Bible Commentaries

Matthew 28:1-10. The Empty Tomb (Mark 16:1-8*, Luke 24:1-12).—Mt. is here not so close to Mk., except in Matthew 28:5-7. The note of time in Matthew 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. Luke 23:54* and mg.). In this case Mt. describes a resurrection on Saturday evening. (See Allen, Comm. on Mk., pp. 188-190.) 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" (Matthew 28:4)=fainted. Matthew 28:9 f. is peculiar to Mt., though there is a link with John 20:17, where we should render "Do not keep clinging to me." There is a certain redundancy in these verses after Matthew 28:5-7.

Matthew 28:11-15. The Guard and the Jewish Authorities (Mt. only).—The paragraph is the sequel to Matthew 27:62-66*.

Matthew 28:15. unto this day: the date when the Gospel was written.

Matthew 28:16-20. Conclusion. Jesus Appears in Galilee.—"The mountain" (Matthew 28:16) reminds us of Matthew 5:1 or Matthew 17:1. The statement that "some (rather, they) doubted" brings the narrative into line with Luke 24:37, John 20:25, and in any case points to the gradual nature of the growth of the Resurrection belief.

Matthew 28:18 reminds us of Matthew 11:27, but is not like Jesus, and is best taken as "a rsum of the Christian faith and the Church's mission."

Matthew 28:19 reflects the change in that mission brought about by the Jews' rejection of Jesus, who had regarded His work as confined to Israel. The Church of the first days did not observe this world-wide command, even if they knew it. The command to baptize into the threefold name is a late doctrinal expansion. In place of the words "baptizing . . . Spirit" we should probably read simply "into my name," i.e. (turn the nations) to Christianity, or "in my name," i.e. (teach the nations) in my spirit.

Matthew 28:20. Jesus as the new lawgiver (cf. Matthew 16:17-19, Matthew 18:16-20, and the Sermon on the Mount). Note that instead of the promise of a second Advent (Acts 1:11 and Paul) we have the more satisfactory assurance of the constant and immediate presence of Jesus with His followers (cf. John 14-16). The promise recalls Matthew 18:20 and the Jewish idea of the Shekinah. It forms a worthy ending to the Gospel* the most worthy of all the four.