CHAPTER XXVIII. _The resurrection of Christ declared by an angel to the two_ _Marys at the sepulchre_, 1-6. _They are commissioned to announce this to the disciples_, 7. _They go, and are met by Christ himself who promises to meet the_ _disciples in Galilee_, 8-10. _The watch go into the city,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:2. _A GREAT EARTHQUAKE_] σεισμος, a _shaking_ or _commotion_ of any kind: probably the word means no more than the _confusion_ caused among the guards by the angel's appearance. All this had taken place before the women reached the sepulchre. _THE ANGEL OF THE LORD DESCENDED FROM H... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:3. _HIS COUNTENANCE_] _His appearance_, η ιδεα αυτου; or, _his face_, for so the word is used in some of the best Greek writers. It seems, from Mark 16:5, that this angel had assumed the appearance of a _young man_. _LIKE LIGHTNING_] Coruscations of glory continually flaming from h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:4. _THE KEEPERS - BECAME AS DEAD_ MEN.] God can, by one and the same means, _comfort_ his _servants_, and _terrify_ his _enemies._ The resurrection of Christ is a subject of _terror_ to the servants of sin, and a subject of consolation to the sons of God; because it is a proof of th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:5. _I KNOW THAT YE SEEK JESUS_] Speaking after the manner of men, these women deserved to be the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ: during _life_ they ministered to him, and in _death_ they were not divided. They attended him to the CROSS, notwithstanding their attachmen... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:6. _COME, SEE THE PLACE_] The tomb in which our Lord was laid was no doubt like the rest of the Jewish burying places, a receptacle for the several dead of a whole family, divided into separate _niches_, where each had his _place_. _Come and see the_ _place _- was tantamount to, Com... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:7. _GO QUICKLY AND TELL HIS DISCIPLES_] Thus these faithful women proclaim the Gospel to those who were afterwards to be the _teachers_ of the whole human race! Behold what honour God puts upon those who _persevere_ in his truth, and continue to _acknowledge him before men_! _THAT... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:8. _THEY DEPARTED QUICKLY FROM THE SEPULCHRE_] At the desire of the angel they went _into_ the tomb, to have the fullest certainty of the resurrection. _FEAR AND GREAT JOY_] _Fear_, produced by the _appearance_ of this glorious messenger of God; and _great joy_ occasioned by the _g... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:9. _AND AS THEY WENT TO TELL HIS DISCIPLES_] This clause is wanting in the Codex _Vatican_, and Codex _Bezae_, and in twenty others, and in most of the _versions_. The omission is approved by _Mill, Bengel_, and _Schmid_. _Griesbach_ leaves it in the text with a note of doubtfulness... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:10. _BE NOT AFRAID_] They were seized with fear at the sight of the angel; and this was now renewed by this unexpected appearance of Christ. Matthew 28:8, Matthew 28:8. _GO, TELL MY BRETHREN_] This is the _first_ time our Lord called his disciples by this endearing name: they no do... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:11. _SOME OF THE WATCH_] Or _guards_. Probably the rest still remained at the tomb, waiting for orders to depart, and had sent these to intimate to their employers the things that had taken place.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:12. _WITH THE ELDERS_] That is, the _senators_ of the great _Sanhedrin_ or Jewish council of state, elsewhere called _the elders_ _of the people_; they could now meet, as the Sabbath was over.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:13. _HIS DISCIPLES CAME BY NIGHT_] This was as _absurd_ as it was _false_. On one hand, the terror of the disciples, the smallness of their number (only eleven;) and their almost total want of faith; on the other, the great danger of such a bold enterprise, the number of armed men w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:14. _IF THIS CAME TO THE GOVERNOR'S EARS_] Pilate - _we will_ _persuade him_ that it is for his own interest and honour to join in the deception; and we will _render you secure _- we will take care that you shalt not suffer that punishment for this pretended breach of duty which oth... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:15. _UNTIL THIS DAY._] That is to say, the time in which Matthew wrote his Gospel; which is supposed by some to have been _eight_, by others _eighteen_, and by others _thirty_ years after our Lord's resurrection.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:16. _THEN THE ELEVEN DISCIPLES WENT_] When the women went and told them that they had seen the Lord, and that he had promised to meet them in Galilee. From the _eleventh_ to the _fifteenth_ verse inclusive, should be read in a parenthesis, as the _sixteenth_ verse is the continuatio... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:17. _BUT SOME DOUBTED._] That is, _Thomas_ only at first doubted. The expression simply intimates, that they did not all believe at that time. See the same form noticed on Matthew 26:8, and Matthew 27:44.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:18. _AND JESUS CAME AND SPAKE UNTO THEM_] It is supposed by some that the reason why any doubted was, that when they saw Jesus at first, he was at a _distance_; but when he _came up_, drew near to them, they were fully persuaded of the identity of his person. _ALL POWER IS GIVEN U... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:19. _GO YE THEREFORE_] Because I have the authority aforesaid, and can send _whomsoever_ I will to do _whatsoever_ I please: - _teach_, μαθητευσατε, _make disciples of all nations_, bring them to an acquaintance with God who bought them, and then _baptize_ _them in the name of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 28:20. _TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS_] Men are _ignorant_ of Divine things, and must be _taught_. Only those can be considered as proper _teachers_ of the ignorant who are thoroughly _instructed_ in whatsoever Christ _has commanded_. Persons who are entrusted with the public min... [ Continue Reading ]