Matthew 28:1-10
Chapter 28
Resurrection of Jesus
Suddenly, there was a violent earthquake: an angel of the Lord descending from heaven, came to the stone, rolled it away from the entrance of the tomb, and sat on it.
His appearance was like lightning, and his garment was white as snow.
When they saw the angel, the guards were filled with terror.
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 has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him;
then go immediately and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. This is my message to you.
In fear yet with great joy, the women left the tomb and ran to tell the news to his disciples.
He Appears to the Women
Suddenly, Jesus met them on the road and said:
Rejoice!”
The women approached him, bowed down at 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.”
Commentaries
Resurrection of Jesus – He Appears to the Women – Report of the Guards.
While the three synoptic gospels follow similar paths in the passion story, they differ noticeably in their resurrection accounts. None of them attempts to describe the exact moment or manner of the resurrection, as it goes beyond sensory experience. Instead, they affirm the event confidently and support it with various accounts. The main elements of these stories include identifying the apparition with the historical Jesus, His physicality, His specific appearance, His interaction with the disciples, and the personalities of the witnesses. For Christians, the resurrection is the cornerstone of faith. Paul states that if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is meaningless (1 Cor 15:14,17).