar 9:2 A D gr al latt. S1, Secrets of Enoch 1:3 Their hands whiter than snow, Enoch 1062, 10 his body was whiter than snow.
Th. Theodotion.
S Syriac version: Curetonian.
latt. Manuscripts of the Old Latin Version.
DCG. Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels.
S Syriac version: Sinaitic MS.
al i.e. with other uncial MSS.
1 for Mks . See on 21:1.
2 Cf. especially Torkild Skat Rrdam (The lost end of Marks Gospel, Hibbert Jourmal, July 1905), to whom I am indebted for much that follows.
P Palestinian traditions.
Tert. Tertullian.
1 Cf Heitmller, Im Namen Jesu.
Fuente: International Critical Commentary New Testament
the Open and Empty Tomb
Mat 28:1-10
Ere the sun had risen and while the glory of the dawn was faint in the Eastern sky, the women were well on their way. But He whom they sought had gone. How often we look down into the grave of the dead past, and into the vault where we have buried twin-souls; or we peer for help into the diaries, prayers and rites of departed saints or a moribund church-but we do not find the Lord. The divine Leader of souls is not behind us, but before; not in the grave of the dead past, but in the van of the worlds march. Lo, he beckons us on to follow the Ascension mountain and the opened heaven!
The Lord engaged women as messengers of His resurrection. See Psa 68:11. How eagerly they caught His idea, and with what alacrity they endeavored to fulfill it. And as they went He, for whom they went, met them! It is ever thus. We go on His errands, but we do not leave Him as we go. On the contrary, He meets us. See Isa 64:5.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
On the morning of the feast of the first fruits, the first day of the week following the first Sabbath after the Passover, Jesus was raised from the dead and so became the first fruits of them that slept (Lev 23:9-14; 1Co 15:20; 1Co 15:23).
His resurrection is the proof that redemption has been accomplished. Because of His perfect satisfaction in the work of His Son, God raised Him from the dead (Act 4:2) and seated Him at His own right hand, thus acknowledging Him as Lord and Christ (Act 2:33; Act 2:36). Had the body of the Lord Jesus Christ never come forth from the tomb, it would have been silent evidence that He was either a deceiver or deceived when He declared that He was to give His life a ransom for many (20:28). He would have been simply another martyr to what He believed to be the truth, or else to His own ambitions. But His resurrection, in accordance with His prediction that the third day He would rise again, confirmed His claims and proved that His death was an actual propitiation for sin and that God had accepted it as such.
On Calvary, as we have seen, the Lord Jesus Christ took the sinners place and bore the judgment that we deserved. That judgment involved eternal separation from God for the wicked. As made sin, the Lord Jesus cried to God, Why hast thou forsaken me? Because He is infinite and we are but finite, His sacrifice and suffering were a sufficient propitiation for the sins of the world. When expiation had been made, it behooved God the Father to bring Jesus Christ back from the dead, thus fully vindicating Him from any charge of personal failure for which He should be stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted (Isa 53:4). All His atoning sufferings were for others, not as penalty for any ill desert of His own. In raising Him from the dead, the Father attested the perfection of the work of His Son.
The empty tomb of Jesus is the silent yet effectual witness to the fact of His resurrection. Had it been possible to find His body, His disciples would have received it and given it careful burial again. And if His enemies could have produced it, they would have displayed it in fiendish glee as a positive proof that His prediction-that He would rise again the third day-had been utterly falsified. But neither friend nor foe could locate it, for God had raised His Son from the dead in token of His perfect satisfaction in the sacrifice of the Cross. The tomb was empty on that first Lords Day morning, not because the disciples had come by night and stolen the body while the soldiers slept (an unheard-of proceeding), nor yet because the chief priests and their emissaries had dared to break the Roman seal upon the stone that covered the entrance to that rock-hewn grave, but because Jesus had fulfilled His words when He declared that if they destroyed the temple of His body, He would raise it again in three days. The Resurrection is attributed to the Father (Heb 13:20), to the Son (Joh 2:19-21; Joh 10:17-18), and to the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11). The entire Trinity had part in that glorious event, the supreme miracle of the ages, when He who dies for our sins rose again for our justification. Joseph of Arimathea little thought of the honor that was to be his when preparing the new tomb that was to be the dwelling-place for a few hours of the dead body of Him who is now alive forevermore.
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. 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. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 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. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 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. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. (vv. 1-10)
In the end of the sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath was now ended. A new era was about to begin, to be characterized by a new day. As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. It was the early morning of the day following the Sabbath when the two Marys went out to see the sepulchre, preparatory to taking steps for the embalming of the body, which had been so hastily laid away on the day of death.
The angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone. This stone was not rolled back to let the risen Lord out, for He had left the tomb already. No barriers could restrain Him in His resurrection body. It was to let the women and the disciples in that the tomb was opened.
His countenance was like lightning. Angels are supernatural beings, pure spirits, who assume the human form at will and can disappear suddenly. Like lightning is suggestive of those who are said to be as a flame of fire (Heb 1:7).
For fear of him the keepers became as dead men. In their fright at the appearance of this celestial messenger, the hard, sturdy soldiers of the guard fainted away, unable to look upon his terrifying countenance.
The angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye. Quieting the fears of the women, the angel gave them to understand that he knew their quest exactly. But he had good news for them.
He is not here: for he is risen. This is the foundation of all our hope. It is not true, as Arnold wrote, that the body of Jesus still sleeps in a Syrian tomb. That tomb is empty. The place where the Lord lay bore mute evidence of His resurrection in the presence of the unruffled grave clothes that had enswathed His body (Joh 20:3-8). The attention of the two Marys was directed to the empty crypt, where that precious body had reposed as it lay cold in death. No earthly hands had removed it. Jesus arose at Gods appointed hour and left the sepulcher behind forever.
Go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. These godly women had the privilege to be the first evangelists of the new dispensation-to carry the glad news of a risen Savior to the sorrowing, because unbelieving, disciples. Before going to the cross, Jesus had told them, After I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee (Mat 26:32). To this appointed rendezvous the women were commanded to tell the disciples to repair, that there they might, as a group, meet their risen Lord.
They did run to bring his disciples word. Love and joy gave wings to their feet as they hastened to carry the glad tidings. There was no doubt in their minds as to the truth of the angels message.
As they went Jesus met them, saying, All hail. He appeared to them Himself, so that now they had not only the word of an angel and the sight of the empty sepulcher to rely upon, but they could also testify that they had seen the Lord Himself in the body of His resurrection, and thus their faith had turned to sight. Jesus directed them to convey the good news to the disciples and to bid them to go into Galilee to the rendezvous appointed, where He had promised to meet them.
While the women were hastening to carry the news of the Lords triumph over death to the apostles, the Roman soldiers were in a state of great perturbation over the events of the early morning and had made their way to the city to tell the chief priests what had occurred.
Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governors ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (vv. 11-15)
There are no depths of deceit and chicanery too low for religious bigots who are determined to pursue a chosen course to the bitter end, no matter what may be involved. When the soldiers explained what had taken place, these priests, and the elders, who soon joined them, counseled the soldiers to say that the disciples of Jesus had come by night, while the guard slept, and stolen the body away.
Such an acknowledgment, if true, would have exposed them to severe penalties, but the chief priests promised to intercede for them if the matter came to the ears of the governor. They gave large bribes to the soldiers to ensure their collaboration in the matter. So they went away and gave out the story as they were instructed, and that was commonly reported, Matthew tells us, until this day-that is, for some years at least after the Resurrection.
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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. (vv. 16-20)
Into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. During His last days with His disciples, as they were drawing near to Jerusalem, Jesus had told them of His approaching death and His resurrection, and He mentioned a definite mountain in Galilee where He would meet them after all had been consummated (Mat 26:32; Mat 28:7; Mar 16:7). Though He appeared earlier to individuals and to various groups, it was in Galilee that He manifested Himself to above five hundred brethren at once (1Co 15:6). At least, most commentators consider this to be the case, though He evidently met first with the eleven apostles on this occasion, before appearing to the larger number.
They worshipped him. When they beheld Him and knew it was indeed the risen Christ they were looking upon, they worshiped Him, knowing Him to be the Son of God come forth in triumph from the tomb (Rom 1:4). But some doubted. What a proof of the incorrigible evil of the human heart! Unbelief can be overcome only by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was some time before all the little group believed (Mar 16:14). This helps us to understand Mar 16:17. It was promised only to the believing apostles that miraculous signs would follow and thus authenticate their testimony.
All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth. As the obedient One, who had humbled Himself to the death of the cross, Jesus was exalted as Man by the Father to the place of preeminence over all things (Php 2:9-11). He is set as Son over His own house (Heb 3:6), to whom all Gods servants are to be subject. It is He Himself who is the General Director of the missionary program of the present age.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nationsin the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This gives the primary commission. The command is to teach, or make disciples, of all nations. The words baptizing them are secondary. It was not to baptize that they were sent, important as that is, but to instruct the nations in the way of life. Those receiving the Word were to be baptized as the outward expression of their faith.
The baptismal formula was in the name of the Trinity, as was their preaching and teaching-not in the names, but the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Godhead had and still has a part in the work of salvation, therefore all are recognized and confessed in Christian baptism. The Father sent the Son, who gave His life in the power of the Eternal Spirit.
All things whatsoever I have commanded you. During the forty days between His resurrection and ascension, Jesus unfolded to His disciples the program He would have them carry out and gave the commandments that they were to teach to the people of all nations (Act 1:2-3). Lo, I am with you alway. His presence by the Spirit was promised to all who sought to carry out His commission. Even unto the end of the world. The last word is really age. It refers to a time-world, rather than the material universe. Strictly speaking, the age to which He was referring will not end until He appears in glory to set up His kingdom over all the earth, but the period of the calling of the church from Pentecost to the Rapture is included necessarily in that word unto. During all that time, from the hour in which He spoke these words to the bringing in of the kingdom age, the gospel is to be preached, and His Spirit will be with His faithful messengers to enable them to proclaim the message in power for the blessing of mankind.
The Great Commission to evangelize the world is not given as a whole in any of the Gospels, but we need to take all related passages in the three Synoptics and in Acts 1 to get it in its entirety. There are different aspects of the commission which are emphasized in each place. Then, in addition, we have the Lords command to the eleven as given in John 20. These all agree in this: that it is our responsibility to carry the message of grace to all men everywhere while we wait for our Lord to return, according to His promise. In keeping with the character of Matthews gospel as setting forth the King and the kingdom, the commission as given here has specially in view the bringing of all nations to acknowledge the authority of Christ and proclaim their allegiance by baptism into the name of the Holy Trinity. In its fullest sense, this commission has never been fulfilled as yet. It will be completed after the church age has ended, and a Jewish remnant will carry out the Lords instructions preparatory to setting up the kingdom. But this does not relieve us of our responsibility to carry it out as far as possible in the present age. Mark stresses the importance of faith on the part of those who carry the message, which was to be authenticated by signs following. Luke, both in his gospel and the Acts, links the subjective with the objective-repentance on the part of the sinner; forgiveness on the part of God. John dwells on the authority of the risen Christ who commissions His servants to proclaim remission of sins to all who believe and retention of sins to those who spurn the message.
But all alike declare the urgency and the importance of carrying the witness-testimony, the proclamation of the gospel, unto all the nations of the world in the shortest possible time. Alas, how sadly has the church failed in this respect! It is an appalling thought that after nineteen centuries of gospel preaching there are many millions of men and women still sitting in darkness and the shadow of death (Isa 9:2) who have never heard the name of Jesus, and know nothing of the redemption that He has purchased by His atoning death upon the cross.
The program as set forth by our Lord has never been modified or repealed. It still constitutes what the Iron Duke (Wellington) called the marching orders of the church-orders which have, however, been very largely ignored by the great bulk of professing Christians. The first six centuries of the present era were characterized by great missionary zeal, when, at times, whole nations were brought to at least an outward profession of faith in Christ. But the next thousand years, which Borne calls the ages of faith, but which instructed Christians rightly designate the Dark Ages, were marked, in great measure, by an eclipse of true gospel activity. With the coming of the Protestant Reformation came a new interest in missions, in which the Moravians were the pioneers. Later, within the last century and a half, there has followed a great awakening as to the responsibility of the church to evangelize the regions beyond. Today there is no excuse either for lack of information or lack of zeal as to missionary activity.
Some there are who deny that we of the church age are to act at all on this commission as given here, insisting that it was intended for a Jewish testimony in the coming era of the Great Tribulation. This is fanciful in the extreme. Far more important than any quibbling as to the exact character of this commission is the truth of our responsibility to carry the story of redeeming love to all men everywhere. It is given, not alone to those we may think of as official ministers or specially designated missionaries, but to every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make Him known to others and so to win as many precious souls as possible while the day of grace is continued. This is the first great business of every member of the church of the living God. All are called to be witnesses, according to their measure. It is ours to go (v. 19), to pray (9:38), and to help send forth (Act 13:3) and sustain those who are able to leave home and friends as they hasten forth into distant lands to carry the gospel to the regions beyond (3Jn 1:6-8). The command to teach, or disciple, all nations, does not mean that it is our responsibility to educate the heathen along secular lines. This may come in as a by-product of missionary service, but it is not the supreme work of the herald of the Cross. It is a lamentable fact that much missionary money has been devoted to founding and maintaining schools and colleges which have turned out bitter enemies of the cross of Christ. Had the same money and energy been devoted to preaching the gospel, the results would have been far different. School teaching is a laudable profession, but it should not be confounded with gospel testimony, though it would be a happy and blessed thing if each schoolteacher were also a proclaimer of the glad tidings of grace.
The Lords instructions never yet have been fully obeyed, and we know that not all the nations will accept the message in this age of grace; but we are commanded to go forth in the name of the Triune God, proclaiming the authority of the risen King and bidding all men yield to Him in glad surrender, and so enter into peace and blessing while waiting for His return from heaven.
Matthew closes with the Lord sending forth His messengers. We do not read of Christs ascension here. This is significant, for it is the King commissioning His ambassadors that the Holy Spirit desired to emphasize. The last we see of Him, He is directing His representatives to go to all nations, calling upon men and women everywhere to acknowledge Him as their Savior and become subject to His will.
When the commanding officer speaks, a loyal soldier has but to obey. The captain of the host of the Lord (Jos 5:14) has said, Go ye! It is ours to act upon His instructions. The blessing of God has always rested in a very special way upon the individual or the church which was missionary minded. None ever lost out by obedience to our risen Lords command.
When we say there are plenty of heathen at home to whom we should give our attention rather than to seek the lost in distant lands, we forget that all at home are within easy reach of the gospel, if interested in it, whereas there are untold myriads dying in heathen lands to whom the way of life is unknown, and who have never heard of the Bible or the Savior it reveals.
There were no missionary societies in the early church because the entire body of believers was supposed to be engaged in the great work of evangelizing the world. It was after the church as a whole lost this vision that societies were formed to arouse interest in and forward missionary activity.
Sending out men and women as missionaries who do not themselves have a definite Christian experience is folly of the worst kind. It is but the blind leading the blind, and both are headed for the ditch (15:14). No one is fit to be a missionary abroad who is not a missionary at home. An ocean voyage never made a missionary of anyone. There must be a divinely implanted love for lost souls before one is ready to go forth in Christs name to carry His gospel to the heathen world. One of the first evidences of genuine conversion to Christ is the desire to make Him known to others.
It has been asked: What right has anyone to hear the gospel hundreds of times when millions have never heard it once? We may well be exercised as to this, for we are called to be ambassadors for Christ. This is the title Paul gives to those who seek to carry out our Lords instruction as to evangelizing the nations (2Co 5:20). While our Savior Himself is personally in heaven, seated on the right hand of the divine Majesty (Heb 1:3), we are called to represent Him in this world, going to rebels against the authority of the God of heaven and earth, and pleading with them to be reconciled to Him who sent His Son in grace that all men might have life and peace through Him. We are unfaithful representatives indeed if we fail to respond to the command laid upon us, and allow our fellow men to perish in their sins unwarned and knowing not the way of life.
Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets
Mat 28:1
I. A day of mighty memories; (1) of the creation of the world; (2) of the resurrection of Christ; (3) of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
II. A day of noble and happy associations; (1) historical; (2) congregational; (3) personal.
III. A day of holy hopes; (1) of a holier Sabbath; (2) of a holier sanctuary; (3) of a holier character.
IV: A day of solemn duties; (1) private; (2) domestic; (3) public.
G. Brooks, Five Hundred Outlines of Sermons, p. 256.
References: Mat 28:1.-Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 197. Mat 28:1-10.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. i., p. 298; H. R. Reynolds, Notes of the Christian Life, p. 242. Mat 28:2.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xv., No. 863; S. Baring-Gould, One Hundred Sermon Sketches, p. 148. Mat 28:5.-W. Harris, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xiv., p. 368.
Mat 28:6
The angel here appeals to the senses of those who stand about the tomb to attest the truth of Christ’s actual resurrection from the dead.
I. The empty tomb at once proclaimed the actual resurrection of the Saviour. The Resurrection is proclaimed to be a fact-(1) by the testimony of human witnesses. The disciples were men of probity, and had no worldly advantage to acquire from the publication of such a circumstance, but quite the opposite. They had known Christ, surely, long enough to recognize Him again when He appeared amongst them; and with one concurrent voice they testify, “He is risen from the dead.” (2) This is strengthened by the testimony of angels, and by their various appearances as bearers of the news. (3) The resurrection of Christ was not denied, even by His enemies, but was covertly recognized and admitted, even while the Jews agreed to a traditional falsehood to conceal from their posterity that which they knew to be a fact. (4) The Apostles constantly attested the fact, as also did the Fathers of the primitive Christian Church-Ignatius, Polycarp, and the other venerable custodians of the truth. (5) Christ rose, likewise, in precise accordance with Scriptural types and predictions, and with the same body as that in which He had lived and died.
II. The language of the text expresses the great humiliation of Jesus Christ. “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
III. We cannot meditate beside the place where the Lord lay without learning something of the infinite love of God.
IV. Neither can we look upon His empty tomb without being convinced of the Divine faithfulness-faithfulness as to promises, types, shadows, and predictions.
V. This visit to the place where the Lord lay must bring with it, too, a striking evidence of His Divine sovereignty. “I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again.” And if He thus held in His sovereign hand the issues and the destinies of His own career, He can, in like manner, overrule and control the destinies of His people.
VI. Is not this vacant tomb an almost satirical evidence of His triumph over His enemies and ours?
VII. Lastly, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay,” that you may behold in it the certain and the glorious pledge of a perfected salvation.
A. Mursell, Calls to the Cross, p. 286.
Mat 28:6
(with 1Co 15:44)
The Resurrection from the Dead.
We still assert, in words, a literal resurrection of the body, but none of us believe it. Our hymns, our prayers, our epitaphs, and too often our sermons, imply that the dust of our bodies shall be reanimated in some far-off future, and joined to the waiting soul. At the same time, we know that science declares it to be impossible; our reason revolts from it; it is sustained by no analogy; it is an outworn and nearly discarded opinion. There is, however, a general feeling of perplexity in regard to it. The view now offered is substantially this: that the resurrection is from the dead, and not from the grave; that it takes place at death; that it is general in the sense of universal; that the spiritual body, or the basis of the spiritual body, already exists, and that this is the body that is raised up, God giving it such an outward form as pleaseth Him, and thus preserving that dualistic state essential to consciousness, if not to existence itself. Let us notice some considerations that render these views probable.
I. The butterfly gains its perfect form, not by assimilating the. worm, but by getting rid of it. It is the most beautiful analogy in nature, its very gospel upon the resurrection-at first a creeping thing, dull and earth-bound, a slight period of dormancy, and then a winged creature floating upon the air and feeding upon flowers, one life, yet possessing from the first the potency of two forms.
II. The entire significance and value of the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead centre in the fact that it sets forth human identity. The question now arises, in what does identity consist? Identity does not lie in matter, nor is it dependent upon matter. Man is not the matter that makes up the perpetual flux known as the human frame; he is nothing that the chemist can put test to. He must be something, not material, that endures, on which the shifting phenomena of animal life play themselves off. The body is not the man, and it is the man who is raised up. He goes into the other world simply unclothed of flesh, there to take on an environing body suited to his new conditions. As here we have a body adapted to gravitation, and time, and space, so doubtless it will be hereafter; the spirit will build about itself a body such as its new conditions demand.
T. T. Munger, The Freedom of Faith, p. 295.
References: Mat 28:6.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. i., No. 18; vol. xviii., No. 1081; J. Keble, Sermons on Various Occasions, p. 523; D. Rose, Christian World Pulpit, vol. i., p. 321; G. W. McCree, Ibid., vol. xxix., p. 314; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. ix., p. 214; vol. x., p. 117; J. M. Neale, Sermons in Sackville College, vol. i., p. 313; Homiletic Quarterly, vol. ii., p. 562; Armitage, American Pulpit of the Day, vol. i., p. 251. Mat 28:7.-S. A. Tipple, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xv., p. 24; H.W. Beecher, Ibid., vol. xix., p. 52.
Mat 28:8
I. The false message which brought sin into the world, and all our woe, was given first to woman, and by her was communicated to the man. The Resurrection of the Lord, the healing of that early death-wound, was communicated in the same way. From an angel to woman, and from woman to man, and from man to the world came death. From an evil angel, through the link of woman to mankind, the evil tidings spread and covered the earth. From a good angel to woman, and from women to men, and from men to the world came life, the life of the world.
II. It is not much preaching we get from angels’ lips; but there is a little here, and that little very precious. The commission he brought and laid on the two Marys was, “Go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead;” and in order to prepare them for obeying, he said first, “Fear not ye.” The angel gave their spirits the cordial before he imposed the race upon their limbs. Besides exhorting them not to fear, he gave them ground to bear their joy: “The Lord is not here; He is risen.” The angel knew his part well, for the whole theory of missions is here. To invite the messenger first near, that himself may know that the Lord is risen, and his own soul rejoice in the living Saviour-this it is that will qualify him for going quickly to bring word to the disciples, or to the world, of the Resurrection of Christ.
III. “They did run to bring the disciples word.” It was the word within them that impelled them to hasten; it was the word in their heart that made them run with the word on their lips. I detect a grand key-note here. It is not only the message, carefully learned and correctly told; it is not only the faithful witness-bearing, whatever danger may be incurred. Over and above all this there are an eagerness, an enthusiasm, and a haste, in bearing the message of redemption, which are in keeping with the case, and mark the conduct of true disciples in all places and at all times. “The King’s business requireth haste.” This is strictly natural; it is a universal law. All great tidings travel quickly, whether they be glad or grievous. Here the tidings were very great; they were charged with life from the dead for the world; it was an instinct irrepressible in those who knew them to break into a run, in order to tell them soon to those whom they concerned.
W. Arnot, The Anchor of the Soul, p. 157.
References: Mat 28:8-20.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. i., p. 340. Mat 28:9, Mat 28:10.-Spurgeon, My Sermon Notes: Gospels and Acts, p. 56; H. W. Beecher, Sermons, 4th series, p. 105.
Mat 28:10
It is very probable that there: was some far deeper reason than we can now discover why Galilee should have been marked out to have, as it had, a special connection with the events of Eastertide.
I. The first thought which suggests itself is that Jerusalem, “the hill of Zion,” which was once the “joy of the whole earth,” and which the Lord Himself had loved, had rejected and crucified the Son of God, and in consequence of her apostasy was no longer the chosen home of God on earth. She was cast off, and her house was left unto her desolate. And in consequence thereof the risen Saviour was about to lead away His Apostles from the once holy city to the borders of the Gentiles, to whom the offer of salvation through Him was now to be made.
II. Why were the Apostles to meet their risen Lord in Galilee? Was it for the same cause that in Jerusalem He appeared only to the faithful few, and that, for the most part, when the doors were closed at night? Or was it for the totally opposite reason, that by fixing a set time, and the place where He was most known, He took the best course to set the fact of His resurrection beyond dispute? Or was it because He could best unfold the mysteries of His kingdom, and give His last instructions to His followers before He ascended to His Father, in a place of safety, in the quiet of the fields, or upon the sea, of Galilee? We cannot speak positively; but the lesson is that, not at once, not until some trial of faith and patient waiting had been gone through, was that privilege bestowed, of closest communion with the Master and His servants, of which Galilee was to be the scene. In proportion to our faith in Christ and love for Him shall we have need of patience too. The Apostles were constrained to wait, and so must we. They must go to Galilee, “and there,” said the promise, “ye shall see Him.” We must work our way to a better country, that is a heavenly; and thither, says the promise, “I go to prepare a place for you.” Surely, what the thought of Galilee was to the Apostles is that of heaven to them that love the Lord Jesus-now the looked-for place of meeting, where the tears of past sorrows shall be dried, hope turned into fruition, love and knowledge perfected, and communion made “complete in Him.” Scattered, like sheep which had fled from their shepherd, were the Apostles, till the mountain in Galilee was pointed out as the place where they with each other, and all with their Lord, were to meet once more. And so heaven is that better Galilee where they who are now dispersed and parted may meet again.
F. E. Paget, Helps and Hindrances to the Christian Life, vol. i., p. 187.
Mat 28:11-15
The Chief Priests’ Story.
This tale of the high priests’, if it be good for anything, will bear the same cross-examination and analysis as others in the annals of important jurisprudence, and candour is compelled instantly to admit it labours under serious embarrassments.
I. In the very outset, the antecedent improbability of particulars crushes it. How came a trained watch all to go to sleep? Would the whole band of sixteen men be likely to fall away at once, and remain in slumber a time long enough for this amount of labour? This was noisy work, and took some numbers to do it, yet it would have to be done leisurely. Who folded up the napkin and arranged the grave-clothes in the dark? And if the Roman soldiers were asleep, how did they know anything about it?
II. The immediate followers of Jesus had no motive to steal the body of their Lord.
III. It is evident from the entire story, told here in its artless naturalness, that the disciples had no sort of concerted plan to do any such thing. Why, they had His body in their power after Joseph begged it on Friday evening; now was it possible that the idea should strike them to go and pilfer it away on Saturday?
IV. The Jews never told this tale to any judicial audience or court, so that it could be subjected to cross-examination. Stealing the body was a capital crime, yet not one of these accused disciples was ever arrested for its commission. To have proved this story of theft in the night would have overturned the entire Christian religion in one sweep. But after this first lie in Jerusalem the Sanhedrim preserved a discreet silence.
V. There was awful risk to the soldiers if this story was true, but if the story was not true there was no peril in it.
VI. The inherent impossibility of the act itself cannot be left out of sight. If there was one spot more than another likely to be under malevolent and curious scrutiny, it was that where the Nazarene Prophet was laid. Any suspicious movement would have been observed by a score of eyes.
VII. Then what could be done with the body after the disciples had got it in possession? In that land, where such strict regulations existed, where every one shunned contact because of a ceremonial uncleanness, how could those frightened Galileans have relieved themselves of a burden so awkward after they had passed the precincts of the garden? If discovered, what was there so fatal to their faith, as well as to themselves, as this half-buried body of the crucified Nazarene?
C. S. Robinson, Sermons on Neglected Texts, p. 100.
References: Mat 28:11-15.-E. D. Solomon, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxi., p. 293. Mat 28:11-20.-Parker, Inner Life of Christ, vol. iii., p. 276. Mat 28:16.-A. Raleigh, From Dawn to the Perfect Day, p. 230. Mat 28:16, Mat 28:17.-A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve, p. 493.
Mat 28:16-20
(with 1Co 15:6)
The question meets us today, as we think of the narrative of the text, How do we stand related to that assembly on the Galilean mountain, and to that last command of our adored Lord? The answer which I trust we shall all feel disposed to give is this, that we are related to that assembly just as though we had formed part of it, to that last command as though we had heard it in audible words from the lips of our Lord. That we may be confirmed in this conviction let us ask and answer some further questions.
I. Is the world’s need any less now than it was then? Substantially, it is the same. It was great and urgent then; it is great and urgent now. “Go ye, therefore,” into the busy world immediately around you, and into the wider world beyond, with the good news of God. Tell men that God loves them, that Christ “is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.” Such is the great commission, the most important ever entrusted to men. Note (1) its universality, (2) its intellectual character, (3) its gentleness.
II. Are the encouragements given to those who put themselves instantly in a way of obedience to this last command in any manner or degree less than they were at first or through the primitive ages? Christ’s assertions regarding His power and presence were immediately put to the proof by His followers, and in no long time they were able to point rejoicingly to certain definite results, not only in the inward experiences, but in the lives and characters of men. The most marvellous changes took place, such as had never been obtained under any other teaching or influence whatever. In a state of society like ours, which has long been under more or less of the general Christian culture, we cannot expect to see many changes so visibly striking as those of early times. But those who will look below the surface of things will see that changes the same in essence are being produced, that the same sanctifying grace is still at work. When men go forth and teach the true Gospel in the spirit of love and loyalty, the Lord works with them, and confirms the word by signs following. It is a great work, so great that no other can be likened to it; all other good works are only parts of it. It will be a long and hard work, but it will be done. As surely as God is the Father, and Jesus Christ the Son, there will be “glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and goodwill toward men.”
A. Raleigh, From Dawn to the Perfect Day, p. 230.
References: Mat 28:16.-A. Barry, Cheltenham College Sermons, p. 383. Mat 28:16-20.-B. F. Westcott, The Revelation of the Risen Lord, p. 155. Mat 28:17.-J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 9th series, p. 167.
Mat 28:17
I. Doubting in matters of religion. Doubt arises (1) from ignorance; (2) some kinds of doubt mark the course of inquiry; (3) other kinds indicate moral perversity, and are allied to unbelief.
II. The practical influence of doubting in matters of religion. (1) It is no apology for indifference; (2) it ought to stimulate inquiry; (3) it contains an element of belief; (4) it may be an ultimate benefit.
G. Brooks, Five Hundred Outlines of Sermons, p. 253
Mat 28:18
Our Lord’s words here are full of Divine mystery; they possess heavenly massiveness and grandeur, and yet they are full of peace, consolation, and hope to every Christ-loving heart.
I. The words are majestic and gracious; they are also comprehensive in their simplicity and brevity. Here is the mystery of the mediatorial kingdom-Christ, the God-Man, Lord of heaven and earth, to the glory of the Father. All power is given unto Him in heaven. He who descended is the same that ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. The Son of man is on the throne of God, He who was born of the Virgin Mary, who took upon Himself the form of a servant, who by Himself purged our sins, who is at the right hand of the Father.
II. Jesus has all power in heaven, in order that the Church on earth should constantly and steadfastly look away from all that is human and temporal, and know of no other mediation, strength, guidance, and comfort but the power and love, the wisdom and faithfulness of her One only Master and Head. He is high, to be visible and accessible to the least of His disciples in the lowliest valley of his weakness and ignorance.
III. Behold Him, the Son of man, seated at the right hand of the Father, and in His majestic rest and peaceful dignity behold the perfect assurance of our acceptance and of our blessedness.
IV. Behold Jesus in heaven, and remember that in Him Divine omnipotence is united with the tender sympathy of perfect humanity. He was made like unto His brethren in all things, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest.
V. Behold Jesus in heaven, to bless His people. His intercession is all-prevailing. The Father Himself loveth us, according to the merciful assurance of Him who, as the true Mediator, always reveals and magnifies the Father. But it is in and through Christ that the love of the Father rests on believers.
VI. Behold Jesus in heaven, and seek the things which are above. In Him are all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. From Him descend all healthful influences, all spiritual gifts, all quickening and renewing power, all true and everlasting consolation.
VII. Behold Jesus in heaven, and be of good comfort. He presents unto the Father all the petitions and thanksgivings, all the labours and sufferings, all the words and works of His people, and they are accepted and well-pleasing in His sight.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 1.
References: Mat 28:7.-S. A. Tipple, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xv., p. 24; H. W. Beecher, Ibid., vol. xix., p. 52.
Mat 28:18
The Omnipotence of Jesus on Earth.
The power of Jesus in heaven is revealed to us that we may know that to Him is also given all power on earth. He whom God hath highly exalted, who is the Lord of glory and the Prince of the kings of the earth, who is head over all things to the Church, and under Whose feet the Father hath put all things, rules and governs in silence and calm omnipotence, unknown and unrecognized by the world. All earthly events and historical movements, all triumphs of skill and knowledge, all discoveries of science and developments of human life are under His government and the power of his sceptre; all things are subservient to the great purpose of His death, and preparatory to His second Advent.
I. Jesus has power on earth to forgive sin. He who has entered into the Holy of Holies by His own blood is now before the Father, the advocate in righteousness of sinners who trust in Him. And He has power to forgive sin on earth, and the conscience is at peace, the heart that was heavy-laden is at rest. And Jesus exerts this power with tenderness, as gently as the light comes down from heaven, and as the dew falls on the flowers of earth. We look upon Him, and we are healed.
II. Jesus has power to renew the heart, Jesus only. It is His dying love that melts the heart. While the wintry and keen blasts of the law make us wrap the cloak of self-righteousness and opposition to God more firmly round us, the Sun of righteousness, the mercy of God, moves us to lay aside our pride, our sin, our hatred and forgetfulness of God.
III. Jesus has power on earth to quicken the dead. It is His Divine prerogative to give life. Who but God can kill and make alive again? Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet; He is not a restorer of law. It is not instruction merely or principally that we need. The Lord came that we might have life, not by His doctrine, nor by His example, but by His death the erring, lost sheep were saved and brought into the fold of peace.
IV. All power is given unto Jesus on earth to keep His people in faith and love amidst all their temptations and afflictions, conflicts and struggles, giving them the victory over their enemies, and presenting them finally unblamable in body, soul, and spirit before the Father. The Good Shepherd, whose own the sheep are, by the election of the Father, by the self-sacrifice of His infinite love, by the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Ghost, keeps His people to the end. He guards them, and protects the new and tender life against the hostile and adverse influences by which it is surrounded. In heaven He is continually inteceding on our behalf, that our faith fail not; on earth He is continually shielding us with the power of His love, and keeping us by the influence of His Spirit.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 17.
References: Mat 28:18.-H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. viii., p. 100; G. T. Coster, Ibid., vol. xvi., p. 108; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. ix., p. 143; Homiletic Quarterly, vol. vi., p. 276. Mat 28:18, Mat 28:19.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vii., No. 383; B. Bird, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xiv., p. 241. Mat 28:18-20.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xx., No. 1200; H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xix., p. 140; Homiletic Quarterly, vol. iv., p. 266; A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve, p. 536.
Mat 28:19
The Trinal Unity of the Godhead.
Consider:-
I. The doctrine of the Trinity as it appears to have been part of the earliest revelations which were given to the world. Though not revealed distinctly and dogmatically, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is conveyed in the Old Testament by implication and inference. Thus, the very first sentence in the Book of Genesis runs, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” That which is implied, though it cannot be shown in the translation, is that while the Agent is plural in this passage, the verb with which it is connected is in the singular number. And this strange form of expression is used by Moses about five hundred times, when speaking of God, and it is so used by none else. And Jewish writers confess that this frequently recurring phrase is indicative of some mystery in the Divine Being, though they do not attempt to define its nature. But the Jews are not our only witnesses to the fact of this great doctrine being a part of God’s earliest communications to the human family. The truth, in some disguised and distorted form, will be found to have entered into almost all the fabulous theologies of the world, and this the more distinctly the more remote their antiquity.
II. The doctrine of the Trinity forms the subject of controversy in the earliest ages of the Christian Church.
III. To the humble Christian this doctrine is embraced for the peace and salvation of his soul; to him the mystery of the doctrine is nothing; He asks only, Have I sufficient evidence of the fact? and he feels that he has. In all its searchless mystery the doctrine of Three Persons sharing equally and alike the attributes of underived and inherent Godhead, and yet these Three all One in nature, One in essence, One in purpose, and mind, and will, is the only doctrine which meets the necessities of our lapsed race, or provides for our being brought back to a state of innocence and peace.
D. Moore, Penny Pulpit, No. 3,138.
Mat 28:19
The Catholic and Spiritual Character of the Church.
I. Note the universality of this command of Christ-“all nations.” When Jesus was on earth He did not go to all nations, but confined His ministry to Israel. It was according to the Divine purpose, according to the method of God’s dealings with Israel and the nations, that Jesus should first go to His own people, preaching to them the Gospel of the kingdom, and endeavouring to gather them under the wings of His mercy and holy love. He was Israel’s Messiah and King. The Angel of the Covenant came to His temple. But Israel itself was chosen in Him for the salvation of the world. And even during His earthly ministry in Israel, Jesus thought with joy and love of the Gentiles, who should come to the light and enter the fold of Divine peace. And now the time had come. The Gospel of salvation was to be preached to the whole world. The rejection of Israel’s Messiah results in a twofold dispensation. In judgment the Jews are scattered among all the nations of the earth; in love and mercy, in blessing, the Church is sent to all peoples and tongues. The Bible, and the Bible only, teaches firmly and clearly the unity of the human race. (1) As we are the children of Adam, all human beings are equal, created in the image of God, forming one family of mankind, called to light, and holiness, and blessedness. As all truths, this great truth is confirmed and illustrated by the Lord Jesus Christ. (2) This equality is, alas, also an equality in sin and in condemnation! (3) The unity of the race is a blessed fact, when we remember that the Son of God became man. Unto the whole race Christ is sent; He is given unto man as man, a new Centre to the whole family of mankind.
II. The spiritual character of this commission-“teaching them.” Men are to be taught. The Word is the sword of the Spirit. By the Word the heart is conquered, and the Word is the bread which nourishes and strengthens the soul. Thus it always was with God’s people. There is no book like Scripture in which men are so constantly exhorted to think, to consider, to reason, to learn, to meditate, to remember. There is no book so opposed to all blind obedience and assumption of external authority. There is no book so opposed to the pride and selfishness of an esoteric school, keeping the people in subjection and partial ignorance. The Church is where the Word of God is. We need nothing else but the word, in order to be men of God, perfect, thoroughly “furnished unto all good works.” And as the inward life and growth of the Church are by the Word, so are her extension and influence. The great commission of the Church is to preach the Gospel to the world.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 37.
Mat 28:19
Heathenism.
The text brings before us the subject of heathenism, and the relation of the Church of Christ to the heathen world. The words of our Lord are our authority as well as our encouragement for engaging in the great work of heathen missions. He Himself is the Sender. It is a work which is essential; it is, in one aspect, and if we take a wide enough view of its meaning, the work of the Christian Church.
I. With regard to the times of ignorance, there are three elements which modify the dense darkness which covers the earth. (1) There is the reminiscence of the primeval revelation. (2) The second element, which in some degree alleviates the great oppressiveness and gloom of men’s ignorance, is that, as Sophocles expressed it, “there are the unwritten laws of Heaven in the hearts of men, which are not of today or yesterday, whose birth-tide is not known to any man.” (3) The third element is this, that God, by the Holy Spirit, who bloweth where He listeth, had His work among the Gentile nations (Melchizedek, Job, the men of Nineveh).
II. We must not regard the judgments that are denounced in Scripture against heathenism and the nations that forget God as unjust and hard. Nothing in the Bible is harsh and severe. The light in which heathenism is revealed in Scripture, although it is truthful, is also affectionate. Whatever there is pure, and lovely, and ideal among the heathen nations, think not that it is our interest, or that it is the spirit of Christianity and Scripture, to ignore it or make little of it. God is the God of all, and there is nothing good or beautiful but it has its origin in God’s Spirit.
III. When we think of heathenism we are overwhelmed and appalled. Think of its antiquity. Think of the extent of its territory. Think of the wonderful minds which have been captivated and enslaved by heathenism. Think of the evil of idolatry. Idolatry is not one evil; it is not a great evil; you cannot even call it the greatest evil: it is the evil; it is the mother of all evils; it is the root of all evil. Think of the wretchedness and misery of the heathen. It is a very superficial view of antiquity when people talk of the bright days of sunshine and joy in ancient Hellas. There were brightness and beauty; that people were gifted with a marvellous sense of the beautiful; but those who are well acquainted with antiquity know the deep-seated melancholy, the gloom, the cloud of darkness, which was only temporarily and superficially dispersed. Above all, let us remember the only antidote of idolatry; it is to “know God, and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent.”
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 208.
References: Mat 28:19.-J. H. Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, p. 343; Christian World Pulpit, vol. ix., p. 104; Homiletic Quarterly, vol. v., p. 174; W. Cunningham, Sermons, p. 89; J. Oswald Dykes, Sermons, p. 128.
Mat 28:19
This passage has always been regarded by the Church of Christ as teaching most clearly the doctrine of the Trinity. “Name” is never used in Scripture in connection with abstract things or qualities, but always with persons. As the personality, so the Divinity, and consequently the equality of the Three are distinctly set forth; for the name of the Son and of the Spirit are coordinated with that of the Father; the same faith is demanded of us in regard to each of the Three Persons. The solemnity of the moment when these words were spoken by our Lord, the character of the ordinance with which He connects them, clearly prove that they contain the cardinal and fundamental doctrine on which all Christian teaching and life rest.
I. In this doctrine there is light for the mind. God dwelleth no longer in darkness, and in heights unattainable to the vision of human hearts. We see Jesus, the God-Man, and He reveals the Father and the Spirit. Jesus, by the name of God, reveals to us creation, for by Him, the Word of God, were all things made; and by the Spirit the Father’s purpose and the mediation of the Son were actually accomplished in perfection and beauty. Jesus, by the name of God, reveals to us in eternity, not a lonely, quiescent God, such as neither mind can conceive nor affection grasp, but a God in whom from all eternity there was fulness of life, and love, and blessedness, the Father loving the Son, and the Spirit knowing the depths of the Godhead.
II. Here the conscience finds rest. Only in a Triune God are perfect atonement and reconciliation. He who brings us to the Father is the Son. The Church was purchased with the blood of Him who is God; and when Christ, by His own blood, entered into the Holy of Holies, we were represented by Him and complete in Him. The work of the Holy Ghost, also, is essential to our peace. Christ is ours only by the power of the Holy Ghost. Without the love of the Father, the atonement of the Son, and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost the conscience may be soothed, but cannot be set at rest and purified.
III. And here, in the mystery of the Triune name, is love for the heart. It is only when we know the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, that we know that God is Love; that love is not one of His attributes merely, but that He is Love from everlasting to everlasting; that from all eternity God, who lives, loves; that in Him-the one Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-are united in ever-blessed communion of love.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 67.
The name of God, the glory of the Old and of the New Covenant. In the Divine revelation to Israel, from Abraham to the Exodus, and from Moses to the last prophets, we can trace the following lines of education, which all converge in the Advent of the Lord Jesus, and in his full revelation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
I. Scripture teaches us that no man can see God, and Scripture speaks at the same time of God appearing. Israel knew God as Jehovah revealing Himself, the Messenger or Angel, sent by God and one with God, His Representative, face and image, in whom Divine glory was manifest, and to whom Divine adoration is due.
II. But while God came thus nigh unto them, He revealed the infinite distance which separated between Him and the sinful nation. Israel is sinful and guilty, yet God dwells among them. Israel hopes in the Lord, for with Him is plenteous redemption. For they knew that God, the holy and just Lawgiver, was also God the Redeemer. A just God and a Saviour, a holy God and a sanctifying Spirit, were manifested unto Israel, or, in other words, the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
III. These two lines of prophecy are combined, in the hope of Jehovah’s rending the heavens, and coming down to redeem and glorify Israel. The coming of the Lord God is the theme of Psalms and Prophets. The invisible God manifests the Holy One among a forgiven and renewed people; such is the hope of Israel.
IV. We must combine with these passages an apparently opposite line of prediction. Its starting-point is not the throne of holiness, but the earth under a curse, and the woman, who was first in the transgression. This series of promises is familiar to all. The Seed, the Son, the David, the Servant, the Israel is the Redeemer, the Light of the nations, the Restorer and glory of His people. And as He is man, and born of the Virgin-daughter of Zion, He is also God. Israel was taught that the Son of David, the Messiah, was God manifest in the flesh, Revealer of the Father, the Lord who can baptize with the Holy Ghost. Does not the Messianic prophecy declare the name of the Triune God?
V. This mysterious God-Man is seen in heaven and coming down from heaven (Psa 110:1; Zec 12:10).
VI. The mystery of the Trinity is foreshadowed in the teaching of the Book of Proverbs. Who can fail to recognize the identity of the Wisdom spoken of in the Book of Proverbs, and the Word, who was in the beginning with God? Wisdom is set up from everlasting, brought forth; or as the Church expresses it, God of God, begotten, not made; beyond and above all creation; to be distinguished from God, and yet worshipped in the Godhead.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 89.
Mat 28:19-20
The Uniting Name.
I. A set of Galilean fishermen were bidden to teach or make disciples of all nations. In some way or other these Galileans did make disciples among Jews, the worshippers of the I AM, the Jehovah; among Greeks, the worshippers of human heroes and the forms of nature. Consider what was necessary to bring these two portions of the world into a common fellowship. Those words which He spoke as He stood on the mount, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth,” were indeed most necessary before they could believe that power would descend on them to execute His command. Only if He had reconciled earth and heaven, only if He had conquered the visible as well as the invisible world, only if both were gathered up in Him, could they have the credentials or the inner might which were needed for heralds to the nations. “Go ye therefore,” was the natural sequence to this assurance. But it was not enough. They were messengers from God to men, as he was who had seen the vision in the burning mount. They had as much necessity to ask as Moses had, “Behold, when we come unto them, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent us unto you, and they shall say to us, What is His name? what shall we say unto them?” The answer was given before the question had arisen, “Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
II. The name, the new and awful name, was proclaimed. But it was not merely proclaimed. The nations were not merely to be told, “It is this Being whom henceforth you are to worship; to this name the names of the Delphic Apollo and the Jove of the Capitol must bow.” Go ye, it was said, and baptize all nations into this name. Speak not of it as if it stood aloof from them, as if it were afar off them. This mystery is about them, embracing them, sustaining them. The more we study this history, the more we shall be convinced that the preaching of this name and the baptism into this name were the mighty powers by which the divided worship, the demon worship of the old world was overthrown. And this because it was felt that there was one inclusive Truth revealed to mankind; a Truth which we cannot comprehend, but which comprehends us; a living Truth, which speaks itself out in a Person, not in a proposition; a Truth into which we must be received, and which will then go with us through life and death, meeting us in every new stage of our education, interpreting itself to us by our own individual trials, and by all the trials through which the world, or any section of it, is appointed to pass, bringing within its circle the sage and the little child.
F. D. Maurice, Sermons, vol. iv., p. 33.
The Church and the World.
As Christ was sent by the Father, so is the Church sent by Christ. Jesus was sent to be the Revelation and Representative of the Father, to testify of Him, to declare Him, to do His will, and to finish His work. He was a true and faithful Witness; He was the perfect Servant, whose meat it was to do the Father’s will; He declared the name of God, and finished the work. Now Christ sends us into the world that we may show forth His life, that we may be His witnesses, that His light and love may shine, attract, and bless men through us, that men may behold in us Christ, as they beheld the Father in Him. As Christ was, so are we in the world. The Church is in the world. The reason is threefold: (1) the glory of God; (2) that she may follow Jesus, who through suffering entered into glory; (3) to promote the conversion of sinners. “From the life of Jesus,” said the old Germans, “we can learn all things;” we can learn Christ, and to know Him is to know all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Let us, then, continually study Him as the Model; we must represent Christ in our lives.
I. And first, let us remember the object of Christ’s life. He was sent. He never forgot that He came not to do His own will, but the will of the Father that sent Him. Thus He was constantly the Servant of God, the Representative of the Father. Now we are sent by Jesus, and all that we are and have, all our words and works, are to be viewed in the light of mission and service.
II. Jesus came in lowliness. His birth, infancy, childhood, and youth are characterized by the emblems of poverty and obscure humility. What are we to learn from this? Are we not to follow the Master? We may not be poor, but we are to love poverty. We ought not to trust in earthly riches and honour, in the things which the world esteems and pursues; we ought to remember that our influence and our power are spiritual, and that the garment of the true Church is that of a servant, of a stranger and pilgrim.
III. Jesus was the Son of God; He came from above. Thus the Church is born of God, of incorruptible seed. Her life is none other than the life of Christ, the risen Head, the life of the Spirit, who dwelleth in us. We exert influence and power in the world simply by our being blameless and harmless, the sons of God, living Christ’s life, manifesting the Divine nature, of which we are partakers who have escaped the corruption of the world through lust. In this lowliness and in this power the Church is able to go to the whole world with love and sympathy, announcing substance in the midst of emptiness and vain shadows, eternal life in the midst of death and sorrow, peace to the heavy-laden conscience, love to the aching and thirsting heart, forgiveness and renewal, health and joy, to the wounded and contrite.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 160.
The history of the Apostolic Church is the guide-book of the Church of every age. The Holy Ghost has not given us a record of the subsequent history of Christ’s people, and we are convinced that the description of the Apostolic Church given to us by the Spirit is all that we need for our instruction and encouragement. What, then, were the characteristic features of the Apostolic Church?
I. We read that the Pentecostal congregation of Jerusalem continued steadfast in the Apostles’ doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Deeply rooted and grounded in the knowledge and love of Christ, they cast forth their roots as Lebanon, their branches spread extensively; there were continually added to their number true believers. The Church spreads when she is intense in her spiritual life; she spreads when she deepens; she expands by concentration.
II. We are told that the Church of Jerusalem was regarded by the people with awe and with favour. This shows that the Church manifested both the holiness and love of God.
III. The Apostolic Church was full of joy and peace in believing, by the power of the Holy Ghost. The reality of Apostolic faith explains their joyousness and their heavenly-mindedness. The Apostolic Christians believed, they trusted in Jesus; and they rejoiced in Him who was their loving Redeemer, and who was coming again to give them the kingdom.
IV. The Apostolic Church was the home of love. Jesus was their Centre. In Him they were one. Where Christ’s Spirit is, there love dwells and reigns. Love rooted in the heart, strong, sweet, and tender; love in deed and in truth, manifesting itself in the words of consolation, counsel, and encouragement, all the deeds of help and self-sacrifice.
V. The Church of Christ in the Apostolic times was organized. While there is no intervening priesthood or mediation between earth and heaven, the Lord Jesus blesses, feeds, and rules the flock through the ministry of believers, chosen and set apart for this solemn work. The object of the ministry is the ingathering of souls, and the edifying of the Body of Christ. The permanence of the ministry comprises the whole dispensation. The existence of the ministry promotes and strengthens the unity and equality of believers.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 190.
References: Mat 28:19, Mat 28:20.-D. Thomas, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxii., p. 198; Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xix., pp. 79, 81; G. E. L. Cotton, Sermons to English Congregations in India, p. 114.
Mat 28:20
The assurance was not given-it could not have been given with effect-until the Divine Speaker had certified His followers by many infallible proofs that it should be even as He said. Had the Ascension followed immediately upon the Resurrection-had there been no manifestation of the risen life of Christ to the Church, no drying of the Magdalen’s tear, no satisfaction of the doubts of Thomas, no breaking bread with the friends at Emmaus, no meeting with the fishers by the shore of Tiberias-the promise would have failed of half its potency; the “Lo, I am with you,” in that case, must have been, “Believe me, I shall be with you;” and though faith might have accepted the dogma of the Resurrection, love could hardly have appropriated the risen Christ. There are some art-creations which owe their influence upon us less to the beauty of detail than to the finishing-touch of the artist’s hand. One streak of light on the canvas communicates to the whole an indefinable expression, which enthralls us as we gaze. Something analogous is the effect of the last touch added by the inspired penman in the text to the completed portrait of the Saviour’s life. The image of Christ is felt to be no longer a thing external to us. Risen and ascended, He dwells in us, and we in Him. If the Church be indeed the body of her Lord, it must be that the principles of His life will be found to lie at the root of her own, and to contain within them, likewise, the promise and potency of the life to come.
I. We continually profess our belief in the Holy Catholic Church; what is it that we believe? The question is no simple one, for the Church, though one body, is diverse in function and in form, and men’s thoughts vary widely in respect to the essentials of her life according as they are most attracted to this or that feature of the complex whole. The Church of Christ cannot be definitely measured by human language, any more than she can be compassed in her completeness by human eye. Men go about her, and think to tell her towers and mark her bulwarks, but her foundations are in the Rock which none may scan. Her limits extend beyond the bounds of space. She is no city of material build, but a polity of living spirits whose sustenance is derived from invisible sources. Her franchise is the heavenly citizenship. Her charter is hidden in the counsels of God. Let us, then, endeavour to forget the outward form she wears in this or that communion, and seek to rise to the height of those ideas of which she is designed to be the remembrancer. Briefly stated, her mission is this, “To declare a new fellowship among men, in consequence of the disclosure of a new relationship between man and God.”
II. Christ came, it cannot be too often repeated, to reveal the Father. Not a man, but Man, the realization in One Person of all that man was created to be, so that while He represents us each to ourselves in idea as that which God would have us to be, His obedient children, He reveals God to us as that which He is in fact, a loving Father. From this revelation follows that of the universal brotherhood of man. These ideas are hidden in the bosom of the Church of Christ. To these she owes her catholicity. “Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more;” and in spite of all external divergence, in spite of priestly domination, in spite of the dogmatism of sects, the Church of Christ lives in the vitality of her ideas, casting off from age to age the imperfect systems in which man’s error disguises them, appealing ever anew to the simplest trusts and aspirations of his heart, and beckoning him onwards continually to an ultimate union of manifold Divinity at the feet of his Father in heaven. The true progress of the race, it has been said, is hidden in the thoughts of Christ; and though Churches may prove unfaithful, these cannot die. A Church whose theology tacitly puts limits upon the love of God to man, whose authority restrains men from searching diligently into the Word and works of God, whose system bars the free access of man’s spirit to the Father of all, whose hierarchy exalt their privilege of ministry into a right of lordship-such a Church contains within itself the seeds of disunion and decay; it is untrue to the catholic ideal; it has lost the spirit of the Master. But the Church which remembers that it is constituted on Divine promises, and endowed with spiritual privileges in order to make known to men their new relationship to God, and furnish them with help to realize the duties which that relationship implies-such a Church bears true witness to Christ; it is a living part of His body, and will necessarily become, through its own vitality, a centre of union.
E. M. Young, Oxford and Cambridge Journal, April 27th, 1876.
Mat 28:20
The New Obedience.
I. There is a twofold element in the law-condemnation and the promise, type and instalment of redemption. Both elements were given in love; in both the purpose was one of mercy. But when the primary object of the law had failed, when men remained proud, self-satisfied, cherishing and excusing sin without humility and repentance, men failed also to see and enjoy the comfort of this promise, the meaning and substance of the type. Thus they who walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless were the very Israelites who waited for the redemption in Jerusalem; they honoured the law, and therefore longed for the Gospel.
II. Christ is come; and now, instead of condemnation, behold grace; instead of shadow and type, behold perfection and fulfilment, that is truth. And (1) let us remember that in Christ only the law of God found its realization and fulfilment. It had hitherto been only an idea seeking embodiment, a problem awaiting its solution, an outline looking for substance and life. Jesus, with the eyes of His heart, saw the law in its breadth and depth; He joyfully filled the entire outline; His willing mind, His loving heart, His filial spirit entered into the whole mind of God, and penetrated to the depth and substance of God’s Word. (2) All men are under the law, till through the death of Christ they are freed from it. Christ is, to us who believe, the end of the law for righteousness. The law condemns; the Gospel brings deliverance and salvation. The law could not give life; it could not minister unto us the Holy Ghost. Christ hath quickened us, and by His Spirit dwells in our hearts, and therefore we are able to love. Love is the fulfilment of the law. And as the law could not attain it, so the love which our Lord gives us is something higher and deeper than the law demanded or foreshadowed. (3) The commandments of Christ may be summed up according to the various aspects of the inner and outer life. If we look at the heart, the source and root of life and action, all Christ’s commandments are contained in His most touching appeal, “Abide in Me.” If we look, again, at the manifestations of life, all Christ’s commandments are summed up in His simple words, “Follow Me.” If we look at our relation to God, prayer, meditation, and communion, Jesus’ commandments may be summed up in one word-in secret: “Enter into thy closet, and shut the door.” If we consider our relation to the world, the commandments of Christ are summed up in one word-mission. If we look, again, at the aim and purpose of our energies and lives, it is summed up in one word-heaven: “Set your affection on things that are above.”
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 130.
Mat 28:20
Truth, and its Questions To-Day.
I. We live in a time which is called a time of transition, when the old thoughts of men are contending in a sharp battle with the new-so sharp that the very outsiders and camp-followers of the armies of the world, the idle men and women, take an interest and engage themselves therein in a desultory manner. Men and ideas astonish and confuse us. There is no certainty, it seems, in men. We become distrustful and indignant. But it is because we look to men too much, and have not faith in the Man Christ Jesus. It matters, after all, but little how men deceive us. We have one Leader who never disappoints, to whom truth is as dear now as it was to Him on earth, who encompasses our failure with His success, our weakness with His strength, our restlessness with His rest, and lo! He is with us always, even to the end of the world.
II. It may be, however, that other elements have come into our life which give us real reasons for dismay. There are times when a strange thing happens to us-when old evils, old temptations, which we thought we had conquered, which had died out of our lives, arise again, and we tremble with the thought that past effort has been in vain, that sins cannot have been forgiven, because they appear again. But there may be an explanation even of this. I cannot but think that it is not always a note of retrogression, but a note of growth. (1) First, it is not an experience which comes to unaspiring spirits; it belongs especially to those who are possessed with the desire to advance, to pass beyond the bounds of mortal thought, and find the fount of truth. (2) Again, this resurrection of evil things and thoughts may in itself be caused, not by any cessation of growth, but by the progress of growth itself. (3) Because we may redeem the past in Christ, let us go forward with the patience and effort of men. We will not despair while we are wise, nor let the soul, in utter faithlessness, commit the sin of Judas. God is mightier than our evil, too loving for our sins. We shall be punished, but healed through our punishment. The phantom cloud of sins, errors, failures melts away in the growing light, and from the purity of the upper sky a voice seems to descend and enter our sobered heart: “My child, go forward, abiding in faith, hope, and love; for lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
S. A. Brooke, Christ in Modern Life, p. 290.
The Perpetual Presence.
This is the Church’s charter. By this instrument we hold our all. If this be true the gates of hell cannot prevail against us. If Christ, the crucified and the risen, is indeed and in truth present still, present for ever, with us who believe, then to be a Christian, a Christian all through and altogether, must be strength, and safety, and happiness, must be life, and glory, and immortality, assured by the word of One who cannot lie, of One who, raised from death, dieth no more. What, then, we ask briefly, are some of the characteristics of this perpetual presence, in the Church and in the soul?
I. It is a special presence. There is a presence in the universe. In Christ all things consist: withdraw Him, and there is chaos. It is not of this presence that He speaks. There is a mind and will, there is a power and a work, inside the community which a man enters by believing, distinct from that which orders sky and sea, replenishes earth with life, and keeps the stars in their courses. This special presence is that which accounts for the very start, and progress, and success of Christianity.
II. It is a spiritual presence. “The Comforter,” which is the Holy Ghost, once dwelt with, now He dwells in the Church. The corporeal presence is gone, that the spiritual may come. This presence has influences direct and constant, which are the life of the body. What would the Word be, the book or the voice, without the presence? What would the sacraments be, the water or the supper, without the presence? It is the presence which changes idle sounds, bare materials, fleeting wishes into realities, into instrumentalities, into very powers of a world to come.
III. It is a manifold presence. Every gift and every grace are due to it. Every office and every function of the universal Church are due to it. Not action only, but counteraction; not institution only, but adaptation; not formation only, but reparation-these, too, are parts of it.
IV. Above all else, it is a sanctifying presence. Men may cavil at revelation, fight over doctrine, ask all their days, “What is truth?” there is one thing they dare not malign, and that is holiness. If the presence were protective only, keeping alive in the earth, as a “sign spoken against,” a spiritual religion, offering happiness, offering heaven, on the condition of faith in a Saviour, it might attract the weary and sorrowful; it would not appeal, as now, to the conscience and heart of mankind. The presence is proved by its effect. It is a light, it is a power, it is a life, it is a love; men do know for themselves what is the secret of their life, and other men take knowledge of it whether it is powerful and whether it is pure. If Christ can transform a life, if Christ can comfort a death, then I may doubt about many things, but one thing I see, that this is indeed the Saviour I need.
C. J. Vaughan, University Sermons, p. 233.
The Real Presence.
I. Jesus is with us as individuals. Here is our strength. Leaning on Christ our difficulties vanish. “Have not I commanded thee?” said God unto Joshua; “be strong, and be of good courage: be not afraid, neither be thou discouraged; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Jesus is with us (1) in the days of prosperity and joy, (2) in our affliction, (3) when the soul feels deserted and is cast down within us, (4) when we are slow of heart, and cannot believe that He is risen, and walk in sadness. If Jesus is with us, then (a) we have all things. His presence is our all. He Himself is our Life. All the activities of the Church are the manifestations of Christ; of Him is our fruit found. (b) We can do all things. Is He not our Lord and our Strength? Does He not fight all our battles? This is the secret of sanctification. Not merely a remembered Jesus, not merely the motive of gratitude or fear, but the present Jesus. In every temptation, in every duty, in every sorrow lean upon the Lord, who is with thee, and His grace will be sufficient. (c) This is the secret of our influence. If Jesus be with us, sinners will draw near to hear Him, into whose lips grace is poured. The presence of Jehovah in the midst of His people will awe and attract many. The presence of Jesus in our hearts and homes will manifest itself in our character and conduct, and Christ in us will draw many to Himself. (d) Heaven itself is begun, for to be with the Lord is eternal life and blessedness. Jesus shall throughout all eternity be our All. We depend and lean on Him throughout the endless ages.
II. The words of the Lord refer also and primarily to the whole Church. We who believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost believe also that there is the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints. Jesus ascended into heaven, but He has thereby not left earth and His disciples here below. He who dwells in the high and lofty place dwells also with him who is of a contrite and broken heart. Taken away from judgment and humiliation, He delights now in glory to remember His sorrows and temptations on earth, and to sympathize with the saints, whom He is not ashamed to call brethren. Wherever two or three are gathered together in His name He is in the midst of them; He is with every one who loves Him; He is with our spirit.
A. Saphir, Christ and the Church, p. 233.
The ever-present Saviour.
These words of our Lord are like every other which He spoke after His Resurrection. All He said, and all He did, after He rose from the grave, was for believers only.
I. The word “alway,” in the text, has perhaps rather lost the exactness of meaning which it carried at the time when our translation was made, and there is always a loss of power wherever there is a diminution of exactness. There is a great force and beauty in “all the days.” It conveys at once the idea that before the mind of the speaker all the days lay ranged in order, to the last time that the sun shall ever set upon the earth. He saw each in its individuality, each with its own proper history. We are always stepping into an unknown future, but the foot cannot fall outside the presence of Jesus.
II. Most minds, whatever they be, do best in fellowship; very few are independent of the law of sympathy, and those few are the weakest. Now, conceive that you carry about with you, every day, the actual sense of the nearness, and the compassion, and the co-operation of Christ; conceive that you know that there is One at your right hand whose name is “Counsellor,” to whom you can turn at any moment, and be sure of perfect direction; conceive that you are conscious of such an arm of strength that you can in your most burdened hour lean on it with all your weight: what a perfected existence would you be leading from that moment; what a path of light would stretch on before you, up to the realms of glory!
III. There is a presence, and if that presence be it must be the determining feature of every man’s life, whether he have it or not. If you have it not there is a desideratum, and such a desideratum that I hesitate not to say that whatever you have beside, if you have not the feeling of the presence of Christ life is still to you a failure and a blank. But if you have it, and delight yourself in it, the more you make of it the more it will be to you. Let it be a fixed axiom of life, “Christ is with me everywhere.” Do not measure it; do not treat it like the uncertainties of this little world. Time lays no hand upon it; no shade of altered feeling ever comes to darken it; no parting hour will ever sadden it with a last farewell; but from eternity to eternity, again as yesterday, so today, as today, so tomorrow, and as tomorrow, so for ever and ever. “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” And let all the new creation cry, “Amen.”
J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 1874, p. 345.
Truth, and its Hope of Progress.
I. “Lo, I am with you alway,” was said by Representative Mankind to the mankind He represented. If Christ be with mankind as He is with Himself, present through and in the ages as their heart and brain, then He is the Source whence evolution flows. And because He is perfect, therefore the race evolves towards perfection, and evolution towards perfection is progress. It is impossible to bring forward one half of the proofs of such a progress; but one is enough. It is plain to those who read history more for the sake of human ideas than for its statistics that many of the ideas which restricted the equal freedom of men, which implicitly denied the two great universal ideas of Christianity,-that all men are alike God’s children, that all men are brothers in Christ,-have been slowly dying away, and are now rapidly dying. In the decay of these progress is seen; in looking forward to their ruin is our best hope; in proving that their ruin is contained in Christianity is the reconciliation between the world and Christianity. We look forward, upon this “bank and shoal of time,” to the destruction of all false conceptions of the relations of God to man and of man to man, to the hail which will sweep away the lingering remnants of every idea which limits, isolates, and tyrannizes over men. For the Redeemer is with us always, even to the end of the world.
II. But we must not expect that this will be done quickly or easily. Let no man or woman think, who is still young, on whom the necessary calm of age has not fallen, that they will have a quiet life, if they are in earnest, for many years to come, either in the world without or in the world within them. Development must have its rude shocks, evolution its transient earthquakes, progress its backslidings. Accept the necessity; count the cost; make ready to take your part in the things which are coming on the earth. See that you are an active part of the great evolution of the race. What matters, after all, the catastrophes, the convulsions of heart and intellect which you must suffer, the shattered sail, the midnight watch in the hurricane, the loneliness of the mid-ocean? It is life at least; it is more, it is moving with the movement of the world, and the world is moving in Christ.
S. A. Brooke, Christ in Modern Life, p. 305.
The Presentiments of Youth.
I. Three things, catastrophe, joy, and change, to either or to all of these we look forward in the hour of presentiment. We take them one by one; we ask if the forecasting of them has anything to tell us. And first, the presentiments of catastrophe, is there any good in them? (1) I think, when they are presentiments regarding others, that they make our life more delicate. They give a finer edge to noble passions. Love becomes clearer through the dream of loss, the joy of friendship more exquisite from our sense of its transiency. (2) But if the presentiment of catastrophe be for ourselves it ought to make our inner life more delicate-more delicate, inasmuch as there are so many pleasant and gracious possibilities in our own nature which we neglect to educate. We go through the meadows of our own hearts, crushing with a careless step the flowers. There is no need to walk so fast. Tread more delicately, more thoughtfully, lest when the catastrophe comes you find, too late, that you have not got the good out of your own nature which you might have done.
II. Are we ready for the progress which ought to grow out of joy? We look forward to joy, but there can be no progress got out of it if we seek to drain it dry in a moment. We need temperance in our delight. Some plunge their whole face into the rose of joy, and become drunk with the scent, but in doing so they crush their rose, and break it from its stem. The leaves wither, the colour dies, the freshness of the perfume fades; their pleasure is gone. The wise man prefers to keep his rose of joy upon its stem, to visit its beauty not all at once, but day by day, that he may have it cool and in the dew; and thus his pleasure possesses permanence.
III. Lastly, we look forward to change, sometimes with exultation, sometimes with dread; with the former in youth, with the latter in manhood. Middle age comes upon us, and we need a higher help than our own to meet the change and chance of mortal life. They must come, and the solemn question is, shall we be able to conquer their evil? have we Divine life enough in the spirit to make them into means of advance? For it is wise to remember that any change may be our overthrow. But stay; are we alone, unhelped, forgotten, feeble victims of blind Fate? Not so, if a triumphant Humanity has lived for us; not so, if these words have any value, “Lo, I am with you alway;” for then we are in Christ, and to be in Him is to be fated to progress passing into perfection; for we are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
S. A. Brooke, Christ in Modern Life, p. 320.
I. In order to understand this somewhat remarkable statement we have to observe that the Saviour is speaking of something more than that presence which is inseparable from the nature of His own essential and eternal Godhead. Considered in His Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ was present, of course, with His people before His incarnation, as well as after it; present after His Ascension, as well as before it; present, too, not only with the godly, but also with the ungodly, surrounding, enfolding, encompassing all. But in these consolatory words, addressed to the Apostles on parting from them, our Lord unquestionably refers to something which is not only more intimate and personal than the unavoidable proximity of the Creator to the creature, but which is also more closely associated with the human relation in which He had stood to them during the period of His earthly ministry. The “I” who is with us always is not only the exalted Christ, who sits on the throne, and sways the sceptre of the universe, but also the Friend and Counsellor, the gentle, tender, compassionate Companion, who trod with us step by step in the journey of life, and who condescended to admit us into the freest and fullest, into the most loving and satisfying intercourse with Himself.
II. The next point which we have to notice is the fact that communion with the Saviour is made possible by the advent of the Comforter; in other words, that the coming of the Spirit is, to all intents and purposes, a coming of the Saviour to the people who love Him. We know very little about the mysteries of the spiritual world, but what we do know will not make us unwilling to believe that there are modes of communication, of intercourse, of fellowship, between spirit and spirit, with which we are totally unacquainted, but which may be real and efficacious nevertheless; and if we believe this we shall not be disposed to deny that the Holy Spirit, God the Holy Ghost, can establish, if it so pleases Him, a communication of the most intimate kind between Himself and the spirits of Christian disciples. Christ is felt to have come, because the Spirit has brought Him.
III. Lastly, let us remember that this coming of Christ to His people, precious as it is, is suited to a state of imperfection and discipline. We look forward to something beyond that which we enjoy now. We look to another coming when Christ shall be manifested in bodily presence. This is the final, the exhaustive coming; there can be nothing beyond this. Then we shall see Him as He is, “being changed into the likeness of His glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things even unto Himself.”
G. Calthrop, Words Spoken to my Friends, p. 305.
The Friendship of the Living Christ.
It is evident that Christ meant this promise to express a truth of profound meaning and pre-eminent power for the men to whom He gave it; for it is a strange fact that He should, for the first time, promise to be with them always, at the very last moment before vanishing from the world, and we may be certain that words apparently so contradictory have a very deep significance. This promise, too, is the last that He gave them before sending them out as heralds of His kingdom. It is, therefore, in one sense, the sum and substance of all the consolations He had given them before; and we may be sure that this crowning message contains the elements of mighty power. Observe first and broadly, that the friendship of the living Christ is the grand aid to spiritual life. As the disciples needed the conviction that He was nearer to them when He had passed into the heavens than He had ever been while on earth, so until we reach that conviction we shall be unable to lead lives as earnest as theirs.
I. This friendship alone can mature the inner life of the soul. It is a deep and Divine law of our nature that fellowship develops the hidden powers in the spirit of man. We never know what we can do till we find a friend. There are within us sleeping capacities, great and beautiful, which never waken till then. A most mighty fact is this power of friendship, so that a man who has no friend is an enigma even to himself. In the deepest sense is this true of the inner life of the Christian.
II. This friendship alone can Christianize every action of man’s life. The emphatic demand which God’s Word makes of the Christian disciple is that he should be a Christian in everything. And this is a dream, an impossibility utter and final, unless we can realize the personal friendship of the present Christ.
III. This friendship alone can hallow the discipline of trouble. In this no mere creed-believing will do; no dead Christ is sufficient; nothing can help us but the perfect sympathy of a living Lord, who knows our sorrows, and who suffered for our sins.
IV. This friendship unites the present with the future world. It unites us with Him “who was dead, but is alive for evermore,” and by it we learn to “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth,” for we walk with Christ as with a friend. Therefore, if you would make this life a dawning of the heavenly life and a schooling for its glorious offices, you must realize the present practical power of the words; “Lo, I am with you alway.”
E. L. Hull, Sermons, 2nd series, p. 168.
Christ’s Promise.
I. In the Old Dispensation God deigned to abide visibly amongst His people when He did not abide in their hearts; and when the light and glory were departed from the mercy-seat men did not fondly insist upon it that they were still there, and that the glory of the second temple could not be less than that of the first temple; they saw and knew that it was less, and good men mourned for it, and comforted themselves with the word of prophecy, which told them that the glory of the second house should one day be greater than that of the former, because the Lord Himself with a more perfect manifestation of Himself should visit it. But when Christ was less present with His people under the New Dispensation, when the outward signs of His power were withdrawn, and falsehood and sin began to pollute His living temple, men did not open their eyes to see and acknowledge the change, but they closed them harder and harder, and went on repeating that Christ must be present, and that His Church must ever be possessed by His Spirit, when their own lie was driving His Spirit, which is the Spirit of truth, farther and farther from them, till not Christ, nor Christ’s Spirit, but the very enemy of man himself, took his seat in the holy precinct, and called himself God, and was called so by those who worshipped him.
II. So it was, and again voices are busy in repeating the same falsehood, in talking loudly about holy times, and holy things, and holy places, saying that Christ is there. Oh, blessedness above all blessedness if indeed He were there! for then were the Church perfected. For so it is that when the most inland creek begins to feel the coming in of the tide, and the living water covers the blank waste of mud and gravel which was lying bare and dreary, then we know that the tide runs full and strong in the main river, and that the creek is but refreshed out of its abundance. But who will ever see the little inland creeks filled when the main river itself is so shallow that men can go over dry-shod? and who will ask the tide to fill these remote and small corners in the first instance, as if they were to make up for the shallowness of the great river? Not through outward ordinances, even the holiest, does the Church become holy; but if it might once become holy by the presence of Christ’s Holy Spirit in every heart, then its ordinances would indeed be holy also; we might say that Christ was in them then, and we should say so truly.
T. Arnold, Sermons, vol. v., p. 287.
References: Mat 28:20.-H. J. Wilmot-Buxton, Waterside Mission Sermons, No. 15; J. C. Hare, The Victory of Faith, p. 315; Christian World Pulpit, vol. vi., pp. 95, 173; J. T. Stannard, Ibid., vol. xiv., p. 216; C. M. Short, Ibid., vol. xxiv., p. 389; Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 363; Ibid., Morning by Morning, p. 132; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. i., p. 119; Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. ii., p. 88; New Outlines on the New Testament, p. 29; Homiletic Magazine, vol. xii., p. 183.
Fuente: The Sermon Bible
14. His Resurrection and the Great Commission.
CHAPTER 28
1. His Resurrection. (Mat 28:1-10.)
2. The Lying Report of the Jews.(Mat 28:11-15.)
3. The Great Commission. (Mat 28:16-20.)
We have reached the last portion of our Gospel. The end is brief and very abrupt. The account of the resurrection of the Lord as given by Matthew is the briefest of all the Gospels. Only a few of the facts are mentioned. Then the characteristic feature of this last chapter is that no mention is made of the ascension of the Lord. However, the fact of His ascension is implied in numerous places in the Gospel. In the Gospel of Mark we find the statement that He was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God. In Luke we read that He was carried into heaven, but in Matthew no such statement is made. The Gospel ends as if He were still on the earth, all power in heaven and on earth in His hands and with His own to the completion of the age. All this is in perfect harmony with the scope of the Gospel.
In giving a brief exposition of this last chapter we shall not consider the different accounts of the resurrection, nor shall we attempt to harmonize the different manifestations of the risen Christ or to give the order of these. All this is beyond the work we have undertaken. We confine ourselves to the account as given here.
The chapter contains three parts. First, we find a brief account of the resurrection and the manifestation of Christ to the women. In the second place we find an account, which, like the last paragraph of the previous chapter, is peculiar to Matthew, the lying report invented by the Jews. Lastly, we see the disciples gathered in Galilee and He gives them His great commission, declares His power in heaven and on earth and assures them of His presence with them, even unto the end of the age. This is the last vision of the King in the Gospel of Matthew.
Now late on Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, came Mary of Magdala and the other Mary to look at the sepulchre. This is the brief introduction to the scene which follows. With the many women the two Marys had looked on the awful crucifixion scene. How they must have suffered in these hours of the agony of Him whom they loved. Then we beheld them sitting opposite the sepulchre. And now after others had gone and were taking a physical rest they could not stay away; they overcame all fear and went out to the sepulchre once more. The wording of the first verse is peculiar. Another translation reads, And late in the week, when it was on the point of dawning into the first of the week came Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary to view the sepulchre. ( Rotherham ) Some have thought of two visits these women made, one on the evening and the other in the early morning. This is not probable. The dawning of the first day of the week is the time marked out. The first day of the week began after sundown on the Sabbath. It is quite correct to translate after the Sabbath. To this agree the other records.
And behold there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending out of heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his look was as lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became as dead men (Mat 28:2-4). The great earthquake was occasioned by the descending angel and the stone, so securely sealed, was rolled away and the heavenly messenger took his seat upon it. However, the resurrection of the Lord did not take place when the earthquake happened and when the stone was rolled away. Paintings often help along this unscriptural conception. No angel was needed to open the way for Him from the tomb. God raised Him from the dead and He Himself arose. The stone was rolled away to show that the tomb was empty. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was Gods mighty and glorious seal upon the atoning work accomplished on the cross. It was Gods answer to His strong crying and tears (Heb 5:7). The women no doubt felt the earthquake and may have seen that flash of light from above.
We have the effect of what happened upon the soldiers first, in the next place upon the women, and, lastly, upon the Jews. Three classes are seen in connection with the resurrection of the Lord in Matthew. The soldiers represent unbelieving Gentiles, the women, believers and then the Jews. The soldiers are terror-stricken. They were lying around on the ground as if they were dead. It is the effect upon the natural man of Gods power made known. On what greater scale this will be repeated when He comes again in resurrection Glory, as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The trembling soldiers are left for the present. We shall hear of them later. The women are now addressed by the angel. They, too, must have made an outcry for the angel answered them.
And the angel answering said to the women, Fear not ye, I know that ye seek Jesus, the crucified One. He is not here, for He is risen as He said. Come and see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and say to the disciples that He is risen from the dead; and Behold He goes before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him. Behold I have told you.
What a glorious message it was. The crucified One risen from the dead! Mary of Magdala is in the foreground. Out of her the Lord had driven seven demons. She and the other Mary take the place of a Miriam and Deborah in the Old Testament. They are to herald and celebrate the mighty victory over sin, death and the devil which had been won. They hear the good news first and are the publishers of the same. As in the beginning of the Gospel, in the genealogy of the King, women are prominently mentioned, so in the closing scenes, in the triumph of the King, they have the lead.
Fear not ye is the message of the angel to the women. This, indeed, is the good news from the empty tomb. There is no cause to fear, absolutely none, for those who have believed on the Lord and are His own. All darkness, all uncertainty, all doubt and fear are at an end. The whole sin question has been righteously dealt with. The empty tomb, the glorious victory over death, and the grave are the everlasting witnesses. Gazing on this empty tomb, hearing that angelic message He is risen faith breaks forth in that song of triumph, penned by the Holy Spirit in Rom 8:1-39. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him give us all things? Who shall bring an accusation against Gods elect? It is God who justifies; who is he that condemns? It is Christ who has died, but rather has been also raised up; who is also at the right hand of God; who also intercedes for us. God is for us; He gave His Son; Christ died for us and God raised Him from the dead. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; He was buried, He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinth. 15:3-4). Thanks be unto God for His blessed Gospel.
But we must refrain from following the blessed doctrine of resurrection. If we were teaching this great doctrine we would have to follow the revelations as given in the Epistles. This is not our purpose. We are following only a partial historical account of the event itself.
The angel directs the women to bear the good news to the disciples and assures them the risen One Himself would go before them to Galilee, and there the disciples would see Him. This appointment was according to His own word. We find it in chapter 26:32. It is peculiar to Matthew and as we shall see later of no little importance.
And going out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to bring His disciples word behold, also, Jesus met them, saying, Hail! And they coming up took Him by the feet and worshipped Him. Then Jesus says to them, Fear not; go, bring word to my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see Me (Mat 28:8-10).
This tells us that they had entered into the empty tomb and had looked upon the place His blessed Body had rested. They must have trembled in great excitement; but greater still was their joy. The angels message had at last brought back the remembrance of the words of the Lord about His resurrection on the third day. They ran, therefore, to bring the news to the disciples. And as they hastened on, eager to carry out the command, behold Jesus met them and greeted them with the word _Chairete Oh! the Joy or Rejoice! He was full of joy and graciously He revealed Himself to these devoted women. But oh, the joy! when at last His own are all with Him. Worshippingly they fall at His feet, while He Himself assures them Fear not! and repeats the message of the angel, Bring word to my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see Me.
All this is very tersely told. In the Gospel of John we find the fuller account of the Lords manifestation to Mary (Joh 20:11-18). It is often said by those who do not believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures that there is a discrepancy between Matthew and John. In Matthew they fall at His feet and worship Him, but in Johns Gospel the Lord says to Mary Touch me not. There is no difficulty here at all. She fell at His feet and touched them, and laying hold of them the Lord uttered the words which are found in the Gospel of John. The taking hold by the feet is reported in the Gospel of Matthew, and the words He spake in the Gospel of John. This is one of the beautiful evidences of the divine authorship of the Gospel records. In our Gospel Christ is seen in relation to Israel. He is the risen Messiah in connection with His believing remnant. Well can she claim Him and take hold of His feet. As the women fell at His feet and worshipped Him, so His earthly people will at some day worship the Lord and own Him as the Messiah. But in John it is the heavenly side. He is to ascend, to go away, leaving the earth and going on high; His bodily presence on the earth in relation to Israel is not the revelation found in the fourth Gospel. Then the Lord calls His own Brethren. In the Gospel of John we find the same command. Never before did the Lord call His disciples brethren, but on that glorious resurrection morning He uses this expression. It is now fully manifested that He that sanctifieth and they are sanctified are all of one; therefore He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb 2:11-12). The word itself is mentioned in Psa 22:1-31. I will declare thy name unto my brethren (Psa 22:22). That Psalm, containing the great prophecy of the suffering and exaltation of Christ, is prominent in the closing scenes of Matthew. We saw the fulfillment of the sufferings on the cross and here the prediction which relates to His resurrection. The main thing, however, insisted upon in the resurrection account in Matthew is Galilee. The disciples are told to go there; there the Lord will meet them and send them forth on their great mission among the nations. Before we behold them gathered in the mountain, which the Lord had appointed, another scene is introduced.
And as they went, behold some of the watch went into the city, and brought word to the chief priests of all that had taken place. And having assembled with the elders, and having taken counsel, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying, Say that His disciples coming by night stole Him while we were sleeping. And if this should come to the hearing of the governor we will persuade him and save you from all anxiety. And they took the money, and did as they had been taught. And this report is current among the Jews until this day (Mat 28:11-15).
As previously stated this is peculiar to Matthew and the continuation of the story contained in the last paragraph of chapter 27. We learn that the effect of the resurrection of the Lord was a hardening one for the Jews. These wicked men had given thirty pieces of silver to have him delivered into their hands and now they are giving an immense sum to circulate a lie about His resurrection. The watch had sufficiently recovered from their awful fright, and some of them hasten back to the city. Surely something must have happened or why should they leave their important post and return to the city to make a report? Then it is strange that they went to the chief priests first and not to the Roman governor. This was indeed a very irregular proceeding. From this fact we must conclude that in the estimation of these soldiers, that which they had to report, was of greater importance for the chief priests to know than it was for Pilate. Who knows but these priests had instructed the guard, that if something should happen at the sepulchre and He should come forth, that they were to come to them first of all? This is probable. They bring their report and this was nothing less but a witness of the resurrection and that the tomb is empty. The enemies were the first witnesses of His triumph. The whole Sanhedrin was then hastily summoned to receive the report in an official way. The straightforward statement, as men of a military training are apt to report, made doubt about veracity impossible. The agitation of the guard, their frightened looks, the evidences that they had passed through a terrible experience, substantiated the truth of what they had reported. The Sanhedrin had nothing else left but to accept the report. To impeach these witnesses, to accuse them of falsehoods, would have been insane. There was no doubt in their minds that all had really happened as they reported. An earthquake had taken place, an angel had come down from heaven, the stone was rolled away, the tomb was found empty. What motives could make these soldiers to rush back to the city? Did they not do it at the risk of their own lives? The Sanhedrin was, therefore, in an awful predicament. What would happen, this must have flashed through the minds of these blinded men, if this truth should get out among the people? Perhaps they thought too of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, two of their number who had confessed Him by their devoted actions. Then they had thought of the possibility of something to happen with the sepulchre and had the guard placed there. And now the attempt to defeat the resurrection of the Lord had miserably failed. He has risen from the dead. His own words came true. The temple which was destroyed was built again; as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so He was in the heart of the earth. He is risen. The very guards they had placed before the sepulchre to make any deception impossible bear the witness. Their fine minds, some of them legally trained, saw the hopelessness of their case. One thought was written upon every one of their dark hearts; the truth about the resurrection must be denied. This again could only be accomplished by inventing a lie. The only possible lie was to say that His disciples stole the body. The whole story they invented is, of course, incredible. It is far easier to believe He arose from the dead than to believe what the Jews invented about His resurrection. If His disciples could have stolen the body, if it had been possible, they surely would not have done it. But if they had a desire to steal the body, they could not have done so, for with the guard placed at the tomb, it was an impossibility. The disciples had forgotten all about the resurrection promise; they were a scattered, poor and timid lot of people. But even if they had been anxious to steal the body, how could they have done it? Here was the company of armed men. They were experienced guards and careful watchers, trained in that profession. Then there was the sealed, heavy stone. How could they have rolled away the stone and carried away the body without being detected? Impossible. But the utterly ridiculous side of the whole lie came out with the report which these soldiers were to circulate, being well paid for it by the Sanhedrin. The disciples came and stole the body, while they were sleeping! In the first place, it is incredible that all these men had fallen asleep at the same time. All were fast asleep, so fast asleep that the commotion of rolling away the stone and the carrying away of a dead one did not disturb them. Furthermore, sleeping at a post meant death for the Roman soldier. One might have nodded and thus risked his life, but that all slept is an impossibility. But the report is foolish; they were asleep, and while they were asleep they witnessed how the disciples stole the body of Jesus. How ridiculous. The whole proceedings were out and out fraud and falsehood. And this was indeed the only statement they could possibly bring against the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a miserable lie. And this lie is continued to the present day. A small volume is still circulated among the Jews, the Toledoth Jesu in which the most blasphemous things are said about our blessed Lord, and the lie about His resurrection invented by the Sanhedrin is likewise printed. This lie will be upheld by the unbelieving Jews till the day comes when He appears the second time, and the believing remnant of His earthly people will cry out, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel. We might mention here the testimony of Josephus. He says in his antiquities: He appeared to them alive on the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning Him.
Indeed the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, His physical resurrection is unassailable. How wicked then to deny it or any part of it! Yet this is of common occurrence in these last days. (That evil system known by the name of Millennial Dawnism, or Russellism,, [also known as Jehovahs Witnesses] belongs to those movements which introduce damnable heresies in the last days (2Pe 2:1-22). Millennial Dawnism, among other things, denies the literal, physical resurrection of our Lord.)
And now but a few brief sentences remain with which the Gospel of Matthew closes.
But the eleven disciples went into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted. And Jesus coming up spoke to them, saying, All power has been given me in heaven and upon earth. 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; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have enjoined you. And behold I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age (Mat 28:16-20).
What mountain it was He had appointed as the meeting place we do not know. Some one has said Matthew is the Gospel of the Mountain. (H.G. Weston.)
From a mountain He gave as King His great proclamation, the so-called sermon on the mount, in which He proclaimed the principles of His Kingdom. On a mountain we saw Him transfigured, the blessed type of His second coming in majesty and glory for the establishment of that Kingdom. On the mount of Olives He took the place as Son of David to ride down into Jerusalem. From the same mountain He delivered His great prophetic discourse concerning the future of the Jews, the Christian profession and the nations. And now we see Him and His own on the Galilean mountain. But why is Galilee made so prominent in the last chapter of Matthew?
It is, indeed, a strong and important point in this Gospel. Galilee was the place of His rejection. This is evident in the whole Gospel of Matthew, which gives us exclusively His Galilean ministry. Jerusalem would not have Him. It rejected Him and sought to kill Him through Herod in His infancy. This is only found in Matthew. Therefore, when the King began His ministry He began it in the Galilee of the nations (chapter 4). The most ignorant Jews resided in Galilee and they had become mixed with the Gentiles. The scribes despised Galilee and as we know said Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet (Joh 7:52). His first appearing there was prophetic. It was a sign that Israel would reject Him and that the people sitting in darkness would behold the great light and that to them which sit in the region and shadow of death, light would spring up Mat 4:16). Jerusalem did reject Him and, therefore, in this Gospel of the Kingdom, the Kingdom preached and rejected, we see the risen One passing by Jerusalem. He returns to the place of His rejection and His disciples have to go there and meet Him in Galilee. Here on this significant ground He gives them the great commission to proclaim the kingdom world-wide, to disciple all nations and to baptize them.
This is the Kingdom commission. In Luk 24:1-53 we have the proper Christian mission. A time is coming when this great commission here will be carried out by a remnant of Jewish disciples, who are represented by the eleven. It is the same remnant as in Mat 24:1-51.
We desire to give this fact in the words of another, which will be helpful. (Collected writings of J.N.D., page 327.)
It is well to notice what has been alluded to: — the ministry in the Acts is not the accomplishment of this commission in Matthew, but of the mission in Luke, the book itself being, as is known, the continuation of his Gospel; nor was the ministry of Paul, who took up by a separate divine mission the evangelization of the nations, the carrying out of this (the commission here in Matthew). His was fully more even yet a mission from the ascended and glorified Saviour, to which was added the ministry of the church. It connects itself even much more in its first elements with Luke. The ministry here established stands alone. The disciples are not sent to Jews, as in Luke. But Jerusalem is rejected and the remnant is attached to Christ (His brethren and owned in this character) sent out to Gentiles. This as far as Scripture teaches us has never been fulfilled. The course of events under the hand of God, the disciples remain in Jerusalem. A new mission is sent forth in the person of Paul and that connected with the establishment of the church on earth. The accomplishment of the commission here in Matthew has been interrupted, but there is the promise to be with those who went forth in it to the end of the age. Nor do I doubt it will be so. This testimony will go forth to the nations before the Lord comes. The Brethren will carry it to warn the nations. The commission was given, but we find no accomplishment of it. It connects the testimony with the Jewish remnant owned by a risen Lord of all, with the earth and His earthly directions, and for the present it has in fact given place to a heavenly commission, and the church of God.
How wonderful and harmonious is the Word of God. If anything else had been put at the close of Matthew it would have disturbed and marred the scope of the whole book. Mans wisdom could never have produced such a work.
The eleven then saw Him there. Some doubted. How this indeed carried conviction with it of the truthfulness of the report. Most likely they were taken by surprise, beheld Him from a distance; soon all doubts vanished, for He came up and spoke to them.
All power is His; all power in heaven and on earth. Soon the day will come when indeed He will have all things put under His feet. And the last word, And behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age. Precious promise to faith! He will never leave nor forsake, and He who is with us is the I am, the mighty Jehovah, the Immanuel, having all power in heaven and on earth.
The Gospel of Matthew begins with Immanuel, God with us, it ends with Immanuel. With Him, our Saviour and Lord, we shall be in all eternity. Forever with the Lord. With all our hearts we praise God for such a Saviour, for such a Lord, for such a Gospel and for such a future with HIMSELF, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Our study is ended. We lay this work at His feet, and if it pleases Him to use it for the edification of His people, for the defence of the faith, above all for the PRAISE AND GLORY OF HIS ADORABLE NAME, we shall praise Him for it in all eternity. Amen and Amen.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Chapter 91
The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ
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. 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. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 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. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 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. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
(Mat 28:1-10)
The resurrection of Christ is the single greatest event in the history of the world. Without it, our Saviors incarnation, life, and death as our Substitute and Surety would be altogether meaningless. The resurrection of our Lord is so vital a doctrine that those who deny it deny Christianity altogether. Without the resurrection there would be no such thing as Christianity. Without this, we are yet in our sins, our faith is vain, our hope is a delusion, and our religion is a mockery of mens souls! If Christ was not raised from the dead, redemption was not accomplished, justice was not satisfied, he is not God, and we are yet under the wrath and curse of the Almighty (1Co 15:13-17).
Today, we seldom here anything preached about the resurrection, except at Easter. But that was not the case in the New Testament. Those who had seen the risen Lord and had experienced the power of his resurrection in the new birth went everywhere preaching Jesus and the resurrection (Act 4:2; Act 17:18). That is to say, they preached salvation accomplished for sinners by the crucified, risen Christ. This is what Peter preached on the day of Pentecost (Act 2:23-24), before the Sanhedrin (Act 4:10), and to the Gentiles (Act 10:4).
Paul preached the resurrection constantly. Wherever he went, that was his message. This is what he preached in the Synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia (Act 13:30; Act 13:37), before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem (Act 23:6), before Felix the Governor (Act 24:15; Act 24:21), before King Agrippa (Act 26:8), to the Church at Rome (Rom 6:3-6), to the Corinthians (1Co 15:4; 2Co 4:14), to the Galatians (Gal 1:1), to the Ephesians (Eph 1:20), to the Philippians (Php 3:10), and to the Colossians (Col 2:12). The great apostle to the Gentiles longed to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”
Peter spoke of our living hope through the resurrection. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you (1Pe 1:3-4).
And in Rev 1:17-18 John tells us how that he saw and heard the risen, exalted Christ. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Our Lord himself declares his resurrection to be the foundation and cornerstone of our hope. He says in Joh 11:25, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and in Mat 14:19, Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
As you read the New Testament, you cannot avoid seeing that this matter of our Lords resurrection is vital to Christianity. It is a prominent theme. Unlike most matters of divine revelation, the Holy Spirit pointedly shows us evidence, upon evidence, upon evidence that the resurrection of Christ is an undeniable, irrefutable fact of history. Indeed, of all the facts recorded in Holy Scripture about our Savior, the resurrection is the one thing that is proved clearly and fully. The evidence is simply so overwhelming that it would be impossible to prove anything in the world to a person who rejects it. This thing was not done in a corner (1Co 15:3-9).
Someone once said, The resurrection of Jesus is the Gibraltar of Christianity and the Waterloo of infidelity and rationalism. J.C. Ryle wrote, It is the crowning proof that he has paid the debt which he undertook to pay on our behalf, won the battle which he fought to deliver us from hell, and is accepted as our Surety and our Substitute by our heavenly Father in heaven. Thanks be unto God, he who was delivered to death because of our offences was also raised from the dead because of our justification (Rom 4:25). The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is the proof of our redemption by his blood and the basis of our confident hope that we, too, shall soon be raised up from the dead.
The Glory of It
As we meditate upon the resurrection of our Savior, we should always have a sense of the glory of it. The opening verse of chapter 28 reads, 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. The verse quite literally reads, In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the sabbath. I take the verse to mean this: When the Lord Jesus Christ died at Calvary and rose again, the old sabbath of the law ended and the new sabbath of grace began.
Behold our exalted Savior! Do you see him seated yonder upon his throne in heaven? There he sits in the undisturbed, undisturbable serenity of his absolute sovereignty! His rest is his glory (Joh 17:2; Php 2:9-11; Isa 45:20-25). He has finished his work (Joh 17:4; Joh 19:30). He has brought in everlasting righteousness by his obedience and obtained eternal redemption by his blood. Because Christ has finished his work, the salvation of his people is certain (Heb 9:12). The works were finished before the foundation of the world in Gods purpose. They were finished in time when the God-man took his seat in heaven as our forerunner (Heb 6:20). There is no more work to be done. Christ did it all. Since he has finished his work, he sat down in his glory. There he is resting; and his rest is his glory!
The Lord Jesus Christ has entered into his rest, and his rest is glorious, because he has finished his work (Isa 11:10; 2Co 5:17-21; Rom 8:34; Heb 10:11-14), and his rest is glorious, just as Isa 11:10 declared it would be. Our Saviors rest in heaven is his glory. In fact, as I have just stated and as indicated by the marginal translation of the last sentence of Isa 11:10, his rest is his glory.
As God the Father rested on the seventh day, because his work of creation was finished; so God the Son rested in the seventh day of time and entered into his rest forever, because he has finished his work of making all things new for his people (Rom 8:34; Heb 10:11-14).
That which is his rest is our rest (Mat 11:28-30; Heb 4:3). We keep the sabbath of faith, a spiritual sabbath, not a carnal one. We rest in Christ, trusting his finished work, by faith entering into his rest.
The believers life is a perpetual keeping of the sabbath. None of us keeps it perfectly. Our best faith in this world is still unbelief. But we do keep this blessed sabbath rest sincerely, ever looking to Christ, ever coming to Christ, ever resting in Christ. Our all glorious Christ gives rest to every sinner who comes to him in faith. He says, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
Come unto me and rest,
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon my breast.
I came to Jesus as I was –
Weary, and worn, and sad:
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad!
The Lord Jesus Christ has given and continually gives us rest. He gives us the rest of complete pardon (Isa 45:22; Eph 1:6), perfect reconciliation (2Co 5:17; Col 1:20-21), absolute security (Joh 10:27-30; Php 1:6; 1Th 5:24), and of his special providence (Rom 8:28). We do not keep a carnal, legal sabbath, but a perpetual, spiritual sabbath of faith. Christ is our Sabbath. We rest in him.
As the ceremonial sabbath of the law portrayed a strict, universal consecration to God, so this blessed sabbath of faith involves the perpetual consecration of ourselves to our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Mat 11:29-30). We keep the sabbath of faith when we willfully, deliberately take the yoke of Christ. If we would keep the sabbath, it involves much, much more than living in religious austerity one day a week. To keep the sabbath is to bow to Christs dominion. To keep the sabbath is to learn of him what to believe, how to live, what to do, how to honor God. To keep the sabbath is to bow to his will.
How can a troubled, weary, heavy-laden, tempest tossed sinner obtain this blessed sabbath rest? I can tell you, both from experience and from the Word of God, there is only one way we can enter into his rest. We have to quit working! We have to trust Christ alone for everything!
Our Lords resurrection glory was announced in a remarkable way. We are told by Matthew that, There was a great earthquake. Then we are informed that, The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
Our Lord did not need the help of an angel to roll the stone away from his tomb. But God was pleased to make his Sons resurrection a glorious thing, accompanied by signs and wonders. Therefore, when his Son arose Conqueror of death, hell, and the grave, he shook the earth and sent an angel wrapped in glory to the scene.
I stress this because we need to always remember that our Lords resurrection was a type, pledge, and picture of our own. As the grave could not hold him beyond his appointed time, it shall not be able to hold us. As the angel of the Lord witnessed his resurrection, the angels of glory shall both witness and be instruments of our resurrection. They shall gather Gods elect in the day of harvest. As our Savior arose with a renewed, glorious body, but still a recognizable material body, so, too, we shall rise with glorious, yet material bodies in the last day (1Jn 3:2).
Let all who are taught of God take comfort. Be patient. There is a day soon coming when you and I shall appear with Christ in glory! Here we often meet with trials, sorrows, and persecutions. In this world our lot is one of suffering, weakness, pain, decease, bereavement, and death. But glory awaits us! We shall rise again!
The Terror of It
Should these lines be read by any who are yet without Christ, I must not fail to remind you of the terror of our Lords resurrection. Whenever you think of that great day, do not forget the terror that seized these hardened Roman soldiers and the terror that will seize your soul when Christ shall appear in flaming fire, taking vengeance on his adversaries.
We read in Mat 28:4, And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. Those soldiers had witnessed many dreadful sights. They were men of blood. Nothing much bothered them. But as soon as they saw Gods angel, not the risen Christ, but just his angel, they froze with fear.
How will you react to the blast of Gods trumpet, the glorious appearing of our great God Jesus Christ, Gods avenging angels, the glory of his saints, and the great white throne? Fear and terror will seize your soul. You will be unable to speak. But your very soul shall wail before the Son of God whom you have despised. When you cannot hide from his presence, you will melt like wax before him. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him (Rev 1:7). And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:15-16).
May God give you grace to lay these things to heart. Be wise and consider what your last end shall be. Remember, there is a resurrection. There is a judgment yet to come. There is a thing such as you have never imagined called the wrath of God and of the Lamb
The Comfort of It
I want you who are born of God, when you think of the resurrection of our Lord, to always get the comfort of it. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay (Mat 28:5-6).
These words were spoken by the angel and recorded by the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit for the benefit of Gods elect in every age and in every place. They are full of meaning. They tell us that we have no cause for fear in this world. Whatever may come our way in this world, whatever trouble or trial we may face, let us remember the resurrection of our Lord and be at peace. The best news you will ever hear came from a graveyard. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Child of God, that means that our Savior is King, our sins are gone, and it is well with our souls!
It is certainly true that our Lord shall appear in the clouds of heaven and the earth shall be burned with fire. The graves shall give up their dead. The sea shall give up its dead. The judgment shall be set. The books shall be opened. The dead shall be judged. The angels of God shall divide the good from the bad and the bad shall be burned with everlasting fire. But there is nothing in all this to make believers afraid.
Clothed in the righteousness of Christ and washed in his blood, we shall be found without spot and blameless before him. We shall be found in that Ark which cannot be hurt when the flood of Gods wrath is poured out upon the earth. In that great day, An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2Pe 1:11). That is to say, we shall enter into everlasting life in a blaze of glory! Then, and not until then, shall both the wicked and the righteous understand the Psalmists words, Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord (Psa 33:12).
The Message of It
What is the message of our Lords resurrection? The angel said, 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. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 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. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me (Mat 28:7-10).
First, our Lord appeared to these two faithful women who had come to honor his body. They had been the last to leave him after his death and the first to come to his tomb. How greatly he honored their faithfulness! These two women were the first to see the risen Lord! They were the first to hear the risen Christ! They were the first preachers of the Resurrection!
Our risen Redeemers first thought and first word was for his people. He said, Go, tell my brethren. Does that fact not touch your heart? Those words, my brethren, deserve an eternity of thoughtful contemplation. The disciples were weak, frail, erring, and filled with unbelief and sin, just as we often are. Yet, the Lord Jesus Christ calls them and us my brethren. Just as Joseph comforted his brethren who had sold him, so the Lord Jesus comforts and encourages our hearts. Sadly, the disciples had not lived up to their profession, but had yielded to the fear of man, just as we often do; but Christ is still not ashamed to call them and us my brethren.
What a joyful meeting that must have been! How unexpected! Yet, that is just what we should expect from him who is not ashamed to call such things as we are my brethren. Mark (Mat 16:7) tells us that the angelic messenger was especially concerned for Peter. He seems especially commissioned to give a message of grace and forgiveness to the most fallen of those whom the Master calls my brethren.
When he was about to enter into his glory, the Lord Jesus made it a point to show himself to his poor disciples repeatedly, as if to assure them that no change had taken place in his heart. His love for them was still as fresh and as full as when he first embraced them in electing love before the world began. As if to manifest the nearness, dearness, and completeness of his affection for his poor, fearful people, he said to Mary; Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God (Joh 20:17).
If the Son of God is not ashamed to call us his brethren, let us never be ashamed to own him as our Lord.
The Assurance of It
The fact of our Lords resurrection is so basic and fundamental that it under girds and assures us of many things. When we look down into the empty tomb and up into heaven upon the risen Christ, we are assured that the Word of God is all true. Our Lord arose from the dead exactly as he said he would (Mat 12:40; Mat 16:21; Mat 17:9; Mat 17:23). We are assured that our Savior is himself the mighty God. Only he who is himself God has power over life and death (Psa 68:17-20). Our Redeemers resurrection assures us that redemption is accomplished. Justice is satisfied. Our sins are pardoned. Righteousness has been brought in for us.
The resurrection, assuring us of redemptions accomplishment, is our assurance that all Gods elect shall be saved. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him (Joh 17:2).
And we are assured that when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again, there will be another resurrection (Joh 14:1-3; Job 19:25-26; Psa 73:24; Isa 26:19; Hos 6:2; Joh 5:28-29; 1Co 15:21-58; 1Th 4:13-18). And after that great, general resurrection comes the judgment!
Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible
The Empty Sepulchre
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.
While the Jewish Sabbath lasted, they paid to it due respect. They did not even go to the sepulchre to perform the kindly offices of embalmment; but when the old Sabbath was dying away, and the new and better Sabbath began to dawn, these holy women found their way back to their Lord’s tomb. Woman must be first at the sepulchre as she was last at the cross. We may well forget that she was first in the transgression; the honour which Christ put upon her took away that shame. Who but Mary Magdalene should be the first at the tomb? Out of her Christ had cast seven devils, and now she acts as if into her he had sent seven angels. She had received so much grace that she was full of love to her Lord.
Mat 28:2. 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.
Death was being upheaved, and all the bars of the sepulchre were beginning to burst. When the King awoke from the sleep of death, he shook the world; the bed-chamber in which he rested for a little while trembled as the heavenly Hero arose from his couch: Behold, there was a great earthquake. Nor was the King unattended in his rising: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven. It was not merely one of the angelic host, but some mighty presence-angel, “the angel of the Lord”, who came to minister to him on that resurrection morn. Jesus was put in the prison of the tomb as a hostage for his people; therefore he must not break out by himself, but the angelic sheriff’s officer must bring the warrant for his deliverance, and set the captive at liberty. When the angel had rolled bach the stone from the door, he sat upon it, as if to defy earth and hell ever to roll it back again. That great stone seems to represent the sin of all Christ’s people, which shut them up in prison; it can never be laid again over the mouth of the sepulchre of any child of God. Christ has risen, and all his saints must rise, too.
Mat 28:3-4. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
It took a great deal to alarm Roman soldiers; they were inured to all manner of terrors, but this angel’s flashing countenance and snow-white raiment paralyzed them with fright, until they swooned away, and became as dead men. He does not appear to have drawn a flaming sword, nor even to have spoken to the keepers; but the presence of perfect purity overawed these rough legionaries. What terror will strike through the ungodly when all the hosts of angels shall descend, and surround the throne of the reigning Christ on the last great day!
Mat 28:5. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Let the soldiers tremble, let them lie as if dead through fright, but, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.” Those who seek Jesus need not fear. These women were mistaken in seeking the living among the dead, yet their seeking ended in finding. They did fear, although the angel said, “Fear not.” Only Jesus can silence the fears of trembling hearts.
Mat 28:6-7. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 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.
Jesus always keeps his word: “He is risen, as he said.” He said he would rise from the dead, and he did; he says that his people also shall rise, and they shall. “Com, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly,” the angel would not let the women stay long looking into the sepulchre, for there was work for them to do. In this world, we cannot afford to spend all our time in contemplation, however heavenly it may be.
Notice the angel’s words: first “See,” and then “Go.” Make sure about the fact for yourselves, and then let others know of it. What you know, tell; and do it “quickly.” Swift be your feet; such good news as you have to carry should not be long on the road. “The King’s business required haste.”
“Tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him.” Matthew wrote The Gospel of the Kingdom, yet in his writings there is much about that despised region called “Galilee of the Gentiles”, that border-land which touches us as well as the chosen seed of Abraham. There, in Galilee, is the place where Jesus will hold the first general assembly of his church after his resurrection.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s The Gospel of the Kingdom
In the end of the Sabbath
In the end of the Sabbath
The order of events, combining the four narratives, is as follows: Three women, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome, start for the sepulchre, followed by other women bearing spices. The three find the stone rolled away, and Mary Magdalene goes to tell the disciples. Luk 23:55 to Luk 24:9; Joh 20:1; Joh 20:2. Mary, the mother of James and Joses, draws nearer the tomb and sees the angel of the Lord Mat 28:2. She goes back to meet the other women following with the spices. Meanwhile Peter and John, warned by Mary Magdalene, arrive, look in, and go away Joh 20:3-10. Mary Magdalene returns weeping, sees the two angels and then Jesus Joh 20:11-18 and goes as He bade her to tell the disciples. Mary (mother of James and Joses), meanwhile, has met the women with the spices and, returning with them, they see the two angels.; Luk 24:4; Luk 24:5; Mar 16:5. They also receive the angelic message, and, going to seek the disciples, are met by Jesus. Mat 28:8-10.
end of Lit. end of the sabbaths. The sabbaths end, the first day comes. (See Scofield “Mat 12:1”). Also see, Joh 20:19; Act 20:7; 1Co 16:2; Rev 1:10.
other Mary
Supposed to be Mary the mother of James and Joses.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the end: The Hebrew word Schabbath from which our English word is derived, signifies rest, and is applied to all solemn festivals, equally with that one day of every week devoted to the worship of God; Eze 20:21, “they polluted my sabbaths.” Three evangelists say, the transaction recorded in this verse, occurred upon the first day of the week, early in the morning, about sunrising, and John says, while it was yet dark. [Strong’s G3796], [Strong’s G4521], does not signify “in the evening of sabbath,” but “sabbaths.” Hence, the great feast having been concluded, the term “end of the sabbaths” denotes the time very clearly. Again, it may be observed that the Jews, speaking of their passover, sometimes speak according to their civil computation, wherein they measured their days from sun-rising to sun-rising. Sometimes according to their sacred computation, which was from sun-set to sun-set. This reconciles Num 28:18, which seems to make the fourteenth day of the first month, the first day of unleavened bread. Mar 16:1, Mar 16:2, Luk 23:56, Luk 24:1, Luk 24:22, Joh 20:1-10
Mary Magdalene: Mat 27:56, Mat 27:61
Reciprocal: Lev 9:1 – the eighth day Jos 6:15 – about the dawning Psa 118:24 – the day Dan 6:19 – General Mar 15:40 – Mary Magdalene Mar 15:47 – General Mar 16:5 – a young Act 10:40 – General 1Co 15:4 – he rose
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
VERSE Mat 28:1 of this chapter tells us that the two Marys who had watched His burial were back at the sepulchre immediately the sabbath day had ended. They came as it was the dusk of the next day after the sabbath (New Trans.). The day according to Jewish reckoning ended at sunset, and their devotion was such that directly the sabbath was over they were on the move and visited the grave. It is not easy to piece together the details given us by the four Evangelists to form a connected narrative, but it would appear that the two Marys made this special visit and then returned at daybreak with Salome and possibly others, bearing spices for embalming. Mark and Luke tell us about this, and we should judge that verse Mat 28:5 of our chapter refers to this second occasion, so that what is recorded in verses Mat 28:2-4, took place between the two visits. Be that as it may, it is clear that by sunrise on the first day of the week Christ was risen.
An earthquake signalized His death, and a great earthquake, though apparently a very local one, for it was connected with the descent of the angel of the Lord, heralded His resurrection. The authorities of earth had sealed the tomb but a vastly higher authority broke the seal and flung back the stone door. At his presence the guards trembled and were smitten into death-like unconsciousness. The sealed tomb was the challenge of daring men. God accepted their challenge, broke their power, and reduced their representatives to nothingness. The Lord Jesus had been raised by the power of God, and the tomb was opened that men might see that without a doubt He was not there. The angel not only rolled back the stone but sat upon it, placing himself as a seal upon it in its new position, that no one might roll it back until an ample number of witnesses had seen the empty tomb.
Matthew tells us of one angel sitting on the stone. Mark tells us of one sitting on the right side, but inside the tomb. Luke and John both speak of two angels. Yet they all show us that though the women feared in the presence of the angels they were not smitten as were the soldiers. They were seeking the crucified Jesus, so Fear not ye, was the word for them. His resurrection was announced and they were invited to see the spot where His body had lain, and where, as we gather from Johns account, the linen wrappings lay all in their place and undisturbed, but out of which the sacred body had gone. One had only to see the place where He lay to be convinced that the body had not been abstracted or stolen. A supernatural act had taken place; and they were to go as messengers to the disciples, telling them to meet Him in Galilee.
Though filled with the conflicting emotions of fear and joy, the women received the angels word with faith and consequently they set out in obedience. The obedience of faith was quickly rewarded by an appearance of the risen Lord Himself, and this brought them to His feet as worshippers, and sent them on their way as messengers of the Lord and not merely of the angel. On the occasion of the last supper the Lord had appointed Galilee as the meeting place, and He confirmed it to them.
The parenthetical paragraph, verses Mat 28:11-15, furnishes us with a striking contrast. We pass from the bright scene of resurrection with joy, faith, worship and testimony, to the dense darkness of unbelief with hatred, plotting, bribery and corruption, resulting in a lie of so flagrant a kind that its falsity was carried on its face. If they were asleep how could they know what had transpired? Money and the love of it lay at the root of this particular evil. The soldiers were bribed, and we should suppose that the persuading of the governor would be achieved in the same way. Anything to stop the truth as to the resurrection coming out! They realized how it would wreck their cause while establishing His, and the devil, who moved them, realized it far more keenly than they did. They only gave thirty silver coins to Judas to encompass His death, but they gave large money to the soldiers, endeavouring to suppress the fact of His resurrection.
The Gospel closes with the disciples meeting their risen Lord in Galilee, and with the commission He gave them there. No mention is made of the various appearances in Jerusalem or the ascension from Bethany. While pointing forward to the establishment of the church, this Gospel has in the main traced for us the transition from the presentation of the kingdom as connected with the Messiah upon earth as foretold by the prophets, to the kingdom of heaven in its present form: that is, in a mysterious form while the King is hidden in the heavens. Jerusalem was the place where they were to receive the Spirit and be baptized into the body, the church, not many days hence: Galilee was the district where was found the great majority of the godly remnant of Israel who, receiving Him, entered the kingdom whilst the mass of the people missed it.
So the Lord resumed links in resurrection with that remnant, the eleven disciples being the most prominent members of it; and though we do not hear of His being caught up into heaven yet He commissions them as though He were speaking from heaven, for all power was His, in heaven as much as on earth. The time had not yet come to reveal fully the Christian enterprise of gathering out of the nations a people for His name: the terms here are more general. They were to go and make disciples and baptize them, and this is a commission which can be taken up by the believing remnant of Israel after the church is gone. As Israel were baptized to Moses their leader, so the disciple is to be baptized to the risen Christ as coming under His authority, and the baptism is to be in the name of God as He has been fully revealed. It is not plural but singular-not names but name-for though revealed in three Persons, the Godhead is one.
The closing word is, I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age, so that in this closing word we have all no less than four times. Our exalted Lord wields all power in both spheres, so that nothing is beyond His reach. If anything adverse happens to His servants it must be by His permission. All nations are to be the scope of their service, and not in the midst of Israel only as heretofore. Those baptized from the nations are to be taught to observe all the Lords commands and instructions, for the servants are to be marked by obedience, and to bring those that they reach into obedience also. Then all the days to the finish they can count on the support and spiritual presence of their Master.
Such is the commission with which the Gospel ends. As we travel on into the Acts and pass through the Epistles we find coming to light developments which furnish us with the full gospel commission of today yet we do not lose the light and benefit of what the Lord says here. We still go to all nations, baptizing in the Name. We still have to teach all the Lords word. All power is still His. His presence will be with us all the days till the end of the age, no matter what may betide.
Fuente: F. B. Hole’s Old and New Testaments Commentary
The Seven Miraculous Events
Mat 28:1-20
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
The events centered around the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ were miraculous to say the least. One miracle generally calls for another miracle. In the Book of Matthew we find seven different miracles referred to. This great number of miracles leaves us without a shadow of a doubt as to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It would appear that the Lord created a Divine environment for the resurrection of Christ in order that we might have every assurance as to its reality. God never leaves His people in doubt.
1. There are some who would object to the miracles of the Bible, including the miracles of the resurrection. We have always had these skeptics and always will; but there is no excuse for skepticism. Underlying unbelief in regard to miraculous events is our unbelief in God Himself. Did not God create the earth and the entire universe? Did He He not cause the sun to shine and the moon to be a lesser light to rule by night? Has not this same God, who has created this universe, sustained it for all these years? Has He not imparted life? A God who is able to create a universe and sustain it is certainly able to perform other miracles. There is nothing that God is not able to do. There is no miracle too great for Him to perform. The trouble with the skeptic is that he wishes to get along without God.
2. There is only one reason why any individual should wish to deny any of the miracles. That reason is that he is rebellious and does not wish to be compelled to recognize Jesus Christ as God in human flesh. Rather, than admit his fault, he denies the evidence by throwing all the miracles into the wastebasket and saying, “They did not happen.” But after all, what skeptic is there living today who has any authority to reject the evidence of the miracles? Were any of them present when the miracles took place? Do they have one iota of evidence, from any individual who was present when they took place, which would be contradictory to these measures? They do not.
3. When the generation of Jews in the day of Jesus Christ came seeking a sign to prove His Deity and Messiahship, He told them that no sign would be given other than the sign of Jonah. “As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” The resurrection of Jonah from the great fish brought a city of half a million on their knees in repentance. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is that sign of which Jonah’s resurrection was symbolized.
I. THE MIRACLE OF AN EARTHQUAKE (Mat 28:1-2)
Miraculous events suddenly took place, one after another, when Christ was raised from the dead. The 28th chapter of Matthew first mentions the miracle of an earthquake.
1. There is no doubt but that this earthquake had something to do with the battle between God and Satanic forces. All the powers of hell were present to keep that tomb sealed. The powers were not so much concerned about the tomb as the body which was chained by death rather than by a stone. When the earth quaked, God spoke. God was reaching out His strong arm and throwing back the forces of Satan. He was breaking the bonds and chains of death.
2. We find a further description of this earthquake in Mat 27:51-53. Many people think when they read the Scripture referred to that this was an earthquake that took place at the death of Jesus Christ; but that is not what the Scripture says. We find that as a result of this earthquake the graves were rent open and many of the saints arose from the dead, but we are specifically told that they “came out of the graves after His resurrection,” not before. This earthquake was the breaking of the bonds of death, not only for Christ, but for all human beings. It was for the purpose of opening many graves.
3. The effect of this earthquake is described in Mat 27:54. The centurion and those with him saw this earthquake and all that was done. Fear gripped their hearts. They confessed openly that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. It was the miracle of the earthquake accompanying the resurrection of Jesus Christ which demonstrated to them that Christ was more than a mere man, but One who had power over the universe; and therefore they at last recognized His Deity though they had rejected Him before.
II. THE MIRACLE OF AN ANGEL (Mat 28:2-6)
There are many angels at the service of God, but they serve in obscurity, not revealing themselves lest they receive the glory instead of Jesus Christ. Let us learn a lesson from the humility of the angels. When Christ arose from the dead God wrought the miraculous and allowed men to see one of these powerful creatures who serve Him. Certainly Heaven was dealing with earth that day. Those who beheld the angel knew that the resurrection of Christ was more than an apparition, for strange events were happening. The angel rolled back the stone. No human being could have rolled back that heavy stone; but angels are powerful. If you will study the Scriptures you will be surprised at the power of the angels. For instance, one angel destroyed the first-born in every home in the whole nation of Egypt in one night. One angel blinded the entire army of Syria. One angel slew thousands of Israelites when David sinned by numbering the people. The angel sat upon the stone. His countenance was glorious. Men did quake and shake before him.
Though men feared the angel and could not resist his power, he came as a ministering servant unto the weaker vessels of humanity. He brought a message of comfort to the women who sought Christ. Heb 1:14 reads, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who” shall be heirs of salvation?”
III. A MIRACULOUS MESSAGE (Mat 28:7-8)
1. The angel who brought the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the women also instructed them to “go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead.” That was the beginning of the gospel ministry of the saints. The resurrection of Jesus Christ at that moment became the theme of all Christians of all ages. It is a message of comfort for those who have loved ones who have passed on. It is a message of hope for the dying. Let us never cease to carry this message.
2. The angel instructed them to go quickly. The message of the resurrection is one that requires haste. The disciples were sorrowing, not knowing that Christ was risen. The world today is in tears because they do not know this message. Haste ye and carry it to them.
3. The angel told them to go with a message but assured them that they did not go alone. “He goeth before you into Galilee.” The Lord has gone ahead and blazed the trail for us that we might follow in His footsteps with a message of life. It is wonderful to know that before we carry the message of life to the lost, Christ has gone ahead to prepare the way that their hearts might be willing to receive the truth.
IV. THE MIRACLE OF A RESURRECTED LORD (Mat 28:9)
When the women approached the tomb they were wondering who would roll back the stone for them (Mar 16:3). They wanted to anoint the body of Jesus Christ and they came with the full intention of doing so, but they knew that it would take stronger hands than theirs to roll back the stone. They also feared that the guards would not roll back the stone because the Roman seal was placed upon it and could not be broken, but to their dismay as they approached the tomb they saw the stone rolled back; but they were more dismayed when they saw that the body was not there. The stone was rolled back in evidence of the fact that He was raised from the dead, not in order that He might be raised from the dead.
As the women ran to tell the disciples, whom did they meet but the Lord, Himself, who had gone ahead! The angel had told them they would find Him. The evidence of the resurrection was already theirs. They did not hesitate. They worshiped Him. His own have been worshiping Him ever since, for the resurrection of Jesus Christ proclaimed Him as God and worthy of worship which belongs alone to Deity.
V. THE MIRACLE OF A DILEMMA (Mat 28:11-15)
When Christ died upon the Cross, the Jewish people knew that He had said that He would rise again from the dead the third day. Their consciences also told them that they had done wrong in crucifying Christ. They had had enough evidence to know that they had crucified their God. Foolishly they thought to conquer God by placing a guard outside the tomb to keep Him from being raised from the dead, whereas, in reality, they were only making the resurrection of Jesus Christ a resurrection that would be free from any possibility of human influence or falsity. When Christ arose from the dead and the guards fell back helpless before an angel who came to announce the resurrection they realized for the first time that it would have been better had they not put a guard, there. Then they could have said that the body of Christ was stolen away. Under the circumstances they were made ridiculous by their own action, so they gave the men who were on watch money and told them to report that the disciples had stolen the body away.
1. Could eleven unarmed disciples have defeated armed and trained soldiers? No, these soldiers made themselves foolish and weaklings by agreeing to such a statement.
2. Would Rome have permitted these soldiers to live had they failed in fulfilling their duty? No, they would have been put to death.
3. If Christ had not really been raised from the dead, would the Jews have had reason to have been so disturbed about the incident? Their alarm in itself was evidence that the resurrection was real.
VI. THE MIRACLE OF A COMMISSION (Mat 28:18-20)
It was absolutely preposterous to think of twelve disciples and a few friends going out and facing a world which was antagonistic to them, preaching about Jesus Christ. Had not the world just crucified Christ? Was there not a mob spirit abroad and an inborn hatred for Christ and all who had any affiliation with Him? We might well expect them to be devoured and crushed in pieces as if they had been thrown into a lions’ den.
1. Now they had a message to preach that the world could not resist. It was a message of resurrection power. They went forth teaching all nations. They went forth baptizing all nations. Their teaching and their baptizing centered about the thought of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They told of a Christ who had power to overcome sin and produce a new life. For such a message it was worth dying.
2. They not only had a. resurrection message, but they also had resurrection power to proclaim this message. Christ was now raised from the dead. He no more was in the body of limitation having cast aside His power for the time being. He now proclaimed to His disciples, “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth.”
VII. A MIRACULOUS PROMISE (Mat 28:20)
1. How marvelous it is to know that Jesus Christ is with us. Often we sing, “If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go.” If He is with us, nothing can harm us. If He is with us, we have companionship. If He is with us, we have a Guide. If He is with us, we have new strength. If He is with us, He is pleased with our activity. If He is with us, we have encouragement to fight the battles that we face.
2. But what was it that made it possible for Christ to be with us? Before the resurrection, while God was manifest in human flesh, Jesus Christ was able to be in only one place at one time. Formerly the disciples stayed close by the side of Christ. They endeavored to cast a demon out of a man and failed until they brought Christ in Person. When Lazarus died, Martha and Mary both said, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” But Christ could not have been in two places at one time as long as He was in human flesh. Now conditions were changed. The resurrection had set Christ free so that He might be at all places at all times. Even today and unto the end of the world we may all have Christ with us individually forever.
3. When Christ was in the ship with His disciples and a great storm came up, the disciples cried out, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” He answered with these words, “How is it that ye have no faith?” As long as Christ was in that ship, it could not sink; and as long as Christ is with us, we cannot fail.
AN ILLUSTRATION
Mrs. F. J. Cressey, for years the Primary teacher of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles, a woman of rare ability and consecration, told this story:
She had in her class a little lad whose unconverted mother had such a horror of death that she would not go into a church for fear of hearing the subject mentioned.
After hearing the Easter lesson as taught by Mrs. Cressey, the child ran home and, bursting into the room he cried, “Mother, you need not be afraid to die, ’cause Jesus went through the grave and left a light behind Him.”
The words gripped the mother and stayed with her. Shortly after this a neighbor invited her to attend some revival meetings, and she accepted the invitation, a thing she would not have done but for the message which had prepared her mind and heart.
One evening her little boy prayed, “Please, God, make my mamma a Christian, and do it right off quick.”
That night the mother went to the meeting and gave her heart to Christ.
Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water
28:1
The particular time at which the 24-hour period was supposed to start has been a disputed point, and that is because no absolute and universal rule was observed by all people. According to this verse the period began in the morning. Thayer defines began to dawn to mean, “To grow light, to dawn.” And. Mar 16:2 refers to the same event as being “at the rising of the sun,” all of which indicates that at least in some cases the 24-hour day was from sunrise to sunrise. However, we should not overlook that it was after the sabbath was past for the text says end of the sab-bath which Thayer defines, “the sab-bath having just past.” The two Marys were the same as those mentioned in Mat 27:61; Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
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.
[In the end of the sabbath.] In the Jerusalem Talmudists it is in the coming forth of the sabbath; vulgarly, in the going out of the sabbath: On a certain eve of the sabbath; namely, when the sabbath began, “there was not wine to be found in all Samaria: but at the end of the sabbath there was found abundance, because the Aramites had brought it, and the Cuthites had received it”…
[Towards the first day of the week.] The Jews reckon the days of the week thus; One day (or the first day) of the sabbath: two (or the second day) of the sabbath; “Two witnesses come and say, The first of the sabbath this man stole, etc., and, on the second day of the sabbath; judgment passed on him.”
The third of the sabbath; “A virgin is married on the fourth day of the week; for they provide for the feast the first day of the week. The second day of the week: and the third day of the week.”
“On the fourth day of the week they set apart him who was to burn the red heifer.”
On the fifth of the sabbath. “Ezra ordained that they should read the law publicly on the second and fifth days of the sabbath, etc. He appointed that judges should sit in the cities on the second and fifth days. Ezra also appointed that they should wash their clothes on the fifth day of the sabbath.”
The sixth day they commonly called the eve of the sabbath; “To wash their clothes on the fifth day of the sabbath, and eat onions on the eve of the sabbath.” On the fifth day of the sabbath [or week], and the eve of the sabbath, and the sabbath.
The first day of the week, which is now changed into the sabbath or Lord’s day, the Talmudists call the Christians’; or the Christian day: On the Christians’ day it is always forbidden for a Jew to traffic with a Christian. Where the Gloss saith thus: A Nazarene or Christian is he who followeth the error of the man who commanded them “to make the first day of the week a festival day to him; and according to the words of Ismael, it is always unlawful to traffic with them three days before that day and three days after; that is, not at all the week through.” We cannot here pass by the words of the Glossers on Babyl. Rosh hashanah; “The Baithusians desire that the first day of the Passover might be on the sabbath, so that the presenting of the sheaf might be on the first day of the week, and the feast of Pentecost on the first day of the week.”
With good reason did our blessed Saviour remove the sabbath to this day, the day of his resurrection, the day which the Lord had made; Psa 118:24; when now the stone which the builders refused was become the head stone of the corner. For,
I. When Christ was to make a new world, or a new creation, it was necessary for him to make a new sabbath. The sabbath of the old creation was not proper for the new.
II. The kingdom of Christ took its beginning principally from the resurrection of Christ: when he had now overcome death and hell. (The Jews themselves confess that the kingdom of the Messiah was to begin with the resurrection of the dead, and the renewing of the world.) Therefore it was very proper that that day from which Christ’s kingdom took its beginning should pass into the sabbath, rather than the old sabbath, the memorial of the creation.
III. That old sabbath was not instituted till after the giving the promise of Christ, Gen 3:15; and the rest of God on that seventh day was chiefly in having perfected the new creation in Christ; that also was the sabbatical rest of Adam. When therefore that was accomplished which was then promised, namely, the bruising of the serpent’s head by the resurrection of Christ, and that was fulfilled which was typified and represented in the old sabbath, namely, the finishing of a new creation, the sabbath could not but justly be transferred to that day on which these things were done.
IV. It was necessary that the Christians should have a sabbath given them distinct from the sabbath of the Jews, that a Christian might be thereby distinguished from a Jew. For as the law took great care to provide that a Jew might be distinguished from a heathen; so it was provided by the gospel with the like care, that partly by the forsaking of those rites, partly by the bringing in of different manners and observances, a Christian might be distinguished from a Jew. The law was not more solicitous to mark out and separate a Jew from a heathen by circumcision than the gospel hath been that by the same circumcision a Christian should not Judaize. And the same care it hath deservedly taken about the sabbath: for since the Jews, among other marks of distinction, were made of a different colour, as it were, from all nations, by their keeping the sabbath, it was necessary, that by the bringing in of another sabbath (since of necessity a sabbath must be kept up), that Christians might be of a different colour from the Jews.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 28:1. Now in the end of the Sabbath day, i.e., the Jewish Sabbath. The next clause shows the time of the day; so that it was really after the Sabbath had ended, according to the Jewish mode of reckoning the days.
As it began to dawn toward. Literally at the dawning into. Mark says: at the rising of the sun; Luke: very early in the morning (literally deep dawn); John: while it was yet dark. Mark also says: very early in the morning. See Mar 16:2. The twilight in Palestine is not of very long continuance as compared with most European countries, so that all point to about the same time, namely, day-break.Mary Magdalene. John mentions her alone.
And the other Mary. See chap. Mat 27:61, which suggests why Matthew mentions these two, omitting Salome, whom Mark (Mar 16:1) names.
To see the sepulchre. The purpose of anointing or embalming the body is omitted by Matthew (see accounts of Mark and Luke), These two women did not bear the spices. Another motive was present, an unconscious hope of the resurrection which hurried these women, who had watched by the sepulchre, in advance of the others, mentioned by Luke. Joanna, wife of Chuzas, Herods steward (Luk 8:3), may have been in the advance party, or with the larger band coming with the spices which had been prepared by all the female Galilean disciples (comp. Luk 23:55 to Luk 24:10).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
RESURRECTION
Perhaps the most important comment we can make on this chapter will be the order of the ten events on the day of which it speaks.
1. The three women, Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James; and Salome, start for the sepulcher, followed by other women bearing spices.
2. These find the stone rolled away and Mary Magdalene, goes to tell the disciples (Luk 23:55 to Luk 24:9; Joh 20:1-2).
3. Mary, the mother of James, draws near the tomb and discovers the angel (Mat 28:2).
4. She returns to meet the other women bearing the spices.
5. Peter and John arrive, look in and go away.
6. Mary Magdalene returns, sees the two angels and Jesus (Joh 20:11-18).
7. She goes to tell the disciples.
8. Mary, the mother of James, returns with the other women, all of whom see the two angels (Luk 24:4-5; Mar 15:15).
9. They receive the angels message.
10. While seeking the disciples they are met by Jesus (Mat 28:8-10).
Another comment of interest is the order of the appearances of Jesus on this day:
1. To Mary Magdalene (Joh 20:14-18), 2. To the women returning from the tomb with the angels message (Matthews 28:8-10), 3. To Peter (Luk 24:34; 1Co 15:5), 4. To the two on the way to Emmaus (Luk 24:13-31), 5. To the apostles (minus Thomas) (Luk 24:36-43; Joh 20:19-24).
In dividing the chapter we have (1) the narrative of the resurrection with the appearance of Jesus to the women (Mat 28:1-10); (2) the false invention of the Jews (Mat 28:11-15); and (3) the gathering in Galilee (Mat 28:16-20).
We can only touch upon the most important things, one of which is Christs reference to His disciples as His brethren (Mat 28:10). For the first time does he use that word in such connection, showing that until His death and resurrection on their behalf the relationship had not become possible. (Compare Psa 22:22 and Heb 2:11-12.) Another important thing is Mat 28:13, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept. We give excerpts from Gaebelein on this verse:
The watch recover from their fright, and some hasten to the city. Surely something happened or why should they leave their post to make a report? Then it is strange they went to the priests first and not the Roman governor. This was an irregular proceeding, from which we conclude that what they had to report was of greater importance for the priests than Pilate. Who knows but these priests had instructed the guard that if He should come forth they were to come to them first of all? Their report was a witness of the resurrection and that the tomb was empty.
The Sanhedrin was hastily summoned to receive the report in an official way. The straightforward statement, as men of military training are apt to report, made doubt about veracity impossible. To impeach them would have been insane. But what would happen if this truth got out among the people?
The resurrection must be denied which could only be by inventing a lie. The only possible lie was that His disciples stole the body. The story is incredible. It is easier to believe He arose from the dead than to believe what the Jews invented about His resurrection. The disciples had forgotten about the resurrection promised and they were a scattered, poor, timid lot of people. But even if they had been anxious to steal the body, how could they have done it? Here was the company of armed men. Then there was the sealed, heavy stone.
But the ridiculous side of the lie came out with the report the soldiers were to circulate. The disciples came and stole the body, while they were sleeping! It is incredible that all these men had fallen asleep at the same time, and so fast asleep that the commotion of rolling away the stone and the carrying away of the dead did not disturb them. Furthermore, sleeping at a post meant death for the Roman soldier. One might have nodded and risked his life, but that all slept is an impossibility. But the report is foolish; they were asleep and while asleep witnessed how the disciples stole the body of Jesus! It was a miserable lie, and is continued to the present day.
We might mention here the testimony of Josephus, who says in his Antiquities, He appeared to them alive on the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning Him.
A third matter of importance is the Great Commission as it is called (Mat 28:19-20). Note the word Name as indicative of the Trinity. It is not names but Name. Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the final name of the one true God. The conjunction in one name of the three affirms equality and oneness of substance. Note the peculiarity of the terms. This is the Kingdom commission, as another expresses it, not the Christian commission. The latter is in Luke, distinctively the Gentile Gospel, but not here, which is distinctively the Jewish Gospel. And this is all the more remarkable because in Luke, the disciples are commanded to go to the Jews (24:47), while here they are commanded to go to all nations. It points to the close of the age when the commission will be carried out by the faithful remnant of the Jews so often spoken about. It has not yet been carried out. The story of the Acts is not its fulfillment. Its accomplishment has been interrupted, but will be taken up before the Lord comes to deliver Israel at the last.
QUESTIONS
1. Repeat the order of the events on the day or resurrection.
2. Do the same with reference to the appearance of Jesus.
3. Divide the chapter into three parts.
4. How would you answer the argument that the disciples stole the body of Jesus?
5. What is the significance of the word Name in the Great Commission?
6. How do you distinguish the commission in Matthew from that in Luke?
Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary
The Lord of Life was buried upon the Friday, in the evening of that day on which he was crucified; and his body rested in the silent grave the next day, and a part of the morning of the day following. Thus he arose again the third day, neither sooner nor later: not sooner, lest the truth of his death should have been questioned, that he did not die at all; and not later, lest the faith of his disciples should have failed. And accordingly, when the sabbath was past, and it dawned towards the first day of the week, in the morning very early, before day, Mary Magdalene, and other devout women, go to visit the sepulchre, intending with their spices and odours farther to embalm our Lord’s body.
But observe, Although the hearts of these good women did burn with an ardent love and zeal to their crucified Lord, yet the commanded duties of the sabbath are not omitted by them; they stay till the sabbath is ended, and then early in the morning they go with odours in their hands to perfume his sacred corpse; fearing neither the darkness of the night, nor the presence of the watchmen: how great a tribute of respect and honour is due and payable to these women for their magnanimity and courage! They followed Christ, when his disciples left him; they accompanied him to his cross, and followed his hearse to the grave, when none of his disciples durst appear.
Learn hence, That courage is the special and peculiar gift of God; and where God gives courage it is not in man to make afraid.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 28:1. In the end of the sabbath Or rather, After the sabbath, as may be properly translated. Thus, in Philostratus, signifies, after the Trojan war; , after the mysteries were ended. And in other authors, is, after these things; , after night; see many examples of this in Stephanus. And so this perfectly agrees with the other evangelists, who say what is here related was done when the sabbath was ended, Mar 16:1; or the first day of the week, Luk 24:1; Joh 20:1. And perhaps Matthew here mentions , sabbaths, in the plural, because there were two sabbaths in that week, the paschal sabbath on Friday, and the ordinary sabbath on Saturday. As it began to dawn toward, &c. , when it began to dawn into the first day of the week, that is, Sunday, or the Lords day; for always signifies the first day of the week, or the Lords day, or the day of his resurrection from the dead: and thus the word usually signifies in the Septuagint, when it is joined with days, weeks, or months; as Gen 1:5, The evening and morning were, , the first day: Exo 40:2; Ezr 3:6; Ezr 10:17, , is the first day of the month. See note on 1Co 16:2. On this day, in the evening, Christ appeared to the eleven, Joh 20:19; and again, John 20:26; and to the two disciples, Luk 24:13.
Came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, (see on chap. Mat 27:61,) to see the sepulchre To see if all things were as they had left them the preceding evening. It appears from Mar 16:1, that they were accompanied by Salome: and from Luk 24:10, that they were soon joined by Joanna, and other female friends, who were to meet them there. These women had bought, and now brought with them, spices, which they had prepared to embalm the body of Jesus, to do which, it seems, was their principal reason for visiting the sepulchre so early this morning: from which it is evident, that notwithstanding Christ had repeatedly and explicitly foretold that he should rise from the dead the third day, they had no faith in his predictions. And yet they were truly pious women, and certainly genuine and very faithful followers of Jesus, evidently more attached to him than even the apostles themselves, and more bold and courageous in his cause. So slow of heart are the best disposed of mankind to believe what the Lord hath spoken.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
P A R T E I G H T H.
OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION, APPEARANCES
AND ASCENSION. JUDA AND GALILEE.
TIME, FORTY DAYS. SPRING AD. 30.
CXXXIV.
ANGELS ANNOUNCE THE RESURRECTION TO
CERTAIN WOMEN. PETER AND JOHN
ENTER THE EMPTY TOMB.
(Joseph’s Garden. Sunday, very early.)
aMATT. XXVIII. 1-8; bMARK XVI. 1-8; cLUKE XXIV. 1-8, 12; dJOHN XX. 1-10.
c1 But a1 Now late on the sabbath day, b1 And when the sabbath was past, con the first day of the week, {aas it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,} cat early dawn, dwhile it was yet dark, cometh {acame} dMary Magdalene early aand the other Mary bthe mother of James, and Salome, cunto the tomb, bringing {bbrought} cthe spices which they had prepared. [ Luk 23:56.] ato see the sepulchre. bthat they might come and anoint him. a2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. 3 His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 and for fear of him the watchers [the Roman soldiers on guard] did quake, and became as dead men. [The angel sat upon the stone that the Roman guards might make no attempt to reclose the tomb.] b2 And very early on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun was risen. 3 And they were saying among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb? c2 And they found the stone rolled away from [739] the tomb. b4 and looking up, they see {d [Mary Magdalene] seeth} bthat the stone is rolled back: {dtaken away from the tomb.} for it was exceeding great. c3 And they bentering into the tomb, {centered in,} and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. [John mentions Mary Magdalene alone, though she came with the rest of the women. As she was the one who reported to John and Peter, he describes her actions, and makes no mention of the others.] d2 She runneth therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him. [Though Mary came with the other women, she departed at once, while the others tarried, as the sequel shows. The narrative proceeds to tell what happened to the other women after Mary had departed.] c4 And it came to pass, while they were perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel: bthey saw a young man sitting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe; and they were amazed. c5 and as they were affrighted and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, {bhe athe angel} answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; cBe not amazed: afor I know that ye seek Jesus, bthe Nazarene, who hath been crucified: cWhy seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but {afor} he is risen, even as he said. cremember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words [For the words referred to, see Mat 17:22, Mat 17:23. The angel continues his speech as follows], aCome, bbehold, the place where they laid him! asee the place where the Lord lay. [Here is a double wonder, that men should put the Son of God in a grave, and that he should consent to be put there.] b7 But {a7 And} go quickly, and tell his disciples, [740] band Peter, aHe is risen from the dead; and lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: bas he said unto you. alo, I have told you. [The women were told to hasten, for the disciples were not to endure their sorrow a moment longer than was needful. Peter was mentioned by name that he might know that he was not cast off for his denial. The Lord appeared to some chosen few in Juda, but the large body of his disciples were to see him in Galilee; see Psa 16:10, Isa 53:10, and many other passages set forth the resurrection of our Lord; his own words, too, had plainly foretold it, yet among the disciples it was so much beyond all expectation that the prophecies had no meaning until made clear by the event itself. Yet these are the men whom the Jews accused of inventing the story of a resurrection!]
[FFG 739-742]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Matthew Chapter 28
I shall examine the details of the resurrection elsewhere Here I only consider its bearing in this Gospel. The sabbath ended (Saturday evening with us-chap. 28), the two Marys come to see the sepulchre. At this moment that was all they did. Mat 28:1-2 are not consecutive, Mat 28:2-4 go together. When the earthquake and its attendant circumstances took place, no one was there except the soldiers. At night all was secure. The disciples knew nothing of it in the morning. When the women arrived at dawn, the angel who sat at the door of the sepulchre re-assured them with the tidings of the Lords resurrection. The angel of the Lord had come down and opened the door of the tomb, which man had closed with every possible precaution. [90] They had in truth only guaranteed by unexceptionable witnesses the truth of the apostles preaching, by placing the soldiers there. The women, by their visit the evening before, and in the morning when the angel spoke to them, received a full assurance to faith of the fact of His resurrection. All that is presented here is the facts. The women had been there in the evening. The intervention of the angel certified to the soldiers the true character of His coming forth from the tomb; and the visit of the women in the morning established the fact of His resurrection as an object of faith to themselves. They go and announce it to the disciples, who-so far from having done that which the Jews imputed to them-did not even believe the assertions of the women. Jesus Himself appears to the women who were returning from the sepulchre, having believed the words of the angel.
As I have already said, Jesus connects Himself with His former work among the poor of the flock, afar from the seat of Jewish tradition, and from the temple, and from all that linked the people with God according to the old covenant. He appoints His disciples to meet Him there, and there they find Him and recognise Him; and it is there, in this former scene of the labours of Christ, according to Isa 8:1-22; Isa 9:1-21, that they receive their commission from Him. Hence we have not the ascension of Christ at all in this Gospel, but all power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth, and accordingly the commission given to His disciples extends to all nations (Gentiles). To them they were to proclaim His rights, and make disciples of them.
It was not however the name of the Lord only, nor in connection with His throne at Jerusalem. Lord of heaven and earth, His disciples were to proclaim Him throughout all nations, founding their doctrine on the confession of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. They were to teach, not the law, but the precepts of Jesus. He would be with them, with the disciples who thus confessed Him, unto the end of the age. It is this which connects all that will be accomplished until Christ sits upon the great white throne with the testimony that He Himself rendered on the earth in the midst of Israel. It is the testimony of the kingdom, and of its Head, once rejected by a people that knew Him not. It links the testimony to the nations with a remnant in Israel owning Jesus as Messiah but now risen from the dead, as He had said, but not to a Christ known as ascended on high. Nor does it present Jesus alone, nor Jehovah, as any longer the subject of testimony, but the revelation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as the holy name by which the nations were connected with God.
Footnotes for Matthew Chapter 28
90: But I apprehend the Lord Jesus had left the tomb before the stone was rolled away; that was for mortal eyes.
Fuente: John Darby’s Synopsis of the New Testament
THE WOMEN GO TO THE SEPULCHER
Mat 28:1. And at the end of the Sabbath, at the dawn, toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulcher. Mar 16:2-4. And it being exceedingly early, on the first day of the week, they are coming to the tomb, the sun approaching the horizon. And they were saying to one another, Who shall roll for us the stone away from the door of the sepulcher? And looking up, they see that the stone has already been rolled away; for it was exceedingly great.
Luk 24:1-3 : And on the first day of the week, at the depth of the dawn, they came to the sepulcher, bearing the aromatics which they prepared, and certain ones along with them. And they found that the stone had been rolled away from the sepulcher; and coming in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Joh 20:1-2 : On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene comes to the sepulcher early in the morning, it being yet dark, and sees that the stone has been rolled away from the sepulcher. The reason why on this item I quote all of the writers is because of the infidel criticism that has been concentrated upon this important point of the inspired history, vigorous efforts having been made to establish disharmony among the four historians. You see there is none, the E. V. translation of Mark, representing them as coming at sunrise, being here corrected, the Greek simply meaning, the sun approaching the horizon, and, as you see, perfectly harmonizing with Matthew, at the dawn, toward the first day of the week, Luke, at the depth of the dawn, and John, early in the morning, it being yet dark.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
The history and evidences of our Saviours resurrection, being of infinite importance, are reserved to the last chapter of St. John.
Mat 28:1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week. , towards the first of sabbaths. The Vulgate Latin reads the same: in prima sabbati. Calvin also says, Le premier des sabbaths. See Luk 24:1. These readings intimate that the sabbath, or first day, was appointed by the Lord himself, as the day of joyful repose in commemoration of his resurrection, when he began his new creation. The stone which the builders had rejected, being now made the head of the corner, the church were commanded to sing, The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly; the right hand of the Lord bringeth wonderful things to pass. This is the day, the new sabbath, that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118. See additional remarks on Deuteronomy 5.
Mary Magdalene was a native of Galilee, because when Jesus went through the cities and villages of that district, he found her there. Luk 8:2. She was a demoniac, whom the Lord healed. Mar 16:9. She was also a woman of property, who in conjunction with the richer women among Christs disciples, made an offering out of their property. Cardinal Baronius thinks, she was Mary, sister of Lazarus, and called Magdalene from the word Magdala, a plaiter of hair, like other harlots. He thinks so, because otherwise this sister of Lazarus is not mentioned at all in the resurrection. But that is not likely, because the sister of Lazarus is mentioned as supping with Christ and her brother in Simons house, who was a nobleman, and had been a leper. It is also highly probable that she would sleep at Bethany in her own house. Hence others are of opinion, that Mary Magdalene received this surname from Magdala, a town on the sea of Galilee, for surnames are mostly derived from places.
It is however the piety of this woman, recorded in the scriptures to encourage sinners in turning to God, with which we are chiefly concerned. After her conversion she was more distinguished for piety, than before she had been for sin. Her piety was constant, for she followed the Lord to the end of his abode on earth, and we believe to a high throne of glory. She loved much, having much forgiven, for it is highly probable that her affliction had been a punishment for her pride and wickedness. She was liberal, and devoted her savings from worldly extravagances to God and the poor. She loved the Lord as much after he was crucified as she had done when the multitudes adored him; for true love does not abate when Christ is degraded and persecuted in his members by the wicked. She was more distressed for Christ than the others. She hallowed and adored him in her heart. The more reverend of the scribes only called him master: so did some of the disciples till they were confirmed in his Godhead. But Mary, whose soul flowed in sorrows, said, They have taken away MY LORD. Lastly, she was honoured above others, being made the first witness of his resurrection. Oh astonishing grace, grace unmerited and free!
Oh sinner, great and grievous sinner: oh woman of pride, and of every lascivious habit: yea thou, oh woman, who hast a front for a British theatre, and who conformest thy life to the manners of the great, here is a model for thee; and here is grace in Christ to make thee as great a saint as thou art now a sinner. Here is love divine to cover all thy shame, to restore thy soul to the perfection of love, to ennoble thy person, and to raise thee to an immortal throne. Now take thy choice between Christ and the world; but take it now, for the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, when the proud, yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble; it shall burn them up, and leave them neither root nor branch, saith the Lord of hosts. These words were addressed to the two women here named. St. Luke adds, Johanna, and other women with them, who had come up from Galilee to the passover.
Mat 28:3. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. The women saw the angel; they saw his face, and the whiteness of his robes. They heard his voice, his gracious words to calm and compose their minds. They received the angels commands
Mat 28:5. Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. While the angel of the Lord struck the bold Romans with terror, and spared their lives but to strike greater terror into the guilty council, he turned a smiling aspect towards the pious women, and said, Fear not ye. These words may most aptly be improved to encourage and comfort penitent souls who seek the crucified Redeemer. The law appears with a terrific aspect, and menaces the guilty with death. But justice, losing her sternness in the smiles of mercy, addresses the sincerely penitent in all the promises of grace. Let us therefore gather a few hints from the case of these pious women. They saw the haste in which the Lord was interred, but they knew not of Nicodemuss hundred pounds weight of gum, cassia, and myrrh, nor of the guards around the sepulchre. They came in simplicity and sincerity to do the offices of decency for the dead. Let us see that we likewise be sincere and pious in our approaches to the Lord.
They sought him with sadness and with tears. Let all penitents likewise review their sins, and study their case till their hearts are deeply impressed, and till tears freely flow for sin.
They sought him while it was yet dark; but after walking through the streets, and reaching Calvary, the sun was just risen. Come gracious soul, come with all thy ignorance and darkness of mind; come and look into the Saviours sepulchre, and the sun of righteousness shall arise upon thee with healing in his wings.
They sought him with many fears: but fear not ye, said the angel. And aye, how many fears and scruples have seekers still. Their case is too bad, their sins are too many to be pardoned. They shall never find the Lord. But a voice says, fear not ye. Go on, go on, and the Lord will be better to you than all your fears.
They sought him with embarrassment, who shall roll us away the stone? Ah, these difficulties. This stony heart, this unbelief. Go on, go on, again I say, and on approaching Christ, all these impediments shall be rolled away.
They sought him with balmy spices. Come, oh woman, with thy sighs, thy prayers, thy tears; and the angel of the covenant shall present them, with all the fruits of thy repentance, as incense to the Father. Come, oh come, all ye weeping company, and you shall find the Saviour, not in the sepulchre, not in the hands of his enemies, but at the Fathers right hand, able to anoint and comfort you. Come weeping soul for a pardon, and you shall return with joyful tidings to your brethren.
Mat 28:7. Go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen. The balm of gospel comfort for the wounded mind must not be deferred. The women were commanded to remind the disconsolate disciples of the Saviours promise at the last supper, Mat 26:32, that after his resurrection he would meet them in Galilee; yet their words seemed as mere reveries.
Mat 28:9. Jesus met them, saying, all hail. This is a Gothic salutation of peace, health, and joy. The Greek is as in Luk 1:28. , rejoice. The word is rarely used now, except in poetry: it is of frequent occurrence in Dr. Beatties minstrel, and in Macphersons Homer.
Mat 28:16. Then the eleven went away into a mountain. St. Paul says, that the number of brethren assembled there was about five hundred. The brief way in which Matthew names this, and all the other appearances, proves that he regarded this appearance, as the grand seal of truth and joy to the church. But some, for time, doubted, and resisted the testimony of those that had seen him; others were afraid, and indeed terrified, till composed and encouraged by the Saviour. He chose the saints to confess him, and imposed silence on demons.
Mat 28:18. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. As Mediator, all judgment was committed to the Son. Therefore he spake like himself, and sent forth his servants as the plenipotentiaries of heaven. He allowed them not to ask leave of kings, whether they should declare his gospel in their territories; that would have been to make earthly princes greater than their heavenly Lord. He clothed them, as in Mark 16., with celestial powers, to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to take up serpents, and fortified them against all the deadly effects of poisonous draughts.
Mat 28:19. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations. Whatever I have said in private conversations, or in the public ministry, that proclaim as from the house-top. He that heareth your sayings, heareth mine. Unfold all the grace of ordinances, and all the cares of discipline, that with an enlightened mind and a willing heart, they may come to baptism, and make an open profession of my name. These words, as joined with others spoken at this time, mark the sovereignty of Christ in heaven to confer the power; and the sovereignty of Christ on earth to remove the sentence of darkness from the gentiles.
Baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Philosophy, now offered to us as a substitute for the bible, has no hidingplace here. De Rossi can find no variations in manuscripts reputed ancient. The three hypostases or triune nature of Deity is here declared. The true sense of the Elohim, as in the prophets, shines out. Christ is the Son of God; the Word, the Wisdom, the arm or power of Jehovah. The Spirit is the breath of his mouth. Psa 33:6; Psa 110:1. Pro 8:22; Pro 30:4. Isaiah 49, 63. The Saviour declares his omnipresence and eternity, when he adds, Lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world. As to the nature of baptism, and designations of the ordinance, Matthew Poole speaks thus.
(1) It distinguishes the professors of christianity from the heathen world.
(2) It is an introduction into the church, and by consequence a privilege.
(3) It is a seal of the divine truth of the covenant, or the promises. Rom 4:11. See Dr. Wall on Infant Baptism.
On the practice of baptism, this author also adds, that children are included in the covenant, being part of their parents, as Levi paid tithes in the loins of Abraham. Genesis 17. It was always the practice of the jews to baptize the children of heathen parents, and the gentiles devoted their children to idols by lustrations.
Irenus speaking of Christ, says, As he was a master, he had also the age of a master, not disdaining, nor walking in a higher path than human nature, nor violating in his own person the laws prescribed to mankind, but hallowed all its ages by the resemblance they have to himself; for he came to save all persons by himself. By all, I mean all who are by him regenerated to God; viz. infants, little ones, children, youths, and aged persons. Therefore he passed the several ages; for infants, he was made an infant, sanctifying infancy. For little ones, he was made a little one, sanctifying those of early age, by giving them an example of piety, justice, and filial obedience. To young men, he was the pattern of youth, finishing his course in the meridian of his days.
The whole of this parting scene is full of grace, full of majesty, and of celestial glory. See more on Mar 16:15.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Mat 28:1-10. The Empty Tomb (Mar 16:1-8*, Luk 24:1-12).Mt. is here not so close to Mk., except in Mat 28:5-7. The note of time in Mat 28:1 is not clear; the Sab bath would end at sunset on Saturday.began to dawn ought perhaps to be rendered drew on (cf. Luk 23:54* and mg.). In this case Mt. describes a resurrection on Saturday evening. (See Allen, Comm. on Mk., pp. 188190.) He mentions only the two Maries (omitting Salome), and says nothing about their desire to anoint the body: the sealed and guarded tomb prevented this. None of the Gospels record the actual exit of Jesus, and it is not clear whether Mt. means us to understand that the earthquake and the angel came before or simultaneously with the women. Became as dead men (Mat 28:4)=fainted. Mat 28:9 f. is peculiar to Mt., though there is a link with Joh 20:17, where we should render Do not keep clinging to me. There is a certain redundancy in these verses after Mat 28:5-7.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
The Sabbath coming to an end, the two Mary’s arrive at the grave early in the morning. Some have thought that Mary Magdalene came twice, though this does not seem clear, except that she evidently returned after she told Peter and John of the absence of the Lord’s body (Joh 20:1-11). It is difficult to determine how the four accounts of the Gospel writers fit together in place, and the writer is not aware of any satisfactory explanation of this. But we know that each account is inspired of God and perfectly true: to value each in its place is our wisdom.
Another earthquake, a great one, takes place at this time, and accompanied by it the descent of an angel from heaven, who rolled the stone from the entrance to the grave and sat on it. The resurrection of the Lord is not to be a secret, but a plainly demonstrated matter. The dazzling appearance of the angel caused the soldiers to shake with fright, and to be paralysed into utter inaction, as dead men.
But his message brings great joy to the women. Jesus who was crucified is not there: He is risen, according to His own previous words. They are invited to see for themselves where His body had been laid, and told to go quickly with information for His disciples. The angel repeats what the Lord had told them before, that He would go before them into Galilee after His resurrection (Ch.26:32), indicating that Jerusalem would still not receive Him, and in resurrection the testimony of Christ would be that of a remnant character, rather than His great glory as Messiah manifested; for this must await a future day.
As they go they are given the greater joy of being met by the Lord Jesus Himself. Holding Him by the feet, they worship Him. Calming their fears, He instructs them to tell His brethren to go into Galilee, where they will see Him. The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes this matter.
Now some of the watch, who had witnessed the angel’s descent and the rolling away of the stone, inform the chief priests of these startling events, including the absence of the body of the Lord Jesus. Rather than fearing before God, however, they assemble with the elders and brazenly concoct the deceitful plan to highly bribe the soldiers to lie about the matter. Was it likely that all four soldiers would be so soundly sleeping that none would be aware of the disciples breaking a seal and rolling a heavy stone away? Also, if they were asleep, how did they know that the disciples had come at all, or how His body was removed from the grave?
Of course the chief priests were well aware that if a guard slept at the post of duty, this was an offence punishable by death. For this reason they promised that they would intercede with the governor if he heard that they were sleeping. Such was the sense of honour among these highly religious men! The guards, forgetful of their previous fear of the angel , are influenced by their greed for money to brazenly lie, so that to the day of Matthew’s writing, this falsehood was accepted commonly among the people. Yet any honest person could certainly have seen through this whole fabrication of lies. Still, if a man likes a lie he will gladly accept it without question.
More than a week intervenes before verse 16. Matthew says nothing of the personal appearances of the Lord to Mary Magdalene (Joh 20:11-17), the two Emmaus disciples (Luk 24:13-31 ), or Peter ( Luk 24:34) ; nor of His appearing in the upper room that same day, nor a week later (Joh 20:19; Joh 20:26). Though writing from a Jewish point of view, Matthew does not flatter the pride of the Jews, but again speaks of the disciples going into Galilee, where they met the Lord Jesus. Joh 21:1-22 speaks of this. 1Co 15:6 may also refer to this time when five hundred brethren saw Him at once. Seeing Him there the eleven worshiped Him, but some doubted, evidently of other Galilean disciples; for there were certainly no doubts remaining on the part of the eleven after seeing Him at least twice in the upper room in Jerusalem, where He appeared to them.
His words in Matthew are different then in the other Gospels in commissioning them for service. Here He speaks of all authority being given Him in heaven and earth, consistent with His kingly dignity. Having taken the lowliest place in suffering and death, He is rewarded with absolute authority over the universe. He therefore authorizes them to make disciples (see margin) of all nations. This is not the Gospel from Luke’s point of view, where repentance and remission of sins is emphasized (Luk 24:47, nor as Mark speaks of it (Mar 16:15-18; but from the viewpoint of the kingdom.
Connected with this viewpoint is, first baptism, the outward sign of discipleship into the kingdom; and secondly, teaching. The Lord speaks in Matthew l6:19 of giving Peter the key of the kingdom of heaven; and in Luk 11:52 He refers to” the key of knowledge” which the Pharisees had taken away from the people. The teaching of the truth of the word of God then is one of the. keys, while baptism appears plainly to be the other key. Both of these Peter used in opening the door of the kingdom to Jews (Act 2:1-47) and to Gentiles (Act 10:1-48). The Lord clearly gives the formula for baptism here as being” in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This is not set aside by the fact of the disciples’ baptizing “unto the name of the Lord Jesus” (Act 2:38; Act 19:5), for this latter expression, though it emphasizes the importance of the name of the Lord Jesus, does not necessarily imply the formula that was used while the Lord’s formula (“in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”) would by all means include what is expressed in Acts.
To make disciples then involves baptizing and teaching them to observe all things that the Lord has commanded. Now the Lord Jesus finally accompanies this authorization with the assurance of His presence with His disciples always, to the end of the age. This implies His authoritative power among His people in the present form of the kingdom of heaven, and it remains a precious encouragement for ourselves, in spite of the degenerated state of the kingdom today. In bodily form of course the King is absent, yet faith is to recognize the reality of His wisely directing authority just as though He were visibly present. By the power of the Spirit of God who indwells the saints of God since Pentecost, it is a very real sense in which the Lord Jesus is present with us always; but only faith realizes and responds to this.
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
Verse 1
As it began to dawn; that is, as it was growing light, for Mark 16:2 says that it was about sunrise;–unless, in fact, there were two several parties to the sepulchre, as has sometimes been supposed. There were several others besides the two named here, who visited the sepulchre. (Luke 24:10.) They went to anoint the body. They had never understood the predictions which the Savior had uttered respecting his resurrection.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
CHAPTER 28
In the evening of the Sabbath (Vulg.), as the first day of the week was dawning, &c. How could it be called evening if day was dawning, or even if, as S. Mark says, the sun were risen? Firstly, S. Jerome answers that these women had gone forth frequently to the sepulchre, both in the evening and in the morning, so that the Evangelists refer to different occasions of their going forth.
Secondly, S. Ambrose thinks that they were different women who went out in the evening and in the morning. So Nyssen (Orat. 2, on the Resurrection) thinks that the women went four times to the sepulchre. But it is clear to any one who compares the different accounts, that the Evangelists speak of the same visit made by the same women to the sepulchre of Christ.
Thirdly, Baronius by the evening understands the star of Venus, which is called Lucifer, so that the meaning will be, “When Lucifer was risen in the morning before the sun, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre of Christ.” But this star is not denoted by the Greek word , or by the Latin word Vespere.
I say, therefore, that by the evening of the Sabbath is signified the night which followed the Sabbath. That it was so clear, first, from S. Mark, who says, and when the Sabbath was passed; secondly, because S. Matthew is wont to sum up many things in a few words. Accordingly, he here sums up the time when the women came together and made preparations for visiting and anointing Christ, which was in the evening, or immediately the Sabbath was passed; and he also wished to indicate the time when they came to the sepulchre, which was at the dawn of the Lord’s day. For this is what S. Luke says (chap. xxiii. 56), “And they returned (after Christ had been buried), and prepared spices and ointments, and rested on the Sabbath day, according to the commandment; and on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared.” And S. Mar 16:1 says, “When the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre.” Mark is generally the interpreter of Matthew. S. Augustine says, “Thus, on the evening of the Sabbath is just the same as if he had said on the night of the Sabbath, that is, 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 signified 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. For the end of the first part of the night is the beginning of the second; and the dawn is the end of the whole night. Whence the evening could not be said to dawn towards the first day of the week, unless by the word evening the night itself is understood, which is concluded by the dawn.
Matthew, therefore, declares that these women had prepared ointments at night, but came to the sepulchre at the rising of the dawn, as Luke, John, and Mark say. But John adds that they came early in the morning, while it was yet dark. I answer, That also is true, because it was dawn, since the sun not having yet appeared, but only his rays reflected from the hills or clouds, there still remained a measure of darkness in the air.
Peter Chrysologus, in a sermon on the resurrection, gives another symbolical reason. “According to nature,” he says, “it was dark, and yet it is said that the sun had risen, because on that day the sun, rejoicing as it were at the resurrection of Christ, rose before the wonted time.” Remigius agrees with Chrysologus, “The dignity of that night is declared, for according to the course of nature evening does not dawn towards day, but darkness towards night; but the Lord by the light of His resurrection made the whole of that night joyful and brilliant.”
It is clear that these women came to the sepulchre early in the morning; for their love for Christ urged them on to hasten to this, and anticipate the day; and also their fear of the Jews, lest if they had come by daylight, and had been seen by the Jews, who were hostile to Him, they should have been ill-treated by them.
Further, Matthew here only mentions directly the time of the coming of the women to the sepulchre, yet he indirectly signifies also the time at which Christ rose, namely, in the early morning, a little before the arrival of the women, according to the common opinion of the Doctors and the Church, which S. Jerome and S. Augustine prove from Psa 56:9, I will awake early.
The general sense, then, is, that Christ rose after the middle of the night before sunrise on the Lord’s day, for otherwise He would have been found dead by the women; and as He was born at the same time thirty-three years before of the Blessed Virgin, so now He was born again through the resurrection, that He might as a new Sun of Righteousness shine upon the world. Whence also in former times, Christians, after the middle of the night on the day of the Passover, broke of their fast and keeping of vigil, and began to rejoice greatly.
Further, Christ does not seem to have risen immediately after the middle of the night. For Mark more exactly says that Christ rose early in the morning. And most of the Fathers teach this, whom Suarez quotes (3. p. disp. 46, sect. 2), and the Church in the Paschal hymn, Aurora lucis.
On the first day of the week. That is, on the first day after the Sabbath, on the Lord’s day; about the religious observance of which day S. Augustine thus writes (Serm. 251, de Temp.), “The Apostles and apostolic men appointed that day to be observed with holy solemnity, because on it our Redeemer rose from the dead; and it is called on that account the Lord’s day, that abstaining on it from earthly works, we may devote ourselves only to the study of divine things, giving to this day honour and reverence, on account of the hope of our resurrection, which we have in it. For, as the Lord rose from the dead, so also we hope that we shall rise.”
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. That is, the wife of Cleophas and mother of James. These were the leaders and standard-bearers of the rest who were wont to follow Christ; for that there were several others is clear from Luk 23:55, where, among others, he names Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward: and Mark adds Salome. The Blessed Virgin Mother of God did not come with them, because she certainly knew and expected that Christ would rise on that same day; whence she knew that the anointing would be useless.
Morally: Learn from this that Christ reveals Himself and His grace and glory to those souls who hasten to anoint Him with the good works of prayer, penance, and charity. Whence S. Gregory (Hom. 21) says, “Those women who came with spices see the angels; and so those souls behold the heavenly citizens who, with the sweet odours of their virtues, approach the Lord in holy desires.”
To see the sepulchre. It is very probable that they were ignorant of the watch of the soldiers that had been posted by the Jews at the sepulchre, and also of the sealing. For if they had known of these two things, they would not have dared to come to the sepulchre, lest they should fall into the hands of the watch, much less to break the seal. But God removed both of these hindrances out of their way. Hence learn courageously to undertake works for the glory of God, and certainly to trust that God will either remove, or cause us to surmount, all hindrances that lie in our way.
Mystically: Bede (on Luk 24:1.) says, “By the women coming early in the morning to the sepulchre, we have an example given to us, that, having cast away the darkness of our vices, we should come to the body of the Lord. For that sepulchre also bore the figure of the altar of the Lord, wherein the mysteries of Christ’s body, not in silk or purple cloth, but in pure white linen, like that in which Joseph wrapped it, ought to be consecrated, that as He offered up to death for us the true substance of His earthly nature, so we also, in commemoration of Him, should place on the altar the flax, pure from the plant of the earth, and white, and in many ways refined by a kind of crushing to death. But the spices which the women bring signify the odour of virtue and the sweetness of prayers, by which we ought to approach the latter.”
The following was the order of events:-First, Christ was in His Passion during about eighteen hours. For on the Thursday, towards evening, He ate the lamb, He washed the disciples’ feet, He instituted the Eucharist, and held a long discourse on love, and at last proceeded to Gethsemane; all which things would easily take up three hours. Wherefore, about the third hour of his death in Gethsemane, He began to be sorrowful, and to pray that the cup might pass from Him. Hence, if you reckon all the hours up to the third hour in the afternoon of Friday, when Christ died, you will find eighteen hours; so that you may learn, according to the moral meaning, how short is the time of the suffering of Christ and of Christians, and how long the time of resurrection and of glory, for it is eternal. So bountiful is God, so brief is the suffering, so long the reward and the glory.
Secondly, Christ dying at the third hour in the afternoon, immediately as to His soul went down into hell; but His body was taken down from the Cross, and washed and wrapped in linen, so that He was buried before night, for it was the night of the Sabbath, on which the Jews must rest from all work. Wherefore He was in hell about thirty-six hours (but in the sepulchre thirty-three).
Thirdly, Christ, as soon as He appeared in hell, that is, in Limbus, showed to Adam and Abraham and the rest of the fathers and prophets, not only His soul, but also His Deity united to it. Wherefore He gladdened them with the vision of His divinity; then, too, did hell become like heaven. Whence He said to the robber who was about to go to Him in Limbus, To-day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.
Fourthly, About the ninth hour of the night of the Lord’s day, Christ, having passed forth from hell with the fathers, came to the sepulchre, and there He showed them His body, livid, blood-stained, and torn for them; and presently cleansing His body from all lividness, blood, and ointment, and again sending angels (though some are of opinion that all these things were done not by angels, but by the soul of Christ itself, which had this power through the hypostatic union with the Word) to gather up the blood which had been scattered by the scourging; and after it had been gathered up, He again infused it into the veins of His body, which the glorious soul of Christ entered, and uniting to itself, animated and glorified.
Fifthly, To many of the fathers, as Abraham and others, He restored their bodies, that He might make them sharers of His resurrection and glory, and witnesses of it to the Jews, as is clear from Mat 27:53.
Sixthly, Christ, when He rose, passed through the stone that covered the sepulchre. Soon afterwards the angel descended and caused an earthquake, and removed the stone from the sepulchre that He might arouse the watch, and open a way for the women to the sepulchre.
Seventhly, He appeared in glory to the Blessed Virgin, His mother, and showed the Patriarchs to her, who all saluted her, and were filled with great joy. Then He appeared to Mary Magdalene, who had stayed near the sepulchre.
Tropologically: Learn here how religiously we ought to venerate and adorn the tombs and relics of Christ, the Martyrs, and other Saints. “The bodies of the just,” says S. Augustine, “are not to be thought meanly of, which the Holy Spirit used as organs and vessels for all good works.”
And, behold, there was a great earthquake, &c. Firstly, By it was signified the power, magnificence, and glory of Christ in His resurrection as God. For by an earthquake God made known His presence on Sinai and elsewhere.
Secondly, That the women might recognise the angel not only from his glorious appearance, but from this earthquake, and might more easily believe the resurrection of Christ proclaimed by the angel; especially because by means of the earthquake he rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, that the women might enter, and seeing it empty, might know that Christ was risen.
Symbolically: The earth which trembled with horror at the death of Christ, as it were leaped with joy at the resurrection.
For the angel, &c. Franciscus Lucas and others are of opinion that this angel was Gabriel, who, according to the meaning of his name, is the minister of the power of God. It is not to be doubted that other angels were present with him, and guarded the sepulchre during the three days, and adored the sacred body of Christ lying in it, as being hypostatically united to the Deity.
Further, the angel appeared in the form of a young man, as Mark says, first, because youth is a sign of the never-failing vigour and strength of the angels. Secondly, because the angel represented Christ, who was a young man; for He died and rose again in the thirty-fourth year of His age. Thirdly, his youth showed that he was strong and warlike, ready to fight against the watch. Lastly, youth represents beauty, immortality, activity, and the glory of the glorious body which Christ had assumed in the resurrection.
And rolled away the stone, of the sepulchre of Christ. Not that He might rise out of it, for He had already risen while the sepulchre was closed, but that he might show to the women that Christ their God and Lord had already risen. Opening to them a way to the sepulchre, he showed it to them empty of the body of Christ. For as Christ was born from the closed womb of the Virgin, so also He rose from the closed sepulchre.
S. Augustine (Serm. 138, de Temp.) says, “The unbelieving Jews set a seal on the stone of the sepulchre that Christ might not come forth. But how would it be impossible for Him to come forth from the sepulchre who had come forth from the pure womb of His mother, her virginity being preserved? He escaped the notice of the guards; He leaped forth from the sepulchre; He appeared to the disciples when the doors were shut: from the one place He came forth when He was shut in; into the other He entered when He was shut out.” So Euthymius, Chrysostom, &c. S. Leo, in his 83rd epistle to the monks of Palestine, says that the stone being rolled back, Christ rose again on the third day, and that the rolling back of the stone was not the cause, but the sign and the proof that the resurrection of Christ was not in appearance only, but real.
We may gather, hence, in opposition to Calvin, that by the same power of God, whole Christ can be obtained under a small host. For if Christ in passing through the stone of the sepulchre could occupy the same place as the stone, therefore in the same host there can be at the same time the great and several members of Christ. The Calvinists, in order to evade this argument, answer that the stone being softened like wax melted away, and so opened a way for Christ as He rose. But this is an absurd figment of theirs, and altogether opposed to the consent of the Fathers, the Doctors, and the Church.
Some think that there were two stones to the sepulchre, the first on the outside, which closed the outer entrance of the sepulchre; the second on the inside, which protected the sepulchre itself. But the Evangelists make mention of only one stone. Chrysologus (Serm. 74) says truly, “The rolling to of the stone was a proof of death; the rolling back of it asserted the resurrection.” And Severian in the Catena says, “He says not ‘rolled,’ but ‘rolled back’ the stone; because the stone rolled to was a proof of death, and the rolling of 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; it receives a dead, and renders up a living man.”
Samson was a type of this, who having entered Gaza, and being besieged by the Philistines, rose up in the middle of the night and carried away the gates to the top of a mountain; because, as S. Gregory (Hom. 21) explains, “our Redeemer rising before it was light, not only came forth free from hell, but destroyed also the bars of hell. He carried away its gates, and ascended to the top of the mountain; for by rising again He carried away the bars of hell, and by ascending He entered the Kingdom of Heaven.”
And sat upon it. Not as if wearied with the labour of removing the stone, but to show, first, that it was he who had rolled away the stone. Secondly, to protect the women against the watch. Thirdly, that he was the guardian of the sepulchre of the Lord, says S. Jerome, so that no one seeing it empty might bring in another dead body, and say that Christ had not risen. Fourthly, that he might terrify the soldiers.
S. Thomas assigns symbolical reasons for the sitting of the angel. “He sat, though he was not weary, as teacher of the faith, as master of the resurrection. The angel laid upon the stone the foundations of the faith upon which Christ was going to found His Church. Or by the stone may be designated death, by which all men were oppressed: by the angel sitting upon the stone it is therefore signified that Christ subdued death by His own power.” And Bede also says, “The angel sat, to show that now He had overcome him who had the power of death; He had mounted the throne of the everlasting kingdom. He sat upon the stone that had been rolled back, wherewith the mouth of the sepulchre had been closed, to teach that by His power He had burst the bars of hell.”
You will say, How do Matthew and Mark say that the angel sat, when Luke says that he stood? I answer, that by a Hebraism, to stand is a term applicable to any position; for it only signifies that a thing is present, whether standing upright, or sitting, or lying. Then, also, the account given by Matthew and Mark is a different one from that given by Luke, as I shall presently show.
You will say, secondly, How does Matthew say that the angel sat upon the stone rolled back, that is, outside the sepulchre, when Mark says that the women saw the angel not outside, but on entering into the tomb? I answer, that the angel first removed the stone which closed the sepulchre, and then terrified the watch who were outside, and drove them away, so that they might not hinder the women from approaching the sepulchre; then, that he entered the sepulchre itself, and was there seen by the women, that he might show them the empty sepulchre, and that Christ had risen. Whence he says, “He is risen, as He said; come, see the place where the Lord lay.” So Theophylact. Or, rather, the angel of whom Matthew speaks was a different one from that of whom Mark speaks. So Barradius.
But I maintain that the same angel is spoken of by Mark as by Matthew. For Mark is generally the interpreter of Matthew. Wherefore, what Mark says about their entering into the tomb is to be understand thus, when they were preparing or beginning to enter the tomb; for they had not yet entered it, but were still outside, and there they saw and heard the angel, as Matthew has it. For to enter signifies, here and elsewhere, an act begun and not finished.
And his countenance was like lightning, &c. First, because lightning is akin to, and best represents the nature and properties of angels. For lightning is most brilliant, swift, and powerful. For this reason it is spoken of the cherubim who accompany the chariot of God (Eze 1:14), “They ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.” And the Psa 104:4 Psalm, quoted by Paul, Heb 1:7, “Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.”
Secondly, lightning signifies the glory of the angels, which shines with the lightning of divine knowledge. Again, lightning signifies the glory of Christ rising; for the body of Christ shone with glory like lightning. For angels, when they appear, appear in that manner which is in agreement with the matter on account of which they appear. Since, therefore, this angel appears to represent the glorious resurrection of Christ, His countenance therefore was like lightning. For lightning best represents the four properties of the glorious body of Christ and of the blessed, namely, brightness, impassibility, subtlety, and agility. “For by the resurrection of Christ,” says S. Leo, “weakness has been changed into strength, mortality into immortality, and shame into glory.”
Thirdly, Lightning represents the zeal and the anger of the angel against the impious Jews and soldiers, who wished to hinder the resurrection of Christ. Whence to them only he appeared shooting forth lightning, as if he were going to spring upon them; but for the women he tempered this lightning, and showed to them a countenance glorious indeed, but mild. For the Blessed appear to different persons with such appearance and form as they will; wherefore to the women he appeared only clothed with a white robe, as Mark says (Mar 16:3). Listen to what S. Gregory says (Hom. 21, in Evang.), “In lightning is terror, but in snow is a tempered brightness; and because Almighty God is terrible to sinners and mild to the righteous, so the angel, who is a witness of His resurrection, is rightly shown with a countenance like lightning and with raiment like snow, that by his appearance he might terrify the wicked and comfort the good.”
Tropologically: Holy and angelic preacher’s may be like thunder and lightnings, by which the vices of enemies are destroyed. So John and James are called by Christ Boanerges-that is, sons or thunder, thundering and lightning against impiety and impious men.
Anagogically: Lightning represents the fire of Gehenna, prepared for the impious Jews and the soldiers, because lightnings are sulphurous, and smell of fire and sulphur, and Gehenna burns with fire and sulphur.
And his raiment was like snow. Pure and white. This brightness signifies, first, the purity, innocence, and chastity of the angels; secondly, the joy and glory of the resurrection of Christ.
Ver. 4. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. That is, they were astonished and stupefied like the dead, as S. Jerome says. For they feared lest they should be blasted, as it were, and killed by lightning. If the angel only by the lightning glance of his countenance so struck and terrified the soldiers, what would he have done if he had laid his hands on them? For one angel slew in one night 185,000 soldiers in the camp of Sennacherib.
Ver. 5. And the angel answered, &c. You will say, How is it that Matthew and Mark speak only of one angel as seen by the women, when Luke affirms that two were seen, who comforted the women with different words from those which Matthew and Mark have? I answer that the account of Luke is different from that of Matthew, and that he relates what happened later, as I shall hereafter show.
The women. Namely, the Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and the rest (see Luk 24:10). Those are mistaken, therefore, who think that Magdalene, after she had seen the empty sepulchre, immediately ran back to tell the Apostles, without seeing the angels, and that they were only seen by Mary the mother of James and the rest. John, therefore (Joh 20:1), while he mentions Magdalene only, with her understands all the rest of her companions; for she was the leader and chief of them all. Eve conversing with the devil incurred death; but these conversing with the angel found life. Sorceresses and witches are like Eve, who, conversing with the devil, drink in death; but penitents are like Magdalene, who, invoking angels, obtain life.
Fear not ye. “The word ye,” says S. Chrysostom, “carries with it much honour, and at the same time declares that those who had dared to commit that great crime would, unless they should repent, suffer extreme punishment. For it is not, he says, for you to fear, but for those who crucified Him.”
For I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. The word “for” gives the reason why they ought not to fear the sight of the angel, but to rejoice and be glad, because they both love and worship Jesus which was crucified, and minister to and serve Him.
He expressly says “crucified,” both to show that he is not ashamed of, but that he openly confesses the Cross and the Crucified, and that he is His servant, because the Cross is the highest honour and glory to Christ and to His followers, and also to signify the fruit of the Cross of Christ; because, says S. Chrysostom, it is the head and sum of blessings, and because by His Cross Christ redeemed not only the women and the rest of mankind, but also made the angels to rejoice, yea, even conferred grace and glory on them. And lastly, because by the Cross He reconciled angels to men, and Heaven to earth, “reconciling through the blood of the Cross both the things which are in earth and in Heaven,” as Paul Says (Col 1:20).
He is not here. “He is not here in His fleshly presence,” says S. Gregory; “and He is nowhere absent in the presence of His majesty.”
For He is risen. The Greek word is , which means, He has awaked from death, as it were from a short and light sleep, to light and life. For the death of Christ was like sleep, for He slept, as it were, in the sepulchre thirty-six hours. So also will it be with us. Wherefore, as sleep is a sort of brief death, so also death is a sort of longer sleep. Hence Paul (1 Cor. xv.) does not speak of those who have departed from life as dead, but as sleeping, because we shall all be awakened from the sleep of death, and shall arise again to life in the Day of Judgment.
Again, He has awaked as trees, which in winter having been, as it were, stripped and asleep, wake up in spring, when they begin to put forth leaves and flowers and fruit. So S. Jerome (on Mark 16) says, “The bitter root of the Cross has vanished; for the flower of life has burst forth with fruit-that is, He who lay in death has arisen in glory.” And in the same glory He will make His faithful ones to rise.
As He said. Christ, whom ye all esteemed as a holy and divine Prophet, foretold and promised that He would rise on the third day. Therefore believe that He has risen, for so great a Prophet could not lie; especially since ye now see that the body has departed from the sepulchre, and has risen, as I, who am an angel of the living and true God, most certainly affirm. He Himself foretold the same by David in the 15th Psalm, “Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption;” because, as S. Peter says (Acts ii. 24), “it was impossible that He should be holden of it.”
Moreover, Christ rose before He was anointed by the women, that He might show that He did not need that anointing, since He rose again by His own power. S. Bernard (Serm. 12, in Cant.) gives another moral reason,-because He would rather the price of this anointing should be given to the poor than to Himself.
Come. “Enter with me into the sepulchre; for your sake, that you may enter, I have removed the great stone.” See the place where the Lord lay. That by the beholding of it with your eyes, says S. Chrysostom, ye may see that His body is not here, but has risen from it, so that, “if ye believe not my words, ye may believe the empty sepulchre,” says S. Jerome. The angel therefore led the way, and as a guide introduced the women into the sepulchre, and showed it to them empty, that they might not doubt that Christ had risen from it.
Ver. 7. And go quickly, and tell His disciples, &c. Quickly-so that ye may quickly banish the sorrow of the disciples, caused by the death of Christ their Master, and cheer their sorrowful minds, and fill them with joy by the most joyful news of the resurrection of Christ. For the women deserved this favour above others, because above others in their devotion to Christ they had come to the sepulchre. S. Gregory (Hom. 25) gives a symbolical reason, “For because woman in Paradise ministered death to man, woman from the sepulchre announced life to men. As if the Lord were saying to mankind, not in words but by deeds, ‘From that same hand by which the potion of death was administered to you, receive ye the cup of life.'”
Tell His disciples. Mark adds, and Peter-that is, chiefly and before all, Peter, both because Peter in Christ’s absence was the first and Prince of the Apostles, and because Peter, as he loved Christ above the rest, so also above the rest he was mourning over His death. S. Gregory adds a third reason (Hom. 21, in Evang.), “If the angel had not expressly named him who had denied his Master, he would not have dared to come amongst the disciples; he is therefore called by name, lest he should despair on account of his denial. In which thing we have to consider why Almighty God permitted him to fear the words of a maid-servant, and to deny Himself, whom He had appointed to set over the whole Church, which thing we perceive to have been done by a dispensation of great goodness, in order that he who was to be the pastor of the whole Church might learn through his own fault how he ought to have compassion upon others.”
He goeth before you into Galilee. First, because Galilee was the native country of the Apostles, to which, after the death of Jesus, they were purposing to return, that they might live more safely among their own relations. Secondly, because in Galilee Christ willed to show Himself openly to all His assembled disciples. For the Jews would not have permitted them to assemble in Juda. Thirdly, because in Galilee Christ had for the most part preached, and had performed very many miracles.
Symbolically: S. Gregory (Hom. 21) says, “For Galilee means a passing over from death to life; for our Redeemer had already passed from His Passion to His resurrection, from death unto life. And He is seen first by His disciples after His resurrection in Galilee, because we shall have joy in seeing the glory of His resurrection, if only we pass over from vice to the heights of virtue. He, then, who is announced at the tomb is shown in passing over; because He who is first known in mortification of the flesh is seen in this passing over of the soul.” Yet Christ appeared to the Apostles in Juda also, but secretly; in Galilee publicly.
In the historical order of the events must be brought in here what Luke mentions (chap. xxiv. 3), namely, that Magdalene and her companions, while at the invitation of the angel they had entered the sepulchre and seen that it was empty, yet were affrighted; on account of which the angels cheered them, and at the same time gently reproved their want of faith. For that Luke’s account is not the same as that of Matthew and Mark, as some think, is clear from the words themselves, which are evidently different. Also, from the circumstance that in Luke two angels are said to have appeared, while in Matthew and Mark only one is mentioned.
Ver. 8. And they went out quickly, &c., with fear. That is, with a sacred trembling, which was caused by the sepulchre of Christ and the angels, and the resurrection of Christ announced by the angels to them, which came upon them in their sorrow for the death of Christ, and in their thoughts about anointing Him, as a thing not only unexpected but well-nigh incredible; wherefore a new fear was added, lest this vision of angels was only a phantom which deceived them, and lest the body of Jesus had been stolen.
And with great joy. Because they had seen the angels, and had received from them the joyful news of His resurrection. Their minds, therefore, were alternating between joy and fear. So S. Jerome says, “A twofold feeling possessed the minds of the women, fear and joy; fear at the greatness of the miracle, joy in their desire for Him that was risen.”
Tell His disciples. Matthew does not mention what they told; but John and Luke explain it, but in different ways. For John says that Magdalene only said to Peter, They have taken away my Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him. But Luke says that they related to the Apostles all the things they had seen and heard.
You will say, Whence this difference? I answer, It arises from the women being possessed with fear and doubt, and therefore they told no one anything by the way. And because they did not firmly and certainly believe that Christ had risen, they spoke alternating words, in accordance with the alternations of their thoughts; for at one time they speak of the vision of angels, at another they declare their opinion that the body of the Lord had been taken away.
At this point we must bring into the history what S. John relates (Joh 20:2-19).
Magdalene, then, was the first to see Christ, as Mark says. Afterwards, at the command of Christ, she hastened after the other women, and overtook them, and then with them again saw Christ, and heard His salutation. So SS. Chrysostom, Jerome, and others.
Ver. 9. And, behold, Jesus met them, &c. As after the courtiers follows the king, as after the priests the High Priest, so here after the angels follows Christ, and confirms His resurrection by showing Himself alive to the pious women. For it was His will that the angels should prepare the way for Him, to this end, both that they might more easily believe that He had risen, and that they might not be terrified, as they would have been if, without warning, He had unexpectedly shown Himself to them.
Met them. Because they were seeking Him with greater affection and desire than the men. For he who seeks Jesus with fervour finds Jesus lovingly coming to meet him, according to that saying, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find. So S. Jerome says, “They who thus desired, and who thus ran, merited to have their risen Lord come to meet them, and first to hear the word ‘Hail,’ that the curse of the woman Eve might be removed in these women.”
Tropologically: Rabanus says, “Jesus sometimes meets those who are entering on the path of virtue by helping them.” Moreover, Eve is to us the mother of perdition and of sorrow. But these women, instead of the word “Eva,” bear the word “Ave,” because they are the messengers of resurrection, salvation, and joy. Hence we sing to the Blessed Virgin, the mother of Christ, the queen of these women, the hymn “Ave Maris Stella,” &c.
Hail. In the Greek -that is, rejoice; in the Syriac, Peace be to you. For this is the proper salutation of the Hebrews, in which, under the name of peace, they pray for every blessing and every felicity. In the Arabic, Rejoice, because ye see your Master now alive again. So, after the example of Christ, blessed souls and angels, when they appear to men, cause joy; but demons, and the souls of the damned, cause sorrow, fear, and despair.
And they came and held Him by the feet. That is, with reverence and love for His majesty, and with joy at His glorious resurrection, they embraced and kissed His feet. So the Shunamite laid hold of Elisha’s feet, praying him to raise her dead son to life again. So the faithful embrace and kiss the feet of the Pope, and of men illustrious for their sanctity. Christ on this occasion allows Himself to be touched by the women, that He may prove to them that He is really risen, and make them witnesses and heralds of His resurrection. Whence S. Chrysostom says, “When with great joy they had hastened towards, they by touching Him received a certain proof of His resurrection.”
And worshipped Him. With the worship of latria, as the true Messiah or Christ the Son of God, who by the power of His Deity had raised His humanity from death, as He Himself had predicted when alive. The vision, therefore, of Christ risen confirmed and increased their faith in His Divinity, and in the other mysteries which they had been taught by Him when He was alive, but had not fully understood; so that with Thomas they said, if not with the mouth, yet certainly with the heart, My Lord and my God.
Then said Jesus unto them, Fear not, &c. The vision of what is supernatural and celestial, as was the resurrection of Christ strikes and alarms the nature of the beholders; whence S. Jerome says, “This may be always observed both in the Old and New Testament, that when there is an appearance of any majestic person, the first thing done is to banish fear, that the mind being tranquillised may receive the things that are said.”
Go, tell My brethren. Christ now made glorious, in order to give us an example of humility, calls His disciples brethren, so as to console them and raise them up from their sorrow. As if He had said, Tell the Apostles, who are the sons of one and the same God and Father with Me; but adopted sons through grace, whereas I am His Son by nature through the Deity which I have received from Him as God, and through the hypostatic union with the Deity which I have received from Him as man. S. Chrysostom says, “Because a woman was made the cause of sorrow to man, now women are made the ministers of joy to men.” Luther wrongly concludes from these words of Christ that women may preach; for it is one thing to tell, another to preach. But if Christ had said to Magdalene preach, she might and ought to have preached.
There they shall see Me. In Galilee they shall see Me frequently and openly, and talk with Me face to face, but not so in Juda, although even there I shall appear to them sometimes. For in Juda on the day of His resurrection Christ appeared six times. First, He appeared to His mother, as S. Ambrose, S. Anselm, and others teach, and this is the common opinion of the Doctors and of the faithful. Secondly, He appeared to the Magdalene at the sepulchre (Mark 16:9). Thirdly, He appeared to her again with the other women as they returned to Jerusalem (Matt. xxviii. 9). Fourthly, He appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34). Fifthly, to the two disciples as they went to Emmaus (Luke 24:13). Sixthly, to all-that is, to ten of the Apostles, for Thomas was not with them, and Judas had hanged himself. After the day of the resurrection He appeared, first, to the eleven Apostles, when Thomas was with them, on the eighth day (John 20:26). Secondly, He appeared to eleven disciples, among whom were Peter and John, as they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee (John xxi.). Thirdly, He appeared on a mountain in Galilee to many-that is, to more than five hundred (Mat 28:10; 1Cor 15:6). Fourthly, He appeared to James the brother of the Lord in the same place. Fifthly, He appeared to all the Apostles, and to others of the faithful, on the Mount of Olives, when He was going to ascend into Heaven (Acts 1:9). Sixthly, He appeared to Saul when He made him Paul. Christ appeared often on other occasions, which are not mentioned by the Evangelists.
Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch, &c. We may conclude from this, that when the soldiers saw the angel rolling away the stone they fled and hid themselves behind the hedges, and there remained half dead with fear, so that they could not and dared not stir from the place; and this was according to the purpose of God, that they might, from their hiding-places, see and hear all that the angels said to the women about the resurrection of Jesus, so that they might report the same things to the Chief Priests, and so become messengers of the resurrection of Christ. Wherefore neither the women, nor Peter and John, saw the soldiers, who were lying hid in the hedges. But after the vision of angels had disappeared, and when the women had departed from the sepulchre, the soldiers, coming to themselves, approached the sepulchre, and seeing it empty, they formed a plan, and sent some of their number to the Chief Priests to tell them all they had seen and heard, and to show that it was not through their carelessness that the body of Christ had left the sepulchre.
And when they were assembled with the elders, &c. See here the perversity of the priests and elders, who, not content with having put Christ to death, persecute Him after His death, and try to do away with His resurrection, so as to cover their crime, and lest any one should rise against them as the slayers of Christ, and avenge His death. This was the design of the devil, who was attempting to destroy the Church and all Christians in Christ. The priests corrupt the soldiers with money, who were witnesses of the truth, that they might become witnesses of a lie. S. Jerome says that they took this money from the treasury of the Temple, and therefore were guilty of sacrilege. “The money,” he says, “which was given for the use of the Temple they convert for the purchase of a lie, as before they had given thirty pieces of silver to the traitor Judas.”
Saying, Say ye that His disciples came by night, &c By their perversity, says S. Chrysostom, the High Priests increased the faith which they endeavoured to extinguish, for they speak things impossible and incredible. For first, says Remigius, “If the soldiers slept, how could they see the theft?”
Secondly, The disciples were afraid and had fled; how, then, would they have dared to steal the body of Christ, which they knew to be guarded by so many soldiers?
Thirdly, It is incredible that Roman soldiers, who were so faithful and watchful, should all have slept at the sepulchre of Christ, especially when they knew that their own lives were in danger. And let it be granted that they all slept, they would certainly have been awakened by the noise caused by the removal of the stone. So S. Chrysostom says, “How should the disciples carry Him away by stealth, who did not dare to show themselves? They fled when they saw Him alive; how, when He was dead, would they not have feared the soldiers? And why did they not rather steal the body on the first night, when there was no one there? Truly they confirm the truth of the resurrection, for they confess that the body was not in the sepulchre.”
And if this come to the governor’s ears, &c. That is, we will persuade Pilate that your sleep and negligence in guarding the body of Christ was a light matter, and that no harm can happen from it; for he knows that this business does not concern himself, but us, and so he, to please us and against his own conscience, condemned Jesus to be crucified; for if he was so yielding when he unjustly condemned Jesus, in compliance with our urgent request, he will be much more yielding in absolving you at our request. But the soldiers secretly disclosed the whole matter to Pilate, and confirmed the truth of Christ’s resurrection, and Pilate wrote the account to Tiberius, who forthwith was desirous of enrolling Christ among the gods. So Hegesippus relates from the acts of Pilate himself. “The chief of the Jews,” Pilate says, “falsely asserted to me that Jesus was a sorcerer, and had broken their law. And I believed that it was so, and delivered Him to be scourged, according to their will; but they crucified Him, and set a watch at the sepulchre. But He rose again on the third day, while my soldiers were keeping watch. But the wickedness of the Jews was inflamed to such a pitch that they gave money to the watch, and said, Say ye that His disciples stole away His body. But when they had received the money they were not able to be silent about what had been done; for they testified that they had seen Him rise, and that they had received money from the Jews. I have therefore made a statement of these things, that no one may falsely allege otherwise, and suppose that credit ought to be given to the falsehoods of the Jews,”
So they took the money, and did as they were taught, and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews unto this day. That is, among the common people and those of little sense; for the wiser men easily saw through the deceit, and found out the whole matter in secret from the soldiers. Moreover, Longinus, the centurion, asserted that Christ had risen, and on that account died as a martyr for Him. But this false story was chiefly confuted by the Apostles, who affirmed that Christ had appeared alive again to them, and who confirmed the same by many miracles. It is also confuted by Josephus, although he was of the nation and sect of the Jews. Let the Jews then listen to him, and believe one of their own nation, though they will not believe Christ. For thus he writes (Antiq., book 18, ch. 4), “At the same time lived Jesus, a wise man-if it is right to speak of Him as a man. For He was a performer of wonderful works, and a Teacher of those who willingly received Him, and had very many followers both from among the Jews and the Greeks. This was Christ whom, on His being accused by the chiefs of our nation, Pilate had sentenced to the Cross; yet those who had begun to love Him from the first, did not cease to do so. For He appeared to them on the third day alive, for the Prophets had foretold this and many other wonderful things concerning Him. And to this very day the body of Christians, so called from Him, still continue.”
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee. Matthew omits the rest of Christ’s appearances, and mentions only that one which took place in Galilee, because it had been promised both by the angel and by Christ, and because it took place publicly before five hundred brethren, as Paul says (1Co 15:6). For all the disciples, of whom He had very many in Galilee, were assembled there, according to the command of Christ, because they were safer there than in Juda from the persecution of the Jews.
To a mountain. It is certain that this mountain was not the Mount of Olives, from which, in the presence of His disciples Christ ascended into Heaven. For the Mount of Olives is in Juda, and not in Galilee. Dionysius, S. Bonaventura, and others think it very probable that this mountain was Tabor, where Christ in His transfiguration had shown His glory to Peter, James, and John.
Mystically: S. Jerome says, “Galilee was the abode of all vices, where before were error and deceit, and it behoved that it should be illuminated by the presence and glory of Christ.” Again, Bede says, “The Lord now had passed from death unto life, from corruption to incorruption; for Galilee is the same as transmigration.”
Allegorically: S. Augustine (de Cons. Evan., lib. 3) says, “Galilee is the same as transmigration, from the Heb. galal, because the grace of Christ was about to pass over from the people of Israel to the Gentiles; whence He says, ‘I will go before you into Galilee,’ because they would not believe when the Apostles should preach the Gospel to them, unless the Lord Himself should first make ready their way in the hearts of men. ‘There shall ye see Him;’ that is, there shall ye find His members.”
Anagogically: S. Augustine, in the same place, says, “Galilee in Hebrew also signifies ‘revelation,’ whence it represents Heaven and the beatific vision. That revelation will be the true Galilee: we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him there as He is. That will be the more blessed passing from this world to that eternity, if we so embrace His commandments that we merit to be set on His right hand.”
And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some doubled. Not of the eleven Apostles, but of the other disciples. For all the Apostles had now been confirmed by so many visions and proofs, that they did not doubt that Christ had risen. Or if any one prefers to refer this expression to the Apostles, it must be understood as meaning, They had before doubted, but were not now in doubt. So Theophylact says, “You ought to understand it as meaning that when they were come into Galilee they worshipped Him; but they who worshipped Him in Galilee had first doubted in Jerusalem.”
Moreover, Christ appeared in the same form as He had when He was alive, so that He was recognised by the Apostles as the same and not another. Whereupon He veiled His brightness, for the weak eyes of mortal men would not have been able to bear it. S. Augustine (de Civ. Dei, 22, c. 19) says, “We must believe that the brightness which Christ’s body had when He rose was veiled from the eyes of the disciples.”
And Jesus came and spake to them, &c. Maldonatus and others are of opinion that these things were not done and said by Christ now when He appeared in Galilee, but at the last appearance which took place on the Mount of Olives. For Christ seems there to have said His last farewell to His Apostles, and to have given them His last commands; and to have sent them forth as His ambassadors to evangelise the world, which He did at His ascension.
Is given to Me. That is, to Me alone; and that both because I am the Son of God and God, for from eternity has been given to Me by the Father, with the divine essence, all power and majesty; and also because I am man (as S. Cyril, Athanasius, and others say). It was given to Me inchoately in My incarnation on account of the dignity of the hypostatic union with the WORD; and it was given to Me in its fulness by God on account of the merits of My Passion, when having overcome death, sin, hell, and the devil, as the Redeemer of men, I obtained full right and dominion over them at the price of My blood.
Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, &c. Hence, according to the tradition of the Church, it is well known that this is the form of baptism, “I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;” in which we profess our faith in the Holy Trinity and in the Divine Unity, saying, in the Name, not in the Names. Hence S. Isidore (lib. 7, Etymol. c. 4) says, “It is called a Trinity, because One Whole is constituted of Three, as it were a Tri-unity, resembling memory, intelligence, and will, in which the mind has in itself a certain image of the Divine Trinity; for since They are Three, They are One.” Whence, in opposition to the Arians, Macedonians, Nestorians, and other heretics, it is clear that the Son is true God, and of one substance () with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as S. Athanasius, Augustine, Hilary, and others teach. Christ, therefore, here most clearly expresses the mystery of the Holy Trinity, which Moses obscurely shadowed forth in the Old Testament, lest the ignorant Jews should believe that the Three Persons were Three Gods, and so after their custom worship a plurality of Gods.
Morally: Learn here that it is a divine work to teach and convert all nations, even rude and barbarous ones. Whence S. Gregory (Hom. 12, in Ezek.), “There is no sacrifice so acceptable to Almighty God as a zeal for souls.” That saying also of Dionysius the Areopagite is well known, “Of all divine works, the most divine is to co-operate with God in the conversion of the wanderers, and in the bringing back of sinners to Himself.”
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. That is, all the commandments which I have enjoined in the Gospel; for faith alone does not suffice for salvation, but the keeping of the commandments is required, and the constant practice of virtues. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified (Rom 2:13).
And, behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Although I ascend into Heaven, I will not forsake you, whom I am sending abroad over the whole world. I am with you, both as God and as man, by present help, grace, consolation, guidance, deliverance, which I will always bestow upon you and your successors; by means of which I will make all difficult things easy to you, says S. Chrysostom, so that out of all nations ye may gather together for Me a Church, that is, a company of faithful and holy men. And I am with you unto the end of the world. This world shall come to an end sooner than My presence in the Church shall fail. “He who promises,” says S. Jerome, “that He will be with His disciples to the end of the world, shows both that they shall live for ever (in their successors), and that He will never depart from them that believe.”
“Do not fear,” says Prosper (lib. 2, de Vocat. Gent. c. 1), “because of your own weakness, but have confidence in My power, for I will not leave you in the performance of this work. Not that ye shall be without suffering, but, which is a much greater thing, I will take care that ye be not overcome by any cruelty of them that rage against you.”
This is what Christ promised to His Apostles before His death (John 16:16), I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth. For the gifts of the Holy Spirit and of Christ are the same, since the Deity of each and the operation of each is the same. For the external works of the Holy Trinity are undivided; and that which One Person works, the other Two also work. To the Holy Spirit, however, who proceeds forth as love, are fitly attributed the works of grace and holiness. So Christ was visibly present with Paul (Act 22:17), and S. Stephen in his martyrdom (Act 7:53-60.).
For this reason, likewise, Christ has willed to abide continually in the Church in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. For as the humanity and deity of Christ are present in glory in Heaven, and are adored visibly by the angels and saints, so are the same likewise present in the Eucharist, but hidden under the forms of bread and wine, and therefore invisible, and are there adored, and even partaken of by the faithful. Wherefore it is Christ who, by the ministry of every priest, performs daily that miracle of miracles, namely, the wonderful conversion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, which theologians call transubstantiation; for neither man, nor angel, nor created power could effect this. He Himself, therefore, in it offers Himself as an unbloody victim to the Father.
Tropologically: Christ is in and with the faithful soul even to the end of life, granting to it that great gift of perseverance, by which the elect are brought to Heaven. For He does not desert the just man, unless He first be deserted by him. Wherefore Christ is in a holy soul, first, politically, as it were a king in his kingdom, inasmuch as He directs and rules it aright according to the laws of justice
Secondly, He is in the soul economically, as a father in a house and family, which he rules wisely; He is what a charioteer is in a chariot, so that we ought ever to be crying out to Him, as Elisha did to Elijah when he was being carried up into Heaven, My Father, the chariot of Israel and the charioteer (Vulg.) thereof.
Thirdly, Christ is in the soul ethically, in the manner of reason and prudence, which prudently directs all its actions, according to the rule of divine reason and eternal law which is in the mind of God.
Fourthly, He is in the soul physically that which the soul is in the body; for He is, as it were, the soul of the soul, Himself the life-giving life of grace, in order that the soul may live not an animal and carnal life, but a spiritual and divine one.
Lastly, He is, as it were, a divine fire, kindling the soul with the flame of charity. He is in the soul what the sun is in the world, making it fruitful in good works, according to that saying, He worketh in us to will and to do (Phil 2:13.). And, He worketh all things in all according to the purpose of His own will (Eph 1:11). It is He who inspires our words with power, in order that they may be effectual to the conversion of the hearers from sin to holiness, according to that saying of Paul, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (1Co 3:6). Therefore, 0 wise and holy soul, go forth to meet thy God with love and desire. Thy Jesus desires to be with thee; do thou in thy turn desire to be with nought but Jesus. His delights are with thee, let thy delights be with Him. Suffer thyself, therefore, to be ruled and guided by Him, as a kingdom suffers itself to be ruled by its king, an army by its leader, a chariot by its charioteer, the will by the reason, the body by the soul, the world by the sun. “Thou art sufficient for God,” says S. Augustine; “let thy God be sufficient for thee.”
END OF S. MATTHEW.
Fuente: Cornelius Lapide Commentary
28:1 In {1} the {a} end of the sabbath, as it {b} began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
(1) Christ, having routed death in the tomb, rises by his own power, as the angel immediately witnesses.
(a) At the going out of the sabbath, that is, about daybreak after the Roman manner of telling time, which considers the natural day to be from the rising of the sun to the next sunrise: and not as the Hebrews, which count from evening to evening.
(b) When the morning of the first day after the sabbath began to dawn: and that first day is the same as that which we now call Sunday, or the Lord’s day.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
1. The empty tomb 28:1-7 (cf. Mar 16:1-8; Luk 24:1-8; Joh 20:1)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The NASB translation of the Greek preposition opse as "late" is misleading. The word can also mean "after," and it makes better sense if translated as such here. [Note: Moule, p. 86.] The women waited until after the Sabbath to go to Jesus’ tomb (cf. Mar 16:1-2). They went early Sunday morning. The "other Mary" was Mary the mother of James and Joseph (Mat 27:56). Mark added that Salome also accompanied them (Mar 16:1). Salome was evidently the name of the mother of Zebedee’s sons. The "and" (Gr. kai) in Mar 16:1 is probably assensive, meaning "even." Apparently they did not know that the Sanhedrin had posted a guard at the tomb. They evidently went there to remember Jesus but also to anoint Jesus’ corpse (Mar 16:1). They must not have known that it had been sealed either.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
6
Chapter 20
The Third Day- Mat 27:57-66 – Mat 28:1-15
Now that the atoning work of Christ is finished, the story proceeds with rapidity to its close. It was the work of the Evangelist to give the history of the incarnate Son of God; and now that the flesh is laid aside, it is necessary only to give such notes of subsequent events as shall preserve the continuity between the prophetic and priestly work of Christ on earth which it had been His. vocation to describe, and the royal work which, as exalted Prince and Saviour, it still remained for Him to do. We need not wonder, then, that the record of the three days should be quite brief, and of the forty days briefer still.
This brevity is a note of truthfulness. The old idea of deliberate falsehood having been quite given up, reliance is placed, by those who wish to discredit the gospel witnesses, on the suggestion that the records of the resurrection are the result of fancy crystallising into so-called fact. But not only was there no time, between the death of Christ and the latest date which can be assigned for the writing of the first Gospel, for the process of crystallisation, but had there been such a process, the result would have been very different. Had fancy, and not observation, been the source, how comes it that nothing is told but what came within the range of actual vision? Why is there not a word about Christs. entry into Paradise, or descent into Hades? What a fruitful field for fancy here!-yet there is not even a hint; for it is not from anything in the Gospels, but solely from a passage in one of the Epistles, that the doctrine of the descent into Hades has been derived. There is not a word or a hint of anything that passed in the unseen; a plain statement of what was done with the body of Jesus is absolutely all. Clearly it is not myth, but history, with which here we have to do.
THE EVENING OF THE FIRST DAY Mat 27:57-61
Day was passing into evening when Jesus “yielded up His spirit”; for the early evening, according to the Jewish reckoning, began at the ninth hour. It was probably some time after this-perhaps towards the later evening, which began about the twelfth hour (six oclock)-that Joseph of Arimathea thought of claiming the body to give it honourable burial. Why should such a duty have fallen to a stranger? Where were the eleven? Had none of them so far recovered from their fear? Where was Peter? might not his penitence for the past have impelled him to come forward now? Where was John? He had taken the mother of Jesus to his own home; but why did he not come back to see what he could do for the sacred body? How can they all leave this tender office to a stranger?
It may be thought by some sufficient answer simply to say, So the Lord willed it, and so the Scripture was fulfilled which intimated that He Who had died with the wicked should be “with the rich in His death”; but is there not more than this to be said? Is not the disappearance of the eleven and the coming forward of the two secret disciples (for as we learn from the fourth Gospel, Nicodemus-another secret disciple-appears a little later on the scene) true to human nature? Let us remember that the faith of the eleven, while much superior to that of the two, was from the nature of the case exposed to a counter-current of feeling, of which neither Joseph nor Nicodemus could know anything. They had committed themselves and their all to Jesus, as Joseph and Nicodemus had never done. The consequence was that when the terrible tempest broke on Him, it came with all its force on them too. But Joseph and Nicodemus had not as yet ventured their all-had not, it would appear, as yet ventured anything for Christ. They were looking on at the storm, as it were, from the shore; so they could stand it, as those who were in the very midst of it could not. They could stand beholding. Not having made themselves known, they were not exposed to personal danger, hence were in a position calmly and thoughtfully to watch the progress of events. We can imagine them first looking towards Calvary from afar, and then, as the darkness favoured a timid approach, drawing nearer and nearer, and at last coming within the spell of the Divine Sufferer. As they witnessed His patient endurance, they would become more and more ashamed of their half-hearted sympathy, ashamed to think that though they had not consented to the counsel and deed of the rest, {Luk 23:51, Joh 7:50-51} they had not had courage to offer any serious opposition. They would feel, as they thought of this, as if they shared the responsibility of what must now appear to them an awful crime; and so, looking to Him whom they had pierced, they would mourn; and, brought at last to decision by His death, {Joh 12:32} first Joseph, and after him Nicodemus, came out boldly, the one asking for the body of Jesus, the other joining him in those tender and reverent ministrations which all that was best in them now constrained them to render.
The sad duty hastily, but tenderly and fitly, done, a great stone is rolled to the door of the sepulchre, and they depart. But the sepulchre is not deserted yet. What are these figures in the dusk, these women that advance as the others retire? While the two men were busy they have been keeping at a discreet and respectful distance; but now that all is silent at the tomb, they draw nearer, and though night is coming on apace, they cannot leave it, and the story of the long day ends with this pathetic touch: “And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.”
THE SECOND DAY. {Mat 27:62-66}
It was the Jewish Sabbath. The Evangelist for some reason avoids the common designation, preferring to speak of it as “the day after the preparation”-whether it was that he shrank from mentioning the Sabbath in such a connection, or whether it was that the great event of the preparation day had such complete possession of his mind that he must date from it, we shall not attempt to decide.
This is the only record we have of that Sabbath day except that St. Luke tells us that on it the women “rested according to the commandment.” But the enemies of Jesus could not rest. They were uneasy and troubled now that the deed was done. They could not but have been impressed with the bearing of their Victim, and with all the portents which accompanied His end. It was natural, therefore, that words of His, which when reported to them before had not seemed worth noticing, should come back to them. now with fateful force. “After three days I will rise again” was what He had often said. “What if He should rise? we must see that He does not.” It would never do, however, to confess to such a fear; but they may get all needful precautions taken by suggesting that there was danger of the disciples stealing the body, and then saying that He had risen. On this pretext they get a guard from Pilate, and authority to seal the sepulchre. Having thus made all secure, they can sleep in peace.
THE MORNING OF THE THIRD DAY Mat 28:1-15
The women, having rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment, knew nothing of what had been done at the tomb that day, so, as they set out before daybreak on the third morning, they only thought of the great stone, and wondered how it could be rolled away; but when they came, the sun just rising as they reached the spot, they found the stone already rolled away, and an angel of the Lord at the tomb, so lustrous in the livery of heaven that the keepers had quailed in his presence and were powerless to interfere. The awe with which the sight would naturally inspire the women also was mingled with joy as they heard his kindly greeting and sympathetic words. Altogether worthy of an angel from heaven are the words he is reported to have spoken. There is first the tender response to their looks of dread-“Fear not ye,” as if to say, These others well may fear, for there is nothing in common between them and me; but with you it is different; “I know that ye seek Jesus, Which was crucified.” Then there is the joyful news: “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said”: and as he observes their look of half-incredulous wonder he kindly adds, to let their sight be helper to their faith, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” Then he gives them the honour of carrying the glad tidings to the other disciples, and assuring them that the Divine Shepherd will meet them all in Galilee, according to His word,
At this point we encounter one of the chief difficulties to be found in St. Matthews record of the resurrection. There are indeed several particulars in this Gospel, as well as in the others, which it is difficult to fit into a connected account embracing all the facts; but as every person of even moderate intelligence knows that the same difficulty is met in comparing various truthful accounts of any great event in which details are many and complex, it is only the most unreasoning prejudice that can find in this an excuse for doubting the credibility of the writers. Rather is this feature of the records a distinct note of truthfulness; for, had it been easy to fit each fact into its exact place in all the other accounts, we should have heard from the very same doubters, and with far better reason, that there was every sign of its being a made-up story. All the four accounts are brief and fragmentary; there is evidently no attempt whatever to relate all that took place, and we should need to know all in order to form a complete picture of the entire series of events which glorified the first Easter Day. We must therefore be content with the four vivid pictures given us, without insisting on what with our imperfect knowledge is perhaps the impossible task of so combining them as to have one great canvas embracing all the details in each of the four.
The account before us is the briefest of all, and therefore it would be especially out of place in dealing with this Gospel to attempt to fill up the blanks and construct a consecutive history of all that took place on that eventful day. But there is one point with which it is especially necessary to deal in considering St. Matthews account of the resurrection-viz., the prominence given to the appearance of the Lord to His disciples in Galilee-whereas in the fuller records of the third and fourth Gospels, not Galilee, but Jerusalem and its vicinity, is the region where He makes Himself known.
Those who are anxious to make the most of this difficulty are much disappointed to find the ninth verse {Mat 28:9} in their way. Wishing to prove a sharp contradiction, as if the one said the Lord appeared only in Galilee, and the other that He appeared only in Jerusalem and its neighbourhood, they are naturally vexed to find one of the Jerusalem appearances actually mentioned here. The attempt has accordingly been made to discredit it; but in vain. It stands there an unquestionable part of the original text. So we must bear in mind that St. Matthew not only does not assert that it was only in Galilee that our Lord appeared, but he expressly mentions one appearance in Jerusalem. On the other hand, while St. Mark mentions no appearance in Galilee, he does mention the Lords promise to meet His disciples there, and leaves it distinctly to be inferred that it was fulfilled. St. Luke, indeed, makes no mention of Galilee at all; but there is abundance of room for it: for while he occupies almost all his space with the record of one day, he tells us in the beginning of his second volume {Act 1:3} that Christ “showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” St. John also confines himself to what took place at Jerusalem; but in the interesting appendix to that Gospel there is a striking account of a meeting with the eleven in Galilee-evidently not the same one which is recorded here, but another of the same, affording one more specimen of meetings which were no doubt frequently repeated during the forty days. It is abundantly evident, therefore, that there is no contradiction whatever.
Still the question remains, Why does St. Matthew make so little of what the others make so much of, and so much of what the others make so little of? In answer we might first ask whether this was not in every way to be expected and desired. If, as evidently was the case, there were manifestations of the risen Lord both in the south and in the north, and if we were to have several accounts, was it not desirable that one at least should make it his specialty to bring into prominence the appearances in the north? And if so, who could do it more appropriately than Matthew the publican of Galilee? The favour shown his own northern land had most deeply impressed his mind. It will be remembered that he passed over entirely the early Judean ministry recorded by St. John, and rejoiced in the Galilean ministry as the dawning of the new Day according to the words of ancient prophecy. {Mat 4:14-16}
Furthermore, there is every reason to suppose that it was not till they met in Galilee that the scattered flock of the disciples was gathered all together. The appearances in Jerusalem were to individuals and to little companies; whereas in Galilee it would seem that He appeared to as many as five hundred at once; {1Co 15:6} and though the Lord appeared to the ten (Thomas being absent), and again to the eleven, before they left Jerusalem, it is not to these occasions, but rather to the meeting on the shore of the lake, that we look for their fresh commission to address themselves again to their work as fishers of men. This will appear more clearly if we bear in mind our Lords sad reference, as the crisis approached, to the scattering of the flock, and His promise that after He had risen again He would go before them into Galilee. {Mat 26:31-32} We have here, then, {Mat 28:7} a repetition of the same promise, “He goeth before you” (as the shepherd goes before his flock) “into Galilee,” where all the scattered ones shall be gathered round the Shepherd once again, and thence sent out as under-shepherds, {see Joh 21:15-17} to gather in the rest of the flock that are scattered abroad.
The conduct of the chief priests and scribes (Mat 28:11-15) is the natural sequel of their futile attempt to seal the sepulchre. It is in vain to raise the objection, as some do, that it was too clumsy a device for men so astute; for what else could they do? It was indeed a poor evasion; but, baffled as they were, no better was possible for them. Let the critic say what better expedient they could have thought of, before he assigns its poverty as a reason for discrediting the story. That St. Matthew, and he alone, records it, is sufficiently accounted for by the fact that, his being the first written Gospel, and moreover the Gospel for the Jew, it behoved him to deal with a saying “commonly reported among the Jews until this day”; while its being recorded by him was a sufficient reason why no further notice should be taken of it, when there was so much of greater importance to tell.
Looking back on this very brief record of the great events of Easter Day, nothing is more striking than the prominence of the women throughout. It is a note of the new dispensation. It must have been very strange to all the disciples, and not least to the author of this Gospel, that woman, who had been kept so far in the background, treated almost as if her presence would pollute the sacred places, should, now that the veil was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, not only enter into the sacred presence of the risen Lord as the equal of her brother man, but should be there before him, -that a womans eyes should be the first to see Him, a group of women the first to receive His loving welcome and to fall in adoration at His sacred feet. Yet so it was. Not that there was any partiality. “In Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female.” It is not a question of sex; it is a question of love and faith; and it was because the love of these women was deeper, and their fidelity greater, than that of any of the men, that they had this honour. Had the love of John been as all-engrossing as that of Mary of Magdala, he would not have had to wait for the Easter tidings till she had come to tell him. It is not a question of faith alone, but of faith and love. The womens faith had failed them too. It was with no hope of seeing a risen Lord that they had gone to the tomb-it was with spices to finish the embalming of His dead body; but their love, love stronger than death, even in the wreck of faith, kept them near, and so it was that, when light first broke from out the darkness, they were there to see.