NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible | Page 168
Matthew 28:12 | 1761
27:60 u Mt 27:66;
28:2; Mk 16:4
27:63 v Mt 16:21
27:65 w ver 66;
Mt 28:11
27:66 x Da 6:17
y ver 60; Mt 28:2
z Mt 28:11
28:1 a Mt 27:56
28:2 b Mt 27:51
c Jn 20:12
28:3 d Da 10:6;
Mk 9:3; Jn 20:12
28:5 e ver 10; Mt 14:27
28:6 f Mt 16:21
28:7 g ver 10, 16;
Mt 26:32
28:9 h Jn 20:14‑18
28:10 i Jn 20:17;
Ro 8:29;
Heb 2:11-13, 17
j
28:11 Mt 27:65, 66
Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen
cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb u that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a
big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the c hief priests and the Pharisees went
to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said,
‘After three days I will rise again.’ v 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure un
til the t hird day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people
that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “Take a g
uard,” w Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So
uard. z
they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal x on the s tone y and posting the g
Jesus Has Risen
28:1-8pp — Mk 16:1-8; Lk 24:1-10; Jn 20:1-8
28
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary a went to look at the t omb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, b for an angel c of the Lord came down from heaven
and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like light
ning, and his c lothes were white as snow. d 4 The g
uards were so a
fraid of him that they
shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, e for I know that you are looking for
Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. f Come and see the
place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and
is going ahead of you into Gali l ee. g There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, a
fraid yet f illed with joy, and ran to tell
his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. h “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped
his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be a
fraid. Go and tell my
brothers i to go to Galilee; t here they will see me.”
The Guards’ Report
11 While the women were on t heir way, some of the g
uards j went into the city and re
ported to the c hief p
riests everything that had happened. 12 When the c hief priests had met
he disagreed with its decision to condemn
Christ (Luke 23:50 – 51). John 19:38 says, “Jo-
seph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly be-
cause he feared the Jewish leaders.”
27:60 big stone. Sets the stage for 28:2. It is un-
likely that the two Marys later go to the wrong
tomb since they observe the burial (v. 61).
27:62 – 66 Various Jewish authorities remem-
ber Jesus’ predictions of his death and resur-
rection. Even though they are convinced he
was a “deceiver” (v. 63), they don’t want to
risk the disciples coming to steal his body
and claiming he has been raised from the
dead. Pilate allows the Jewish authorities ac-
cess to an imperial guard and a wax seal to
secure the tomb.
27:62 The next day . . . after Preparation Day.
Preparation Day refers to the day prepara-
tions were made for the Sabbath (Saturday);
thus “Preparation Day” is Friday (Mark 15:42).
So the “next day” after this day of preparation
is Saturday.
27:63 three days. See 12:40 and note; 16:21;
17:23; 20:19.
28:1 – 20 Matthew includes three scenes con-
cerning Jesus’ resurrection: the foundational
appearance (vv. 1 – 10), the debunking of the
earliest rival explanation of events (vv. 11 – 15),
and Jesus’ parting commission of his dis-
ciples (vv. 16 – 20).
28:1 the first day of the week. Sunday. Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary. See 27:56,61.
Mark 16:1 includes Salome in the group and
gives the reason for their going to the tomb:
to provide more embalming spices.
28:2 – 3 violent earthquake. May have been
an aftershock from the one two days earlier
(27:51,54). an angel of the Lord . . . clothes
were white as snow. Corresponds to the
“young man dressed in a white robe” in Mark
16:5. Luke 24:4 has two men “in clothes that
gleamed like lightning,” but perhaps only
one spoke on this occasion — Matthew’s and
Mark’s focus of attention.
28:4 The guards. See 27:62 – 66. became
like dead men. Suggests they were unable
to move for a time, like in a “dead faint.”
The events of vv. 2 – 4 appear to precede the
women’s arrival at the tomb.
28:5 Do not be afraid. Given the guards’ ter-
ror, it is appropriate for the angel to tell the
women not to be afraid.
28:6 he has risen. Relying solely on Paul’s let-
ters, one can demonstrate that the first post-
Easter disciples, who clearly believed in Jesus’
bodily resurrection, incorporated the truth of
Jesus’ resurrection into their earliest teaching
and preaching. In other words, Saul of Tarsus,
just after his conversion (in ca. AD 32, about
16 years before the council of Gal 2:1 – 10 in
48; see Gal 1:18; 2:1) was taught the list of
eyewitnesses to the event (1 Cor 15:3 – 8), al-
ready widely agreed upon as fundamental
information for new believers. But because
Jesus died no earlier than AD 30, resurrection
belief is scarcely some slowly evolving myth.
just as he said. Harks back to Jesus’ predic-
tions in 12:40; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 26:32. Come
and see the place where he lay. Offers empiri-
cal proof of the empty tomb. This is not just
some “spiritual” resurrection that leaves the
corpse still in its grave.
28:7 going ahead of you into Galilee. Jesus
had promised to go ahead of them into
Galilee after he had risen (26:32). His tomb is
just outside Jerusalem in Judea. The return
to Galilee, which is distinctive to Matthew’s
Gospel, may well be seen by Matthew as the
fulfillment of Isa 9:1 – 2, which he quotes in
Matt 4:15 – 16. A light dawns on those living in
the land of the shadow of death.
28:8 afraid yet filled with joy. A reasonable
response to such wondrous events.
28:9 Jesus met them. Before the women
could report back to his disciples, Jesus met
them and greeted them. clasped his feet
and worshiped him. A posture of obeisance
by these women and their acknowledgment
of Jesus’ deity flow from this appearance of
Jesus. Note that no ancient legend would
have made women the first witnesses to the
resurrection, given that a woman’s testimony
was generally not admitted in legal contexts.
28:10 go and tell. Jesus repeats the command
of v. 7. my brothers. Jesus treats the disciples
as family.
28:11 – 15 This is the sequel to 27:62 – 66. The
soldiers could have been executed for shirk-
ing their duties, but the Jewish authorities
bribe them to tell their superiors the very
story about grave-robbing that their presence