Matthew 28

Matthew 28:1-15: The Empty Tomb, the Risen Messiah, and the Lie of the Leaders

Matthew 28:1–15 is the climactic turning point of the Gospel because here the grave is opened, the risen Messiah is announced, the women are commissioned as the first witnesses, and the opposition of the leaders continues even in the face of resurrection. The passage moves from fear to joy, from death to life, and from the sealed tomb to the proclamation that Yeshua has been raised just as He said. Yet Matthew also shows that the resurrection does not end unbelief automatically. Even now, the chief priests and elders respond not with repentance, but with bribery and falsehood. The section is therefore about the victory of Hashem over death, the faithfulness of Yeshua’s own word, the joy of resurrection witness, and the hardness of those who suppress the truth.

After the Sabbath

Matthew begins, “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” (Matthew 28:1, ESV Bible). This opening is simple but full of significance. The Sabbath has passed, the long silence of the tomb is ending, and dawn is breaking. That temporal movement matters. The resurrection is introduced at daybreak, at the beginning of a new week, with the suggestion of new creation already quietly present.

The women are again central. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had been present at the cross and at the burial. They know the tomb. They are not confused strangers wandering into the wrong place. Matthew has carefully prepared them as trustworthy witnesses. Their coming to the tomb is therefore an act of sorrowful fidelity, not expectation of triumph. They come to see the place of death, and instead they will be confronted by life.

The Earthquake and the Angel

“And behold, there was a great earthquake” (Matthew 28:2, ESV Bible). Once again, as at the moment of Yeshua’s death, the earth itself responds. The resurrection is not a private inward event disconnected from creation. Heaven and earth are shaken by what Hashem is doing.

“For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it” (Matthew 28:2, ESV Bible). This is a scene of majestic authority. The stone, which had seemed to seal the finality of death, is not laboriously moved from within by human hands. It is rolled away by heavenly intervention. And the angel sits on it, as though enthroned over the obstacle that had represented death’s closure.

Matthew describes him this way: “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow” (Matthew 28:3, ESV Bible). This is glory language, echoing revelation scenes elsewhere in Scripture and in Matthew itself. The resurrection is surrounded by the brightness of heaven.

“And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4, ESV Bible). This is one of Matthew’s great reversals. The guards, posted to secure death, become like dead men before the angel of life. The irony is profound. Those assigned to make the tomb secure are undone by the power of heaven, while the one inside the tomb is no longer there.

“He Is Not Here, for He Has Risen”

“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid’” (Matthew 28:5, ESV Bible). As so often in biblical revelation, the first word from heaven to the faithful is a word against fear. The women, unlike the guards, are not addressed with judgment but with reassurance.

“For I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified” (Matthew 28:5, ESV Bible). That phrase matters. The risen one is the same Jesus who was crucified. The resurrection does not erase the cross. The identity of Yeshua remains continuous. The one now alive is the crucified Messiah.

“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:6, ESV Bible). This is the heart of the Gospel. Death has not held Him. The tomb is empty because Yeshua has been raised. And Matthew adds the decisive phrase: “as he said.” The resurrection is not a surprising contradiction of His words, but their fulfillment. Again and again Yeshua predicted that He would be raised on the third day, and now the angel confirms that His word has proved true.

“Come, see the place where he lay” (Matthew 28:6, ESV Bible). The women are invited to inspect the evidence. Faith in the resurrection is not grounded in wishful thinking or vague religious feeling. The empty place where His body had been laid now becomes part of the testimony.

The Commission to the Women

“Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7, ESV Bible). The women are not only witnesses; they are commissioned as messengers. The first heralds of the resurrection in Matthew are these faithful women who came to the tomb in grief.

The angel continues, “and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you” (Matthew 28:7, ESV Bible). This is deeply significant because it recalls Yeshua’s own word before His arrest: “after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” (Matthew 26:32, ESV Bible). The resurrection therefore also confirms His promise to regather the scattered flock. The shepherd who was struck now lives and goes before His disciples again.

“So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy” (Matthew 28:8, ESV Bible). That combination is beautiful and fitting. Fear is still present because they have encountered the power of heaven. But it is now joined to great joy because the crucified Messiah lives. Resurrection does not produce casual happiness. It produces trembling joy.

“And ran to tell his disciples” (Matthew 28:8, ESV Bible). Their response is immediate obedience. The women become living participants in the movement of the Gospel from death toward proclamation.

Yeshua Meets Them

“And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’” (Matthew 28:9, ESV Bible). This is one of the most beautiful moments in Matthew. The risen Yeshua appears not first in spectacle before enemies, but in personal encounter with the faithful women. His first word is simple, calm, and full of life.

“And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him” (Matthew 28:9, ESV Bible). This is a crucial verse. They take hold of His feet, which means the resurrection is bodily and real. He is not an apparition or a memory. He is physically present. And they worship Him, just as the disciples did after He walked on the sea. Resurrection heightens, rather than diminishes, the appropriateness of worship.

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid’” (Matthew 28:10, ESV Bible). Again the word against fear is spoken, now from Yeshua Himself. “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me” (Matthew 28:10, ESV Bible). The disciples who fled and denied Him are now called “my brothers.” This is deeply gracious. The resurrection word to the failing disciples is not rejection, but summons. The relationship is not destroyed. The risen Lord is gathering His brothers.

The Report of the Guard

“While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place” (Matthew 28:11, ESV Bible). This is the dark counterpoint to the women’s witness. The guards, who experienced the earthquake and the angelic intervention, report the truth of what happened to the leaders.

What follows shows that unbelief can persist not because evidence is absent, but because the heart is hardened. The chief priests have now received testimony not only from Judas, Pilate’s wife, the centurion, and the empty tomb, but even from the guard assigned to secure the grave.

The Bribe and the Lie

“And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers” (Matthew 28:12, ESV Bible). Again, as with Judas and the blood money, money becomes the instrument of corruption. The leaders respond to resurrection testimony not with wonder or repentance, but with bribery.

They say, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep’” (Matthew 28:13, ESV Bible). The lie is weak even on its own terms. If the soldiers were asleep, how would they know who stole the body? But truth is not their concern. They need a public explanation that will suppress the resurrection witness.

“And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble” (Matthew 28:14, ESV Bible). The conspiracy is now complete. Religious leaders and guards are bound together by money and mutual self-protection. Once again, fear of consequences governs them more than truth before Hashem.

“So they took the money and did as they were directed” (Matthew 28:15, ESV Bible). Matthew then adds, “And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day” (Matthew 28:15, ESV Bible). This note shows that Matthew is aware of the counter-narrative circulating in his own time, and he exposes its origin as deliberate bribery and falsehood.

Resurrection and the Division of Humanity

This section therefore presents two responses to the resurrection. The women respond with fear, joy, obedience, and worship. The leaders respond with bribery, fear, suppression, and lies. The empty tomb does not produce a single automatic reaction in all people. It reveals hearts. Those who seek Yeshua are drawn into joy and commission. Those who are committed to resisting Him harden further even in the face of overwhelming signs.

This is consistent with the whole Gospel. The same Yeshua who revealed the Father to some while others remained blind now, even in resurrection, becomes the point at which humanity divides. The resurrection is not only victory over death. It is also the great unveiling of the heart.

A Final Reflection

Matthew 28:1–15 declares that the crucified Messiah has been raised from the dead just as He said. The sealed tomb is opened by heaven, the guards collapse in fear, and the women are told not to be afraid because Jesus who was crucified is no longer there. The resurrection confirms His own word, vindicates His identity, and turns sorrow into trembling joy. The women become the first witnesses, and Yeshua Himself meets them, receives their worship, and sends them with a message of grace to His brothers.

At the same time, the passage shows that resurrection does not end all opposition. The chief priests and elders respond to the report of the guards with bribery and lies, seeking to suppress the truth rather than submit to it. So the empty tomb becomes both the place of life and the place of division. But the lie cannot undo the reality: the crucified one lives, the grave has failed, and the risen Messiah is already gathering His people again.

Matthew 28:16-20: The Risen King, the Great Commission, and the Promise of His Presence

Matthew 28:16–20 is the majestic and fitting conclusion to the Gospel because here the risen Messiah meets His disciples, receives their worship, declares His universal authority, commissions them to the nations, and promises His abiding presence until the end of the age. Everything Matthew has been building toward comes together in these final verses. The Son of David who was born in Israel, the teacher greater than Moses, the suffering Messiah, the crucified Son, and the risen Lord now speaks as the one to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given. This is not merely a closing instruction. It is the royal commission of the risen King. The passage is therefore about resurrection authority, the mission to the nations, discipleship, covenant identity, and the enduring presence of Yeshua with His people.

The Eleven Go to Galilee

Matthew begins, “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them” (Matthew 28:16, ESV Bible). The number eleven matters. Judas is gone. The apostolic band remains wounded and incomplete in one sense. These are not triumphant heroes arriving in their own strength. They are the disciples who fled, stumbled, and failed. Yet they are also the ones whom the risen Yeshua has summoned and restored.

Galilee is deeply significant in Matthew. It is the place where much of Yeshua’s ministry began, where the kingdom was proclaimed, where fishermen were first called, and where light dawned in “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Matthew 4:15). Now, after death and resurrection, the disciples return there by Yeshua’s direction. This gives the conclusion a sense of renewed beginning. The risen Messiah regathers His disciples at the place from which mission had once gone forth.

The mountain is also important. Mountains in Matthew are places of revelation, teaching, temptation overcome, transfiguration, and now final commission. The setting therefore carries theological weight. What happens here is not casual conversation. It is revelatory and covenantal.

Worship and Doubt

“And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17, ESV Bible). This is one of the most honest lines in the Gospel. The disciples worship Him, and rightly so. The risen Yeshua is not only alive; He is worthy of worship. Matthew has already shown worship offered to Him at key moments, but here, after the resurrection, it stands as the fitting response of the disciple community before the exalted Messiah.

Yet Matthew also says, “but some doubted.” This does not mean settled unbelief in the harsh sense, but hesitation, uncertainty, trembling incomprehension in the presence of the risen one. The line is important because it shows that the disciples are still human, still overwhelmed, still processing the wonder before them. The resurrection does not turn them instantly into flawless giants of certainty. They are worshiping, yet still struggling to take in the reality.

This makes what follows all the more beautiful. Yeshua does not wait for perfect emotional steadiness before commissioning them. He comes near and speaks with authority into the midst of worshiping, trembling disciples.

All Authority in Heaven and on Earth

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’” (Matthew 28:18, ESV Bible). This is one of the greatest declarations in all of Scripture. The risen Yeshua speaks now as the exalted Son of Man of Daniel 7, the one to whom dominion, glory, and kingdom are given. The authority is total in scope: heaven and earth. There is no realm outside His lordship.

This statement gathers together everything Matthew has shown. He taught with authority greater than the scribes. He had authority over demons, sickness, storms, sin, and death. But now, after the resurrection, His royal authority is declared in its full universal form. The crucified one is the enthroned one.

The phrase has been given to me also matters. This is royal bestowal in relation to the Father. The Son, in His risen and vindicated state, now speaks as the one publicly invested with universal authority. The kingdom is no longer only announced in hiddenness. It is grounded in the enthronement of the risen Messiah.

This also means that the commission which follows is not merely a suggestion or a local religious project. It rests on the cosmic authority of Yeshua. The mission of the disciples flows from the reign of the King.

Go Therefore

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19, ESV Bible). The therefore is crucial. Because all authority belongs to Yeshua, the disciples are sent. Mission is grounded in kingship. The one who sends them has authority over all peoples, and therefore the nations must now hear and come under His lordship.

This is one of the great climactic moments in Matthew’s covenant vision. The Gospel began within Israel, as it had to. Yeshua was sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But even earlier in Matthew, the horizon had begun to widen—Gentile magi, a Roman centurion, the region of Galilee of the Gentiles, the Canaanite woman, the prediction that the Gospel of the kingdom would be proclaimed to all nations. Now that widening reaches explicit command. The nations are to be discipled.

This does not erase Israel from the story. Rather, it fulfills the wider covenant purpose that through Israel’s Messiah the nations would be brought into the blessing and reign of Hashem. The mission is not away from Israel’s story, but outward through its Messianic fulfillment.

And the command is not merely to gain converts in a thin sense. It is to make disciples. That means learners, followers, those who come under the teaching, authority, and way of Yeshua. The nations are not merely to hear information about Him. They are to become His תלמידים, His disciplined followers.

Baptizing Them

Yeshua continues, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, ESV Bible). Baptism here is covenantal and initiatory. It marks entry into the community of discipleship. Those who are made disciples are publicly brought into the name—the singular name—of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

This is an astonishing formulation. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are joined together in the baptismal confession. Matthew does not pause to explain the metaphysical depth of this, but the verse clearly places the Son and the Holy Spirit within the divine saving identity in a way that is inseparable from the Father.

The singular word name is also important. The baptized are brought into one covenantal allegiance and identity, yet that identity is expressed in this threefold form. For Matthew’s Gospel, which has already presented Yeshua as the beloved Son and the Spirit as active from conception through ministry, this final command gathers that revelation into the life of the disciple community.

Baptism therefore is not an empty ritual. It is the public act of belonging to the God revealed through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It marks transition into the people who live under the risen Messiah’s authority.

Teaching Them to Observe

Yeshua then says, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20, ESV Bible). This is essential. Discipleship does not stop at baptism. The nations are not merely to be gathered and marked. They are to be taught.

And taught what? “All that I have commanded you.” This is profoundly important for your larger theological emphasis. The risen Yeshua does not commission a lawless movement. He commissions a teaching community ordered around obedience. The nations are to be taught to observe His commands.

This fits the entire Gospel. The Sermon on the Mount called disciples to radical obedience from the heart. Yeshua said not the smallest part of the Torah would pass away until all was accomplished and warned against relaxing even the least commandments. He exposed false interpretations, deepened righteousness, emphasized justice, mercy, and faithfulness, and called His disciples to do the will of the Father. Now, at the end, His commission includes teaching the nations to observe.

This is not obedience against grace. It is obedience as the shape of discipleship under grace. The nations are not called merely to admire Yeshua, but to live under His instruction. The Great Commission is therefore not only evangelistic. It is covenantal and ethical. It forms a people who hear and do what the Messiah commands.

I Am With You Always

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, ESV Bible). This is the final promise of the Gospel, and it is glorious. The risen Yeshua does not merely send His disciples outward and leave them to carry the mission alone. He promises His own presence.

This promise reaches back to the beginning of Matthew, where Yeshua was introduced as Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23, ESV Bible). Now the Gospel closes with the same reality. The one who was God with us in birth and earthly ministry will remain with His people in resurrection authority until the end of the age.

That means the mission to the nations is not sustained by human strength alone. It is carried out under the presence of the risen Lord. The disciples who trembled, worshiped, and doubted are not abandoned. Nor are later disciples. The promise stretches across the whole age of mission until the consummation.

And the phrase to the end of the age ties the conclusion back to the Olivet discourse. The risen Yeshua, who taught about the end, now promises His presence all the way to that end. History will not outlast His faithfulness. The age may be full of tribulation, delay, persecution, and mission, but it will also be full of the presence of the King.

A Final Reflection

Matthew 28:16–20 ends the Gospel by showing the risen Messiah as the enthroned Lord of heaven and earth. The disciples come to Him in Galilee, worship Him, and yet still tremble with human uncertainty. Into that moment Yeshua declares that all authority has been given to Him and, on that basis, sends them to make disciples of all nations. The nations are to be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and they are to be taught to observe all that Yeshua commanded. The mission is therefore not only proclamation, but the formation of an obedient disciple people under the reign of Messiah.

The final promise gathers the whole Gospel into one closing assurance: “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20, ESV Bible). The one announced at the beginning as Immanuel ends the book as the ever-present Lord. So Matthew closes not with absence, but with authority and presence; not with defeat, but with kingship and commission. The crucified and risen Messiah now reigns, and His people are sent into the world under His rule and with His abiding presence until the age reaches its appointed end.