What does Matthew 27:55 mean?

Matthew turns from the reaction of the Roman soldiers after Jesus' death (Matthew 27:50–54) to a group of women standing nearby. They have stayed near enough so that they can witness Jesus' death when the time comes. Now they have seen it, along with the dramatic earthquake that followed it.

These women are familiar friends and parents of Jesus and His disciples. They, too, are from Galilee and have spent much of the last three years travelling with the group, when appropriate, to help care for Jesus and the others. Matthew provides a list of their names in the following verse. John, also, explains those who were nearest to Christ at the moment of His death (John 19:25–27).

What's also interesting is who Matthew does not show standing nearby when Jesus died. None of the disciples are pictured, and only John's gospel indicates that even one of the men are anywhere near the scene. Most are apparently still in hiding (Matthew 26:56) since it would be so dangerous to be captured as one of Jesus' disciples (John 20:19).