Matthew 28:1-15
28: 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. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
Reflection
Matthew has carefully noted that “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph” witnessed both the death (Matt. 27:56) and burial of Jesus (27:61). Nothing could have prepared these two devastated women for what they would now witness as they returned to the same tomb where they had seen his dead body laid to rest just two days before. The empty tomb and the angel’s news of Christ’s resurrection fill them with “fear and great joy” (28:8). On their way to tell the others, the resurrected Jesus himself appears to them and personally directs them to spread the news of his resurrection to the disciples (vv. 7, 10).
From the beginning, the news of the resurrection has been opposed by the enemies of Christ. Though the soldiers had personally witnessed the angel who rolled the stone from the tomb (v. 2), the Jewish leaders paid them to fabricate an explanation for the missing body (vv. 12–13). To encourage unbelief, many have circulated the soldiers’ story (v. 15), but the truth of Christ’s resurrection has prevailed in the lives of millions throughout church history. Thankfully for us, in the days that followed, Jesus appeared to hundreds of other people (1 Cor. 15:3–8), who went on to tell the real story because they could not help but speak of what they had seen and heard (cf. Acts 4:20).
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
13: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Reflection
Paul now proceeds to a beautiful description of love (1 Corinthians 13), beginning with a warning. Sin causes us to prize dramatic spiritual displays more than the good of our neighbor. We must understand that without love, even the most spectacular supernatural and self-sacrificing experiences are of no eternal value — either to others or to ourselves.
Once again we see that God is deeply concerned with the motives beneath our actions. Christ did not come to build a church of stone-hearted miracle workers and social activists. He came to launch a new creation—a work that is already underway in the hearts of his people (see 2 Cor. 5:17).
Psalm 40:5
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.
Christians today are still called to spread the news of the resurrection of Jesus (Matt. 28:1–10). Pray that the gospel would be so powerfully convincing to you that you cannot help but speak about what you have seen and heard through the Scripture.