Matthew 27:58
Asked for the
body of
Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea must have been wealthy and influential enough among the Jews to have access to Pilate, the Roman governor. As a disciple of Jesus, Joseph did not want Jesus' body to be dishonored. A poor, crucified criminal would not have been given a proper burial.
Matthew 27:61
Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary. These were two of the many women who followed and supported Jesus (Luke 8:1-3). "
Mary" was a common name in Jesus' day and these women were identified in other ways: Mary who was from Magdala (Luke 8:2), and the "
other Mary" who was mentioned in 27:56 as the mother of James and Joseph, who was the wife of Clopas (John 19:25).
Matthew 27:66
They
went and made the
tomb secure. The Jewish leaders were afraid that Jesus' disciples would spread a rumor that Jesus had risen from the dead, so a Roman guard was placed to guard the tomb. The tomb was sealed, probably with ropes and a wax that bore the official sign of Pilate.
Matthew 28:1
Sabbath. The Jewish holy day each week was on Saturday, with the first day of the week as Sunday. Thus, Jesus' resurrection occurred on the third day of these events (Friday-Saturday-Sunday).
The Angel of the Lord – Matthew 28:2-7
When the two Mary's came to visit the tomb, a glorious creature sent by God from heaven appeared. This may have been the same angel (Gabriel) that appeared to Joseph and told him to marry Mary and that Jesus would be God's Son and God's presence (Matt. 1:20-23). The angel at the tomb caused the guards to faint (Matt. 28:4). The angel spoke to the women directly and revealed the empty tomb, explaining that Jesus had risen.
Matthew 28:9
Took
hold of
his feet and
worshipped him. The women were the first people to give the resurrected Jesus the honor and praise due him (Matt. 14:33). Jesus' feet are mentioned to show that Jesus was not just a spirit or ghost but in fact was resurrected in bodily form (John 20:20, 27; 1 Cor. 15:13-22).
Matthew 28:9
Took
hold of
his feet and
worshipped him. The women were the first people to give the resurrected Jesus the honor and praise due him (Matt. 14:33). Jesus' feet are mentioned to show that Jesus was not just a spirit or ghost but in fact was resurrected in bodily form (John 20:20, 27; 1 Cor. 15:13-22).
Matthew 29:10
Galilee. Galilee was in the northern part of Palestine where many Gentiles lived, and was where Jesus started and had most of his ministry (Matt. 4:13-17). Jesus was now restarting his ministry through his disciples from this same place, "Galilee of the Gentiles."
The Lie About Jesus' Body - Matthew 28:11-15
The Jewish leaders realized that reports about Jesus' resurrection would undermine their authority so they bribed the guards to say that Jesus' body had been stolen.
Matthew 28:16
The
eleven. This refers to Jesus' original twelve disciples minus Judas Iscariot who had killed himself after betraying Jesus (Matt. 27:3-10). Matthew 28:17
They worshiped him but some doubted. The disciples gave Jesus the honor, reverence, and praise that is due him. "Doubted" here means something more like "hesitated" because the disciples were afraid of judgment and rejection from Jesus because they had abandoned him when he was arrested (Matt. 26:56).
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