Matthew 28:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

NIV: When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

NASB: And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.

CSB: When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.

NLT: When they saw him, they worshiped him — but some of them doubted!

KJV: And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

NKJV: When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

The eleven remaining disciples, and likely many other people, are meeting with Jesus on a mountain up in Galilee after His resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1–10). Matthew reports that the reaction of the disciples to Jesus when He appeared in His glorified body was the same as that of the women who saw Him immediately after the resurrection: worship (Matthew 28:9).

What does it mean that they worshiped Jesus? For the women, it involved getting low to the ground and taking hold of Jesus' feet. Both groups recognized, because of the resurrection from the dead following the terrible crucifixion, that Jesus was truly the powerful Son of God. They understood Him to be God in the flesh, and they likely bowed before Him and expressed honor and praise for Him.

Matthew adds, though, with frustratingly little detail that "some doubted." What did they doubt, exactly, and who did the doubting? We cannot know for sure, but Bible scholars speculate. Perhaps some doubted that this was really Jesus raised from the dead and not another being. Perhaps some doubted, still, that the resurrected Jesus was the Son of God and worthy of worship. Perhaps some simply doubted that what they were seeing with their own eyes, Jesus alive and breathing, could possibly be true.

Who doubted? Some say it must have been some among Jesus' main eleven disciples. Some say it must have been others present at the appearance of Jesus in this moment. Thomas, famously, stubbornly refused to believe Jesus was alive even after hearing it from the other ten disciples (John 20:24–29). It's possible that other followers of Christ were afraid to trust what seemed too good to be true.

Matthew 28:16–20 describes Jesus' commissioning the eleven remaining disciples on a mountain in Galilee. He had given them a message to meet Him there. Now He appears and commands them to make disciples from the people of all nations on the earth. He calls on them to baptize these disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They must also teach these new believers to obey everything Jesus has commanded them to do. Matthew ends his book with Jesus' promise to always be with those who believe in Him.

An angel of the Lord descends from heaven and rolls the stone from Jesus' tomb. The guards faint. The angel sits on top of the stone and waits. Two women, followers of Jesus, arrive and are told that Jesus is risen from the dead. Jesus then meets them and tells them to give the news to His brothers. The chief priests bribe the guards to say Jesus' followers stole His body. Jesus meets the disciples on a mountain in Galilee and commissions them to make disciples of people from all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus' commands. Jesus promises to be with them always.

Matthew 28 follows the dark events of the crucifixion in the previous chapter and brings Matthew's story of Jesus to a close. An angel descends from heaven and rolls back the stone. The guards faint. The angel tells two women Jesus is risen and then Jesus meets them. The Jewish religious leaders bribe the guards to lie and distribute a story that His followers took the body. Jesus meets His disciples in Galilee and commissions them to make disciples of people from all nations on earth, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all of Jesus' commands.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.