Matthew 28:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

NIV: The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

NASB: The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men.

CSB: The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.

NLT: The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

KJV: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

NKJV: And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

A detachment of Roman soldiers stood guarding Jesus' tomb (Matthew 27:62–66). Their job was to keep it sealed and to prevent anyone from stealing Jesus' body. Suddenly, sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning, an angel appeared from heaven just as an earthquake took place. The angel rolled back the large stone covering Jesus' now-empty tomb and sat on it.

Roman soldiers were among the toughest men of their era. These soldiers may have been hardened by battle in any number of places around the Roman Empire. Or, they might have been relatively inexperienced. We're not sure, but we are certain that what they saw rendered them helpless. They have seen an angel from heaven, who looked like lightning dressed in the whitest of clothes.

The soldiers convulse in fear and collapse like dead men. They were not dead, merely passed out and thoroughly unconscious. Terror at seeing an angel is an almost universal response, as recorded in the Bible (Luke 1:11–13; 2:9–10; Acts 10:3–4).

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 1:44:10 PM