What does Matthew 28:9 mean?
The women are running from the tomb of Jesus back to where the disciples are hiding. They have been told by an angel that Jesus is alive and have been sent to tell the disciples that they will see Jesus in Galilee (Matthew 28:1–8).Before they can reach the disciples, however, Jesus meets them, alive, walking, talking. They had last seen Him die on the cross after the great struggle and then watched as His lifeless body was wrapped and buried in a tomb (Matthew 27:50–61). Now He stands before them in person and says, "Greetings!" as if He were meeting anyone walking along the road. This is the equivalent of seeing someone in the modern world who casually says "Hi!"
The women cannot be casual in this moment. They fall, take hold of Jesus' feet—perhaps to make sure He is truly there—and worship Him. Seeing Jesus alive after seeing Him dead has made concrete the reality that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Humble worship is the only proper response.
The differing gospel accounts emphasize different moments and encounters during this morning of Jesus' resurrection. In each of them, though, Jesus appears alive first to one or more women. These women, especially, have been faithful servants to Him throughout His life and ministry. Even as the resurrected Son of God, Jesus continues to counter the culture of His generation by honoring women highly in a society that often treated them very poorly.
