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. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:8-10
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.
Matthew 28 [10.] Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Matthew 28 [11.] Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers, saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry.” So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until today.
Meaning:
The angel had told the women at the tomb, “He is not here, for he has risen,” and sent them to tell the disciples that Jesus was going ahead of them into Galilee (Matthew 28:6-7). These verses describe their response and their first meeting with the risen Lord. Mark notes their fear: they “fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them” (Mark 16:8), and he records that Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene” (Mark 16:9-11).
- “with fear and great joy”
The women felt two strong emotions at once. They were afraid, because they had seen an earthquake and an angel and heard news that turned the world upside down. Yet they were also full of great joy, because their Lord was alive. Encounters with God in Scripture often bring both awe and gladness. The same mixture is fitting for anyone who truly grasps the resurrection: holy fear before the power of God and deep joy at his love.
- “and ran to bring his disciples word”
They did not delay. The angel had said, “Go quickly,” and they ran. The message was too important to keep to themselves.
- “behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’”
While they were obeying, Jesus himself met them. The word he used was the common Greek greeting, much like “Hello” or “Greetings,” but its root meaning is “rejoice.” The first word of the risen Lord to his followers in Matthew is an invitation to joy. The women had come to the tomb in grief; now the one they mourned greeted them alive.
- “They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.”
This was no ghost or vision. They could hold his feet. The risen Jesus had a real body, though a glorified one. Falling at his feet, they worshiped him. In Matthew people worship Jesus at key moments: the wise men at his birth, the disciples in the boat who said, “You are truly the Son of God!” (Matthew 14:33), and now the women at his resurrection. Matthew shows that Jesus is rightly worshiped as God.
- “Don’t be afraid.”
Jesus calmed their fear, as he had done when he came to his disciples on the sea and said, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). The risen Lord does not come to terrify his people but to give them peace.
- “Go tell my brothers”
This is a striking word. The disciples had abandoned him, and Peter had denied him, yet Jesus calls them “my brothers.” John records the same: “go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father’” (John 20:17). Jesus had said that whoever does the will of his Father “is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50). Hebrews says that “he is not ashamed to call them brothers,” quoting the psalm, “I will declare your name to my brothers” (Hebrews 2:11-12; Psalm 22:22). The footnote on the PIB page notes that the word may also mean “brothers and sisters.”
The Significance of Matthew 28:8-10
- Restored, not rejected
Jesus could have sent a message of rebuke to the disciples who ran away. Instead he called them his brothers. Those who have failed him can know that the risen Lord still welcomes them into his family.
- Joy that moves us
The women’s joy made them run, and their meeting with Jesus led them to worship. Encountering the risen Lord still produces both: worship at his feet and eagerness to tell others.
Cross-References:
John 20:17: "go to my brothers, and tell them," John’s account of Jesus’ message through Mary Magdalene.
Psalm 22:22: "I will declare your name to my brothers." The psalm of the cross ends with brothers gathered in praise.
Hebrews 2:11: "he is not ashamed to call them brothers," Jesus’ family.
Mark 16:9: Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene," Mark’s account.
Conclusion: The women hurried from the tomb with fear and great joy, and on the way Jesus met them with the greeting “Rejoice!” They took hold of his feet and worshiped him. He calmed their fear and sent them to tell his “brothers” to meet him in Galilee, showing that the disciples who had fled were forgiven and still belonged to his family.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible