Matthew 28:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

NIV: The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

NASB: And the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

CSB: The angel told the women, "Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.

NLT: Then the angel spoke to the women. 'Don’t be afraid!' he said. 'I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

KJV: And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

NKJV: But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

Matthew's telling of this moment can be confusing if one forgets that he so often groups statements by theme, not in a strict order of time. Read in a modern style, this gives the impression the women who had come to anoint Jesus' body with spices witnessed the arrival of the angel. Mark, Luke, and John, however, show that this action took place before the women arrived. The angel "had" appeared and rolled away the stone (Matthew 27:60, 66), and "then" later spoke to the women as they arrived.

When the women come to the tomb, they find the stone door open and the angel seated there. They are understandably frightened. After all, the appearance of the angel was enough to cause Roman soldiers to faint. Virtually everyone who sees an angel, in Scripture, reacts in fear (Luke 1:11–13; 2:9–10; Acts 10:3–4). The angel, though, urges them not to be afraid. He calms the women by revealing that he knows why they have come. They are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

With these words, the angel reveals that he knows Jesus' body occupied this tomb and is no longer present. What the angel says next are some of the most powerful words spoken in history.

Matthew 28:1–10 describes how two of Jesus' women followers learn of Jesus' resurrection. Before they arrive at the tomb on Sunday morning, an angel from heaven descends and rolls back the large stone. This is accompanied by an earthquake. The Roman soldiers faint. The angel tells the women Jesus is risen from the dead. Jesus meets the women, and they worship Him. He sends them to tell His brothers He has been resurrected from the dead and that they should go to Galilee. They will see Him there.

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.