What does Matthew 27:56 mean?

A small group of women were standing some distance away from the cross when Jesus died. These are women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to or served Him during His travels. Though Matthew does not mention it, another person there is the disciple John, apparently the only member of the Twelve present (John 19:25–27).

Matthew reveals who these women are, and we have met them before. They include Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2), Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matthew 20:20). Some Bible scholars speculate that the mother of James and Joseph is, in fact, Jesus' mother Mary. Zebedee's sons are the disciples James and John. Their mother may be a woman named Salome mentioned in Mark's gospel (Mark 15:40). This would match Matthew's list of the women present with the accounts given by Mark and John.