Matthew 28:1

1 . as it began to dawn ] At the rising of the sun, or properly, “when the sun had risen” (Mark). Both St Mark and St Luke mention that they brought spices and ointments. Ch. Matthew 28:1-8 . The Resurrection Mark 16:1-8 ; Luke 24:1-12 ; John 20:1-18 The discrepancies are slight, and may be accounted for by the agitation of the witnesses of this momentous scene. To the women named in this Gospel St Mark adds Salome; St Luke, Joanna and other women; St John names Mary Magdalene only. St Luke and St John mention the visit of Peter to the sepulchre, St John adding “that other disciple.” This Evangelist also records the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene in the garden. The order of events was probably this: First, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, having come early to the tomb, were addressed by the Angel and saw the empty sepulchre; they hasten to inform Peter and the other disciples; Peter and John visit the tomb and depart; Mary Magdalene, left alone, beholds her Lord, whom at first she does not recognise; soon afterwards the Lord appears a second time to Mary Magdalene, now in the company of other women.

Matthew 28:1 . In the end of the sabbath — Or rather, After the sabbath, as οψε σαββατων may be properly translated. Thus, in Philostratus, οψε των Τρωικων signifies, after the Trojan war; οψε μυστηριων , after the mysteries were ended. And in other authors, οψε τουτων is, after these things; οψε νυκτος , after night; see many examples of this in Stephanus. And so this perfectly agrees with the other evangelists, who say what is here related was done when the sabbath was ended, Mark 16:1 ; or the first day of the week, Luke 24:1 ; John 20:1 . And perhaps Matthew here mentions σαββατων , sabbaths, in the plural, because there were two sabbaths in that week, the paschal sabbath on Friday, and the ordinary sabbath on Saturday. As it began to dawn toward, &c. — Τη επιφωσκουση εις μιαν σαββατων , when it began to dawn into the first day of the week, that is, Sunday, or the Lord’s day; for μια των σαββατων always signifies the first day of the week, or the Lord’s day, or the day of his resurrection from the dead: and thus the word μια usually signifies in the Septuagint, when it is joined with days, weeks, or months; as Genesis 1:5 , The evening and morning were, ημερα μια , the first day: Exodus 40:2 ; Ezra 3:6 ; Ezra 10:17 , ημερα μια του μηνος , is the first day of the month. See note on 1 Corinthians 16:2 . On this day, in the evening, Christ appeared to the eleven, John 20:19 ; and again, John 20:26; and to the two disciples, Luke 24:13 .

Came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, (see on chap. Matthew 27:61 ,) to see the sepulchre — To see if all things were as they had left them the preceding evening. It appears from Mark 16:1 , that they were accompanied by Salome: and from Luke 24:10 , that they were soon joined by Joanna, and other female friends, who were to meet them there. These women had bought, and now brought with them, spices, which they had prepared to embalm the body of Jesus, to do which, it seems, was their principal reason for visiting the sepulchre so early this morning: from which it is evident, that notwithstanding Christ had repeatedly and explicitly foretold that he should rise from the dead the third day, they had no faith in his predictions. And yet they were truly pious women, and certainly genuine and very faithful followers of Jesus, evidently more attached to him than even the apostles themselves, and more bold and courageous in his cause. So slow of heart are the best disposed of mankind to believe what the Lord hath spoken.

In {1} the {a} end of the sabbath, as it {b} began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (1) Christ, having routed death in the tomb, rises by his own power, as the angel immediately witnesses. (a) At the going out of the sabbath, that is, about daybreak after the Roman manner of telling time, which considers the natural day to be from the rising of the sun to the next sunrise: and not as the Hebrews, which count from evening to evening. (b) When the morning of the first day after the sabbath began to dawn: and that first day is the same as that which we now call Sunday, or the Lord's day.

CHAPTER 28 Mt 28:1-15. Glorious Angelic Announcement on the First Day of the Week, that Christ Is Risen—His Appearance to the Women—The Guards Bribed to Give a False Account of the Resurrection. ( = Mr 16:1-8; Lu 24:1-8; Joh 20:1). The Resurrection Announced to the Women (Mt 28:1-8). 1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn—after the Sabbath, as it grew toward daylight. toward the first day of the week—Luke (Lu 24:1) has it, "very early in the morning"—properly, "at the first appearance of daybreak"; and corresponding with this, John (Joh 20:1) says, "when it was yet dark." See on [1384]Mr 16:2. Not an hour, it would seem, was lost by those dear lovers of the Lord Jesus. came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary—"the mother of James and Joses" (see on [1385]Mt 27:56; [1386]Mt 27:61). to see the sepulchre—with a view to the anointing of the body, for which they had made all their preparations. (See on [1387]Mr 16:1, 2). And, behold, there was—that is, there had been, before the arrival of the women. a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, &c.—And this was the state of things when the women drew near. Some judicious critics think all this was transacted while the women were approaching; but the view we have given, which is the prevalent one, seems the more natural. All this august preparation—recorded by Matthew alone—bespoke the grandeur of the exit which was to follow.

The angel sat upon the huge stone, to overawe, with the lightning-luster that darted from him, the Roman guard, and do honor to his rising Lord.Matthew 28:1-8 Christ’s resurrection is declared by an angel to the women.Matthew 28:9-10 Christ himself appeareth to them.Matthew 28:11-15 The chief priests bribe the soldiers to report thathe was stolen by the disciples.Matthew 28:16,17 Christ appeareth to the eleven in Galilee,Matthew 28:18-20 and sendeth them to teach and baptize all nations. We are now come to that part of the Gospel which treats concerning the resurrection of Christ, and the converse which he had upon the earth for forty days, Acts 1:3, until the time of his ascension into heaven. Matthew and Mark are the shortest in this narration. I shall therefore, only consider what Matthew saith, and what the other evangelists speak as to the same things which he mentions, leaving out what the other evangelists have (not at all mentioned by him) to be discoursed in their proper place. We heard before that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had prepared spices and ointments to anoint the body of Christ, but the sabbath day being at hand, they would not by that unnecessary action profane the sabbath; as Luke tells us, Luke 23:56, they rested on the sabbath, according to the commandment: The sabbath ended with them at the setting of the sun. They did not go as soon as the sabbath was ended, but after it was ended, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.

XXVIII. (1) It will probably help the student to place before him, in their right order, the recorded appearances of our Lord Jesus after His resurrection:— (1.) To Mary Magdalene, John 20:14; Mark 16:9. (2.) To Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, Matthew 28:9. (3.) To Peter, Luke 24:34; 1Corinthians 15:5. (4.) To Cleopas and another disciple at Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35. (5.) To the eleven, or more strictly, the ten Apostles at Jerusalem, Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36; John 20:19. (6.) To the eleven Apostles at Jerusalem, John 20:26. (7.) To the disciples—five named, and others—by the Sea of Galilee, John 21:1-24. (8.) To the Eleven on a mountain in Galilee, Matthew 28:16; Mark 16:15. (9.) To the five hundred brethren, possibly identical with. (8), 1Corinthians 15:6. (10.) To James the brother of the Lord, 1Corinthians 15:7. (11.) To the Eleven at Jerusalem before the Ascension, Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50; Acts 1:3-12. In the end of the sabbath.—Literally, late on the Sabbath; St. Mark, “when the Sabbath was over;” St. Luke, “very early in the morning.” St. Matthew’s addition, “as it began to dawn,” brings his narrative into harmony with St. Luke’s.

The order of facts appears to have been as follows:—(1) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James the Little, watched the burial just before the Sabbath began on the evening of the day of the crucifixion. (2.) They stayed at home during the twenty-four hours of the Sabbath. (3.) On the evening of that day (the Sabbath-rest being over) they bought spices for the embalmment. (4.) At earliest dawn, say about 4 A.M., they set out to make their way to the sepulchre, and they reached it when the sun had risen (Mark 16:2).

Matthew 28:1 . Ὀψὲ , after) i.e. after the Sabbath; cf. Mark 16:1 . E. Schmidius compares with this expression that of Plutarch, ὀψὲ τῶν βασιλέως χρόνων , after the times of the king ; and that of Philostrahis, ὀψὲ τῶν Τρωϊκῶν , after the Trojan war .[1220] Now with the new week very different matters arise.— σαββάτων — σαββάτων ,[1221] genitive plural of σάββατον , the Sabbath ) The Vulgate has Sabbati—Sabbati , genitive singular, in both places, and it does not stand alone.— σαββάτον — σαββάτων , the first in the genitive singular, the second genitive plural, is the middle reading between these two.[1222]— Τῇ [sc. ἩΜΈΡᾼ ] ἘΠΙΦΩΣΚΟΎΣῌ , as it began to dawn ) When the period of death had elapsed, our Lord rose as quickly as possible.— εἰς μίαν [sc. ἩΜΈΡΑΝ ] on the first day, i.e. the whole day , the first of the week. The first day of the week had already begun on the preceding evening; now the day, as opposed to the night, was dawning on that first day. The first remarkable mention of the Lord’s day is combined with the resurrection of our Lord.