Matthew 28

CHAPTER 28THEME: The resurrection of Jesus; the giving of the Great CommissionThe arch of the gospel rests upon two great pillars: (1) the death of Christ, and (2) the resurrection of Christ. Listen to the apostle Paul as he defines the gospel: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1Co_15:3-4). In the previous chapter we have seen the death and burial of the Lord Jesus, and in this chapter we will see His resurrection. Both are essential to my salvation and yours. “Who [Jesus] was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom_4:25). He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The unique fact of the gospel is the Resurrection. All other religions record the death of their leader. Only the Christian faith records the Resurrection of its Founder. All other religious leaders are dead. Only Jesus is alive. This is important and imperative to know. No Gospel writer gives the complete details which concern the Resurrection. Each records that aspect of the Resurrection which contributes to the furtherance of the purpose which the Spirit had in mind. Therefore the four Gospels present a composite picture. No writer is seeing to give the entire and complete record but only that which serves his purpose. All the Gospel accounts need to be put together to get the total picture, and no conflict or contradiction will appear among them. Regarding the order of events connected with the resurrection of Christ, I would like to share with you a very fine note found in The Scofield Reference Bible on page 1043: The order of events, combining the four narratives, is as follows: Three women, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, 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. 23:55-24:9; 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). The order of our Lord’s appearances would seem to be: On the day of His resurrection: (1) To Mary Magdalene (Joh_20:14-18). (2) To the women returning from the tomb with the angelic message (Mat_28:8-10). (3) To Peter, probably in the afternoon (Luk_24:34; 1Co_15:5). (4) To the Emmaus disciples toward evening (Luk_24:13-31). (5) To the apostles, except Thomas (Luk_24:36-43; Joh_20:19-24). Eight days afterward: (1) To the apostles, Thomas being present (Joh_20:24-29). In Galilee: (1) To the seven by the Lake of Tiberias (Joh_21:1-23). (2) On a mountain, to the apostles and five hundred brethren (1Co_15:6). At Jerusalem and Bethany again: (1) To James (1Co_15:7). (2) To the eleven (Mat_28:16-20; Mar_16:14-20; Luk_24:33-53; Act_1:3-12). To Paul: (1) Near Damascus (Act_9:3-6; 1Co_15:8). (2) In the temple (Act_22:17-21; Act_23:11). To Stephen, outside Jerusalem (Act_7:55). To John on Patmos (Rev_1:10-19). Matthew presents Jesus as the King. The features of the resurrection story which contain the element of the spectacular and sensational are given. There is a fanfare of trumpets in the account given in Matthew. He was born a King. He lived as a King. He died a King, and He rose from the dead a King. Matthew tells of the earthquake, of the angel’s descent, of the stone rolled away, of the frightened guards, and of the effort by the religious rulers to cover up the fact of the empty tomb. Compare Luke’s Gospel with Matthew’s account. There is quietness and a subdued tone which characterizes Luke’s purpose. The women come in the stillness of the early morning, and the stone is already rolled away. The Lord Jesus appears to two unknown disciples on an obscure road leading to Emmaus and then to the disciples in a secret room of a house of unknown address. Luke is recording the human story while Matthew is presenting Him in His kingly office. Both records are accurate, as are the records in the other two Gospels, but they are presented from four different viewpoints.

Matthew 28:1

APPROACH OF THE TWO MARYS TO THE TOMBThe other Gospel records tell us that they were bringing sweet spices to anoint the body of Jesus. It is difficult to identify the “other Mary.” Tradition states that she was the mother of James and Joses.

Matthew 28:2

Why was it necessary to roll back the stone? To let Jesus out? No, He was gone when the stone was rolled back. The tomb was not opened to let Him out but to let them in.

Matthew 28:3

It is interesting to note the description of the angel because this is very unusual in Scripture (see Dan_10:6; Rev_10:1 for other descriptions).

Matthew 28:4

I can imagine that the guards were very happy to leave after this episode! They were helpless in the presence of the angel.

Matthew 28:5

“Fear not"when the supernatural touches the natural, it is always with a word to allay fear.

Matthew 28:6

This is the divine announcement of the Resurrection. Jesus had left the tomb before the stone had been rolled away. Later He would enter a room with a locked door. The glorified body of Jesus was radically different from the body with which He was born.

Matthew 28:7

The angelic announcement ceased at this point. From here on the message would be told by human lips"Come, see…. go quickly, and tell.” But before any individual attempts to witness, he must first have an unshakable conviction of the truth of the Resurrection. He must have it settled in his own mind that Christ died for his sins and was buried"Come, see the place where the Lord lay"and that Christ rose again"He is not here: for he is risen." Then with these convictions, he can “go quickly, and tell.” My friend, you and I are to go and we are to tell.

Matthew 28:8

APPEARANCE OF JESUS TO THE TWO MARYSNote the mingled feelings of the womenfear and great joy.

Matthew 28:9

This seems to contradict the encounter of Mary Magdalene with her resurrected Lord. In Joh_20:17 we find this: “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.” The explanation is that between these two encounters Jesus had ascended to His Father and had presented His precious blood in heaven’s Holy of Holies.

Matthew 28:10

He made an appointment to see them in Galilee.

Matthew 28:11

ALIBI OF THE KEEPERSThese soldiers who were on guard duty went into the city and reported to the chief priests. They didn’t know when Jesus left the tomb. All they knew was that after the stone was rolled away, they took a look inside the tomb, and the body wasn’t there! The entire episode had nearly frightened them to death. They could have been executed for allowing the body of Jesus to disappear under their very eyes.

Matthew 28:12

This is not a very plausible explanation! Imagine a soldier, especially a Roman soldier, assigned guard duty in a certain place and given strict orders to stand guard over a certain thing and to prohibit all trespassing. Suppose someone did come and take away the thing he was assigned to guard. And suppose that his explanation to his commanding officer was,“I went to sleep.” What do you think would happen to him?

Matthew 28:14

In others words, “Don’t worry if this reaches the ears of the governor. We won’t let him put you before a firing squad.”

Matthew 28:15

A bribe aided in persuading them to offer this feeble excuse. This was the first century alibi to explain away the resurrection of Christ. Unbelief has now had nineteen centuries to think it over, and there are other alibis. However, none yet have been offered that can explain away the documentary evidence.

Matthew 28:16

THE GREAT COMMISSIONIn our contemporary society we have two opposing viewpoints regarding this so-called Great Commission. Frankly, I think both of them are extreme. Our Lord’s commission to His disciples as recorded by Matthew is a source of controversy. One extreme group feels that the Great Commission contains the only command for the church. That is it, and they hang on to it. The other extreme group feels that it has no meaning for our day and that it should be excluded from the church program. It seems to me that both of these groups are in error. We have endeavored to show that Matthew has direct application for us, and certainly the Great Commission has an application for us in our day. This does not mean that it will not find a final and full meaning in the futureI think it will. But, as it is obvious that Matthew did not give the total record of the Resurrection, neither did he give us the total commission. I feel that everything our Lord said on any subject should be put together and given as a composite in order to give a full-orbed command for the present day as well as for the future. The commission in Matthew should be considered with the commission recorded in the other gospel records and especially with Act_1:8: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” We are to be His witnesses, and we are to be endued with power from on high. Some worshiped and some doubtedthat is how it has been for over nineteen hundred years! And, my friend, you are in one category or the other.

Matthew 28:18

He was speaking as the King.

Matthew 28:19

This, I am confident, will have a real application during the Great Tribulation period and even during the Millennium. But, my friend, it has an application for us today, also. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost [Spirit].” Baptism by water in the name of the Trinity has been practiced by the church from its beginning. Even Paul, who was not sent to baptize (see 1Co_1:14-17), practiced this rite of the early church. “The name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost [Spirit]” is evidence for the Trinity of the Godhead.

Matthew 28:20

Notice that teaching is part of the work of the church (see Eph_4:11). The teachings of Jesus are found not only in the Gospels but in the Epistles (see 1Th_4:2). “Lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world.” The word world is the Greek aioµn, meaning age. Our Lord promises to be with us right on through to the very end of the age. In His power the Great Commission can be carried out. We have looked at the Great Commission, now let’s consider the great omission. Do you see what Matthew has omitted from his record? There is no ascension of Christ here. Why? The obvious reason is that the Kingdom will be here upon this earth, and Matthew leaves the King here on earth because this is where the King is to be. Luk_24:49-53 and Act_1:6-11 record the ascension of Christ. At the time of the rapture of the church, the Lord Jesus will take His own out of the world to be with Himself, and the Ascension is essential for that event. However, Matthew is the Gospel of the King. Jesus was born a King. He lived as a King. He died as a King. He rose again as a King. And, my friend, He will be coming again to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords! I hope you will bow to Him today.