The Risen King Is Still With Us

After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. Matthew describes a great earthquake as an angel comes down, rolls away the stone, and sits on it. The guards shake with fear and become like dead men. The ones guarding the dead are helpless, while Jesus is alive.

The angel tells the women that Jesus has risen, just as He said He would. They are invited to look at the place where His body had rested. Then they receive a task: tell the disciples that Jesus is alive and will meet them in Galilee.

I don’t want us to miss that Jesus had already told them this would happen. His death had not ruined God’s plan. His resurrection confirms His words. The empty tomb gives frightened followers a reason to trust Him, even when they do not yet understand everything.

The women hurry away with both fear and great joy. Those feelings stand together in the text. They have heard wonderful news, but they have also faced something far beyond an ordinary morning. Their fear does not keep them from going to tell the disciples.

Then Jesus meets them. They take hold of His feet and worship Him. This is not merely a comforting idea or a memory of their teacher. Matthew presents the living Jesus, whom they can touch and worship. Jesus comforts them and repeats the direction to send His brothers to Galilee.

That word for the disciples carries warmth. These are men who had failed Him and fled when He was arrested. Yet Jesus still calls them His brothers. I see grace here: their failure has not erased His love. The risen Lord draws His scattered followers back to Himself. Their future rests on His faithfulness, not on a perfect record of their own.

While the women are on their way, some guards report to the chief priests what has happened. The leaders meet with the elders and arrange a false account. They pay the soldiers to claim that Jesus’ disciples stole His body while the guards slept. They also promise to deal with the governor if the report reaches him, protecting the soldiers from trouble.

The soldiers take the money and spread the story. Matthew notes that this account was still being repeated among Jewish people when he wrote. He is explaining a claim his readers may have heard, not blaming every Jewish person for what these leaders did.

Notice the contrast. The women carry news that brings hope; the guards are paid to carry a lie. These leaders answer disturbing evidence by trying to control the story. Sin can make protecting our position seem more important than facing the truth. Yet their money and influence cannot put Jesus back in the grave.

The eleven disciples go to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus directed them. They worship Him, though some doubt. Matthew does not hide their weakness. Jesus approaches and declares that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Their mission rests on His power, not their confidence.

They must make disciples of all nations. A disciple is someone who follows Jesus and learns His way of life. This mission includes baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching people to obey everything Jesus commanded. Baptism publicly marks belonging to Him. Teaching aims at lived obedience, not just knowing facts.

The good news of Israel’s Messiah now goes to every people. No nation is outside the reach of this command. Jesus closes with His promise to remain with His followers through the end of the age. I find deep comfort here: He does not send His people out alone. The risen King stays with them.