He Is Risen: The Empty Tomb and the Commission in Matthew 28

I put the final coat of finish on a piece last week and stepped back to look at it. The piece was done. It was not perfect, but it was finished. All the sanding and fitting and adjusting had led to this moment. The work was complete and it was time to hand it over to the person who would use it.

Matthew 28 feels like that. The gospel has been building toward this chapter from the first verse. Jesus is crucified and buried. The women go to the tomb on the first day of the week, the earth shakes, and an angel descends and rolls back the stone. He is not here, the angel says. He is risen, as he said.

What Happened at the End of Matthew 28

The women arrive at the tomb. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. There is an earthquake and an angel whose appearance is like lightning. The guards are so afraid they shake and become like dead men. The angel tells the women not to be afraid and shows them the empty place where Jesus lay.

The women leave with fear and great joy and run to tell the disciples. On the way Jesus meets them and tells them not to be afraid. He tells them to go to Galilee where they will see him.

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Matthew 28:5-6

The women are the first witnesses. In that time and place the testimony of women carried less legal weight, but God chose them anyway. The first people to see the risen Lord were the ones who stayed when everyone else ran.

Significance of the Women Being the First Witnesses of the Resurrection

Meanwhile the chief priests pay the soldiers to say the disciples stole the body. They spread a lie that survives in some circles to this day. But the lie itself is an admission that the tomb was empty. They could not produce a body. They could only pay people to say it was taken.

I think about the contrast here. The women run to tell the truth while the priests pay to spread a lie. One group moves toward the light and the other tries to put it out. The empty tomb does not change its nature based on how people choose to respond.

The disciples go to Galilee as instructed and meet Jesus on a mountain. When they see him, some worship and some doubt. That detail has stayed with me. Even after the resurrection, even standing in front of the risen Lord, some of them doubted. Jesus does not rebuke them for the doubt. He gives them a commission anyway.

Why Did Some Disciples Doubt After the Resurrection

Doubt after seeing the empty tomb and the risen Christ. If they could doubt, I can doubt too. The chapter does not present doubt as disqualifying. It presents doubt as something that happens to honest people who are still processing the impossible. What comes after the doubt matters more than the doubt itself.

The disciples do not go home. They stay, listen, receive the commission, and become the foundation of the Church.

This connects to The Hidden Crack: Betrayal, Submission, and Failure in Matthew 26, where Peter and the disciples failed at their lowest moment. Matthew 28 shows them being restored and commissioned. The crack is not the final word.

Meaning of the Great Commission in Matthew 28

The commission is brief but complete. Go, teach, baptize, teach to observe. The structure covers the whole scope of the work: all nations, all that Jesus taught, all time.

And the promise. I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

That is the last line of the gospel of Matthew. It begins with a promise to Abraham and ends with a promise to everyone who will carry the work forward. He is with us. Not was and not will be, but is.

I think about this when I feel like the work I am doing does not matter. The small acts, the daily obedience, the ordinary faithfulness. The commission was given to people who had doubted and run away and failed. They were still the ones sent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the soldiers lie about the body being stolen?

The chief priests paid them to preserve their own power and avoid the public embarrassment of the resurrection. It is a common theme in scripture: worldly authorities trying to suppress spiritual truth through corruption.

Does the Great Commission apply to everyone or just the Apostles?

The command was given to the eleven, but the principle of sharing the gospel and helping others come to Christ is a fundamental responsibility for all followers of the Savior. It is the basis for the call to missionary work.

What is the significance of the phrase I am with you always?

It is a promise of constant companionship and support. It assures believers that while the physical presence of Christ is gone, his spiritual influence and power are permanently available.

Why did the angel tell the women to go quickly?

The urgency reflects the critical nature of the news. The resurrection is the turning point of human history, and spreading this truth was essential to ignite faith in the Apostles and start the work of the Church.

Closing

A finished piece of furniture goes out the door and starts its real life in someone else's home. The work I put into it fades into the background. What matters is whether it serves the person who uses it.

Matthew 28 ends the same way. The work of Jesus is finished and the tomb is empty. The commission is given. Now it is our turn to carry what we have received into the world, trusting that he is with us.

— D.