He
is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.
Matthew 28:6-7
Matthew 27 [65.] Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.
Matthew 28 [1.] Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”
Matthew 28 [8.] They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!”
They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.
Meaning:
At dawn on the first day of the week the women came to the tomb (Matthew 28:1). An earthquake shook the ground, an angel rolled away the stone and sat on it, and the guards became like dead men (Matthew 28:2-4). The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified” (Matthew 28:5). These verses give the rest of his message. Mark records it as “He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!” (Mark 16:6; Mark 16:7).
- “He is not here, for he has risen”
These words are the heart of the Christian faith. The women came looking for a body, but the tomb was empty because Jesus was alive. He had not been stolen or moved; he had risen. Paul says how much depends on it: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). The resurrection shows that God accepted his sacrifice and that death has been defeated.
- “just like he said”
The resurrection was not a surprise to Jesus. He had told his disciples many times that he would “be killed, and the third day be raised up” (Matthew 16:21). Luke records the angels reminding the women of this: “Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee” (Luke 24:6). David had sung, “neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10). Everything Jesus promised about his death had come true, and now his promise about rising had come true as well. His word can be trusted.
- “Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.”
The angel invites the women to see the evidence for themselves. Christian faith is not a leap in the dark. It rests on real events witnessed by real people. The women saw the empty place where the body had been, and soon they would see Jesus himself. The angel calls him “the Lord,” a title of honour and of divine authority.
- “Go quickly and tell his disciples”
The first witnesses of the resurrection became its first messengers. In that culture the testimony of women was often given little weight, yet God chose them to carry the greatest news in history. The disciples who had fled were not abandoned. The message was meant for them, and Mark adds “and Peter,” who had denied Jesus three times.
- “he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him”
On the night of his arrest Jesus had promised, “But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). Galilee was where the disciples had first been called and where most of Jesus’ ministry had taken place. Like a shepherd going ahead of his flock, Jesus would gather his scattered followers there and send them out to all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).
The Significance of Matthew 28:6-7
- Hope beyond the grave
Because Jesus is risen, death is not the end for those who belong to him. Every grief can be carried in the light of the empty tomb.
- Good news to share
The women were told to go quickly. Those who have met the risen Lord are still sent to tell others, beginning with those who have failed and fled.
Cross-References:
Mark 16:6: "He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!" Mark’s parallel account.
1 Corinthians 15:20: "But now Christ has been raised from the dead." The certainty of the resurrection.
Psalm 16:10: "neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption." The resurrection foretold.
Matthew 26:32: "But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee." Jesus’ promise kept.
Conclusion: The angel told the women, “He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said,” and invited them to see the empty place where the Lord had lain. Then he sent them quickly to tell the disciples that Jesus was going ahead of them into Galilee. The empty tomb confirms every promise Jesus made, and it turns grieving followers into joyful messengers.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible