Matthew 28

The chapter moves from the fear and confusion of the grave to the divine authority of the resurrected Christ, ending with the expansion of the kingdom to all nations.

• I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20)

• Fear not ye (Matthew 28:5)
• Come, see the place (Matthew 28:6)
• Go quickly, and tell (Matthew 28:7)
• Be not afraid (Matthew 28:10)
• Go ye therefore, and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19)
• baptizing them (Matthew 28:19)
• Teaching them to observe all things (Matthew 28:20)

• The chief priests and elders maintained power via political leverage and money, as seen in their attempt to bribe the Roman soldiers (custodia) to suppress the news of the resurrection.
• The 'watch' (v11) implies a military presence, making the bribery a significant act of political corruption to secure their position.

• Women were generally excluded from legal testimony in 1st-century Jewish society; that the women are the first witnesses to the resurrection highlights the radical nature of the Gospel witness.
• The 'Great Commission' challenged the insular, ethnocentric religious norms of the period by commanding the disciples to approach 'all nations' (panta ta ethne).

• This passage serves as the conclusion to the Gospel of Matthew, linking back to the 'Immanuel' promise in chapter 1.
• Matthew Henry observes that the resurrection occurred on the first day of the week, establishing the foundation for Christian observance of the Lord's Day, though he notes this as a shift in focus from the Old Testament Sabbath.

• Fulfills the 'Sign of Jonah' (Mt 12:40).
• Echoes the 'all authority' given to the Son of Man in Daniel 7:14.

• Matthew 28:18 ('All power is given unto me') alludes to Daniel 7:14, where the Ancient of Days gives the Son of Man 'dominion, and glory, and a kingdom'.
• The 'Great Commission' echoes the promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 12:3).

• σάββατον (sábbaton) [G4521]: Used here to mark the temporal end of the Jewish weekly Sabbath.
• ἐπιφώσκω (epiphṓskō) [G2020]: Literally 'to begin to grow light,' used to describe the dawn of the first day of the week.
• προσέρχομαι (prosérchomai) [G4334]: In verses 2, 9, and 18, this term describes the approach of the women and disciples to Jesus; in religious contexts, it often carries the weight of worship or reverent petition.
• ἐξουσία (exousía - contextually implied in v18): While KJV translates as 'power,' the Greek word denotes 'authority' or the 'right to act,' highlighting Jesus' legal and sovereign rule.

• The 'doubt' in verse 17 is notable; it suggests that even for the eleven, spiritual understanding is often a struggle that requires the ongoing presence of the Lord.
• The guards were 'as dead men' (v4), emphasizing the terrifying, overwhelming nature of the divine intervention.

• Eschatology: The phrase 'end of the world' (v20) translates the Greek *sunteleia tou aiōnos*, literally 'completion of the age.' Historic interpretations vary: some view this as the 'age of the Law/Old Covenant,' others as the entire era until the final return of Christ. The text itself refers to the 'age' rather than the material planet.
• The 'doubt': Some commentators argue this refers to the initial hesitation of some disciples, while others debate whether the eleven included others beyond the core group. The text provides no further details to resolve this.