Matthew 28
MCGARMatthew 28:1-8
(Joseph’s Garden. Sunday, very early.) M 1-8; M 1-8; L 1-8, 12; J 1-10. [ .] [the Roman soldiers on guard] [The angel sat upon the stone that the Roman guards might make no attempt to reclose the tomb.] [739] [John mentions Mary Magdalene alone, though she came with the rest of the women. As she was the one who reported to John and Peter, he describes her actions, and makes no mention of the others.] [Though Mary came with the other women, she departed at once, while the others tarried, as the sequel shows. The narrative proceeds to tell what happened to the other women after Mary had departed.] [For the words referred to, see , . The angel continues his speech as follows] [Here is a double wonder, that men should put the Son of God in a grave, and that he should consent to be put there.] [740] [The women were told to hasten, for the disciples were not to endure their sorrow a moment longer than was needful. Peter was mentioned by name that he might know that he was not cast off for his denial. The Lord appeared to some chosen few in Judæa, but the large body of his disciples were to see him in Galilee; see , , and many other passages set forth the resurrection of our Lord; his own words, too, had plainly foretold it, yet among the disciples it was so much beyond all expectation that the prophecies had no meaning until made clear by the event itself. Yet these are the men whom the Jews accused of inventing the story of a resurrection!] [FFG 739-742]
Matthew 28:9-10
(Jerusalem. Sunday morning.) M 9, 10; M 9-11; L 9-11; J 11-18. [The women, having received the message of the angels, and remembering that the message accorded with the words [742] of Jesus himself, made haste.] [Mark here agrees with John that Mary separated from the other women. As to Mary Magdalene, see ), lest the shock of his sudden appearance might be too much for her, as it was for even his male disciples [743] . Conversation with him assured her that he was not a disembodied spirit.] [Christ’s first question expressed kindly sympathy; the second suggested that he knew the cause of her grief, and might be able to help her find what she sought. Thus encouraged, Mary at once assumes that the gardener himself had removed the body, probably under instructions from Joseph, and hope lightens her heart. In her effort to remove the body, she doubtless counts upon the help of her fellow-disciples.] [Her eyes and ears were no longer held; she knew him. It was the same way he used to speak, the same name by which he used to call her.
The grave had glorified and exalted him, but had not changed his love.] [Seasons of greatest joy are marked by little speech. Jesus and Mary each expressed themselves in a single word.] [This passage is one of well-known difficulty, and Meyer or Ryle may be consulted by those wishing to see how various commentators have interpreted it.
We would explain it by the following paraphrase: “Do not lay hold on me and detain yourself and me; I have not yet ascended; this is no brief, passing vision; I am yet in the world, and will be for some time, and there will be other opportunities to see me; the duty of the moment is to go and tell my sorrowing disciples that I have risen, and shall ascend to my Father.” Jesus does not say “our Father.” Our relation to God is not the same as his. While, however, our Lord’s language recognizes the difference between his divine and our human relationship to the Father, his words are intended to [744] show us our exaltation. We have reason to believe that next to our Lord’s title as Son our title as sons of God by adoption is as high in honor as any in the universe.] [The poignancy of the disciples’ grief, even after the intervention of the Sabbath day, explains why the Lord and his angels were so eager to bring them word of the resurrection.] [It is likely that Mary brought the first word, for we shall see below that Luke places her first in the catalogue of witnesses. The narrative now turns back to take up the account of the other women.] [This was a customary salutation. But the old formula took on new significance, for it means “rejoice.”] [This delay, permitted to them, and denied to Mary, probably explains why she became the first messenger, though the other women were first to leave the tomb.] [The repetition may be due to the reticence of the women remarked by Mark in the last section by the key words “and they said nothing to any one.” The women may have been hesitating whether they should tell the disciples. Thus Jesus reiterates the instruction already given by the angel.
This is the first time the word “brethren” is applied by our Lord to his disciples.] [they] [Lamar well says that this very incredulity on the part of the apostles “enhances the value of their [745] testimony to of the resurrection. They were not expecting it; they were no visionary enthusiasts, prepared to welcome and credit any story that might be told them; nor would they be satisfied with any proof short of palpable and ocular demonstrations.”] [FFG 742-746]
Matthew 28:11-15
M 11-15. [while Joanna and the group of women with her were on their way to tell the apostles that they had seen Jesus] [not all] [Esteeming it folly to guard an empty tomb, the soldiers went to their barracks, while their officers returned to those who had placed them on guard to report what had happened. They rightly judged that the plain truth was their best defense. They could not be expected to contend against earthquakes and angels. Their report implies that they saw Jesus leave the tomb, and after the angel opened it. ), lends credibility to this statement.] [747]
[FFG 746-747]
Matthew 28:16-17
(A mountain in Galilee.) M 16, 17; I. C 6. [Though Matthew speaks of only eleven being present at this appearance, yet as it was the oft-promised meeting by appointment and as the women and disciples generally shared in the promise , we have no doubt that it was the meeting mentioned by Paul the account of which we have here blended with Matthew. As to the doubts, we may explain them in three ways: 1. Among so large a number as five hundred some would likely be skeptical. 2. It would take Jesus some time to draw near enough to all to convince each one of his identity. Some, therefore, would doubt until they were thus convinced by Jesus coming to them and speaking to them, as the first clause of the next section shows that he did. 3. Matthew records no other appearance to the apostles save this one, and it seems to us reasonable to think that he here notes the doubts of Thomas, and connects them with the appearance of Jesus generally.
He could not well say " doubted," for he records no other appearance where they had opportunity to doubt. The history of the eleven sustains this view, for there [761] were no doubters among them at Pentecost. According to Paul, many of these brethren were still alive when he wrote his epistle to the Corinthians, which is commonly accepted to have been in the spring of A. D. 57. [FFG 761-762]
Matthew 28:18-20
(Time and place same as last section.) M 18-20; M 15-18; L 46, 47. [The verses from Luke are taken from a later conversation, which will be handled in our , , , magnifies instead of detracting from their wonderful import, for he deems its necessary to state that the Father himself is not subject to the Son. Surely in connection with this marvelous celestial power, his dominion over out tiny earth would not need to be mentioned if it were not that we, its inhabitants, are very limited in our conception of things, and require exceedingly plain statements. The command calls for the Christianizing of all nations. If we realized better that authority with which Christ prefaces his commission, the conquest of the nations in his name would seem to us a small matter indeed, and we should set about it expecting to witness its speedy accomplishment. The structure of the sentence in the original Greek shows that it is the disciples and not the nations who are to be baptized; according to the commission, therefore, one must be made a disciple before he can be baptized. Baptism brings us into divine relation to God.
Being a part of the process of adoption, it is called a birth . The baptized Christian bears the name into which he is baptized . Luke sums up the whole commission by recording the words of Christ, wherein he states that he suffered that it might be preached to all nations that if men would repent, God could now forgive . From Luke’s record we also learn that the preaching of these glad tidings was to begin at Jerusalem.] [The Book of Acts gives examples of each one of these except the fourth, and though we have no record of a disciple escaping the effects of drinking poison, [763] there is little doubt that in the many persecutions such cases did occur.] [This is a promise not of bare companionship, but of full sympathy and support . The duration of this promise shows that it is intended for all disciples.] [FFG 762-764]