Matthew 28:1-15
Jesus Has Risen
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The Disciple Matthew wrote that after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb...There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the LORD came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it...The angel's appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow...The guards were so afraid of Him that they shook and became like 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; He has risen, just as He said He would...Come and see the place where He lay...Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee...There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you.”...So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples...Suddenly Jesus met them...“Greetings,” He said...They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him...Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid...Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”...The Disciple John wrote: So Mary Magdalene went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the LORD out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”...So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb...Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first...He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in...Then Simon Peter came along behind Him and went straight into the tomb...He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head...The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen...Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside...He saw and believed...(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)...Then the disciples went back to where they were staying...
The Guards’ Reported to the chief priests as the women went to tell the Disciples that Jesus had risen and His tomb was empty...While the women were on their way to the Disciples, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened...When the chief priests had met with the elders they devised a plan...They gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’...If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”...So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed...And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day...
The Disciples would soon go to Galilee to see Jesus and begin the Great Commission...
Author Lee Strobel said the guards needed a story about the empty tomb...The story would be provided by the Jewish Religious Officials...But why would they need a story or excuse since Jesus' tomb was really empty...Strobel writes in his book a Case for Christ, “The Jews proposed the ridiculous story that the guards had fallen asleep...Obviously, they were grasping at straws...But the point is this: they started with the assumption that the tomb was vacant!...Why?...Because they knew it was!”...
Jesus had risen from the dead...